Deck the Shops - by Kristen Grafton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Emily is "Miss Christmas" and always has been. She manages her grandparents' bakery in picturesque small town of Bells, Tennessee. But her grandparents are stuck in the past when it comes to operating their business, and they're resistant to Emily's ideas to revolutionize the bakery. But the annual "Deck the Shops" contest is coming up when local businesses host holiday-themed pop-up events to compete for $2000 and the title of "Most Holiday Spirit," a title her grandparents' have won nine times over the years-more than any other business in town. If Emily can wow her town with her new ideas and protect the title, maybe she can convince her grandparents to let her take the reins.

Michael is most definitely NOT a Grinch despite how it may look. He's put in a lot of hours as an investment banker, and working through the holidays is how one earns a promotion in a cutthroat business made up of long hours and isolation, not Christmas cheer and hobbies. But when Michael impulsively quits after losing a promotion, he decides to take up the offer of his college roommate to visit him in idyllic Bells, Tennessee for the holidays. Michael spots a hometown bookstore for sale and can't resist the temptation to buy it and fulfill a childhood dream he thought he had left in the past. But the elderly owner won't sell to just anyone. If Michael can host a real hometown event for the "Deck the Shops" contest and impress her, she might be willing to sell.

Emily and Michael find themselves not just on opposite sides of Main Street but on opposite sides of the competition, and neither is the type to back down from a fight. But when real feelings start to fly between them, they start to wonder not only about the cost of losing but also the cost of winning.