by Hadley Stone
2024
Handsome billionaire Aiden has something of a reputation. In addition to his untold wealth and stunningly-good looks, he´s known to be something of a player, one who can hook up with any woman he wants and who notoriously avoids serious commitments. But when he returns to his tiny hometown to attend the wedding of his close friend Sam, Aiden is perplexed by the feelings erupting inside him when he meets the woman working behind the counter of the local bakery. Why is this drop-dead gorgeous being so cold to him? Why does she seem almost hostile to the flirtations from "the world´s most eligible bachelor"?
Turns out that the baker is no stranger, and that she has had Aiden´s number ever since high school. The woman covered in powdered sugar is none other than Brooke--Sam´s younger sister, and a girl Aiden teased relentlessly when they were all teenagers. She has certainly changed in the years, blooming not only in physical beauty but also replacing her timidity with independence and strength of will. She has moved on, become a successful small business owner; she isn´t impressed with these overtures coming from the one she had a crush on years ago. Aiden believes that he has changed, too, that he is not the same self-centered jerk he was back in the day. But will he be able to show Brooke who he is now, in the days leading up to the wedding?
This is the clever premise to My Small Town Enemy, the debut novella by author Hadley Stone. It´s a swift spicy romance that contains tenderness and humor, as well as a couple of handfuls of the erotic. Stone alternates her brief chapters between her two main characters´ point of view, quickly making the reader sympathetic to each of their thoughts, memories, and back story. In the best way, the tone of the story arc feels like the lovers in the best of Shakespeare, such as As You Like It or Twelfth Night. There is a lightness to the prose, coupled with a believability to the characters. You want these two to work it out, and hope that the ending includes not only some hot sex but some wedding bells.
The action leading up to the wedding are the strongest. Stone shows the repeated gaffes and missteps the typically suave Best Man Aiden makes with Brooke, who serves as Maid of Honor. My Small Town Enemy also is wise in introducing Ian, a truly awful ex-boyfriend who seems hellbent on ruining Brooke´s life and business since their break-up. This provides some added dimension to what could have been a straightforward or predictable romance, offering opportunities for readers to see that Aiden indeed is not perfect, and that Brooke is far from helpless.
Stone´s prose is succinct and breezy. She has a gift for crafting dialogue and situations that would not be out of place in a beloved rom-com, and is skilled at keeping the mometum of the tale moving forward while activating the reader´s senses (particularly the sense of smell, giving Brooke and her bakery a sensual earthiness). My Small Town Enemy is a strong and clear debut by a writer who knows how to craft a story that is sexy as well as sweet.
Commentaires