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Stuck With You
What if you've been through hell?
How difficult can it be to start over?
Sarah Atwater is seeking a fresh start. When an opportunity arises that she can't refuse, the single mom is ready to leave her painful past behind—and perhaps her old self along with it. But sometimes, new beginnings are like learning to walk again, struggling to put one foot in front of the other.
Slade Bennett enjoys his quiet, simple life. The blunt grump is perfectly content running his mechanic shop and working with his best friends. Or is he really? When the sister he raised decides it's time to move out, Slade may have to admit he's a bit too closed off.
Will past trauma and grief continue to dictate his life when a sassy professional strolls into his garage and challenges him at every turn? Or will Slade finally be forced to confront the fears he's avoided?
Stuck with You is a poignant love story that reminds us that only when we're held to the flame do we discover what we're truly made of.
How difficult can it be to start over?
Sarah Atwater is seeking a fresh start. When an opportunity arises that she can't refuse, the single mom is ready to leave her painful past behind—and perhaps her old self along with it. But sometimes, new beginnings are like learning to walk again, struggling to put one foot in front of the other.
Slade Bennett enjoys his quiet, simple life. The blunt grump is perfectly content running his mechanic shop and working with his best friends. Or is he really? When the sister he raised decides it's time to move out, Slade may have to admit he's a bit too closed off.
Will past trauma and grief continue to dictate his life when a sassy professional strolls into his garage and challenges him at every turn? Or will Slade finally be forced to confront the fears he's avoided?
Stuck with You is a poignant love story that reminds us that only when we're held to the flame do we discover what we're truly made of.
Audible Audio
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
Stacy Williams
5 books329 followersStacy Williams lives with her husband and children in Illinois. She writes in five-minute increments between homeschooling and extracurricular activities. She’s spent years dreaming about writing love stories that in a worn and broken world, remind us of what we're truly made for.
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October 21, 2025The FMC moves to a new town with her kids for a fresh start. It’s been a year since her divorce and she’s struggling financially, so she keeps after her ex-husband (the narcissist) to support her kids but he always drags his feet or avoids her.
The MMC is a grumpy mechanic who is shut himself off because of a relationship 12 years ago that broke his heart, and he’s sworn off dating ever since.
•
•
•
This book had a lot of potential but it was so boring and repetitive that I ended up not enjoying it.
My big issues with this book:
- The MMC really frustrated me! He was stuck in the past, hung up on his failed relationship (not on his ex but on what could’ve been) and too afraid to move on. Also, I don’t like books where the MMC’s friends are the ones pushing him to go after the FMC or trying to make him get over his past. It took him until about 70% of the book to finally try moving on and by then, everything had become boring and dragged out.
- I didn’t like that most of the moments between the MCs and the kids were told rather than shown, it really annoyed me because I liked the relationship between the H and the h’s son and I wanted to see more of them on-page.
Anyway, I’ve been a bit hard to please with books lately, so maybe you guys will enjoy it more than I did.
________
Book info:
— H (31~32) / h (?)
— Single mom of a 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl
— Strangers to friends to lovers
— So slow burn
— Neighbors
— Grumpy, bossy H
— A broke h
— Small town
— Found family
— Closed-door sexy times
Safety:
— About the MCs’ past:
╰➤ Both of the MCs had been in love before (with their exes / there’s no second best, their feelings for each other are stronger than anything they’ve felt before).
╰➤ 12 years ago, the H dated his mother’s nurse and was in love with her. She got pregnant, they set up a nursery together and he was about to propose (he even bought a ring). But after his mother died, the OW admitted the baby wasn’t his and just left him. Ever since then, he’s closed himself off, become grumpy and never trusted another woman again.
I get that healing takes time and it’s different for everyone but 12 years of him carrying all that pain and regret is just way too long for me and I didn’t like that tbh.
(Note: OW was mentioned briefly with no further details + the H doesn’t love her anymore but he’s afraid of falling in love again).
╰➤ After his ex broke his heart, he stopped dating but he slept with women here and there to scratch the itch.
╰➤ The h was married to a serial cheater, emotionally abusive and manipulative guy who never cared about her. It’s been a year since their divorce.
╰➤ Both MCs had been celibate for a long time.
— Slight OM:
• OM1: The h’s boss’s son tried to hit on her but she wasn’t interested in him at all.
• OM2: Her ex showed up and wanting to get back together. He doesn’t care about her nor his kids at all, he just cares about keeping up the “perfect family” image for his new job.
— No ow/cheating
— No scenes with other people
— Push and pull from both, but mostly from the H (the h was telling the H everything about herself and opening up slowly, while he stayed closed off and didn’t share anything about himself, maybe not until like 70~83%). The h was pushing him a little near the end.
— HFN (They’re pregnant, and got engaged)
Trigger:
— Loss of loved one (the H’s mother)
— Emotional abuse (the h’s ex-husband)
— Abandonment (the H’s father)
— Mention of cheating:
• The h’s ex was constantly cheating on her with many women. She knew about it but believed him whenever he said he wouldn’t do it again—until she got tired of his lies and manipulation and finally left him.
• The H’s mother was the other woman and his father had been cheating on his wife with her for years. He never loved her and she was only the second best. He never acknowledged the H or his sister as his children and nobody even knew they existed! Even though the father seems sad and regretful about it now, but it doesn’t really matter because he still treats them like his dirty little secret.
The MMC is a grumpy mechanic who is shut himself off because of a relationship 12 years ago that broke his heart, and he’s sworn off dating ever since.
•
•
•
This book had a lot of potential but it was so boring and repetitive that I ended up not enjoying it.
My big issues with this book:
- The MMC really frustrated me! He was stuck in the past, hung up on his failed relationship (not on his ex but on what could’ve been) and too afraid to move on. Also, I don’t like books where the MMC’s friends are the ones pushing him to go after the FMC or trying to make him get over his past. It took him until about 70% of the book to finally try moving on and by then, everything had become boring and dragged out.
- I didn’t like that most of the moments between the MCs and the kids were told rather than shown, it really annoyed me because I liked the relationship between the H and the h’s son and I wanted to see more of them on-page.
Anyway, I’ve been a bit hard to please with books lately, so maybe you guys will enjoy it more than I did.
________
Book info:
— H (31~32) / h (?)
— Single mom of a 5-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl
— Strangers to friends to lovers
— So slow burn
— Neighbors
— Grumpy, bossy H
— A broke h
— Small town
— Found family
— Closed-door sexy times
Safety:
— About the MCs’ past:
╰➤ Both of the MCs had been in love before (with their exes / there’s no second best, their feelings for each other are stronger than anything they’ve felt before).
╰➤ 12 years ago, the H dated his mother’s nurse and was in love with her. She got pregnant, they set up a nursery together and he was about to propose (he even bought a ring). But after his mother died, the OW admitted the baby wasn’t his and just left him. Ever since then, he’s closed himself off, become grumpy and never trusted another woman again.
I get that healing takes time and it’s different for everyone but 12 years of him carrying all that pain and regret is just way too long for me and I didn’t like that tbh.
(Note: OW was mentioned briefly with no further details + the H doesn’t love her anymore but he’s afraid of falling in love again).
“I closed myself off from the possibility of a relationship long ago. If I’m honest, it’s not because I don’t want one. It’s just that you can give your entire self to someone, make plans, see the future, and then have it all ripped right out from under you as if none of it mattered at all.
I am afraid. I’ve been there and have absolutely no intention of ever being that fool again.”
“I just really need this not to ruin me (he means his feelings for the h) like the last time I trusted someone enough to let them into my world. I more than let her into my world. I was building a life around her. That is, until she told me I shouldn’t bother.”
“I was young and looking for comfort from someone I thought understood.”
╰➤ After his ex broke his heart, he stopped dating but he slept with women here and there to scratch the itch.
╰➤ The h was married to a serial cheater, emotionally abusive and manipulative guy who never cared about her. It’s been a year since their divorce.
╰➤ Both MCs had been celibate for a long time.
— Slight OM:
• OM1: The h’s boss’s son tried to hit on her but she wasn’t interested in him at all.
• OM2: Her ex showed up and wanting to get back together. He doesn’t care about her nor his kids at all, he just cares about keeping up the “perfect family” image for his new job.
— No ow/cheating
— No scenes with other people
— Push and pull from both, but mostly from the H (the h was telling the H everything about herself and opening up slowly, while he stayed closed off and didn’t share anything about himself, maybe not until like 70~83%). The h was pushing him a little near the end.
— HFN (They’re pregnant, and got engaged)
Trigger:
— Loss of loved one (the H’s mother)
— Emotional abuse (the h’s ex-husband)
— Abandonment (the H’s father)
— Mention of cheating:
• The h’s ex was constantly cheating on her with many women. She knew about it but believed him whenever he said he wouldn’t do it again—until she got tired of his lies and manipulation and finally left him.
• The H’s mother was the other woman and his father had been cheating on his wife with her for years. He never loved her and she was only the second best. He never acknowledged the H or his sister as his children and nobody even knew they existed! Even though the father seems sad and regretful about it now, but it doesn’t really matter because he still treats them like his dirty little secret.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently Reading
July 7, 2026Pre-read: this is my first Stacy Williams book! Excited to dive in! This cover art is giving Luke & Lorelai!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the ALC.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the ALC.
September 11, 2025
Once I picked this up, I literally could not put it down. Typically I prefer my romance books shorter (this one’s about 450 pages), but truly I couldn’t get enough and it didn’t bother me one bit. This was so good!!
Sarah and Slade make the absolute best couple!! Both have been hurt and have a hard time trusting, but grow and develop the sweetest bond. He’s grumpy but would do literally anything for those he loves. Don’t even get me started on how hard I swooned over him and Sarah’s kids 😍 She’s been through the wringer, but still keeps going. I love how she challenges Slade, and her sassy comments had me chuckling throughout.
Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the E-ARC. ♥️
Sarah and Slade make the absolute best couple!! Both have been hurt and have a hard time trusting, but grow and develop the sweetest bond. He’s grumpy but would do literally anything for those he loves. Don’t even get me started on how hard I swooned over him and Sarah’s kids 😍 She’s been through the wringer, but still keeps going. I love how she challenges Slade, and her sassy comments had me chuckling throughout.
Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the E-ARC. ♥️
September 23, 2025
My first book by this author but I can't wait to read more from her in the future. This follows Slade and Sarah, and their story was just beautiful! Two individuals who have both been hurt in the past and find each other. Their story felt real: first being strangers then friends to lovers. You felt the emotion and the hope in their story. Their hope and willingness to believe in love again. The story felt genuine, and I loved everything about it. A beautiful story of finding second chances and healing.
What to Expect
❤️Single Mom
❤️Grumpy x Sunshine
❤️Found Family
❤️Slow Burn
❤️Flirty Banter
❤️Dual POV
Thank you to Hambright PR and Stacy Williams for the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review!
What to Expect
❤️Single Mom
❤️Grumpy x Sunshine
❤️Found Family
❤️Slow Burn
❤️Flirty Banter
❤️Dual POV
Thank you to Hambright PR and Stacy Williams for the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review!
November 2, 2025
my dear friend Mora write this incredibly detailed review i agree deeply just need to add some cents.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
i did enjoy this book it made itself read i have been having countless DNFs left and right so i am kinda inclined to be more positive, i loved the scenes including the children, mmc was adorable with them and took care of em
BUT i am beginning to hate push and pull ESP done by MMC don't play with me and esp don't play with me when i have 2 kids and single income,
i need that balance between insta love/lust slow burn..............
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
i did enjoy this book it made itself read i have been having countless DNFs left and right so i am kinda inclined to be more positive, i loved the scenes including the children, mmc was adorable with them and took care of em
BUT i am beginning to hate push and pull ESP done by MMC don't play with me and esp don't play with me when i have 2 kids and single income,
i need that balance between insta love/lust slow burn..............
September 24, 2025
This is a angsty second change romance, and even though it has some more sensitive issues and situations discussed/happening in the book, it does remain a lighter, more feel good romance. The spice is also fade to black. There isn’t much of it either. The characters have great emotional depth, which helps you slip into the story. I liked the fact that the characters weren’t “perfect” and straight out of high school. They had lived some of their lives. Also, when the FMC is struggling as a mom, I know all of us moms can relate. Single or not, being a mom is rough. But being a single mom is a whole new ball game, and this book is a reminder that there can be love again. I enjoyed reading this book.
This is an emotional contemporary romance. The romance in this book is a second chance romance. The spice is fade to black. Sarah is a struggling single mom who can’t seem to catch a break. Especially with her ex. So when her car starts acting up, the last thing she expects is a mechanic named Slade to start worming his way into her life and her heart. Slade has his own trauma to deal with, but maybe he can finally let it go for her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
📱Ebook
This is an emotional contemporary romance. The romance in this book is a second chance romance. The spice is fade to black. Sarah is a struggling single mom who can’t seem to catch a break. Especially with her ex. So when her car starts acting up, the last thing she expects is a mechanic named Slade to start worming his way into her life and her heart. Slade has his own trauma to deal with, but maybe he can finally let it go for her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
📱Ebook
July 4, 2026
Read 2:
4.5/5⭐️
🚪*fade to black
2.5/3🦋
•My Thoughts•
This was an audio reread and my plan was to just listen to a little bit BUT I got sucked right back into the story! Continue to love Sarah and the glimpses into parenthood and single motherhood. I’ve loved Slade since he appeared in Where We Belong and adore his “grumpy but would do anything for his people” self. This book has great banter, swoon and has a wonderfully heartfelt message of second chances and being brave. Absolutley recommend this one!
🎧Narrator Notes🎧
Dual Narration by Alex Kydd and Madeleine Dauer
4🎙️/5
Enjoyed the narration and though these two did a fine job. Kid voices are hard but nothing took away from my enjoyment of the story.
•••
Read 1:
Stuck with You by Stacy Williams
-Cals Garage, Book 1-
4.5/5⭐️
🚪*fade to black
2.5/3🦋
•My Thoughts•
I love Stacy and have been low key pestering her about Slade’s story since I finished her last release! Her style brings all the grit, tension, swoon and banter that I adore! Slade is fabulously grumpy and I loved how Sarah got under his skin. Their dynamic was really fun! Sarah is a single mom of two young kids and Stacy NAILED motherhood. I love when an author doesn’t put a shine on hard things and parenting is hard but oh so worth it. I thought this balance this was perfectly executed. I loved learning more about both of our main characters and watching them navigate a new relationship through their past trauma. There were bumps but I loved watching them grow and choose good (though hard!) things. This was a true slow burn and the anticipation of each moment was swoony perfection. The found family with the guys at the garage was also a highlight. They were the nosiest and the way they picked on each other could only come from the deepest of loves. Absolutely recommend this one can NOT wait for more of this new series!
Thank you to Stacy Williams for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5/5⭐️
🚪*fade to black
2.5/3🦋
•My Thoughts•
This was an audio reread and my plan was to just listen to a little bit BUT I got sucked right back into the story! Continue to love Sarah and the glimpses into parenthood and single motherhood. I’ve loved Slade since he appeared in Where We Belong and adore his “grumpy but would do anything for his people” self. This book has great banter, swoon and has a wonderfully heartfelt message of second chances and being brave. Absolutley recommend this one!
🎧Narrator Notes🎧
Dual Narration by Alex Kydd and Madeleine Dauer
4🎙️/5
Enjoyed the narration and though these two did a fine job. Kid voices are hard but nothing took away from my enjoyment of the story.
•••
Read 1:
Stuck with You by Stacy Williams
-Cals Garage, Book 1-
4.5/5⭐️
🚪*fade to black
2.5/3🦋
•My Thoughts•
I love Stacy and have been low key pestering her about Slade’s story since I finished her last release! Her style brings all the grit, tension, swoon and banter that I adore! Slade is fabulously grumpy and I loved how Sarah got under his skin. Their dynamic was really fun! Sarah is a single mom of two young kids and Stacy NAILED motherhood. I love when an author doesn’t put a shine on hard things and parenting is hard but oh so worth it. I thought this balance this was perfectly executed. I loved learning more about both of our main characters and watching them navigate a new relationship through their past trauma. There were bumps but I loved watching them grow and choose good (though hard!) things. This was a true slow burn and the anticipation of each moment was swoony perfection. The found family with the guys at the garage was also a highlight. They were the nosiest and the way they picked on each other could only come from the deepest of loves. Absolutely recommend this one can NOT wait for more of this new series!
Thank you to Stacy Williams for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 26, 2026
My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was so good! At first glance, I thought it was giving heavy Luke and Lorelei vibes but that was mainly limited to the cover and grumpy head over heels MMC.
September 15, 2025
This was such a good book. I 10/10 recommend. This is the first book in the series and I’m excited for what is next to come.
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
August 30, 2025
Sarah Atwater is ready for a new beginning for herself and her children, Frankie and Ollie. Slade Bennett seems content with his life working at Cal’s garage but when single mom, Sarah comes through his shop will she maybe be able break down some of this grumps walls? That first chapter had me giggling and all the moments with the kids are adorable! This is a super slow burn romance with funny, emotional and tender moments. These two people just deserve to find their happiness. Told in first person and dual POV.
June 26, 2026
➴ 2.75 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 🚖 ⋆. 𝜗ৎ 💼
𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦📱
𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 💍
𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ⊹ 15+
༘ 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬), 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭, 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘥/𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥
𝕞𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 ~ this book was alright to me, i didnt love or hate it. i did like the single mom trope and the small age gap but it didn’t feel like much was happening and i just got a little bored. the book wasn’t necessarily bad it just wasn’t for me!
𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 ~ i wont go into much detail with the characters but the majority of them were pretty likable and i liked their friend group!
06.21.26 ⊹ 06.25.26 📖
𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦📱
𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 💍
𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ⊹ 15+
༘ 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰 (𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬), 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭, 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘥/𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥
𝕞𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 ~ this book was alright to me, i didnt love or hate it. i did like the single mom trope and the small age gap but it didn’t feel like much was happening and i just got a little bored. the book wasn’t necessarily bad it just wasn’t for me!
𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 ~ i wont go into much detail with the characters but the majority of them were pretty likable and i liked their friend group!
06.21.26 ⊹ 06.25.26 📖
August 20, 2025
Thank you so much to Stacy Williams and Hambright PR for the opportunity to ARC read Stuck with You!
Okay, so this book had me in tears. I finished it in about 26 hours, which I'd say is impressive, given that the book is over 400 pages. I just couldn't put it down!! Slade and Sarah have my heart, and I loved their slow-burn romance full of banter and tension and just all the good gooey things you want in a romance book!
In my opinion, though, Oliver completely stole the show, the characters' hearts, AND my heart. I just wanna give that sweet little boy a big, gigantic hug. I love the representation of the struggles of a single mom and how Slade felt for Sarah, given that his mom was also a single mom who struggled at times.
I 1000% recommend anyone read this book, and it is a perfect fade to black romance that packs an emotional punch and a HEA..
Okay, so this book had me in tears. I finished it in about 26 hours, which I'd say is impressive, given that the book is over 400 pages. I just couldn't put it down!! Slade and Sarah have my heart, and I loved their slow-burn romance full of banter and tension and just all the good gooey things you want in a romance book!
In my opinion, though, Oliver completely stole the show, the characters' hearts, AND my heart. I just wanna give that sweet little boy a big, gigantic hug. I love the representation of the struggles of a single mom and how Slade felt for Sarah, given that his mom was also a single mom who struggled at times.
I 1000% recommend anyone read this book, and it is a perfect fade to black romance that packs an emotional punch and a HEA..
August 22, 2025
I absolutely didn’t want this book to end! Slade is the grumpiest of grumps and Sarah has the best comebacks and sass! There were so many fun little plot twists that I didn't see coming but gave the book so much depth and brought out all the emotions. I'm pretty sure Stacy has the exact same taste as me in tropes because she writes all my favorites into her books and I'll forever be her biggest fan!
If you like wit, sarcasm, humor, emotional stories, grumpy MMC's, single moms, adorable kids, found family and two characters healing together, then you need to read this book!
If you like wit, sarcasm, humor, emotional stories, grumpy MMC's, single moms, adorable kids, found family and two characters healing together, then you need to read this book!
August 16, 2025
gosh, this book had all the things. tension, emotion, yearning, tenderness and hope. i could go on! sarah and slade were the couple i didn’t know i needed. i loved their chemistry and the easy, playful banter between them. the way they went from strangers to friends to lover was so expertly done. everything between them felt so genuine and real. the slow burn of their relationship was just perfect even if there were several almost kisses that just about killed me.
in true stacy fashion, there were a few twists that i absolutely did not see coming. it’s one of my favorite things about stacy’s books and stuck with you didn’t disappoint. i absolutely loved getting to know the men of cal’s garage even more. they are such a fun group and i’m so excited for their individual stories! i also really loved sarah’s best friend roxie! gotta love a friend who always tells you the truth! there is so much more goodness in between the pages of this story. i cant recommend this enough especially if you love grumpy heroes and sassy, black cat heroines!
content: fade to black
thanks to the author for a gifted copy. my thoughts are my own.
in true stacy fashion, there were a few twists that i absolutely did not see coming. it’s one of my favorite things about stacy’s books and stuck with you didn’t disappoint. i absolutely loved getting to know the men of cal’s garage even more. they are such a fun group and i’m so excited for their individual stories! i also really loved sarah’s best friend roxie! gotta love a friend who always tells you the truth! there is so much more goodness in between the pages of this story. i cant recommend this enough especially if you love grumpy heroes and sassy, black cat heroines!
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thanks to the author for a gifted copy. my thoughts are my own.
September 16, 2025
Thank you to the author for an eARC.
HAPPY TO BE BACK.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK
There’s something about reading a new book from one of your favorite authors that just hits the spot. And all of the autumn vibes with some glimpses of holidays set the perfect atmosphere for this time of year (so go read it now!!!).
I love the incredible slow burn each time. It’s reminiscent of Mariana Zapata where the pay-off is worked for and the journey is a few steps forward, back, and filled with growth and tender moments that make you crave the next chapter.
Slade and Sarah were absolute gems. Both holding on and moving through a lot who found each other. AND found a way to do life together. I loved all of the sentiments and quiet conversations they had. You KNOW they were in love in the deepest ways.
And all of the side characters?? Can’t get enough. The love and banter with tough conversations throughout really bonded me to these characters. There’s a lovely balance of heavy and humor that genuinely made for a read that I kept wanting to pick up. I loved how everything came together and there was such a sweet epilogue.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, I am STOKED for the future books in this series!!
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: fade to black
- Violence: low
- Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted), infidelity/cheating (recounted in multiple situations)
HAPPY TO BE BACK.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK
There’s something about reading a new book from one of your favorite authors that just hits the spot. And all of the autumn vibes with some glimpses of holidays set the perfect atmosphere for this time of year (so go read it now!!!).
I love the incredible slow burn each time. It’s reminiscent of Mariana Zapata where the pay-off is worked for and the journey is a few steps forward, back, and filled with growth and tender moments that make you crave the next chapter.
Slade and Sarah were absolute gems. Both holding on and moving through a lot who found each other. AND found a way to do life together. I loved all of the sentiments and quiet conversations they had. You KNOW they were in love in the deepest ways.
And all of the side characters?? Can’t get enough. The love and banter with tough conversations throughout really bonded me to these characters. There’s a lovely balance of heavy and humor that genuinely made for a read that I kept wanting to pick up. I loved how everything came together and there was such a sweet epilogue.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, I am STOKED for the future books in this series!!
Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: fade to black
- Violence: low
- Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted), infidelity/cheating (recounted in multiple situations)
September 16, 2025
Another great Stacy Williams read.
Content warning - language
Content warning - language
October 12, 2025
One of my favorite things in romance books is when one or both of the MCs find it hard to love again because of something that has happened in the past, but then they meet someone who gets them and makes them realize that love is possible with the right person. The journey is slow, but you can see the cracks slowly breaking. It makes the payoff so much more satisfying because you’ve seen everything they’ve gone through to get to their HEA. This book is that kind of story.
Both MCs were great, but let me start with Sarah. The author did a great job painting a vivid picture of Sarah’s situation and her emotions in those moments. You could feel her frustration and exhaustion. She’s not only an amazing mom but also a strong woman overall. The things she had to go through with her douche of an ex, working, taking online classes, and being there for her kids, sound draining, but she still finds a way to do it all. On top of that, she moves to a new place without knowing anyone, until she meets Slade and his crew.
Slade has a small, tight-knit group of friends he works with and lives with his sister, Krissy. That’s the only family he’s ever known. He had to grow up fast when his mom got sick, and after she passed away, he stepped up and raised Krissy himself. He’s always been self-reliant because that’s all he’s ever known. Like Sarah, he experienced a bad relationship that left him emotionally scarred. Trusting was hard for him, but for Sarah, he was willing to try. Also, every time he interacted with her kids was adorable.
They’re friend group brought levity to the story. We get enough crumbs of their personal lives to make me want to continue the series, which I’m sure each friend will have their own story, and I can’t wait to read them.
Thank you NetGalley and S.L. Williams for the ARC.
Both MCs were great, but let me start with Sarah. The author did a great job painting a vivid picture of Sarah’s situation and her emotions in those moments. You could feel her frustration and exhaustion. She’s not only an amazing mom but also a strong woman overall. The things she had to go through with her douche of an ex, working, taking online classes, and being there for her kids, sound draining, but she still finds a way to do it all. On top of that, she moves to a new place without knowing anyone, until she meets Slade and his crew.
Slade has a small, tight-knit group of friends he works with and lives with his sister, Krissy. That’s the only family he’s ever known. He had to grow up fast when his mom got sick, and after she passed away, he stepped up and raised Krissy himself. He’s always been self-reliant because that’s all he’s ever known. Like Sarah, he experienced a bad relationship that left him emotionally scarred. Trusting was hard for him, but for Sarah, he was willing to try. Also, every time he interacted with her kids was adorable.
They’re friend group brought levity to the story. We get enough crumbs of their personal lives to make me want to continue the series, which I’m sure each friend will have their own story, and I can’t wait to read them.
Thank you NetGalley and S.L. Williams for the ARC.
July 2, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Stuck With You by Stacy Williams was a really enjoyable read that ended up giving me much more than just a romance. At its core, it’s about two people finding their way through complicated lives while navigating family expectations, unexpected challenges, and the possibility of a fresh start. It blends romance with heavier emotional themes, making it feel like there was always something meaningful happening beyond the love story.
I really appreciated the heavier plot and how the family drama added depth to the story. There were plenty of emotional moments, some surprising plot twists, and enough spice to balance out the heartfelt scenes. Watching the relationship develop alongside everything else going on made the romance feel earned.
My only small critique is that it felt a little longer than I would have liked for a romance novel. There were moments where the pacing slowed, but I was still invested in the characters and wanted to see how everything would come together.
I received this as a NetGalley audiobook ARC, and I thought the narrators captured both the emotional and lighter moments really well. Their performances made it easy to connect with the characters and kept the story engaging, even during the slower-paced sections.
Overall, this was a heartfelt romance filled with new beginnings, family drama, unexpected twists, and plenty of chemistry. If you enjoy romances with emotional depth and a little extra substance beyond the love story, this one is definitely worth picking up.
Stuck With You by Stacy Williams was a really enjoyable read that ended up giving me much more than just a romance. At its core, it’s about two people finding their way through complicated lives while navigating family expectations, unexpected challenges, and the possibility of a fresh start. It blends romance with heavier emotional themes, making it feel like there was always something meaningful happening beyond the love story.
I really appreciated the heavier plot and how the family drama added depth to the story. There were plenty of emotional moments, some surprising plot twists, and enough spice to balance out the heartfelt scenes. Watching the relationship develop alongside everything else going on made the romance feel earned.
My only small critique is that it felt a little longer than I would have liked for a romance novel. There were moments where the pacing slowed, but I was still invested in the characters and wanted to see how everything would come together.
I received this as a NetGalley audiobook ARC, and I thought the narrators captured both the emotional and lighter moments really well. Their performances made it easy to connect with the characters and kept the story engaging, even during the slower-paced sections.
Overall, this was a heartfelt romance filled with new beginnings, family drama, unexpected twists, and plenty of chemistry. If you enjoy romances with emotional depth and a little extra substance beyond the love story, this one is definitely worth picking up.
July 4, 2026
My first Stacy Williams book, and it definitely won't be my last. I absolutely loved this slow-burn romance! Grumpy sunshine, neighbors, single mom, and a mechanic MMC who raised his little sister? Slade absolutely melted my heart. 🖤
Sarah's journey hit especially close to home. Watching a single mom try to rebuild her life after divorcing an abusive, narcissistic, wealthy @$$🎩 who still tries to hold power over her through financial abuse and by using her love for their children felt incredibly real... like déjà vu. 😬🤦🏻♀️ The survival mode, the fear, and the constant uphill battle were written so well. Unfortunately, that battle doesn't always end in real life, so it was nice to see what karma looked like outside of just my dreams. 🫣
Her kids were absolutely adorbs and added so much heart to the story. The romance was a true slow burn, and while the spice was fade-to-black, it was done so well that I never felt like anything was missing.
The narrators were 🔥🔥 and brought so much emotion to the story. They made it easy to connect with the characters and kept me completely invested.
If you loved The Simple Wild, Juniper Hill, Things We Never Got Over, or The Bonus, I think you'll really enjoy this one. I can't wait to read more from Stacy Williams. 🖤
Thank you Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Also, "just keep swimming" reference was not lost🖤
Sarah's journey hit especially close to home. Watching a single mom try to rebuild her life after divorcing an abusive, narcissistic, wealthy @$$🎩 who still tries to hold power over her through financial abuse and by using her love for their children felt incredibly real... like déjà vu. 😬🤦🏻♀️ The survival mode, the fear, and the constant uphill battle were written so well. Unfortunately, that battle doesn't always end in real life, so it was nice to see what karma looked like outside of just my dreams. 🫣
Her kids were absolutely adorbs and added so much heart to the story. The romance was a true slow burn, and while the spice was fade-to-black, it was done so well that I never felt like anything was missing.
The narrators were 🔥🔥 and brought so much emotion to the story. They made it easy to connect with the characters and kept me completely invested.
If you loved The Simple Wild, Juniper Hill, Things We Never Got Over, or The Bonus, I think you'll really enjoy this one. I can't wait to read more from Stacy Williams. 🖤
Thank you Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Also, "just keep swimming" reference was not lost🖤
September 12, 2025
This is a low spice romcom full of banter, good friendships, a gradual love, grumpy protective MMC, single mom badass FMC, small town, holiday vibes, funny, leg kicker type book.
I loved Slade just as much as I loved Sarah, Oliver, Frankie, Wind, Kat, Trigg, Roxie, Krissy, Carson, and basically everyone BUT Miles and Junior. This author did an amazing job of world and character building. You could just imagine it all actually happening and want to join right in.
Sigh. All the stars. All. The. Stars.
Even though I like a little spice in my books, this one was perfect without it. Do I think Lion Daddy could get it? Most definitely. 🤌🏽
I loved Slade just as much as I loved Sarah, Oliver, Frankie, Wind, Kat, Trigg, Roxie, Krissy, Carson, and basically everyone BUT Miles and Junior. This author did an amazing job of world and character building. You could just imagine it all actually happening and want to join right in.
Sigh. All the stars. All. The. Stars.
Even though I like a little spice in my books, this one was perfect without it. Do I think Lion Daddy could get it? Most definitely. 🤌🏽
November 15, 2025
A solid romance, as I have come to expect from Stacy Williams. I’m so happy she started this series out with Slade, since we got just a teaser of him in It’s Always Us. The single mom trope will tug at my heart every time, and this was done really well. I don’t think I’ve ever met a person quite as grouchy as Slade.. but I suppose the exaggerated personality could be expected in fiction. I do wish we would have got just a little more “justice” in the end.
For those familiar with her other books - this one has quite a bit more foul language than the others. Not in a super offensive way (in my opinion) but we are dealing with a mechanic’s garage full of men so…
For those familiar with her other books - this one has quite a bit more foul language than the others. Not in a super offensive way (in my opinion) but we are dealing with a mechanic’s garage full of men so…
October 8, 2025
✨ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ✨
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮
𝙱𝚢 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚢 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖𝚜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
"𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕤𝕠 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝, 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕨𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕓𝕒𝕕 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕚𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕒𝕥 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕨 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪’𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕟𝕖𝕣. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕓𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕚𝕥.”
"𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕘𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕀 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕. ℍ𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕙𝕖’𝕤 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕕. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕀 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕖𝕩𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕕, 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕙𝕚𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖."
I was singing Head Over Feet by Alanis Morisette yesterday and immediately I knew this was the song I wanted to use for this post. Sarah wasn't expecting Slade and he sure as hell wasn't expecting Sarah.
I love a good love after heartbreak story. So much hope. So many ups and downs but I promise you it's worth the journey. A single mom who is rebuilding her life with her two kids. A grumpy next door neighbor who is just fine living his life as is. The two worlds collide in an unexpected way. The found family trope in this story is perfection.
Okay, I'm not giving anymore away but please read this. I think you would love it.
QOTD: Do you have nosey neighbors? 🤭 or are they to themselves mostly?
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮
𝙱𝚢 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚢 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖𝚜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
"𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕤𝕠 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝, 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕨𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕓𝕒𝕕 𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕠𝕓𝕤𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕚𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕒𝕥 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕨 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪’𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕟𝕖𝕣. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕓𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖, 𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕚𝕥.”
"𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝕘𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕀 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕. ℍ𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕙𝕖’𝕤 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕕. 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕀 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕜𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕖𝕩𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕕, 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕙𝕚𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖."
I was singing Head Over Feet by Alanis Morisette yesterday and immediately I knew this was the song I wanted to use for this post. Sarah wasn't expecting Slade and he sure as hell wasn't expecting Sarah.
I love a good love after heartbreak story. So much hope. So many ups and downs but I promise you it's worth the journey. A single mom who is rebuilding her life with her two kids. A grumpy next door neighbor who is just fine living his life as is. The two worlds collide in an unexpected way. The found family trope in this story is perfection.
Okay, I'm not giving anymore away but please read this. I think you would love it.
QOTD: Do you have nosey neighbors? 🤭 or are they to themselves mostly?
October 6, 2025
For unknowingly reading a fade-to-black, this was super good. Made me teary multiple times. I will never not love a single parent trope
September 2, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slade Bennett & Sarah Atwater
- Dual POV
- Single mom FMC
- Mechanic MMC
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Healing from toxic past relationships
- Learning how to accept help
✨ what I enjoyed:
- Sarah’s sacrifice and dedication to her children
- Sarah & Roxie’s friendship
- Sarah showing up and being consistent for Slade
- Slade’s quiet care for Sarah, the kids, and his people
- Krissy & Slade’s relationship, taking care of each other 110%
- The family created at Cal’s garage
- Kat and her attitude
- Sassy & teasing banter
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 1 of the Cal’s Garage Series - this is a sweet book filled with people rallying around a mom and her children in a time of extreme need. It’s beautiful seeing so many people quickly love, care, and support Sarah and her children. The community they find rally around them like none other.
There were aspects of this book that did not sit right with me or were not my cup of tea. The writing the style was not that I expected after reading Stacy’s three previous books. There is frequent adult content, language, innuendo, and vulgar jokes. This book is fade to black, with a detailed fade to black scene that the author lists to skip in the beginning of the book if wished. Overall, this book had more crude/vulgar content in it than I typically like to read. I also felt that some of the character development wasn’t fully fleshed out because of the extreme situations, lack of communication, and lust that took precedence.
Slade and Sarah did work through some of the miscommunication and were vulnerable with one another but I was hoping for more depth in vulnerability and less focus on physical attraction.
Just cause this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I think many will still enjoy the book if you like:
- Single mom rebuilding her life after painful marriage & divorce
- Extremely loyal friends and found family
- Lots of moments with the children included
- Insta-family with MCs
- Learning how to do things scared
- Learning how to trust again
- Learning to be vulnerable and accept help
- Guys rallying around their friend who needs a lot of guidance and peer pressure
This is a fade to black romance with a guide to skip and content warning at the beginning of the book. The fade to black includes characters removing clothes and detailed making out. There is an excess of language and crude innuendo.
**Thank you so much to Stacy for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
Slade Bennett & Sarah Atwater
- Dual POV
- Single mom FMC
- Mechanic MMC
- Slow burn
- Found family
- Healing from toxic past relationships
- Learning how to accept help
✨ what I enjoyed:
- Sarah’s sacrifice and dedication to her children
- Sarah & Roxie’s friendship
- Sarah showing up and being consistent for Slade
- Slade’s quiet care for Sarah, the kids, and his people
- Krissy & Slade’s relationship, taking care of each other 110%
- The family created at Cal’s garage
- Kat and her attitude
- Sassy & teasing banter
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 1 of the Cal’s Garage Series - this is a sweet book filled with people rallying around a mom and her children in a time of extreme need. It’s beautiful seeing so many people quickly love, care, and support Sarah and her children. The community they find rally around them like none other.
There were aspects of this book that did not sit right with me or were not my cup of tea. The writing the style was not that I expected after reading Stacy’s three previous books. There is frequent adult content, language, innuendo, and vulgar jokes. This book is fade to black, with a detailed fade to black scene that the author lists to skip in the beginning of the book if wished. Overall, this book had more crude/vulgar content in it than I typically like to read. I also felt that some of the character development wasn’t fully fleshed out because of the extreme situations, lack of communication, and lust that took precedence.
Slade and Sarah did work through some of the miscommunication and were vulnerable with one another but I was hoping for more depth in vulnerability and less focus on physical attraction.
Just cause this book wasn’t my cup of tea, I think many will still enjoy the book if you like:
- Single mom rebuilding her life after painful marriage & divorce
- Extremely loyal friends and found family
- Lots of moments with the children included
- Insta-family with MCs
- Learning how to do things scared
- Learning how to trust again
- Learning to be vulnerable and accept help
- Guys rallying around their friend who needs a lot of guidance and peer pressure
This is a fade to black romance with a guide to skip and content warning at the beginning of the book. The fade to black includes characters removing clothes and detailed making out. There is an excess of language and crude innuendo.
**Thank you so much to Stacy for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
July 9, 2026
Stuck With You AUDIO by Stacy Williams is a captivating romance between a single mom paralegal and the owner of a car repair garage who happen to live across the street from one another. Sarah is divorced from a narcissistic television newsman who not only cheated on her but manipulated the divorce leaving her with nothing. Not even child support for her two darling kids, Ollie and Frankie. She is raising them, working, and taking a couple of classes that will eventually lead her to law school, she hopes. Her car is making a funny noise so she asks for a recommendation and it leads her to Slade’s shop. She never wanted that darn BMW to being with and now it was going to cost her more money that she didn’t have. Slade is gruff and surly and doesn’t really care. He raised his younger sister after their mom died, and to say he is over protective is a gross understatement. When Sarah’s basement floods on a weekend, his sister, Chrissie, invites her and her kids to stay with them until it’s fixed. Slade takes over the project, as he always does but he also plays with her kids, and cuddles her baby. Neither will admit they are smitten.
This was a long book, but a good one. I am not sure why as it is not that much different than many romances, but Williams has imbued these characters with some very likable traits. They have both been hurt, more than hurt, really, and are slow to trust. The comedy relief comes with a next door neighbor who is constantly outside with his miniature wiener dog. He alerts Slade several times when Sarah might need him. Slade is surrounded by a group of guy friends who are almost as protective as Slade and they are there for Sarah when she needs them, as well as for Chrissie, whom they love. It is a fun romance between two reluctant partners, who at first seem diametrically opposed but as the attraction grows, so does the reader’s interest.
Alex Kydd and Madeleine Dauer are the narrators and at first I didn’t really care for Alex’ portrayal, but as I carried on, I adjusted. He really does sound more like a gangster than I would like. Madeleine was good as Sarah. They made this fun novel even more fun as a listen.
I was invited to listen to Stuck With You by Remedia, a Tantor Media company. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley @Remedia @StacyWilliams #AlexKydd #MadeleineDauer #StuckWithYou
This was a long book, but a good one. I am not sure why as it is not that much different than many romances, but Williams has imbued these characters with some very likable traits. They have both been hurt, more than hurt, really, and are slow to trust. The comedy relief comes with a next door neighbor who is constantly outside with his miniature wiener dog. He alerts Slade several times when Sarah might need him. Slade is surrounded by a group of guy friends who are almost as protective as Slade and they are there for Sarah when she needs them, as well as for Chrissie, whom they love. It is a fun romance between two reluctant partners, who at first seem diametrically opposed but as the attraction grows, so does the reader’s interest.
Alex Kydd and Madeleine Dauer are the narrators and at first I didn’t really care for Alex’ portrayal, but as I carried on, I adjusted. He really does sound more like a gangster than I would like. Madeleine was good as Sarah. They made this fun novel even more fun as a listen.
I was invited to listen to Stuck With You by Remedia, a Tantor Media company. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley @Remedia @StacyWilliams #AlexKydd #MadeleineDauer #StuckWithYou
September 18, 2025
If you are not reading Stacy Williams what are you doing? I adore her books so so much and was ecstatic when she announced Stuck With You was coming. We met Slade in It’s Always Us and I absolutely loved getting to be back in Cal’s Garage and experience these guys more.
The found family in this one is *chef’s kiss* so if that is your jam then you need to pick this one up. The guys at Cal’s have truly become their own family unit. I loved watching them show up for each other day in and day out. They pushed each other and spoke truth to each other and it was the most perfect thing to see. And I adored how they brought Sarah and her kids into that fold and showed up for them. Man it was truly just so so sweet.
And I adored Slade and Sarah. Their relationship felt so organic and real. Every concern and struggle was just portrayed in the most lifelike way to me. Both of these two have had their hardships and struggles and had been burned by people they trusted and watching them both open themselves back up to love and learn how to walk through hardships together was really sweet. Sarah was sassy and fun and even though life had beaten her up she still had a bit of her sparkle. Slade was a grump but he melted for Sarah and it was so sweet watching this big guy work hard to be open and honest so that he could show Sarah he was here for her.
I adored this book so stinking much and I cannot wait to see whose story is next! This book is out now and is set in the fall/early winter so is a fun read for this time of year (and her Abandoned Brothers series is about three NFL players so it’s definitely perfect for right now!)
Thank you so much Stacy for the ARC!
👍🏻Read If You Like:
* single mom romances
* found family
* grumpy sunshine
* fresh starts
🛑Content Warning:
* cheating
* narcissistic ex
* death of mom (in past)
🖤Fade to Black Romance
The found family in this one is *chef’s kiss* so if that is your jam then you need to pick this one up. The guys at Cal’s have truly become their own family unit. I loved watching them show up for each other day in and day out. They pushed each other and spoke truth to each other and it was the most perfect thing to see. And I adored how they brought Sarah and her kids into that fold and showed up for them. Man it was truly just so so sweet.
And I adored Slade and Sarah. Their relationship felt so organic and real. Every concern and struggle was just portrayed in the most lifelike way to me. Both of these two have had their hardships and struggles and had been burned by people they trusted and watching them both open themselves back up to love and learn how to walk through hardships together was really sweet. Sarah was sassy and fun and even though life had beaten her up she still had a bit of her sparkle. Slade was a grump but he melted for Sarah and it was so sweet watching this big guy work hard to be open and honest so that he could show Sarah he was here for her.
I adored this book so stinking much and I cannot wait to see whose story is next! This book is out now and is set in the fall/early winter so is a fun read for this time of year (and her Abandoned Brothers series is about three NFL players so it’s definitely perfect for right now!)
Thank you so much Stacy for the ARC!
👍🏻Read If You Like:
* single mom romances
* found family
* grumpy sunshine
* fresh starts
🛑Content Warning:
* cheating
* narcissistic ex
* death of mom (in past)
🖤Fade to Black Romance
April 10, 2026
Look, I’ve given everything from 3 stars to 5 stars for Stacy’s books. I think it demonstrates how, for me, a romcom/romance has to have a certain quality which may have nothing to do with the author. The genre, as a whole, lays on a foundation of tropes, expected plot points, and a whole lotta tension that culminates (I refuse to use the word “climax” here) in making out, sex, proposal/marriage, and/or a mix of those conclusions (also going to avoid the words “happy endings”). But, conventions of love stories side, I need to know these are real people who happen to find themselves inside a Hallmark movie. In other words, the sexiest thing you can do for me, as a reader, is convince me of the plausibility of your characters, and their desires and struggles. I swear I’m not a killjoy! I love love and being in love and fighting for a love that’s real!
“Stuck with You” has some elements I enjoyed: the single mum committed to letting nothing get in the way of her keeping her kiddos safe from her toxic ex; the grumpy mechanic who has a soft spot for waifs; and the cast of supporting characters who push these two reluctant-to-be-hurt-again lovebirds together. But the constant profanity (felt like a lot to me for this type of book), eventual hookup (sorry, I don’t buy sex pre-marriage as the next step to proving commitment) the inconsistency of the character’s decisions (one minute Sarah’s pissed at Slade for overstepping, and the next moment jumping into his arms for once again overstepping), and the obvious set-up for other books in this series (I’m guessing Carson-Krissy as friends to lovers, and Roxie-Leo as marriage of convenience) just pulled me out of what could have been a very compelling story about building a new family legacy with the person who shows up for you in the hard stuff.
“Stuck with You” has some elements I enjoyed: the single mum committed to letting nothing get in the way of her keeping her kiddos safe from her toxic ex; the grumpy mechanic who has a soft spot for waifs; and the cast of supporting characters who push these two reluctant-to-be-hurt-again lovebirds together. But the constant profanity (felt like a lot to me for this type of book), eventual hookup (sorry, I don’t buy sex pre-marriage as the next step to proving commitment) the inconsistency of the character’s decisions (one minute Sarah’s pissed at Slade for overstepping, and the next moment jumping into his arms for once again overstepping), and the obvious set-up for other books in this series (I’m guessing Carson-Krissy as friends to lovers, and Roxie-Leo as marriage of convenience) just pulled me out of what could have been a very compelling story about building a new family legacy with the person who shows up for you in the hard stuff.
June 29, 2026
Unfortunately for this book, I began reading right after another romance story that I rated with 5 stars. This romance just fell a little flat for me in the snark and snappy moments. It may be due in part that the MMC took himself too seriously. Possibly because Sarah’s private thoughts didn’t reflect her public persona ( which she explains as her way of protecting her privacy) but it also gave the impression that she wasn’t very vulnerable to those around her. Her kids (specifically Ollie) was the best parts of the story. The almost comical number of life moments that fall apart for her started to stack up and make everything a plot devise.
There was way more emphasis on the physical attraction vs. the spark of connection between the main characters. I also felt frustrated when writers don’t give us the previous relationship details until deep into the story. We come to discover that her ex is a despicable dude but why does it take the author so long to give us the backstory? It just leads to a drawn out part of the story that I get bored with. The story drags a lot and the single life of Sarah made me feel sympathetic but I grew tired of it over time.
Some reviews talk about profanity being an issue but it never felt excessive or out of line for the circumstances. This reader didn’t mind that but I did feel like Slade wasn’t easy to warm up to despite how much he cared about his family and friends. I feel like his trauma with his past relationship didn’t really warrant the amount of professed distrust he needed to build into his world.
This was a decent audiobook and I loved Sarah’s voice over Slade’s but it wasn’t enough to make me feel this story’s emotional center.
There was way more emphasis on the physical attraction vs. the spark of connection between the main characters. I also felt frustrated when writers don’t give us the previous relationship details until deep into the story. We come to discover that her ex is a despicable dude but why does it take the author so long to give us the backstory? It just leads to a drawn out part of the story that I get bored with. The story drags a lot and the single life of Sarah made me feel sympathetic but I grew tired of it over time.
Some reviews talk about profanity being an issue but it never felt excessive or out of line for the circumstances. This reader didn’t mind that but I did feel like Slade wasn’t easy to warm up to despite how much he cared about his family and friends. I feel like his trauma with his past relationship didn’t really warrant the amount of professed distrust he needed to build into his world.
This was a decent audiobook and I loved Sarah’s voice over Slade’s but it wasn’t enough to make me feel this story’s emotional center.
September 17, 2025
Tropes:
grumpy x sunshine
single mom
slow burn
Slow Burn
Found Family
Dual POV
Stuck With You was a sweet, fade-to-black, slow burn romance that I enjoyed! It was a true grumpy x sunshine story, which is one of my favorite book tropes. What I really loved about this story was not only was it a story of a single mom, with a dead-beat ex, trying her best to raise her babies on her own, but the MMC was also someone who had to step up to the plate and help raise his sister. You don't get a lot of stories where the MMC is the one left to raise kids alone and I really enjoyed Slade's back story.
Sarah, our amazing/strong mother, is starting all over with her 2 beautiful babies. Life keeps handing her lemons-mostly due to her ex-husband- but like any other mother in her situation, she's doing the best she can to take those lemons and turn them into lemonade. When her car starts to act up, she takes it to Cal's Garage where she meets Slade, the owner. He's grumpy, she's good with nicknames, and the banter between the two is sweet and funny. While it is a SLOW BURN, it's definitely worth it!
Also, I can't talk about this story without mentioning the found family aspect! The guys that Slade works with, could just be another run-of-the-mill employees. But instead, they take Sarah and her kids in as their own, inviting them over for football games, dinner, holidays, and are there for her kid's school performance. I fell in love with these guys and I really hope we get more from them, Krissy (Slade's sister) and even Roxie (Sarah's bff). I really enjoyed this group a lot!
grumpy x sunshine
single mom
slow burn
Slow Burn
Found Family
Dual POV
Stuck With You was a sweet, fade-to-black, slow burn romance that I enjoyed! It was a true grumpy x sunshine story, which is one of my favorite book tropes. What I really loved about this story was not only was it a story of a single mom, with a dead-beat ex, trying her best to raise her babies on her own, but the MMC was also someone who had to step up to the plate and help raise his sister. You don't get a lot of stories where the MMC is the one left to raise kids alone and I really enjoyed Slade's back story.
Sarah, our amazing/strong mother, is starting all over with her 2 beautiful babies. Life keeps handing her lemons-mostly due to her ex-husband- but like any other mother in her situation, she's doing the best she can to take those lemons and turn them into lemonade. When her car starts to act up, she takes it to Cal's Garage where she meets Slade, the owner. He's grumpy, she's good with nicknames, and the banter between the two is sweet and funny. While it is a SLOW BURN, it's definitely worth it!
Also, I can't talk about this story without mentioning the found family aspect! The guys that Slade works with, could just be another run-of-the-mill employees. But instead, they take Sarah and her kids in as their own, inviting them over for football games, dinner, holidays, and are there for her kid's school performance. I fell in love with these guys and I really hope we get more from them, Krissy (Slade's sister) and even Roxie (Sarah's bff). I really enjoyed this group a lot!
October 14, 2025
People are sleeping on this book. Sarah and Slade make the absolute best couple!!
This strangers>friends>lovers situation was the best was to develop their bond! These two both have a hard time trusting and asking for help. However you get to see there two grow together and develop this bond that is the most heart warming thing I have ever read. Plus the was Sarah challenges Slade, and her sassy ass comments. I was dead.
First off Sarah is a single mom and she is such a badass!! This women has been through it, but somehow she keeps pushing through being such a strong and smart individual. Like such props to single moms. Plus if her kids don’t melt your heart it must be made out of iron bc they are the sweetest!
Then you have Slade, ahhhh. I swoon so hard for this man. First off he is doing well for himself despite the cards he has been handed. But hearing about how he took care of his sister when their mom passed I was putty. The moment I knew this man could do nothing I hated was when they all were sick and he took care of them.
This strangers>friends>lovers situation was the best was to develop their bond! These two both have a hard time trusting and asking for help. However you get to see there two grow together and develop this bond that is the most heart warming thing I have ever read. Plus the was Sarah challenges Slade, and her sassy ass comments. I was dead.
First off Sarah is a single mom and she is such a badass!! This women has been through it, but somehow she keeps pushing through being such a strong and smart individual. Like such props to single moms. Plus if her kids don’t melt your heart it must be made out of iron bc they are the sweetest!
Then you have Slade, ahhhh. I swoon so hard for this man. First off he is doing well for himself despite the cards he has been handed. But hearing about how he took care of his sister when their mom passed I was putty. The moment I knew this man could do nothing I hated was when they all were sick and he took care of them.
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