Stuck Wit’ Chu. Olivia Shaw-Reel. 2020. 149 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.]
Stuck Wit’ Chu is essentially a story about a broken marriage and a couple at a crossroads. Keith and Marlow have been married over a decade, are parents to three young children, and have somehow lost their way. They’re navigating the Covid-19 pandemic while facing their own crisis at home, and the book follows their attempt to figure otu whether to salvage their life together or if a divorce is the only path forward.
The premise of the story is realistic enough. After so many years of marriage, it’s easy to understand how a couple gets into a routine; the excitement of newlywed life morphs after parenthood and other new responsibilities. Marlow has to reckon with her role as wife and mother taking precedent over her career in dancing, which presents a central conflict. Their existing problems are compounded by poor communication, distrust, and a lack of transparency — throughout the book, these three issues in particular are the root of multiple blowups.
In all honesty, I didn’t connect with either main character much. This could be due in part to how short the book is overall — it comes in just under 150 pages. They both came across as one-dimensional, which was disappointing given the significance of their issue. I found the wife, Marlow, to be a bit of a pushover, and Keith, the husband, a bulldozer. She frequently capitulated to his demands and needs, while he didn’t seem capable of considering her as a person beyond wife and mother. I recognize this is likely due in part to the book’s philosophical basis, discussed later, but it made for a frustrating read at times.
Shaw-Reel is an author of Christian fiction, but I appreciated that it didn’t always feel overt. I could definitely tell when certain phrases or ideas were coming from Christian teachings, but I don’t think it would offend someone who wasn’t of that faith background. Additionally, this is a somewhat closed-door romance, in that some foreplay occurs on page, but anything more intimate is off-page. If you’re looking for a more chaste romance, Stuck Wit’ Chu fits that bill without delivering an aggressive message.
Stuck Wit’ Chu was an interesting read. I can’t say it fits my normal type of contemporary romance, but I can appreciate it for what it is. I would recommend it for those looking for closed-door romance or Christian romance, as well as someone looking for a quick, straightforward read.
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