Ranking Ali Hazelwood's novellas including Two Can Play
If there's one author readers can't get enough of, it's Ali Hazelwood. While I didn't love her debut, I've come to really love and appreciate her romances.
Since Ali's writing career started with fanfiction, I can imagine that there are plenty of her works floating around out there. That's why I was so excited to be able to go back and revisit all of her novellas up to this point.
Of course, this idea also came to mind when she announced that she'd be releasing an audio-only novella called Two Can Play. This novella is published by Spotify but you're able to get it from your favorite audiobook provider including Spotify.
Thankfully, my library had a copy so I was able to read this along with the rest of Ali Hazelwood's novella, and boy, do I have thought so let's break it down.
Ranking Ali Hazelwood's novellas from least to most favorite
This is going to be my personal ranking and honestly, this wasn't an easy one to put together. Each of her novellas has its merits but some of them just weren't as amazing as others. With that being said, the titles I'm going to be ranking are Under One Roof, Below Zero, Stuck with You and Two Can Play.
4. Under One Roof
Starting things off, my least favorite of the bunch was Under One Roof. Since this was the first novella released by Ali Hazelwood, it definitely reads like it. It has all the makings of a classic Ali Hazelwood title with a heroine in STEM, a grumpy love interest and a major size difference.
Aside from that, this book was fun as the two couldn't stand each other at first before slowly warming up to each other. I adored seeing their romance slowly blossom yet I didn't feel as much chemistry between these two. It felt like too much push-and-pull in the end so it ended up at the #4 spot on the list.
3. Two Can Play
Coming in at the #3 spot is Ali Hazelwood's most recent release and that's Two Can Play. This is an enemies-to-lovers story following two video game designers who had a misunderstanding in the past yet have to work together in the present. At first, I was completely on board with this romance but as the story went on, the pacing felt off. Maybe it's because I read the rest of her novellas back to back yet this one wasn't as good as the next two on the list.
However, if you love video games, some good mutual pining, and a dash of spice, then I think you'll like Two Can Play. Ultimately, this one was good but not my favorite of Ali's.
2. Below Zero
The #2 spot is going to Below Zero. This story follows Hannah who gets her dream job at NASA but has to be rescued by someone she rather wouldn't see. While we get to see Hannah's rescue and how Ian plays a role in it, Ali Hazelwood does something fun here. She essentially shows us how their relationship led up to where it is now.
Below Zero was such a fun one and I remember loads of readers loving this one upon release. It's also the perfect wintertime read or a great one to read as we transition into winter.
1. Stuck with You
The top spot has to go to Stuck with You. Sadie is a civil engineer, looking to nail a big client and she gets a muffin before every presentation as good luck. However, Eric ends up getting the muffin instead and agrees to give it to her. The two end up, talking, and from there, it's a night of passion before everything falls apart. The story starts in the present with the two being stuck in an elevator together and we find out their story from there.
Of all of her novellas, Stuck with You felt like it had the most stakes and honestly, had me smiling and laughing the entire time. I'm sure most of us couldn't imagine this happening yet Ali Hazelwood pulls it off. Plus this book is easily the hottest of the entire group and makes for a fun middle book in the group.
As with her full-length novels, Ali Hazelwood does an amazing job of introducing us to their characters and giving us an amazing romance. Even for those who don't love steamy scenes, you can skip over them and still know what's going on in the story. No matter if you're skipping them or not, these novellas by Ali Hazelwood were too fun to read and rank so if you're looking for something to bust a reading slump, try out one of these.