Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood

e-Audio, 03:22:00
Narrated by: Meg Sylvan
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Published by: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Read from: March 11-12, 2022
The STEMinist Novellas, #2
Source: Libro FM
TW: Claustrophobia 
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Realistic Fiction, Novella/ Short Stories, Adult

   Nothing like a little rivalry between scientists to take love to the next level.

     Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…

     Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.

     Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….

     To read Mara and Hannah’s stories look for the novellas Under One Roof, available now, and Below Zero, coming soon from Berkley!

*MY THOUGHTS*

I was going to wait and review these all together, but this one happened and I had to say something. Mostly because I was not a fan and everyone else is like “This is my favorite one!” Not that I’m trying to create drama, but I’m trying to be on the other side of the fence. So, here we are.

The number one thing I didn’t like about this was the fact that it was the same tropes as the other, just had a different location. There was forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and miscommunication. The setting was different and the characters were different. This annoyed me for some reason. I think maybe I wanted to read something completely different. Like maybe try something without the miscommunication and forced proximity? But whatever. Looking at this next one, it’s also forced proximity. I really hope there’s something that sets it apart from the others.

But I think what I really disliked about this one was the characters. I did not like Sadie. She never gave anyone the benefit of the doubt. I do think she would have been super angry after what happened, but man, I hate the miscommunication trope when they don’t even try. And man, she didn’t at all. And then when confronted on it, she was like “What if he…?” At the very least I thought she should have talked to him so that she could apologize. But whatever that’s just me.

The thing that saved this for me was the spice and Erik. Erik was such a freaking sweetheart. And the way he was simping over Sadie? Ughhhh it was so cute! And to make it better, the way he respected her was amazing as well. This was beautiful lol Now the spice was definitely there for this to be a novella. I’d say it was a 3 from the amount of spice that this book held, vs the length of the book.

So far the first one is my favorite, but I think that’s just because the last one hasn’t come out yet. That’s the reason I read this one even though it didn’t even sound like it was something I was hella interested in. But whatever happens, Ali Hazelwood has a chokehold on me or something. Because regardless of how much I didn’t care for it, I still couldn’t stop reading it.

Overall, I give this