I thought that this was a really enjoyable story!

I thought that it had a strong storyline and it was well written with a lovely natural flow to the story

The characters were well developed and I loved getting to know them as the book progressed

It had a sexy firefighter storyline so it was always going to be a hit with me!

Romantic and sexy - it is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended

Cute novel! Loved the dialogue between the two love interests. Will definitely read future works by the author!

As I adore firefighter stories this was an easy pick. And I quite liked it. It rates between 3-4 stars for me. I quite liked the heroine, I wished Ace had been fleshed out a bit more. But overall very nice story!

Thank you NetGalley and Marika Ray for sending me a copy!

I rated this book 4 stars.

At first I wasn't convinced I would like this book and was prepared to accept I may have to DNF it..

I was wrong! It was fun, refreshing and actually satisfying (in all manners).

Although I didn't relate to the MC, a nature-loving woman who was into yoga and essential oils, it was great to see that diversity in personality. I loved that it showed opposites can still be attracted to each other and can appreciate their differences.

The best part of this novel was the communication. There was a more natural progression of opening up to each other and actually communicating their feelings and problems. I rarely see this in any book let alone a romance book. Thank you Marika, thank you.

Also the smut was the right level and not the same as every other book, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Thank you Marika Ray Publishing and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This. This is the stuff. Enemies-to-lovers stuff I'm talking about. Add in the grumpy sunshine trope, and well, BAM! BamBam *cries at how cute this whole book is*

Alrighty, there is no one to compare when talking about Adelia Bammingford, our purest, softest, sweetest, cinnamon rollest human being ever.

Seriously, Ace should be struck by lightning for how rude he was to her throughout the years.

Anyway, it was DAMN CAPTIVATING to read about Ace falling in love with Adelia, how the grump fell in love with the sun personified. How he grew into maturity and delegation.

And Addy's abandonment issue? Goddamn, brought tears to my eyes every time. Glad she finally stood up to herself, and even so, she was such a sweetheart I LOVE HER ACE HELLMAN YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF OUR GIRL REAL GOOD

I originally thought this book came out on March 3, 2023, but it came out March 3, 2022, instead! Already deciding to read Blaze's story. (ABCDE much? :P)

This was a quick read, and although I absolutely loved Addy, Ace was a bit of a characture for me.

Addy was delightfully quirky, with family and friends who were just as unique as she. However, the only thing I really learned about Ace was that he is the oldest brother. That's his main personality.

So while it was s fin fun little story, it didn't really have much meat to it.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I liked it! Just my type.

This reading was so cute and funny. Super funny!! Abbys parents were something else to looool. I love the different personalities and beliefs. They clash but at the same time they were good together. And the sexy calendar photo shoot, chefs kiss. Definitely a cute read you should try.

This was a good one! Read in one sitting, can’t go wrong with a hot firefighter and a grumpy/sunshine trope. The book had plenty of heat, a great cast of characters including some of the zaniest older people in town, and a whole mess of brothers that all need their own stories. Definitely recommend.

If a lighthearted, sexy, small town romance is your cup of tea then look no further than Marika Ray's Grumpy As Hell. This novel is fun and fast paced, with a delightful balance of steamy and quirkiness to create a lovely small town charm. This is the first novel I have read by Marika Ray and I found her writing to be well assessable with a tone that is conversational and quippy. Ray's characters are fun and unique, I love the way the hero and heroine are able to challenge each other and grown out of old misunderstandings into something fun and new.

Abby is a yoga instructor who finds herself in a precarious situation at the top of the novel with Ace, a sexy firefighter, who she has known her whole life. When these two but heads they challenge each other outside of their normal way of thinking. When Abby is enlisted to teach a First Aid class, Ace plans to thwart her at every step of the way. But soon these two learn that maybe they are better when they work together.

This is truly a fun and lighthearted romance, between two frenemies to lovers. These two might like to pick on each other but they easily let their chemistry take them to the next level. I really loved the opposites attract element to the story and how we could see the ways Abby and Ace both were able to balance each other. This small town is full of interesting characters that really brought the world to life and created a lovely place for this romance to bloom.

I would definitely recommend this book by Marika Ray and I am looking forward to exploring her backlist for myself!

I'm not sure who originally suggested this author to me, but they have my gratitude. I have enjoyed many of her stories, and I add this one to the list! I think the grumpy/sunshine dynamic of this couple is written perfectly! Ace and Addy and the craziness of their small town is addictive and seriously entertaining.

This has all the things that I want from a rom com:

Strong characters, funny interactions and people, steamy chemistry and attraction, great family and friends who support the couple, and a totally adorable HEA.

As a fan of this author, I jumped at the chance to grab this ARC from Netgalley and Victory Editing. I absolutely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this - funny, great banter and great spice!!

Will definitely be reading more of Marika Ray’s books in the future!

Grump sunshine has to be one of my favourite tropes, but oh boy was this a struggle.

I felt no cone with either of the main characters, which made for a difficult read.

This romance is both entertaining and satisfying. Addy is a creative yoga instructor with knowledge about plants and tinctures. She’s an only child who was raised by hippies. Ace is a super-responsible, hot fireman with a few younger brothers. Addy and Ace have always lived in the small, quirky town of Hell. They have disliked each other since first grade, which was also when Ace’s Dad left Ace’s family. There are both literal and figurative sparks as the heat grows (multiple puns intended). Eventually both Addy and Ace realize that they’re in love despite their differences. This book has sex, character-growth, some humor, likeable supporting characters, plenty of romance and a terrific HEA. It’s a very satisfying and well-written romance with dual points of view. Recommended. I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is the first book in the Hellman Brothers series. It is the story of town golden boy- firefighter Ace Hellman and the very quirky Addy. This was the first book that I read by Marika Ray and I went through it quite quickly and then moved on to book two. Both of the characters were funny and engaging. The dialogue between them was exceedingly humorous and I greatly enjoyed the break from reality and breath of fresh air that this book gave me. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, funny and engaging read!

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review of the material.

Grumpy As Hell by Marika Ray was a sweet rom-com. Addy and Ace are a sweet opposites attract tale. Ace grows his relationship with Addy and she gets a backbone - demanding the respect she deserves. Did I mention the firefighter component of the book?!? So amazing! Such a good read and can't wait to read more from this new to me author.

I really enjoyed this book! A quick, easy, light-hearted read. I loved Addie's hippie ways and Ace's slow acceptance of her as she is. They also have amazing banter - and hot sex. I also enjoyed the text message threads between the brothers. This book is a standalone, but I will definitely be picking up the remainder of the series as they release (book 2 is already on my Kindle!). There was some definite foreshadowing of future brothers' stories, which will be fun to watch play out.

I was a little confused about Ace's dad's leaving. They talked about him having another family, but it was unclear to me whether he had had this other family after leaving Nikki, or if he was committing bigamy or maintaining a partner during the course of their marriage. I am hopeful this will be better explained in future books.

4 stars, Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

This was a cute quick read. This is definitely a case of opposite attract. Addy is more free spirited, bubbly and goes with the flow. While Ace is more structured and a little grumpy. While it didn’t flow as well as I thought it would it was still sn enjoyable read. I’m curious as to see what the author plans to do with the rest of the series!

I enjoyed this book so much, that I went and got the second one in the series as soon as I finished the first one.

I am a sucker for amazing banter, and the chemistry/ banter between Ace and Addy is top notch. I would say this is a grumpy / sunshine with a nice dash of opposites attraction thrown into the mix. When they both realize that they are stuck with each other teaching this crazy fun small town group of their neighbors CPR and can't get out of it. I was laughing my head off, not just at this scene, but so many throughout the story.

If you are looking for a fun, laugh out loud story, grab this book!

I will definitely recommend this book to all the people that like sexy as hell firefighter and lovely, somewhat nerdy girl. It is intriguing with interesting plot and likeable characters, with some of the real life problems. Definitely worth reading.