Mabel Willicker is curvy, caring and cute combined with the perfect amount of sunshine and sass. Alfie Harding, a retired footballer, is just the opposite with his grumpy disposition and aversion to sharing any kind of emotion. When Alfie is pressured into writing a memoir of his life, Mable becomes his ghost writer. The pair are complete different, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. The big question is, will this chemistry fizzle out or turn into a happily ever after?

I was so excited for his book because it had everything I love! It’s an opposites attract romance with undeniable chemistry, a sports romance in a sense, a grumpy/sunshine trope and I absolutely loved the cover. It seemed to have everything I was looking for in a book, but this one fell way short for me. The story was well written, but I didn’t have any feelings for the characters. I couldn’t get into them or find myself rooting for them. The book was very dialogue heavy in a way that definitely took away from the overall romance for me. A lot of the what the characters talked about and did seemed almost childish for the ages that they supposedly are. I really, really wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t get into it and found myself having to force myself through so that I could see how it ended because I can’t admit defeat and DNF. Maybe this book is for you, but it wasn’t for me.

Unfortunately I could not get through this one, I did not enjoy the narrator at all. It is a me problem I unfortunately have a hard time following when they have an accent. I might try reading this one instead.

I absolutely loved this book! Mabel and Alfie are relationship goals, honestly. Their chemistry was on point from their first interaction, and I laughed out loud multiple times at their back and forth banter. The tension in the book is written so beautifully. Who knew how sexy hair braiding and shoe tying could be? But the author really made me, as a reader, feel their chemistry and connection and I was rooting for Mabel and Alfie from the beginning. Alfie Harding is definitely one of my favorite book boyfriends.
There was excellent fat representation in this book, and I really appreciated how Mabel was proud of how she looked now, while also acknowledging that the trauma from years of fatphobia and bullying is not so easy to forget and just move past.
I also really loved the narration of the audiobook! The narrator did an excellent Northern accent, and really brought the story to life!

This book was a lot steamier and funnier than I had anticipated. A very cute rom com but I didn't feel like the ending meshed with the middle of the story. Overall a good listen.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

Former footballer, Alfie Harding, is a man of few words. He doesn't share his life with the public and he'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. However, he's somehow been wrangled into writing a memoir. Enter Mabel Willicker, a bubbly ghostwriter who's been tasked with getting Alfie to open up. But when photos of Mabel leaving his home go viral, the pair are pushed into a fake dating scheme to keep the ghostwriting under wraps. It'll be simple. They won't catch feelings. They aren't each other's types. Right?

When Grumpy Met Sunshine was a hilarious novel full of tropes and the most amazing Meet Ugly in the history of literature. The banter was top tier and the romance... chef's kiss!

The audiobook of When Grumpy Met Sunshine, written by the fantastic Charlott Stein and narrated by the wonderful Emily Spowage will be published on February 6, 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

I liked this book. But it was the ending of the story that redeemed the issues I had throughout the book.

I always enjoy banter between characters, but there was so much banter and little else for the first third of the book. It got to be too much and too repetitive. I was also very confused with the end of each chapter, with headlines, emails and text messages. This was probably mostly in part to listening to the audio, but I still found that it didn't really add anything to the story for me.

I found the book dragged a bit and just wasn't for me. There was nothing wrong with it, I just didn't connect with it like I do with other books. That being said, the ending was very cute and definitely brought my rating up a star!

3/5 stars for this one.

The cover of this book is so cute! I’m a big fan of the grumpy/sunshine trope. So I knew I had to read this book. Sadly, this was a miss for me. The whole draw to the grumpy/sunshine trope is the banter. The banter between Alice and Mabel was so awkward and stilted. It just didn’t feel real to me. I couldn’t buy into the chemistry between them. The book gets spicy towards the end, but then that’s all that really happens. The spice wasn’t bad, but the whole thing just seemed very juvenile to me.

Sadly, this just wasn’t the right book for me. With that being said, if you decide to read this book the audiobook was good. I enjoyed the narration.

A famous footballer (soccer player) from the UK is writing a memoir and our plus size heroine is hired as his ghostwriter under an NDA. So when people think she's the new woman in his life, things get complicated...

The reviews on this seem mixed but I really enjoyed it! I think my biggest complaint is just that the title suggests this grumpy/sunshine dynamic which wasn't adequately established at the start of the book. From the get go he's not actually all that grumpy and she is perfectly willing to stand up for herself.

That aside, I enjoyed the banter and development of their relationship. It was very sweet and then startlingly steamy. Like very sexy. And there are some hilarious moments that had me quite literally laughing out loud.

She doesn't think they make sense because he's been known to date thin models and she's fat and very much a normal person. But he's so clearly into her from the very beginning and I loved that. There seems to be some criticism of the fact that she continues to think she's not for him despite the clear attraction, but honestly in context that makes a lot of sense to me. There absolutely are people who might privately be attracted to larger bodies but won't publicly be in relationships with them because of the way they might be perceived in an all-too-often fatphobic world. So her wariness isn't stupid. But he is delightful and horrified at how the press has been talking about her.

While I think this book could have done with an extra chapter or two at the beginning to really set the stage for who these characters are or are perceived to be, I generally really liked it and would suggest it to fans of Olivia Dade. It does a fairly good job of showing attraction, desire, and sexual enjoyment in a way that doesn't weirdly fetishize fatness but also doesn't ignore the physicality of the characters actual bodies. The audio narration is great and you really get the Britishness of this rom-com. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me, and not for lack of trying... 69% into it and I said ENOUGH! I love the grumpy-to-happy trope and the fun/funny banter that usually comes with it. However, I found this story to be equal parts too much and not enough; entirely too much banter/internal dialogue and not enough plot. Also, the narration didn't do much to keep me interested, so I tried reading it instead... yeah, nope! Thank you to Charlotte Stein, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for this ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This audiobook intertwines humor with heartfelt moments, offering an engaging listening experience. Without emphasizing extraordinary status, the narrative unfolds with relatable scenarios, introducing characters whose journey through the complexities of relationships forms the heart of the story. The harmonious blend of humor and genuine romantic elements creates a pleasing experience, capturing the essence of opposites finding common ground.

What distinguishes this audio is its authentic portrayal of the highs and lows of love, steering clear of clichés and providing a sincere glimpse into human connections. The characters, while not groundbreaking, resonate as they navigate the twists and turns of their romantic escapades.

As the story progresses, the relatability of the characters and the genuine moments of connection contribute to the lasting impression left by this romantic comedy audio. It encourages contemplation on universal themes of love, growth, and connection, prompting listeners to reflect on their own experiences. While it may not break new ground, the production effectively engages its audience, delivering an enjoyable exploration of human dynamics within the context of a romantic narrative.

This story made me laugh out loud. The humor and wit was so creatively placed in the story. While the plot was easy to figure out, it was well rewritten and kept me engaged. I definitely recommend this easy to read, light heated book!

This just didn't work for me. I didn't particularly love either character nor did I believe their chemistry. I know other reviewers will love it, but perhaps the grumpy sunshine trope just isn't for me. I didn't like that it centered around the ghost writer being curvy and how the public didn't think she could get a football player. Like clearly we haven't come far enough where body shaming is gone. I was glad that the male lead stood up for her though.

I absolutely LOVED this grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, fake dating slooow burn romance between a retired pro soccer (football) player and his curvy ghost writer. The BANTER was top notch, the sexual tension was FIRE and both characters were so loveable.

So many favorite tropes in this book: only one bed, let's bang it out of our systems, 'good girl'/praise kink and more!

Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of authors like Olivia Dade and books like Rachel Lynn Soloman's Business or pleasure. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: open door, explicit language/descriptions