This was a cute and wholesome closed-door romance. I loved the characters and as always Jenny Proctor's writing did not disappoint.

I'm super excited to see which Hawthorn brother we'll be reading about next!

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book. The characters are great and there were several times I laughed out loud. The tension between the two mc's is great and I love when they finally start giving into their feelings

By the title, I was expecting a fluffy read with a sunshine girl/grumpy guy trope. However, How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss actually turned out to be more insightful than I expected. There were some deep issues explored including toxic relationships and widowhood. I liked that the pair was a little older with one half of the couple being a single mom. My only complaint was I had hoped for a little more drama and conflict between the two given the title. This was the second book in the series, but there isn't a need to read the first one before enjoying this book.

A fun, easy, delightful read. I enjoyed the romance and would recommend this to people who enjoy women's fic/romance style books.

I didn't feel 100% attached to the characters or their stakes and my mind did wander a little but I can see why others would love this.

This book was absolutely adorable. While I would have loved to see more of a build up to their relationship, the insta love between Perry and Lila was just as sweet

I have become obsessed with Jenny's sweet romances since my first eARC last year, and couldn't wait for Perry's story! Jenny's writing is captivating from the start; you're immediately drawn in by charismatic characters who have been fully developed, witb a plot that is intentional and well paced. I love how her romances are intimate without the steam, making it a great book for me to recommend without family raising their brows at the usual smut I'm reading. Honestly, Jenny is the exception; I adore her wholesome and sweet stories, that focuses on healthy relationships. I especially love that her characters seem real; we all know a Lila and perhaps we see some of ourselves in her too. Oh, and let's not forget how great the banter is. 5/5, a brilliant read! I can't wait for the next!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Jenny Proctor book, and it's easy to say that it won't be my last! I enjoy having books like this to read during my daily train commute - meaning, closed door romance but still with a whole lot of sizzle! Grumpy Boss Perry and Sunshine Assistant Lila are instant hits for me. There was some good banter and some adorable little kid moments (I love the single parent trope.... especially when a guy bonds with a little kid... heart, melting, puddle on the floor). I do think there could have been a little more conflict between the two of them - but it was still a super easy read, very Hallmark-esque.

Lila is a virtual assistant to Perry, who comes across as very matter of fact and no fuss. She even infuses apple puns into their conversations since he runs an apple farm, but he just ignores them. But when her virtual assistant gig turns into a IRL situation, she is number 1 bowled over by how hot he is and number 2 impressed with how he treats her 5 year old son. As sparks start to fly between Lila and Perry, can they overcome the baggage they both carry from the past to move forward?

I thought this was a fun read. Jenny Proctor's writing is engaging and funny and steamy while having no sexy times. Plus Lila is a woman with curves and Perry is a man who appreciates them. HERE FOR IT . I loved how honest and upfront their relationship was. They don't play games or act like children. They put their feelings out there and address them head on which is so refreshing!

This is a closed door romance with some sizzling kisses.

I actually really loved the concept and plot of this book. It gave Southern vibes, and definitely had the grumpy and sunshine trope featuring strongly. This book touched upon single parenting, and falling in love, the complexities of families. I loved the relationship between Lila and Perry and watching it unfold.

I post more reviews on TikTok and Instagram at @blondesbooknook

As my 2nd read of 2023, I would definitely say that this year is off to a good start! It’s the 2nd book I’ve read by Jenny Proctor, and hopefully not my last. I highly recommend for lovers of Hallmark movies and those who want a clean romance read.

This is such a cute book! I loved the small town feels, close family connection and single mom trope. I loved the 🍎 puns that are used during Lila and Perry’s banter. I could see this being a Fall Hallmark movie with the setting being an Apple Farm.

Lila’s little boy Jack is so hilarious. His talk about stairdads was so funny. It is totally something a kid that age would say. Many swoon worthy moments throughly the book and I couldn’t put it down. I like the close family connection between Perry and his siblings and the Stonebrook Farms sound a like a great place to visit with a petting zoo, apple cider and great restaurant. A great Fall Festival place!

I think there could of been a bit more conflict in the book to built up to the ending but overall the ending was tied up great.

Check out this book on Kindle Unlimited. It is part 2 of a series but can be read as a Standalone.

So this book was amazing loved the writing and the characters so much I couldn't put it down and was hooked from the first page.

This is my first book by Jenny Proctor and it most definitely won't be the last. It was cute and fun, exactly what you'd expect based on the cover and description.

I love the single mom trope and I wish we got more scenes with Lila's kid, Jackson. He made everything even more adorable. I also loved the family aspect, and that the story was set in the fall.

If there's anything I’d change, it would probably be to add some more drama. It almost felt like it was too easy for Lila and Perry to get their story perfect. And maybe Perry could have been a bit grumpier. I mean, it's in the title and it's a trope I love, but he was so sweet most of the time, and just occasionally awkward.

I already had How to Kiss Your Best Friend on my bookshelf and was wondering if I should read that one first, since it is the first in the series. But the novels are companions, not sequels, and How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss can work as a standalone, so I had no problem catching up.

But some of the characters mentioned got me intrigued and now I have to read their stories as well.

If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss by Jenny Proctor in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: Sweet Romance, Proper Romance, Romcom
Heat Level: Kissing
Laugh Level: High
Trope: Grumpy/Sunshine, Body Positivity

I'd read another book in this series and loved it, and I hoped I'd love HOW TO KISS YOUR GRUMPY BOSS. I did! It's hilarious and makes me smile. It even got me to cry a bit over how the female main character, Lila, needs to protect her son.

I'd argue this series is actually with the male point of view as the lead because it's all the brothers who are getting married off. Lila is the new character, and the others are your previous favorites.

You can read this series in any order.

Here's the scoop:

The oldest Hawthorne brother, Perry, is a total grump after getting burned by his wife through the divorce. It's been years now, and he's bitter but finally doing what he loves on the farm. He is not looking for a woman.

Lila's husband died in the service, and he's lauded as a war hero—but things weren't that rosy at him. She has 5 year old Jack, who is full of questions and an adorable kiddo. Her only goal is to provide for him. Men are not on her radar.

Then these two meet—they're attracted to each other, but hey, you can't blame biology. They're not going to act on the initial spark. But . . . that doesn't last long.

Lila's puns are so bad, they make me smile. Jack's comments make me chuckle. And the Hawthorne brothers' ribbing gets me laughing aloud. And there are other moments, but I don't want to ruin the book for you by telling you my favorites.

I've heard some people call light romances a palate cleansers, but I think this is good for anytime! SERIOUSLY! Just pick it up and read it whenever you want to smile and laugh.

I highly recommend this book for romantics.

What a delightful story! Grumpy/sunshine tropes have become one of my favorites lately and this one really hit the mark. Those Hawthorne brothers really know how to steal your heart! I was immediately pulled into the story and simply could not put it down. Filled with laughs and sweet moments that will make you swoon, this book captivated me from start to finish. Lila is a widowed single mom and she gets a job opportunity to be a virtual assistant for Perry Hawthorne. Despite his grumpiness, Lila was not intimidated by him, but in fact she had her own fun trying to crack through his seriousness. The time comes for them to meet in person, and watch out for the fireworks between them! But Perry is recently divorced, and Lila is a little hesitant about the possibility of a relationship with Perry because she is sensitive of her son’s feelings. She’s also not sure if Perry even wants to be a stepdad. But despite his gruffness and grumpy appearance, he is absolutely great with her son Jack. Could there be a future for these two?
This is an absolutely delightful romance that will warm your heart and give you all the feels. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down. The characters were fantastic and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with them. A beautiful story I wholeheartedly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

good book and really enjoyed the characters and their journey. I liked the romance.. I enjoyed how the characters grew in the book and what happened.

How to Kiss Your Grumpy Boss is the second installment in the Hawthorne Brothers series. It was pretty much as I expected, which is not a bad thing! Jenny Proctor writes sweet, closed door romances so I knew going into it that I could expect some silly banter, flirting, and nothing too graphic.

I liked Perry and his soft side beneath the grumpiness. Lila was a strong character and I thought her storyline was very interesting (I.e. publicly grieving the loss of a spouse when your marriage wasn't all that met the eye). I'm sure that's a difficult road to navigate. While I liked Perry and Lila together, I didn't care for their insta-love. It felt a lot like they were deciding to be married (in their own minds) before they even knew each other. I mean they barely went on one date before considering the future and forever, etc.

All that to say, if you like fluffy, easy rom-coms, then this is the book for you. It is a nice light read in the midst of some heavy times. Thank you to Four Petal Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love sweet, closed-door romances and this one did not disappoint. Jenny Proctor knows how to make characters come alive on the pages and I am so happy I got to read this Hawthorne Brothers book. It was sweet, cute, romantic, and funny. I would recommend it to everyone.

This book had me hooked with the title and cover. I love the single-mom trope as well as the grumpy/sunshine dynamic in the romance world. This book, however, was a little bit of a struggle to get through. I almost dnf'ed but I powered through to make sure my review was as well-informed as it could be.

Something that contributed to my need to put this book down for a few days: all of the puns. I hate puns, especially in writing. I know this is subjective, but it was honestly very close to being my last straw and dnf'ing based on the amount of puns that fill up this book. I also did not like how they also factored into being somewhat of an icebreaker between Lila and Perry.

Another thing that made me struggle was how insta-lovey this romance is. Perry is way too smitten when he first meets Lila, and it does not stop there. Their relationship progresses at super speed while simultaneously not progressing at all. It almost feels like the characters convince themselves that they are meant to be together solely in their heads. They hardly spend any time together, or even really talk all that much to each other before they decide they're going to get married. It is absolutely not realistic for someone to interact with a kid three times before deciding to become their stepdad...

And I have to say this: I don't understand why the character Marley is even in this story. She didn't add anything and the scenes she was in could have been easily taken out. On the other hand, as Jack is such a big part of the plot and main characters' world, I feel like he should have had a bigger presence in the story.

Something I did love was the pancake breakfast scene. I thought it was beautifully executed and was made a perfect justification of Perry's thoughts and actions.

I also really loved Perry's family and their dynamic. I am excited to learn more about each of Perry's siblings--especially his famous brother as he had the least amount of presence in the story.

I know I complained about the pun humor previously, but for the rest of the time the jokes were pretty funny.

Overall, the writing was a little too cliche at times for me to really enjoy ("did he feel that too?" when they touch, singing "Can't Help Falling in Love", the thing that first made him give a full smile, etc.). I believe this story would have benefitted greatly from a B plot, however, the story did pick up a bit after the 70% mark.

The 2nd installment of the Hawthorne Brother series, and boy, were we stoked to read this one! We caught a glimpse of Perry in How to Kiss your Best Friend (HTKYBF) and we were keen to see how his character and story developed.

HTKYGB is packed with some of the most deliciously punny jokes, a rather vengeful pig named Buttercup, and numerous “awwww” moments between the protagonists and their families. Although the writing was engaging from the get-go (the first chapter and Buttercup deserve their own fan club!), the story development was a tad slower compared to its predecessor. However, the pace picked up around the 1/3rd mark and kept us hooked until the very end.

Much like the leads in Proctor’s other books, Perry and Lila felt organic. They were far from perfect: each with their own emotional baggage and apprehensions. But it was truly wonderful to see how they, independently and together, allowed themselves to be vulnerable, embrace their flaws, and take a leap of faith towards a second chance at love. In addition to their interactions with one another, it was heart-warming to see them individually with their families. The Hawthorne siblings’ classic banter and Lila and Jack’s relationship made this book so much more enjoyable. Although, we do wish we’d have gotten to see more of Perry and Jack’s relationship, but we’ll hopefully catch glimpses of that in future books!

Furthermore, what we love most about Proctor’s books is how she manages to expertly interweave more serious themes into a light, comical narrative. Whether it was the concept of toxic relationships and emotional ab*se, the challenges of being a single parent, or even body positivity, the sensitivity with which she has handled these subjects in HTKYGB is truly laudable.

We cannot wait to read the next book in the series and see how Lennox’s tale plays out! May 2023, please come soon! 🥺

We would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and Jenny Proctor for the eARC of this book.