Yes, my little chocolate chip muffin, you read that right. The book previously known as Wanna Bet? is now available with a shiny new cover and title: The Roommate Risk. Here’s why.
In spring 2018 I decided to write a romance novel specifically for my VIP newsletter subscribers. (Why? Because I love those guys.) I shoved in all my favourite tropes: best friends to lovers, roommates, pining, stern brunch daddy corrals emotionally wounded chaos demon, et cetera.
Wanna Bet? was the epic, sexy, utterly self-indulgent result.
I could not hide this book under a bushel, I realised. I simply loved it too much. So, after giving it to my newsletter subscribers for free, I made it my next release. And it kinda tanked.
At least, it tanked compared to my previous few releases. I can’t say I cared; I was so deeply passionate about the book, having it for sale was more about pride than business. I called it a Dirty British Romance, put it in a series with my other steamy, emotional novel, The Princess Trap, and called it a day.
But now, three years later, this story remains one of my top 3 things I’ve ever written. And, actually… I really want people to read it. Or rather, I want my readers, the ones who’ve adored Griff and Olu or Dani and Zaf or Chastity and Luke, to read it. Because I think you guys will love it, and I think Jasmine and Rahul’s story deserves to be loved.
So I sat down and looked at the book as a product, rather than a piece of my stapled-together heart. Why weren’t people noticing it? Why weren’t they buying it? Probably because the title, the blurb, the cover (while lovely and very much to my taste) weren’t sending the signals readers might be looking for. They weren’t saying, Hey, this is a super horny and emotional romance with flashbacks and vibes and whatnot. They were saying, Hey, this is probably a romance novel about, er, something.
Basically, the whole thing needed to be a lot more specific.
So I killed the whole ‘Dirty British Romance’ idea. The Princess Trap and Wanna Bet? have the same emotions and steam level, but, I’ve decided, they’re more impactful as standalone novels. Thus, Dirty British Romance is no more.
That dealt with, I set about hunting down a cover image, confusing my cover designer with my vague and incoherent desires, and – most of all – brainstorming new titles. And this is the result.
If you’ve read and loved Jas and Rahul’s romance already, I hope The Roommate Risk‘s new look feels right to you. And if you have yet to meet this couple, here’s what their story’s all about…
Jasmine Allen believes in bad luck, great wine, and the seductive power of a stiletto heel. What she doesn’t believe in is love. Her life is perfect without all that romance rubbish—until a plumbing disaster screws everything up and leaves Jas homeless. Luckily, she has someone to turn to: her best friend Rahul.
For seven years, Rahul Khan has followed three simple rules.
- Don’t touch Jasmine if you can help it.
- Don’t look at her arse in that skirt.
- And don’t ever—ever—tell her you love her.
He should’ve added another one: Do not, under any circumstances, let Jas move into your house.
Now Rahul is living with the friend he can’t have, and it’s decimating his control. He knows their shared dinners aren’t dates, their late-night kisses are a mistake, and the tenderness in Jasmine’s gaze is only temporary. One wrong word could send his skittish best friend running.
So why is he tempted to risk it all?
This book was previously published as Wanna Bet?. The Roommate Risk is a steamy, standalone, diverse romance. This book is 75,000 words of fluff, angst, and extreme pleasure, with NO cliffhangers, NO cheating, and a guaranteed HEA. Please be aware: this story contains themes of parental neglect and abandonment, parental death, and alcohol dependence that could trigger certain audiences.
Tap here to grab a copy from your favourite store.
I hope you adore this story as much as I do!
Love and biscuits,
Talia
I actually just started reading “Wanna Bet?” this month, and I love it so far. This new cover is gorgeous! And the new title definitely gives us a great idea of what the story is about. I also enjoy getting to see both Jasmine and Rahul looking scrumptious!!
This book is everything for me. I read it months ago and I’m still trying to find books that compare because this book was pure perfection. It is the quintessential friends to lovers romance with a little bit of angst. I also love the amount of backstory we get. It really makes the story all the better . So it is very much appreciate it that you published this book from my reading pleasure.
I just finished the Roommate Risk. I laughed, cried, swooned, then laughed some more. I absolutely fell in love with Jasmine. Her struggle and growth were amazingly well timed. Rahul’s personal insight was such a surprise when confronted by Pinal’s wakeup. So well written, thought through, and brave characters.
This book was sooo good! The characters had so much depth to them, the story moved quickly but was never rushed and the spice was spicy!! I just finished it and am debating whether to read it again straight away or move on to another Talia Hibbert book. Either way, I know I’ll enjoy myself!