I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine enemies-lovers story. Although it felt a bit unorganized and chaotic at times, the banter was great and the romance was very open doors. Loved the spice and the chemistry between Alfie and Mabel. I also loved how much Alfie reminded me of Roy Kent from Ted Lasso. It made the story even better. I loved how Roy took care of Mabel and really genuinely cared about her and her wellbeing. This was a good one!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC of this story which publishes on 2/6/24.

I had a hard time getting into this book. However, when I finally did, I fell in love with the story line! Good read.

Okay, so I read this book last year and really loved it. Totally forgot I read it already when I put in for this audio arc. While I still love the book, I could not get into the audio. I just couldn't get past the narrator. It just wasn't for me. Even sped up fast, the narration was slow.

Wasn't sure how to rate this one as I DNF, loved the book, hated the audio....but this being the audio arc, I rated based on the audio part alone.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC! When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a contemproary romance between a grumpy ex-footballer (aka soccer) and his walking sunshine ghostwriter. Mabel Willicker has been assigned to help write Alfie Harding's memoir, and while the two have many misunderstandings based on their differing personalities, they are instantly attracted to one another. Through an interesting series of events, the two start fake dating, but the feelings (and attraction) involved are anything but. This is a quick and sweet romance (with quite a bit of spice) perfect for readers looking for a romantic read this February.

This book was so darn cute! I loved every minute of it! The chemistry between these two was so apparent and electric. I found myself smiling the whole time I was reading this. Sometimes it is nice to read something that is just cute and fun and that's exactly what this book was!

I absolutely loved this book. This was one of the first audiobooks I have ever listened to and I’m glad I did. The narrator was wonderful and I enjoyed listening to her.
The story was wonderful and had me laughing out loud at certain moments. It gave me Ted Lasso vibes which I love!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is an adorable romcom centered around a ghostwriter and a football/soccer star. This is the perfect lighthearted, quick, funny read for any romcom fans. I'm looking forward to more by Charlotte Stein!

I DNF'd at 17%. I tried to listen to the audio and read the psychical book but I couldn't get into either. Might try this again at a different time.

“When Grumpy Meets Sunshine” is a lovely romcom about how sometimes two people who appeal to be totally different on the outside, really are two of a kind on the inside. Mabel is a bubbly ghost writer afraid to follow her dreams, whereas Alfie is a notoriously disagreeable soccer super star. When they are brought together to co-write Alfie’s memoir after a series of misunderstandings, they realize how well they really get along.

This book includes:
- delicious banter
- banishment of self doubt
- a laugh out loud ridiculous fake dating scheme
- curvy girl representation
- former soccer (ahem football) icon at the caliber of David Beckham (or Tom Brady if you’re American)
- one bed trope
- cute af couple
- dreams coming true
- grumpy-sunshine trope duh

I seriously loved this book. The banter was delectable, the romance was both toe curling and swoon worthy, and both of the protagonists were wonderful. I listened on audiobook and the narrator was phenomenal at conveying the perpetual intellectual ping pong in a way that never made me cringe away from awkwardness. Mabel is a lovable heroine and Alfie is the cutest and most lovely.

If you’re looking for a light hearted romance I can’t recommend this one enough, particularly to fans of Sarah Ready.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Charlotte Stein, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

DNFing. unfortunately this was not for me.

everything about the two mmcs felt very immature and forced. the dialogue was extremely cringey and i just cant get into it.

I really enjoyed this one! I love when books are about books.

Both characters had so much development and layers which gave them a lot of depth.

I appreciated how this book touched on sensitive subjects and how they were handled. Alfie giving Mabel all the confidence and affection she deserves. And even Alfie having so many feelings even though he's "just" a football player.

I wish there was an epilogue though. There was so much time in between chapter 30 and 31 that I wish there was a bit more wrap up. Felt like it was a little rushed there at the end.

This novel started slow, but once I got into it, I fell in love with the characters and started rooted for their happily ever after.

I really wanted to like this book. In listening just to the audio, it was hard to distinguish who was talking or what the narrarator was referring to because the same tonality of voice was used amongst all characters. I prefer when narrarators use different voices for each character, it helps listeners to better understand who is talking. I also felt like the pacing of the story was difficult to follow. The lead up to the romance took the majority of the book and then when they finally did get romantic it was short lived but somehow we were supposed to believe they fell in love with each other? It seemed like the characters only were intimate for a few days with each other only to then cut it off. And then when they did finally admit feelings for each other, it felt really cheesey. Alfie was supposed to be grumpy yet was actually a misunderstood softie and Mabel was supposed to be sunshine yet she was actually really reserved and pesimistic. I did however enjoy the writing twist at the end and the plot of falling for each other while fake dating.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is an Opposites Attract/Grump Sunshine /Fake Relationship tale and my 1st book by this author.
I absolutely adored this novel. I'll be honest, it took me a bit to get into the story as the start was a bit slow and had too much internal mind dialogue, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. It soon picked up and I was totally engrossed and captivated with these characters.

The story follows Alfie an ex footballer who needs a ghostwriter to write his memoirs. Enter the sweet, curvy, Mabel who knows just how to get details out of him. As their professional relationship gets mistaken for a personal one, what follows is a comedy of errors that had me laughing out loud, as these two now pretend to be in a relationship.

I loved the back and forth banter between Alfie and Mabel. It was witty, hilarious, swoony and heartwarming and the spicy scenes and chemistry between them was next level.

This was an enjoyable tale and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of romcoms.
Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillionaudio for the ARC.

🎧 I listened to the audiobook version which was a bit different from what I'm accustomed to. The narrator, Emily Swowage's voice, was soothing and she read in the same voice for both male and female characters, like she was reading a story out loud.
Once I got used to the narrator I enjoyed her narration style and she helped me fully enjoy this story as she really did bring it all to life.

I tried really hard to get into this book and like the FMC and MMC, however I had to DNF at 15%. This book had so much potential but it would have been even better with some more editing, organizing, and smoothing out the book. I will not be reviewing this on my Goodreads or bookstagram account this I did not finish this book.

Charlotte Stein's 'When Grumpy Meets Sunshine' is a total blast of a romance novel. It's got everything – laughs, heart, and some serious steaminess. The main guy, Alfie, is this grumpy ex-footballer who totally reminds me of the “Ted Lasso” character, Roy Kent. He's kind of a lovable grouch. Then there's Mabel, his ghostwriter, who's all sunshine and smiles. Their first meeting is a complete mess, and it's hilarious – a great start to their story. Alfie's like this moody golden retriever trying to make things right in the cutest ways, and Mabel? She's just super awkward about it, which is so relatable. They end up fake dating to keep her ghostwriting job under wraps, and it's just a fun ride from there. If you're into romances that are equal parts hot and sweet, you'll love this book as much as I did.

3.5 Stars Story ~ 5 Stars Narration ~ 4 Stars Overall

This was the first book I've read by Charlotte Stein. I was excited to get this book because grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, plus size, and sport tropes are favorites of mine. I loved the synopsis I read with the great cover. But it took some time for me to get invested in the book. I started it a few different times and it took listening to the audiobook to get through it.

At times I smiled, chuckled, and/or rolled my eyes. As an American, I found that I didn't always understand some words and had to look them up or guess by the context. The couple was definitely odd. But we all need love in our lives, right? I most enjoyed how Mable got Alfie to reveal his true self to her. It was great to be able to read and listen to this book!

Emily Spowage was a great narrator. She did both male and female voices well, bringing the book to life. She helped me get past whatever was holding me up while reading.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC of this book/audiobook.

The heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes that's a sexy romance. So, after seeing keywords like "steam" and "banter" in some of my friends GoodReads reviews, I was left with no choice, eagerly picking up When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein!

Let me tell you, the quips and banter did not disappoint! I am here for the cupcake and spunk that is Mabel; for the gruff and ruggedness that is Alfie. I smiled so much while reading this fun romance! I literally laughed out loud. Multiple times. This one puts the COM in rom-com. It's a bit like My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey and a bit like The Brown Sisters series from Talia Hibbert, so if you liked those, I suspect you'll enjoy this one too!

Initially the audiobook narrator (Emily Spowage) irritated me, (with no reason I could pinpoint), but after the first chapter, Spowage made complete sense to give voice to this book. I wish there was a bit more differentiation between the voices she used for Mabel and Alfie, but that's honestly a minor detail!

Bonus points for the Pretty Woman references. Also, for chapter titles.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

3 1/2 stars

I had high expectations for this book since I've read previous works by this author. Unfortunately for me, this one fell flat. The blurb drew me in and hooked me. This should have been a slam dunk read for me and I kept hoping that it would 'turn a corner' while I was reading it. Sadly, that didn't happen. Instead, there was a lot of chatty banter between the characters but not a lot happened in the book. It just wasn't what I anticipated and I had a difficult time pushing through it which really shocked me. I expected that I'd be hooked by the storyline and rapidly flipping pages in my kindle. All this said, I know this author is talented and will definitely try more of her works in the future, this one just didn't work for me.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I've already stated above that the book itself moved slowly for me, so it's difficult for an audiobook to improve on that. I should point out that the narration is well done and if I'd connected better with the story itself, I would have definitely enjoyed the audio more. 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this ARC and early listening copy. The opinions contained within are my own.

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. A retired athlete meets his ghost writer only for them to find common ground and a mutual attraction to each other. Their sexual tension was fun and I loved how their professional relationship turned to more quickly. I would say this is a slow burn but it was enjoyable and didn’t drag. I loved Mabel and Alfie’s banter and can I just say how much I love the banter? Somerset of it felt a bit immature including some of the spicy scenes but it was worth it in the end.