REED After years in corporate architecture that stifled his creativity, Reed Berry is moving to Fairwick Falls and chasing his dream: opening a cozy bookstore. His plan? Design a bookstore that sparks wonder and a love of reading on a shoestring budget. The hitch? Pearl Bishop—his new assistant, and the human embodiment of a "Do Not Touch" sign . She's all dark eyeliner, piercings, and attitude sharp enough to cut glass. And Reed? He's sunshine and golden retriever charm, which seems to make her want to throw him out the nearest window. Good thing he has his anonymous, late-night confidant— impossibly_bookish —to escape to . His steamy, secret online crush gets him in ways Pearl never would. PEARL Pearl Bishop is nobody's idea of a sweet, small-town girl. She's all death metal tattoos, piercings, and black lipstick— a girl who's perfected the art of keeping people at a distance. Especially good guys like Reed Berry. He's her brother's best friend, her new boss, temporary roommate, and the poster boy for annoyingly cheerful. But the way he looks at her? Like she's the only woman who exists? It's messing with her carefully crafted armor. But Pearl's got bigger problems, like scraping together enough cash to start her allergen-free bakery and dodging her nosy neighbor, who is hell-bent on stopping both the bookstore and her bakery with permit red tape. The only person who sees past her sarcasm and ink-stained armor is her online confidant, hemingway_cansuckit **—a guy she's been swapping filthy, flirty messages with for months.** The man she's been falling for, text by text. The man she's agreed to finally meet in person. ...What could go wrong? Featuring: Black Cat / Golden Retriever (Opposites Attract) Workplace Plus size FMC Virgin MMC Brother's best friend Roommates (Forced Proximity) Epistolary + Hidden Identity (Shop Around the Corner) Autism Rep