#harpergraham

Cassidy has just opened up a Cocoa shop in her dream town, Maple Falls. Now, all she wants to do is win the Christmas decoration competition to be named business of the year. Too bad, Liam, the resident Grinch, is also determined to win.Who will win? Either way, this competition will not stop the growing attraction between the two.

I thought I would love this book. But it just didn't hit for me. I didn't connect with the romantic development. The physical attraction came in quick and too strong. All the lusty fantasies overpowered the emotional connection. They didn't seem to bond and talk enough for their love to emerge as it did.

There are also a few other things that didn't work for me. I hated that Liam called Cassidy sugar plum, it felt condescending. I didn't think that Liam was enough of a grump.

With that said, the narration was excellent. I did appreciate the conversations around grief. I like the small town vibes. There was also a subplot I enjoyed where an unknown Gingerbread jerk is destroying the displays and Cassidy is determined to find out who it is.

I think anyone who's looking for a Hallmark channel like rom-com will probably enjoy the Spiced Coco Cafe.