Audiobook review: Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood
Stuck with You is the second of Ms. Hazelwood’s STEMinist romance novellas. This time around, the story focuses on Sadie, a civil engineer for a small green firm. Three weeks ago, she had a meet-cute with Erik, and after twenty-four hours wondered if she may be falling in love.
The story shifts between present day, when the pair are trapped together in an elevator, and three weeks ago, when Sadie and Erik first meet. Over the course of the book, we slowly learn how the pair hit it off and went home together after their first meeting. And how the next day, Erik betrays her.
I’m not normally a fan of insta-love, but Stuck with You is absolutely fabulous! I love how, even though we only get Sadie’s POV, it’s evident that Erik adores her – how he can’t control himself around her, in the little things he says and does. The pair hits it off immediately – it’s cute and adorable. I love that she feels so comfortable around him that she can open up like she’s never done before – share so much of herself and what she loves.
I didn’t know if I’d like the shifts between present and past, but in this case, it creates fabulous tension. There are parallels between them meeting, falling for one another, and her heartbreak matches AND the two being stuck in the elevator, her hating him, and then realizing the truth. By the time Sadie leaves that elevator, listeners know how much Erik broke her heart because we’ve seen how hard she fell for him and what his betrayal did to her.
Narration: This is the my first experience listening to Meg Sylvan, but her voice has a familiar, best friend quality. She’s exuberant and upbeat, capturing the essence of 20-something Sadie. She nails her somewhat frazzled, always thinking personality. I love how Sylvan captures all of Sadie’s emotions from the agony of embarrassment to the joy of love. Sylvan alters her cadence, tone, etc. for age, regionality, and gender. Her Erik is deeper and convincingly sexy, adding just a hint of his Norwegian accent.
Stuck with You is quick and easy, but filled with emotions: highs and lows, sorrow and joy. I couldn’t stop listening as the past and present simultaneously reveal their truths. In the end, Stuck with You is a lovely, sexy romance.
My Ratings
Story: A
Narration: A
Jen
About the Book:
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….
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Narrator: Emma Wilder
Series: The STEMinist novellas #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, novella
Audiobook Release Date: March 8, 2022
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Length: 3 hours and 22 minutes
Source: Publisher
Audio Speed: 1.3x
Purchase info:
Audible/Amazon (affilate link)
Reviews in the Series:
Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood (The STEMinist novellas #1) – Audiobook Review