If you're looking for an easy, lightning fast read then this is your book.

Hockey romance? Check.
Grump/sunshine trope? Check. I mean, come on. Are we expecting anything else with a title like Romancing the Grump?

Nathan Sanders is just grumpy enough to not put us off or cheer against him. And our main squeeze, Summer, is the sunshine type that isn't off-putting to those of us not filled with sugar.

And the cast of characters is delightful. Carrying over from other books that you can dive into (or enjoy again) -- the dynamics of the group are just fun and easy to get sucked into. The 3rd act breakup isn't too dramatic or long. And the humor along the way just makes this an overall lovely read. Cons? Not a ton. I'd take more development into certain areas of the story but it's not a must. 10/10 would recommend for sure.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would. I loved this book! It is a closed-door hockey romance that follows Nathan and Summer as they navigate fake dating. Nathan is a grumpy Appies hockey player who absolutely does not want to fall in love. He is determined not to have a relationship while he is playing hockey. Summer has taken a new job as a lawyer working for the Appies (a hockey team you can't help but love). She is very curious about Nathan who seems to just ignore her. However, he can't ignore her when they have to fake date to help the team's reputation. Nathan is one of my favorite Jenny Proctor characters so far. There is more than meets the eye with his grumpy exterior. He is so swoon-worthy. Summer is great as well. She is funny and she knows exactly what she wants. Some things I loved about this book are the grumpy/sunshine trope, she takes care of him, and the fake dating trope. She also may or may not wear his jersey which he may or may not love. I also loved getting to see more of the Appies team. We even get glimpses of characters from previous books, however, it is not necessary to read the other books before this one. Romancing the Grump is a standalone in a new series of interconnected books.
Thank you to NetGalley! These opinions are my own.
This review is posted to Amazon, BAM, BookBub, and Goodreads.

I'm loving this Appies series! The characters in this book are so loveable. I love a book that makes you want to be friends with the characters. I felt like the characters were well written. I had so many laugh out loud moments and I was swooning like a teenager. Fans of sweet hockey romance or sweet small town romance will love this one! I really enjoy a series of interconnected standalone stories. I came into this series after the second one and I din't feel lost. This was such a fun and entertaining book. I was hoked right away and I can't wait to read more in this series. Thank you Jenny Proctor for writing such a great book!!


Thank you NetGalley and JPC Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Another 5/5 read for me, I’m on a streak here. I was not expecting this book to hit me like it did, it was such a fun read, literally the sweetest cavity inducing book, Summer and Nathan as much as they didn’t want to admit it were in absolute awe of each other from the very start of this book and I was seated for it. I am so in love with this book and I can’t wait for other people to read this. 💙🩵🤍

I have been eagerly waiting for this book and it was just so good! I loved the characters and the story. Romancing the Grump is the second book in the Appies Hockey Romance. This series has been so fun
Nathan and Summer were just perfect for each other. It was sweet to read about the progression of their relationship and how they just fit together. I liked how they connected and how they became friends first. Summer drew Nathan out and Nathan helped support Summer.
Nathan was a big teddy bear beneath all his grumpiness. He was scared to let people in because of his past. I loved reading about Nathan interacting with the team and his family. He truly cared for the people he let into his circle. But Nathan had to learn to trust Summer.
Summer was fun and I loved her strength. She was trying to figure out her new job and how to interact with Nathan. It was so cool to finally read about her in her own book because you met her in How to Kiss a Movie Star.
This book was everything that I had hoped and I am excited to read more in this series. The characters drew me in and the story was so sweet. The fake-dating worked well for the story and it didn’t feel forced. I also loved the grumpy/sunshiny aspect of this book.
Romancing the Grump is a must read and I would definitely recommend it! Romancing the Grump is a closed door romantic comedy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Thank you to NetGalley and JPC publishing for the ARC of this title.
Having read a lot of hockey romance, this book didn't really bring anything new and refreshing to the mix. That being said, I enjoyed it, because I enjoy this genre.
Nathan has a famous hockey father who he has abandonment issues with and this results is him swearing off relationships.
He is exactly as the title depicts him, a grump. He rarely smiles, has one word answers, and tends to be a lone wolf outside of the hockey rink.
Enter in Summer who is now a legal aid for the team Nathan plays for. She is sunny and doesn't stop talking. The opposite to Nathan, they find a common ground and almost instant love with one another. Although neither is ready to admit it to the other.
This book has common tropes such as one bed (props for the authors imagination to bring this to fruition), fake dating, and workplace romance.
It was interesting that this was a minor league team with the spotlight of an NHL team. The book is also in on the joke and the author knows she plays up these tropes. I liked that cute wink to the readers.

Overall, enjoyable read if you are a fan of hockey romance, fake dating, and grumpy and sunshine.

Jenny Proctor has done it again! I couldn’t put this book down! Hockey, Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, clean romance and the Appies—all my favorite things!

Nathan is a grump who has sworn off all relationships while playing hockey. When some female fans get a little out of control, having a fake girlfriend seems like a good way to fix the problem. Summer Callahan is a lawyer for the Appies and agrees to be Nathan’s fake girlfriend, but quickly falls for him. She is such a likable character-smart, sassy, and supportive.

You can feel the chemistry between Summer and Nathan from the very beginning. She’s one of the few people that can make him smile and melt the ice around his heart.

I love all the connections in this book. The way that Summer and her sisters are so close, the found family/brotherhood vibes from the hockey team, and connections from other Jenny books.

I highly recommend this book! Can be read as part of the Appies series, or stand-alone.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jenny Proctor and the publisher for allowing me to review this ARC!

📣Calling all hockey romance girlies📣
This one is for you! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review.
This is the fourth book is the Appies series. And let me just tell you it is amazing. It is a grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, fake dating, and a sweet hockey romance.
I love the characters Nathan and Summer, you really get to know them.
Nathan is a man of few words, but you can tell how good of a man he is by always being there for Summer. Summer is strong, funny, and knows how to make her point.
Together they are amazing!
This book was a page turner for me, I needed to know what happened next. All around great book!
I can’t wait to read more about the Appies!
Publication date: 4/23/24

I really enjoyed this book. It is a clean hockey romance book and I didn´t mind that at all. Nathan is a grumpy broody hockey player, that doesn´t want a relationship. Summer is the new contract attorney for the Appies and she is determined to see a smile on Nathans face. Love that Nathan is secretly a softie and the chemistry between the two of them is sizzling. It was a sweet and funny story and loved the ending

This book is a grumpy sunshine sport romance. Summer is an attorney who has recently got a job at a hockey team. Nathan is a grumpy hockey player who seems to be attracting the attention of lots of female hockey fans. The book is the perfect amount of cringy but also sweet. If you enjoy hockey romances you will enjoy this. I will definitely be reading more of Jenny’s books. Thank you to Jenny Proctor and Net Gallery for allowing me to read this in exchange for a honest review.

grumpy sunshine books never fails me!!! this book is so so good! the characters are super loveable and i adore them so much, super swoony that i can't stop smiling, giggling, and kicking my feet!! the found family between the hockey teammates is so wholesome and i was having so much fun reading this book! there is no single reason that makes me not to love this book!

🏒grumpy x sunshine
🏒 fake dating
🏒 hockey romance
🏒workplace romance
🏒 she takes care of him while she sick
🏒 he saves her from creepy ex-boss
🏒 found family and funny hockey teammates

(im still smiling while writing this review because aaaah i love them so much! nathansummer forever<33)

This was an ARC from Netgalley!

I thoroughly enjoyed this HEA Hockey story… it was a first for me from this author… I loved Nathan and Summers story and now need to go find the other books for the other Appie Players

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved reading Romancing the Grump! Summer and Nathan were such incredible, well-rounded characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with. From the very first chapter, I knew I'd love Summer because the way her internal monologue was written was just so relatable. On top of that, she had fire and spice to her character that I just don't see often enough. Yes, that did start to reduce as she fell in love with Nathan and she became a bit more soppy, but it reared its head over and over when she was protecting those she loved, so I knew the fire was still there. As for Nathan, he was a frustrating hero in that he refused to admit his feelings, but I think that's a big part of why I loved the story so much. In his POVs and in his moments with Summer, there was so much pining and tension, which really added anticipation to the read as I would hope with each chapter that they would just let themselves fall for each other. I think their relationship was really well paced, although I do wish that they had a bit of time as a legit couple before they went their separate ways, just so that I could have had a little bit of a pay-off before the third-act separation. Other than that though, their relationship was so tension-fuelled and I loved seeing them try to fight their feelings for each other. As for the side characters, I immediately want to find out if there are more books in this world because I love so many of the side characters. I want to find out about their relationships and all these different fake dating situations that seemed to have been going on. I don't think I got enough time with Summer and Nathan's families to fall in love with them, but I definitely loved the found family in the hockey team. All in all, this was such an enjoyable read, with emotional depth and so much tension that I just really loved.

This book was so sweet! A 3.75 ⭐️
Nathan and Summer are adorable. Nathan has his guard up because of his father and Summer is falling hard and fast. Nathan fights his feeling but he can't escape them. This was a fast pace read, a cute story, light read, closed doors, fake dating trope and hockey themed. I really enjoyed the read.

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!! summer and nathan’s story had me smiling so hard. forever and always a hockey romance girlie. 🏒⛸️❄️🤍

Romancing the Grump is the fourth book in the Appies hockey team series which is shared between authors Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor. The first two books were also in the Sweater Weather series, a connected closed-door rom-com series by various authors. Emma St. Clair began the Appies series with Just Don’t Fall and then recently released her follow-up A Groom of One’s Own, which is Eli’s story. Romancing the Grump is the sequel to Jenny Proctor’s Absolutely Not in Love, which is Felix’s story. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but will be enjoyed more if read in order.

Summer Callahan is a smart attorney who has just left her job in the District Attorney’s office to work for the Appies, a professional hockey team in Harvest Hollow, North Carolina. Summer’s sister is Audrey Hawthorne, who is married to movie star Flint Hawthorne. They are featured in How to Kiss a Movie Star from The Hawthorne Brothers series.

Nathan Sanders is the grouchy defenseman on the Appies hockey team. He has noticed Summer flirting with him when he’s hanging out with his teammate Felix and his girlfriend Gracie, but he just ignores her. Nathan continues to ignore her when she becomes the in-house legal counsel for his hockey team. But he can’t help noticing that she is beautiful, smart, and charming.

A viral social media post about Nathan requires Summer to step in and become Nathan's fake girlfriend. She doesn’t mind helping out the team because she is so attracted to him. She is convinced that she can wear Nathan down and make their relationship a real one because they have a lot of chemistry. Nathan doesn’t want to date during hockey season and generally avoids relationships because of past family drama.

Romancing the Grump is unusual for a rom-com because the female is pursuing the male character. The reader knows that Summer will get her happy ending with Nathan, but it will take a while to get there. The “getting there” is excellent, with some humorous scenes but no heartbreaking angst. The continuing storyline of the Appies hockey team is great; the reader sees more of characters introduced or featured in earlier books. Somehow each new couple becomes my favorite.

Romancing the Grump is closed-door, so romantic scenes are limited to kissing. There is a light sprinkle of profanity, but no F-bombs. Every story in the Sweater Weather/Appies series is well-written with engaging characters that leave readers asking for more! Clean romance doesn’t equal boring.

After I ordered a paperback copy of the book from Amazon, I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) e-book from NetGalley and JPC Publishing for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I LOVE a good hockey romance and this book delivers. Fake dating + grumpy hockey player + team attorney + forced proximity. This is the first book I’ve read of Jenny Proctor but it won’t be the last. She creates a story so immersive that you are invested in the characters and the appies team, and it makes you want to see if your home has a minor league hockey team! This book is perfect for readers who love the sweet romance, charm, and witty banter of Abby Jimenez and the hockey romance of Elle Kennedy!

This can absolutely be read as a stand-alone (as I did) but I’m sure the story is even better when read as the series.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, JPC Publishing, and Jenny Proctor- thank you!

There are a lot of hockey romance books but this one is worth the read. It is cute without being super cheesy and keeps you hooked the whole time. Nathen and Summer are just adorable and text book grumpy/sunshine characters. There isn't a lot of spice in the book (only kissing) but you don't miss it. The plot and characters are strong enough to carry the book and not feel like it is lacking any of that romance.
If you enjoy the following tropes you will enjoy this book
Sport romance
Grump/sunshine relationship
Workplace romance
Fake dating

I will definitely be picking up more books by Jenny Proctor!

The couples in the other Appies stories are so loveable, and Romancing the Grump is no different. Nathan and Summer are the perfect grumpy/sunshine pair! The tension and chemistry are amazing! This is a book I'd definitely recommend to my big romance reading friends and one I want on my shelf! I prefer books to not have any swearing, but atleast the words were minor and infrequent.

This was my first read from Jenny Proctor and it definitely won't be my last.
This closed door ice hockey romance made me swoon and included all of my favourite tropes
- grumpy x sunshine
- fake dating
- one bed
- work place romance
As the author said herself ice hockey romances are an over saturated market at the moment but this sweet rom com is worth the read.
Summer moves to town to start her new job as the Appies hockey team's newest legal advisor and as the title says tries to romance the grump.
This grumpy x sunshine was done perfectly the MMC did not come off as mean or rude at all.
Summer trying to get Nathan to smile and when he finally did made me SWOON!
The closed door aspect is not something i usually lean towards but this still felt very much like an adult romance and was executed perfectly.