Series: Cedar Street (Book 2)
They couldn't be more different. Or more perfect for each
other.
Zoe Randall is busy living her life as she damn well
pleases. She's back in her favorite town, her divorce in her rearview mirror,
and living out her childhood dream of running a bookstore with her cousin. She
has no interest in the uptight nerd who opened his boring-ass business next to
her shop…until he complains about one of her sexy window displays.
Then it's game on.
Preston Wheeler knows he takes life a little too
seriously. But when the saucy bookseller next door starts pushing his buttons,
he can feel that changing. Beautiful, vivacious Zoe challenges him in all the
best ways, and soon he's pushing her buttons right back: teasing and flirting
all the way through the holiday season.
As Preston loosens up and Zoe is treated to the man
behind the suit (particularly his forearms), she realizes she's more interested
than she cares to admit. And Preston comes to see the beauty -- the absolute
delight -- in adding Zoe's bright splashes of color to his once very
black-and-white existence.
Short, fun story about two people who have been hurt in
the past, and who, in spite of their differences, turn out to be exactly what
each other needs. Zoe moved to her favorite town after her divorce and opened a
bookstore with her best friend. After years of suffering through her ex's
attempts to stifle the more vibrant parts of her personality, Zoe refuses to
bow down to anyone else's opinion ever again. This has gotten her into trouble
with the town council on occasion when they object to her sometimes
over-the-top window displays.
Preston is a financial planner who is tired of the rat
race in the city. Looking for a more relaxed atmosphere, he finds Cedar Street
to be the perfect place to set up his new office. That is until he gets a good
look at the display window of the bookstore next to his office. Those racy
displays are not the first impression he's looking forward to for his new clients.
I loved Preston and Zoe's first face-to-face encounter.
Preston was already a little stressed over the opening of his business and
being cut off by a driver that morning. Being faced with a racy store window managed
to get on his last nerve. But he couldn't just take a deep breath and let it
go. Since he had to get the key to his office from the bookstore owner anyway,
he went in, got the key, and then made a comment about the "unsuitability"
of the window. Zoe, who takes great pride in her creative displays, was not
amused, especially since Preston's attitude reminded her far too much of her
ex's. Words were exchanged, leaving both with bad first impressions.
Unfortunately for both, underneath the aggravation were also sparks of
attraction, something neither was happy about.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of their
relationship. Though initially antagonistic, it didn't take long for Zoe and Preston
to begin a fun sort of flirtation. I liked the way that Zoe used her windows to
poke at Preston's uptightness, and how Preston quickly began to appreciate
Zoe's quirkiness. I loved seeing the chemistry building between them, though each
was wary of doing anything about it. Zoe was still recovering her sense of self
after her ex's attempts to stifle her. She is reluctant to trust her heart to
someone who has the potential to be just as judgmental. Preston's self-esteem
with women has taken a beating from former girlfriends who break up with him
because "he's too boring" so he's in no rush to get involved with
someone so colorful. I liked watching them get to know each other and discover
that they balanced each other quite nicely.
There were some cute scenes of them together, especially
as the chemistry heated up. I laughed out loud at the scene after Abe's party,
when Zoe took an obviously drunk Preston home and refused to take advantage of
him. I ached for them both as their feelings for each other grew, but their
fears held them back. The big misunderstanding at the end was heartbreaking as
it played right into those fears. I liked the visit Preston received from Noah,
who gave him some good advice. Preston's big moment at the end was sweet and
romantic. The epilogue was terrific. I loved seeing them a year later and the
changes in both of them.
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