Oh, Ms. Milan… when it comes to romance novellas you are the cream of the crop. I have not read the first book in this series yet, Once Upon a Marquess, but that doesn’t matter here. While you briefly visit the previous heroine, she’s not at all central to this story and it’s lovely leads.
This time we have Daisy, a shopgirl with ambitions, and Crash, a bit of a bad boy, also with ambitions. These two met and fell in love before this story started, but things went wrong and they are currently at odds with each other. Daisy enters a contest (presumably for men) to start a business and gets almost boo-ed off the stage. Crash offers to help her prepare for the next phase of the competition and the story goes from there.
Oh, novellas. No extra frou-frou. Just straight, plain talking all the way through. Both characters realize that they made mistakes in the past, and look to set them right in the future. Both characters look more deeply into where each other comes from and why they react the way they do in situations. Sometimes it’s harder to write a review about a story you loved, rather than one that makes you stabby. If this line appeals then go read and conquer!
“Come to think of it, why wouldn’t a self-respecting woman go into a room with a man she wanted to be alone with? Especially with pastries”
Once my library gets the first in the series I’ll go back and read that, but as my library almost never stocks the novellas they’re a must buy for me due to yay! feelings.