I LOVE A GRUMPY SUNSHINE STORY! This book has it all, a not too heavy sports romance, slow burn, b a n t e r, I loved every second of reading it. This might be one I pick up for my shelves.

On paper this should have been like catnip for me - super grumpy Roy Kentish soccer player + sweat sunshiney ghost writer, so I’m really sad to say this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the writing style and just felt there was too much miscommunication between the main characters. It didn’t make it believable that they would end up together.

I would consider giving this author another shot in the future, so hopefully this was just a one off.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars.I loved the representation in this book if someone who is a curvy girl. That being said I couldn’t get into it and I think it was because of the constant miscommunication that happened in this book and the lack of maturity from people who are supposed to be adults. The other thing is I just couldn’t get into her inner monologue it was too much all the time and sometimes it was okay but other times it just was too much. This was especially true during the spicy scenes.

I liked the story line of this book but it took me a bit to get invested in the characters. Personally I don’t love the chapter titles or the email exerpts/newpaper clippings at the end of each chapter. I do think that they helped tell some of the story but could have been used less frequently in the book, For me, it took a way from the flow of the book.

When grumpy met sunshine was sadly another book I couldn't get into at the time I read it. I tried picking it up a few times but couldn't get past first few chapters. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing a chance to read and review.

Do you ever finish a book, absofreakinglutely love the damn thing and accidentally pop over to the reviews and feel like you're the weird one out?

Well, I guess you can say I'm the weird one out because I had so much fun with this book and cannot fathom the lower ratings. I haven't laughed that hard or uncontrollably cheesed due to a romcom in a long time and this one took the cake and the cherry on top. The banter was a mixture of hilarious, cheeky and adorably goofy at times. From the Michael Myers pepper spray moment to threats of violence for leering... my god this was funny as hell.

The chemistry growth was steamy and actually unique for this genre. Take a cold shower build-ups and just excellent smutty scenes. Yes, some of their moments seemed immature. But it also felt relatable and spontaneous.

There is a bit of focus on fatphobia and body image mentions that may seem a bit much at times but also relatable too. I do think the author managed these topics well. 

Odd one out or not, I loved this book. Hilarious, hot and the type of pallet cleanse needed after a heavy book.

3.5/5. This one honestly took me a while to get through. I think the first 200 pages could be condensed and the last 100 pages were really good. I love a slow burn back and forth but this was just too much for me.

Super fun and cute. The characters weren’t super deeply developed but I definitely enjoyed reading about them! Will read more from this author for sure.

I wanted so much to like this story but it fell flat to me. I love fake dating, close proximity, and miscommunication but this one just missed the mark…

I won't lie, this was pretty disappointing. The characters are so immature that I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. I'm bummed sine the plot and cover seemed so cute but this fell so flat for me.

Even though Alfie no longer plays football professionally that doesn’t mean that he is no longer a celebrity. He is convinced to write a book about his life, even if it is not something he wanted to do, and he believes that the woman that is being sent to him will be like the other writers before her and be out of his life soon enough.

Mabel isn’t sure what to make of her first meeting with Alfie as it didn’t go well so she isn’t sure how she finds herself agreeing to help. As they spend time together they become closer so when the media believes they are a couple it seems only natural that they go along with the mirage as it will allow them to finish the project but it appears the only people they are fooling are themselves.

Humor and heat combined with misunderstandings and mayhem ensue when Mabel doesn’t see herself the way that Alfie does.

Thank you NetGalley and st martins press for this arc!

Mabel and Alfie's romance is filled with my favourite trope. Grumpy and sunshine. Mabel is a ghostwriter who is set up to work with notoriously difficult and grumpy retired foot baller Alfie.

Their dynamic is so cute! I love a footballer and I love their banter. This is a perfect feel good read. A quick and easy read and one that I enjoyed.

Take a chance on this cute novel! While it wont blow you away it's a cute and cosy book to sink your teeth into.

It's been so long since I've read a book by Charlotte Stein and overall I did like it. But didn't quite reach what I was hoping for. However, the banter was really fun, perhaps a bit over the top. I have a backlist of books to get to by Charlotte Stein and I'm looking forward to every moment of it.

If you love slow burn romances with a ton of banter, this is the book for you!

The sunshine/grump dynamic between Alfie and Mabel was perfect. I found Mabel’s anxiety and inability to say what she meant relatable, and was constantly amused by what came out of Alfie’s mouth.

I was often confused by the British sayings and terms that were thrown in sporadically. The book really could have been set anywhere else until those popped up. That’s a me problem though. I’m sure if I had looked into the book or the author, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise.

I don’t feel like Alfie read as a soccer/football player. Maybe because I don’t watch sports and haven’t seen player interviews so I’m unfamiliar with the vibe~? I think musician or actor would have fit better.

The writing was clunky at times and the ending came too abruptly. I can see why people are saying that there was too much banter. I can also see how this book wouldn’t work for a lot of readers. Luckily for me, I really enjoyed it!

This was such a terrific read. I adore an opposites attract, fake romance with potential for more storyline. We meet to characters who could not be more different if they tried. Alfie is an ex professional athlete. A big bruiser of a man who likes to use his size to intimidate, is rude, off putting, obnoxious and had the charm of rough sandpaper. Mabel is known to all as kind, sweet, smart. With the exception of her writing has fairly low to no self confidence which he senses and uses to his advantage until she finally has a single moment of self preservation and walks out. It was fabulous and yet she becomes his ghostwriter. The two cannot get through a single conversation without some serious, semi hostile and yet very witty snark. When they’re mistaken to be a couple, they ride the wave for the sake of the book, It's an enjoyable, fun, easy, light, well written read that lead to exactly where I expected.

I feel like I'm rating this higher than most people would, but I really just enjoy Charlotte Stein's style of writing. I've been reading her erotica since 2012 and I've always appreciated her stream of consciousness writing, dirty talk, and banter. Is it great literature? No. But, that's not why I'm reading Charlotte Stein. I love her oddball romantic leads and this felt very much like an erotica author taking on romcoms...and I'm here for it.

Jumped into this book with a bunch of curiosity, thanks to its intriguing premise: a plus-size woman ghostwriting for a famed UK soccer player under strict secrecy. The expected grumpy-sunshine trope plays out differently than anticipated, with both characters showing depth and charm right from the start. Their dynamic evolves beautifully, blending heartfelt moments with genuine laughter and steamy scenes, challenging societal norms about beauty and relationships in a refreshing way.

Overall, it's a delightful read that balances romance, humor, and thoughtful commentary on body positivity. The chemistry is palpable, making it a recommended pick for anyone looking for a story that's both entertaining and meaningful.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Oh, I am so conflicted here. I absolutely adored certain things in this book, but really did not enjoy others.

I felt like this was a story that was written with tons of emotion: the characters were written with passion and care, the sensitive topics in this book were addressed in a meaningful way, and there was good payoff at the end. The little news clips/tweets/texts that were included at the end of every chapter were such a fun additions too! I loved Mabel and Alfie, and I loved the premise of learning about both of them in the capacity of ghostwriting Alfie’s memoir. The tension and pining in this book were top notch and it was a rollercoaster watching them try to navigate crazy fans and paparazzi lol.

But, I felt like the fake dating execution was lacking. The entire story was one huge miscommunication trope combined with the friends-with-benefits “let’s just get it out of our system” thing that always creates such a mess. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing style. It was choppy and repetitive, (which I will admit did succeed in conveying super strong emotions from Mabel specifically) and really irked me by about 40% in. A lot of the side characters felt especially frivolous, Mabel and Alfie both felt a bit immature at times, and I would have loved to see more development between them emotionally. It felt like a very quick progression from strangers > slight enemies > friends > lust > even more lust > love. I felt like I didn’t get to see them really fall in love.

Either way, this was a fun and quick read. If you’re looking for scalding hot tension and an adorable ending, this could be for you! And as a bonus: I always love curvy gal representation!

This book is a prime example of something that should have ticked all of my boxes: grumpy/sunshine, plus size FMC, slow burn romance, ghost writer plot line, and a MMC with Roy Kent vibes.. YES PLEASE to all of that!

This was just executed in a way that didn’t jive with me. The interactions between the two MCs felt stifled, immature, and riddled with miscommunication. I didn’t feel the chemistry which absolutely took away from the intimacy of it all, and when push comes to shove I didn’t feel any particular way for either character.

I had started this on my Kindle as I had an eARC from NetGalley, but it wasn’t holding my attention so I switched to the audio after pub day. I honestly kind of wish I had just DNFd by the end.

I am so very obsessed with this book ❤️‍🔥💕❣️💗🧡❤️🤍 I am completely obsessed with Alfie and Mabel. They were such likeable characters throughout the entire book. Their banter + chemistry was addicting from page one. I didn't love that both Mabel and Alfie's insecurities were leading the story, but I think that Charlotte Stein was able to pull it together in the end. There were definitely moments that I was rolling my eyes, especially when the miscommunication came in. While I know that miscommunication is such a popular (much to my annoyance) trope in books, but I hated that Mabel and Alfie would just stew in their emotions + insecurities and not just voice it to each other. Their relationship would have been perfect if they would have just TALKED (especially with the time jump...) I did really enjoy this book, as to why I still rated it 5 stars despite my frustration with the miscommunication trope. The book was just so entertaining and I couldn't put it down. I loved the fake dating, obviously, and I loved the spice, again obviously. I felt that Alfie did a good job of reassuring Mabel, but not actually voicing his affection (like come on dude). but again, the vibes of this book were just too good + addicting, which made me love it