Well hello there, my bodacious bi bibliophiles! Hope all is well in your patch of the world.
Question for my lovelies: Have you ever found yourself drawn to someone you’re not supposed to, that’s supposedly off-limits? Those kinds of do’s and don’ts span all kinds of intersecting relationships, yet they’re often the source of the best romance tropes. Friends-to-lovers, coworkers-to-companions, and the like. But what about roommates? I was thinking about this while reading the book Make Room For Love by Darcy Liao.
But before I get into the nitty-gritty, I should go over a few important details. First, there will be major SPOILERS for this 2024 rom-com novel.
All set? Then let’s get this show on the road!
Make Room For Love focuses on Mira Levin, a New York graduate student, and Isabel, an electrician still reeling from the loss of her sister and her ex-girlfriend. The two women meet in the most unexpected place — a dance club where Mira is blowing off steam, and her fresh ex-boyfriend follows her there. Isabel gets between the two of them and manages to scare the ex off, and when walking to the subway, Mira reveals that she lost her place when she broke things off with the ex and is staying with a friend. Isabel has a spare room (thanks to her ex moving out) and offers to rent it to her for cheap since Mira is a grad student. With the offer, Mira should feel relieved. Instead, she’s flustered. She’s not into women — or, wait, is she? As the two grow closer through shared space and Isabel’s knowledge as a union member, Mira tries to win a union election at her university, and many things come into question and conflict—including Mira and Isabel’s feelings for each other.
Mira is a refreshing lead for a romantic comedy book. She is passionate about her work as a classicist scholar and teacher, and we feel for her as she struggles to improve working conditions not just for herself, but for all the grad students taking on more than their fair share of the workload at the university without being properly compensated. She is brilliant, funny, incredibly kind, caring, observant, and vulnerable and honest in ways we don’t often see in novels like these. She talks about her financial strains, both from financial abuse by her ex-boyfriend and how having limited funds forced her into difficult life choices (like choosing to live with said ex because, with her grad fees, she could not afford to live elsewhere). It’s also great (and extremely rare) to see a trans woman of color be a lead in a rom-com for a change!
Mira’s progression in terms of bi representation is fascinating, too. She does have the revelation that she’s bi throughout the novel, after finally recognizing a growing attraction to Isabel over months of living together and after Isabel confesses she has feelings for her. When she parses it out with her friend the next day during a walk through Central Park, the two go over some interesting points: one, Isabel is not pressuring Mira due to their living situation to give any kind of answer, and Mira can now leave whenever she pleases (which she could not do with her ex-boyfriend). Mira also realizes, looking back, that her admiration for some other women in her life besides Isabel — friends, fellow students, and colleagues — was more than just aesthetic or platonic admiration.
After realizing this and her feelings towards Isabel, her queerness is no longer a source of conflict — she reciprocates Isabel’s feelings, and the two begin a relationship at a mature and measured pace. Mira has no problem claiming the “bi” label for herself, talking about Isabel as her girlfriend or introducing her to Mira’s friends and community, and the like. Mira’s bisexuality is also not the only interesting thing or plot point about her — we see her move through getting the union election, struggle with relationship problems with Isabel, and come to terms with some of her own hang-ups. So her bisexuality is an important factor in her development, but it is not the crux of her character, either.
Make Room For Love takes the roommates-to-lovers trope and gives it the most beautiful, nuanced queer twist I’ve ever seen. Mira is a slice of wonderful as a character, and to see her bloom into her bisexuality is a real joy to behold. I recommend the book without hesitation.