Under One Roof
Ratings169
Average rating3.5
As Adam, Liam is very very tall.
As Olive, Liam appears to be asexual, which again feels like a lost opportunity to teach and promote diversity on the book.
This was, however, a very entertaining read, albeit a bit similar to the “love hypothesis”.
P.S - I became aware Ali Hazelwood started as a Reylo fanfiction writer (shiping Rey and Kylo romance on Starwars), which justifies all the towering her male characters do.
Fun, easy read. If you're looking for something quick and lighter to get through a short time, this will be the perfect diversion. A little quirky, somewhat predictable, far-fetched in places... But I'd recommend it.
Beautiful Introduction
Navigating through Booktok and watching avid readers on YouTube has acquainted me with numerous authors, and Ali Hazelwood's name has consistently resonated within these literary circles. Opting to dip my toes into the world of short STEM romcoms, I found myself immersed in the delightful universe of “Under One Roof,” and the decision to explore Hazelwood's work proved to be immensely gratifying. As I eagerly dive into the second installment of this series, I reflect on the initial encounter with the first book.
“Under One Roof” doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel when it comes to its narrative structure, but the sheer enjoyment I derived from the experience is undeniable. The concoction of a mildly audacious premise, endearing albeit somewhat clueless protagonists, and an abundance of snarky banter contributed to a thoroughly enjoyable reading journey.
Ali Hazelwood's prowess in crafting banter emerges as a standout feature of her writing. It exudes a certain charm that captivates readers, leaving them eager to savor every witty, humorous, and slightly eccentric exchange. The banter became an integral part of the narrative's appeal, and I anticipate it will remain a defining aspect of Hazelwood's literary charm.
The emphasis on STEM females, embodied in the feisty character of Mara, resonated with me. As an environmental engineer, Mara's clash with her attractive roommate, a high-profile corporate lawyer in the oil industry, provided a comedic backdrop that yielded consistently amusing results.
Novellas, often a genre I approach cautiously due to a fear of unsatisfying brevity, had me initially skeptical. While “Under One Roof” offered an enjoyable storyline, there's an undeniable sense of yearning for more. The short length leaves an appetite for a deeper exploration of Mara and Liam's dynamic. Yet, in a peculiar way, this craving for more is a testament to the story's impact, showcasing its ability to leave readers wanting an extended immersion in its world.
As I reluctantly wipe away the silly smile induced by this delightful book, I can confidently declare it a perfect companion for a relaxing day off. “Under One Roof” has proven to be a serendipitous discovery, and I eagerly anticipate further literary adventures within Ali Hazelwood's imaginative realm.
“My hair. He tucked it behind my ear. He's just being nice and helping his ginger klutz roommate.” Girl BFFR FOR EVEN ONE SECOND PLEASE
This felt a bit wattpaddy, so a lot of the stories weren't as well carried out and expanded as they could have been. Some jumps were also a bit sudden (whilst I am a sucker for enemies to lovers, it was a bit too fast)
Meh.
I found it boring and far too short to get the payoff I typically like from the enemies to lovers trope. Perhaps I'm tainted by all the marathon long fanfictions that I've read. Despite it being short it took me forever to read because I couldn't get excited about it.
Na toch wel wat te hebben geworsteld om een boek te vinden waarin ik kon verdwijnen, besloot ik het roer om te gooien en iets luchthartigs, fluffy en kort te zoeken om te lezen.
En dit is precies wat dit was. Gewoon een luchtig verhaaltje dat in één ruk uitgelezen kan worden.
Don't know what to think of this. It was kinda weird? But like not in a good way? But I also still enjoyed it enough to finish it
I was actually pretty indifferent about the dynamic here until he picked her up??????? That is threatening and strange and not cute or funny it's fucking weird. He's trying to buy her out of the house, make her uncomfortable enough to leave, they're still new in each others lives and he thinks it's okay to grab her???? He does this several times but the first time he does is baffling.
I understand that this genre of book is based on tropes but god every line is like a sassy Twitter recap of a TikTok book review of this book. It's not just that you know what's going to happen or what a character is going to say it's that it's exactly what words will be on the page.
Not to mention how utterly insufferable these characters are. Everything about them can be gleaned from clicking through a millennials instagram story. There is no depth, no chemistry, nothing fun or cute or interesting about them apart or together.
Novellas can be packed with interesting characters, well built relationships and good pacing this has none of that. There actually isn't any humor in this either, unless you count references to Disney movies, online comment section templates for epic burns, and celebrity name dropping as sooo silly goofy.
Also god we get he's fucking huge, if he's so fucking big and tall why isn't a NBA player.
The woman lead also suffer from some form “not like other girls” I wasn't going to post this review until I saw the title of this novella series was “STEMinist Novellas” which is insulting. What? It's feminist because she gets harassed and belittled at work? Which is a problem we never see her solve, she is actually passive about her position at work and it is the man who 1) tries to solve the problem and 2) puts her in the position to get the problem solved.
AND GOOD HELL THE ENDING?????? Worst sex scene I've ever read. Up until the sex scene there is nothing explicit, erotic, or sexy happening in the text. He walks around their shared house without a shirt once, he walks in on her showering but those are framed more so as cute scenes with undertones of sexual tension. The absolute whiplash I got when the first smutty line dropped was crazy because it does not ease into it, saying something like “I wish he would pull my legs apart and fuck me over the counter” isn't actually a good way to transition into a sex scene????? It wasn't just clunky it was jarring.
Every line in that sex scene is horrendous.
I hadn't planned on reading this book this month but my hold came available through Libby so I had to give it a go. This was a quick easy read. I ended up reading it in one sitting. I loved the romance in here and the banter was really good. There are only 2 complaints I have about this book. The first one being that these novellas are about women in STEM however we don't really get much of that side of things except for the fact that the men in that field suck. The other thing is that in the end Liam says he doesn't like sex however when he admits that he's in the middle of sex. He then goes on to say he's likes it with her which you know I am sure has happened in the real world but I don't like that it implies that people who don't like sex just haven't found the one person they would like sex with. Other than those 2 things I did overall have a good time with this novella.
I mean, honestly this is 3.5 stars. This trio of novellas is great on audio and the STEM theme is perhaps even better than the romance part.
Simple y divertida.
Una novela cortita para leerla en una tarde. Todo avanza muy rápido pero es que es eso, una novela corta.
Adoro como Ali escribe y siempre me consigue sacarme unas carcajadas con los diálogos. Crea personajes muy frescos y con personalidad.
Where do i even start... this one was weird for me. It started off strong and i was really enjoying the characters but the ending was a rollercoaster (and not in a good way). The spice felt so out of place and so unlike the characters that i was cringing the entire time. And what was that ending?? It didn't resolve anything.
This is one of those books that has me questioning what in the world i just read. Maybe it was the novella format and the book being too short to flesh out the characters or just the lack of chemistry between them but this was sadly not for me. Hopefully the other novellas in this series will be better than this one.
Books, Coffee & Passion
3.5 stars
An entertaining novella.
Mara unexpectedly inherits half of a house from her mentor that passed away. Considering the location of the house and that Mara isn't in a good position financially, she decides to move in temporarily. However, there's a catch. The other owner of the house also lives there: Liam.
I read the 3 novellas out of order, so this one was the last one I read and my least favorite. I was expecting to love this one more, because of the forced proximity. However, I'm not sure why, but I think Liam just wasn't my favorite hero. The ending was also a little abrupt.
It was cute, though. I had fun listening to it.
Mara inherits half of a house from her late mentor. When she visits said house, she meets Liam with whom she proceeds to live “[b:Under One Roof 59651557 Under One Roof (The STEMinist Novellas, #1) Ali Hazelwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637311353l/59651557.SY75.jpg 93935907]”. They have great first impressions of each other, then enmity ensues, the inevitable mutual crushes come up - and then both Mara and Liam who eat, play and talk together entirely forget to talk about said crushes...That alone would have been annoying enough but additionally, the story isn't very interestingly told either: Everything that happens beyond the interactions between Mara and Liam is boring and sometimes even their interactions are.Two out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam