This was adorable. I eyeball read this and then did the audiobook when it was released. I really enjoyed this story. It was surprisingly funny, and very sweet. Alfie is just clueless about so many things, but he's willing to step outside of his comfort zone over and over again for Mabel. I love Mabel! She's adorable and honest and takes way too long to understand what's happening between them, lol. I get super heavy Ted Lasso meets Fake dating romcom. This was my first by Charlotte and I really enjoyed her writing style. I'm also glad I followed it up with the audio when it released. Sometimes I struggle with 3rd person POV in romance, but the narration really helped me connect with the characters and I enjoyed it more the second time through.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Charlotte Stein

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can’t imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute as heck ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item for a public who’s ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. Or at least, it feels like it’s pretend—until each slow burn step in their fake relationship sparks a heat neither can control. Now they just have to is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending?

My Thoughts: This was a cute story that I enjoyed. It took a little bit to get into but when the story really begins to meld, it is explosive. Ex football legend gets roped into selling his story. He does not exposing his flaws for the world to see and does not believe he could do it justice so he wants to hire a ghostwriter. Enter Mabel who loves life and is the has a positive outlook on everything. When their business relationship is mistaken for a romantic relationship by a noisy paparazzi, they have to pretend to be in a relationship to keep his visibility in contact. But does it feel like a fake relationship when the chemistry is off the charts? Or is it something real that could be a fairytale ending? This follows the tropes of grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, miscommunication, and fake dating.

This is narrated by Mabel, solely in her POV. I think the story would have evolved more if we had a dual narration. We just did not get enough of Mabel’s backstory to appreciate what she has been through; there is definitely some type of trauma there. Mabel is presented as a cheery, full of life character that exemplifies sunshine. Alfie is a grumpy exterior, but a softie once you get to know him. The characters were portrayed with witty banter, dark humor, and chemistry. The author’s writing style was complex, steamy, spicy, and intriguing. The dialogues were drawn out and often repetitive hurting the overall premise of the story. I think if we trimmed off some of the repetitiveness, and shorten some of the dialogues, even at the expense of cutting pages, it would really elevate this story to the next level. The bones are definitely there, it just needed some fat trimmed.

This sweet story between a ghostwriter and an ex-football star holds no bar with explosive steamy scenes encapsulated with sweet heartfelt moments. I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions. I really struggled with the digital version, but was able to listen to the audio version. The narrator(s) were awesome, had excellent voice variation with character distinction. The pitch and flow worked well and I was able to listen at 2x with no issues following along. My main issue with the book is some of the banter was a bit immature and at times, while the narrator was great, it was hard to follow the dialogue sequence. There was a fair amount of miscommunication as well, even more so than for a typical miscommunication trope. The narrators moved this from a 2.5 ⭐️ to a 3 ⭐️ read for me and I was able to push through some of the parts due to them.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

I could not take this seriously. I tried. It reads like some sort of fanfic. I am not a fan. You may like it.

This charming romantic comedy follows Mabel (which I loved because this is also my name), a cheerful ghostwriter, and Alfie, a retired football star seeking help with his memoir. Their lively interactions as they delve into Alfie's life lead to unexpected feelings when their fake relationship is exposed to the public.

As a big fan of Roy Kent, I had mixed feelings...

While I enjoyed every moment of this sweet romcom, I found the writing sometimes too wordy and hard to follow. Still, I was captivated by the genuine banter and growing bond between Mabel and Alfie.

Also, the sudden one-year leap at the end felt rushed and out of sync with the rest of the book, leaving me wanting more. Despite these issues, I genuinely liked the story and look forward to more from Charlotte Stein!

I did not finish this book at 50%. I alternated between the physical and audio versions to see if I could make it through but was unable to. I considered DNF at around 20% but wanted to give the book a fair shot.

I love a grumpy/sunshine trope and was really excited about the ghost writing aspect.

There were some funny parts. I appreciated the Pretty Woman reference, and there were some tender moments, but I found myself overwhelmed by the dialogue.

Reasons I did not finish this book/couldn't get into it.
The dialogues were lengthy and dragged on.
There was a lot of internal dialogue mixed in.
It was often hard to follow the conversations, I thought switching to the E-ARC might help with this, and it made it more clear, but dialogue and internal dialogue dragged on.
The internal dialogue felt excessive and forced. Like the reader must know every single thought Mabel was feeling.

Since I did not finish this book I will not be reviewing it on Goodreads, and have provided a 2 star rating for the purpose of this feedback, but will not be posting this on my platforms.

This book was just okay. I liked parts of it, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the dynamic between the main characters. I know others who read this and loved it, but it just wasn’t something I enjoyed

This book was so fun! The banter and tension between the two main characters was absolutely top notch.

It took me a bit to get into it but once I was invested I did not want to put it down.

I would recommend this f0r anyone who is a fan of banter, tension, and friends to lovers.

Hey friend! Guess what? I just finished When Grumpy Met Sunshine, and I've got to spill the tea—it was a total delight! Picture this: a whirlwind romance, a sprinkle of humor, and just the right amount of heart. I was hooked from the get-go! The characters felt like old pals, and the love story? Well, let's just say it's giving me some serious relationship goals. Bottom line: if you're in need of a pick-me-up, this book is it! I'm already eyeing up more gems from Charlotte Stein. Can't wait to see what they've got in store next!"

*wipes eyes*

This book was absolutely beautiful.

The entire premise hooked me and then seeing it executed so perfectly in the overall story, just made this hit so hard with my own feelings.

Mabel is hilarious, smart, and one horny lady (can you even blame her?). Alfie is the typical retired footballer who is very quiet and tends to hide his feelings.

The undeniable chemistry these two have and the slow burn that occurs is satisfying and written so well.

This grumpy vs sunshine story was such a fun and cute read. I very much enjoyed the sports romance, paparazzi shenanigans and quirky main character vibes of this one. I also like that it balanced the sweet and spicy moments quite well. So if you are a big fan of of all of this and characters like Roy from Ted Lasso- this is definitely a read for you.

I absolutely love this cover! It gives off fun opposites attract vibes. I also liked the premise of a ghost writer falling for her client. Unfortunately, the story itself was lacking the fun banter and charm I was expecting. Alfie was just miserable & Mabel did not come off as a happy sunshine character. The last half of the book was just them being horny & talking about what they would do to each other. I had to skim through a good portion of it because it was so repetitive. I never thought I would have a word I dislike but I have found it with this book. Slick! I will forever be cringing.

This book just didn’t resonate with me. The writing style was clunky and the characters didn’t have any chemistry. I can handle miscommunication, but not this much. I am sure others will like it, unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.

When Grumpy met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein is an opposites attract rom-com.

Mabel is a plus-sized ghost writer who has been paired with Grumpy retired football (soccer) player Alfie to write his memoir.

While heavy on the dialogs, this book has a good premise and cute cover.

This book unfortunately was not for me. I almost DNFed multiple times but I powered through and made it to the end. The characters were one bit awkward millennial stereotype, and not in a quirky, fun, relatable way. Just in an uncomfortable way. The short choppy sentences did not flow well and made it hard to read. Every conversation was also pages and pages and pages of endless dialogue. Every time I thought a conversation had reached a natural end point it just.. kept.. going…

It seems like a lot of people liked the book because of a likeness to a Ted Lasso character, but I haven’t watched the show (yet) so I didn’t even have that to make me like the characters. I picked up this book several times hoping that I’d change my mind and end up liking it, but that time just never came. However, I did appreciate the size inclusivity and thought that was refreshing. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This one was so overloaded by dialogue that I just couldn't get into this one. The characters were fine but not amazing and the story wasn't enough to save it.

First, thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.
Second, I had high hopes for this book. Grumpy sunshine is my jam, as well as sports romances and the witty banter. However, the story itself was confusing to follow, and the mixed media throughout the book confused me more. Oftentimes the whereabouts of the characters did not line up, and the entire book was a miscommunication trope with spicy scenes added in. I wish it was dual POV, the FMC fell flat for me, and the running extra commentary threw off the flow of the story.
It had SUCH potential, but poor execution. I would still give this author another change in a different book, I just think this particular book may not have been for me, despite loving everything about the premise and plot prior to reading.

I had to read this one twice. It’s so cute and honestly the twist was unexpected. It’s so frustrating when you’re witnessing characters miscommunicate but honestly that’s how I know it’s a good book. I was so invested. Parts of it felt sudden, but it all came back around and I kind of am crossing my fingers for a sequel?? I mean, a girl can dream right?!

I love a good banter filed rom com! And this delivered with a Roy Kent meets our ghostwriter Mabel.

Felt like it could have had some refreshing in the banter, but overall a solid read.

Do you want a romance that's toe-curling, funny, spicy, and unputdownable? Then you've got to read When Grumpy Met Sunshine.

First things first, Alfie, our MC is supposed to be grumpy, but he's the cutest guy ever. I love how innocent, real, and adorable he is. And Mabel? Oh, I love her, too. She is the perfect sunshine to our adorable grumpy.

I enjoyed their banter and relationship development. It hits you in all the right ways. Their chemistry is palpable and sizzling. I did not expect it to be so steamy, and I loved it. Some moments were so hilarious, and I love how "real" it all felt.

Here are my reasons why you should read this:
♡ You like strangers to friends to lovers.
♡ You like fake dating.
♡ You like he falls first and hard.
♡ You like one bed.
♡ You like a steamy opposites attract.
♡ You like sizzling chemistry.
♡ You like your MCs in their 30s.

Thank you for this ARC. 🫶🏽

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First I want to say thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & Charlotte Stein for the ARC of When Grumpy Met Sunshine.

Alfie Harding is an ex-footballer who has been tasked with finding someone to write about his memoirs. Mabel Willicker is the exact opposite of Alfie. She’s sass and sunshine while he’s a grumpy old arse who never smiles. Mabel knew just what to do to get Alfie to open up about his life, something he hadn’t ever done before. When Mabel is seen leaving Alfie’s rumors start that they’re in a relationship. Instead of setting everyone straight, they decide to play into it and fake a relationship. Are they really faking it though? When Alfie gets into a physical altercation over someone calling Mabel names, you can see how much he truly cares for her. They obviously have feelings for each other, the problem is they don’t see it. They see each other for the first time a year after they ended their fake relationship. Mabel reads the book of memoirs for the first time and she’s shocked to say the least.

This was a good romance novel with a little bit of spice. I enjoyed reading about Mabel & Alfie’s love story.