Title: Stuck With You
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 212 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Holiday Romance
At a Glance: I always enjoy Jay Northcote’s stories, and this one didn’t disappoint.
Reviewed By: Ky
Blurb: Two clashing colleagues stuck together for Christmas–will opposites eventually attract?
Patrick has been single since he broke up with his cheating ex almost a year ago. With Christmas looming, he’s resigned to spending it alone with only memories of happier times for company. When a business trip with a co-worker leaves them stranded in the Lake District due to heavy snow, it seems Patrick will have company for Christmas after all. It’s a shame his companion is Kyle, who’s undeniably attractive, but annoying as hell.
Aware of Patrick’s reluctant admiration, Kyle basks in the attention even though Patrick isn’t the type of man he normally goes for. Averse to relationships after being hurt in the past, Kyle enjoys the occasional hook up, but has given up on seeking anything more meaningful.
Stuck together, their antagonism escalates along with a heavy dose of sexual tension until it finally ignites. What starts as a Christmas fling soon feels like something special; but will their tentative connection melt away as the snow thaws? If they’re going to take a chance on finding happiness together, they’ll have to put their differences aside and learn to trust one another.
Review: I usually avoid stories where the characters are trapped together and by the time they are free again they have found true love forever, but for this one I had to make an exception because of the author.
I always enjoy Jay Northcote’s stories, and this one didn’t disappoint. For some reason, even though everything happened in less than a week, it didn’t feel rushed or like I was reading an insta-love story. It’s worth mentioning here that we also have an enemies-to-lovers trope (okay, maybe just heavy dislike), and it still worked! How is it possible?!
We have co-workers, Patrick and Kyle, with the former training the newbie later. There is no love lost between them, and they can barely stand each other. When their boss sends them on a work trip just before the holidays, they go, thinking that it would only be two days and then they can be rid of the other until next year. Kyle’s car, though, had other plans, and it broke down in the middle of nowhere on their way back, so they ended up spending a few days (Christmas day included) in a small town waiting for the car to be fixed. The attraction doesn’t take long to make an appearance, but they have both been hurt in the past and even though they are dealing with it in different ways, the result is the same: they are reluctant to take a chance again.
Stuck With You is a really good, light read with little to no angst, but I wouldn’t say it’s fluff. There are no big declarations and no cheesy phrases. The development felt real, and the way they gave each other a chance and, little by little, left first impressions behind and started really getting to know the person within, was satisfying.
Close quarters, bad weather, quirky and kind people, and an energetic dog that is always game for a walk help change their minds, and by the end of their holiday adventure, nothing is the same.
You can buy Stuck With You here:
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