I love Tessa Bailey books and this one was no different this was a great story and the characters were well written. I would definitely recommend this one!

A fast read with great characters and a real mange that pulled me in. Always a little more sex in your face with this author, which isn't my thing, but worth it as the story was compelling.

I started off loving this book. The storyline felt fresh and unique: Stella, a recent parolee, encounters a charming man while admiring a Christmas window display. After she gives her honest opinion about it, she’s unexpectedly offered a job as the new window dresser. This leads to a series of delightful, witty exchanges, with him coming across as sweet and romantic.

However, as the story progresses, his character takes a jarring turn, transforming into someone overly focused on sex, with increasingly explicit language that felt out of place. What began as a promising romance with an intriguing plot became a story overwhelmed by its focus on sex, leaving the original storyline feeling like an afterthought. What could have been a fantastic book was ultimately overshadowed by this shift.

I have some mixed feelings about this one. I really liked that the male lead was overwhelming positive while the female lead struggled with negativity due to a checkered past, I am used to the opposite in the romance books I read. Another aspect that I enjoyed was the active mentioning of implementing the techniques one learns in therapy. The FMC was also great at taking responsibility for her actions which I really appreciated. I did not enjoy the rampant miscommunication between the two; they really should have had a conversation to talk about their expectations of one another. I did not feel like there was enough chemistry between the two to jutify the insta-love that is very prevalent. Everything felt like it was going too fast in their relationship and I didn't really feel the connection between the two. The circumstances in which the FMC was hard to over-look in terms of realism.
Overall, I would say I had a fun time reading it but in romance novels the chemistry between the two leads is paramount and I found it lacking in this work.

“Don't let the bow tie fool you, Stella. I'm not always nice...
When the situation calls for it, I can be downright rough.”

Just finished Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey, and hold my marshmallows, it gives all the Hallmark movie vibes but with the spice and snark we expect from Tessa! Stella our FMC is fresh out of prison (yes, SHE was in prison, not the male), trying to rebuild her life and stay out of trouble. She ends up designing holiday window displays for a fancy NYC department store (because why not?!).

And then here comes Aiden, her annoyingly charming and optimistic boss, who’s basically sunshine in a peacoat. (Let’s be real, the kind of guy I say isn’t my type, but is always who I love) Their chemistry is quirky, sweet, and loaded with holiday magic. (Add another cup of cheer for that!)

Think cozy vibes with a dash of redemption and two characters who couldn’t be more opposite but make total sense together. If you’re in the mood for a Christmas romance with laugh-out-loud banter and swoon-worthy kick your feet in the air giddy moments, this is your book.

Perfect choice if you love a little heat with your holiday cheer!

Window shopping was a five star holiday spice delight. I immediately fell in love with Aidan and Stella and positively squealed when they found their way into eachother lives after a chance meeting. Tessa Bailey has a delicious way of writing tension and had me on the edge of my seat wanting that first kiss! This was a fun, quick,steamy, holiday book and I highly recommend checking it out!

5 ⭐ 3 🌶️

Adorable Christmas novella perfection. I mean who doesn't want a happy dork golden retriever MMC paired with an ex-felon emo black cat FMC? It was all sorts of opposites attract goodness and I couldn't get enough.

I love Tessa's dirty talk. It rides the line of hot and over the top so well, Aiden was absolute filth hiding behind Christmas themed bow ties. I really loved the connection these two had, physically and emotionally, it was very sweet and so much fun.

I was so nervous for the third act the entire book... Nicole was coming in hot, you knew it from the start, and the anticipation was palpable. But the way Stella ended up handling it had me slow clapping and I couldn't have been happier with the conclusion. Add in the super sweet epilogue and this will likely be on my Christmas re-read list every year.

Window Shopping is a fun and easy read that integrates a feel good holiday theme with a lot of steamy sex scenes. Stella Schmidt is an ex-con who gets a chance window dressing for a New York luxury department store. There is a meet cute with a male character who I liked better than the MFC. There is an opposites attract trope, boss and employee sex (with a nod to current sensitivities about this), and family drama. While some of the plot lines defy credulity, just go along for the ride, and you will not be disappointed.

A new twist on a Christmas romance with an ex-con who meets a total cinnamon roll, golden retriever who ends up becoming her boss.

This was a super fast read. Dual POV and first person, which hits different seeing the MMC first hand falling first. Aiden is also just super cute and quirky which definitely adds to it.

It was definitely an instalove vibe with a very quick timeline for the entire story- we’re talking 9 days before Christmas. I do wish we got a little more development of their story/relationships with the side characters, but overall it was cute!

3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Great holiday romance!

I have never wanted to smell a peppermint scented men’s cologne more after reading this. This book has struggle of boss/ worker dynamics, feral attraction for each other with some 🌶️, and matching robe dreams. 🎁❤️

3.5 stars, per the norm tessa books, meet cutes,
But put a fun ex con christmas flare on it.
Did I read this in about 2 days? Correct.
Will I tell all my friends to read this for the holidays for that fun sassy little rom com that hits all the marks? Correct again.
Throughly enjoyed.

The fun way to start the holiday season - reading a book from Tessa Bailey. This one was not quite what I expected, yet I liked the setting, that her characters were somewhat broken, partially okay. Overall the book was fun and reminded me that you shouldn’t make decisions without more examination and reasoning. Aiden brought life to what could have been a sad story, romance aside. Stella’s story reaffirms this along with her proving her worth.

This might be my favorite Tessa Bailey book yet! Something about the relationship felt more effortless than usual, and Aiden’s sunshine personality (and bow ties!) was a fun departure from the typical rough, tough romance hero. I appreciated Nicole’s ending too!

good romance about having 2nd chances at a job and finding love. Loved the romance of stella. Loved that they found a way to deal with boss and employee relationship.

This story is such a fun and inspirational story. Stella's ability to own her mistakes, stand on her own and take responsibility for her new start is truly worth reading. Her chemistry with Aiden and their budding relationship was well-developed. It is a hallmark of a Tessa Bailey book for lots of steam and dirty talk and you are not disappointed. So much dirty talk, it was sublime. There was a jolly Christmastime atmosphere that gave the story a more joyful feel. For those who enjoy a holiday romance, this is the perfect spicy Christmas story. I am adding this to my annual Christmas reads and highly recommend this book.

Aiden and Stella

Stella hasn’t had an easy life but Aiden is there to give her a chance. She becomes the Window Designer and is really good at her job. The more time Aiden and Stella spend together, the closer they get. Sweet, Christmas read. Good story about second changes, growth, and love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ my favorite Tessa Bailey so far. She tends to be a little more steamy for my taste, but I LOVED the chemistry between Aiden and Stella. Stella is an ex-con with nothing, she meets the General manager of a Manhattan department store that comes from the family money. Sparks fly! He hires her to do the window dressings. I loved that he always wears bow ties.

This was a nice love story, good meet-cute, a twist on the “grumpy sunshine” trope in that SHE is the grumpy. Finally she learns to accept the good in her life, despite the destruction in her past. It does take place during the holidays, but I wouldn’t call this a holiday romance as Christmas doesn’t take a leading role in the story, it just more or less happens in December. I genuinely love the way Bailey writes a witty banter and her use of adjectives and descriptions.

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the free e-book. This version and cover was released October 1, 2024.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #WindowShopping

This was really short so it's probably why the insta-love felt a little ridiculous. Overall it was breezy and fun (or as breezy and fun as it can be while touching on being in prison, family drama, etc.) and it's a nice little holiday read.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Always love this authors books! Fun, cute stories but with some serious topics like re-entering society after prison, and family abandonment issues. I love how the characters are so distinct and have some many specific characteristics that make them so real and different.

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey @tessabaileyisanauthor. First off, I am a fan of Tessa’s & this book was no different!

Aww this was such a cute story about Stella & Aidan! Tropes: MF, meet cute, boss/employee, Christmas, & 2nd Chance for a new path.