diff --git a/lib/roo/attr_reader_helper.rb b/lib/roo/attr_reader_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a07c963f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/roo/attr_reader_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module Roo
+  module AttrReaderHelper
+    def attr_reader_with_default(attr_hash)
+      attr_hash.each do |attr_name, default_value|
+        instance_variable = :"@#{attr_name}"
+        define_method attr_name do
+          if instance_variable_defined? instance_variable
+            instance_variable_get instance_variable
+          else
+            default_value
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/base.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/base.rb
index aea8808e..fa23b31e 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/base.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/base.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "roo/attr_reader_helper"
+
 module Roo
   class Excelx
     class Cell
       class Base
+        extend Roo::AttrReaderHelper
         attr_reader :cell_type, :cell_value, :value
 
         # FIXME: I think style should be deprecated. Having a style attribute
         #        for a cell doesn't really accomplish much. It seems to be used
         #        when you want to export to excelx.
-        attr_reader :style
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :base, style: 1
 
 
         # FIXME: Updating a cell's value should be able tochange the cell's type,
@@ -34,14 +39,12 @@ class Base
         attr_writer :value
 
         def initialize(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, coordinate)
-          @link = !!link
           @cell_value = value
-          @cell_type = excelx_type
-          @formula = formula
-          @style = style
+          @cell_type = excelx_type if excelx_type
+          @formula = formula if formula
+          @style = style unless style == 1
           @coordinate = coordinate
-          @type = :base
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : value
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : value
         end
 
         def type
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ def type
           elsif link?
             :link
           else
-            @type
+            default_type
           end
         end
 
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@ def formula?
         end
 
         def link?
-          !!@link
+          Roo::Link === @value
         end
 
         alias_method :formatted_value, :value
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/boolean.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/boolean.rb
index 84147839..7c4afab8 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/boolean.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/boolean.rb
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ module Roo
   class Excelx
     class Cell
       class Boolean < Cell::Base
-        attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_type, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
+        attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
+
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :boolean, cell_type: :boolean
 
         def initialize(value, formula, style, link, coordinate)
-          super(value, formula, nil, style, link, coordinate)
-          @type = @cell_type = :boolean
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_boolean(value)
+          super(value, formula, nil, style, nil, coordinate)
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_boolean(value)
         end
 
         def formatted_value
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ def formatted_value
         def create_boolean(value)
           # FIXME: Using a boolean will cause methods like Base#to_csv to fail.
           #       Roo is using some method to ignore false/nil values.
-          value.to_i == 1 ? true : false
+          value.to_i == 1
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/date.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/date.rb
index 4deae561..79b1f193 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/date.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/date.rb
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ class Cell
       class Date < Roo::Excelx::Cell::DateTime
         attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_type, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
 
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :date
+
         def initialize(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, base_date, coordinate)
           # NOTE: Pass all arguments to the parent class, DateTime.
           super
-          @type = :date
           @format = excelx_type.last
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_date(base_date, value)
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_date(base_date, value)
         end
 
         private
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/datetime.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/datetime.rb
index 8631e782..ee18bb13 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/datetime.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/datetime.rb
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@ class DateTime < Cell::Base
 
         attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
 
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :datetime
+
         def initialize(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, base_timestamp, coordinate)
-          super(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, coordinate)
-          @type = :datetime
+          super(value, formula, excelx_type, style, nil, coordinate)
           @format = excelx_type.last
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_datetime(base_timestamp, value)
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_datetime(base_timestamp, value)
         end
 
         # Public: Returns formatted value for a datetime. Format's can be an
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/empty.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/empty.rb
index 49a20e78..5adac797 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/empty.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/empty.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ class Cell
       class Empty < Cell::Base
         attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_type, :cell_value, :hyperlink, :coordinate
 
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: nil, style: nil
+
         def initialize(coordinate)
-          @value = @formula = @format = @cell_type = @cell_value = @hyperlink = nil
           @coordinate = coordinate
         end
 
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/number.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/number.rb
index c8494642..7eddf536 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/number.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/number.rb
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ class Cell
       class Number < Cell::Base
         attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
 
+        # FIXME: change default_type to number. This will break brittle tests.
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :float
+
         def initialize(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, coordinate)
           super
-          # FIXME: change @type to number. This will break brittle tests.
           # FIXME: Excelx_type is an array, but the first value isn't used.
-          @type = :float
           @format = excelx_type.last
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_numeric(value)
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : create_numeric(value)
         end
 
         def create_numeric(number)
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/string.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/string.rb
index 79678068..faeff8fb 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/string.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/string.rb
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ module Roo
   class Excelx
     class Cell
       class String < Cell::Base
-        attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_type, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
+        attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
+
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :string, cell_type: :string
 
         def initialize(value, formula, style, link, coordinate)
           super(value, formula, nil, style, link, coordinate)
-          @type = @cell_type = :string
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : value
         end
 
         def empty?
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/time.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/time.rb
index d661ab8d..7816dbd1 100644
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/cell/time.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/cell/time.rb
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ class Cell
       class Time < Roo::Excelx::Cell::DateTime
         attr_reader :value, :formula, :format, :cell_value, :link, :coordinate
 
+        attr_reader_with_default default_type: :time
+
         def initialize(value, formula, excelx_type, style, link, base_date, coordinate)
           # NOTE: Pass all arguments to DateTime super class.
           super
-          @type = :time
           @format = excelx_type.last
           @datetime = create_datetime(base_date, value)
-          @value = link? ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : (value.to_f * 86_400).to_i
+          @value = link ? Roo::Link.new(link, value) : (value.to_f * 86_400).to_i
         end
 
         def formatted_value
diff --git a/lib/roo/excelx/sheet_doc.rb b/lib/roo/excelx/sheet_doc.rb
index 82e590c3..3dc51425 100755
--- a/lib/roo/excelx/sheet_doc.rb
+++ b/lib/roo/excelx/sheet_doc.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
 require 'forwardable'
 require 'roo/excelx/extractor'
 
diff --git a/test/excelx/cell/test_attr_reader_default.rb b/test/excelx/cell/test_attr_reader_default.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..03b1cbfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/excelx/cell/test_attr_reader_default.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+require "test_helper"
+
+class TestAttrReaderDefault < Minitest::Test
+  def base
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Base
+  end
+
+  def boolean
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Boolean
+  end
+
+  def class_date
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Date
+  end
+
+  def datetime
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::DateTime
+  end
+
+  def empty
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Empty
+  end
+
+  def number
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Number
+  end
+
+  def string
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::String
+  end
+
+  def base_date
+    ::Date.new(1899, 12, 30)
+  end
+
+  def base_timestamp
+    ::Date.new(1899, 12, 30).to_datetime.to_time.to_i
+  end
+
+  def class_time
+    Roo::Excelx::Cell::Time
+  end
+
+  def test_cell_default_values
+    assert_values base.new(nil, nil, [], 1, nil, nil), default_type: :base, :@default_type => nil, style: 1, :@style => nil
+    assert_values boolean.new("1", nil, nil, nil, nil), default_type: :boolean, :@default_type => nil, cell_type: :boolean, :@cell_type => nil
+    assert_values class_date.new("41791", nil, [:numeric_or_formula, "mm-dd-yy"], 6, nil, base_date, nil), default_type: :date, :@default_type => nil
+    assert_values class_time.new("0.521", nil, [:numeric_or_formula, "hh:mm"], 6, nil, base_timestamp, nil), default_type: :time, :@default_type => nil
+    assert_values datetime.new("41791.521", nil, [:numeric_or_formula, "mm-dd-yy hh:mm"], 6, nil, base_timestamp, nil), default_type: :datetime, :@default_type => nil
+    assert_values empty.new(nil), default_type: nil, :@default_type => nil, style: nil, :@style => nil
+    assert_values number.new("42", nil, ["0"], nil, nil, nil), default_type: :float, :@default_type => nil
+    assert_values string.new("1", nil, nil, nil, nil), default_type: :string, :@default_type => nil, cell_type: :string, :@cell_type => nil
+
+    assert_values base.new(nil, nil, [], 2, nil, nil), style: 2, :@style => 2
+  end
+
+  def assert_values(object, value_hash)
+    value_hash.each do |attr_name, expected_value|
+      value = if attr_name.to_s.include?("@")
+                object.instance_variable_get(attr_name)
+              else
+                object.public_send(attr_name)
+      end
+
+      if expected_value
+        assert_equal expected_value, value
+      else
+        assert_nil value
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end