Snow Stuck

by Elle Rivers

Stella

I was always the annoying little sister of his best friend, so he never noticed me.
But then we had an explosive night that changed everything. I thought we were going to be together, but instead, he texted me that he wasn’t ever letting it happen again and it ended whatever friendship we might have had.
Seven years later, I’m newly single, technically homeless, and not myself when I go to help my grandmother prepare for a massive (but probably exaggerated) snowstorm about to bury our area.
Then he shows up. Alden Canes. The first man to break my heart. I try to avoid him, but the snow comes down harder than anyone expected.
And we’re trapped together.

Alden

I thought the hardest thing I’d ever have to do was break Stella Summers' heart, but it turned out that life had something worse planned for me.
I’d made it seven years without crossing paths with her. Seven years of hiding my feelings and keeping her protective older brother happy. Seven years of misery.
Then this snowstorm hits and it’s only us. She’s looking at me with sad eyes and a heartbroken expression—and I can’t stay away from her this time.
No matter how much I should.

Snow Stuck is a short Christmas novel with the second-chance romance and forced proximity tropes. It’s an open-door spicy romance novel with a happily ever after guaranteed!

Genres: Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Forced Proximity, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Plus Size

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

What’s better than bouncing back from a failed relationship? Being snowed in with your first crush, of course!

This book was such a fun and heartwarming read! The chemistry between the main characters practically leapt off the page, and their connection felt natural and electric (pun intended). When the power went out and temperatures dropped, they sure found creative ways to stay warm!

While the spice added a nice spark, it wasn’t over the top, making the story feel balanced and relatable. I also have to give a special shoutout to Amma, the nosy grandma who absolutely stole the show. Her meddling added so much charm and humor to the story.

If you’re looking for a cozy, romantic read to warm you up on a chilly night, Snowed In is the perfect pick!

[faye ✮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

— ARC Review : 2 stars ✰

Hmm I definitely got the ick when the Stella’s friend tried to play overprotective, basically warning Alden that if he ever upset her, she’d come for him. The miscommunication trope was poorly written, and although it was intended as a ‘second chance’, there was barely any groveling from either side.

────୨ৎ────
Thank you to Elle Rivers and Love Notes PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Mel | Hot Plots and One Shots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spicy from the JUMP!
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/5
❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ ❄️/5 (you’ll just have to read it)

Tags:
HEA
Emotional abuse trigger (past relationship)
Before 18 Age gap (off page)
Meddling family
Firecracker best friend
Brothers best friend
Found family
Only one bed 🛏️
No heat = body heat 🔥

After one explosive night, Stella finally gets what she has been craving, her brother’s best friend and childhood crush. But something goes wrong and within hours they turn into enemies for SEVEN YEARS! Talk about slow burn for Stella!

Would you be able to get over something like that? Neither could Stella or Alden. For seven years they avoid each other at all costs until one night they are stuck in a cabin in the middle of a Tennessee Ice Storm.
If you know anything about TN winters, the ice storms are no joke! That detail made their story believable and also super sweet. He’s forced to be all manly and take care of her and she’s all bratty and doesn’t want no help from NO MAN! *insert sassy head snap and hand gesture here*

On the writing: The Prologue had me hooked from the first few pages. It was entirely necessary and I was immediately invested in the characters because I knew their history. I appreciate the choice to write the background as a prologue rather than flashbacks because it made the story so much more straightforward! I loved the plot development and how trope-heavy this was! It made me squeal with joy and the spicy scenes made my jaw drop.

Thank you to Love Notes PR and Elle Rivers for an e-arc of this beautifully written romance. ♥️ 💌

[Shana · Rating 2 out of 5]

snow stuck | an arc review ⛄️
2.5⭐️

honestly it was good until they starting having sex at only 7% in without any other development or plot exploration. then it all just want downhill from there. I really think if there'd been a little more development before the intimacy, I'd have liked this a lot more. sad I didn't like it.
thank you to love notes pr for the arc

[Melissa readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book to read for the holidays ! I had a good time reading this one 🩷

[Araya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Review:
I’d like to start off by giving a huge thank you to the author Elle Rivers and Love Notes PR for allowing me to be apart of the arc team for this book, I absolutely loved reading this book.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 3 🔥🔥🔥
Cover Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
❄️ Snowed In (Snowy Adventures)
❄️ Forced Proximity
❄️ Only One Bed
❄️ He Falls First
❄️ Holiday - Themed
❄️ Brother’s Best Friend
❄️ He Is Told To Stay Away From Her
❄️ Second Chance Romance
❄️ First Person Dual POV
❄️ Meddling Grandmother
❄️ Plus Size FMC
❄️ No Third Act Breakup

This book was so much to read. Alden was so sweet and kind, the way he treated Stella was everything. Stella was amazing I loved her true self and couldn’t get enough of her. Also the supporting characters in this book were also so much fun to have.

This book makes me want to get stuck with someone in a snow storm.

[Dawson West · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This book was adorable

Alden was so sweet. He was such a green flag, and I loved how open he was when he got over his issues with Nick. I loved how he showed her at the beginning that he still cared! He was just so cute!
Stella was exactly what I needed. I want to be her when I grow up. 😂😂😂 She was bold and witty, a little mean at times, but nonetheless adorable. It did get annoying how cold she was all the time, but besides that, she was so perfect.
Amma was my favorite character in the whole book. She was so mischievous
and I just loved her all around!

This book was so cute. I don't normally like a second chance trope, but this was adorable. The pacing was amazing. And the writing. *chef's kiss* Exactly what I like in a book.

[Elif · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review

My rating: is between a 3.7 and 4

I have pretty mixed feelings about this because of the whole age gap trope. Because I personally wouldn’t consider that amount a lot, in fact it’s probably the perfect amount of age gap. But anyway, this book was pretty fast paced but very enjoyable at the same time. I have to say though I would love to see more of Nick and Winnie because that is screaming an enemies to lovers so hard that it has me excited to see how there story will turn out. I also can’t believe our MMC was a little too naive but I understand where his insecurities come from and I loved how he was at expressing his emotions for her when it was already so tough for him.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun Christmas read! Second chance, forced proximity (snowed in;) ) brothers best friend! The pining ( 7 years worth)!! The tension in the book could melt the ice and snow surrounding them! Stella and Alden are such a cute couple! The way they see each other for who they truly are is heartwarming,like a cup of hot chocolate on a snow day ;)

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the prologue. I loved how assertive Stella was right from the beginning. She knew she wanted Alden and she didn't stop until she got what she wanted. But she didn't plan for her brother to ruin everything and unbeknownst to her, Alden was forced to break this off. This resulted in them not talking for seven years, until they got stuck together in a cabin during a snowstorm.

I felt sorry for the change that Stella went through in those seven years, but I kinda enjoyed it because she reflects what most girls in their twenties, and older, go through, while having relationships that are not so good for yourself-esteem.

Alden needs to be preserved at all costs. He put aside his own happiness because his best friend ascked him to. It was a difficult decision for him, but I understood why he did it. Even though Nick wasn't supposed to ask something that big of him.

I have enjoyed this book a lot, the way Alden helped Stella to get her self confidence back, and basically everything he told her is what boyfriends should tell their girlfriends all the time.

I received an arc of this book and I'm very thankfull Ellie and Love Notes PR gave the opportunity to read and review this beauty

[Ashley | ashley.reads._ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super cute second chance romance! This is a shorter book so it was a quick read, but the pace was perfect!

Stella gets stuck during a snowstorm with her older brother’s best friend, Alden. The two had a spicy encounter 7 years ago, but Alden kept his distance afterward due to his best friend’s demands. This drove a massive wedge between Stella and Alden, so they have A LOT to unpack and discuss during their forced 5 days together.

I really resonated with Stella and her insecurities a lot, so I really loved her as a FMC. This book is a slow and fast burn all in one (7 years but progresses quickly on page!) and hits so many major tropes including: second chance, forced proximity, brother’s best friend, only one bed, and more! It is the perfect holiday romance and perfect for a quick read!

[cady *ೃ༄ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

wasnt bad, just boring

semi spoilers
i wish the age gap was like at most 3 years or they first hooked up like a year later at least lol. felt very weird as she was freshly 18 and his monologue about how weird and predatory he felt afterwards made me really uncomfortable 😭 also the fact that she complained about him “never looking her way even when they were minors cause he was always with nick” was strange considering they’re 4 yrs apart? like girl i HOPE he wasnt looking at you when u were 13 and he was 17 (and even younger) 😭😭😭 idk it just wouldve made me feel better if there was even one less year of a gap between them or she was 19 / 20 when they hooked up. it wouldnt have mattered much for the story, but it would have made everything a lot less controversial and uncomfy

[mirandas.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is yet another book that has me wishing Goodreads had 0.5 ⭐️ options

🎄❄️snow stuck❄️🎄 by Elle Rivers eARC reviewwww

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5

This was a cute story but it just wasn't my favorite style! Stella and Alden end up being really cute for each other, but miscommunication is not one of my favorite tropes. I liked the forced prox. they had in the cabin, the style of writing and the lack of groveling had me wishing for just a bit more.

Overall, it was a cute and quick Christmas read, but I would give it 3.5/5 stars.

[dani collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

one thing about me im always going to EAT UP a christmas book! the bestie brother trope will always do it for me too! i love when two people get together and you can tell there’s always always been mutual pining! the only thing i hated was her brother interfering. let two people be happy and leave it at that they were so in love with either other and the conflict could’ve been avoided had there had been COMMUNICATION. remember kids COMMUNICATION is KEY🧡

[gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆꙳•❅*°⋆❆.ೃ࿔*:･*❆ ₊⋆

⭑ ARC REVIEW ⭑
⭑⭑⭑⭑

this was another christmas romance and oh my god i ate it UP. i might be biased with these seeing as christmas is my favorite holiday but god im loving these christmas reads. in my head snowed in is a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, which enemies might be too strong of a word but i mean she hates him for awhile so kind of valid? he’s been pining for SEVEN YEARS!! he’s UGH. i wanna scream. the only reason this didn’t get 5 stars from me is im a sucker for groveling and i feel like there wasn’t enough BUT also for these characters the way everything happened is perfect. 🩵

i HIGHLY recommend you all add this to your christmas tbr!!🎄

[Samantha Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 ⭐️
This book was like a warm hug. A perfect winter read.
A second chance romance at its core, weaved with the complexities of navigating relationships and living up to the expectations of others.
Our FMC Stella is a feisty one, but only human after all & has been from one bad relationship to another that have made her lose herself. Our MMC Alden is longing for a place to fit in, to be accepted, to do and be what others expect of him after so much loss in his childhood. But Stella & Alden don’t need to change who they are to be accepted.
This novel gave all the cosy feels you want - a snow storm, trapped alone in a cottage, second chances, found family. Absolutely heartwarming, like a perfect cup of hot chocolate!!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for trusting me with your wonderful work Elle!

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite tropes is friends-to-lovers, and this book had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put it down! Watching Alden and Stella navigate the ups and downs of realizing they’re meant for each other? Absolute perfection. The character building, the conflicts, the angst—every moment had me rooting for them even more.

And can we talk about Alden? There’s nothing sexier than a man who supports, loves, and is his woman’s biggest cheerleader. That’s the magic that makes a romance shine.

Plus, the side characters—Winnie, Nate, and Amma—are amazing! I have a feeling we might get a second book soon, and I really hope so!

[3v4nny]

if i could go into this book i would be beat nicks ass, yea in the end he redeemed himself but it took 7 years for them to finally get together and he was okay with it only a year after they first hooked up… BUT i did really enjoy the book like seeing stella come back into herself was so nice to see and alden being a huge help in that made me love them sm more. i do wish it was alden being more forward but we love a woman in charge!! the fact that alden counted the DAYS they were apart truly made me go insane. alden was just perfect and always did and said the right things NEED THAT

[Kelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️

A sweet, emotional, second chance romance between a girl who is plain fed up with relationships and their constant let down and her brother’s best friend… the best friend who broke her heart years ago. Stella has had a crush on Alden her brother’s best friend for as long as she could remember but he’s always treated her more like his annoying little sister rather than someone he’s interested in. Until one fateful night when they’re both at a college party and they decide to spill their guts to each other and well one thing leads to another and their relationship has just progressed at warp speed… except what Stella thought was a mutual spilling of feelings seems to have just been a stress release as Alden leaves her heart shattered that same night. Fast forward seven years later and life has Stella down on her luck once more, and if she wasn’t already face planting into the floor of life well now a ice and snow storm has her trapped in the countryside… with the one man she’s been trying to forget!

I really loved all of these characters both main and supporting! Stella was so easy to relate to, and I just loved her character! Watching her overcome the feeling of giving pieces of herself away to please other people, having a bit of a freak out, not only over the storm but being disappointed about missing the Christmas traditions with her family (I personally totally understood and related with that feeling), as well as watching her struggle with the feelings for Alden that never went away and trying to determine whether she should follow her brain and just survive the storm or listen to her heart and allow herself to have feelings for the man who broke her heart once. And I was obsessed with Alden, the way he loved Stella even after her brother’s interference, the way he looked out for her and cared for her even if it was just as friends. Not to mention I just loved his whole personality the way he didn’t take anything for granted… the beauty of the world around him, his relationships formed not only with his true love but the family that took him in. And when things finally worked them out Stella and Alden’s chemistry was off the charts! The romance, the spice, the banter was all hilarious!

So if you’re looking for a brothers best friend romance full of snow storm shenanigans, second chances, emotional moments, a fantastic best friend, and an amazing characters than this is the book for you!

HAPPY READING 📖

[Anushka · Rating 4 out of 5]

💙❄ ARC Review ❄💙

I have received an e-ARC of this book for which I wanna thank @lovenotes.pr and @elleswrites so much. I'm so grateful for this amazing opportunity, I loved this book so much!! 💙❤

My Ratings : ❄❄❄❄/5
Spice : 🌶🌶🌶/5

This book had me hooked since the very beginning that is from the beautifully detailed prologue. The Prologue was very much needed and I was entirely invested into the characters well it also helped understand the background story of each and every character, rather than giving flashbacks in between the story.

Stella always wanted to be with her brother's best friend and one fine day she got what she wanted (they hooked up!!) But little did she know that her happiness won't last forever, because she didn't know her brother was about to ruin everything. And Unbeknownst to her, Alden was forced to break this off. This resulted in them not talking for about 7 years, until because of her grandmother they got stuck in a Cabin while a Tennessee Snow Storm.

I felt sorry for Stella for what she's been through the last 7 years, cause mostly every teenager including me myself faces a lot of changes in them . We enroll ourselves in many relationships where eventually we lose our self-esteem. I loved the fact how she became such a badass because of all those lessons and how her firecracker best friend helped her through everything.

Alden deserves special attention because of his selflessness that he gave up the love of his life for his best friend. I mean it must have been so hard for him to let go if her but still he did it for his best friend's sake😔. Alden is such a sweetheart, the way he used to take care of Stella was amazing and how he helped her regain her self-confidence back was just 😘.

Overall I loved this book so much, pretty fast paced and enjoyable also perfect for the coming holiday season. Snow Stuck is a short Christmas novel with the second-chance romance and forced proximity tropes. It’s an open-door spicy romance novel with a happily ever after guaranteed!

[SheReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, I love all of Elle Rivers books and I have just about all of them, including a few signed from Tiktok :) She is definitely a favorite author of mines and will continue to be so, even though this little novella fell short of my expectations.

Overall, I rate it a 3.5 but it is closer to 3 than 4, since Goodreads does not let us do halfsies. Basically, we have a guy named Alden who is sworn from liking/lusting/loving his bestfriend's sister, Stella, because his best friend simply says so. Now here is the thing..if Alden was like some criminal or something, I can see why his bestie would be against him dating his sister. But Alden is an all around sweet guy who would treat Stella with nothing but respect. Alden ends ups ghosting Stella after his friendship with her brother is threatened and never tells her why. For 7 years she hates him and is left confused about why he randomly disappeared from her life all those years ago. Eventually, the truth is revealed and Alden and Stella have a HEA <3, which I love about Elle's books. I just wish this one had more of a realistic reason as to why Alden should have stayed away from Stella. Also, they forgave Stella's brother wayyy too easily once it was revealed he was the reason Alden ghosted Ella. Like..it was almost too perfect. I feel like the miscommunication trope could have gone more in depth but it all seemed so rush. I know this is a short story, so I am keeping that in mind. Overall, I liked it. I would have liked to see more dive into Alden and his bestfriend's friendship and just why he felt intervening was necessary. I also would have liked to see more of a slow build for Stella and Alden. But it was certainly a cute story. Amma is my fave character- she is PRECIOUS!!
----------------------------------------------------
Thank you to Elle Rivers and Love Notes PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review of Snow Stuck by Elle Rivers 📖🎄🎅🏼
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

That Prologue was Fire! I knew this was going to be good book! The way this book written it was so hard to put it down.. I read it in one setting! You’re going on a roller coaster of emotions! Stella and Alden ❤️

In high school Stella goes after what she wants.. her high school crush and (mic drop) brother’s best friend Alden. Something goes south with this development and she hates him for seven years. SEVEN YEARS!
They have avoided each other ever since that one faithful night in high school. Stella whom is a great granddaughter, goes and helps her grandma before the BIG storm. Alden comes over the help too.

A Tennessee Snow Storm is nothing to be celebrated but to be worried about.. Grandma goes to “HELP” the neighbor and that leaves Stella and Alden ALONE at the cabin with their own to do list.

Alden and Stella get stuck in this cabin alone. Stella is still a girl who knows what she wants, even seven years later. Alden remembers Stella is stubborn, feisty, independent and of heck cook. Alden is just wanting somewhere to fit in, feel accepted and to belong and he never forgot about Stella. She never forgot about Alden. They learn how to survive together through fighting, warm body heat and only one bed.

Hot chocolate.. I want that recipe! ☕️


Release Day - 29th October 2024 = SAVE the date!! & ADD to your TBR
🖤Thank you Elle Rivers & Love Notes PR for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book with forever live in my head. 🖤






#lovenotespr #snowstuck #ellerivers #authorellerivers #elleriversauthor #books #bookrecommendations #bookrecs  #reader  #newbooks  #romance #romancebooks #romancereads #bookish #bookstagram #romanceauthor #snowedin #forcedproximity #onebed #hefallsfirst
#bestfriendsbrother #arcreview #lovenotespr

[Jade Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Love Notes PR for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't think I'd be entertained by a story that mainly focuses on two characters trapped in a house together, but I loved every moment of this book from beginning to end. Although there are some light, cozy, Christmassy moments between the characters, my review will be based less on the fun and more on how healing the forced proximity was in this book💖

I love that this story didn't just focus on the second chance at romance between Stella and Alden. While the romance was great, it was only believable because of the time Stella and Alden dedicated to communicating and working through the hurt from their past. What I really liked about this book is that you get to understand these characters and you'll find yourself enjoying the growth that they demonstrate (both during and after they've been snowed in together).

Stella was such a compelling character to read about. You see how her view of the fallout with Alden has impacted her life and self-esteem, and how she starts to heal through the answers that Alden provides her.

Unlike Stella, Alden doesn't seem to have a life outside of his relationships; he exists for the other characters around him. But this characterisation of him perfectly reflects the impact that his past has on him, and he's able to grow by finally going for what he wants.

The main conflict between the central characters was written and unpacked so well that I even liked Stella's brother by the end of it. You get to understand the motivations and regrets of these three characters, and get enough closure that they can all finally be happy. And if there's one thing I love, it's books where the characters and their relationships are much happier and healthier by the time I turn the last page💖

[The Reawakened Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow Stuck by Elle Rivers had me hooked from the get go! Oooh that prologue is spicy!! FMC Stella knows exactly what she wants…her brother’s best friend Alden! I love her confidence and assertiveness; she doesn’t hold back at all. I think there’s a lesson in there for all women; tell your man exactly what you want and need! While she thinks this is it, she’s finally got her man, it’s very short lived. Stella’s brother Nick gives Alden an ultimatum; break it off with Stella or lose their friendship. It’s apparent Alden wants to be with Stella, their chemistry is off the charts, but he can’t forsake his friendship for her…and with a text, it’s over before it began, leaving Stella heartbroken.

Fast forward 7 years and Stella is a shell of the woman she used to be. Her confidence and vibrancy beaten down by a string of bad relationships, including her most recent break up with Reed (what a douche!).

Alden has never forgotten Stella. No woman will ever compare to her. But he’s loyal to his best friend, and his promise to steer clear. Stella and Alden haven’t spoken in years; she can’t even stand being in his presence! Now this is where it gets really interesting…

There’s an epic snow storm coming! Stella heads to her grandmother’s home to help her get prepared. Alden, who’s practically a member of the family, pops into Amma’s home to make sure she’s okay and to help out. Stella is not impressed but Amma has a list a mile long and not much time. The snow storm hits while Amma is checking on her neighbour and she’s unable to return home, leaving Stella and Alden trapped alone together for the next few days.

This is more than a story of forced proximity, forbidden love and only one bed. Stella and Alden’s back stories are complex and well written. How they navigate being stuck together, fighting the elements, their undeniable attraction, and the past, make this story well worth the read. I was absolutely left wanting more of their story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️

NB. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you @lovenotes.pr and @elleswrites for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Alisha Mansfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peppermint, hot chocolate
Curvy female main character
Christmas 🎄🤳
Party -Walmart snacks everywhere
Black hair male main character
Moving 🤫
🍫 👄
Hookup 🥵
Virgin 🎀
He eats 🐱
Red 🛻 sex 💝 ☁️
Bestfriends sister
🏫 Bullying - starving 🤦‍♀️
Photography
Cooking
Mc Donald’s Sweet tea
Lost virginity
Storm ❄️ Nashville
Weatherproofing 🪟
Wearing her jacket 🧥
Snowstorm
Bread Pudding & Soup 🍲
🌬️ 📞
I’ve storm driving got truck stuck
Park ranger Aiden 😇
Brat
Tennessee
Wood 🪵 burning 🔥 stove
🚫driving on ice 🧊
Been gone 7yrs
1st rejection 💔
Flannel
Muffins
Might loose power ⚡️
🪵 🔥
Surviving
🚫Christmas dinner 🍽️
😈 Enemies to lovers💘 ?
Bestfriend until he 💔her
Breakup with reed been with 2yrs
Photography session 📷
🥾Hike on Christmas🌲
80s Polaroid
Power outage 🚫⚡️
Cuddle 🤗 or freeze 🥶
☕️ French press 🍳
🍁Pot brownies
Perfect winter ❄️
“My heart skipped a beat”
Christmas tradition puzzle 🧩
✌️ 2nd chance romance 💝
hot shower 🚿
Betrayal
He works out 💪 chops wood 🪵
Physical again 🚫💘 Causal
Teal 😘
🙈🚫bra
🪝 Hookup ❤️‍🔥
Orgasm 🎆
Morning 🌞 Bj
Power out again 🚫⚡️🔌
Party 🎉
🤝 Friendship trust
More soup 🍜
🍫 Hot cocoa
Abuse 🤜
Could’ve matured ? 🤞
Blueberry 🫐 muffin
Chicken 🍗 gnocchi soup 🥣
Cuddling 🥰

“You once mentioned you thought dancing 💃 to Christmas 🤶 music was one of the most romantic things you could imagine”

🙄 🫂 🎄🍇🍎
Chicken 🐔 and dumplings 🥟w/ crescent dough
Decorating the tree 🌲
Walmart ordainments 🪜
“ it was a weird twist of fate with the snowstorm”
Apology 🙏
Redwood falls bf hike🥾 👖 🧢 ❤️‍🔥🌶️🪨🧗‍♀️🧗
Waterfall

Do you believe in fate?
Couldn’t put this books down perfect transition to fall / winter or just winter ❄️ / Christmas 🎄 in general 2nd chance romance but with a betrayal past.

[sloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute palate cleanser. No 3rd act breakup. Once they get together they stay together. Both characters are really sweet but they both have confidence and self esteem issues. Alden always felt like an outsider with his best friend’s family and felt like he was never enough for them. And Stella had body image issues. They work through them pretty well. No heavy stuff in this one. The dialogue in the beginning felt a tiny bit awkward and unnatural but I didn’t mind it. Overall a cute one.

Summary:
Alden hooks up with Stella at a Christmas party and when he tells his best friend he hooked up with his sister he fr ask out and forces him to break it off with her. Alden was terrified to lose Nick and so he send her a text breaking things off. Stella doesn’t talk to Alden for 7 years before a snow storm traps them both in Stella’s grandmother’s house. They were both there to help her prep for the storm. While she was Omar her neighbors house they got snowed in. The electricity turned off so Alden put his park ranger knowledge to use and helps them get through it. While they’re stuck they slowly talk out their problems and realize they still love each other so they get together officially. When they leave the house the day after Christmas to go to a Christmas party at Nick’s house they act like they’re not together but they eventually tell Nick after the party. He reveals to them that he planned to get them stuck in that house together because he feels bad about breaking them up 7 years ago and wants them to get back together. They’re both obviously still upset with him but they eventually forgive him. Epilogue is then still together going on a hike in Alden’s park to see some waterfalls.

[D_Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

eARC review
My rating: 4.5/5
Happy to have been an ARC reader for Snow Stuck by Elle Rivers...I read the blurb and I somehow knew that I had to read it...and I was right...Summing it up for you, Stella was his best friend's little sister and she thought he never noticed her...But that is until a night where everything changed...she hoped for more only to get a text from him that it would never happen again...And that ended whatever friendship they had...Fast forward to seven years later, She is newly single, not at all herself, homeless and she goes to help her grandmother for a massive snowstorm which she believes is nothing...Now, coming to Alden, he regretted breaking Stella's heart everyday...He hid his feelings for seven years and never went near her to keep her protective older brother happy...But fate has other plans? The snowstorm gets worse..They both get snow stuck at her grandmother's house...just the two of them...Can they stay away from each other or will they give in to their feelings finally?
This story is a simple, few characters story set in Christmas time...The tension between the main characters, how they still have feelings for each other, the cute convos, the bonding, the family...and definitely the banter between her brother Nick and her best friend Winnie...second chance romance where they knew all along, they were it for each other...Loved it
"But whenever I would think too hard about the past, I would experiment with hot chocolate. "
"Why?"
" It's your favourite. It made me feel connected to you."
Tropes
Second chance romance
Forced proximity
Brother's best friend
Snowed in
Dual POV
Plus size FMC
No 3rd act breakup
He falls first

[mylla ♡·˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you love notes pr for the arc in exchange for an honest review <3

snow stuck had so much potential, being stuck with your crush for a couple of days, around your favorite holiday, with no family to bother you… the dream !i’ve read elle’s book before but the writing in this one didn’t stick out to me, everything felt rushed, forced and superficial with no development :(

i understand that alder didn’t want to be with her yet since they met while they were minors and on the prologue she had recently turned legal but to be honest, if you’re mature enough, age gap doesn’t matter. alder’s problems were nick and constantly comparing himself to his dad lmao and the latter wasn’t developed ! we should’ve had a conversation between them.

i hate to use the word cringe but stella was so cringe, a lot of the times i just wanted to close my eyes and skip until she would shut up my god. coming back to the prologue talk, it was sooooo rushed, alder would feel so bad for learning that she was a virgin fmc pretending she wasn’t and having sex the way the did, and her deciding to not say anything because she “didn’t want to let alder think too much about this”, miss excuse me? sure you can be talking about the age gap but this should be 100% consensual conversation and he should be allowed to think about it and even say no, grow up stella.

the ending disappointed me, not because of nick’s reaction but i was just expecting much more. young nick being “do not touch my baby sister” to just being the best matchmaker? needed to see his improvement because it happened so suddenly.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library

First, I would like to thank Love Notes PR and the author for providing me with a free advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“It had been seven years and three days since I’d had her this close. And yes, I’d kept track of each day, regret only piling on over time.” (p. 124)

Tropes:
holiday romance
second-chance romance
brother’s best friend
off-limits romance
snowed in
only one bed
forced proximity

A tender, sweet, and steamy second-chance romance

After confessing that he slept with Nick’s sister Stella, Nick gives Alden an ultimatum: stay away from Stella or lose their friendship forever. Seven years later, Stella is newly single following a toxic relationship. When her grandmother asks for help preparing for a snowstorm, the last person Stella expects to find at Amma’s house is the man who broke her heart. And when the storm comes early, leaving Amma stranded at her neighbor’s house, Stella and Alden are forced to ride out the storm–and Christmas–together.

Snow Struck is a touching second-chance romance. Stella and Alden’s insecurities and emotions are raw, but Alden’s steadfast endeavors to build up Stella’s confidence and make her realize her worth are tender and swoon-worthy. It is a very fast read–feeling more like a novella–as well as predictable, but it captured all the cozy vibes I had been hoping for.

[esther ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

overview :: ☆
this book was sweet and cozy, i enjoyed it overall. i feel like the beginning went by pretty fast but overall, i love the christmas and winter vibes. it's hard to believe that all of this happened in a novella, it was really well done. it was a great idea and its written well, i'm definitely reading more elle rivers books in the future!!

storyline :: ☆
like i said, the beginning was very fast in a way that felt rushed but it did slow down over time which i liked. there was a bit of miscommunication as alden didn't want to say the reason that he left stella but i would say overall, their rekindling was done well. i enjoyed the slower burn to it and i liked the idea of this novella. i liked that it was short without lacking story building, a quick and easy read

characters :: ☆
stella - i love stella. she is such a relatable character and she was a good heroine, i loved her
alden - i'm gonna be honest, for half the story i thought his name was aiden. i think he treats stella well though, i like his character overall. i think most of the problems i had with his character had to do with nick, but i can't say more without giving away spoilers
nick - i had no problems with him at some points but i disliked his character at a lot of the points. i'm not an older sibling though so i really don't have much more to say
winnie - i practically read the book for her.
amma - just like winnie, she's a favorite in my heart.

conclusion :: ☆
this was a cozy christmas/winter read! i'm glad i gave it a try 🫶