I really wanted to love this book and was so excited but I truly could not get into it. I stopped and started multiple times and tried the audiobook as well to no luck. I hope this book finds its intended readers even if I didn't love it because it has so much potential.

I felt this one wasn't super easy to follow, it didn't have a good flow to it. Maybe it was the narrator or even the speed I listened to it at, but I did slow it down.
I didn't really like how much the size of these characters was described, I didnt feel like that was relavent to who they were or the story. Not because they're "bigger" but even when someones tiny size is described, im not a fan of it. Then there was SO MUCH focus on her size throughout the people finding out that they were "dating", why does it matter.
I, again, didnt read the summery of this one, so I didn't expect for this to be a sports romance.
This couple had an interesting dynamic. I did like the MMC, found him to be unexpectedly sweet.
I thought the tweet were a fun addition. And then fake dating, that's always fun.
This one wasn't really memorable, in my book. It was rather boring and I didnt really want to finish it. I think the slow burn aspect really threw me off. Two stars seems harsh, but this one just wasnt it for me.

*Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a hard one for me to get into. It really just didn’t do it for me. Dialog felt really long at times. It did feel like the main male character was Roy Kent from Ted lasso, which I liked but that was about it.

Another DNF for me @21%. Again, the writing style didn't work for me. The author loves to use colons, and it's overdone to list things out when we're reading from Mabel's single POV. And maybe it was the formatting but every paragraph seemed to have a break where there were short sentences as if they're carrying you through the page but just reiterate the previous point.
"But he did exactly that.
He marched right to it.
Went right through it.
He didn't even say goodbye."

It's a rhythmic choice but interrupted the flow of my reading, and it's unnecessary, imo. From what I can tell from other reviews, people are calling this style a "string of conscience" narration, and yeah, I agree. If you've read Mariana Zapata's books, I would say the style is similar.
I really wanted to love this! Grumpy/sunshine with a fat FMC, plus a cute cover? Others have said the MMC is inspired by Roy Kent and I wasn't getting that but not in a way where I was constantly comparing Alfie's character to Roy's. It was more of a reference point for me, and it didn't matter it wasn't a direct copy. Alfie was his own character and I wish this was dual POV so I could see more of his pining for Mabel since it seems like he likes her from the start, and her constant teasing flusters him!

This was my first ever Charlotte Stein and my GOODNESS am I sold. Banter, swoons, and dreamy sighs abound,

This steamy rom-com centeres around a retired footballer (the grump) and his effervescent ghostwriter (the sunshine). Initially their personalities clash and tensions ride high. This ultimately breaks and leads to plenty of witty banter and light-hearted bickering. I appreciated the honest mental health representation; however the overall tension fell flat for me and often felt contrived and immature.

Sincere thanks to St. Martins Press & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited and looking forward to this. Grumpy sunshine? Plus size FMC? Banter? Yes yes and yes!

However i fail to truly enjoy it. I’m not sure if it was the lack of chemistry between Mabel and Alfie. It felt forced and no true emotions came out to make me feel warm and giggly. Or maybe it was the 3rd POV. I am not a fan of 3rd POV.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Mabel is a ghostwriter who has been hired to write Big Bad Football Legend Alfie Harding’s memoir. When they first meet, Alfie can’t imagine how this “cupcake” of a woman could work with him; Mabel takes that to mean he’s judging her body so she storms out of the meeting. Alfie then has to find a way to make it up to Mabel if he wants her to help him write his book.

The banter was fun and consistent and there was lots of cursing (so if that isn’t your cup of tea you def won’t enjoy this book). My biggest irks were (1) the lack of communication between them and the hinting at issues w their families but never going in depth, (2) no actual writing was done after like a week lmao, and (3) the overbearing need to describe him as a “”dArK aNd BrOoDy MaN””. Example: “Now they were going to kill him, before he could infect everything with his aggressively dark clothes and his furious eyebrows and his obvious discomfort at having to be around softness and color.”

Overall though, a solid read and I would recommend it to folks who enjoy a miscommunication // opposites attract trope.

Thank you for the ARC!!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

This was my first read from this author; it was a quick, easy, and cute weekend novel. I enjoyed the chemistry between the MC’s and the premise of a ghost writer was a really interesting addition, it set the story up beautifully. I think it makes for a decent romcom to read this year, and I look forward to reading more from Charlotte Stein.

'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 decide: is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending?'

Fun and witty, this is surely one to add to your romantic comedy collection to enjoy! I had a blast while reading this and adored the representation of a curvy woman and a socially awkward professional athlete!

This is the first book I've read from this author and now I'll be on the lookout for more. When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a banter-filled romcom following Mabel, a bubbly and bright ghostwriter, and Aflie a famous retired football player in need of help writing his memoir. When the two get close while detailing Alfie's life, they find themselves falling for each other further when their relationship is discovered by the public and the two are forced to pretend to be a couple.


I love the secret to real relationship troupes and this book had it all!

Oof. I really wanted to like this book, because I thoroughly enjoy a good grumpy sunshine set up… but this book was atrocious. I was very close to DNF-ing this book, which is not something I ever do. The only reason I kept going is because I wanted credit for it on NetGalley.

I think my biggest problem with this book is that the female main characters only personality trait is that she’s fat. I hated that so much. It’s 2024. You would think that we are past that kind of issue in books, but apparently not. Aside from this disgusting factor, the story was just really boring. The main character was not all that impressive. The banter was not witty. It was just gross.

DNF @ 20%

I was absolutely lost reading the dialogue and interactions between the characters. I felt it was a little all over the place. I didn’t think the banter was funny, just confusing..

Wow this book was unexpectedly steamy! I loved the plus size representation and how sassy the main character is. It was a very fun read!

I was so excited for this book; the premise sounded so fun. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with either of the MC’s, so this was a miss for me. :( It was a very slow burn, but it did have great tension! I enjoyed the banter throughout. There was also an excessive amount of cursing for such a short book.

This grumpy sunshine romance starts out innocent enough, but surprisingly becomes quite spicy in the end!

I listened to this one along with reading it and I wasn’t a big fan of the narrator, so I think that skewed my opinion of the book at first. I actually thought about just marking it as a DNF, but stuck with it. I’m glad I did because the ending was quite satisfying and perfect for Mabel and Alfie’s romance. They have great chemistry and appeal throughout the book, but it does get quite spicy and erotic about sixty-five percent in, so don’t listen with young ears around! My favorite troupe is grumpy sunshine and this one was done very well in the end!

Mabel is a ghostwriter who knows she is up for a huge challenge when she is hired to write the memoir of Alfie Harding, a notoriously grumpy soccer player. PArt of her job is that no one can ever know she’s ghostwriting, so when they are spotted together in public and people assume they are dating, she can’t correct them. In fact, they decide to double down and lean into the assumption that they are in a relationship. But as they get to know each other better, their chemistry becomes harder to ignore.

Alfie very much gave Roy Kent vibes and I was so here for it. The entire time reading this book, I could clearly picture Roy Kent in my mind and that definitely added to the story. As the title suggests, this is very much your typical grumpy/sunshine romance and having them end up in an accidental PR relationship was a hilarious touch. This story is very much a slooooowwww burn but the witty banter was on point. I would have loved for this to be a dual POV to get more into Alfie’s head throughout the book, and it would have added even more to the already strong character growth.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I had such high hopes for this book, it seemed to have everything i enjoy in a romance novel: slow burn, adorable characters, wholesome story, some spiciness as well, but it fell a bit flat for me, in hindsight I shouldn’t have read others’ reviews before reading it and just letting myself be surprised by the story. So word to the wise, only read the reviews if you don’t get overhyped and it ruins your enjoyment of the book. It’s very hallmark movie esque though, so it wasn’t too bad just not my preferred cup of ea.

Charlotte Stein’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a charming and fun romcom. This novel is a slow burn romance between an ex football player and his ghostwriter. Although the title suggests a very clear trope, I found that it did not fully give the proper expectations for the dynamic between the hero and heroine. Stein’s writing is fun and full of banter and sensual and steamy when called for. The concept for this novel was definitely a big draw for me and it was fun to see Stein’s version of this story!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Charlotte Stein for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was such a funny romantic book that contains the tropes: opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, forbidden romance, ex-jock x plus sized girl, and slow burn. This is a very steamy romance.

The characters are so well written and the plot is very interesting. The main character is accepting a ghostwriting position for an ex-football player that is supposed to be writing his biography. After many wrong turns, they end up fake dating. However, sparks start flying almost immediately and they start having more and more trouble staying away from each other when they are not in front of the public.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a spicy romance. especially one with grumpy x sunshine and plus-sized female main characters.