This was fun. Short and sweet. I’m ok with a cinnamon roll, insta love kind of MMC if there are obstacles to overcome before they can get together. Bailey managed to bring the tension, interesting side characters, and a character growth arc for both MMC and FMC in around 250 pages. I thought we deserved more aunt Edna though.
Fun premise, lots of Christmassy vibes, solid execution. One star deducted largely because I’m tired of dainty little FMCs with giant MMCs who can carry them around like a baby.

Tessa Bailey is the queen of romance and this Christmas book is no exception. It’s a cute, feel-good, steamy, grumpy-sunshine, holiday romance that’s perfect for the season!

An amazing cute Christmas story that is a must read! Tessa Bailey’s books are always must reads for me.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

This book is very heavy on the spice, missing the backbone. It’s all just too much too soon. It is heavy on the Christmas which I appreciate for a Christmas romance since ultimately that is the point. It was a very easy and quick read though if you want something steamy to pass the time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out strong for me but then turned on me fast. I think I was just bothered by the insta love aspect of it. I loved the story of her being in prison and getting a second chance at life and I guess would have liked a slower build up to the romance.

Recommended for Tessa Bailey fans and those who like a spicier Christmas romance.

A cute and spicy Holiday romance from one of my favorite authors! Stella is fresh out of prison and looking to restart her life. Aiden is a general manager at department store. When she sees the store window display and hates it, he challenged her to apply for the job and do better. The chemistry between Aiden and Stella is off the charts! The spice was excellent. I really enjoyed this one and think you will too. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the chance to read and review.

Cute little holiday book
Stella and Aiden are great and their immediate attraction even with boundaries was lovely
I really appreciated the resolution between Stella and Nicole

A cute Christmas romance just in time for the holiday season. I enjoyed the main character, who is committed to turning her life around after being released from prison. While the way she got the window dressing job is a bit convenient, I still enjoyed the romance as well as the main characters. This was a good reason for the holidays, but I will read whatever Tessa Bailey writes. Her writing allows me to walk away from real life and become immersed in the story where I can just enjoy the interaction of the characters and see where the story takes me.

The perfect Christmas cliche’ 🎄❤️

I was not expecting modern day Pretty Woman vibes, but I’m absolutely here for it!

In true Tessa Bailey style, she nailed it!

Thank you Avon & Harper, Tessa Bailey, and NetGalley for the arc!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A quick sweet yet spicy festive romance

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Fake dating
Holiday romance
Grumpy x sunshine
Workplace romance
Fun and flirty banter
Strong chemistry
Hallmark vibes but make it spicy

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Feel good holiday vibes
Quick and easy read
I loved how goofy Aiden was
Aunt Edna stories

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
I wish it was longer

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ "I never believed in holiday magic until I met you."
★ "You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be real."

I absolutely adored this book!!! Stella was such a wonderful fmc and I wanted to give her the biggest hug along with encouragement. Made me sad how down she was on herself and doubtful of her own change, but she grew beautifully! Aiden Cross??? Oh man, he's now in my top 5 of book boyfriends. Not only was he as sweet as a southern peach cobbler but had the spice of a habanero??? Drool-worthy! This is certainly one of my favorites from Tessa Bailey. Would love to see her write more reverse grumpy-sunshine in the future!

Hmm. This was definitely a holiday rom-com! Not my favorite, but still enjoyable. Perhaps it was the annoying rich people and their snooty-ass attitudes or that the main characters were head over heels almost instantly. Whatever it was, it wasn’t really my fave.

But I did enjoy the spice! 😏 Tessa Bailey’s spicy scenes never disappoint. 3-3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Fun meet cute. A bit spicy, and juicy at times. A great Christmas read about starting over and finding love.

Cute. Thats the word. really couldn't get invested. Background stories were good. Lots of spice. Well written, so why didn't I care about them? Overall it's a fun holiday romance if you are looking for something short and sweet

Tessa Bailey does it every time with a fresh story full of humor, deep emotions, and the richest romance.

Not my favorite Tessa Bailey, but a lot of fun and Christmas cheer-filled. Stella and Aiden don't naturally make a ton of sense, but are very much drawn to one another. Aiden breaks a lot of rules to hire her and then to date her, which sort of rubs me the wrong way, but he was also adorable so I let it slide. Stella is rough around the edges, but Aiden helps get her out of her shell and back on her feet.

The spice was spicy (thanks Tessa Bailey) and the Christmas windows were vibrant at Vivant!

A solid holiday romance featuring an ex-con and a department store manager. This is a heartwarming and cozy story good for a snowy day!

Another great romance from this author! This creative story centers around department store window display design and the hard work and imagination that goes into the construction of each design. From the start I enjoyed the dynamic between Stella and Aiden. The tension between these two sizzled from their first meeting and continued to escalate as they supported one another and helped each other be their best selves while also exploring the fizzing chemistry between them. All in all, a great holiday romance!

Read if you enjoy:
🎄grumpy (her) + sunshine (him)
🎄forced proximity
🎄a second chance at life
🎄forbidden workplace romance
🎄steamy chemistry

Mixed baga again for me on Tessa Bailey - good set up but the characters were just not fully fleshed out enough for me and there was some real trauam in the female lead's past which was used for story but wasn't taken seriously in my opinion

Stella has just been released from prison. Having been turned away from her parents, she has landed in New York staring at department store window and worried about what to do next. When a man approaches her with his silly bow tie and weird stories, she tries to get away from him. But when she really looks at him there is an undeniable attraction and she doesn’t like that at all. He encourages her to apply to the window dresser and against all odds she gets the job. Then she finds out he is the general manager and 60% owner of the store. What unfolds then is what we expect from Tessa Bailey; an employee expected romance and LOTS of spice! I enjoyed every minute of it!