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A review by risseandshine
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Stella Schmidt is trying to get back on her feet after serving years in prison. Two weeks before Christmas, she stumbles upon an abominable window display outside Vivant, a luxury department store in New York City. A man suddenly joins her in staring at the display and he notices her displeased expression. He happens to be Aiden Cook, Vivant’s jovial, bowtie-wearing general manager. They strike up a conversation and Aiden gets entranced by her creativity, as well as her hard, impenetrable disposition. Aiden invites Stella to apply as the store’s new window dresser and she accepts in hopes of having a fresh start. Work proximity pushes mutual attraction to simmer between the two but it’s hampered by their boss-employee relationship and feelings of inadequacy. This story is all about the give and take of second chances and embracing self worth all packaged up in a sweet and spicy holiday romance.
I’m going to say it straight up: Tessa Bailey has written better.
To start off on a more positive note, I truly enjoyed both main characters. Stella and her desire to find her footing was so admirable and I genuinely rooted for her success. I appreciated reading about her thought process battling with imposter syndrome and I loved that it was written in such a raw and relatable way. Aiden, on the other hand, proved to be the sugary sweet yet dirty-talking hero everyone raves about. He is the quintessential TB hero and I loved that he was the perfect ray of sunshine.
But then there’s the romance. This is as insta-love as it’s going to get. We’re talking about dropping the ‘l’ word DAYS after they first met. Thankfully, that word initially remained in their thoughts and both Aiden and Stella were aware of how early they’re thinking about it. Still, it was too soon and I didn’t buy it. There they were thinking about how they’re starting to fall for each other while I as the reader was kept in the dark with scenes essential to support exactly that. With that said, I really think this book could have reached its best potential if it was longer.
Frankly speaking, this was a very underwhelming read. That isn’t to say that this book is bad, because it definitely isn’t. If you’re looking for the classic wit, sweetness, and swoon that this author is well-known for, they’re all in here. However, they didn’t deliver in the way I would have wanted them to.
Would I still recommend this? I’d say yes, but I don’t think it’s one I’ll be screaming about for people to add to their TBRs.
.
.
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.
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tw: mentions of gun violence
I’m going to say it straight up: Tessa Bailey has written better.
To start off on a more positive note, I truly enjoyed both main characters. Stella and her desire to find her footing was so admirable and I genuinely rooted for her success. I appreciated reading about her thought process battling with imposter syndrome and I loved that it was written in such a raw and relatable way. Aiden, on the other hand, proved to be the sugary sweet yet dirty-talking hero everyone raves about. He is the quintessential TB hero and I loved that he was the perfect ray of sunshine.
But then there’s the romance. This is as insta-love as it’s going to get. We’re talking about dropping the ‘l’ word DAYS after they first met. Thankfully, that word initially remained in their thoughts and both Aiden and Stella were aware of how early they’re thinking about it. Still, it was too soon and I didn’t buy it. There they were thinking about how they’re starting to fall for each other while I as the reader was kept in the dark with scenes essential to support exactly that. With that said, I really think this book could have reached its best potential if it was longer.
Frankly speaking, this was a very underwhelming read. That isn’t to say that this book is bad, because it definitely isn’t. If you’re looking for the classic wit, sweetness, and swoon that this author is well-known for, they’re all in here. However, they didn’t deliver in the way I would have wanted them to.
Would I still recommend this? I’d say yes, but I don’t think it’s one I’ll be screaming about for people to add to their TBRs.
.
.
.
.
.
tw: mentions of gun violence
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence