Review: One Christmas Eve (Cedar Street #2)

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.