Prologue

It was a rainy night in London and I took cover in a bookshop called Book Nook that I saw was still open. The name suited the shop. It was small and tucked away in a cobbled alley. It was dimly lit, warm and dry, and books lined the walls in a haphazard fashion.

Enjoying the cosiness, I took my time looking around. I noticed there was only one other customer in there with me – a tall, dark-haired man wearing a shirt with his sleeves pushed up, his nose literally stuck in a book. I had to weave past him to get to the romance section, my favourite, when he looked up and saw me.

‘Oh, sorry, I always end up lost in my own world in here,' he said.

‘I can see why. I can't believe I've never found this place before. It's a real gem.'

‘One of my favourites in the city.' He smiled and showed off a dimple in his cheek, and I felt a weird need to make it appear again.

I carried on looking but he had my attention as much as the books. I saw him peeking at me over his book too. Then the owner called out to say he was closing so I picked up the book I'd been looking at – an old romance I'd never seen before in a gorgeous gold hardback edition – and followed dimple man to the till. He had a pile of nine books.

‘Let me get yours,' he offered.

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Why?'

I'd wrongfooted him. ‘Um… why not?'

‘I'm an independent woman who can buy her own books,' I said, but I couldn't help but smile at his panicked expression.

‘Of course you are, but…' He looked around wildly then met the eyes of the bookshop owner behind the till. ‘There's a discount if we buy ten books, right?' He gave the man a pleading look.

The owner laughed. ‘Okay, I'll give you guys a ten per cent discount.'

They both looked at me expectantly.

‘Unbelievable,' I said, shaking my head, but I handed the book over and got a winning smile from my fellow bookworm, flashing that dimple again.

God, he was cute.

After he'd paid, we left the shop. When we stepped outside, the rain had eased and the glistening pavement reflected the bright full moon above us.

‘Thank you for my book,' I said, clutching it to my chest. ‘You really didn't need to do that.'

‘You're welcome.' There was that dimple again, but then he turned around, and the mystery man walked away before I could say anything else.

I sighed with disappointment and went home alone.

It wasn't until I opened up the book he had bought me that I saw he'd scribbled something on the first page. He must have done it when I'd been waiting for him to pay.

Dinner?

Then he'd written his name, Noah, and his phone number.

Breaking into a wide smile, understanding then why he'd wanted to pay for my book, I realised I'd just had a real life meet-cute. In a bookshop! It was what a romance book lover's dreams were made of.

I grabbed my phone and messaged him just one word.

Yes.