One Christmas Eve (Cedar Street #2)
by Shannon
Stacey
Blurb:
Zoe Randall is busy living her life as she damn
well pleases. She’s back in her favorite town, herdivorce 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.
Themes: Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
The
cousins are back and Zoe is on a mission… one that just might change her life
in ways she never imagined. This series
picks up shortly after Noah and Carly’s love story, returning us to the lives
of the Randall girls and giving us a glimpse of the happy couple as Carly’s
cousin Zoe finds herself faced with some challenges and decisions over the
holidays. I love a good holiday story
and this one is filled with all my favorite motifs for the holidays but the
most important one being love of course.
Zoe is the cousin with a chip on her shoulder for sure, so when her new
business neighbor complains about her sexy Halloween window display is means
war. Preston has finally fled the big
city in hopes of living a calm and sedate life in her new small town, but on
the very day he opens his new business he inadvertently begins a war with his
sexy new neighbor. Soon they are butting
heads not only in person, but digitally and with notes left around their
businesses. But when they are forced to
accept that they may have gotten off on the wrong foot, they both begin to see
that there is more to their war than anger, the teasing and flirting undertones
have made the war even more interesting and as Preston and Zoe really get into
the spirit of the holidays their friendship becomes more. But they both have so much to lose if they
let their feelings become more, so are they willing to let go of their fears
and allow that love to grow or will they walk away from the best thing to ever
happen to either of them? Zoe is a woman
that I can fully relate to, a woman on the defensive, one trained that ever
word out of someone’s mouth should be assumed as negative, mostly because I’m
the same way. Her last relationship left
some serious scars so when Preston pulls at them; he is instantly disliked
before she ever gets a chance to really know him. But as she accepts more and
more that she might have been wrong about him, she learns that she could not
only come to like this man but lose her heart to him forever if she allows herself
that freedom. I loved seeing Zoe release
the walls around her heart finally and find a way to trust again, even with the
fears that she would be hurt. She is the
kind of woman I want to grow up to be when I find the courage to let go. Preston is the kind of guy that has been
kicked by snotty women a few too many times and like any abused animal he protects
himself by withdrawing from the field. I
was so sad to see the way he was willing to let go of something he wanted so
badly in order to keep himself from getting hurt by Zoe, even though she had
never shown any inclination to do so, but being gun-shy after being dumped one
too many times is understandable. I loved seeing these two pull one another out
of their personal abysses and find a way to come to terms with their pasts
together, showing that sometimes the whole truly is more than the combined
parts. The passion between Zoe and Preston
was apparent even when they were only throwing shade at one another, but once
the good stuff got going and their relationship shifted the heat was enough to
melt all the snow in New England. I am wondering if there will be more in the
series because I would certainly be interested in seeing more of these two cousins
again and seeing how they are faring with their men and their happy new
lives. Another great story Ms. Stacey.
*ebook provided by publisher (via
NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
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