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A review by alyn_reads
Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood
2.0
You know what’s worse than the miscommunication trope? A self-inflicted miscommunication trope. And Stuck with You really doubles down on that front.
Sadie isn’t just bad at communicating, she’s downright committed to not communicating. Erik? The poor man tries to reach out, but Sadie decides to slap on her emotional blinders, block his number, and stew in her own assumptions like it’s a fine wine. I mean, why bother confronting the guy who supposedly betrayed you when you can just believe whatever third party gossip comes your way? Bold move, Sadie. Bold move.
Here’s the thing, it’s not just frustrating, it’s borderline exhausting. I found myself rooting for Erik more than Sadie because, honestly, he deserved a little credit for the way he handled her during her freak outs, as well as his attempts to understand what he did to upset her, only to be met with a metaphorical slammed door. And while Sadie’s self righteous streak is meant to make her relatable, it sometimes made her come off as… a little insufferable. Like, girl, if you’re mad, at least give him a chance to grovel before blocking him! Let him earn the hatred!
The forced proximity in the elevator had potential, but instead of juicy tension, it mostly felt like we were waiting for Sadie to finally let Erik speak his piece. And when the truth comes out? It’s almost laughably anticlimactic, and well boarder line embarrassing.
To be fair, Hazelwood excels at crafting quietly devoted, brooding love interests, and Erik is no exception. His patience with Sadie’s nonsense is heroic. The steam is as expected, and the writing is breezy, but it’s hard to fully enjoy the romance when you’ve been grinding your teeth for most of the story.
Stuck with You is a classic case of a great setup let down by a frustrating trope and a heroine who refuses to ask a single follow up question. Erik deserves better, but if you love Hazelwood’s style and can tolerate a heroine who’s her own worst enemy, it’s a quick read if nothing else.
Let’s not beat around the bush…Ali Hazelwood has a type, and she’s not even trying to hide it. Tiny woman? Check. Towering, brooding, Nordic-inspired behemoth of a man? Double check. And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance, a heroic-sized… you know what. It’s like Hazelwood got a creative writing prompt titled “My Kink Is Obvious” and ran with it.
And you know what? Good for her. But also… girl. We get it. You love writing about men who could bench press their heroines while reciting feminist theory, and women who are so small they practically need a stepstool to reach emotional maturity.
Erik once again fits the mold. He’s big. He’s broody. He probably has to duck under most doorways and special order his jeans. His larger than life ‘ahem’ attributes are so blatant you can almost hear Hazelwood winking at the audience. It’s like she’s daring us to say, “Oh, come on, Ali.”
Meanwhile, Sadie is Hazelwood’s quintessential heroine, petite, spunky, and somehow unable to comprehend that a man who looks like Thor’s hotter cousin might also have feelings. The power dynamics practically write themselves. Is it a trope? Absolutely. Is it bordering on self parody? Oh, 100%. But for some readers, it’s like catnip.
Look, we all have our literary kinks, and Hazelwood has cornered the market on the “diminutive STEM girl and her human oak tree” pairing. Love it or roll your eyes at it, it’s her brand. And Stuck with You? It’s Hazelwood leaning into it harder than Erik’s XXL-sized…eggplant.
Either way, I suppose she’s consistent so there is that.
Sadie isn’t just bad at communicating, she’s downright committed to not communicating. Erik? The poor man tries to reach out, but Sadie decides to slap on her emotional blinders, block his number, and stew in her own assumptions like it’s a fine wine. I mean, why bother confronting the guy who supposedly betrayed you when you can just believe whatever third party gossip comes your way? Bold move, Sadie. Bold move.
Here’s the thing, it’s not just frustrating, it’s borderline exhausting. I found myself rooting for Erik more than Sadie because, honestly, he deserved a little credit for the way he handled her during her freak outs, as well as his attempts to understand what he did to upset her, only to be met with a metaphorical slammed door. And while Sadie’s self righteous streak is meant to make her relatable, it sometimes made her come off as… a little insufferable. Like, girl, if you’re mad, at least give him a chance to grovel before blocking him! Let him earn the hatred!
The forced proximity in the elevator had potential, but instead of juicy tension, it mostly felt like we were waiting for Sadie to finally let Erik speak his piece. And when the truth comes out? It’s almost laughably anticlimactic, and well boarder line embarrassing.
To be fair, Hazelwood excels at crafting quietly devoted, brooding love interests, and Erik is no exception. His patience with Sadie’s nonsense is heroic. The steam is as expected, and the writing is breezy, but it’s hard to fully enjoy the romance when you’ve been grinding your teeth for most of the story.
Stuck with You is a classic case of a great setup let down by a frustrating trope and a heroine who refuses to ask a single follow up question. Erik deserves better, but if you love Hazelwood’s style and can tolerate a heroine who’s her own worst enemy, it’s a quick read if nothing else.
Let’s not beat around the bush…Ali Hazelwood has a type, and she’s not even trying to hide it. Tiny woman? Check. Towering, brooding, Nordic-inspired behemoth of a man? Double check. And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance, a heroic-sized… you know what. It’s like Hazelwood got a creative writing prompt titled “My Kink Is Obvious” and ran with it.
And you know what? Good for her. But also… girl. We get it. You love writing about men who could bench press their heroines while reciting feminist theory, and women who are so small they practically need a stepstool to reach emotional maturity.
Erik once again fits the mold. He’s big. He’s broody. He probably has to duck under most doorways and special order his jeans. His larger than life ‘ahem’ attributes are so blatant you can almost hear Hazelwood winking at the audience. It’s like she’s daring us to say, “Oh, come on, Ali.”
Meanwhile, Sadie is Hazelwood’s quintessential heroine, petite, spunky, and somehow unable to comprehend that a man who looks like Thor’s hotter cousin might also have feelings. The power dynamics practically write themselves. Is it a trope? Absolutely. Is it bordering on self parody? Oh, 100%. But for some readers, it’s like catnip.
Look, we all have our literary kinks, and Hazelwood has cornered the market on the “diminutive STEM girl and her human oak tree” pairing. Love it or roll your eyes at it, it’s her brand. And Stuck with You? It’s Hazelwood leaning into it harder than Erik’s XXL-sized…eggplant.
Either way, I suppose she’s consistent so there is that.