REVIEW: Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

In Under One Roof (STEMinist Novellas #1) by Ali Hazelwood, When environmental engineer Mara’s mentor, Helena, passed away, she didn’t expect to receive anything–let alone half of a beautiful house. Yes, half. Therein lies the problem. Because the other half is owned by, and is being inhabited by, Helena’s nephew Liam Harding. A grumbly, hunky lawyer who just happens to work for a big oil company that is an arch nemesis of Mara’s employer, the EPA. Needless to say, when she’s out of other options and decides to move into her half of the house, she and Liam have some, ahem, interesting conversations. (Read: arguments) But somehow there’s an underlying current of attraction between them that just won’t go away. And once they begin to really get to know each other, Mara and Liam might be surprised how much they truly have in common.

“He actually looks…”
“Like global warming and capitalism had a love child who’s going through a bodybuilding phase.”
“Um…I was going to say cute.”

A super quick geek chic novella by one of my favorite new contemporary authors, Ali Hazelwood, Under One Roof had all the angst, sexual tension, and lively dialogue a reader could hope for.

‘He smiles at me then–a full, real smile. His first in my presence, I think, and it makes breathing that much harder, the temperature of the room that much hotter.’

The first entertaining story in Hazelwood’s new STEMinist Novellas series, Under One Roof, moved at warp speed as it started off at the present day then jumped backwards to where Mara and Liam met and moved incrementally forward from there. And it worked. To me, it made it glaringly obvious how much more comfortable they became over time with each other while being forced to share the house–and how much their attraction grew.

Liam’s grumpy attitude vs. Mara’s sunshine persona was also ridiculously fun. It made for some comical conversations between the two, particularly where Liam’s career at a big oil company was the antithesis of Mara’s job at the EPA. Oh the sparks that caused! Even though they teased each other about it (among other things) I liked that there was still respect between them. I think that paved the way for them to become friends as well, which was very sweet.

The only slight downside was that this was novella length so it made Mara and Liam’s relationship seem to happen quite fast. Especially when it got to the love scene. It was awkward but still oh so sexy (as Hazelwood tends to write them) although it felt like it happened out of nowhere in some ways. I think, based on their forced proximity while house-sharing and their strong chemistry, it still worked in this case.

QOTD: Would you have decided to share a house with a complete stranger if you were in Mara’s shoes?

Book Info:

Publication: May 3rd 2022 (first published Audio – February 8th 2022) | Berkley | The STEMinist Novellas #1

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new steamy, STEMinist novella….

A scientist should never cohabitate with her annoyingly hot nemesis – it leads to combustion.

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.

To listen to Sadie and Hannah’s stories, look for the novellas Stuck with You and Below Zero, coming soon, available first on audio!