Stuck by You by Lily Joseph is the perfect holiday read for anyone looking to escape into a charming, humorous, and heartwarming story. The novel centers around Annie, a quirky and determined character who's fighting to save her family's beloved home through a quirky "Everything Must Go" shop. Enter Peregrine "Penn" Burton-Edwards, a charming, somewhat stiff aristocrat torn between upholding his family's legacy and the more unorthodox life he wants to lead running a record shop.

The dynamic between Annie and Penn is delightful. Their initial friction—a kind of "enemies-to-friends-to-lovers" arc—forms the heart of the narrative. The setting of the two shared shops, Everything Must Go and Uncle Al's, sets the stage for much of the book's humor and chaos. The daily antics that unfold between the two shops—from hilarious song battles to merchandise mix-ups—add both levity and charm to the story. Their contrasting personalities and backgrounds set them up for some truly entertaining moments, as they are both forced to reconcile their dreams with their family obligations.

What makes Stuck by You stand out is its balance of humor and emotional depth. The comedy—often stemming from the absurdity of the situations Annie and Penn find themselves in—feels both light-hearted and genuine. The romance, while predictable at times, is well-crafted and believable, with both characters evolving in ways that make their eventual relationship feel earned. The added dimension of family expectations and personal ambition makes the story more than just a fun romance; it explores what it means to pursue your dreams while also grappling with the weight of tradition.

The characters are what truly elevate this book, though. Annie is an endearing mix of vulnerability and strength, while Penn's journey from stiff upper-lipped heir to someone more open and emotionally available is satisfying to witness. Together, their chemistry sparks a narrative that is both heartwarming and hilarious.

If you’re in the mood for a feel-good, humorous read with a bit of romance and plenty of heart, Stuck by You is a delightful choice. It's the perfect escape for anyone looking for a charming, quick read full of laughter, love, and the sweet satisfaction of watching two opposites find common ground.

(3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️)

Stuck Together is a charming blend of romantic comedy and cozy mystery, perfect for fans of lighthearted yet engaging Christmas reads. With its quirky characters and creative writing style, the book delivers laughs and heartfelt moments, though it stumbles with pacing in the early chapters.

The story centers on Annie, an endlessly sweet and likable protagonist, and Penn, a grumpy, rich kid striving to create a life of his own. The two find themselves co-owning a shop: Annie sells an eclectic mix of goods while Penn focuses on vintage records. Along the way, Annie juggles her dedication to helping her parents—who are as lovable as they are supportive—and navigating the shop’s peculiar dynamics with Penn. The result is an opposites-attract dynamic with plenty of humor, emotional depth, and surprising twists.

The book kicks off slowly, with little happening in the first 100 pages. I found myself checking the page numbers, which is rarely a good sign. However, once the story picks up, it becomes thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly funny, with a pace that keeps you hooked. The fake dating trope came out of nowhere for me, but in the best way, adding a delightful layer of romance to the narrative. On the flip side, the miscommunication trope—a personal pet peeve—detracted from the experience for me, but other readers may not find it as frustrating.

One standout element is the touch of cozy mystery woven into the story. While some reviews mention confusion about this subplot, I found it compelling and a driving force that kept me reading instead of putting the book down.

If there’s one thing I’d change, it’s the single POV. Told entirely from Annie’s perspective, the book misses the opportunity to delve into Penn’s thoughts and backstory. His complex character would have benefited from a deeper exploration of his side of the story.

Overall, the book shines with its witty, fast-paced writing, quirky charm, and surprising plot twists. While the slow start and occasional trope frustrations hold it back slightly, it’s still a delightful read that fans of rom-coms and cozy mysteries will enjoy. Definitely worth sticking with!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for approving me to read Stuck Together. I found this was a quick and easy read but it didn't really have the Christmas feel that it appeared like it would have. It felt like it took a long time for the story to really get going and then it was rushed from there, things got resolved very quickly and easily. It was an ok read but I think maybe it just wasn't one for me.

Penn and Annie… oh how I love these two! I thought this book was the perfect RomCom with a twist of mystery thrown in. Annie and Penn decide to share a shop to save on rent. Penn needs a lady friend so his family won’t set him up. Breakups and makeups. Fights and romance. This book had it all. And with the placement around Christmas gives it the perfect touch to cuddle up with a cup of cocoa and a fire and enjoy this lovely book! I truly enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars. I will be reading more Lily Joseph books in the future. (And romance isn’t even my thing!).

This was an enjoyable read! I really loved Penn, and wish it was a dual pov, but I also liked seeing him from Annie's perspective? Their relationship throughout the book was nothing less than a rollercoaster!!

This book came just in time for my “getting ready for Christmas” mood. It’s the story of Annie and Penn, two people who are totally opposite, and end up sharing a store space with two different kinds of businesses.

He, on his side, has a record store and it’s very polished on her POV. She, on her side, has a bunch of different items and it’s a bunch of junk from his POV. Both of them together makes chaos, and loads of romantic tension. One moment they’re bickering, and the next, sparks are flying. They clash like crazy at first, but every cute, awkward moment brings them closer in the sweetest way. I loved seeing their relationship blossom.

Without giving any kind of spoilers, this book gives a lot of holiday charm, a little mystery on the side with a twist I didn’t see coming, a story about characters discovering themselves and what they really want for their life and family/community. The only thing for me was I wished for Penn’s POV and I got a little annoyed at Annie’s stubbornness. Other than that, a great read!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stuck Together was an okay read - I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it. I loved the concept of two people who don’t get on having to share a shop around Christmas. It’s a fun idea and the moments in the shop were some of the best of the entire book. The music war in particular was great, but it did leave me wondering just how annoying two different songs of any volume playing at the same time in an enclosed space would be.

I’m usually a fan of opposites attract but I’m getting tired of this being a class divide, especially when the female main character is the working class one. Rude middle to upper class male characters are getting real old now. Penn wasn’t the worst as he wanted nothing to do with his upper class family but he was rude.

For something that was marketed as a ‘festive’ romance, Stuck Together wasn’t very Christmassy. There were a few moments that made me feel festive but this could have been set any time of year and it wouldn’t have changed any of the events. It was also a weird mix of romance and cosy mystery with neither genre taking centre stage. The mystery part took so many twists, you think they have the culprit multiple times and when you do find out who it is, it’s a little ridiculous. It’s fairly clever as you wouldn’t suspect the person, but that also makes it kind of far fetched.

The romance was ok but I think having Penn’s POV would have been highly beneficial. I’d happily forget the mystery part if it meant the romance could have been stronger. Only getting to understand Penn through Annie’s perspective did him no favours and I love hearing about how the stubborn rude male character actually really likes the woman he claims to dislike.

This has been a fairly negative review, which I wasn’t expecting as I did enjoy reading Stuck Together, but the bad parts outweigh the good when it comes to reviewing. When you don’t particularly like any of the characters (other than Annie’s parents) there’s not a lot of good things you can say. I did like the settings though and the concept was great - just not greatly executed for my personal tastes.

Rating: 2.5/5

I really, really wanted to like this. It was cute and funny at certain points, but overall, it just felt like there was just too much happening in this book. Like was it a holiday romance? A cozy mystery? There were sooooo many characters and storylines, and none of it seemed plausible. Also I kind of just hated half of the characters? Like they were terrible to each other for the most part. And maybe I’m just jaded, but these folks forgave and forgot way too often. I had emotional whiplash from these relationships. 2.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Stuck Together is the ideal book to ease into the Christmas spirit. Annie and Penn come from opposite societies but are forced to share a shop space for their businesses. This obviously means spending lots of time together and along with making friends and enemies with neighbouring shopkeepers. Lily Joseph has created a easy to read, page turner that provided the ideal escapism,

I enjoyed this read and put it at the 3.5. I usually round up when that happens, but I just couldn't do that with this one unfortunately.

I loved the enemies to lovers troupe and the banter between Annie and Penn. I didn't find any part of the book boring, but it did drag on at the end. I felt the book went from the two of them falling in love to a mystery book. And then when you have it figured out, then it twists. Twice. Usually I like twists, but not so much in romances, and it didn't feel right in this story.

Penn was also a pretty tough MMC to fall for because the story is told entirely from Annie's POV, and she is pretty stubborn so I don't think she gave us a good depiction of Penn.

I appreciated the little bit of spice in this book, and some of the storyline was comical. The story wasn't super Christmasy so this could be read any time of the year.

A big thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! A 3 star read for me. It took me a little to really get into the book. Annie has found herself jobless in a bar where she meets Penn, who is a musician. They exchanged words and maybe a little connection. They both find themselves wanting the same vendor spot and end up sharing it. The connection between the two characters for me was okay. I felt like there was some unnecessary parts but still finished the book.

I do love an enemies to lovers romance, add to that some festivity... what more could I want from a book!
The way this story is told was just wonderful, I loved the unique personalities of the characters as individuals and how it impacted their relationship, and the way in which the story flowed beautifully from start to finish.
A perfect festive read.

This forced proximity, enemies to lovers Christmas romance is such a cute read! There’s a touch of hidden identity, a touch of mystery, and lots of festive cheer! Annie is such an endearing character and I loved the slow burn chemistry between her and Penn!

I could easily see this book being made into a compelling tv Christmas movie. Unfortunately, while it has elements that would make is cute on screen, the book doesn't really do justice to the internal world of the characters and left their relationship feeling a little flat.

Stuck Together by Lily Joseph begins when Anne had just lost yet another job as a waitress and she decided to cool down in a pub where she found a gig going on where Penn was one of the guitarists. She was surprised to see him come up to speak to her during the break, but it was just a brief encounter. Later on, they found themselves competing over a shop, which they had to share, although now they cannot stand each other's presence. Penn, who was having a strained relationship with his rich family, decided to ask Annie for a favor to attend a family ball and pose as his girlfriend, to which she unwillingly agreed. After spending a considerable amount of time together, they now don't know how to relate to each other anymore; they also can't figure out whether they are enemies or lovers. Readers will find out more in this book, Stuck Together by Lily Joseph.

I like the way the book is wide, not only dwelling on the main characters but also having a wide range of interesting bits within the plot, including the colleagues at work and also the families on both sides. I additionally liked the way the plot does not have abrupt scenes and endings, even after the climax. This has taken the book to another level. The story is also very fascinating.

Some scenes in the plot seem both unrealistic and exagerated, like the choice of Annie's sales and also her roommates way of life.

I rate this book Stuck Together by Lily Joseph 5 out of 5 stars.

I recommend it to those who love steamy romantic books. I also recommend it to those who don't seem to fit in their family settings, often labeled as the black sheep of the family. The book will show them that being different doesn't imply that they are an outcast; it just means that they are unique just as everyone is.

I am ALL for cute Christmassy books the second Halloween is over, and Stuck Together was the perfect choice! I am new to Lily Joseph but I have fallen in love with her writing style and immediately added her other novel, The Near Miss, to my wish list.

Stuck Together features Annie, a woman from working class roots who will stop at nothing to look after her family, and Penn, a son of a Lady and Lord who is trying to become financially independent through his love of music. We are blessed with the good ol’ enemies to lovers trope - you just can’t go wrong with it - as Annie and Penn find themselves forced to work in very close quarters; they have begrudgingly co-leased a shop with Annie selling all manner of eclectic items that her mum has collected over the years, and Penn selling vintage records. They immediately lock horns and disagree about everything but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

The characters are excellent: I adored (the majority of) the other shop owners that Annie and Penn work alongside and the relationship between Annie and her parents was depicted beautifully. Penn’s family, while seemingly cold at first, warmed my heart by the end. And the two stars of the show themselves were just chef’s kiss 👌🏻💋 their steadily blooming relationship was really enjoyable to follow along with and I wanted all of the good things for them. The stark differences between Annie and Penn’s lifestyles also intrigued me; as a fellow working class gal myself, I resonated a lot with Annie’s values and morals but I liked that the author highlighted Penn’s struggles despite his familial wealth.

There was a lot going on in this book and it mostly works for me. I really love Penn (Perry) and Annie. They are great together. Their enemies/rivals to lovers thing works for me. I love the forced proximity and having to fake a relationship for Christmas.

Thank you to Lily Joseph and Bookouture for this ARC.

‘Tis the time of year when holiday romances make me super happy. I don’t know if it's the colder weather or the entire holiday season, but I love to cuddle up in a cozy blanket and read a holiday romcom.

🎁What did you love the most?
I love how Joseph combines the hilarious situation of two opposites forced to share a shop space with the mystery subplot of a dubious individual trying to sabotage both shopkeepers' successes. The banter in this one was also very cute, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over the snobby British duo of our MMC’s mother and ex-girlfriend.

🎁 What to expect:
🎄Single POV
🎄Found family of shopkeepers
🎄Opposites attract
🎄Mystery sub-plot
🎄Aristocratic vs. working-class families
🎄Christmas setting

🔥Steam level: open-door

🎁How was the romance?
This book is told from a single POV, and one of my biggest complaints was that we didn’t get the MMC’s POV. I think it would have balanced out this romance storyline a lot more, as I found Annie annoying at times. Despite this, the opposites attract trope was done very well here, and I truly enjoyed the juxtaposition between Annie’s working-class family and Penn’s elite aristocratic lifestyle.

🎁Do you recommend this book?
If you are looking for a very British holiday romance book, definitely snag a copy of “Stuck Together” (it’s also on KU!). There are a lot of British puns and language (which I personally LOVE), so if that’s not your thing, you may not jive with this one.
3.5/5

Annie has again lost her job, and she needs to find a new one quickly because not only does she have rent to pay the holidays are coming up soon and she wants to help her parents. So, she sets out to do just that.
She decided to set up a store front to sell items. She finds herself sharing the storefront with Penn.
The characters were ok, but they just did not connect together for me. The chemistry was between them just did not click.
Thank you NetGalley, Lily Joseph and Bookouture for the copy of Stuck Together. This is my personal review.

When I read what this book was about I knew that I was going to enjoy Stuck Together !

This book had me engaged from the very first chapter, I fell in love with the characters from the very beginning. I also loved the other characters.

I enjoyed the story line and how it all played out, I also liked the little aspect of mystery and I couldn't put down the book until I found out what was going on.

There is a little bit of miscommunication which I don't particularly enjoy in books.

If you are looking for a festive read that will uplift your spirit and make you laugh out loud as much as me or if you are looking for a slow burn romance with a bit of enemies to lovers then I recommend Stuck Together !

*Thankyou NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*