When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein is an absolute gem of a rom-com that perfectly captures the grumpy-meets-sunshine trope. We’ve got Mabel, the bubbly ghostwriter, tasked with getting grumpy retired footballer Alfie Harding to spill his life story. Their banter is hilarious and top-notch, with Mabel’s sunny charm clashing perfectly with Alfie’s gruff exterior.

The chemistry between these two is undeniable, and the story starts off strong with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. But I did feel like the pacing got a little uneven as it leaned more into steamy scenes later on without moving the plot forward much. Plus, some of the dialogue felt a bit lengthy and choppy, which made it hard to keep up at times.

Despite these quirks, the book is a warm, feel-good read that balances humor and heartfelt moments. If you're in the mood for a fun escape with relatable characters, When Grumpy Met Sunshine is definitely worth picking up!

This was a great story with a slow burn romance. The main character grows more confident as the story goes on - and gives confidence to the person she falls in love with. Their relationship is mutually beneficial and is a positive one.

I’m always drawn to a book about books (writers, agents, readers) but this one was not for me. I couldn’t get into the couple and the story bored me.

Characters were *so* bad. The MMC felt like rep for all the worst autism stereotypes, and the FMC was oblivious to the point of unbelievability.

The plot was lackluster, the character’s choices made no sense, and I wanted to DNF @ 10%, but finished hoping it would get better. I was disappointed.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

I was so excited for this book, I mean look at that cute cover?? and grumpy meets sunshine?? one of my fav tropes.

I felt like this story was just so much banter, too much miscommunication, and the writing style was a bit different. I had a hard time understanding and caught myself having to re-read certain sentences the way it was structured.

I will say I LOVED the banter between characters but it definitely could have been polished a bit more.

3.5 stars!! Grumpy sunshine is one of my most favourite tropes! The book was hilarious and I loved reading about a ghostwriter!! It was so enjoyable!!!

I absolutely LOVE the grumpy sunshine dynamic in a romcom. Pair that with a sporty/nerdy duo and I’m sold. Definitely worth picking up.

It took me forever to read this book. I was given an ARC last year from Net Galley. It is SLOW. It was a cute plot but honestly I could not get into this book the way I hoped. It just was not for me. Thanks Net Galley for the copy in return for an honest review.

I loved the easy, witty banter in this novel. The characters journey drew me in as it was so well written. This was my first book by Charlotte Stein but I’m eager to check out her other books!

This book was just….trying so hard!
While I loved the banter why so much dialogue?
The FMC was hard to like because of this. Turn off your brain ma’am and enjoy life!

Charlotte Stein has written a delightfully premise-driven romance strongly based on Roy Kent from Ted Lasso. "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" offers readers an engaging opposites-attract story between Alfie, a gruff ex-footballer, and Mabel, his effervescent ghostwriter. The chemistry between the reluctant athlete and the curvy, cheerful writer crackles from their first meeting, and their forced proximity through the memoir-writing process provides plenty of opportunities for witty banter and slow-burning tension.

The fake dating aspect, triggered by public misconception about their relationship, adds another satisfying layer to their evolving dynamic. Author Charlotte Stein excels at crafting moments of genuine connection between the pair, making their gradual shift from antagonism to attraction feel earned and authentic through the first three-quarters of the book.

However, I personally found things began to falter in its final act. Despite the characters' supposed talent for reading each other and claims of excellent communication, their actions contradict these established traits. The conflict feels artificially extended past its natural resolution point, with their inability to express obvious feelings becoming increasingly frustrating in the last fifth of the book. While the journey is largely enjoyable, the prolonged emotional stalemate in the final chapters detracts from what could have been a more satisfying conclusion.

That said, fans of slow burn romance and grumpy-sunshine pairings will find plenty to enjoy here, particularly in the earlier chapters where the character dynamics shine brightest.

A biographer and Roy Kent-a-like fall in love and it is adorable. Written in Stein's signature rapid fire stream of consciousness style, this title lovingly winks at its Ted Lasso inspiration. Our male lead may fall in a little too closely with the source of his inspiration but given the likeness on the cover, that seems to be a very intentional move. Our female lead is delightful and we love to see a fat positive romance lead. The title is cute and worth your time!

Hey, bookstagram babes! I just finished When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein, and it is everything! This opposites-attract romance is full of swoon-worthy moments, witty banter, and all the feels. Think grumpy meets sunshine in the best way possible—the chemistry is off the charts, and you’ll be rooting for them from page one. It’s the perfect mix of heart and humor that’ll leave you with a big smile. If you love your romance with a little grump and a whole lot of charm, this one’s a must-read!

I loved the main couple of this book and how awkward the MMC was in the beginning, but I just couldn't get passed the author's writing. That's definitely a me thing though so I 100% believe other people will enjoy this book. This book just wasn't my cup of tea.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
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Mabel is a ghostwriter, Alfie is a retired footballer. Mabel is all sunshine, Alfie is a major grump. Alfie needs to write his memoir, and perhaps Mabel is just the ghostwriter to help him.
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This was just ok for me. I loved the characters, but their interactions fell a little flat when it came to them have feelings for each other. Their bantering was great, it just seemed really sudden that they were attracted to each other and I had a hard time believing that they fell in love.
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3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I wanted to love it. The cover was super cute too.

I'm so sad to say this, but I tried to get into this one—especially since the description and comp titles really captivated me—but I just couldn't. For some reason, this just isn't the one for me.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
When Grumpy Met Sunshine releases February 6, 2024

Mabel is a ghostwriter for Alfie Harding, an extreme grump and ex-footballer who’s known for being difficult to work with.

This was an awkward read, and not in a way that could pass as charming or quirky. The story starts rather abruptly and the writing doesn’t leave much room to provide context for the reader about literally anything. I really wish there had been a chapter or two of backstory to better introduce the characters before their initial meeting.

Alfie read like an 80-year-old stuck in a younger man’s body who hadn’t interacted with a living person in at least two decades.
While the end of chapter notes were an attempt at humanizing Alfie and a tool to learn more about him, they felt very out of place and detached from the rest of the narrative; a classic example of being told, not shown.
This story greatly suffered from not being dual pov.

For someone who’s apparently so famous, he seemed to have had no media training whatsoever, and they took the ghost in ghostwriting a little too literally as there was no writing to be seen!

I DNFed this book at 31%

I got an eARC of this book from NetGalley and unfortunately it did not work for me at all. This sounded like it would be a book I would love, and it totally would have been if we weren't in the FMC head so freaking much. I got 31% into this book and I swear I spent more than half of that in this character's head with her going off on these random tangents and it was just too much. It was annoying and really became a chore to try to keep up with the back and forth. The time we got with the 2 main characters together actually interacting with each other I liked but I couldn't force myself through all the inner monologue, so I gave up.

Books about books usually aren't my thing but I preordered this before I ever realized I had an arc on NetGalley. This was a fun mesh of sports romance and bookish romance (???)

I'm a huge long-time fan of Charlotte Stein, so when I saw she was coming out with a cartoon illustrated cover book for mainstream consumption, I could not have been more excited. That said, Stein will not be a go-to for romcoms for me. It had its funny moments, but the banter was a bit over the top and parts were very dry. This book had none of the slow, intense, character-driven drama of her previous work.