This author is a go- to for me. So I was thrilled to get my hands on this book! This book checked all the boxes for me: Small town, dog owner, fake dating. I didn't love the short 3rd break up as it seems a little unnecessary.


MC: Destiny and Fletcher
Grumpy dog owner & professor
Sunshine dog groomer & proposal planner
Small Town
Fake Dating
Meet cute -ish
Rom com
Short third act breakup
Dual 1st pov

Cute story! After having interacting with Fletcher through her work she wrote him off as a grump and opposite of her checklist of her dream guy. When a botched proposal goes wrong they have they’re not so meet cute. Not quite strangers but but have their real first interaction. The woman in love with live and the jaded determined to stay single man. Neither of them are each other’s ideal partner. As they get to know one another they realize what they thought they wanted is slowly becoming opposite of what they need. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down. I had to finish it. It gave me ideas for my own Mr.Right checklist

4 Stars for this cute rom com

Destiny's quirkiness made her so loveable, but she seemed to be pretty clueless about life ... especially for someone who wanted to start a business. Fletch tried to be this grumpy guy who didn't need love ... but he failed miserably. He kept saying that Destiny and him were only friends, but his actions said different. This book made me laugh one minute and swoon the next. If you're looking for a feel good rom com, then this is the book for you.

When Destiny's father passes away, she moves to be close to her best friend, as that's the only person she has left. She works as a part-time pet groomer while she starts her own business ... a proposal planner. When her first booking goes very bad, the groom to be offers to help her get her business off the ground. Fletch can't believe that his dog's groomer took part in that mess in the park, so he offers to help her with her business and in turn, she'll pretend to be his girlfriend for his brother's wedding, so everyone in his family will get off his back about finding his forever love. But things often don't turn out like they're supposed to.

I received an ARC courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley.

This grumpy/sunshine rom com was hilariously delightful. Prepare to fall in love with Destiny and Fletcher and to be left wanting more!

Grumpy/sunshine trope? Check
Fun secondary characters that really add to the story? Check
Talking about the issues that are almost breaking the main charactters apart? Check
Fake dating? Check

I should have LOVED this book, but, for me, it just fell flat. It wasn't horrible, it was just meh. I read it through quickly, but it seemed to me to have just a lot of filler. It could have been a really nice short story, but it just seemed to try too much. I'm sure there will be many people who absolutley love this book, it just didn't work for me. I will admit that I've never read this author before and I may just have not gotten the nuances of the book. If this is part of a series, that may be my problem.

The writing was good, the story just was a bit too unrealistic for me.

The Mr. Right Checklist checks off all things that I love in a Melissa Foster book!! It has a couple that doesn't seem like that they go together but they really do! It has a great side characters - family, friends, and former characters from other books....which I really love!! It has romance, spice, and an interesting story line!!! I couldn't put this book down once I started!!!

I fell in love with this story the moment I started reading it and couldn’t put it down. Destiny and Fletch are amazing and their story is just a joy to read.

Destiny is a ray of sunshine, she loves love, and her personality is infectious. Honestly, she just makes you smile. Fletch is a grump, he is much more reserved, and really likes to keep to himself. These two are total opposites, yet they work so well together. Destiny brings out a different side to Fletch and I love how much he supports her and doesn’t try and change who she is.

This story is just a joy to read. It is light, it is funny, there is some spice sprinkled in. These two are a true grumpy/sunshine story. I love love love this story so much. From Destiny, to Fletch, to their two pets, and Fletch’s family. There is just so much joy to this story.

If you’re looking for a small town, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract rom com check this one out.

Really enjoyed the story and found Foster's writing style to my liking. The pace was on point and the characters and their banter were fun. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars. I found Destiny to not be as digestible as Fletch. It could be that there was a lot of dialogue to make up for the 1st person POV. Not sure. I loved the storyline, although I’m not sure a proposal business would be a good venture. Still, I had fun reading. I suppose I’ll stick to Ms. Foster’s other series which are always amazing!

So this was also a sweet rom-com with grumpy/sunshine troupe, fake dating and a very cute dog!

At times, also a little cheassy (I mean she is working as a proposals-organizer) but the tension and spice, was very nice!
All in all, a quick, esay and sweet read.

Destiny Amor is the best friend we all need who will lift up our spirits and give us strength to face another day. She has experienced much heartbreak in her young life but when she looks up at the heavens and thinks about her parents, she knows everything will be alright. She is upbeat, energetic and always has a smile on her face. Destiny had a dream to own her own business and she was working hard to make it come true. Ryan ‘Fletch’ Fletcher, or “Molly’s Dad” as he is known at the pet groomer’s where Destiny works, may be devastatingly handsome and in love with his dog, but he was just so hard to figure out. He was always in a hurry, a bit aloof and not very friendly. Destiny knew Fletch was a good person because he treated his dog Molly, like a princess.

Fletch had noticed how beautiful and carefree Destiny was but he had sworn off women and romance was not on his agenda. Fletch and Destiny bumped into each one day at the park, under the most peculiar and confusing circumstances. They were both embarrassed and upset but upon much reflection, this brought them closer together. Fletch became her business advisor and confidant and in return, Destiny agreed to be his fake girlfriend. Fletch vowed to keep Destiny firmly in the friend zone but that didn't last long as she fell for his charm, his dog and his kindness. Fletch needed someone like Destiny to brighten up his lonely life and show him that true love comes from the heart and that everyone deserves a second chance. Will Fletch leave his bachelor days behind him for a life full of fun adventures, quiet nights under the stars, and long walks with the woman of his dreams? I certainly hope so because Fletch and Destiny were always meant to be together!

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Tropes:
🩶small town
🩷grumpy x sunshine
🩶fake dating
🩷friends to lovers
🩶opposites attract
🩷dual first person POV
🩶meet cute— sorta 🤭😂
🩷rom com

This is not my first book by Melissa Foster, but it might just be one of my favorite books by her. The Mr Right Check list was one I could not put down and just wanted to keep reading. I definitely needed the palette cleansing story of Destiny and Ryan "Fletch".

The Fmc, 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. Destiny, even with the loss she's experienced in her life walks around breathing sunshine and rainbows into others lives. She adores her 4 legged friends, especially Molly, who belongs to a man she has nicknamed Grumpy Gus.

The MMC, 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.

What neither of them plan for is this fake friendship to become more real than either anticipated. But...
Fletcher doesn't check off any boxes on her Mr.
Right Checklist. Will they give each other a real chance at love? Will Fletch stop being so closed off to love? Will Destiny throw away her list and realize it's the little things in love that mean the most?

I'm a fan of Melissa's work but for me this book was so good, and I was not ready for this story to end. It was such a fun book to read with plenty of laughs, some tearing up moments, and the side characters and antics were great.

Another hit from Melissa

I loved this book! I knew Melissa Foster would be a five star but this book was such a fun read. I loved the dynamic of the two characters and their animals who have the mirrored personality of the opposite owner. This grumpy-sunshine romance was adorable. There were lots of cute little details that really made the book unique. It was nice to see a few characters who had their own books, but this one can certainly be read as a standalone.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a classic grumpy x sunshine rom-com. It was cute, it made me smile. I enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

The Mr Right Checklist, checked all my boxes. This was the book I didn't know I needed right now, it got me out of the little funk I was in. It was absolutely charming, adorable, sweet, spicy, heartfelt, emotional, romantic, it truly encompassed everything I look for in a romance book. I was absolutely hooked straight from the start, the characters were so endearing and loveable, add on some freaking adorable pets and I was an absolute goner. For me the love story and every little thing encompassed, the little attentions, all the details Melissa put into this book made for a masterpiece of a romance.

Destiny is an absolute joy, a little firecracker, I adored her with all my heart. She was so easy to love, to empathize for, she went through some hard things but she pushed through. Ryan “Fletch” is the epitome of a grumpy hero, but absolutely charming and oh so sexy, impossible not to fall for. Their chemistry was absolutely off the charts, the way Melissa created their romance and made it blossom was absolute chef's kiss. All the little subtle ways they show each other they care and love one another is the most beautiful thing. There were so many spectacular moments between these two, I even had teary eyes at some point.

There's a lot I could say, it truly just warmed my heart in the most perfect way. I just fell in love with Melissa's writing and her amazing storytelling skills. I can say this is not my last book I will be reading by her!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @brilliance & @melissafoster for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Destiny Amor, a dog groomer turned aspiring marriage-proposal planner, believes wholeheartedly in true love. Even though her own Mr. Right hasn't come along yet, she's dedicated to helping others find happiness. But when her first attempt at planning a proposal goes awry, she’s ready to throw in the towel—until the supposed groom, Ryan "Fletch" Fletcher, proposes an arrangement of a different kind. Divorced and cynical about love, Fletch needs to convince his family he's off the market, so he offers Destiny a deal: he'll help her organize her chaotic business in exchange for her pretending to be his girlfriend for an upcoming family wedding.

I was initially hesitant due to the cover, but the intriguing title and synopsis convinced me to give this book a try, and I'm so glad I did! Right from the start, the story’s quick pace kept me turning pages, and I loved the unexpected, laugh-out-loud meet-cute that set the tone for Destiny and Fletch’s dynamic. While I don’t usually enjoy meet-cutes, this one was genuinely funny and refreshing.

Destiny is a delightful character, whose optimistic outlook, despite her difficult past, made her so endearing. I especially loved how much she cherished her parents, still paying her father’s phone bill so she could talk to him every day—a touching detail that made her feel even more real. She’s willing to go the extra mile to make those around her happy, and that warm, caring quality truly stood out. Fletch, on the other hand, was a wonderful contrast—grumpy on the surface but quietly kind and supportive underneath. Destiny’s witty, playful side had me smiling often, though at times, it did come across as a bit immature. That said, her personality created a nice balance with Fletch’s steady, grounded presence.

And as for the inevitable third-act breakup—usually a deal-breaker for me—I was relieved to see it handled quickly and resolved in a way that didn’t feel drawn out. The story wrapped up with a heartwarming happy ending that felt completely deserved and left me swooning.

In summary, this was an unexpectedly enjoyable read with a perfect mix of humor and warmth. Destiny and Fletch's story is one I’ll be recommending to romance fans looking for a fresh take on the grumpy /sunshine trope.

Destiny Amor finally has her proposal business up and running. She's got her first client and things are on their way! But when the first proposal goes horribly wrong, one of her dog grooming clients, Ryan, offers to help her with the practical business side of things to help her succeed more in business. In return, Destiny will be Ryan's date to his brother's wedding to help get his family off his back. Determined never to get his heart broken again, Ryan offers a fake relationship with an expiration date but can Destiny's deep belief in love help Ryan?

This started off as a grumpy x sunshine romance but I found the FMC too annoying to really enjoy the book. They even describe her as such in the book- "flighty" and "too bubbly, too-loud, too-pushy, and too-f&cking-adorable chatterbox." She felt too airheaded to run a business and Ryan kept having to rescue her from unrealistic ideas. I didn't like his shining-knight shtick. I wish Destiny had been a capable business owner all on her own.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

I really enjoyed this book! I felt all the emotions throughout and even laughed out loud at times. Another winner for Melissa Foster!! Destiny Amor aka Sunshine and Ryan Fletcher aka Fletch, aka Grumpy Gus, were wonderfully lovable characters! His dog Molly and her cat Clementine were a lot of fun! Destiny is genuinely a ray of sunshine and so full of light and joy! It was so much fun rooting for her to win over her commitment-phobe grumpy fake boyfriend, Fletch, without even trying. It’s just the way she is. And Fletch, is just yum. He will do anything for anyone and is all for helping Destiny while she helps him get his family off his back. But we all know what happens with these fake relationships when the chemistry is sizzling and positively through the roof. These two were just fire!
I truly enjoyed this special couple’s journey to a very sweet HEA!

This was a tear jerker and so cute! I loved Destiny. I love her spirit. She didn't have a mean bone in her body for humans and animals. Her parents have both passed away and she only has a best friend Ruby but she always shines bright. When she runs into Fletch everything that could go wrong does! But she never gives up! Fletch says he will never love again and Destiny is all about love. She has a checklist for the perfect guy. She also has a dream of starting a proposal business. Fletch offers to help her with getting her business started. From there the perfect friendship is started between these two. But as the more and more time they spend together, love starts to grow! But Fletch doesn't believe in love and he doesn't quite fit into Destiny's check list.
I loved this story! I was laughing, I was crying and I was so happy. There wasn't much drama and I really enjoyed that. The ending was perfect as well! So so so sweet!