It was hate at first sight.
After a run-in with Peter, the rude Best Man at her best friendās wedding, and then a meltdown on New Yearās Eve, Hazel is ready for changes in her life. Realizing sheās a serial dater, she vows to focus on reinventing herself in her career. Tired of the constant travel from speaking tours, sheās putting her energy into writingāand staying home for once in her life.
But when the jerk from the wedding moves in next door, Hazel canāt believe her bad luck. She manages to avoid him though until a massive blizzard forces her to shelter at his house. The icy tension begins to thaw as they get to know each other, but when theyāre still snowed in four days laterāon Valentineās Dayātempers flare as passions rise.
Confused and unsettled, Hazel has no idea what to do with her conflicting feelings, and avoiding him doesnāt seem possible. Can she find love with this enigmatic man amid the winter storm brewing within and between them?
It was hate at first sight.
After a run-in with Peter, the rude Best Man at her best friendās wedding, and then a meltdown on New Yearās Eve, Hazel is ready for changes in her life. Realizing sheās a serial dater, she vows to focus on reinventing herself in her career. Tired of the constant travel from speaking tours, sheās putting her energy into writingāand staying home for once in her life.
But when the jerk from the wedding moves in next door, Hazel canāt believe her bad luck. She manages to avoid him though until a massive blizzard forces her to shelter at his house. The icy tension begins to thaw as they get to know each other, but when theyāre still snowed in four days laterāon Valentineās Dayātempers flare as passions rise.
Confused and unsettled, Hazel has no idea what to do with her conflicting feelings, and avoiding him doesnāt seem possible. Can she find love with this enigmatic man amid the winter storm brewing within and between them?
I love weddings.
I adore them, actually.
I love this wedding. I love my best friend like a sister. And Iāve even grown to like Marianaās fiancĆ©, Terry, though I still preferred to call him Mr. Pinecone. Probably because Iāll never forget the ridiculous costume he was wearing when we met.
I mean, her husband. Mariana was no longer engaged. She was married. Wedded. Stuck with Terry forever.
But as she took a sip of champagne and flashed a brilliant smile at the love of her life, I knew that āstuckā was the furthest thing from her mind. Sheād never looked more beautiful, and it wasnāt only because of her shimmery white strapless dress or the sparkly yet classy jewels she wore. It was because sheād found the one. Between Mari and me, Iād always been the romantic, and she teased me about my obsession with rom-com movies and Valentineās Day.
But to see her now ... she was happy. Deliriously so.
And I ā¦ well, I was happy for herāhappy my best friend was finally living her life with joy and love and all the things denied to her for so long. Happy she was married on Christmas Eve, her favorite day in the world.
I was happy for her. Truly.
But youāre not happy.
I flinched at the unbidden thought and quickly downed the rest of my champagne.
I scanned the scene before us. The wedding party was small, so it was just the four of us at the head table in the reception hall. However, the guests numbered in the hundreds. One would expect a highly private person like Mari to insist on a small wedding. But she wanted to invite all her staff at the resort, and Terry knew everyone in town, so basically everyone in our little town of Shipsvold was present. I made eye contact with Nora, who was not only Terryās grandmother but also one of my favorite people. She winked, and once again, I arranged my features in what I hoped was a genuine smile before my eyes continued sweeping the cavernous room.
Still, it was lonely up here. And I was thirsty.
āHey, Mari,ā I said while patting her bare shoulder gently. āIāll be right back, OK?ā
With her hand still holding Terryās on the table, she turned her head toward me, offering a wide smile that slid right off her face when she eyed me. āIs everything OK, Haz?ā
Since when was Mari so good at reading people? Maybe she had always been good at this. I was usually easy to read. Usually happy. Laid back. Taking life a day at a time. Thatās me. Easygoing Hazel.
But I only laughed. āItās not OK. Itās wonderful. Iām just thirsty.ā
Her eyebrows rose ever so slightly, and she stared into my eyes for a moment. āAll right,ā she said slowly, watching as I placed my napkin on the table and stood up.
I gave her a wide smile before turning toward the bar, and my face fell.
Ugh, not that guy.
Standing at the bar was the impeccably groomedāand, I have to admit, hot as hellāman Iād walked down the aisle with earlier today. Iād been introduced to Peter Auclair last night when he flew in for the wedding rehearsal, but heād not spoken a word to me after that initial āNice to meet you, Ms. Tanaka-Katz.ā My nervous chatter and laughs just before the ceremony were met with a tight jaw and a blank stare. I even felt his biceps tense up when we linked arms down the aisle.
I sauntered up to the bar and pulled out the bar stool nearest to him. After carefully arranging the flowy layers of my pale green bridesmaid dress in front of me, I sat down. He stilled but didnāt turn to look at me.
āWhat can I get you, maāam?ā
I tried not to glare at the barely-legal kid who just maāam-ed me. Was he even old enough to tend bar? āUh, yeah, Iād like some more champāactually, you know what? Iād like a shot. Maybe a few. Do you have any of those fruit-flavored vodkas?
The kid nodded, pointing behind him to his left. I scanned the shelf. āOh, is that purple one grape? I want that.ā
āPurple vodka, coming right up,ā he said, spinning around to make my shot.
I stole a glance at the silent man next to me and opened my mouth to speak, but then the kid was back already with a shot glass of my favorite drink.
I downed it quickly and pointed at the empty glass before looking at the boy. āKeep them coming, please.ā
The kid gave me a side-eye glance but poured another.
I decided to just sip this one. Yes, drunken oblivion sounded appealing right about now, but I doubt Mari would be happy if I returned to her table smashed.
I moaned, loving the sweetness on my tongue. āJust what I needed.ā
Peter finally looked over at me then, but only briefly, his lips tight and eyes revealing nothing.
Screw this. āUm, hello?ā Facing him, I took another sip.
A lengthy sigh escaped his mouth as he turned toward me, still leaning against the bar. āHello,ā he said in his deep baritone.
āDo you remember me? Iāmāā
āI do.ā
I cracked a real smile. āWeāre not getting married, man. Iām just saying hello.ā
His brows were furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came for a long moment. Finally, his mask of indifference returned. āExcuse me?ā
My smile faltered. āYou said, āI doāāyou know, like in a wedding ā¦ā I trailed off, seeing that he didnāt find this amusing at all. It was funny, wasnāt it? Or was I already drunk? āNever mind.ā
He said nothing but held eye contact for a long time. Finally, he spoke again. āCan I help you with somethingāā
I put my hands up in the universal symbol for stop as I winced. āPlease donāt maāam me. Once was enough. My vanity is already crushed. Iām not even thirty yet, or at least not until New Year's Eve. Yeah, would you believe I was born on that day, of all days? But I didnāt even get the honor of being the last baby born in the hospital that day. It was some jerk named Preston.ā I shook my head. āCan you believe it?ā
His brows furrowed again, but only for a split second. āI do believe you just called a baby a jerk.ā
āWell, he was! I mean, with a name like Preston, he has to be, right?ā
His face was devoid of expression as he shook his head. āIf you say so.ā
āWell, I do.ā I giggled. āThere, now I did it too. I said, āI do.ā Well, good thing that boy over thereās just a bartender and not an ordained minister. Or else youād have just found yourself married to this hot mess.ā I waved my hand up and down once with a self-deprecating smile.
āI donāt think thatās how it works.ā
I stared ahead at the gleaming countertop. āSo, you want to know why Iām a hot mess?ā I didnāt turn to look, afraid heād be shaking his head no. Because I needed to vent. He was probably the worst choice in terms of people to vent to, but, well, he was here. Alone, just like me. Well, presumably alone. I didnāt see anyone with him earlier, and he wasnāt wearing a wedding band.
āWell, where do I even begin?ā I sighed. āMy best friendāmy only close friend, reallyājust got married today, and donāt get me wrong ā¦ it was a beautiful ceremony, and she was gorgeous. Iām super happy for her, but Iām going to miss the two-single-ladies thing we had going on. Well, maybe we never had that going on exactlyāshe never liked to party. But anyway, yeah. Pineconeās a good guy. You know that, I guess, since youāre his BFF. I didnāt know that at first. You see, he had ghosted her like a decade ago, and when they met up again, he was kind of an ass. No, not kind of. He was awful. But it turns out he didnāt ghost her, and his evil sisterāyou know what, never mind. That partās not important.ā I paused, taking a sip of the newly filled shot placed in front of me. Then I narrowed my eyes while scanning his face. āOr wait, maybe you knew all that? You guys are close, I suppose.ā
His nod was barely perceptible, but I took it as fuel to keep going.
āBut Iām happy for them because Iām all about romance, happily ever aftersāthereās not a rom-com you could name that I wouldnāt have seen already.ā I bit my lip to keep from laughing. āBut you probably canāt name a lot of rom-coms, can you, Pete? Youāre not that kind of guy.ā I downed the rest of the shot and waved at the bartender again.
āItās Peter.ā
Ā āWhatāoh. Not Pete. Got it. Thatās too bad, as I like the name Pete.ā It was my maternal grandfatherās name, after all. He was my favorite person, and heād died when I was in high school. I felt my throat get tight while thinking of the only grandfather Iād ever known. The best one a girl could have. Well, I met my Japanese grandfather as a toddler, but I canāt muster any memory of it. Dad said it was probably for the best. I sighed, thinking of how much I missed my family this year.
āDo you have family you usually celebrate Christmas with?ā I looked at him closely, but he only shook his head quickly. āAh, thatās ā¦ well, I guess itās sad for most people, but you donāt look sad.ā I thought I detected a tightening of his jaw then, but it came and went so fast that I couldnāt be sure. āWell, I usually do see my family, but this year I canāt. Do you want to know why?ā I didnāt wait for an answer, knowing he likely wouldnāt give one anyway. āBecause Iām always visiting them. I always travel to see my mom in Paris or wherever she is, or I go to Japan to see Dad, sometimes my sister. The one time I couldnāt travel, I hoped theyād come visit. But did they? Nope.ā
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I willed them to not fall. I never trusted waterproof mascara. āItās fine. I mean, it sucks. But Iām used to it. Used to being alone. So itās weird, right? Iām the biggest romantic I know. Like, Valentineās Day is one of my favorite holidays; Iām basically in love with love. Yet my love life is so bad. Either the dates are bad, or the relationships donāt last long. Donāt get me wrong, I date a lot. A lot. But I canāt find someone whoāā I stopped, seeing his face. This time his jaw definitely tightened, and the muscle in his cheek contracted. āOK, Iāll stop. I donāt mind being single that much, but itās harder around the holidays, you know?ā I eyed him again. He probably didnāt know. A guy that attractive would have an active dating life if he wasnāt already in a serious relationship. My throat tightened as I considered that. What if he was?
Beyond awkward, thatās what.
Change the subject, Hazel.
I flipped my hair over my shoulder. Iād planned to wear an updo, but Mari had reminded me my long, silky black hair was one of my best assets, so I went with a natural look. āI donāt know why Iām telling you this because I havenāt told anyone else yet, but ā¦ I need to change careers. Iām tired of doing what Iām doing. Tired of ā¦ being tired. From work. From the emotional labor I draw upon day in and day out as I travel around the country, sometimes around the world.ā I paused, frowning when I noticed my shot glass was still empty. āIf they didnāt tell you, Iām sort of a motivational speaker. I do a lot of events at Mariās resort, but I also travel and do events all over. Iām good at it, but ā¦ I want something else. I want to spend more time writing, maybe helping people one on one. The constant travel ā¦ well, letās just say Iāve had a lifetime of it already, and itās enough. I canāt believe Iām saying this, but I want to settle down. Stay in one place. Maybe? Itās such a foreign idea to me. I spent so many yearsāā
He cleared his throat, and I gazed at him in confusion.
Iād almost forgotten he was there.
āSorry, was I rambling?ā I laughed nervously. āI tend to do that. At least when Iāve had alcohol.ā I sighed, seeing no response on his beautiful face. āThatās probably something I should change too. No more drinking.ā
He raised one eyebrow then, the most expressive thing Iād seen from him so far.
āI mean, after tonight. Or ā¦ maybe after New Yearās Eve? Yes, itāll be my New Yearās resolution. And then changing jobs.ā
I bit my lip, considering another idea. āMaybe Iāll take a break from dating too. Or is that too many resolutions? Itās hard to make a lot of changes at once.ā I looked at him for an answer, for some reason, though I knew he wouldnāt supply one. āWell, why not? Doesnāt hurt to try, does it?ā I offered a small smile.
After a long moment of silence, his deep voice rumbled out of his chest, as though he rarely used it. āAre you done?ā
I blinked a few times quickly. Am I done? Was he really asking meā
One look at his frown, and I knew. He wanted me to shut up.
And in the morning, Iād wish I had.
Hazel is a hopeless romantic, lover of all things to do with love. Sheās admittedly a serial dater, and has now resolved to take a break from dating. Meeting Peter, the best man in her best friendās wedding, solidifies her resolution. He might be strikingly handsome, but he is downright grumpy and rude. Despite her best efforts to crack open his hard exterior, he remains impassable and Hazel is left feeling defeated.Ā
Hazel soon discovers that she has a new neighbor. To her horror, itās none other than Peter. After her second unsuccessful attempt to befriend him, she makes every effort to avoid him. But Mother Nature has other plans. When a brutal snow storm passes through and Hazel is left without power, she has no choice but to stay with Peter, who turns out to be well equipped to handle a snowstorm. Hazel quickly discovers that there may be more to this man than his first impressions led her to believe. She is now conflicted between the grumpy man she met at the wedding, and the one making her believe in love all over again.Ā
Peter was the ultimate grump when it comes to grumpy millionaire tropes. But I actually liked him from the beginning. While he definitely lacked some pleasant social skills, he seemed to be more of a quiet observer, which is often mistaken as being rude. Iām a quiet observer myself, so I could easily relate.Ā
Hazel was the complete opposite of Peter. She was bubbly and outgoing. But admittedly, her lack of a filter annoyed me. While the lack of a filter in a character can be amusing, she kind of took it to the next level. And the fact that she often realized she was asking intrusive questions and saying inappropriate things made it more irritating. But I feel that things balanced out as Hazel and Peter got to know each other, and they actually complimented each other well.Ā
I also enjoyed the forced proximity, and the fact that time and time again it showed how wrong Hazel was about Peter. I could see how she would form those judgements about him based on their previous interactions and his grumpy demeanor, but I was also surprised myself with some of the revelations he made about his life and the things that brought him joy.Ā
Overall, this was a cute and quick read. I read it in one day, due to both the easy flow and the entertaining plot.Ā