The Mr. Right Checklist was a cute and funny story. Destiny has had so much heartbreak in her life but remains positive and upbeat. Fletch is a grumpy gus who doesn't believe in love. A proposal mishap forces them together, and the rest is history. Destiny shows Fletch that love is worth fighting for.

I love Melissa Foster's books, and this one is not an exception.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc for my honest review!

This was the first book I read from Melissa Foster and definitely not my last! I enjoyed this book a lot! The Mr. Right Checklist is a great standalone grumpy x sunshine fake dating romance. You can feel a connection between the characters and the writing is so good!

small town
grumpy x sunshine
fake dating
friends to lovers
opportunities attract
dual First person POV

Destiny Amor has just moved to town a few months ago to be close to her best friend, as she has no family left. Destiny is working with her friend as a dog groomer. This is not truly what she dreams of doing, she wants to open a marriage proposal business.

Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher is a hot professor, who after his divorce has given up on love. He has become a rather grumpy person, thus earning the nickname of “grumpy Gus “ from Destiny. When an event she planned, ends up a disaster, he decides to help Destiny with her business and in return she'll help him by being a date to his brother's upcoming wedding.

4.5 ⭐️

This is my first book by Melissa Foster, and it did not disappoint. This was adorably funny. I could not put it down.

The mistake proposal was hilarious, the animals at times almost stole the show, the genuine friendship that formed was everything, then add in the chemistry and spice, and you have such a fun read.

This was such a good rom-com. Fletch truly saw and appreciated Destiny, and she helped him open his heart again.

Grumpy professor / dog dad☑️
Sunshine dog groomer / proposal planner☑️
Fake dating / situationship☑️
Close proximity☑️
Mistaken proposal☑️
She has a Mr. Right Checklist☑️
She falls first, he falls harder ☑️

Thank you, Melissa and Grey's Promotions, for the ARC.

If you are looking for a read that will pull you in, connect you with characters, and enjoy every moment... this is it! Destiny and Fletch start out on shaky ground, and some awkward moments. She's sweet, light, and full of sunshine, while he's bitter, grumpy, and set in his ways. It's a bit of an opposites attract situation, and their situation grows into a friendship, and then more from there. There's some very heart touching moments, good heat, and lovable friends around them. Destiny has this mystical type feeling on love, the connections that are made, and that has made her this amazing woman. I really loved everything about this and am curious about the other characters as well. A must read.

THE MR. RIGHT CHECKLIST By Melissa Foster

Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet—honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?—she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.
Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, a divorced-and-never-going-there-again professor, needs to get his matchmaking family off his back, and the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner is the perfect solution. He offers to help Destiny get her business on track, if she’ll play the part of his adoring girlfriend at his brother’s wedding.
A professional situationship with her grumpy dog-grooming client? Destiny adores his pup, and she could put up with him to get her business off the ground. With any luck, she might even get that chip about love off his shoulder.

😊What i liked -

✔ Fake Relationship/Opposites Attract/Small Town/Grumpy-Sunshine/Forced Proximity.
✔ Loved Destiny's character. Loved her optimistic and positive outlook. I really wanted to give her a hug at times.
✔ Mr. Grumpy pants was cute too. Loved the way he starts helping Destiny out and falls head over heels for her.
✔ Loved Fletch's love for his dog. So cute.
✔ His Siblings were a hoot.
✔ Loved the way it was written. An easy, cute and swoony read.


🤔What could have been better-

✔ I felt the book dipped a bit.


📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💕Fake Relationship Romance
🏡Small Town Romance


📈My Rating : 4.5/5

Thank you, Melissa Foster & Montlake, for a copy.

I think the name Destiny Amor is a bit much, but I really enjoyed this book. Destiny and Fletch are a cute non-couple couple and their chemistry was delicious.

Destiny moved to Harmony Point to start over. She is working temporarily as a dog groomer while she gets her new business off the ground. She has no idea that the man of her dreams might not meet any of the items on her Mr. Right Checklist. Fletch just wants to live his life, do his job and be left alone. He certainly doesn’t want anything to do with the perky, pretty dog groomer who drives him crazy. He has no idea that his life might just need a little crazy.

The author gave both Destiny and Fletch good backstories. It made perfect sense why they are the way they are. Both drew and changed and, in some ways, matured even though they are both full grown adults. I thought the addition of Destiny being a dreamer without a plan was a great choice. It gave Fletch a reason to be with Destiny and get to know her. The little hook of the checklist is used well throughout the story without being overused.

This is a sweet love story set in a small town. There are characters from the prior book and lots of family that are part of the story. If you are looking for a sweet, opposites attract story, give this a try. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

There’s no denying that Melissa Foster knows how to craft steamy romance. In "The Mr. Right Checklist," she delivers a playful story featuring a quirky, love-obsessed heroine and a grumpy-but-hot professor who reluctantly steps into her world. While the premise offers potential for a lighthearted romantic comedy, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a mixed bag of sizzling chemistry and frustrating character flaws.

Destiny Amor (yes, really) is a free-spirited dog groomer who wants to launch a marriage proposal planning service but knows nothing about business (are you rolling your eyes yet?). Ryan Fletcher, a sociology professor and dog-grooming client, needs a pretend girlfriend to fend off his matchmaking family. Cue a fake-dating trope and some badly-behaved-dog comedy.

What works: the chemistry between Destiny and Fletch is undeniable. Foster excels at writing sex scenes.

What doesn’t work: Destiny's mental and emotional state. I guess she's meant to be sweet and whimsical but she seems more like a teenager than an adult. Fletch (rightly) refuses to date his student, so why would he be interested in someone who has even less maturity or intelligence? Maybe I'm cynical, but I don't see how a relationship where one person has to constantly clean up the other person's (well-meaning) messes and mistakes can last after the initial chemistry fades.

Also, I was super annoyed by Fletch's failure to train or control his dog, and Destiny's enabling of that. I know it's meant to be comic relief, but letting the dog run loose, destroy things, and eat non-food items is frustrating and dangerous. I wouldn't like these people in real life.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Destiny and Fletch are complete opposites. She’s a fiery, sassy, free-spirited dog groomer, proposal planner and he’s a professor who is grumpy as all get out.
What happens when a proposal gone wrong turns into a fun, sexy, and sassy situationship with benefits? Melissa definitely brought it with this one. These two had me laughing so hard. Destiny is quirky, a ball of sunshine and he’s a grump. His past, his insecurities made him so relatable. Below the surface he’s a sweetheart. He’s a loving dog dad who was struggling with his feelings due to his past but showed up for himself and Destiny. Even though it took him a while to figure it out. He was always there, and so supportive. Love the friendship they built and then slowly it became more. They allowed each other to be their true authentic selves, while allowing each other to break those walls that were built. Great read.

Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny believes in true love and happily ever afters. Fletch, a divorced-and-never-going-there-again professor, needs to get his matchmaking family off his back, and the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner is the perfect solution. He offers to help Destiny get her business on track, if she’ll play the part of his adoring girlfriend at his brother’s wedding. A professional situationship with her grumpy dog-grooming client? Destiny adores his pup, and she could put up with him to get her business off the ground. With any luck, she might even get that chip about love off his shoulder.

This story is grumpy & sunshine rom-com just as it says it will be. I adored this book so, so much. It was funny and I loved the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
Destiny and Fletch end up in a friends with benefits situation, even though he's sworn off women and she's searching for someone to check all the boxes on her list. This is a fun, cute read and mostly lighthearted. Destiny did seem a little young and very scattered to me, but Fletch was great for her and great to her. Lots of sweet and very thoughtful things he did. I enjoyed the glimpses of her proposal planning business. Their pets and their friends were also bright spots in the book. I enjoyed it, but not my favorite from this author.

Chaque nouveau roman de Melissa Foster est toujours une joie pour moi et le dernier ne fait pas exception puisque j'ai beaucoup ri en raison du personnage féminin qui est un vrai rayon de soleil et qui a un prénom prédestiné puisqu'elle s'appelle Destiny et qu'elle incarne la joie de vivre, malgré ses blessures et sa sensibilité. Elle rêve de monter son entreprise pas banale, "Get the Yes", qui propose à un homme ou une femme de créer la proposition de mariage idéale. Mais en attendant, elle peut compter sur le soutien de son amie d'enfance Ruby avec laquelle elle travaille et l'aide, celle-ci tenant un salon de toilettage "Perfect Paws" où elle croise régulièrement le propriétaire d'une chienne qu'elle adore mais on ne peut pas en dire autant avec son maître avec lesquelles elle a des relations compliquées. Elle l'a même surnommé "Grumpy Gus" car oui, notre héros est un grognon, le "grumpy" de service et lorsque sa première organisation de demande en mariage tourne au fiasco (je ne spoile pas, c'est dans le résumé) et qu'il en est la victime, (je vous laisse découvrir pourquoi) Destiny va vouloir se faire pardonner et Fletch va saisir l'occasion de lui demander de jouer sa fausse petite amie pour le mariage de son frère, tout en l'aidant à monter son entreprise en échange.
Bien évidemment, vous imaginez bien que ces deux-là qui ont un caractère totalement opposés et qui ont des envies de futurs encore plus opposés (Flech est divorcé et jure qu'on ne le reprendra plus jamais à ce jeu-là et bien sûr, Destiny rêve d'un mariage aussi heureux que ses parents) vont devoir se voir régulièrement et surtout convaincre les proches du jeune homme qu'ils sont amoureux... Mais qui est pris qui croyait prendre, non? Fletch va-t-il succomber aux charmes lumineux de la jeune femme? Destiny va-t-elle réussir à préserver son coeur et à ne pas succomber à cet homme qui n'est pas ce qu'il paraît être au premier regard? Alors que la date qu'ils se sont fixés pour "rompre" approche, pourront-ils retourner à leur vie d'avant? eh bien, vous le saurez en lisant cette excellente nouvelle romance contemporaine de Melissa Foster.
Comme toujours, c'est une réussite : je m'explique. Si vous ne connaissez pas les romances de Melissa Foster, vous pouvez lire cette romance très sympa, seule, sans souci mais si comme moi, vous en avez lu beaucoup, vous êtes contents de retourner à Harmony Point où plusieurs romans se déroulent et quand vous réalisez que Flech est le collègue d'une héroïne de la série "Sugar Lake", Talia (Love Like Ours) et qu'il a pour ami un personnage qui vous perturbe depuis des années et dont vous attendez impatiemment son histoire (tout comme sa soeur, malade, d'ailleurs) Marshall ("She Loves me") cela ne peut que bien se passer.

J'ai adoré ces deux personnages très différents mais qui au final vont apprendre à se découvrir et bien sûr se rapprocher l'un de l'autre : si Fletch est épaulé par sa famille qui s'inquiète pour lui, Destiny n'a plus que son amie d'enfance. Pourtant, en jouant cette comédie, ils vont s'aider l'un l'autre et évidemment se rapprocher mais sont-ils prêts à ouvrir leur coeur? L'un comme l'autre a ses peurs mais tous deux sont des gens biens, toujours avec des valeurs et même si parfois, ils font des erreurs, ils se soutiennent et Fletch va devoir apprendre à laisser le passer derrière lui. J'ai adoré leurs échanges car Destiny est une jeune femme si drôle, qui nous surprend et le surprend donc, attendez-vous à éclater de rire plus d'une fois (j'ai adoré quand elle arrive alors qu'il joue au basket avec ses deux frères et Marshall) : elle est touchante, lumineuse, voit la vie du bon côté malgré ce qui lui est arrivé et vous ne pourrez que l'aimer.

Pour une fois, chez Melissa, on est davantage dans un slow-burn puisqu'ils apprennent à se connaître avant de succomber et c'est appréciable de les voir passer d' "ennemis" à amis puis à amants, ce qui donne des scènes surprenantes dans le bon sens et qui sont totalement réelles : bien que l'on sache que c'est une romance, Melissa a le don de nous immerger dans ces lieux où l'on aimerait habiter et côtoyer tous ces gens merveilleux. Bref, je pourrai continuer longtemps comme ça mais ce que je peux vous dire, c'est qu'une fois les derniers mots lus, il y a une sensation de manque et on ne peut qu'avoir envie, lire les histoires de Marshall, de sa soeur, du frère de Flech... bref, tant de personnages qu'elle nous fait aimer au travers de ces romans. Et bien sûr, un clin d'oeil à la chienne de Flech et au chat de Destiny : pour les amoureux des animaux dont je fais partie, c'est un vrai plus car Molly est un vrai personnage :)

Donc, je n'ai plus qu'une chose à dire vivement le prochain.

Fits perfectly into the grumpy/sunshine trope. MMC Fletch was the perfect supportive grump who had a really difficult time resisting Destiny or just lying to himself. It was pure joy reading this book, the characters seemed very real and comical at the sam time.

Mr. Right Checklist is an awesome book. Melissa Foster is one of my favorite authors and I can’t get enough of her writing. I went through all the emotions with this one. It’s a love story that starts out with Destiny who is “sunshine and hope” and Fletch who seems to be “Grumpy Gus” but is really a sweetheart of a man. Destiny is a dog groomer by day and an entrepreneur hoping to get her business off and running setting up the perfect marriage proposal. Ryan Fletcher helps her with her business. Fletch and Destiny have chemistry and they start as friends but they come to find sometimes life throws you curve balls and gives you everything you never knew that you wanted.

An amazing and fun grumpy/sunshine fake relationship story that will sweep you off your feet. It will captivate you from the very beginning, giving you all the feels with its delightful charm. The characters are wonderfully developed, each bringing their unique flair to the narrative, making the witty banter between them an absolute delight. The sizzling chemistry practically ignites the pages, adding an irresistible spark to the storyline. This entertaining read is full of humor, heartfelt moments, and unexpected turns that keep you engaged from start to finish. It's a must-read that promises to leave you with a smile on your face and a warmth in your heart. Truly, a gem not to be missed!

The Mr. Right Checklist by Melissa Foster keeps the reader engaged and entertained the whole way through the story.
It was a quick and fun read but also full of heart and emotions.
This book has everything for me. It was emotional and fun, and the banter between the two main characters was some of the best I've read. I really wish this story didn't end. I could read about this couple and town forever.

The Mr. Right Checklist is an amazing read. I could not get enough of Destiny and Fletch. Destiny is amazing. I love her spunky so much as she works hard to get her business up and going. She is sunshine that puts a smile on your face. Fletch may be a little broken but he has a big heart especially for his love able dog. He may be grumpy but he sure is loveable. I love the banter and the chemistry build between Destiny and Fletch. They are just perfect. The heartstrings get pulled and smiles will be had. I could not put this down. I loved everything about this one. You need to click this today.

This book was quite enjoyable! I love a good grumpy x Sunshine trope! She has a checklist and he meets none of the requirements, but what happens after they decide to fake date for his brothers wedding? The more time they spend together, Destiny might need to change her checklist after all. I do recommend this book! Such a fun read!

I loved Destiny! She was so much fun and said what she felt. I loved that she still talked to her parents even though they were in heaven. Destiny’s dream was to start a business as someone who set up unforgettable proposals for people. In the meantime she worked with her best friend Rose in her dog grooming business. Destiny always loved grooming Molly who was a sweetheart beast. Her owner Fletch always seemed like a super grouch. He was a professor who had a student who wouldn’t leave him alone. Just Destiny’s luck, her first customer for a perfect proposal was Fletch’s student who was delusional. That scene was funny, but I am glad it threw Fletch and Destiny together. I loved that Fletch wanted to help her with her business with the side commitment she would go to his brother’s wedding as his date so his family would leave him alone. You will love this exciting and funny at times romance that was not supposed to be. Especially since Destiny had a Mr. Right checklist that Fletch did not meet the requirements. This was an uplifting book for the most part that I needed! I strongly encourage you to read it.

Destiny Amor is free-spirited and in love with love. So much so that she wants to start a perfect proposal business. Until that business can come to fruition Destiny is a part time dog groomer. That’s where she meets grumpy dog owner Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, who is also a professor. Fletch checks nothing off of Destiny’s checklist, but dang is he cute when he’s not grumpy. Fletch has been burned bad by love and wants no part of it again and Destiny is nothing like what he would be looking for. After a disastrous first attempt at launching her proposal business Destiny and Fletch strike a deal to work together. This way Destiny can learn everything she needs to know to become a legit business owner from Fletch. Who knew that sparks would fly between them?
This is another great story that allows you to laugh, cry and fall in love with both Destiny and Fletch.