So, um....I really found this book difficult to read. There was too much unnecessary dialogue that made it feel heavy, when it should be a fun grumpy/sunshine trope. This is my favorite type of story, so perhaps I hold it to a higher standard...who's to say? I probably wouldn't recommend it to a friend, but I would give the author another chance.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Thanks to NetGalley! I've read other books by Stein and generally liked them. This one was different, not least because it was presented as a rom-com. And the banter and heroine's internal dialogue made me LOL. But both could have been cut down so that the romance got moving farther faster.
Small-spoiler alert -- And I found the time skip puzzling as in why so long?

Mabel is a ghostwriter, and she has been tasked to write the memoirs of Alfie, a retired footballer. Alfie is known as the grumpiest man alive yet with Mabel’s sense of humor she gradually charms him and makes him smile at least a little bit. While Alfie is all dark colors and solitude, Mabel is full of color and life. She is full-bodied so has no thought of their relationship being more than friendly. Alfie can open up to Mable because she accepts him as he is, and no one has done that before. I loved the bickering back and forth as Mabel gets Alfie talking and reliving his life for her. When people wonder what she is doing spending time with him, they decide to have a fake relationship which opens up the chemistry they have. This book is fun with a steamy romance and truths about living true to yourself.

I got 12% in and was trying to give it my best effort but something about this book really didn't sit right with me.
I think it could have been edited better, it just seemed a jumble.
I was not liking this brand of grumpiness for the guy. He just seems down right rude.

Maybe it's the timing of my picking this up but I just couldn't bring myself to try to finish

When Grumpy Met Sunshine focuses on a peppy, plus-size ghostwriter (Mabel) being hired to work with grumpy, ex-footballer (Alfie) on his memoir. Having already gone through multiple ghostwriters that didn't work out, Mabel decides to take a different approach to working with Alfie which leads to witty banter and confusing feelings.

I was really excited to read this book just by looking at the cover. With the heart of Ted Lasso and fast-paced Gilmore Girls talking vibes, Charlotte does a great job of writing a plus-size lead that deals with fatphobia but has a full life and doesn't end up changing for others. The book started off slow, and took some time for me to get into and see the characters beyond the grumpy-sunshine trope but, once the heat built, the dirty talk and spicy scenes really pulled me in. Also, the growth the characters showed felt true to them and very relatable.

I do think the side characters could've used more character development, and some additional world-building would've improved the storyline, but the miscommunication (while frustrating at times) did feel realistic to the main characters. Sometimes the ghostwriting plot was lost and could've been tied in with the story a bit more, but overall it was an enjoyable rom-com that did make me laugh and the banter was great. I would be interested in reading another book by this author in the future.*

Rating: 3.5 stars
CW/TW: fatphobia, alcoholism, child abuse, death of a parent
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Good for readers who: feel seen by a plus-size lead and enjoy Ted Lasso and/or Gilmore Girls
Romance tropes: grumpy sunshine trope, one bed trope, celebrity crush, fake relationship

*Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC! All opinions are my own.

The blurb was “hook line and sinker” for me. Here we have Mable and Alfie the “famous footballer”, he’s for all intents and purposes the quintessential grump that hates everyone and everything and falls for the curveliciuos, bubbly, sunshiny girl overlooked by all the males. Now, that we have that out of the way, let’s start with my perception of this book and go to the positive points first: the main characters were exceptionally funny a little obtuse but, nevertheless entertaining. The double edge soar of too much inner monologue or too little insight in the character’s thoughts to actions were well balanced throughout the first half of the book. I loved Alfie’s show of the strength of his love for Mable even if Mable didn’t want to see it. Now, to the not so positive points of view… I found myself skipping much throughout the other half because the dialogue between the two main characters were so ridiculous that I wanted to scream! The sex scenes didn’t flow naturally, it seemed forced and disjointed. I would recommend this book to all my fellow romance readers out there.
Four stars

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This story was really cute! I enjoyed the characters and the way they bonded. One need not know anything about sports to appreciate Alfie, the retired football star. And although Mabel, our sunshiney heroine, expresses some of the "I'm not a size zero" angst a la Bridget Jones, it's not over the top.

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

I had high hopes for a romance with a fat heroine and a Roy Kent-type hero, but When Grumpy Met Sunshine gives readers banter - so much banter - in lieu of plot and character development.

I ate this up in a day. High tension cute grumpy sunshine romcom. you can definitely sense the Ted Lasso inspiration. It was so so frustrating how the two characters who were so clearly in love were both so oblivious. I really loved the characters though. However the ending was far too abrupt. They finally get out of their own way and it just ends. I needed to see more of them finally being together for real. Some really well done steamy scenes. Highly recommend

When Grumpy Met Sunshine was such a fun and sexy read! Mabel and Alfie were such sweet characters. I love that the hot footballer went for a beautiful, but realistic woman. Many of the chapters had spicy scenes and sometimes I forgot the overarching plot, but overall it was a great story.

"When Grumpy Met Sunshine" by Charlotte Stein is a novel that effortlessly weaves humor, heart, and romance into an unexpectedly delightful narrative. From the first page, I found myself drawn into the world of two contrasting characters whose interactions promised a journey filled with laughter and warmth.

The story revolves around the chance encounter of two individuals whose personalities couldn't be more different. The titular characters, Grumpy and Sunshine, are wonderfully unique in their own ways. Grumpy, with his pessimistic outlook on life, stands in stark contrast to the ever-optimistic and effervescent Sunshine. The author's skill in portraying their differing perspectives creates an engaging dynamic that adds depth and complexity to their developing relationship.

What truly sets this book apart is the witty and clever dialogue that flows effortlessly between Grumpy and Sunshine. Their banter is not only entertaining but also serves as a vehicle for them to gradually understand and appreciate each other's quirks. The gradual shift from irritation to fondness is depicted with a touch of realism, making their connection feel authentic and heartwarming.

Amidst the lighthearted moments, the novel also delves into more serious themes such as personal growth and the power of perception. Through the characters' evolving relationship, the author explores how the presence of someone different can challenge preconceived notions and open one's heart to new experiences.

Charlotte Stein's writing style is both engaging and immersive. She has a knack for creating relatable characters that evoke genuine emotions from the reader. The pacing of the story is well-balanced, allowing the relationship to develop naturally while also keeping the reader invested in the outcome.

"When Grumpy Met Sunshine" is a book that exemplifies the transformative nature of human connections. It's a tale that celebrates the beauty of finding common ground despite apparent differences. With its blend of humor, heart, and romance, this novel is a delightful escape that leaves a lasting impression, reminding us that sometimes, unexpected encounters can lead to the most meaningful relationships.

If you loved Roy Kent in Ted Lasso, you’re going to love grumpy retired footballer (soccer player) Alfie as he tries to interact with his ghostwriter, the curvy, sunshiney Mabel. To the rest of the world, Alfie is acerbic, angry, and downright asocial. But as Mabel tries to find things to share in his memoirs, she sees beneath the facade he’s presented to the world and realizes how much their histories have in common. This book gets five stars from me because it did a lovely job with the titular trope (plus several others), Alfie offers some incredibly deep perspectives on life and love, and there were moments in this book where I literally laughed out loud (which rarely happens).

Opposites attract in this romance involving a very kind plus-size woman who is a ghostwriter, and a very gruff, old fashioned professional athlete who is so inept at life, except I suppose his sport, that he can't even figure out how to use a phone or what social media is. Most of the story is Mabel (seriously?) telling us what is happening, and the pace is really slow. Not for me, but thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

It’s a super cute, fun romp! I was starting to get mad that Mabel was putting herself down so much and thinking he didn’t want her. Both Alfie and Mabel are wonderful characters. Highly recommend everyone read this sweet, fun romance.

title: When Grumpy Met Sunshine

author: Charlotte Stein

publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

publication date: February 26, 2024

pages: 336

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: fatphobia, dead parents, some meanness

summary: When Mabel gets the job of ghostwriting former soccer star's memoir, she ends up having to fake-date him to explain why they're always together. It felts like Roy Kent was dating Bridget Jones.

tropes:

grumpy-sunshine
one bed
fake dating
famous person with regular person
he's more into her than she knows


what I liked seeing the Roy Kent and Bridget Jones characters in this scenario. Both are good people whom others misunderstand for various reasons. The author did a good job with his attraction to her and with the spicy scenes. The book got better as it went.

what I didn’t like: the book got off to a slow start; the author tries too hard to be funny at the beginning and keeps the main characters in their misunderstanding too long. 

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein is absolutely a swoon worthy romantic comedy. Stein had me at the first page with a female character I could immediately relate to and like. Mabel, the protagonist, is employed to be the ghostwriter for a grumpy soccer star. However, when we meet Alfie, the player, it is impossible not to like him too. Although this may sound like a familiar trope, the author makes it unique and fresh.

There is loads of sexy banter and, with the intelligent writing, the reader can see why the two characters are attracted to each other even if he is a babe magnet and Mabel is a self-described overweight nobody. There are layers to each of the main characters that get peeled away as they get to know each other. Oh, and the comedy part of the romantic comedy description is dead on. I found myself laughing out loud more times than I can count.

This novel was an absolute delight!

As you can tell from the title, this book is a grumpy/sunshine romance between a former footballer and his memoir ghost writer. The heroine has been hired to help the hero write a memoir which he does not want to write, at least not truthfully. It starts off with him being unpleasant, all the time and her, pushing back with a spunky sunshiny attitude.
There is a ton of chemistry between the main characters, although they seem to want to fight it. And also so much humorous banter, almost too much. My only negative comment about the book is that sometimes it just seemed that all they did was banter and the story didn’t move along with some action.
All in all I enjoyed the book and the banter was a delight. I would recommend this book if you love this trope as much as I do.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a digital review copy and allowing me to give my honest review of the book

I wanted to like this one. I had read another book with a similar synopsis. But this one just wasn't as good. I liked that our characters weren't typical characters and I found some parts to be really funny, just didn't click with them.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

So I immediately jumped into this book because I needed a good rom-com after binge-watching thrillers on Netflix. But I just could not get into it at all.

The POV is all in the heroine. Stein makes out the hero Alfie to be some sort of monster, who everyone is afraid of, stumbles around, and doesn't know how to use a phone. Basically, Stein portrays him to be from the 1950's. And it's not even the hero, although he was the main problem since he was like...the hero. The secondary characters were not fleshed out, Stein had them frazzled and never explained why etc...

The worst part? I can see how the story could have been good, really good. But the POV was just wrong, Alfie Harding needed a voice and he never got one...not within my attention span anyway.

Maybe I'll go back and try and see if I can read it through. But there are so many other good books out there waiting for me to read!

good read and really enjoyed this one as well. I will read more and can't wait for more. Lets get more Charlotte Steinbooks.