In "Faking It With the Grump" by Kate O’Keeffe, readers are treated to a charming and witty romance that proves love can blossom in the most unexpected of places – even in a small town bar full of lumberjacks.

Harper Cole, fresh from a breakup with a Hollywood star, finds herself back in her small hometown, facing the pitying looks and well-meaning matchmaking attempts of her neighbours. Determined to take control of her own narrative, Harper sets her sights on Christopher Young, the uptight newcomer with a penchant for suits and ties in all the wrong places. What begins as a scheme to ward off unwanted sympathy soon turns into something neither Harper nor Christopher could have anticipated.

O’Keeffe's storytelling sparkles with humour and heart as she navigates the dynamics between Harper and Christopher. Harper's sassy and spirited personality contrasts wonderfully with Christopher's grumpy demeanour, creating a delightful dynamic that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. Their fake relationship quickly evolves into something genuine and heartfelt, challenging both characters to confront their preconceived notions and embrace the unexpected.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Hunter's Creek, Washington, "Faking It With the Grump" captures the essence of small-town charm while delivering a thoroughly modern romance. O’Keeffe expertly balances laugh-out-loud moments with tender, poignant scenes, ensuring that readers are fully invested in Harper and Christopher's journey from start to finish.

What truly sets this novel apart is its exploration of the grumpy-sunshine trope, where opposites attract in the most delightful of ways. Harper and Christopher's chemistry sizzles on the page, proving that sometimes, the most unlikely pairings can lead to the greatest love stories.

"Faking It With the Grump" is a delightful start to the Second Chance Café series, promising readers a cast of engaging characters and swoon-worthy romances to come. Whether enjoyed as a standalone novel or as part of the series, this book is sure to leave readers with a smile on their faces and a warm, fuzzy feeling in their hearts.

This book was just enough sweet and just enough love. The tropes in this book are some of my faves… fake dating, friends to loves, small town romance and grumpy v sunshine. When Harper gets dumped by her Hollywood boyfriend she leaves back to her hometown. When everyone in her small town want to help her find love she decides to fake date Christopher who is just in town to purchase the mill. Will they or won’t they fall in love?

I love the dual pov in this book

Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the E-ARC. This was such a cute fast read. The drama was there without it being dramatic. Harper and Christopher gave all the feels. Cant wait to keep reading this series

A cute grumpy sunshine read. I liked the book generally not my favourite of the year but a nice quick easy read while travelling or having little breaks!

This feel-good book will have you glued to the pages. Filled with all the best tropes: small-town, fake dating, opposites attract, and the best side characters that give all the cozy, found family feels. O'Keeffe delivers a super sweet, hilarious, fake dating romance between two people who couldn't be more opposite and have their own reasons for faking their relationship. Feelings get involved, true intentions are revealed, and there's no hiding from the tension between Harper and Christopher. I highly recommend for a fun, small-town romance that will have you wishing Hunter's Creek was a real place!

Grouchy/Optimistic dynamic, quaint village setting, a gradual build-up... what more could you desire!
An utterly heartwarming and effortless read, diverging from my typical choices, yet I cherished every instant of it.
The plot captivated me, the evolution of characters was remarkable, and the unfolding journey of discovering and maturing together was truly extraordinary.

This one was unfortunately want able to finish reading this book. I dnf'ed this at 47%. It just didn't hit the right spot for me.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Most of the time I'm into fun, fast, predictable romances with hallmark movie vibes. However I did not like the author's portrayal of current events. Making fun of anxiety and the metoo movement just felt icky.

✨ 📖 Book Review ✨!!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for my ARC copy.

Title: Faking It With The Grump
Author: Kate O’Keeffe
Genre: small town, fake dating, grumpy sunshine
Format: ebook
Length: 318 pages
Start: October 19, 2022
Finish: October 24, 2023
•••
1- Characters: 6
2- Atmosphere/Setting: 5
3- Writing Style: 4
4- Plot: 5
5- Intrigue: 5
6- Logic/Relationships: 7
7- Enjoyment: 6

CAWPILE Rating System: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating: zero
•••
Thoughts:
This book was unfortunately too cheesy for me. A lot of the dialogue made me go, “really…?” I also didn’t like the way the time jumps were written. It was placed in the middle of a chapter without a very clear indication. Weeks or months will have passed and the reader will have to make the inference themselves later on in the chapter. There was a point where a character moved out of state and months have passed and there was no clear line break, it just goes on in the next paragraph like it’s a continuation of the previous paragraph.

Regarding the story, it was just alright. It screams very YA since the only spice you get were kissing. They talked about kissing a lot, it was almost too cringe. I probably won’t be reading the next installment in this series.

2*

While the idea of this book was not new: uptight suited lawyer temporarily moves to small lumberjack town and falls in love with the local girl, I did find this a comfortable read. The book was highly predictable, but the switching between perspectives made it interesting to read. If you're into Hallmark stories, this would be one for you.

I gave 2 stars because a few things gave me the icks, describing a person struggling with anxiety and purposefully portraying them as the grumpy one feels off to me. I would've appreciated some resurrection here, or some sort of apology from one of the characters, rather than simply ignoring it and making people like him more. This adds to the general view that anxiety is a taboo. Furthermore the mockery of the me too movement is not done, this shows there's still a lot of work to do, it's a serious issue and not something to be made fun of. Same with the racist jokes, the book could've easily worked without them, maybe even improved. Assuming someone is raised in Japan because they nod their head? We're not in the 90's anymore....

All in all: nice plot, but could be done better.

Thanks a lot NetGalley and Wild Lime Books for providing me with an ARC to read & review.

The grump was not grumpy, he has social anxiety. There is a very large difference there, and labeling anxiety grumpiness just made my heart hurt. I thought we were passed judging a book by its cover.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Loved this trope & the book is soo good😍✨✨✨


"Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

It was cute. Fun and easy read. If your looking for something similarly to a chicklick, read this, its a grumpy/sunshine, small town and faking dating.

Grumpy/Sunshine, small town, slow burn... what else could you possibly ask for!
Such a wholesome, easy read, different from my usual books, but I absolutely adored every moment of it.
The story was great, the character development was incredible, The way they learned about each other and grew with one another was amazing.
HEA guaranteed!!

Fun, clean, opposites-attract romance for when you're looking for a quick, feel-good chick-lit read. Entertaining and fast-paced with snappy dialog.

I did not finish this title in advance of the publication day, but do intend to finish reading later down the line.

Faking it with the Grump
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Rom Com
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 3/14/23
Author: Kate O’Keeffe

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from Kate O’Keeffe and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This was a wonderful small town romance read, with plenty of humor and swoon! Harper just got dumped by her Hollywood high school sweetheart and goes back to her hometown alone. When everyone under the moon wants to set her up on a date, she decides to fake date Christopher, who is only in town long enough to purchase The Mill. Do they fall in love? Or is there a relationship a complete disaster that ends on the expiration date? The trope follows fake dating, friends to lovers, small town romance, and grumpy v sunshine, all tropes that I love to read.

This is the first book in a new series, Second Chance Cafe’. The story is narrated in a dual POV between Harper and Christopher. I love dual POVs as you get both sides of the equation. Harper is sweet, smart, and kind, so much so that she gives of herself before thinking of herself. Christopher is grumpy, a rule follower, and likes to protect his heart. Pair the two together and the banter and chemistry is just brilliant, even if they are complete opposites. The characters were well developed, fleshed out, had witty banter, chemistry, and just brilliantly created. The author’s writing style is complex, brilliant, swoony, humorous, and engaging. I was so invested in Harper and Christopher’s story from the moment of the spontaneous kiss. Hunters Creek is so quaint and very small townish, very much part of the charm created. You actually feel like you are there in Hunters Creek with the way the author details the small town.

Kate O’Keeffe is one of my favorite indie authors. I adore her books. The writing is always superb and makes me smile. The flow and pacing of the book was right on point. I highly recommend all of her books but urge you to go pick up this book as I can tell this will be a swoon-worthy series. I cannot wait for the next one in the series between Harper’s sister, Ryn, and her best friend, Gabriel.

Such a fun read! The pace was fast-paced and immersive. Absolutely enjoyed the characters and everyones relationship with one another.