The Christmas Crush by Noelle Douglas takes the story of a small town baker up against a big city corporate rival and flips it around. The rivals to lovers trope is well loved by many, but I especially enjoyed this twist on the typical Hallmark-type romance by making the main character a man who is the baker and the male love interest! Lawrence owns and operates Sweet L’s, a cookie bakery. He particularly enjoys surprising people with that fact since, with his tall stature and muscular build, he does not fit their preconceived notions. With his trusty dog Sugar and baking assistant Carmen, he is doing his best to keep the small bakery in business. A chain bakery, Sparkle Cookie, has applied for a business permit and Lawrence fears what the competition could do to his business.
Elena is an artist stuck in the corporate world, working at Sparkle Cookie as a VP in marketing to do something remotely connected to the creativity she longs to use more often. She volunteers to visit the New Hope location of the newest chain, though it is having some trouble with the locals in the small town prior to its anticipated launch on Christmas Eve. When she and Lawrence clash at the town meeting, the stage is set for their romance.
Will corporate greed come between them or will they each deal with their own issues so they can be together? A feel-good romance with real-life characters and some sweet surprises, The Christmas Crush is a must-read for those looking for a festive story any time of year, but especially around Christmas.The audiobook narrator does a fabulous job of bringing the novel to life.
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