Window Shopping

Window Shopping is re-release of Tessa Bailey’s holiday steamy romantic comedy originally published in 2021. It is a stand-alone opposites-attract, workplace romance told in dual points of view. It’s a fast-paced story taking place during the last three weeks of December in Manhattan. 25-year-old Stella Schmidt has recently been released from Bedford Correctional Facility after serving four years and is staying at her uncle’s Chelsea apartment while she re-groups. Stella dreamed of designing window displays and completed three years of online design and marketing courses before participating in a crime and going to prison. She is adjusting to life outside prison and feeling remorse about her previous criminal activities. She misses her lifelong best friend, Nicole, who is still incarcerated. Stella is standing outside Vivant, an upscale Manhattan department store, when a handsome stranger asks her opinion on the window display in front of them. When she calls it “Penguin Chernobyl,” he suggests that she apply for a window dresser job at Vivant. Stella rebuffs his suggestion but later applies for the job, disclosing her criminal record. 32-year-old Aiden Cook is the CEO of his family business, Vivant Department Store. While he is an uber-handsome 6’ 4” specimen of manhood, his Golden Retriever personality and “nice guy” personality has been problematic in previous romantic relationships. He wears silly bow ties and always walks around smiling, no matter how he feels on the inside. He feels emotionally disconnected from his father and grandmother, who both sit on the Board of Vivant. When Aiden was a young boy, he was sent to Tennessee to live with his Aunt Edna, who mostly raised him. Aiden’s closest friend is his Personal Assistant of three years, Leland. Aiden is fascinated by Stella, who is his polar opposite. He decides to interview all of the candidates for the window dresser position after realizing that his mystery woman is probably the candidate with the prison record. He gives her four days to create a new Christmas display to replace “Penguin Chernobyl”, offering her a trial position. He is impressed by her work ethic and attitude of accepting responsibility for her past mistakes while also fighting his growing attraction to her. He is very aware of his company’s policy prohibiting management from fraternizing with employees. With it being mid-December, the success of the window display will affect sales. For her part, Stella isn’t interested in romance. She is focused on re-starting her life and doesn’t want to blow her only chance at her dream job of creating window displays. She is all-work and no-play, but she is unable to resist Aiden’s kindness late at night. They are opposites in every way, but his golden retriever personality wears her down. If only they can find a way to have a romantic relationship while allowing Stella to be employed at Vivant. Window Shopping is a very tender romance with engaging characters and a gripping story; I couldn’t put it down! The author wrote Stella in such a way that she is a sympathetic character who the reader will root for. Aiden is a perfect specimen of man who really doesn’t fit in Manhattan; his utter kindness will leave readers swooning. Aiden’s Aunt Edna stories are hilarious but realistic for the Deep South. The descriptions of how Stella creates her window displays are very informative, and the store employees add extra color to the story. Window Shopping is now my favorite Tessa Bailey story. Window Shopping contains some profanity and sexual scenes. I purchased a paperback copy of this book in 2023. I received an Advance Review Copy ebook (ARC) from NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager in 2024 for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Tropes: *Christmas romance *Workplace romance *Forced proximity *Black Cat/Golden Retriever (Grumpy Girl/Sunshine Guy) Something I really liked about this story was that it was able to provide a Christmas setting and feel without feeling like a Hallmark-cheesy romance story. The only Christmas magic was a great chance-meeting between Aiden, the Vivant store owner, and Stella, an ex-con with a strong opinion on the store’s current window display and no knowledge of who owns it. There was a great storyline between the main characters. I loved the balance they provided each other. With Stella, grudgingly at first, coming to look forward to and enjoy Aiden’s optimism and sunshine. While Aiden learned from Stella to set some boundaries with others in his life. I will admit at first, I wondered how Tessa was going to make our bowtie loving, always sunny hero spicy but she absolutely delivered, just as she always does. And the juxtaposition of his bowties with his intensity was very appreciated. Aiden was fantastic. He wanted to help her but knew she wanted to earn her place in the world and believed in her to do it when given the chance. I was rooting for Stella the entire time, hoping she would finally see herself as worthy and capable of the good things she was getting in her life. I always enjoy Tessa’s writing and this was no exception. A fun start to my holiday season!

All in all, this was a uniquely entertaining holiday romance. Would I read it again? I’m not sure. But it put me in the mind of a couple TV shows: Mr. Selfridge and The Paradise. That’s what kept me intrigued because I loved those series' so much. It was a bit insta-lovey yet still enjoyable. Stella’s character development was nice to witness, and I was cheering for her second chance at life. Her journey will inspire many people. Was it believable? I think so…although, there would probably be more hoops for Stella to jump through in the real world. Aiden’s “man in the streets and freak in the bed” persona made him kind of delicious. He was definitely giving naughty and nice. 🫦 This was my first Tessa Bailey read and certainly not my last.

What a delightful book. Uplifting, comical at times, and full of romance fun. I have become so obsessed with Tessa Bailey's books. She has a pulse on what is pure sexy romcom goodness. That is exactly what we got with Window Shopping. I love, love, loved Aiden and Stella! This was the perfect opposites attract sexy goodness and such a delicious read. A funny, fresh and sexy story that filled me with all the best and warmest feelings. I especially loved the reverse grumpy/sunshine aspect... I never knew I needed a grumpy heroine/sunshine hero romcom until now. I adored Aiden and Stella and loved the ups and downs of them coming together. Their story was so fresh and interesting, it was an absolute delight and I pretty much inhaled it. It flowed beautifully, with an absolute pitch perfect tone that kept a holiday season inspired smile on my face throughout. The chemistry between these two was absolute fire. It sparked and sizzled page after page keeping me hungry for more as I greedily devoured the perfection of their romance. It was sinfully sexy, but somehow done in a way that added depth to their romance. It’s also a lovely story about personal growth, self-discovery, love and acceptance. I loved this book...It was magical! The perfect blend of sweet and romantic, hot and filthy, and touching and beautiful. Seeing Aidan and Stella fall for each was oh-so-lovely, dreamy and hella steamy. It was one that had me all swoony with big heart eyes. If you need a holiday read, this is it. It's adorable, fun, and so addictive.

This book REALLY surprised me! I absolutely did not expect to love it the way that I did, especially when the FMC’s past was discovered in the beginning and the MMC had thick country accent in the audio🫠 But it actually WORKED and I can’t explain it😂 This book really emphasized the found family trope and that was has become one of my favorites, this year especially. I think both MCs needed this family and I’m so glad they found it as quickly as they did. The side characters were so hilarious and I actually wish they had their own books or even just a novella! I expected to lower my rating because of the FMC’s best friend, but that conversation really surprised me and I’m actually happy with that outcome. I think the only thing stopping me from giving this a full five stars is that they fell in love sooooooo unrealistically fast😂 while that’s usually how romance books work, it happened in like 3 days and I was like “yeah no😂” Now before I go I will definitely say that the spice was so unexpectedly SPICING!!!🥵 I didn’t expect the spice to be this good but it was and I’ll argue yall down on that one😂 Overall I’m so glad I picked this one up and I highly recommend it to get into the holly jolly mood!🙂‍↕️

After thoroughly enjoying Tessa Bailey's last two novels, this one was a bit disappointing. It's partially because the boss/employee romance always bugs me a bit. There are some authors that can get it right but this isn't an example. The fact that Aiden gets Stella the job so that he can see her regularly is kinda creepy. Otherwise, I really liked his character. The spin on a typical grumpy/sunshine was refreshing. Stella's grumpiness is understandable and it was nice to see her grow as a character. This book had a lot of funny moments and some WTF moments (like the fact that it talks about the COVID pandemic as if it's totally over) but was overall a fun, quick read. One thing I do appreciate about Tessa Bailey is that her sex scenes often are atypical, which I find refreshing. I recommend this one for readers of holiday romance.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Window Shopping is hands-down one of my favorite reads of 2023. It’s one of those books that stayed with me after I finished reading it. I was hooked at the first chapter and laughing out loud in the first few pages. You can expect all of the swoon, spice, and humor that Tessa Bailey brings to her all of her books and then some! Aiden, the MMC who is inspired by Ted Lasso, is the kind of quintessential book boyfriend that women dream of. I typically gravitate towards the gruff/intense alpha heroes but Aiden stole my heart with every quirky bow tie and whimsical Aunt Edna story. It was easy to like Stella (FMC). She’s a strong, intelligent and hardworking woman who takes responsibility of her past mistakes and is trying to grow from them. The contrast in personalities between the MCs made for such a sweet and memorable story. While Stella comes off a bit more cynical or untrusting, Aiden is warm-hearted and optimistic by nature. Something I thought was really beautiful about this book was how the insecurities each MC had in themselves are what the other accepts and loves most about them. In conclusion, 10/10 would highly recommend Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey. I know I’ll be rereading it several more times in the foreseeable future.

Newly released from corrections, Stella is making a new life for herself. When she’s caught standing outside the Christmas window display of Vivant, one of Manhattan’s department stores, she can’t help but gawk. Her reaction captures the attention of Vivant’s general manager and co-owner, who happens to be strolling by. She doesn’t know him, so she has no qualms in telling him its a tragedy in tinsel. He appreciates her candid feedback and offers her a job as the department store’s new window designer. Sure, his motives are slightly selfish. He can’t help but crave her nearness, yearn to know her better, and ultimately, claim her for himself. But he’s also now her boss, which adds all sorts of complications Stella isn’t interested in. Can they work around the red tape and fulfill both their desires? I loved this one! It’s my favorite Christmas book of the season thus far. I loved that both Stella and Aiden have character flaws they must work through. I loved the New York setting. I loved the Christmas department store backdrop. Plus, there were tons of tropes like forced proximity, forbidden love, angsty attraction, bad boy hiding behind a good boy facade, and more. Oh, and since this is a Tessa Bailey book, you can be sure there’s a couple of smutty sex scenes. HELLO and THANK YOU! Let’s talk about the characters, because that’s what this book did best. Stella was incarcerated for a crime she owns up to. Part of the problem was her best friend, and her inability to set boundaries. This gets her into all sorts of trouble. In fact, her life completely spiraled out of control. But when she’s released, she understands these shortcomings and is determined to be better. Aiden gives her a second chance. Not because he’s attracted to her—well, he is, but that’s beside the point. She has a genuine gift in design. She went to school for design, and has always dreamed of becoming a department store window designer. When she WOWs him with her design proposals, he says yes because she’s the right fit. Her background certainly complicates things. After all, she’s an ex-felon. This only adds to the layers of her character arc. Aiden isn’t perfect either. He didn’t grow up around his rich, insufferable family. Instead, he was raised in Tennessee, with his down-to-earth Aunt Edna, who taught him to be a good person, and always see the sunny side of life. Sometimes his optimistic personality clashes with Stella’s. Aside from touting annoying Aunt Edna stories, he wears funky bow-ties that make him easy to joke about. However, deep down, he’s been secretly trying to appease his uptight family. That’s his flaw. Stella helps him realize that he can’t bend over backwards to please people who don’t want to be pleased. I loved the second chance theme to this book. Stella made mistakes, but she is hungry for a second chance at life. She must learn to confront her inner demons and her past. She must learn to set boundaries. Both Stella and Aiden must grow and they do it with the help of each other. This is a shorter read, more of a novella, really. I had so much fun learning about both Aiden and Stella’s past. I loved seeing them work through their flaws and overcome them. Plus, I loved that there was smut even though this wasn’t a heavily spicy book. I’ve read several of Tessa’s books and enjoyed every single one, so I was thrilled that she had a Christmas one. 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝟒/𝟓⭐️

Light, fluffy, spicy 🌶 Window Shopping is sure one great novella! A short holiday romance that is bound to make anyone feel something 😉 Aiden is a cinnamon roll hero that everyone deserves; and Stella is the headstrong woman we all aspire to be. This novella has a great plot and characters, and Tessa Bailey has an incredible writing style.

I’m just in love with aiden. Can’t help it. He is absolutely perfect and I want him. This book is so sweet and has all the feels! Such a fun and sweet read

“Is this like a strange kink? Instead of flashing people, you just go around accosting people with bizarre tales?” Window Shopping by @tessabailey is an original, sweet and steamy with capital S-T-E-A-M-Y story about self acceptance, love and finding your own way towards happiness. It’s the perfect mix between hot and sizzling and cute and funny. I absolutely loved the reverse grumpy to sunshine, Aiden was such a gorgeous, dirty talking, cinnamon roll. The side characters were also perfect, Leland was hilarious I need him as my personal life coach, it’s been 2 days and the lighter scene still cracks me up. Seriously, If you thought corny bow ties weren’t sexy, think again my friend. Read if you like 💫 •Dual POV •Christmas and Wintery vibes •Bow ties•Opposites attract•Grumpy to sunshine •Forbidden love •Age Gap romance •Grand gestures •Matching robes “Tell me you go home and think of me.”

One of my all-time favourite Christmas novels is Aiden‘s and Stella‘s story. Aiden Cook, 32, general manager and majority shareholder of the posh department store Vivant on Fifth Avenue, New York City, is the ultimate optimist, always believing in the good of others. Raised by his free spirited aunt Edna in Tennessee after his mother’s passing he returned to New York five years ago to save Vivant from bankruptcy. But his father and grandmother resent him stepping in when Aiden just wanted to feel worthy to them. Stella Schmidt, 25, made some bad decisions in her life. Tangled up in a toxic friendship, teenage insecurities and peer pressure one night’s fateful turn of events landed her in prison at 21, putting her adulthood on hold for four years. Now, one month out, she tries to find herself again. When she’s honest about the Christmas window of Vivant and voices her ideas towards the ever-smiling stranger with the Christmas bow tie, she’s offered to apply for the position of their new window dresser. For the first time in her life, Stella gives her all, determined to finally living her dream and being proud of herself. The attraction between her and Aiden is instant but more importantly Aiden believes in her without any hesitation. This is about second chances, finding true friends, standing up for oneself on Stella’s side, and accepting that some people don’t want the happiness you’re offering and it’s not your responsibility to keep trying even if it’s your own family, on Aiden’s side. Add lovable side characters like Vivant’s first floor manager Jordyn and custodian Seamus and Aiden’s assistant Leland and this is the sweetest (and surprisingly spicy!) Christmas love story! Highly recommend!

The perfect Christmas romance! So fresh and swoony! I love the characters, the fact that they don’t follow your typical broody guy with perfect girl but rather show a sweet guy and a woman who is coming back from a lot. And as always with Tessa Bailey the smut and dirty talk IS. ON. POINT.