Title: Window Shopping
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: October 19, 2021
Genre: Romance, Holiday Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis
Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan, shop windows are decorated in red and green satin.
I’m standing alone in front of the famous Vivant department store, when a charming man named Aiden asks my opinion of the décor.
It’s a tragedy in tinsel, I say, unable to lie.
He asks for a better idea with a twinkle in his eye.
Did I know he owned the place? No. He put me on the spot.
Now I’m working for that man, trying to ignore that he’s hot.
But as a down on her luck girl with a difficult past, I know an opportunity when I see one—and I have to make it last.
I’ll put my heart and soul into dressing his holiday windows.
I’ll work without stopping. And when we lose the battle with temptation, I’ll try and remember I’m just window shopping.
Review
I love a cute holiday read that gets me all in my feels. Window Shopping delivers that and some holiday spice that was hotter than chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It was the perfect mix of plot and smut while still being a lighthearted read.
Aiden and Stella couldn’t be any different if they tried. He’s a nice guy who owns the upscale Vivant with corny jokes, cheesy stories from his childhood and an impressive collection of bow ties. She’s and ex con fresh out of jail with a bad attitude to boot. When they meet out in front of the Vivant window display of penguin chernobyl the connection is instant and sparks, along with insults and those childhood stories, fly from the start.
I couldn’t put this book down once I started it. It’s fast paced and fully kept me engaged with no lulls. The tension was hot as heck and the dirty talk was panty dropping. Aiden was definitely a dork in the streets but a beast in the sheets. The connection between him and Stella was genuine albeit a little insta. I could get past it though because I did think they brought out the best in each other and Aiden just seemed like the type to be able to settle down fast once he found his one.
The setting of Christmastime at Vivant was magical. I loved the details about the window display, the Christmas shoppers and the side characters that worked there. They really made the story for me, especially Jordan, Seamus and XXX. It even got a few chuckles out of me.
My only complaints about this book are how fast and easily both conflicts were resolved along with the short timeline the story took place in. Even both of those are easy to get past though because it is a holiday read, it’s meant to be a quick and enjoyable story.
I really enjoyed this sorry and the writing but admittedly DNF’d Bailey’s other book It Happened One Summer. Everything really came together in this book and if you’re already a fan of Bailey or looking to give her a second chance, Window Shopping won’t disappoint.
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