Once again, Tessa Bailey is a queen and one of my favorite romance authors. Talk about auto-buy! I’m not surprised that I ended up loving this, seeing as though It Happened One Summer is my favorite romance book of the year. 

Bailey’s way of writing characters - giving them depth, and allowing them to have the most wittiest and clever banter out there cannot go unnoticed. She also has a great way of incorporating real-life/world themes into her books. Her stories are about more than just the romance, characters have to get lost, find themselves again, and stumble upon love along the way. I also think this delivered on the Christmas vibes and atmospheric tone. I truly felt like I was in NYC during the holidays and I loved it! 

I also think it’s safe to say that we need more reversed grumpy/sunshine tropes in books. I loved that Stella was NOT with the sh*ts. She was pretty standoffish and tried her hardest not to accept handouts and earn her spot. But I loved that Aiden was a big romantic sap and helped Stella break down those barriers. And those steamy scenes? WHEW!