Nathan is the grump of the title. Summer lives up to her name. As the new legal counsel for the Appies, she ends up helping to protect Nathan when some puck bunnies get a little to eager to tame the grump. Thus, the fake-relationship that, naturally, turns real. Summer links the Appies series with the Proctor’s Hawthorne Brothers series.

The first two books of this series were part of another multi-author series, Sweater Weather, but have since been moved over to make the complete Appies series. The Appies, a minor-league hockey team in North Carolina, are patterned after the Savannah Bananas baseball team in that they do all kinds of fun social media posts, with team members singing, dancing, and doing other stunts. This has brought them a degree of fame, success, and high-dollar contracts that most minor-league teams and players can’t boast. It also keeps the players more dedicated to the team, some even declining to move up to the NHL. For us, as readers, that keeps characters consistently showing up throughout the six-book series. While each of these books can stand alone, if you’re going to read the set (and you should), I think you’ll get a richer experience if you read them in publication order.

In general, the series is wonderfully consistent in its treatment of its recurring characters. With two authors publishing six books over 18 months, continuity errors are definitely possible. I’ve got a really good sense for continuity, and I really didn’t find any problems in that department.
All of the female main characters exist beyond their potential as romantic partners. They have actual lives and interesting careers—public relations, violinist, veterinary student, lawyer, aspiring writer, and an apprentice luthier. They all have opinions about the world and opinions about hockey.

The male main characters have various reasons for their singleness at the beginning of the series. Several have (mostly undeserved) reputations as serial daters. All are dedicated to hockey.

The situations that get the various couples together are varied and interesting. Of course, there is an element of predictability: when there are two POV characters, you know they’ll end up together. The question is: what will happen to them before they get there? Will there be a third-act breakup, or will there be something else that tests the relationship?

All six books have some really beautiful description and great figurative language. In all of them, most of the minor characters have dimension, rather than being cardboard cutouts. I’d say the most stereotypical minor characters are the puck bunnies, particularly in Nathan’s case (Romancing the Grump.)

Possible objectionable material:
Very mild cursing. Various issues such as parental divorce or neglect, alcoholism, death of a parent, chronic illness, infidelity. This is hockey, so there are injuries and the occasional fight. People drink. A minor character gets a tattoo; it’s misspelled and played for humor. This is closed door romance, so we don’t see more than passionate kisses. There is a hint that sex happens.

Who might like these books:
Romance fans, hockey fans, hockey romance fans. Anyone who likes well-written books where characters grow and develop over the course of the story.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/01/meet-appies.html

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

Just like a summer breeze, Summer drifts into Nathan’s life and tosses everything he knows around. The resident grump on the Appies team is big, tough, and impenetrable, yet somehow, Summer flits through the cracks, spreading warmth and sunshine (and desire) everywhere. Who could resist that? I sure couldn’t especially when a fake relationship with all the sparks and zings of a mutual attraction comes into play.

Jenny Proctor does a phenomenal job of constructing big personalities, a team that’s more like a family, and lovable characters in this darling episode in the Appies series. This is a book with so much to love–full of growth, charm, and swoon.

Content: mild language; mild romance

This is a good book. The two main characters are Summer and Nathan. Summer is an attorney. Nathan is a hockey player. Summer is starting a new job with the hockey team, as one of their lawyers. There is an instant attraction. The PR representative for the hockey team, ask Summer to be Nathan’s fake girlfriend after some negative comments on social media platforms. They agree to start fake dating. They have such a good time with faking that it becomes real. They fall in love.

Love this series and the small town it is based in and am always here for a grumpy sunshine trope and thsi was is a fun one

can't go wrong with a Jenny Proctor book and Romancing the Grump was everything I expected it to be. the 4th book in the hockey based Appies series and follows grumpy Nathan who tries to resist the whirlwind that is Summer Callahan, who ends up being a stand in fake girlfriend and no matter how much he tries to deny his feelings, the stronger they become and the chemistry is too much! Nathan and Summer couldn't be more polar opposite and I loved the grumpy sunshine trope, it was a light hearted easy read which was perfect and it was such a positive, feel good book (despite touching upon some TW).

This was an excelent book, a grumpy x sunshine (which is one of my favourite tropes), fake dating hockey romance. My favourite part is definetly the no third act breakup. The author's writing is really really good.

Grumpy/sunshine, hockey romance? Yes please. I loved this. The banter, the way he can’t seem to find his words whenever he’s near her. It’s so cute

While Proctor’s writing is breezy and easy to follow, the characters feel a bit flat. Noah’s gruffness lacks nuance, and Emma’s relentless cheer can sometimes feel more frustrating than endearing. The romance is sweet, but the plot moves too quickly, leaving little room for deeper emotional connection or character growth. The pacing is uneven, with some parts dragging while others rush to a resolution.

Who doesn’t love a grumpy sunshine romance? I know I do and Jenny Proctor delivered with Romancing the Grump. I loved the banter & romance!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Ah, yes—another delightful Appies hockey romcom! I absolutely adore this series of interconnected books featuring the players of the Appies, a fictional hockey team. Having read several of the books both by this author and others who worked on this joint series, I was excited to dive into this sweet, closed-door, no-spice romance. It truly feels like coming home, with “guest appearances” by familiar characters from both the Appies Hockey Romance series and the Sweater Weather series.

This time, we’re introduced to Nathan, the grumpy Appies defenceman, and Summer, who is as bright and lively as her name suggests. Their chemistry is palpable from the very beginning, it’s only a matter of time before their fake relationship begins to blur the lines into something more real.

As always, the Appies deliver with plenty of light-hearted banter and friendly jabs among the guys—one of my favourite parts! While this is a romance, the strong bonds between teammates are just as important.

This heartwarming read is a perfect pick for fans of contemporary sports romance, especially those who enjoy classic tropes like grumpy-sunshine and just-one-bed.

I loved this book and I love the Appies! Jenny Proctor does such a good job in clean romance of bringing the depth of her characters out to make you really FEEL the romantic tension while staying sweet. I’m a fan!

Overall I did enjoy this. I’m such a sucker for a hockey romance and no third act break up…gold I tell ya. This isn’t my first by the author but I do find I have to be in the right mood to read her books. One thing I wish I knew going in was that it was part of a series. I’m the type of person that needs to read books in order so it kind of irked me to think about what I was missing the whole time.

Overall an enjoyable read!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Tbh, I did not expect much from this novel as the high influx of hockey romance is unbelievable. But, I was really wanting a lightsome read as I just finished university and needed something that had nothing to do with the degree. I actually ended up enjoying it. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. The characters were delightful and especially for the female main character I felt like I was connected to her and new what she was like as a n individual. I was pleased with the progression of the romance as it was steadily paced, I especially liked this novels take on the one bed trope which is a personal fave but hard to be done well.

4 Stars because it did what I wanted it to do and I had a fun time.

Thank you NetGalley and JPC Publishing for providing to me the e-ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review,

3.5

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, but I was already familiar with the series as it is related to another series where different authors have their characters set in the same town. I think the concept is amazing because it allows you to discover different authors with their characters. I have already met Jolie and Lucas in The Fall Back Plan from the Sweater Weather Series, and I hope to encounter other characters as well.

The beginning of the story was entertaining to read and was the best part for me. I liked both characters and it was fun to watch the interaction between Nathan and Summer. Nathan is portrayed as the grump of the group, although in my opinion he just prefers to be alone. Summer, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of him, a bit bossy if you will. I liked that their behavior changes when they are together and that they show sides of their character that they didn’t think they had. I liked their love story and found it interesting that most of the couples mentioned in the novel begin with a fake relationship, which helps the dynamic between the two protagonists when they are forced to pretend to be together.

However, the second part of the story felt a little flat. Although the author created good moments between the two protagonists, it felt like there was little tension. Especially when Summer tells Nathan about his toxic ex-boss via text message. Since this is one of the many defining moments in their relationship, I would have expected them to face it personally; this decision personally weakened the tension in their relationship. Also, the way Summer’s ex-boss leaves with his tail between his legs felt flat. I thought there would be some conflict, but when Nathan confronted him, he left without say anything. I get that one hockey player against one common person is intimidating, but even in public his behavior left little impact.
I also was not moved by the end of the story, where Summer confesses his feelings to Nathan and gives him time to process them. I don’t know what happened, because the story started well developed, but towards the end I seemed to be missing the part that would impact the story and give meaning to Summer and Nathan's relationship.It seemed like the climax would never reach its peak, but instead remained calm. Maybe it's just the concept of the book, and it was only me who wanted to feel something. Despite this, I was satisfied with this read. The strong point of the author is the ability to create a family atmosphere among the characters, even among strangers, making the story enjoyable. I also recommend it for those who want to read a story slightly spicy or simply is passionate about sports romance.

Last but not least, I would like to say a few words about Nathan’s teammates, The Appies, particularly The Dream Team. I loved all of them. They melted my heart every time they appeared. Even though I didn't know them from the beginning of the series, I didn't feel like I was missing out at all. They were fantastic supporting characters and was easy to appreciate everyone, especially Alec. I mean, look at this part: “Honestly, my feelings are hurt”, Alec says from the foot of the bed. “All the time I’ve come in to wake you up, and you’ve never tried to spoon me.” I can’t wait to read his love story and Van’s, the last single of the group. I also look forward to starting the series from the beginning to read about the other couples.

Thank you to NetGalley and JPC Publishing for the arc.

This was a cute story about Summer Callahan, the new attorney for the Appies hockey team, and Nathan Sanders, the team's brooding defenseman. Both Summer and Nathan feel a spark between them, but Nathan is adamant about not being in a relationship because he lived through the pain of having a parent who played professional hockey, but was horrible to his family after suffering a career ending injury. Eventually, due to the rabid nature of his growing fanbase, Nathan and Summer enter into a fake relationship to combat the undue attention.

I really enjoyed reading about the development of Summer and Nathan's friendship, and seeing how they became closer due to "faking" their relationship. Summer was a straight forward individual, who was upfront with Nathan about how she felt about their attraction to each other, yet respected his wish to not enter a real relationship. Nathan had a lot of issues to deal with, namely, sharing how he felt about his father with his mother and siblings. But, it was nice to see how close he was to his teammates, and to see how they supported him.

This is a closed door romance, and very sweet. The author, Jenny Proctor, built up Summer's and Nathan's romance very well, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I really enjoyed this book! A great grumpy x sunshine trope. Nathan was grumpy but loveable and Summer was a ray of sunshine. They have great chemistry and I loved seeing their relationship develop!

Jenny Proctor’s *Romancing the Grump* is a delightful sports romance that brings together humor, warmth, and the perfect dose of emotional tension. This book taps into the beloved fake-dating trope, blending it seamlessly with a slow-burn romance that will have readers rooting for the characters from start to finish.

The story centers on Nathan Sanders, a defenseman for the Appies hockey team known for his surly demeanor, and Summer Callahan, whose bright personality is as infectious as her name suggests. Nathan has built walls around himself, his reputation as the "grouchiest player" well-earned. However, when Summer steps into his life with her relentless charm and optimism, his world is turned upside down.

Proctor crafts Nathan as the quintessential grumpy hero—stoic and guarded, but with hidden depths that make him all the more intriguing. Summer, on the other hand, is his perfect foil: lively, determined, and full of warmth. The chemistry between these two is palpable from the start, creating a tension that sizzles with every interaction.

One of the strengths of *Romancing the Grump* is its character development. Nathan’s journey from a gruff, emotionally closed-off athlete to someone willing to let down his guard is beautifully paced and authentic. Summer’s persistence in seeing beyond Nathan’s tough exterior is both endearing and relatable, making her a heroine that readers can easily root for.

The novel is also filled with moments of humor and light-hearted banter that balance out the more emotional scenes. Proctor’s writing shines in these exchanges, making the dialogue feel natural and engaging. The hockey setting adds an extra layer of excitement, providing a dynamic backdrop for the unfolding romance.

Overall, *Romancing the Grump* is a heartwarming and enjoyable read that perfectly captures the allure of opposites attracting. Fans of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy the fake-dating and grumpy-sunshine tropes, will find this book to be an absolute treat.

This was such a great story. Nathan is such a lovable grump. Every grump needs a sunshine and Summer is just that. She is sweet, funny, determined and she never gives up especially on Nathan. The two have undeniably chemistry from the beginning. The way they fall for each other is just the sweetest.