"Stuck Together" is a charming holiday-time romantic comedy that blends several popular tropes into a heartwarming tale of unlikely love with a little bit of spice. Lily Joseph introduces us to two characters sharing a pop-up shop space: Annie, who is looking to offload her mother’s inventory from various failed MLM ventures, and Penn, a musician selling vintage records.

Joseph skillfully weaves together multiple romantic tropes - fake dating, enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, and a dash of forced proximity. The forced proximity, which gives the book its title, serves as a crucial turning point in Annie and Penn's relationship. These familiar tropes are executed well, providing satisfying development for romance enthusiasts.

The novel starts strong with a memorable meet-cute between the protagonists, setting the stage with Annie and Penn’s palpable chemistry. However, the pacing falters after this promising beginning, with the story not regaining its momentum until about 40% through when the fake dating proposal comes into play. The holiday setting provides a festive backdrop to the unfolding romance, enhancing the cozy atmosphere without overshadowing the main plot. This touch of seasonal flair makes "Stuck Together" an ideal read for those seeking a romantic comedy with a dash of holiday spirit.

A standout element of the book is the mystery of who is sabotaging the pop-up shop. This addition injects intrigue into the narrative, keeping readers guessing and adding depth to what could otherwise be a straightforward romance. The mystery is well-executed and adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the story.

While the book takes some time to hit its stride, once it does, it delivers on its promise of being an addictive and hilarious romantic comedy. The chemistry between Annie and Penn is well-developed, with their banter and gradual softening towards each other being particular highlights.
In conclusion, "Stuck Together" is a solid entry in the romantic comedy genre, earning four out of five stars from me. Despite some pacing issues in the early chapters, it recovers to deliver a satisfying blend of humor, mystery, romance, and holiday cheer.

Note: this ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Annie and Penn have a fleeting meet one night and then are thrown together in the lead up to Christmas, with their sharing of shop space.
This was an enjoyable read but there was so much going on, with Annie's parents, the goings on at the shop and Penn's family traditions. I felt it was a bit too much and the story lost it's way a bit
Still an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookoture for my ARC copy.

3.5 ⭐️
This was an easy, festive read. I Enjoyed it and did end up reading it in just a day. I just felt like it was a little bit too long and would have loved Penns POV in it too. Thw mystery surrounding the shop was a nice addition I was not expecting. Although it wasn't a 5 ⭐️ read for me, i know a lot of people who would devour this book.

This book unfortunately wasn't for me. The premises were really good, enemies to lovers stuck working together in the same shop.

The first half was very boring and very centered on the store and Annie's struggles to sell something to help her parents with their money problems. The second half picked up pace with the love story starting to shape and apparently a mistery involving the shop, that was not advertised in the blurb.

Over all, I found it too long and a bit boring. I kept checking the percentage in my kindle and it's not a good sign when it happens. Also, it was a third person single pov. Since Penn, the MMC felt quite mysterious, it wouldn't have hurt to have his pov as well as Annie's, just to get an idea of what was going through his mind.

Thank you NetGalley and publosher. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

The story of Annie and Penn, and enemies to lovers festive romance with a mystery thrown in too. A great read.

This was such a cute book, especially for the upcoming holidays season. The characters are very likeable and ones you enjoy watching the progression of

Thank You NetGalley For The ARC!
It was a nice read! Although slightly mentioned it Wasn’t heavily Christmassy. I felt like some more description on that could’ve been nice.
I wished it was Dual POV it definitely would’ve bumped it up A-bit hearing from Penn.

I felt like the story missed the mark a little and felt somewhat flat.

Overall if you like the tropes definitely have a read as it is an enjoyable story.

An enemies to lovers romance, the story of Penn and Annie who end up sharing a shop together. But someone is out I sabotage them - will they work out who it is before it is too late? A fun read.

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️ Review of Stuck Together by Lilly Johnson!

So The Near Miss was an absolute 5-star for me, so I was thrilled to get this ARC so huge thank you to Lilly Johnson, NetGalley & the publishers. I mean, slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, forced proximity? SWOON. Lilly Johnson just knows how to do it. 🙌🏼

But, here’s the thing—while I loved the tension and the chemistry, the first 16 chapters felt like they were dragging a bit. Like, let’s get to the good stuff already, you know? And that mystery subplot? Definitely kept me guessing, but it was a little out of left field. 😅

Oh, and the third act breakup? Yeah, that threw me off. I didn’t think it really added anything to the story. Felt like a bit of unnecessary drama.

But overall, I still enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next from Lilly! If you love a good slow burn with all those juicy tropes, this one’s still worth a read. 💕

Cute and enjoyable, but I was left feeling a little out of sorts like something was missing!

I feel a little torn about this book, overall I did enjoy it, I absolutely adored Annie, and I completely related to her, parts of her story felt as though it could have been my own I was reading; working-class lass had way too many jobs that I can't even remember them all anymore, sole carer for my parents. I felt and totally understood her thoughts, ideas and frustrations it all rang a bell for me.

I liked the overall story, and watching as Annie strove to make everything around her work, she is determined and resourceful, though I'm not sure where the mystery of who and why their shop was vandalised slotted in, I could see where it was going and the way it brought Penn and Annie together, but I personally thought the subplot was unnecessary and the story would have worked perfectly well without it.

I really loved the romantic comedy aspect, and the blossoming relationship between Annie and Penn, though I do wish we'd have had a duel narrative as I would have liked to get to know Penn a little more and not just the view we had of him through Annie's perspective. I think that's what was missing for me!

Stuck Together is essentially a forced proximity/fake dating romance with a little social dive thrown in for added edge. It was really well written though it went off on tangents at times, and I really struggled to connect with Penn but overall I did enjoy it!

Stuck Together is a charming enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy from author Lily Joseph.

Annie is determined to help her financially flailing parents out, so she jumps at the opportunity to share a shop with the handsome Penn. Her half is dedicated to selling the various products her mom had invested in but never got around to promoting, while his side is vintage records. The two are immediately at odds with one another and go out of their way to rub one another up the wrong way, but it's not until Annie attends a rally that she realises just how different they really are.

The problem is Penn needs her help, and she reluctantly agrees to lend him a hand by pretending to be his girlfriend. Will the two be able to put their differences aside long enough to embrace the sparks that are also flying between the two?

This was a feel-good, funny story that had me giggling, but it was a bit of a slow-burn romance with an added mystery element that I wasn't expecting. It would make a great read for the holidays though!

Thank you, Net Galley, Bookouture, and Lily Joseph, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up!

This story is about Annie, a woman from a working-class family who has had many jobs, but just hasn't quite found the right one and Penn, an aristocrat who is trying to make it in the city as a musician.

Annie is a lovable MC who will do just about anything for her parents, often to her own detriment. When she gets fired from her waitressing job, she decides to open a pop-up shop selling an array of items her mom has collected over the years as part of MLMs. The catch is that she can't afford the rent for the storefront on her own. Enter Penn, the brooding musician who wants to open a record store, but also can't afford the storefront on his musician's salary. They decide to co-lease, and it turns out they have very different ideas for how to run their half of the store.

The arcade is full of different stores, and the owners support each other and get along, for the most part. When Annie and Penn's storefront is vandalized, the other story owners rally behind them, and the ice between them thaws ever-so-slightly as they handle the culprit. Penn asks Annie to be his fake girlfriend for a Christmas in the country with his Lord and Lady parents, so they stop trying to set him up. She reluctantly agrees, and they get to know each other better while at his family's country estate.

I liked the storyline, and the mystery surrounding the vandal was woven nicely into the story. Annie was a really sweet MC and I couldn't help liking her and wanting the best for her and her parents. I wish this would have been written in dual POV so we could have heard more of Penn's side of the story. It's always hard to connect when there's a quiet, broody MMC and we only get to learn about him from the FMC's perspective. He seems like he had some baggage that would have helped develop the story a bit more.

All in all, I recommend for anyone who likes forced proximity, middle class FMC and upper class MMC and fake dating.

This is a very cute read for the Christmas holiday. I really enjoyed the character of Annie and Penn. Their relationship worked for me and I found myself laughing from parts of this book. I found Annie's character to be relatable. I'm sure we have been in a situation where we had to go back to square one and figure out a new life plan. There were parts of the story that fell a little flat/dragged for me but the mystery in the plot did keep me engaged. It was a slow burn and I felt like the book could've been a little shorter. Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book and do recommend it if you're looking for a holiday read.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

A fun, holiday romance!

Annie sets up a pop up store during Christmas to sell some of the MLM crap her mom has accumulated over the years. She can't afford the rent on a store front and ends up sharing the spot with Penn, a handsome guitar player that sells vintage records. They have friction and that often leads to fire. However, Penn isn't all he seems. There is a mystery around the building about who's bashing her online and ruining sales. All the characters are fun to learn, the story moves along quickly and it's a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

🔎 ARC Review

Stuck Together

@lilyjosephwriter
@bookouture
@netgalley

Publication Date: October 29th, 2024

My Rating:
🌟 4/5

👀Read if you like
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Opposites Attract

The hate is real. So is the chemistry.

Annie is heading into the holidays alone. And as a confirmed singleton, she decides to open a shop selling the kind of treats every single woman would want to find under the tree. After all, who doesn’t like to get a 'Premium Sensual Lifestyle Product' for Christmas, right?

Penn is in a bind. He needs to come home for Christmas with a girl, or his parents will set him up with someone ‘suitable’. Nothing is too good for the Honourable Peregrine Burton-Edwards after all. But that’s not what Penn wants. He just wants to sell vintage records in his shop and meet a nice, normal girl.

The first time Annie and Penn meet, Annie feels a flutter in her chest – he’s tall, dark and handsome, with cheekbones you could sharpen a blade on. So when he offers to share the shop with her to save on rent, she gladly accepts.

Huge mistake… Annie and Penn are poles apart and butt heads at every turn. But with the holidays looming, Penn will soon need to ask for a big favour, and Annie, with no plans to speak of, is the only girl who can help. As the arguments get more heated, so do the sparks flying between them. Will they put their differences aside and come together? And could it be for more than just Christmas?


🔎 My review
This was my first book by Lily and it did not disappoint. The plot was a little slow in the beginning, but really picked up and drew me in. Annie and Penn (Percy) are very likeable main characters. I did not expect the little mystery element, but it was a nice surprise. There could have been a little bit more spice between Annie and Penn, but regardless this was a cute romance that I would recommend.

Thank you @netgalley, @bookouture, and @lilyjosephwriter for the ARC

#books #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookstagram #bookobsessed #romance #romancebooks #lilyjoseph #StuckTogether #NetGalley #bookouture #holidayromance

Not a fan of this one, sadly. Had a great sounding premise but fell flat for me. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

This story helped me get into the holiday spirit! Annie and Penn had a fun banter dynamic to start that grew to stronger feelings throughout the story. Although a slow start for me, it was still enjoyable! I'll check out more work from this author for sure.

Stuck Together by Lily Joseph is a captivating read that I simply could not set down. This book provided me with a delightful and engaging experience that I effortlessly breezed through.

Lily Joseph is an AMAZING writer. the banter between Annie and Penn was top notch, and i wish i could read their dialogue all day long. while Penn was quite an unlikeable character from the moment Annie started to set up shop, his development throughout the book is truly heartwarming. i just love when the grumpy, emotionally-unavailable man opens up to the one person he trusts with his heart, and that person is Annie. The occasional second-hand embarrassment Annie gave me, and presumably Penn, was intense, but she always rolled with the punches.

i really appreciate when authors make their characters realistic, and that includes their financials. i often read stories in which the protagonist comes from money and already has an established career. Annie and her family experience real struggles that many of us can identify with, and while the Honourable Peregrine Burton-Edwards can't relate, i appreciate her background and work ethic.

p.s. kudos to the editors behind the scenes who presented such a polished product! i'll always appreciate good grammar.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I loved this book!! Hallmark with a little mystery. Enemies to lovers and forced proximity. Super fun, quick read. I enjoyed watching the relationship play out and the added mystery (sabotage) thrown in. Highly recommend!