Give me a cute cover, fun title and an interesting sounding blurb and I'll be requesting the book all day. Unfortunately this one fell short for me.

Mabel is a ghost writer who meets grumpy, ex-footballer Alfie and is tasked with writing his memoir. For a book title using the trope grumpy sunshine, he doesn't seem grumpy for all that long. Also, I love a good banter between characters, but at what point is it too much?

The first 60% was cute enough, but once they start banging, where did the plot go? I didn't realize there was so much of that.

Another thing, I LOVED the tv show, Ted Lasso. I've even rewatched it a few times. And I love the character, Roy Kent, but I am so over fictional characters written with inspiration of him.

*Thank you to the St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! *

This is the story of Mabel and Alfie and it was delightfully fun and steamy. Alfie is a professional (footballer) soccer player in the UK and he wants to write his memoir. Mabel gets hired to be his ghostwriter.

There is a definite attraction between them but Mabel is wary of Alfie given her plus size body. While she’s not ashamed of herself, she is careful with her heart because of the way the world works. And Alfie gets a lesson in this when the press mistakenly assume that Mabel is his new girlfriend and start to talk about her in less than positive terms.

There is really good relationship development between the two of them. There is great banter and sweet and funny scenes, as well as some pretty decent spice. This was a humorous and romantic read!

I was super excited to listen to this book as the cover is adorable and the title is one of my favorite tropes. How cute are these two on the cover?

When a sunshine ghost writer takes a gig to write a memoir for a grumpy retired footballer, it has the makings of quite the love story. However, this story was missing a certain spark and chemistry between the two characters. I loved their interactions, the premise of the story, and ultimately the ending. What didn’t work for me were the in-between moments - there was an overabundance of internal dialogue that took away from the story, and the banter which probably meant to move the story forward felt like it was repetitive and delayed the next scene. Overall it was a charming story, and has potential for you to enjoy it!

I liked the narrator though. She had a very calming presence with a British accent, however I also wonder if her reading made the story feel slow?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Charlotte Stein for a copy of this audio arc.

Read if you enjoy
💕Grumpy x Sunshine
💕Fake Dating
💕Workplace Romance
💕Opposites Attract
💕Plus Size FMC
💕Forced Proximity
💕 Sports Romance

I really really wanted to like this book. I think the idea of the book is great, it sounded like it would be such a good read but honestly I really struggled not to DNF this book, and I do not believe in DNFING. With that being said, just because I don’t like this book, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. You still may like it.

This book started off with great promise. I feel like there was a lot of information that didn’t need to be in it and a lot of things that should have been talked about more. I wish this book had a lot more detail in the surroundings,and things that were happening. This book would switch between first and third person , which isn’t a complete bad thing. One of the things that bothered me the most was how often the same sentence would be repeated just with a couple word changes. There was a time the FMC thought the same thing three times in a row with just different wording. The MMC honestly just didn’t seem realistic to me at all. I could not even pretend he was real with how he was just gullible and the way certain things went over his head or the way he spoke I just couldn’t grasp the story.

Again I really wish I liked this book, but that just wasn’t in the cards for me. I hope you still give this book a try. Even though I am giving a bad review for it, it still deserves a chance.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is, you guessed it, a "grumpy x sunshine", "fake dating" romance. While the premise and story itself are cute, I didn't love the writing style. Personally, I found everything to be a little too blunt and spelt out. This didn't necessarily make it a bad story, it just wasn't what I was looking to read right now. If you are looking for a light, tropey romance though, you might really enjoy this!

I struggled with this one at the beginning because the writing style would jump back and forth between dialogue and inner monologue. Even though there were some funny moments, I had a difficult time trying to keep things straight. It wasn't until about halfway through that I started to enjoy it.

Alfie is the grump and hides much of his personality behind grunts and gruff replies. Mabel's patient and understanding nature helps tease out his softer side. Their conversations display how well-suited they are to each other even if Mabel believes he could never feel the same about her.

Be forewarned this is a slow burn. I thought the end was worth my initial struggles with it. It's really sweet. I did wish there was more interaction between Mabel and her friends. They just appear here and there and mostly through text. The book relies heavily on Mabel and Alfie, and at times I needed to hear other voices and interactions to break things up.

Readers who enjoy grumpy x sunshine will enjoy this one. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

I absolutely adored this book!! I picked it out thinking it would be your basic grumpy/sunshine but it really wasn’t. The fake dating aspect was great but it seemed a little too real for both of them the whole time. I also loved how there wasn’t a specific grumpy or sunshine. Mabel and Alfie played both parts perfectly.

I struggled to get into this one. The characters were extremely lovable. Think Roy Kent from Ted Lasso. Their dynamic was sweet and had me rooting for them. The pace was just too slow for me.

More like 4.25 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read my first Charlotte Stein book. This story is about ex-footballer, Alfie Harding, and the ghostwriter he's hired, Mabel Willicker. Alfie has a reputation for being a grump, while Mabel shoots sunshine wherever she goes. And the story devolves into both characters sharing their true selves with each other, while skirting social media speculation of their relationship, which got very emotional due to the very harsh descriptions of Mabel's curvy self. It took me a while to get used to the narrative style Stein used for this story: a somewhat choppy prose, all from Mabel's POV, with each chapter ending with either social media excerpts on the goings on from the chapter, or text messages with Mabel's friends. But once I got used to the narrative, after a couple of chapters, I really enjoyed the story. It had a lot of funny banter between Alfie and Mabel, and the sex got very steamy once the characters succumbed to their attraction to each other. Very steamy. Very steamy. Charlotte Stein can write steam. Woo..... I loved the ending, and I will definitely be reading more Charlotte Stein.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review “When Grumpy Met Sunshine.” Not every book is for every reader and this book did not work for me, unfortunately. I liked Mabel and Allie as characters - I did not enjoy the narrative style. It felt like the characters never said what they meant and it got old really fast reading pages and pages of their non-communication. I also did not enjoy the interludes between the chapters (seemed like filler) and I don't understand why Mabel never did any actual writing? Anyway, the cover is adorable and fans of sports romances or fake dating tropes may find this works better for them.

As someone who is a huge grumpy/sunshine trope fan, I was instantly drawn to this book based on the name! I liked both of the MCs, even if they were infuriating to me sometimes! (but who isnt??) Overall this was a fun read and I will read more by this author in the future!

I read this in both ebook and audiobook format and liked both a lot! The audiobook narrator was great!

I struggled with this one a lot because the writing style was not working for me. It felt choppy and disconnected, which made it difficult to get into a reading flow. There also were many moments where it felt like information was missing or just poorly described, which took me out of it. I liked the idea of the plot, but the characters themselves felt too immature for their supposed ages. I'm still giving it 3 stars, because I think this will appeal to, and work for, some people, it just didn't work for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I had to DNF this book after a few chapters.

The writing style was not for me. It felt like one big run-on sentence. I'm no editor or English professor, but I felt that way because 75% of the sentences started with conjunctions (And, Or, So, and But were common ones). It was rambling to me.

Additionally, the characters weren't really introduced. It just jumps into a situation and I was left wondering, who are these people and why do I care?

Let me start by saying that I LOVED the cover art. I was immediately drawn to it and clicked "Request" before even reading the blurb. Then I read the blurb, and I was still super excited to read it. Enemies to lovers - what's not to love?!

But then I started reading and it was just...awkward. Alfie Harding's character was so caveman meets cringe. I just didn't feel any chemistry and the plot was lacking. Maybe next time, Charlotte Stein.

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

I really loved this book just as much as I thought I would! The characters, the misadventure, the drama--obsessed! I wish it had been a bit longer because I hated saying goodbye to the characters. Alfie mirrors the gruff exterior and unexpected charm of Roy Kent from Ted Lasso and that. is my ideal man, honestly. Both Alfie and Roy share a complexity that makes readers want to know more as you dive into their pasts and get down to the layers of vulnerability and authenticity that make you fall in love with them. The way Mabel and Alfie found a kindred spirit in one another made my heart feel so full!

Charlotte Stein's writing had such wit and charm. Her ability to balance humor and heart is commendable, making the story a captivating and uplifting journey. Her storytelling prowess ensures that this novel stands out as a heartwarming and thoroughly enjoyable read for anyone seeking a delightful escape into the world of love, laughter, and unexpected sunshine. If you love rom-coms, Ted Lasso, and men who worship their women, I'd highly recommend giving this a shot!

Thank you to Charlotte Stein, NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my review!

This was so cute. First off, I love reading romances with plus size heroines. There is not nearly enough fat FMCs in romance novels. I appreciated that Mabel's character was confident in her size and would stand up for herself against the hero, and others.

The dynamic in this was very fun. Some of the banter made me laugh out loud and I was giddy from their first interaction. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes because it really forces the couple together and perform in ways that bring out true romance and feelings. Charlotte Stein really excelled in that area.

I was swooning and kicking my feet at Alfie! He was really devoted to Mabel, despite what the press and public were saying about her and sticking up for her.

4/5!

1.75⭐️

A bit late on my review of this book, but that's kind of a testament to how hard it was for me to get through. The cover art, title, and description of this book was so cute! I can see where this was meant to go, but overall I think the novel did not live up to what it could have been.

The writing style was very difficult for me to get through; there was a lot of distracting dialogue, and it felt like it was 95% between the two main characters only. I also felt like it was all talk and no show of what Mabel and Alfie's personalities actually were, and him "opening up" to her was rushed, yet also somehow took forever??

Along with there being minimal to no side characters, there was also minimal plot. The whole point was that Mabel is hired to ghostwrite his memoirs, and that became ignored for most of the story! The 'chemistry' mostly contained dirty talk??? and other actions and conversations that seemed almost immature for their age..

The timing of the ending, and even the entire novel was a bit all over the place and frankly dragged out. There were some funny moments and cute aspects of the book, but overall it just didn't work for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

My initial intrigue for When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein came from its beautiful cover art. Once I read the synopsis, I instantly knew this would be one of my most anticipated reads of the year with its promising blend of tropes such as grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, and fake dating. Polar opposites, Mabel (a curvy, bubbly and ‘cupcake’ sweet ghostwriter) and Alfie (a grumpy, blunt, and social recluse ex-footballer), don’t make sense being together but somehow find themselves drawn to one another while they work on Alfie’s memoir and pretend to be in a relationship to please the media. The book included banter, spice, and humour, all ingredients for a great story but unfortunately the book still fell short of my expectations.

Charlotte Stein is a new-to-me author and her writing style was nothing like anything I've read before. And although I thoroughly enjoyed the story that unfolded throughout the pages, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. I believe the story’s impact and overall delivery of the storyline presented could have benefitted from a more of a dual pov delivery. Alfie being as gruff and reserved as he is, I would have loved to have been able to get a glimpse inside of his mind to know what his thoughts and opinions were throughout the progression of the story. I’m quite sure my opinion has been skewed by the fact that my majority of the books I have read since the start of the year have been dual pov. ALSO!! The miscommunication/lack of communication trope is not my favourite and so that impacted my overall reading experience as well. With that being said, I do strongly believe that this review will likely be an outlier and that other readers will find the book to be a 4 and/or 5 star read.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine was an enjoyable read with its attention to both dialogue and plot. In addition, I really enjoyed the type of characters that were included, what their backgrounds were and what they represented. I am grateful to both St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to receive and review this Advanced Reader Copy. I look forward to seeing and reading what Charlotte writes next!

I struggled to get into this book, which is a real bummer because the premise sounded so cute and the cover is absolutely adorable! It might just not be the book for me right now, I'll definitely try it again later.

Three and a half stars

WHEN GRUMPY MET SUNSHINE by Charlotte Stein is an entertaining contemporary romance about a retired athlete and the ghostwriter assigned to help him write his memoir.

Alfie Harding is well known to be the grumpiest man in existence. Mabel Willicker is the ghost writer assigned to help this buttoned up ex-footballer write his life story.

Honestly, Alfie from the start is described as a truly fearsome man whose own teammates describe as terrifying and irritating and dangerous. However, this reader’s perception of him is more that he’s an enormous marshmallow in a giant footballer suit.

And Mabel is apparently the ghost-writing equivalent of Mary Poppins, and has Alfie hiding smiles and almost cooperative from the get-go... She is a mix of supposedly incredible professional who is also full of self doubt and certain that others, including and especially Alfie, cannot possibly find her interesting or gasp! attractive. (Spoiler--he does.)

Charlotte Stein reveals characters who need desperately to be seen and loved for who they truly are. And to have the courage to let that happen.

Written in third-person deep PoV, solely from Mabel's perspective.