How I adore a book that combines several of my favorite tropes. Here we have an opposites attract plus a grumpy sunshine with some fake dating thrown in. it’s so much fun to see the progression of the relationship between Alfie, the grumpy X football player, and Mabel, the very sunshiny ghost rider, who supposed to write for him. I found the chemistry between both characters to be fantastic, and I love the banter. I also really enjoyed the fact that there are steamy scenes in this book, because when sexual chemistry is off the charts, it should be shown. all in all, I found this to be a highly entertaining and satisfying book

I liked this book much more that it seemed like I would as I started to read it. The style is unique, the story feels more like you're reading the character's inner dialogue than actual dialogue. It took me a bit to get used to, but once I did, I was very invested in what was happening.

I must look up more from this author, I'm certain her work will all be enjoyable. Also, while this book was spicy, it was done in a way that makes you feel the butterflies in YOUR stomach. Well done, Charlotte Stein.

Mabel Williker is a talented ghostwriter. She’s known for getting people to share things that they usually don’t talk about. She stays true to her NDAs, not letting on about her work for the famous and influential. So when she’s asked to do a memoir for a well-known English soccer star, she seems like the perfect choice. She can disarm him with her cheery attitude and cupcakes, the colorful dresses she wears over her curves and her whimsical accessories.

But she just may have met her match in Alfie Harding.

Alfie is known for being surly. He gets into fistfights and dates models and doesn’t do well with the press. And as soon as Mabel walked her sunny, cheerful self into her editor’s office with home-baked treats, she took one look at Alfie’s glowering and knew she had made a mistake. The cupcakes were definitely not going to help. But she has signed a contract, and she was going to do what she could to get this book done.

But then things got weird. She was having lunch with her editor, and she noticed one of the large ferns moving. When she looked closer, she could see Alfie hiding behind it, or doing his best, because a man of his size can’t really hide behind a fern. And then she went to Starbucks, and Alfie was there. He just stared at her while she tried to work, and Mabel could not figure out why. And when she first went to his house to get started on the memoir, he said strange and awkward things. Mabel knew he would be resistant to the project, but she had no idea how much. However, she figured out that when she teased him, just a little, she could get through to him.

She had a way in.

And then the paparazzi caught them together. And when they were asking Alfie about it later, when they were saying rude things about Mabel, he punched one reporter and headbutted another.

Mabel didn’t know about any of that until the next morning, when her phone was flooded with texts and calls. That was when she found out Alfie had punched a reporter because of her. But then he’d gone on to make it so much worse. He’d said something too. He’d told the reporters that she was the love of his life.

Mabel didn’t know what to say to that. Alfie told her that he hadn’t meant to say it, it just slipped out. So they talked about it and decided that the best way to get them out of the situation is to pretend to date for a while and then break up. No one would be the wiser.

But what Mabel didn’t expect was that pretend dating Alfie could turn into genuine feelings for him. Or that it could generate a thousand watts of heat between them. And when it did, she didn’t know what to do about it. She was there to do a job, but how could she be expected to write about his experiences as a footballer or dating glamorous actresses while ignoring the fact that she was very much falling in love with Alfie Harding?

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a rom com with lots of heat, flirting, and some dirty talk. But it’s also a story about two damaged and awkward people who can’t have a relationship with someone else because the stories they tell themselves are too damaging to get past. It’s laugh-out-loud funny while also being self-conscious, sweet, and respectful. It’s a rom com written by someone who loves rom coms and isn’t afraid to play with the tropes we’ve seen in all those great Sandra Bullock movies (she’s my favorite actress too).

I was thrilled when I started reading this book. I was sold by the title alone, but when I found out in was about a retired footballer, I was so much more in (yes, I am a soccer nerd). If you’re a Ted Lasso fan. you will find Alfie giving off strong Roy Kent vibes (another reason to love this book), but Mabel is unique to herself. I was disappointed reading the book, as it was told from Mabel’s point of view, with random bits of social media or articles mixed in at the end of each chapter. I thought it needed more of Alfie’s voice. But the ending came, and Alfie’s voice is made loud and clear, and all was forgiven. When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a charming story about how the lies we tell ourselves can be the most damaging, and how to stand up to the voices that put up down and hold us back, whether those voices are outside of us, on social media, or in our own heads.

Egalleys for When Grumpy Met Sunshine were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book at 50%. I was really excited with the premise especially as I've been getting into UK football. However, I couldn't get past the dialogue. The writing was confusing and could have been simplified. The conversations between Alfie and Mabel came across immature and made it hard to believe their age. And Alfie not understanding technology in present day was hard to believe especially with how extreme it was.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

THIS!!!! THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A GRUMPY X SUNSHINE!!!!

I don't normally like to compare the book I'm reviewing to other books in my review, but I have to make an exception for this book. I love grumpy x sunshine romances so much, but I struggle to find good ones because the grumpy character is sometimes just rude or the sunshine character seems juvenile. "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" is not like that at all. The sunshine character (the fmc Mabel) is adorable and such an optimist. She seeks the good in the world while wearing bright cardigans. She's absolutely amazing. The same can be said for the grumpy character (mmc Alfie). He's never rude to Mabel, just awkward. He's a pessimist and keeps to himself. He's essentially Mr. Darcy but a soccer player.

If the characters don't convince you to pick up the book, then you need to keep reading this review because this book is a must read. This was my first book by Charlotte Stein, but it will not be my last. Her writing is so fun and refreshing. The plot has a great flow as well, and don't get me started on the spice.

The romance is just wonderful. I don't have the words to describe it. These characters are actually the cutest (and yes I am using that word to describe the super tall, grumpy athlete mmc). I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

I recommend this book for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Mr. Darcy, soccer/football players, and a healthy grumpy x sunshine trope.

I am so on the fence with this book. It unfortunately took me longer to finish than I expected it to. There were times when I was thoroughly confused as to what was happening but when I knew, this book was so cute! I feel like the audiobook would have been a better option for me.

I absolutely love the story itself. The cover is amazingly cute but I really feel like the writing itself needed some work. There was so much repetitiveness in the book, it definitely could have been shorter with more focus on the adorable story. I found the dialogs confusing at times because it was hidden within a paragraph. I really do think this book could have been less confusing to me if it was a dual POV. The banter and flirting were the best parts of this book - it had me laughing out loud.

Miscommunication is a tough trope to have in a book and it really had me banging my head in this one. Mabel is a fabulous FMC - strong, smart and secure in her own skin, however the constant questioning what was happening/going back and forth took away from her shine. Alfie, I loved him (I tend to love the grouchy bad boys)but I just really wish they both just talked about the important stuff…they didn't have a problem talking about the other stuff.

𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℍ𝕒𝕤:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Fake Dating
Ex-Football (soccer) MMC
He Falls First
Curvy FMC
Opposites Attract
Workplace Romance
Slow Burn
One Bed
Miscommunication

Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mabel is in the running to be a ghost-writer for the finnicky former footballer, Alfie. Despite a rough start, Alfie begins to open up to Mabel and when they are caught with compromising photos, rumors fly.

Based on the description, I thought this book was going to be different. I feel like the whole idea of being a ghost writer was quickly replaced by the fake dating and miscommunication. The characters were so honest with each other until it came time for them to just tell each other how they felt. I didn't always enjoy the banter and in some places felt like I was reading 2 different books.

As a plus size girlie myself I was extremely excited to see representation -since there isnt a lot-
Honestly I loved the synopsis for this book, because duhhh we all love the grumpy/sunshine trope,
The cover also sold me so quick, so i was so excited when i got the arc read!
truthfully this book was only ok, I think it had too much dialogue, and very immature banter, that brought me out of the story.
i am 100% sure this book will find its audience, it is just not me!
3/5 stars

You show me a cute title and some cartoony cover art and I’m 100% requesting an early copy immediately. But don’t let the cutesieness fool you. If you are like me and get a little squicked out with too much dirty sexy talk, multiple masturbation and dry-humping sessions and a plot that all but completely disappears once the two main (pretty much only) characters start boffing like bunnies, well, you might want to skip this one.

I’m going to give this 2.5, but round down for the aforementioned not smexy smexuals. The pacing was off a bit at the beginning as well and “grumpy” really turned his frown upside down and acted like he was “sunshine’s” B.F.F. without much interaction. But then things settled in and for a while I was loving the banter between Mable and Alfie as they got to know each other while she was ghost writing the famous footballer’s memoir. I just wish the flow would have kept going once things got steamy.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I wanted to love this one. Part were excellent. The spice was incredible and I loved the setup of these two characters. There were also some laugh out loud lines.

However there was something off with the pace which felt choppy, not helped by the parts too much dialogue then parts with too much inner monologue.

I've enjoyed Charlotte Stein's past work (Never Sweeter is a fave), but this one seemed like she was trying to write more like more mainstream authors and her unique voice was lost.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕

DNFed this one. No further feedback will be provided until the Boycott of SMP is over and they comply with our easy demands .

The cover of this book is so cute which gave me hope for the insides and the book just fell a wee bit short for me.

It's one of my favorite tropes - who doesn't love grumpy/sunshine!? But the banter was long and drawn out, the humor fell flat, and the character building felt lacking. The characters could stand on their own but together they just didn't work for me, I think it was mostly due to the banter not being short and sweet but instead it was long, dull, and drawn out.

However, Mabel was one of the cutest characters - she was curvy, bubbly, kind, and sweet. She made me laugh more than a few times, and oh she blushed! She actually blushed, and it was priceless. Alfie was cranky and blunt and oh-so intense. It was engaging from the beginning and was a quick read which I appreciated. I will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author as I think she truly has potential!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Charlotte Stein for this digital ARC to review.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine
Genre: rom com
Rating: 3⭐️
Troupes: grumpy/sunshine, sports (MMC is a former superstar athlete)

I was provided with a review copy for the publisher for the purpose of a review of my own opinions.

The story follows Mabel, a curvy writer looking for a writing break, and Alfie, a former star football player and notorious grump. Mabel is asked to ghostwrite Alfie’s book, prompting the two to spend time together and breaking down each other’s walls.

I somehow hadn’t been familiar with this author’s work before this book and now I’m running to her backlist. The banter in this novel reminded me a bit of Alexis Hall’s “so outlandish that I’m laughing out loud but it WORKS”. That being said, there were a few minor issues I had with pacing throughout the book - at times getting frustrated with the ongoing grump that was Alfie’s character. While the banter was fun to read, it did seem to go on for pages and pages, while stalled the pace of the story (and their relationship). As the story progresses, we learn more of Alfie’s and Mabel’s backstory and their actions start to make more sense and helps bring the story fully together. Overall, a substantive (not fluffy!) rom com heavy on the banter and the fun.

This book was a cute, quick, romance read. Like the title, it is a perfect Grumpy x Sunshine read. However, there is a lot of dialogue, that seems repetitive at times and makes it difficult to follow. ⁠
⁠
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review from @netgalley

I was so excited for this one, but it just did not grab my attention. It was slow paced and I thought the descriptions were off. I love the title, but it does not match the rest of the book.

Mabel Willicker becomes the ghostwriter for ex-footballer Alfie Harding’s memoirs. However, the public misinterprets their business arrangement as a romance, so they pretend to be in a relationship in Charlotte Stein’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine.

While I’m all about fake dating, grumpy x sunshine romances are relatively new reads for me. Stein wonderfully blends these two tropes with a touch of enemies-to-lovers. If this is what I have to look forward to, all I can say is sign me up. It’s one of the most hilarious and sexiest romances I’ve ever read and the best Grumpy x Sunshine romances. I love it so much! Stein perfectly balances the humor, steam, and slight bit of angst. I cannot tell you how often I went from laughing my head off to fanning myself to clutching my heart at these two silly people who just couldn’t get it together. Despite their best efforts, things continuously steamroll into the hottest messes. I can’t with them!

From the very first scene, Stein drew me in, and I couldn’t put it down. Stein’s writing and storytelling, with vibrant and detailed descriptions using all the characters’ senses and superb world-building, make you feel like you are with the characters in each moment. She excellently develops her conflicted, complex, relatable, and likable characters that you can’t help but love. Her colorful, hilarious, and natural-sounding dialogue perfectly suits her characters, setting, and theme.

A grumpy ex-footballer who is averse to emotions and can’t stand revealing anything about himself, Alfie gives in to pressure to sell his memoirs. However, Alfie doesn’t believe he can competently write his memoirs himself. So, his publisher hires sunny and bright ghostwriter Mabel, who somehow can effortlessly talk and charm all the details of Alfie’s life from him. Complete opposites, Mabel and Alfie, quarrel, banter, and talk their way through writing Alfie’s life story. The whole time, neither believes it can possibly go well.

Then, when the public mistakes their association for a potential romance, Alfie and Mabel pretend to be in a relationship to satisfy their appetite for a Cinderella story. What begins as fake and pretending soon begins to smolder into an all too real passion that combusts out of their control. Will the fiery chemistry that sparks between them stay pretend, or has it grown into something genuine that leads to Alfie and Mabel’s fairytale ending?

Stein develops Alfie and Mabel’s relationship and transitions it from reluctant partners to friends to lovers through hilarious, snarky banter and sweet, sexy, steamy, and intimate interactions and love scenes that reveal and evolve their characters and further the novel’s plot.

An angry, literal, weird, technophobe, talented athlete, and fan favorite who tends to get into fights, Alfie is much more complicated than first impressions and outward appearances show or what the world knows about him. Mabel discovers that Alfie is practical, intelligent, and so much more. A curvy, cute, cheery, soft-hearted, sweet, and surprisingly sassy ray of sunshine, ghostwriter Mabel wears protective, bubbly girl armor to shield her from the judgments and criticism she’s learned to expect from the world. Mabel’s so relatable. But like Alfie, she hides a depth of emotion and personality behind her façade. Interestingly enough, Mabel is truly as adorable as she appears. I love Mabel and her inner voice and how freely and naturally she gives Alfie a hard time.

I love how Mabel and Alfie effortlessly talk to each other about everything and the comfort level that so spontaneously develops between them once they start working together. These two people, whom no one would believe could ever have anything in common, deeply connect and unexpectedly share so much on many levels. No one is more surprised by how compatible and deeply they fall for one another than Alfie and Mabel.

Stein flawlessly shifts between the novel’s tones—hilarious one moment, intimate and steamy the next, then intensely emotional—without affecting the fantastic pacing. Sweet, steamy, hilarious, sexy, emotional, and fast-paced, When Grumpy Met Sunshine is an unexpectedly and beautifully romantic and hot AF romance perfect for fans of fake dating, opposites-attract, grumpy x sunshine, and humorous, steamy romances. Stein explores self-discovery, self-esteem, self-expression, writing, sports fandoms, social media, falling in love, friendship, facing fears, taking risks, following your dreams, being comfortable with yourself, and being comfortable with your sexuality.

Advanced review copy provided by St. Martin’s Griffin via Netgalley for review.

Content warnings: brief references to parental abuse, childhood poverty, alcoholism, and an incident of fatphobia and its effects.

Mabel is a ghost writer and has been asked to meet with footballer (soccer for us Americans), Alfie Harding, who has already rejected around 17 others to work on his memoir. He is known as a grumpy guy who does not say much. After an initial misunderstanding, they slowly began to work on the book. Initially I just thought the book was salty and it made me think of Ted Lasso, but it turns very steamy, which to me overtook the plot for a while. Overall, I liked the storyline and how it ends plus that the female protagonist was not a skinny little thing, but it was too steamy for me, so I would give it 3.5 stars.

2.5 stars rounded up.
When I saw the title and read the synopsis, I thought that this would definitely be a fun, light-hearted rom-com that I would love. Unfortunately, When Grumpy Met Sunshine was one of the more uneven books I have read in a long time, with parts that worked and were wonderful, and others that just did not gel.

I liked the characters quite a lot, and like other readers felt that the Alfie characters was very Roy Kent adjacent. Mabel's character was a bit less identifiable, except that she was a curvy woman who had not had great previous relationships. My favorite parts of the book were when the characters were talking about their childhoods or other aspects of their lives; you could just see them falling for each other. I was less fond of the section of the book as they started to become physically attracted (and acting on it). I felt like the book completely lost focus and was intent on being as smutty as it possibly could. Perhaps that is the audience that the book is intended to appeal to...it just isn't my taste.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy of When Gumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein. The opinions in this review are my own.

Grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding is convinced to sell his memoirs, but he knows he can't write it himself. He hates revealing anything or dealing with emotions, so he meets curvy and cheerful ghostwriter Mabel Willicker. She tends to sass her way into getting those details out of Alfie, and the banter is mistaken for a budding romance. This makes for great publicity, but it soon feels like a very real slow-burn romance.

The meet-cute at the start isn't cute; Alfie is gruff and Mabel is sure he insulted her size by calling her a cupcake. His attempts to correct that impression are hilariously wrong. He is often surly and grumbling, literally responding to comments, and sure that rapid-fire conversation is a way to insult him. The two have an easy camaraderie and similar backgrounds. They get along very well and desire each other, so they lean into the media's assumptions that they're a couple when Alfie defends her to a bunch of random men putting her down because of her weight. Both assume the other doesn't really love them, so it takes the grand gesture to clear the air and allow the happily ever after. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and spending time with Mabel and Alfie.

You know that feeling when you close a book and it’s like your whole body lets out this sigh of contentment. Like your heart is full and sad at the same time. That’s how this book made me feel.

Alfie and Mabel won me over very early in the story. Alfie is that surly, impenetrable hero that I just can’t get enough of and I knew from the second scene he appeared in that he was going to be so much more than what he seemed. Mabel was the most relatable heroine and a lot of the time I really felt like I was reading my own thoughts. Together they were just…everything.

I won’t lie, the dialogue in this story was, at times, hard to follow along with and I found myself needing to go back and reread parts to fully grasp what was going on. It might seem weird or wrong to say but the book is just very British and finding my footing in the cadence of Mabel and Alfie’s conversations took a minute. It didn’t, however, take away the butterflies I got throughout the book or the way I laughed out loud at their banter and sheer ridiculousness. For this reason, I know that a lot of people might give up on this story or not enjoy it the way it deserves but this is absolutely going on my best of list for 2024.

*I received an early copy from NetGalley for voluntary review