UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After an initial decision to expand their business, Cassian and his fellow investment partner, Penelope Montgomery, stay in West Kelowna to promote their business to a new winery. While Cassian's aware the head of the management team of Utterly Uncorked is someone he was madly in love with when he was a kid, he's not prepared for the unfathomable relationship that follows their reunion.
Penelope Montgomery has been working double time to expand the horizons of Elemental Coffee since Jake and Cassian hired her, so when she's presented with the opportunity to help them open up shop in West Kelowna, with new responsibilities and additional incentives, she jumps on the job. Working with Cassian, the man she's been crushing on since they met during a business trip, is supposed to be easy, right?
No.
When Cassian reunites with an old friend and she sees the smouldering flame between them, things get harder for Penelope. How long can she watch the man she loves fall for another woman? After feeling out of place for decades, Penelope is more lost than ever.
As time goes on, Cassian begins to realize the calamities of having a relationship with another big-corporation business person. Relationships come with a price, and he doesn't know if he's ready for the one he has to pay. And when a shocking new revelation comes to light, he's forced to make a choice between his company and the broody, cynical attributes of love.
[Wattys 2023 Grand Prize Winner]
After an eight-hour flight sitting next to her high school nemesis Jackson Carter, fashion designer and barista Isabelle Curtis thought that would finally be the last she would see of him. But as the saying goes, famous last words.
* * *
Isabelle Curtis and Jackson Carter were fierce academic rivals in high school, up until Jackson moved to the UK in junior year for boarding school.
Eight years later, Jackson has returned from abroad to take on the role of CEO at his late father's company. When Isabelle and Jackson meet again, there's a war of words, banter and a passionate dislike towards each other. Throw in a high school reunion, some more chaos, and a 'deal' in the mix-one that might just involve a little faking and pretending.
It's all fun and games and tit for tat, almost just like in high school, until real feelings become involved...