When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein is one steamy, spicy story. The premise is super cute, the cover is adorable, but the endless chatter between the two main characters and Mable with herself kind of annoyed me at times. I did love how the story drew me in so quickly. I also really appreciated the sweetness between Mabel and Alfie and feel the author did a great job of showing their insecurities and them working through them.

I've tried but while the story set up and also the cover was super intriguing, I couldn't make it through the story which ended in a DNF for me unfortunately :(

While the first half is slow, the banter is ON POINT and once things pick up, they pick up 🥵 Mabel is a sunshiney ghost writer working on Alfie’s memoirs. Alfie is a grumpy former footballer who has his guard up, but it ends up he has a lot in common with Mabel. The two end up fake dating to hide the real reason they’re meeting, but the chemistry is unreal and it turns out Alfie is a talented writer who just needed someone to see that in him.

The first half feels slow as Mabel is very in her head, but the banter kept me going. However, that dialogue grew tiresome in the finale. While the steamy scenes and the eventual slow burn resolution are amazing, the Mabel and Alfie have pages of dialogue in the finale that sure, THEY needed to have, but contain information the reader is aware of. (Yes, y’all were idiots, now kids already!!) Definitely could’ve been shaved down.

Overall, this is a swoon-worthy, steamy, cheeky romantic read!

"When Grumpy Met Sunshine" by Charlotte Stein is a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that will leave readers with a smile on their face. Stein masterfully blends humor, wit, and genuine emotion to create a story that is both charming and deeply satisfying. The dynamic between the titular characters, the grumpy and the sunshine, is irresistibly endearing, as they navigate their differences and discover a connection that transcends their initial impressions. Stein's writing is witty and engaging, drawing readers into the quirky world of her characters and keeping them entertained from beginning to end. With its lovable characters and feel-good romance, "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" is the perfect pick-me-up for anyone in need of a little sunshine in their day.

I wanted to love this one, but I struggled to get through it. I just did not connect with the style/voice. I am a huge fan of grumpy/sunshine tropes and I love the sports trope as well. I recently read a book with a ghostwriter and loved that one too, so I fully expected to love this one, but it did not hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
I’m so sorry to say this but I had to dnf this. I was so excited for this book, I’m obsessed with the cover, and grumpy x sunshine is one of my favorite tropes! I also love the idea of reading about a ghostwriter and a celebrity, so I had really high expectations for this. Unfortunately, I struggled so much with this - as a non-native English speaker, the British banter was really hard to understand at times, and it felt like the whole book was just that - banter that I couldn’t really understand. I lost track of the plot a lot and couldn’t really get myself to continue, so I dnf’d it at around 50%.

3 stars

Okay, okay… when I saw this book cover months ago, I immediately put it on the top of my reading list. I knew it would be a cute and comfy love story. So, when I saw it on NetGalley, I requested it right away! And here I am, writing an honest review.

So honest that I almost didn’t want to do it.

I wanted to love this book so much. Believe me when I say that I tried looking for something to like on every page. . . but I just could not. The narrative is too–narrative–if that makes sense. And although some of them were funny, some of them did not need to be there. They’re too lengthy and rambly.

Mabel is warm, cute, and the epitome of sunshine. I also find her relatable at times. However, the narration is so rambly and it’s kinda hard to look past it. In my head, Alfie is so hot. I loved how he reassured Mabel. And in a lot of ways, I felt like he was talking to me, telling me that my appearance did not matter. That I am beautiful despite–especially–because of my curves. We love a respectful king!

But again, I don’t know if I’ll recommend this. While the plot line is cute, the narration is hard to get through.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the banter in this, but hated the miscommunication. The end also felt a bit rushed.


I was first introduced to Charlotte Stein’ through her interview with Talia Hibbert (love!!!) and found her to be lovely too so I am excited to read her other books,

True to its name, This was the grumpy met sunshine trope but so so much more. It had a lot of notes of tragedy such as Romeo and Juliet (with out the death) of miscommunication and misunderstandings running rampant through out. The ending is so sweet and just perfect!

A cute title of a book starring a Roy Kent-inspired MMC - how can I resist?

Mabel’s assigned by her editor to help ghostwrote a memoir by legendary footballer, Alfie Harding. Their first meeting goes horribly, and it takes a few more stumbles for them to be comfortable enough to be able to work together.

The first few chapters had me giggling hard! Between the IRL football world references, their awkwardness, and little miscommunications, the hilarity ensued, and I was in heaven!

Problem for me is that the pacing then faltered. My preference would’ve been for their dialogue to be brisk, and less verbose. After they started working together every encounter, internal thought, conversation is overthought and drawn out. The overthinking makes sense, though because they’re class A overthinkers. And there’s some of that miscommunication trope as well. It’s just that all those elements conspire to slow down the story so much that it loses that rom com feel that was present at the beginning.

Overall I think it’s a lovely story at heart. Alfie’s that gruff-on-the-outside-teddy-bear-on-the-inside guy. Mabel’s sweet, smart, and I adored her dry, sarcastic humor. Charlotte Stein’s a new-to-me author, and I’d like to read her other books.

Read this for the:
⚽️Grumpy/sunshine duo
⚽️Single POV
⚽️Fake dating
⚽️Slow burn
⚽️Clumsy encounters
⚽️Roy Kent “don’t you dare settle for fine” vibes
⚽️Plus size rep
⚽️Spice

3.5 stars/5 srtars

My thanks to @netgalley & @smpromance for my ARC. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 is out now!

Super late to this review and this was so mediocre and not really for me that I can't really remember what my initial review would've been.

I was excited for this book, but it was honestly a bit disappointing and hard to get through. The story’s lengthy dialogue and awkward, immature banter, coupled with near constant miscommunication, made this not the book for me.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

I really just could not do this. The miscommunication was annoying and too much for me. I felt like everything could have been handled so much better.

2 stars

In support of the SMP boycott, I will be withholding my review of this title until SMP speaks out. If the boycott is resolved, I will update with a full review.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

Published: February 6, 2024
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 329
Genre: Romantic Comedy
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

This was such a charming romcom. I loved the character development and the way these two played off of each other. Grumpy was so over the top, but it worked out in the funniest way.

The chemistry was off the charts! The build-up only made the dynamic that much hotter. This was a fantastic story and an easy read. I was engaged and laughing throughout most of it.

Mabel Willicker is a positive ray of sunshine who's always looking at the bright side of things. She works as a ghostwriter and is surprised and worried when she's hired to work with famously grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding. He hates sharing things about himself, but there's something about the way Mabel teases him that has him sharing his deepest secrets. What starts as a working relationship quickly becomes a friendship that his celebrity status turns into a fake relationship, but Mabel is quickly feeling more than friendship for Alfie and he isn't shy about sharing his wants.

I loved every word of this book. Both Alfie and Mabel are great characters with a lot to unpack and following along as they help each other was delightful. Not to mention that Stein takes the steamy scenes to the next level when she takes their excellent banter into the bedroom, so to speak.

It's a fun, empowering romp that had me falling in love with the characters and eating up their story.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the fun and romantic read!

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange of my honest opinion!

Rating: 4.35 Stars

I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine story, even more so because it had a curvy FMC who I resonated with quite a bit. It was so cute and the perfect palette cleanser for me. I will definitely be reading more books from Charlotte Stein. Now a huge fan of their writing!

Mabel Willicker is amazing, she’s creative, complex and funny, but she’s holding herself back. When she meets Alfie Harding a gruff ex-footballer her life is quickly turned upside down after people begin to speculate they are dating, and the internet starts to do what the internet does. Mabel is a curvy person and fails to see how someone like Alfie could truly be interested in someone like her. This is a great story about knowing your worth. As a curvy person I’ve often struggled with self doubt and seeing this representation really means a lot to me.

I loved this book from beginning to end. It was just so much fun. I love grumpy/sunshine and darn it this was a great example. The main characters are just wonderful and the whole story is a hoot. I hope to read more by this author ASAP.

Charlotte Stein’s novel When Grumpy Met Sunshine is the story of ex-footballer Alfie Harding. Unable to write his memoir, ghostwriter Mabel Willicker is there to help. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this well-written, adorable book about two people who could not be more different.