📖 Book Review 📖 There is something magical about New York City at Christmas time…for Stella it offers hope for a second chance. Her keen eye for design lands her the rare opportunity to decorate a window display at a store and in the process falls for the man who gave her a chance, Aidan. Window Shopping delivers all of the heartwarming, steamy, rom com comforts of a Tessa Bailey novel with an absolutely beautiful twist of the possibility of opportunities for fresh starts.

Ever fallen for a guy with holiday spirit who’s a little too charming to resist? Get ready for a steamy Grump + Sunshine holiday romance that’ll warm you from the inside out. 🎄✨

Read if you like: grumpy-sunshine trope, holiday romances, feel-good steam, character growth arcs, and Nice Guy in the streets, Dirty Sexpot in the sheets energy! 😉

📚 Just two weeks before Christmas, Stella stands in front of Vivant’s department store windows, unimpressed by the holiday décor. When Aiden, the store’s irresistible owner, overhears her critique, he offers her a job she can’t refuse. With a rocky past and something to prove, Stella pours her heart into the job and tries to resist her growing attraction to her sunshiney boss. But as sparks fly, will this be just a holiday fling, or could Aiden be her shot at a fresh start?

👨‍👧 Stella, our fierce but flawed heroine, has just been released from prison, and her journey of growth is deeply heartfelt. She’s the “grump” of the story, but her vulnerability and determination make her instantly lovable. Aiden, the “sunshine” to Stella’s storm, brings warmth and charm to every scene, with an edge that keeps things sizzling.

💞 The chemistry between Stella and Aiden is electric. While Aiden may be sweet and charming in public, behind closed doors, he’s anything but—bringing heat to this holiday romance in true Tessa Bailey fashion. Their romance is built on more than just physical attraction, diving into real struggles and growth that make their connection feel genuine.

👧 Side characters add layers, especially in Stella’s complicated friendships. There’s some heavy emotional ground covered here, and while not every relationship wraps up neatly, it keeps the story grounded in reality.

✍️ Tessa Bailey’s storytelling sparkles, blending humor, spice, and poignant moments that give this feel-good romance unexpected depth. While there are a few minor continuity blips, the characters and emotional beats shine bright, making this a cozy yet steamy holiday read.

🌟 Window Shopping is a holiday romance that packs heat and heart, with characters who feel real and imperfect in the best way. Curl up, grab a blanket, and let Aiden and Stella’s romance keep you warm this season!

📲 QOTD: What’s your favorite holiday activity in your city?

#BookReview #WindowShopping #TessaBailey #HolidayReads #GrumpAndSunshine #SteamyRomance #HolidayRomance #GrumpyHeroine #FeelGoodReads #MustRead

Window Shopping is a sweet and spicy holiday read that takes place over Christmas. Aiden is a Clark Kent with a hero complex and Stella is a young felon who’s looking for a fresh start. They are complete opposites, he’s endearing and funny, old fashioned style like Don Draper with Christmas bow ties, she’s stand offish with an emo style. He’s her savior, but she wants to do something for herself. I love how he believes in her and is so protective. And she needs to know she’s worthy of love and Aiden is perfect for her. He falls first and you can’t help but want them together.

🎄Dual POV
♥️Reverse Grumpy/sunshine
🎄Boss/employee
♥️Workplace romance
🎄Dirty talk
♥️Forced proximity
🎄Age gap
♥️Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Window Shopping is a hot and spicy romcom. I loved the window display plot line. The romance was hot and very spicy. I recommend this one for 18+. A Christmas romance is just what the doctor ordered on a cold wintery night - cozy up with this one and escape reality for a while.

Tessa Bailey you just wrote the most precious story! It was absolutely darling! I fell in absoulte ylove with the main characters and their sweet christmas love story. hands down one of the best Christmas books Iv'e ever read. Highly recommend this.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Den Einstieg in den kürzeren Liebesroman empfand ich als einnehmend und auch unterhaltsam. Ich war gespannt darauf, mehr über die Heldin und vor allem ihre Vorgeschichte zu erfahren.

Ich konnte das Knistern zwischen den beiden Hauptcharakteren von Anfang an gut spüren konnte. Auch gefiel mir die Energie in ihren Gesprächen.

Die schnell aufkommenden Gefühle zwischen Heldin und Held konnte ich leider nicht ganz so intensiv spüren. Gegen Ende des Romans hatte ich teils das Gefühl, dass die beiden sich nicht wirklich gut kannten.

Ein Grund war dafür, dass im Verlauf des Buches die heißen Szenen mir persönlich teils zu viel Raum einnahmen, ich hätte stattdessen mehr ruhige Szenen zwischen den Hauptcharakteren bevorzugt (plus ein paar heiße Szenen).

Am Ende des Liebesromans wirkte eine Entwicklung in Bezug auf eine Freundin der Heldin auf mich eher unrelaistisch. Bedenkt man die im Buch erwähnte Vorgeschichte, war es in meinen Augen doch sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass ein kurzes Gespräch alles klären würde.

Darauf aufbauend wirkten die Nebencharaktere auf mich eher flach, aus ihnen hätte man mehr rausholen können.

Blicke ich auf mein Leseerlebnis zurück, so hatte ich mit dem Buch eine nette Zeit, als kurzweilige Unterhaltung hat es für mich funktioniert. Ein bisschen mehr hatte ich mir von der Geschichte aber schon erhofft.

🖤🖤🖤 1/4

Für wen?

Wer Geschichten um Neuanfänge mag und Helden, die mit viel positiver Energie durchs Leben gehen, für den könnte das romance Buch etwas sein.

This was a fun and light read. I expected the friend to make more drama and she didn't. I feel like that angle could have been fleshed out a little more. It is always tricky to balance out boss and employee drama, and I think Tessa did a decent job of managing that power imbalance.

OMG this book was sooo good (definitely a 4.5 star read). It was everything I didn’t know I needed right now. It made me feel good, laugh, cry a bit, and believe in love again! Stella and Aiden are two people who wouldn’t seem to fit together, but do. They so do, they’re the perfect match and exactly what the other needs when they meet. I’m not even going to lie during the balcony scene I was not expecting him to say what he said. I know he hinted at not just being the nice sweet guy he is, but having layers. I admit I didn’t believe it and then that man goes and says shit like that. I was blushing. Perfect holiday read, pretty much an any time read honestly, but it did put me in the mood for some hot chocolate. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyagers for introducing me to Tessa Bailey. I am a bit obsessed now!

Opposites attract
Cinnamon roll
Holiday short novel
Spicy🔥
No third act breakup
Dual POV/first person

This is a Christmas book that comes with a little more 🫶🏼. She's an ex con who ends up being... A window designer/decorator. He is AMAZING, honestly only green flags. Not even a yellow flag in sight. These opposites work together?! I sure thing so. The absolute cutest ending imo too.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

I will read anything Tessa Bailey puts out. Although this one wasn't my favorite, I still really enjoyed it.

I loved the New York Christmastime vibes. It sort of reminded me of that old movie Mannequin...minus the mannequin coming to life. Stella is hired as a department store window dresser and of course falls for her boss, Aiden. I actually loved them together and their story. It did feel a bit rushed, but it's a fast paced, easy read, so I didn't really mind.

What I didn't really care for was Stella's back story. It felt lacking. She was in jail for 4 years, but we only get glimpses into what actually happened. It just didn't go with the Christmas vibes of the story.

Read if you like:
Opposites Attract
Workplace Romance
Boss/Employee
Christmas Romance

Thanks to Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars (which feels a little generous) because I read it quickly, wanted to know what would happen between minor and major characters, and I also love Christmas.

However, the MMC feels unrealistic, and the 🌶️ takes up too much of the book for me personally. I would have liked to see more relationship growth between Stella and Aiden. I also felt like the plot line with Nicole was not a realistic ending, it was so abrupt.

I just don’t think I enjoy her style of writing romances, but I gave this one a shot because of Christmas.

I wanted to read a holiday romance and got approved for this one so here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Has anyone here watched the 80’s movie Mannequin? With Kim Catrall? I LOVED that movie as a kid lol…the mannequin came to life. Anyway this book sorta reminds me of that minus the mannequins coming to life. None of that happens here but the book centers around a department store, during the holidays and a young woman who’s dream is to design storefront windows. She gets the job, but of course falls for her boss.

+ The romance has a lot of spice and maybe a little too much for me. The attraction is instant and usually I want some build-up but this is a short book so I get why it built up quick. Anyway, if you like your holiday romance spicy, you’ll like this one.

+ I did feel the holidays vibes – department store, Christmas shopping, romance.

Dislikes:

~ Though I thought their romance was cute, I didn’t really feel invested. Also did he really just hire Stella because he was attracted to her? There were some things in the story that just made me go hmmm…

~ There was nothing about Stella’s window creation that hit me in the feels and I think for a holiday romance, I want to feel cozy, heartwarming feelings and I didn’t really feel it with this one.

Final Thoughts:

This one was just okay for me but if you like spicy holiday romance, you might give this one a try. Also, this one is on Kindle Unlimited so if you have that you can find it there.

Take a hallmark movie but make it porn. So much spice and little plot and it’s Christmas time. If that’s your jam you’ll love this book.

4 Stars OMG, I loved this one! I always love when books have cute character covers but are actually spicy lol Window Shopping is the perfect sweet and spicy romance novella to kickstart your holiday season! Tessa Bailey is the queen of spicy scenes.

4 Stars OMG, I loved this one! I always love when books have cute character covers but are actually spicy lol Window Shopping is the perfect sweet and spicy romance novella to kickstart your holiday season! Tessa Bailey is the queen of spicy scenes.

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey had all the ingredients for a cozy holiday romance, but it fell a bit flat for me. The opposites-attract trope and festive New York setting sounded promising, yet the story didn’t quite deliver the charm I was hoping for. Stella and Aiden’s romance felt rushed, and while their banter was meant to be playful, it sometimes came off as forced.

Stella’s character had potential, but her past and struggles felt more like plot devices than fully developed aspects of her personality. Aiden, the charming store owner, was likable but almost too perfect, making their dynamic feel unbalanced. While Bailey’s writing style is typically engaging, here it didn’t quite capture the holiday magic. If you're a fan of her other works, it might still be worth a read, but it wasn’t my favorite holiday romance.

This was 0 to 60 in seconds flat and HOT. I loved the take and the psychology of window displays and buying patterns, a lovely story of redemption and second chances outside of romance. There was a lot going on aside from the main love story and all of it was captivating. And whoa the spice!

#arc
#netgalley
#windowshopping

Two things that give this book 5 stars, Tessa Bailey and Christmas! This was a feel good Christmas story that made me happy happy! This will be purchased for my shelf so that I can \have the hard copy! Thank you!

A Naughty and Nice holiday romance that was fun, steamy, and festive!

Stella finds herself employed by a department store making window displays after unknowingly giving her opinion to Aiden, the store owner. Stella, who could really use a second chance after getting out of jail, throws herself into doing the best job she can do. She is a likeable, creative character with a keen eye and determination. Aiden is a charming and upbeat man who believes in second chances, Stella's ability, and the joy of the season.

There is more than meets the eye with both characters. As their attraction grows, things get flirty, steamy, and fun! This book was equal parts charming, endearing, fun, and festive. I enjoyed the characters, their banter, their steam, and their openness to each other.

Wonderfully written, charming, captivating and sexy!

Tessa Bailey always delivers and Window Shopping hits the spot! I loved the emphasis on second chances, romance, opposites attract, and steamy scenes.

Tessa Bailey never disappoints. Although her female characters are insufferable to me in the beginning, they always get better. They just needed some love.

Window Shopping is a feel good story of Stella, a recently released inmate who meets her Prince Charming, the rich Fifth Avenue department store owner. They both have baggage but face it and become better, together.

My favorite laugh out loud moment was when Leland whipped out the lighter!! That’s all I’ll say so I don’t spoil it for others but it’s a definite “hell yeah” moment!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️