#NetGalleyARC This was a fun read and a great one to start the year. I love a good grumpy-sunshine romance and this one did not disappoint. The characters were lovable and believable and the setting choice was perfect. There was a LOT of banter in the book but I didn't mind it, a good fun read.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

3.5 Stars (rounded up)

The Grumpy-Sunshine trope of romance novels is one of my favorite, so I was very excited to receive this ARC! Alfie Harding = Roy Kent. If you are a Ted Lasson fan, you will think of nothing else. I thought that this book was very sweet. I enjoyed Mabel and Alfie’s banter, but at times there was a bit too much and it made the story move a bit slow. I think that Mabel’s internal dialogue and thoughts are things that many women can relate to, especially when we compare ourselves to the celebrities and models we see online. Overall, this was a cute RomCom that I enjoyed! Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was just painful. I guess I can see what the author hoped to do - they seemed inspired by Roy Kent/Keeley Jones - but it was just an unfortunate no. I DNF early on because I couldn't take the long-winded banter that didn't go anywhere, and I LOVE banter. I know it was an arc, but it needed heavy editing for the entire book - a cute idea but poorly executed.

I really liked the inversion of the opposites attract trope in that these people found themselves more alike than different, but the second half of the book felt like it didn’t quite pay off on the emotional intelligence set up in the first half

When Mabel is hired to ghostwrite former football star Alfie Harding’s memoir she is not quite sure what she’s getting involved in. Alfie is one of the grumpiest MMCs that I’ve come across in a while, but Mabel’s sunshiney personality has an impact that neither of them could imagine.
I always love forced proximity/fake dating tropes in books so I was really excited to read this one. The novel is slow burn but definitely leads to some spicy scenes.
While I enjoyed the novel overall, there were points that I had to force myself to get through in the beginning.

This book was fun and the grumpy-sunshine trope was entertaining. Alfie really reminded me of a really hot Roy Kent, and it was fun to see him open up to Mabel. But there was actually too much banter in this book, something I never thought I’d say! I love banter, but there was so much banter in their conversations that it interrupted the plot and made heartfelt conversations feel insincere. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but not as fun as I expected.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this book for an honest review!

So this was my first book by this author and I thought that it was overall a fun little read. Both the FMC and the MMC were equally liked by me which is always a plus! Mabel was a sweet, down to earth girl while Alfie was a serious looking guy that makes people think he’s a grump when really, if you got to know him, he was sweet and very respectable which is a great combo. The slow burn was great and I just really enjoyed this all around. I look forward to reading more from this author!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein is the epitome of the grumpy/sunshine trope: Alfie Harding, the perpetually grumpy ex-footballer, and Mabel Willicker, the ray of sunshine with sass to spare.

Alfie's stuck with the daunting task of writing his memoir. After firing several ghostwriters and gaining a reputation of being impossible to work with, Mabel, the cheerful ghost writer seems like a last resort. But Mabel is different... she doesn't take any of Alfie's crap and feeds it right back to him.

When a misunderstanding turns their business arrangement into a faux romance, things get interesting. What starts as pretend soon heats up, and their slow-burn chemistry blurs the lines between what's staged and what's real.

Thank you to St Martin's Press Griffin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my opinions.

I will be reviewing this book after a time in which Wednesday Books/St. Martins Press speaks up and addresses the three demands from the readers for accountability. Until then, I will continue to boycott free marketing and labor for SMP.

I would say my favorite romance trope is grump/sunshine so I was surprised that I did not enjoy this one.

The MMC was almost too much on the grumpy side that it wasn’t enjoyable. The writing I was not a fan of because it was really telling not showing. The banter also was not it for me, it just didn’t feel natural and was confusing- and that’s usually the best part of grumpy/sunshine.

Fun concept it just did not hit for me.

"When Grumpy Met Sunshine" by Charlotte Stein offers a delightful spin on the classic grumpy-meets-sunshine trope. The story revolves around Alfie Harding, a reclusive former football star with a penchant for solitude, and Mabel Willicker, the effervescent ghostwriter tasked with penning his memoir. Their initial collision is one of wit, wariness, and undeniable chemistry, setting the stage for a narrative filled with humor, heart, and a bit of heat.

From the get-go, Alfie's gruff exterior and Mabel's relentless cheer create a dynamic that's as entertaining as it is endearing. Stein masterfully crafts their dialogue, infusing each exchange with a mix of sharp banter and subtle vulnerability. As the story unfolds, their fake relationship for the press leads to genuine moments of connection, revealing layers to Alfie and Mabel that go beyond the typical romantic leads.

However, the book doesn't escape the pitfalls common to the genre. At times, the banter feels overwhelming, overshadowing the story's emotional depth and character development. The narrative flow is occasionally bogged down by an abundance of dialogue, causing some scenes to feel drawn out and repetitive. Moreover, while the novel excels in delivering spicy scenes, the lead-up to these moments sometimes lacks the tension and buildup necessary to make them truly impactful.

Despite these drawbacks, "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" remains a solid read, especially for those enamored with romantic comedies. Mabel's sunny disposition and Alfie's unexpected softness combine to create a love story that's as sweet as it is satisfying. Their journey from misunderstanding to mutual adoration is filled with laughter, a few tears, and a good dose of swooning.

In sum, I award this book 3 stars. It's a fun, if not earth-shattering, addition to the rom-com repertoire, offering a cozy escape into a world where even the grumpiest of hearts can find a ray of sunshine. A big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to dive into this charming story.

I had to DNF this one around the 19% mark, which was unfortunate because I wanted to love it as it had everything that I like in a romance. But the characters were just rather blah--no chemistry and the writing was rather disjointed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I did not finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Thanks to Charlotte Stein & NetGalley for providing an eARC! This is an honest review given voluntarily.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a romcom absolutely stuffed to the brim with banter. Alfie Harding is an former footballer (soccer, not American) who begins working with ghostwriter Mabel Willicker on his memoir. Of course, when pics end up on social media and in the news of them being seen together (and maybe a fist fight over someone insulting Mabel), Alfie and Mabel have no choice but to start a fake relationship instead of share the truth of having a ghostwriter.

Cue the goofy nonsense that comes with two people that are head over heels for one another but just can't see it!

The relationship between Alfie and Mabel was really great! But... That's kind of all there is. There is no significant interactions with any other characters. I could not tell you anything about the couple other characters that show up. The banter also goes on for what feels like forever sometimes, and makes it difficult to even remember what is going on.

The spice? FanTASTIC. But the communication between Alfie and Mabel is what drives the third act breakup (surprise surprise!) because they are both terrified of being more in love than the other is.

That is really relatable, but it stung. Especially going a YEAR not talking to each other at all because they got too scared of being in love. That's just pain, and Alfie summed it up well:

"They say if you love something, let it go. Like letting go is as easy as opening your hands... Instead of what it really is: sawing off your own arm... Then just standing there and watching yourself bleed, because you're too full of despair to do anything about it."

Would I still recommend this to read? Absolutely. It got me to tears with how emotional Alfie and Mabel were and what they both were dealing with. And the romance was so toe-curling at points that I may have accidentally spilled my wine.

DNF @ 25%

Struggled immediately with this one. Despite a solid premise and some of my favorite tropes, I couldn't get past the writing style which felt overly wordy yet also choppy.

Also Alfie was almost too grumpy? But not so much grumpy but confused at the world which felt weird to follow along with.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

A cute romance about two opposites who fall in love. When Alfie, a grumpy ex-footballer, is forced into selling his memoirs, he has to have happy-go-lucky ghostwriter, Mabel. While working on his life story, they are mistaken for a couple and must pretend to be in love (for reasons).

This was a fun story with plenty of banter and laughs. The romance was cute, but I wasn’t super invested in it. Entertaining, but maybe not memorable.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating - 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - November 4, 2023
Publication Date - February 6, 2024

*I received an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley!

When Grumpy Met Sunshine has a cute start with an email right off the bat. Along with emails, there are also some tweets scattered around throughout the book, which was a fun addition.

Alfie is adorably awkward but I found that most of the time, he sounded more like a boy rather than a man.

If you keep in mind that this book is not meant to be realistic at all, it can be a lot of fun to read. When Grumpy Met Sunshine is truly a series of unfortunate events, with one awkward misunderstanding after the other.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is an opposites-attract, grumpy x sunshine (obviously) romcom that will leave you laughing, scratching your head and doing some serious face-palming.

I was looking forward to reading this. However until the SMP boycott is over I will not be reading or reviewing this title till St Martins Press takes accountability. Zero hate to the book or author, just unfortunate circumstances.

2.5 ⭐️
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC to review!

Alfie Harding - which gives off Roy Kent vibes from Ted Lasso - is the grumpy football player whose life is being ghostwritten into a memoir by Mabel Willicker - who is the exact opposite of Alfie.

First off, as an American the British slang was really hard for me to understand at points during most of the banter. The first half of this book was a struggle for me as it was confusing most of the time with no real progression. However, once the fake dating trope in the second half of the book happened it really picked up. I will say I was not a fan of the really long year later miscommunication re-kindling HEA. It just seems very long to not tell someone how you feel.


This book has a lot of potential - it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t a 5 star read for me.