Booked On A Feeling by Jayci Lee

 

Lizzy has always been an overachiever but she never feels like she lives up to her Korean mother's expectations.  Lizzy is a lawyer and just won her first court case, but she is exhausted and needs to take a break.  Her mother is appalled, telling her that breaks are not how you make partner but Lizzy insists and returns to the town where she spent her childhood summers.

One of the draws of that town is that her best friend, Jack, lives there.  They have been friends since they were ten.  Lizzy and Jack's parents are best friends and they basically grew up together.  What Lizzy doesn't know is that Jack has been in love with her for years.  But this time, when they hang out together, she has a different feeling for him and wonders if she has been blind and if she might love him also.

Lizzy finds another friend, a single mom who is trying to make a living with an independent bookstore.  It's not going well, and Lizzy agrees to help the owner spruce up the store and make it more appealing.  She also helps with marketing.  Jack helps the two women when he can but he also works at his family's winery.  Will the attraction between the two flame into love?

Jayci Lee is a Korean American author who writes in the romance genre.  Her characters also tend to be Korean American and it's refreshing to see other demographics represented.  I listened to this novel and the narrator was wonderful, moving the story along with a light touch.  If I had a criticism, it would be that the two main characters act as if they are teenagers with a high school crush rather than thirty year old professionals.  I don't think most adults do as much to'ing and fro'ing when they are interested in a romance.  But the book is charming and I'd like to read another by her.  This book is recommended for romance readers.