#37 [2022/CBR14] Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

After we read The Love Hypothesis for book club, I found a trio of novellas also by Ali Hazelwood. I quickly decided that I needed to read these as well. So, now that I've finished Below Zero and Stuck With You, I was able to get Under One Roof (2022) by Hazelwood on audiobook.

Like Hazelwood's other books, Under One Roof involves a woman in STEM--Mara, an environmental engineer who works for the EPA--a hunky man, misunderstandings, and love in the end. Mara is best friends with the women who starred in the previous two novellas, so there is a small connection between the three books.

Mara recently graduated and has very little money to work with. Her previous mentor, Helena, just died, and she left Mara her half-ownership in a home in D.C. The problem is that Liam, Helena's nephew, owns the other half, and he already lives there. Liam has no interest in moving, and is not excited about sharing his home. He offers Mara money to live somewhere else, but she refuses.

The premise is a bit of a stretch, but Mara and Liam end up living unhappily together. Eventually they come to a kind of truce and then friendship. They help and encourage each other with problems at work, and the sexual tension slowly grows. It's only when she's about to move out that things really progress.

Of the trilogy of STEM novellas, this one was probably the least memorable--although that also might have something to do with the fact it was on Audiobook (I don't pay as close attention on Audiobook). I don't generally have high expectations for romance novellas because there's only so much you can do in such a short time, so I still found this one fun and interesting. I'm glad the characters ended up together. I'm looking forward to Hazelwood's next full-length novel.