This was a feel good romcom and I had such a good time. It took me a few chapter to find the groove, but once I did I finished it rather quickly. The only negative thing I have to say is I wanted them to just LOVE EACH OTHER, but you know how it goes. The banter between the main characters had me rolling, it was honestly super realistic types of conversation that I really don't often read in romance books
This book is great if you like:
grumpy/sunshine
fake dating
billionaire/bookworm
slow burn
stranger to friends to lovers

I will also say, the narrator did a lovely job! She had a great tone and I loved the inflections she put into the dialogue!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is exactly as it sounds - grumpy footballer meets bubbly ghostwriter. While the story was good, I think the narrator made it even more enjoyable. I absolutely loved listening to this book, it was so calming and put me in a good mood. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

I listened to the audiobook of this title, courtesy of NetGalley.I appreciated the "reader warning" at the beginning of the recording about some of the content, like abuse and fat shaming. , I liked the basic storyline and relationship between the two main characters-Alfie and Mabel. I found it really sweet that Alfie stood up for Mabel almost from the beginning. His protective nature came out as they talked about and started to connect through their pasts. It just felt like it was dragging to me. I found myself wishing I was further along in the story from time to time.

It is definitely an adult romance. I had a hard time slogging through their dialogs with so many "F" bombs dropping like a war zone. I try not to be a prude and don't mind the occasional bomb but it seemed like almost every sentence included one. I think I would have enjoyed it more with a lot less of that.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving the opportunity to listen to this auidobook for in return for an honest review.

I think for what this book is, it is really good. I really enjoyed it and I would recommend this book to people that like romance.

Things that I like, as the banter that Grumpy vs Sunshine have, the plus size main character, and the the fact that they don't focus a lot on her weight.

Things I didn't like as much, it was a happy go lucky book until about 60% in and then boom smut. I like smut but I wasn't expecting it from this book when most of it was very relaxed. I also hate the 3rd act break up especially theirs.

Overall I think this was a fun and easy read for any romance reader

This was really fun, but it did that thing where one of the MCs couldn't fathom that the other could ever love them, all evidence to the contrary (and there was SO MUCH EVIDENCE HE LOVED HER), so I couldn't give it five stars. I understand that low self-esteem is a thing that happens IRL, but I feel like it should be more subtle than it was here, where it made the otherwise lovely MC seem kind of dumb. Other than that, this book was SO MUCH FUN. I loved that the two main characters actually talked to each other. I loved how weird Alfie was, and how gruff. I love how they kept surprising each other. This is one of those books that doesn't have much plot, and while I kind of wish it had more, the dynamic between the characters is what I love about romance, and here that was absolutely great. They were *funny* together.

I absolutely 100% pictured Roy Kent the entire time, as I was no doubt meant to.

Grumpy Alfie Harding meets sunshiny Mabel Williker when she is brought on as the newest in a string of tried and rejected ghostwriters for his memoir. Mabel of course is a perfect fit and so begins their story. As they navigate the ups and downs of writing and keeping it from the public, their business relationship is mistaken for a romantic relationship, causing no end of complications for them resulting in a pretend relationship to keep everyone in the dark about what was really happening.

Overall, this was a cute story. I enjoyed listening to the audio book. I think the narrator did a great job getting the awkwardness between the characters right. Unfortunately, I also felt like this made their romantic relationship feel a bit awkward as well. As they tried to determine what feelings were real and what were part of the pretending, the feelings they were describing felt clunky to me instead of natural. Part of that fit the characters really well, but to me their friendship and banter felt more authentic that their romance. This was a combination of both the self-doubt in their inner monologues as well as the narration not helping to correct that.

I also was a little surprised that as confident as Mabel is said to be with her size, she seems fixated on it in the sense that she doesn't view herself as worth much. She seems to have accepted it, but accepted it in the sense that she has given up and put herself in a box rather than in a way that is really positive and constructive.

I think this started to lose me a bit more towards the end. There were so many miscommunications that I just wanted to shake both of them. I feel like they just put themselves through so much for absolutely no reason at all. In some cases, it was so frustrating that the spicier scenes just seemed out of place and out of character. It was just not a healthy relationship (friendship or romantic) to just bypass any communication and ignore the issues. The time jump at the end was just the culmination of this frustration.

Overall, there were a lot of good parts to this story. I thought the characters were adorable and had a lot going for them. I generally enjoyed listening to this. However, my enjoyment was definitely colored by my frustrations and while I was rooting for Alfie and Mabel, I am not sure that I am content with where they ended up and how they got there.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a fun filled rombom about a ghost writer named Mabel and a retired football player named Alfie. They are forced to pretend to be a couple and find themselves falling for one another. 
While I liked the premise of this book and laughed at times, I thought it got long and hard to follow at times also.  I liked it enough to look for another Charlotte Stein book, and gave it a strong three stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Charlotte Stein for an ARC of this book which releases on February 6th.

•••𝘿𝙉𝙁 @32%•••

𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙮, 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨-𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚-𝙮 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧.

I really tried to get into this book, I even the audiobook going in hopes I could finish this. I got 32% into the audio and decided to call it a day - which was quite a disappointment.

I usually am a fan of the Grumpy/Sunshine trope, but I didn’t care for it in this. There were so many inner thoughts that had me annoyed with these characters. The banter in this also didn’t work for me.

One of my goals this year is to start DNF’ing books I’m just not vibing with. I usually struggle what that part as for some reason I just have the urge to finish every book, but there’s not enough time to be doing that.

I don’t think I’ll pick this one back up at a later time, it just wasn’t my kind of read.

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Sexual Content, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Child Abuse

3.5 stars

Alfie is the heartthrob ex-football (soccer) star. Mabel has been partnered with him to ghostwrite his memoir. He’s reluctant, and a big bear of a man, and all things grumpy, while she wears flowery dresses and doesn’t swear and is the epitome of sunshine. But when they’re seen together and rumors start, they obviously can’t say that she’s a ghostwriter. Obviously they should just pretend they’re dating!

I love a good grumpy/sunshine and fake relationship trope. But I don’t love an mis- or non-communication trope, and there was a lot of that in here as well. But I can appreciate the way things came together at the end, and the explanations for the miscommunication.

Otherwise, this book was spectacularly spicy even with mostly just talk and not a lot of physical action. But Alfie’s mouth is filthy, and it doesn’t take much for Mabel’s sunny personality to start meeting him word for dirty word.

Overall it was a fun romp, and I enjoyed the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

“When Grumpy Met Sunshine” presents a steamy narrative, exploring the dynamic between the grumpy retired footballer Alfie Harding and the lively ghostwriter Mabel Willicker. The story hinges on their undeniable chemistry as they navigate the challenges of revealing Alfie’s life story. While the premise is promising, my overall experience with the book left me with mixed feelings.

The novel delves into the opposites-attract trope, injecting humor and banter into the interactions between Alfie and Mabel. The narrative cleverly employs the fake dating scenario, adding an entertaining twist to the plot. Emily Spowage’s narration, with its raspy quality, contributes a raw and engaging element that complements the story’s tone.

However, my main concern lies in the execution of the romance. Despite the numerous steamy scenes, the connection between Mabel and Alfie felt somewhat underdeveloped. The focus on intimate moments seemed to overshadow the emotional depth needed to convincingly portray a romantic relationship. This imbalance gave the impression of a narrative leaning more towards a developing friendship rather than a couple in the throes of love.

The limited backstories for both characters contributed to this lack of emotional investment. A more comprehensive exploration of their pasts could have enriched the narrative, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the protagonists and enhancing the authenticity of their connection.

On a positive note, the banter between Mabel and Alfie was a highlight. Mabel’s ability to coax Alfie into revealing the necessary details for his memoir added a layer of charm to their interactions. The fake dating aspect was also enjoyable, injecting a dose of humor and intrigue into the storyline.

In conclusion, “When Grumpy Met Sunshine” offers a mix of entertaining elements, from witty banter to a cleverly implemented fake dating plot. However, the lack of a compelling romantic connection and limited character backstories left the overall impression somewhat flat. Despite these shortcomings, Emily Spowage’s narration adds a unique dimension to the audiobook, enhancing the raw and engaging quality of the story.

I received a DRC of this audiobook from the publisher, but the thoughts and opinions are my own.

this is such a cute, fun, & steamy book! I loved every single part of it— it was hilarious all throughout, dealt with some of the hardships life can force on us, painted a realistic picture of the overwhelming thoughts plus-sized women can face day-to-day, and gave the most beautiful love story!

Alfie & Mabel have both known some trauma in their lives, and I loved the candid humor with which they discussed it with each other. I also loved how they then were able to continue growing their connection with such care & tenderness & love. their whole story here is filled with so much acceptance & reverence of the other as they value each part— insecurities and all— of the other. I loved Alfie’s charming grumpiness & shyness as it fit with Mabel’s hilarious sunshine personality.

they both gave each other so much tender love & care right from the start, it made their lighter, funnier moments even more joyful and their loving, tender moments more heartfelt. just a truly lovely, hilarious story! thank you for the ALC!

This book is so much fun! The banter is incredible, and the twist of grumpy/sunshine was fresh and entertaining. I love a silly grump!

The only thing that kept taking me out of the story was the number of times her weight was brought up. As a plus-sized woman, I think it's great to have inclusive stories, but I found it hard to believe that it would come up quite that often. In addition, she is a character that is supposed to love her body and be comfortable in it, and yet she thinks about it at all times.

Overall this book made me actually laugh out loud. The narrator was great and brought a lot of warmth to their interactions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me listen!

Read if you like:
⚽️ Sports/Celebrity Romances
📖 Celebrity Memoirs
💋 Fake Dating
🌤️ Grumpy x Sunshine Trope
🔀 Opposites Attract

I was so excited for this one since I absolutely adore opposites attract, workplace romances, grumpy x sunshine tropes that this one promises with the splash of one of my favorite tropes of fake dating.

Despite my excitement this one didn’t work quite as well as I was hoping due to the way the story was structured that just didn’t fully work for me with the way the dialogue and lack of movement in the plot occurred leaving the pacing to feel slower and off.

Overall, I know many will enjoy this one, especially if you like slower-burn paces of your romances, but for me, personally I needed a bit faster of a pace to enjoy this one more.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my thoughts/review.

I enjoyed the narration except for the transitions between chapters- it felt abrupt and awkward.
Overall I enjoyed the story and would definitely would read more by this author

This story is all about how opposites attract - we follow Mabel, the ghostwriter telling Alfie’s story (he’s a retired football player). They are forced to pretend to be a couple when they’re discovered by the public, and they find themselves falling for one another. They’re polar opposites— she’s bubbly and he’s a grump.

There is a lot of back and forth banter, and spice.

I didn’t particularly click with this narrator, it felt very one dimension and I found myself to be quite bored throughout the story. I’m not sure if it would have been different if I had been reading and not just listening, but I had to make myself listen at times. I may try again with another of this author’s books in the future, but this one was slightly a miss for me as I did not really connect to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my advanced ARC.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5

If you love Roy Kent you will love the MMC in this book! Grump, silent, surly British Footballers are definitely our cup of tea! The story is a contemporary RomCom of two unlikely people who fall in love. Alfie is a famous surly Ex-Footballer and has a bad reputation but deep down is the sweetest man ever. Mable is a spunky, plus size, gorgeous woman who works as ghost writer and was hired to write Alfie's autobiography.

We loved the story, it is your classic grumpy/sunshine, but it adds other tropes and representation that make the story great. In the mix that makes the story fun, you have fake dating, opposites attract, and forced proximity, plus size rep and some trauma rep. Alfie meets bubbly Mabel and their wildly fun and entering story begins. The banter is amazing, we love some good fun British banter, it is just different, charming and honest in our opinion.
If you are looking for a fun read, pick up this book!
If you love ROY KENT, pick up this book, because that is the vibe!

Tropes ✨
◾Fake Dating
◾Grumpy vs Sunshine
◾Opposites Attract
◾Witty Banter
◾Workplace Romance
◾Plus Size Representation
◾Forced Proximity
◾Trauma Rep
◾One Bed
◾Ex-footballer

⚽ Alfie aka Secret Cinnamon Roll aka Roy Kent
⚽ Mabel aka Ghost Writer

Thank you St. Martin Press and Netgallery for the ARC of this book!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein 2/6/24

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

The narrator is Emily Spowage with all characters read by 1 person. I believe the voice fit the characters with standout being Alfie. His voice was the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style did bring the story to life especially in parts I found a bit boring. The pacing was great and flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly.

The audiobook's flow was pretty good. As I said there were a few boring parts with too much banter and bickering. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio.

Mabel is tasked with ghostwriting Alfie's memoirs. He's a famous retired footballer who doesn't show his emotions and values his privacy. They are complete opposites but learn they have more in common than they thought. When the press speculate about why Mabel is around, Alfie agrees to follow the narrative and make Mabel his fake girlfriend . Mabel is thrust into a new world of fame and constant judgement, while trying to get Alfie to open up.

Overall, the romance was cute. Grumpy Alfie really softens up to Mabel observing what she goes through.
My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and picture the characters more vividly.

I was provided both an audio and ebook ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was supposed to be a grumpy-sunshine romcom, but I didn't find the male lead to be very grumpy or the female lead to be very sunshiny. I found them both to be very immature average people. The characters are in their 30s however they act and speak as though they are much younger than that. I don't know if the British humor missed the mark with me or what but I also didn't find it to be as hilarious as promised either.

I feel that the main characters are supposed to be a take on Ted Lasso's Roy Kent and Keeley Jones. I loved Ted Lasso, and Roy is one of my favorite grumps, he reminds me of my own husband with his gruff take no prisoners attitude. Keeley is the epitome of sunshine with her bright, fun wardrobe and wacky personality. The reason they work as a couple is at heart of it they are both kind and care about the people they really let get to know them. Mabel is our Keeley in this story, but instead of a model she is a quirky, curvy writer with self-confidence problems. She constantly worries what other people think about her and what their opinions of her are. She doesn't feel worthy of love and affection from anyone. I'm not a fan of the self-depreciation trope and the constant inner monologues she has with herself about how unworthy she is. She’s a bit of a contradiction. Our Roy is played by Alfie, who was more of a mash up of Roy and Jamie Tartt. He damaged, and is terrible with people and emotions, but he knows what he likes. What he likes isn't what the public expects of him and he's gotten pretty good at putting on a show and hiding the real Alfie. Hanging out with Mabel working on his memoir, brings him out of his shell a bit and he gets more confident about letting the world see who he really is now that he’s retired.

If you haven't seen Ted Lasso, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. It’s a great show!

Anyway...this book had so much potential, but it missed the mark for me. Both characters had such good back stories to explore that brought them a kinship when it came to their issues with emotions and affection. This topic was kind of glossed over. I think this was a missed opportunity for them to really connect on more than a superficial level. They never talk about the things they need to talk about, and good communication is something I look forward to in a romance. These two failed at good communication. The writing style felt all over the place and I often felt like I missed something. This felt like more of a stream of consciousness style of writing with much of it told from Mabel’s perspective, and I'm not the biggest fan of that style. It felt like the characters were rambling and not making much sense at times. The dialogue between them is dare I say cringey. I love good banter between characters, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two and I didn’t understand the humor. Again, it felt very immature to me. This has quite a few steamy scenes, which I'm no stranger to; however the dirty talk was over the top in my opinion. I was not a fan of the choice of language used, but everyone has their thresholds when it comes to those types of scenes.

Overall I think this was supposed to be whimsical and quirky, but for me it fell more into the nonsensical zone. I didn't enjoy the writing style or the characters. I feel like had I been able to connect with Mabel I would have loved this. I think this had so much potential and perhaps it will hit the mark with other readers. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I don’t think I got the humor so perhaps someone who understands British humor will absolutely love this.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine was a difficult book for me for two reasons. First, this was the audiobook and the narration by Emily Spowage was definitely lacking. There was little emotion in any of her deliveries and it made the story even harder to follow. Second, the story was just not interesting and I also had issues with the writing. These characters are supposed to be in their thirties, If this was a high school romance book I still think some of it would still be considered immature.

Alfie and Mabel are the two main characters and I didn’t like either one of them. Alfie is considered to be grumpy but let’s be honest, he is just a dick. Mabel is more likable but her entire personality is based on how unsure of herself and her body that it made me pull away from the character.

This is a book that sounds like it should be one I love but it just fails to execute. I’m sure there is an audience for this book but I am not sure who that audience is.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I struggled with the characters, and the narrator didn’t help at all. I thought the narrator’s voice was very monotone. I had to DNF this one. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for allowing me to listen and review this audiobook.