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My Review:Title: Stuck with You
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Series: The STEMinist Novellas #2
Published by: Penguin Audio
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Meg Sylvan
Length: 3 hours and 22 minutes
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Source: Libby
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 Audiobook Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ IndieBound ✩ iTunes ✩ Libro.FM
My rating:
Blurb: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….
4.5 stars — Damn! I seem to be in a novella mood, and luckily I also seem to be finding ones that succeed despite the short format! Yay me! Yay books!
Can I start off by saying that I adored this narrator? She was both cute and sassy, and while I genuinely have NO IDEA how authentic her faint Danish accent was, it was plausible to a completely uneducated listener. *snort* I will definitely be looking for more books read by her in the future.
Sadie was pretty fun with her rituals and superstitions. I loved that she didn’t seem to have much of a filter on her, it made her very authentic. And while there was a big miscommunication/misunderstanding at the center of the conflict, I felt like it was a reasonable initial response. The rest was all Sadie, but thankfully she had her girls to push her on her fears.
We don’t get Erik’s POV, but I still felt like I got a good vibe on who he was. I loved that he was both confident, and insecure. He was a bit of a mystery too with his slow responses, and lack of cues for Sadie. I also loved his slow dry wit.
They were pretty adorable together, even as they sort of awkwardly flirted. I loved how much they had in common, and how they developed a connection almost immediately. And holy shit, Ms. Hazelwood just brings it in the steamy scenes. I mean, damn girl. And it’s not just the actual steam, like I kind of loved the bits of realism thrown in as well. I appreciate those, because they normalize fears many people have, and normalize appropriate responses from the other party.
I seriously cannot wait for Hannah’s story! I’m not even supposed to be reading these right now, but I can’t help myself…they’re delicious little bites of romance.
I love that these are working out for you! I thought they were fun.