[Review] Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
Stella, just a month out from serving a four-year prison sentence, is a bit grumpy - even around Christmas. But even the grumpiest person can see that there's something horribly wrong with Vivant's store front windows. The concepts are just. . .wrong. And when store manager Aiden sees Stella judging his windows, he gives her the chance to prove that she can do something better. Stella's dreamed of window dressing, but she is an ex-convict. No one should give her a chance like that, especially the tall, handsome, extra-chirpy Aiden. But Aiden has his own darkness below the surface and can't help feeling a deeper connection with the troubled Stella. The road ahead won't be smooth for Stella as she works to rehabilitate herself, but with Aiden and his childhood stories by her side, at least the journey will be lonely.
"You've given me a weird bow tie kink and nothing else is appealing now. It's terrible."
This holiday story, coupled with these two characters, was just what I needed this holiday season. It's been a rough few years for everyone, and Bailey doesn't ignore that fact. I know, years down the line, people probably won't want to read romances that mention the pandemic, but I actually like it when present-day stories don't just completely ignore the last couple of years. It's affected me, and it's affected Aiden and the sales at Vivant. I loved how Bailey incorporated current events into the story, grounding the plot, without allowing those current events to overshadow the characters and what was important to the story.
And what was important to the story, you ask? Well, anyone who has read Tessa Bailey knows her spice is always on point; Stella and Aiden are hot enough to thaw a New England winter. These two together, once they finally crossed those lines, are probably my favorite Tessa Bailey pairing (sorry, Brendan and Piper). But it's their character development more than their chemistry that made me love them so much. Stella has a lot going on; she's starting over, getting to truly be an adult for the first time in her life, and she's trying to balance her past mistakes with her current imposter syndrome. She doesn't think anyone would give her a chance, least of all the happy-go-lucky Aiden. But he not only gave her that chance, he also stood up for her and believed in her when no one else would. I loved the hope that Aiden instilled in Stella, and I doubly loved that she could see his darker parts when no one else could. Their reverse grumpy/sunshine trope worked so well for them, but more than anything I loved that, at their core, they were exactly the person they needed to be for the other person. Stella needed Aiden's light to combat her shadows, and Aiden needed Stella's darkness to ground him and realize he only has to be his true self.
Bailey did an excellent job with this one, as always. She told a great story, and created characters with heart and soul. Stella and Aiden weren't just spice for spice's sake; they were on fire together, but it was their journey together and their deep connection that really made this romance for me. Window Shopping will be a favorite holiday romance for many years to come.
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Release date: 10/19/21
Format: ebook
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