I really enjoyed this book! It was an engaging read from start to finish, and I found it incredibly accessible. The writing was easy to follow, and I appreciated how the story kept me hooked without feeling overwhelming. Overall, it was a great experience, and I definitely recommend it!

A sweet closed door romance.
After a viral social media post, Nathan the grouchiest defenseman on the Appies gets put into a fake relationship with Summer. Their banter back and forth just makes it you fall in love with these characters.
If you love a grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, with no spice. This is the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

grumpy sunshine books never fails me!!! this book is so so good! the characters are super loveable and i adore them so much, super swoony that i can't stop smiling, giggling, and kicking my feet!! the found family between the hockey teammates is so wholesome and i was having so much fun reading this book! there is no single reason that makes me not to love this book!

This it THE book for all those hockey girls! Romancing the Grump is a, you guessed it, grumpy x sunshine book following Summer and Nathan.
Nathan is grumpy to say the least and determined to stay that way but Summer turns him into a mess of a man. Summer is anything but grumpy and makes it her mission to bring a little sunshine to Nathan’s storm cloud. Their relationship is fun, charming, and everything you could want in a romance.
I’m not typically the romance reader, but a hockey romance is exactly what I needed and this did not disappoint. For all those nervous readers breathe a sigh of relief there’s no big breakup part way through and while there’s a small break it feels natural.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book!

There are some books that you know from the first chapter that you will love and this was definitely one of them. I had an amazing time reading Nathan and Summers story and I can’t wait to read more books in this series!

Nathan is the grump of the title. Summer lives up to her name. As the new legal counsel for the Appies, she ends up helping to protect Nathan when some puck bunnies get a little to eager to tame the grump. Thus, the fake-relationship that, naturally, turns real. Summer links the Appies series with the Proctor’s Hawthorne Brothers series.

The first two books of this series were part of another multi-author series, Sweater Weather, but have since been moved over to make the complete Appies series. The Appies, a minor-league hockey team in North Carolina, are patterned after the Savannah Bananas baseball team in that they do all kinds of fun social media posts, with team members singing, dancing, and doing other stunts. This has brought them a degree of fame, success, and high-dollar contracts that most minor-league teams and players can’t boast. It also keeps the players more dedicated to the team, some even declining to move up to the NHL. For us, as readers, that keeps characters consistently showing up throughout the six-book series. While each of these books can stand alone, if you’re going to read the set (and you should), I think you’ll get a richer experience if you read them in publication order.

In general, the series is wonderfully consistent in its treatment of its recurring characters. With two authors publishing six books over 18 months, continuity errors are definitely possible. I’ve got a really good sense for continuity, and I really didn’t find any problems in that department.
All of the female main characters exist beyond their potential as romantic partners. They have actual lives and interesting careers—public relations, violinist, veterinary student, lawyer, aspiring writer, and an apprentice luthier. They all have opinions about the world and opinions about hockey.

The male main characters have various reasons for their singleness at the beginning of the series. Several have (mostly undeserved) reputations as serial daters. All are dedicated to hockey.

The situations that get the various couples together are varied and interesting. Of course, there is an element of predictability: when there are two POV characters, you know they’ll end up together. The question is: what will happen to them before they get there? Will there be a third-act breakup, or will there be something else that tests the relationship?

All six books have some really beautiful description and great figurative language. In all of them, most of the minor characters have dimension, rather than being cardboard cutouts. I’d say the most stereotypical minor characters are the puck bunnies, particularly in Nathan’s case (Romancing the Grump.)

Possible objectionable material:
Very mild cursing. Various issues such as parental divorce or neglect, alcoholism, death of a parent, chronic illness, infidelity. This is hockey, so there are injuries and the occasional fight. People drink. A minor character gets a tattoo; it’s misspelled and played for humor. This is closed door romance, so we don’t see more than passionate kisses. There is a hint that sex happens.

Who might like these books:
Romance fans, hockey fans, hockey romance fans. Anyone who likes well-written books where characters grow and develop over the course of the story.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/01/meet-appies.html

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

Just like a summer breeze, Summer drifts into Nathan’s life and tosses everything he knows around. The resident grump on the Appies team is big, tough, and impenetrable, yet somehow, Summer flits through the cracks, spreading warmth and sunshine (and desire) everywhere. Who could resist that? I sure couldn’t especially when a fake relationship with all the sparks and zings of a mutual attraction comes into play.

Jenny Proctor does a phenomenal job of constructing big personalities, a team that’s more like a family, and lovable characters in this darling episode in the Appies series. This is a book with so much to love–full of growth, charm, and swoon.

Content: mild language; mild romance

This is a good book. The two main characters are Summer and Nathan. Summer is an attorney. Nathan is a hockey player. Summer is starting a new job with the hockey team, as one of their lawyers. There is an instant attraction. The PR representative for the hockey team, ask Summer to be Nathan’s fake girlfriend after some negative comments on social media platforms. They agree to start fake dating. They have such a good time with faking that it becomes real. They fall in love.

Love this series and the small town it is based in and am always here for a grumpy sunshine trope and thsi was is a fun one

can't go wrong with a Jenny Proctor book and Romancing the Grump was everything I expected it to be. the 4th book in the hockey based Appies series and follows grumpy Nathan who tries to resist the whirlwind that is Summer Callahan, who ends up being a stand in fake girlfriend and no matter how much he tries to deny his feelings, the stronger they become and the chemistry is too much! Nathan and Summer couldn't be more polar opposite and I loved the grumpy sunshine trope, it was a light hearted easy read which was perfect and it was such a positive, feel good book (despite touching upon some TW).

This was an excelent book, a grumpy x sunshine (which is one of my favourite tropes), fake dating hockey romance. My favourite part is definetly the no third act breakup. The author's writing is really really good.

Grumpy/sunshine, hockey romance? Yes please. I loved this. The banter, the way he can’t seem to find his words whenever he’s near her. It’s so cute

While Proctor’s writing is breezy and easy to follow, the characters feel a bit flat. Noah’s gruffness lacks nuance, and Emma’s relentless cheer can sometimes feel more frustrating than endearing. The romance is sweet, but the plot moves too quickly, leaving little room for deeper emotional connection or character growth. The pacing is uneven, with some parts dragging while others rush to a resolution.

Who doesn’t love a grumpy sunshine romance? I know I do and Jenny Proctor delivered with Romancing the Grump. I loved the banter & romance!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Ah, yes—another delightful Appies hockey romcom! I absolutely adore this series of interconnected books featuring the players of the Appies, a fictional hockey team. Having read several of the books both by this author and others who worked on this joint series, I was excited to dive into this sweet, closed-door, no-spice romance. It truly feels like coming home, with “guest appearances” by familiar characters from both the Appies Hockey Romance series and the Sweater Weather series.

This time, we’re introduced to Nathan, the grumpy Appies defenceman, and Summer, who is as bright and lively as her name suggests. Their chemistry is palpable from the very beginning, it’s only a matter of time before their fake relationship begins to blur the lines into something more real.

As always, the Appies deliver with plenty of light-hearted banter and friendly jabs among the guys—one of my favourite parts! While this is a romance, the strong bonds between teammates are just as important.

This heartwarming read is a perfect pick for fans of contemporary sports romance, especially those who enjoy classic tropes like grumpy-sunshine and just-one-bed.

I loved this book and I love the Appies! Jenny Proctor does such a good job in clean romance of bringing the depth of her characters out to make you really FEEL the romantic tension while staying sweet. I’m a fan!

Overall I did enjoy this. I’m such a sucker for a hockey romance and no third act break up…gold I tell ya. This isn’t my first by the author but I do find I have to be in the right mood to read her books. One thing I wish I knew going in was that it was part of a series. I’m the type of person that needs to read books in order so it kind of irked me to think about what I was missing the whole time.

Overall an enjoyable read!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Tbh, I did not expect much from this novel as the high influx of hockey romance is unbelievable. But, I was really wanting a lightsome read as I just finished university and needed something that had nothing to do with the degree. I actually ended up enjoying it. It did exactly what I wanted it to do. The characters were delightful and especially for the female main character I felt like I was connected to her and new what she was like as a n individual. I was pleased with the progression of the romance as it was steadily paced, I especially liked this novels take on the one bed trope which is a personal fave but hard to be done well.

4 Stars because it did what I wanted it to do and I had a fun time.