A sweet, heartfelt romance about opposites attracting, finding balance, and discovering the beauty in unexpected connections. <> Kara Donovan likes things neat, tidy, and firmly under control. As an up-and-coming financial analyst at a Portland firm, she's made a career out of turning chaos into clean balance sheets. Her boss, however, has other plans: a failing bookstore café called The Tattered Tome. Tasked with bringing order to a place that screams whimsy, Kara is ready to roll her eyes and crunch some numbers--until she meets Miles Lockwood. Miles is everything Kara isn't. Charming, laid-back, and hopelessly optimistic, the self-proclaimed dreamer is determined to keep his aunt's beloved bookstore alive, even if the odds (and finances) are stacked against him. Despite Kara's best efforts to keep their relationship strictly professional, she soon finds herself drawn to Miles's warm smile, loyal corgi, and uncanny ability to make her laugh when she least expects it. As Kara digs deeper into The Tattered Tome's books--and Miles's life--she discovers more than a few secrets threatening the café's future. She finds the kind of connection she's spent her life avoiding. But when hard truths and a few hurtful words threaten to tear them apart, Kara will have to decide if playing it safe is really worth losing the one thing she never knew she needed. Perfect for fans of cozy romance, quick wit, and big-hearted characters, By the Book is a love story for anyone who's ever fallen for the charm of a small bookstore--and the people who keep it alive.
54 parts