Under One Roof, Stuck With You and Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Three Ali Hazelwood novellas = three lovely escapes from reality!

PS - Calling them the "STEMinst" novellas had me giggling for no reason at all beyond being a woman working in the world of STEM and permanently adding the word to my vocabulary. 

Confession time:

I first listened to these on audio (the narrators were excellent), and then I added them to kindle as they popped up on sale... Then I bought them when they were released in a paperback collection. 

I'd say that I think I'm crazy but that's more of a fact at this point!

Under One Roof

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….

As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.

The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.

The first of the novellas to release and my favorite of the three! I absolutely loved it. 

Two people forced to share a house together on account of each inheriting half of the property.

The initial friction and brattiness was delightfully infuriating and evil. The big freeze and the slow thaw... beautifully done. The cluelessness. The clumsy, oblivious denial of where their relationship had evolved to... The ending. Happy sigh.

I smiled, I laughed and I wanted to start it over the second I finished it.

Ali Hazelwood's humour just hits the spot for me. Her characters are likeable and relatable. 

I can't get enough!

Stuck With You

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….

A second chance romance all thanks to little bit of forced proximity courtesy of a busted elevator = win!

I really enjoyed Stuck With You. Not as much as I enjoyed Under One Roof but I enjoyed it. 

I enjoyed how Sadie was pricklier than the others. Fierce and loving towards her friends. A hard worker... But that she had a soft centre. I was rabidly curious as to what happened between her and her Scandinavian hunk. And I adored Erik! I was smitten with how obviously taken with Sadie he was from the first... But what happened between them?!! It all plays out - past and present interwoven- and is delicious... But what left me frustrated with this story was that it all could have been resolved back in the beginning without Sadie ghosting Erik if she's just yelled/talked to him about his "betrayal." 

Yes, I understood why she felt betrayed and believed the worst - I would have too! - but come on! Conversation people!

That said, I'll be reading it again. 

In fact, I've listened to it several times and now my paperback is here so I'll be reading it again soon!

Below Zero

It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.

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…

Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?

I enjoyed this novella but I think it was my least favourite of the three... Despite my rating it the same as Stuck With You. 

It's hard to put my finger on why but I think it's probably because I found Hannah harder for me to "click" with than Sadie and Mara... But I loved Ian! Oh, the big grumpy bear of a man... He was yummy.

I loved how Hannah and Ian's first encounter unfolded. I hated how Hannah's shitty attitude regarding relationships got in the way of them. I wasn't fond of the cold and snow and general Norway expedition setting... And despite Ian being a big protective rescue bear, I was nervous for him. Part of me just didn't trust Hannah with this adorable man... But it worked out okay in the end. She pulled her head out her ass and the Sadie and Mara appearance - along with their men - made me happy. 

Paperback Bonus Chapter!!

Ah... This put all my nerves to bed! I love epilogues but I especially love epilogues set years in the future. I love they're all still friends. I loved seeing how their lives were unfolding and I was happy that Hannah and Ian were all good.