Faking It With the Grump is the first book in the Second Chance Café series by Kate O’Keeffe. He’s grumpy, boring, and thinks it’s okay to wear a suit and tie to a small town bar full of lumberjacks. But when I kiss him? Let’s just say I wasn’t expecting THAT. It's one thing to be dumped by the huge Hollywood star you thought you were going to marry. It’s quite another to move back to the small town you're both from. As a booby prize for being shown the door by Dex Ryder, everyone is trying to set me up with their son, their nephew, or their long-lost cousin’s gardener. I’m not going to put up with their patronizing sympathy anymore. So, when I spot new-guy-in-town Christopher Young, I set out to make him mine. Or you know, pretend to make him mine. I’m still in a horrible funk over Dex, and Christopher is an uptight grump. Not exactly my type. The fact that despite appearances, he’s gorgeous and doing weird things to my blood pressure doesn't mean a thing.

Faking It With the Grump is a fun ride. I enjoyed the characters and the set up of the small town that will be the setting for the series. I thought Harper was a likable and realistic character. She is smart and funny, but is generally too accommodating for her own good. Christopher has been operating under strict control for a long time, and while his seems very smart and observant, he occasionally seemed to be a little lost and clueless. It was sometimes an endearing dichotomy- but sometimes just had me shaking my head. I think I liked the secondary characters and town a bit more than I liked this particular romance. I saw the stumbling blocks a mile away, and while some worked out just fine and I enjoyed the ride- there was one that really frustrated me, and it seemed to me like Christopher never really understood the problem. I did like the final resolution and found the story as a whole to be entertaining and enjoyable, that one thread of the story bothered me enough that I did not love the book as completely as I expected to.

Faking It With the Grump is a solid opposites attract romance with the promise of more stories to come.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for access to an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From the title and description of the book to the cute, colorful cover, I was so excited to dive in and to soak up the story, and from there, to see what else would happen at the Second Chance Cafe later on in the series. Now, I'm glad that I ended up getting my hands on this for free so that I didn't have to make the mistake financially. Grumpy x Sunshine is one of my favorite romantic tropes, and I have always loved a good, cheesy Hallmark movie, so the idea of a grumpy, overworked professional from the city coming in to close down the only business keeping a small, rural town going and falling for the brightly colored cotton candy girl of his dreams once he's there had me frothing at the mouth. But this book fell so flat for me in so many ways, and multiple times within the first few chapters I was actually insulted by the way the characters and their thought processes were being portrayed. I mean, Christopher nods at Harper at one point in what she called 'a weirdly formal way of his' and then she immediately ends up assuming that he's from Japan? Which I think may have been the red flag that finally tipped me over the edge into DNFing the book. 32% in. Because that was too much to handle on top of the way that Christopher kept putting himself down in his own mind every time it was suggested that he might enjoy something that made him appear remotely effeminate (Hallmark movies were only something he watched because of his sister, obviously) and the cringey, juvenile way that so many of Christopher's chapters specifically were written (his coworker openly bullies him *in the office* by calling him the most boring man alive--which doesn't seem particularly scathing but is still pretty darn unprofessional).

But aside from all of my concerns with the redflags of the book, the couple--from the start at least--had very little chemistry together, the focus of every single person in this town on the love life of one girl (however on brand for the hallmark comparison it was going for) was a little heavy handed when I'm used to more fleshed out casts of characters with lives and interests of their own, and the apparently 'grumpy' male lead was the farthest thing from it. If anything, Christopher was a neurodivergent workaholic, and if that had been leaned into more and the book had been written fully from Harper's perspective rather than as a dual POV (it was generally Christopher's chapters that seemed to struggle finding a cohesive voice), then I may have been able to stick with it a bit better. It's kind of a curse of the contemporary romance genre that a lot of people go in expecting a story to have little to no substance outside of a cheesy romance and an HEA, but I have read so many that have so much more heart, chemistry, and weight thrown behind them that still succeeded in giving all the same warm and fuzzy feelings this one was trying to give, and I just wish it had delivered.

So many tropes that I love!!! I love fake dating and grumpy & sunshine so this was a very entertaining read for me. Definitely going to read the other books in this series as well.

There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. The beginning gripped my interest, as did the drama near the end. However, I did find the middle of the story and some of the relationship-building between Christopher and Harper a little slow--but this is probably just personal taste, as fluff conversation isn't my thing. Having said all that, this is a nice, relaxing read that focuses on detailed character interaction. I was team Harper at the beginning, and then Christopher grew on me. I did root for them to end up together. On a side note, there were a few annoyances I had with each lead character, but that's real life--people aren't perfect--so if anything, those imperfections helped bring life to the story.

I do recommend reading this one if you enjoy sweet, slow-burn romances. A book is 5 stars to me if I can't put it down, and I could put this one down at times--so that's why it's 4 stars for me. I tend to enjoy more drama and less off-topic relationship-building, but that's just me. It's a solid sweet read.

This was just bad. I enjoy a good sunshine x grump trope type of story. This was not enjoyable. I should have DNF'd it.

It felt like the author took these two tropes and all the stereotypes and put them into her main characters, making them very flat. The way the fake dating started was weird and ridiculous to me. I didn't feel any chemistry between the two .. it was too insta-like/love for me.

And the inner dialogue was so painful to get through that I started to skim because it was getting repetitive.

From the beginning of this book, the topic of Hallmark movies is mentioned. I think that was what the author intended this book to become. I thought it was cute but so much more could have been done with this story. Its every premise that I enjoy, just not well executed.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. As I am my own person, the above is an honest review.

This was an incredibly fun and light read, and was a perfect palette cleanser. Some of my favorite troupes were included, so that's always a plus. I will never turn down a fake dating/grumpy x sunshine type book. There isn't a whole lot of spice (if you count kissing), but it didn't take away from the plot at all. This is the first book in this series and I'm not exactly jumping to read the next one though. This book is very hallmark-movie esque, so it wasn't my normal read. I definitely recommend if you're looking for something cutesy and fun if you just finished a heavy/emotional read.

This book is fun and a bit funny, but it really lacked depth for me. Harper and Christopher felt like decent enough characters, though I wished they'd each gotten a bit more development. The majority of the supporting cast of side characters felt one dimensional, except for some of Harper's family. The plot was...it just didn't do it for me. There was an element of insta-love to this story that didn't work for me. The passage of time also felt odd? Christopher would mention that he only has a few months in town, but then he and Harper would talk about being afraid to mess up the balance they've had "for so long" in their fake relationship. It was confusing.

Sometimes those things are fine if there are other perks, but there wasn't any spice either. Harper and Christopher lacked chemistry in my opinion. There was banter and jokes, but nothing that felt like sparks.

And, on a very personal note, I could not stand that Harper called Christopher "Topher" in a not-just-joking way.

Faking it with the Grump is the first book in the Second Chance Café series by Kate O'Keeffe. This one plays out just like a Hallmark movie (something our hero doesn’t think is possible) and I enjoyed every second of it! This book also encompasses quite a few tropes: fake dating, fish out of water, small town, opposites attract and of course, grumpy/sunshine, and has an incredible setting that I personally wouldn’t mind settling down in. I adored it! Admittedly, I wanted to read a copy because the cover initially caught my eye, but I’m excited to share that the story itself was so worth it! I’m already excited to read the next one which will feature a friends-to-lovers trope between Ryn (Harper’s sister) and her lumberjack best friend!

If you’re in the mood for a sweet (kissing only) small town romance and enjoy any of the tropes I mentioned above then I recommend this one! It’s a quick read (one I was able to read in less than a day) and has both humor and an emotional backstory to round out the characters, and an amazing “redeeming” moment at the end!

Just love these covers!
Love a book that starts with an awkward incident which is the reason Harper has to move back to her home town and she happens to run into the only person in the country who hasn't seen her viral video with said incident. He's also kind of uptight and a little grumpy. But she doesn't know that when she tells all the matchmaking teachers that he's her (fake) boyfriend.
I like how they are opposites and her carefree optimism smooths his rough edges. They are also in a very small town with Christopher in town on business and everyone all up in everyone's business.
Everything gets very tricky when her ex comes back to town and Christopher's work is done in town. Harper doesn't want her ex back but there are so many difficult decisions to make. It might all work out though.
As much as career is important, living your life and making sacrifices to be with who you love is also important.

Thank you xpressotours and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

My first read from this prevalent trope, and I loved it! As the title indicates, this cute fake dating love story which will make your heart melt.

Christopher and Harper are beautiful MCs, the kind of lovely that you would love to know in real life. O'Keefe has crafted them with brilliance. The backstories and motivations peel away in an intriguing fashion that keeps you hooked. Though slightly predictable at times, the story was penned extremely well. Harper & Christopher's sizzling Chemistry had me rooting for them from the very start.

The is setting is gorgeous, a place the author familiar and comfortable with. I am genuinely excited for the sequel in the series following Ryn- Harper's sister. I'm happy for this world to expand into something bigger that may just be one of my favorite contemporary series. The dual POV is quite enjoyable to read. I'd say this is an easy, light-hearted read- the one-sitting type.

If you love small town romances and fake dating trope. this is the book for you. this was such an easy read and a great one too. i loved the relationship we see progress between the two main characters.

forever in my small town romance era!

I finished reading this so long ago I didn't even remember I hadn't reviewed it, which is...bad. But I guess, in a way, my (now short) review will be thought out a bit more.
I want to start off by saying that I didn't hate this book at all - actually, I really liked it, as a small dose of entertainment everyday before going to work or during my lunches alone. The thing is: this is what happens when books are reduced to tropes, people. They don't offer you more, especially if more than a month has passed and you're trying to remember what happened.
So, here's what I can say and definitely remember thinking about this book:
it was short and sweet, in a way;
I liked the outlines of the characters, and I liked the outline of the plot, but I didn't think I was given much aside from outlines. It felt like the books I write just to pass the time and take the idea out of my head, no pressure whatsoever. And I totally respect and approve of doing that because, again, it's something I also do. But I think, as authors, we need to know what to publish. And, in my opinion, if we want something published, we need to write it in a different way than something to get off our heads.
Again, I give this book three stars because, in my life and view, it fulfilled its purpose. It was entertaining, it didn't make me think a lot, and everything happened fast enough. But, again again, these are also the problems with it if I have to review it.

It has been a long while and, honestly, I haven't read as much as I wanted to, so reading this felt like an oasis of sorts. It was a book that I COULD read in short doses without too much effort and I liked it - it came at a right time in my life. But, if I have to be critical, I wouldn't read it again because I know I wouldn't gain anything more out of it.

I really liked this book! One of my favorite tropes is the fake boyfriend one and the small town romance is always a bonus! Also loved Harper and Christopher's relationship! It was a fun and easy read!

FMC: Harper- not only is she being dumped by her high-school-sweetheart-turned-tv-star boyfriend, but it’s being filmed, posted online, and seen by everyone. She moves back to her small hometown to take on a new teaching opportunity and leave the big city life behind her. With everyone trying to set her up with their brother, cousin, son, etc she finds the only out-of-towner and springs a fake relationship agreement into his lap… here’s to hoping for the best!
MMC: Christopher- desperate for the promotion to junior partner at his law firm, he accepts an assignment in some small town in the middle of nowhere. He’s hardworking, intent on keeping his khead down, running his numbers, and leaving at the end of his assignment without a second thought. All his plans suddenly come to a halt when Harper inserts herself into his life asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend.
POV: 1st person, dual POV
HEA: yes
spice: no spice, there are some slightly steamy kissing scenes, but this is a clean romance
TWs: cheating, public humiliation/dumping, death of a parent
standalone: this is the first book in the series Second Chance Café- book 2 will be out mid-2023 and this book did a cute job of telling you who it will be about and what tropes to expect
final thoughts: this book was super cute and had a Hallmark movie feel to it. It was super sweet and I loved the dual POV

read this book if you love
🥰 nicknames
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 opposites attract
💞 fake dating
🏫 small town
😇 clean romance
😠 grumpy/sunshine

Faking it with the grump unfortunately falls flat from the characters and typical story line that has been overused but if done right can be a cute story. Only this time it doesn't come across as the author had hoped. The one liners of humor fell flat many times leaving these reader struggling to finish the book.
Thank you to Netgally for a copy of Faking it With the Grump.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Lime Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had hopes that this would be a cutesy romance that I would enjoy, but unfortunately this book didn't deliver for me.
It was a short read but I feel like both the characters and storyline could've been delved into a little deeper. The book felt a two dimensional and seemed to be missing something the whole way through.

I found that it was slow paced, but then went super fast towards the end. They went from a fake relationship to suddenly declaring their love within a couple of weeks.

I also have seen a few comments from other reviewers about this, but there was some slight racism and also making jokes of the #MeToo Movement. I definitely disengaged after this.

After being dumped by her actor boyfriend Dex, Harper moves back to her hometown of Hunter's Creek, and now that she is back in town everyone she knows wants to set her up on dates or gives her pity looks. When a co-worker tries to convince her to go on a date, she pretends that she is already in a relationship with the new guy in town Christopher. Christoper is a lawyer from New York working in the mergers and acquisitions department, he is tasked to assess the lumber mill in town for his company to buy it, when a pretty girl asks him to be her fake boyfriend he agrees as being attached to a local might make the townsfolk less suspicious of him.

The chemistry in this book wasn't believable - they hardly went on any dates, hardly knew much of the other person but somehow they instantly fall in love. The setting of the book was fine and it felt really felt like what you would expect from a small-town community.

This book was okay. I had a fun time and I loved the small town aesthetic. I just couldn't relate to the characters as much as I would've wanted but I did enjoy reading. If there's another book, I will definitely pick it up because i love the townspeople and the town itself!

This was a such a sweet book! I loved every second of the story 🤩
I think it was a wonderful small town romance read, and I loved getting to know Harper and Christopher.The two of them are perfect together.
The story had plenty of humor and swoon 💋
Tropes:
➡️ Grumpy/ sunshine
➡️ Small town
➡️ Slow burn
If you like sweet small town romances the you should read this book ASAP!
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️