Rambling About.. Stuck With You by Carla Burgess

I adored Carla Burgess' first book, Marry Me Tomorrow, and when I saw that she had a new one coming out I rearranged my planned reading in order to lose myself in it as soon as NetGalley said it was on my shelf. To be honest, I didn't think it would be possible for Burgess to come up with another couple that I would love half as much as I loved Emily and Sam, but then I met Elena and Daniel.

Burgess has another absolute winner with Stuck With You. Elena has pined for years over Daniel and has been replaying one perfect memory the whole time (in spite of living with her boyfriend, Alex, for the past two years). They were teeneagers. He was about to go traveling, she was heading off to university and, amazingly, he asked her to dance, kissed her, and they never saw eachother after that.  

Until, several years later when they're 25, the elevator breaks down at the supermarket with the two inside.

I don't know if you have an "if only" in your past but if you don't you'll just have to take my word for the fact that all of Elena's pinings even years later? Yep. They can most definitely happen. I'm 41 with a long-term partner and child and I still "if only" and "what if" about one particular "almost" from my awkward teens! That may be one of the reasons why Elena and Daniel have joined Emily and Sam on my list of "favorite book couples" -- they're so relatable and hopeful and put a big ol' goofy grin on my face (and prompted me to listen to quite a lot of The Doors and think of my particular "almost.").

Now ... for the next book could we find out what happens with Rachel? Maybe a Zach update? And, of course, more of Sam, Emily, Elena & Daniel!

Amazon Description

One lift. Two strangers. Anything could happen!

Elena thought that today would be just like any other day…until the supermarket lift jams and she realises she’s stuck.

And not just stuck in the lift. Stuck with her childhood crush, Daniel Moore, who unfortunately seems to be just as gorgeous as she remembered…

Rambling About.. Marry Me Tomorrow by Carla Burgess

Amazon Description

Twelve days. Two gold rings. One BIG secret…Emily needs a husband…fast. It’s just a few days until Christmas and to finally put a stop to her nagging mother’s matchmaking plans, Emily has convinced her that she’s already married!
And when her excited mum announces that she’s coming to stay, Emily can think of only one man to play the part: gorgeous ex-soldier, Sam. It’s the best part of her day, handing him a coffee every morning – but then, Emily never expected to offer him her hand in marriage, too…
All that’s left is for Sam to say ‘I do’ – it’s the perfect plan! So why then, do her ‘pretend’ feelings for Sam seem far too real?

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Title: Marry Me Tomorrow
Author: Carla Burgess
Publication:  October 3rd 2016 by Carina UK

First Lines:
'Will you marry me?'
The question hung between us, as tangible as the snowflakes floating around our heads.

Favorites on 4s:
4% - 'It's not like it was his idea. I had to practically beg him to come with me.'  Lydia's eyes nearly popped out of her head in disbelief. 'You begged him? You begged?'
14% - He took a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. 'I'm not happy about this.'  'Why? You get new clothes. Yay!'  'I hate shopping. And I hate taking handouts off people like you.'
24% - It was strange to have my flat full of people and to be busy preparing food for them. Mum's voice floated through from the lounge, and I could hear Sam laughing. I was amazed they were getting on so well. It felt like a strange dream.
34% - Of course I knew there was more to him than being merely homeless. He was a human being with a past and a story. He'd had a whole different life at one point. A happy one, judging by the photos in that book.
84% - 'Everyone's leaving,' I said, at last. 'As usual.' Sam shook his head. 'I was only ever temporary, remember.'

Ramble

Marry Me Tomorrow is one of those rare books that I can see myself revisiting time and again. This is an honor typically only given to classics, the occasional mystery series, Garrison Keillor and Christopher Moore. Kind of like re-watching the same favorite holiday movies year after year, it's worth reading and re-reading and if I ever have the opportunity to get a non-digital copy of it I'm going to add it to my actual bookshelf. It's the first book from Carla Burgess and is such a fantabulous debut I found it hard to  believe that it really is her debut. Surely she's been writing and publishing for eons and this is just her debut with Carina. A debut really shouldn't be this good ... and yet, it is. The downside to this, of course, is that I'll be left waiting for an unknown amount of time until I can enjoy more from Burgess. I was hoping to have a pile of books to go searching for!

There's so much heart and humor woven into the pages of this book. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. (They are, after all, a pretty cheeky bunch.) And, of course, I swooned and "awwww"ed. From the very beginning I knew that I would absolutely love Emily and Sam. They're both damaged goods trying to make the best out of a very awkward situation. Emily's best friend, Lydia, is just the perfect blend of protective and supportive, and her mother Pamela is absolutely adorable. I couldn't help but cast them all into my new favorite hypothetical Hallmark Channel holiday movie as I read. Even the strange guy across the hall, Brian, got cast and I almost never mentally cast minor characters like that.

This is a special book. It tugged at my heart in much the same way Christmas in Connecticut always does (the original with Barbara Stanwyck -- not the travesty remake with Dyan Cannon). I definitely give it five enthusiastic stars and a huge thank you to Carina and NetGalley for making it available to me to read!