Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin

Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin delivers a quirky RomCom that touches on chronic illness and PTSD, all while delivering humor, romance and a dash of suspense. Grab an iced coffee and check out coffee dates with Nevermore Bookstore.

Nevermore Bookstore
by Kerrigan Byrne, Cynthia St. Aubin
Series: Townsend Harbor #1
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Author
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Rating:
Heat Level:

Cadence “Cady” Bloomquist knows two things for sure: First, shelving books at her shop, Nevermore Bookstore, totally counts as cardio. Second, staying late every Thursday night to take a certain mysterious customer’s order is not the same as waiting by the phone for some man.

Until.

Until the calls with the man who identifies himself only as “Fox” last for hours, and become the highlight of her week. Which leaves her to wonder, if his jagged velvet voice can kindle her fire over the phone, what sort of alchemy might it inspire if they met in person?

There’s nothing Roman Fawkes wants more than the brilliant, beautiful bookstore owner, but Roman Fawkes knows it can never happen. Secreted in his mountain hideaway high above sleepy little Townsend Harbor, his hermit’s existence shields him–and those around him–from the pain of his past.

Until.

Until one of their weekly calls is interrupted by a break-in, and Fawkes is powerless to protect the woman who has become his one link to the world. Orchestrating a trap for the fool who dared harm her, Fawkes finds himself not just ensnared, but beguiled by her. Now so close to Cady, he discovers she’s fallen for “Fox”, and yet he’s unable to reveal her heart’s desire is closer than she thinks.

Can Fawkes resist the temptation to get between Cady’s covers, knowing they’ll never have a happily ever after?

Coffee Dates with Nevermore Bookstore

• First Date: Each Thursday evening Cadence “Cady” Bloomquist waits by the phone in the Nevermore Bookstore for a call from her number one customer, Fox. Each week he places a large book order and the two converse about books and a little casual flirting. Cady knows very little about Fox and he prefers it that way. When a break-in occurs during their call, everything changes and I was hooked. Snark, flirty banner, and a little mystery await you.
• Second Date: It seems Fox called the local police, but doesn’t rush to the shop. Instead, he watches from the park and alleyways. A little creepy, right? Hold tight. It will all make sense, well, kind of. Cady glimpses Fox in an alleyway and assumes he a homeless traveling vagrant who is down on his luck. Being Cady she brings him tacos and offers him work. Only she does not know that it’s Fox and somehow she names him Bob. It was fun seeing them interact and deals with town issues and events. We learn about Cady’s chronic illness; ankylosing spondylitis and the author’s did a great job of portraying the ups and downs of chronic illness. As someone who suffers from a compromised immune system and a list of chronic issues, I appreciated Cady’s portrayal. We’ll deal with small town politics and book club, all while wondering if Bob will reveal who he really is.
• Third Date: At this point, I could not set the story down. Cady learns the truth about Fox, but not before the two have some moments. Fox is all ready to return to his solitude. Cady is stubborn and refuses to accept that. I loved their interactions and was rooting for them. The authors had me hoping for an HEA. We discover who was behind the break-in and why before a showdown at city hall. You’ll need to find that out for yourself.

This was a fun, snarky, sexy, unique read that I recommend to lovers of romance. I adored Cady and her ability to really see people. From the bookstore setting to quotes from Shakespeare, I am looking forward to visiting Townsend Harbor again.

Amazon*

*kindleunlimited

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• COYER 2023 Upside Down
• COYER Upside Down Chapter 1: It's a Cold Summer

Source