I didn’t realize that this was a “clean romance” until I was pretty deep into it. I don’t have a personal problem with clean romances but, if there is no spice to fill the pages then there needs to be a really solid plot. I don’t think there was much of one here. The main characters like each other from the very first page but Nathan is extremely adamant about not being in a relationship for no reason except that he doesn’t think his schedule as a semi-professional athlete is compatible with it. Except, in this case, Summer WORKS FOR THE TEAM. She can travel with them whenever she wants. It’s her job! And the reason for the fake relationship seemed a stretch. And they knowingly lied about it to the GM! They could both be fired for that. They filed paperwork with HR that was also a lie at the time they filed it. And Summer is supposed to be a lawyer!

The other thing that I found unbelievable was that this minor league team is so much fun that none of the players want to get called up to the NHL. If you have gotten to the semi-pro level of a sport then most people are highly competitive by nature and will want to be the best in their game; not hang around the minors because their teammates are buddies.

I think that the by-line here of this being a “sweet” rom-com are correct. It is very sweet. Too sweet for me but that is just a personal preference. The writing was good and I think that someone looking for that extra sweet vanilla romance will enjoy this just fine.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for a copy of this book for my honest review!

Solid 4.75 stars for me but is in my top 10 favorite hockey romances.

This book is a true grumpy sunshine and I am here for it.

What I loved:
-the FMC & MMC. I feel like they were both relatable, especially with their overthinking and anxiety surrounding "they like me, they like me not". Quite honestly it would've been hilarious to have a scene where one of them was pulling Petals and having that inner conversation. Also, I fell in love with both of them.

-the side characters besides Lucy. Ok Lucy is fine, but the Appie family is everything I look for in a "found family". They were hilarious and full supporters.

-the banter. I will die on the hill that for me strong banter in a book automatically earns a star.

The literal only thing I did not like is that Summer is so freaking sunny 🤣 I just want to read a book where a girl named Summer, Sunny, etc. Are "dark and twisty" as my favorite Grey's Anatomy character would say. I would just like some contradiction because I can imagine that not everyone named Summer is a ray of sunshine. Well one more thing, I do kind of feel like the situation with Summer's last boss was semi-glossed over BUT her situation was also very realistic and in real life tens to be glossed over so it also made sense.

This book made me laugh almost immediately. I cried, I swooned, I kicked my feet.

Did I immediately buy this book and several others by this author and within the Appies home? Yes I did and so should all of you.

Fun, easy, and quick read. I said it once and I will say it again, I am clearly in my hockey romance era and I have no plans to move on yet.

I loved this book. It had so much fun in it: grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, fake dating, great friend group. I couldn't help but cheer for them all along the way. Summer and Nathan were meant for each other. I also loved the family aspect in the story.
Go Appies!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars
🌶️ - spice
—
✨ Hockey Romance

✨ Grumpy x Sunshine

✨ Fake Dating

✨ She falls first

—
Summer is an astounding attorney, now working for Nathan’s Hockey team. After meeting in the previous book, you do NOT need to read before, she has a slight crush on the broody hockey star. What happens when his spotlight becomes the opposite of family friendly? Will the two be able to fake long enough to realize their own feelings for one another?
—
Jenny wrote an amazingly easy read about Summer and Nathans romance that I ATE UP. Her writing was easy going and allowed me to fall in love with both of the characters, as giggle at those in the background. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a non spicy romance, specifically for us hockey lovers !!

This was my first hockey romance! I absolutely loved it! This was a closed door rom com but I really enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for closed door romance sometimes 🙈.
I really liked all the characters. I also really liked how there was no real third act break up. It was more like a little break, and the characters were able to discuss their feelings. There was no miscommunication, which I also liked.
It was a very fast read, which was nice. There was no big build-up, no wordiness, no anything that made me get annoyed with rom coms lol. This was just a super cute, super fast, plain, and simple romance.
Also, i liked how it makes you realize that men can be and are objectified and sexualized in the entertainment industry as well. People have to do better.
I would definitely recommend this

For reasons of helping the team, Nathan and Summer pretend to be in a relationship to help the social media uproar against Nathan the Grump. Good sports romance story, and was a fun read. Would highly recommend.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
If you’re in your hockey romance era this one’s for you. I adored this one! It’s so fun and sweet!

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🤍 fake dating
🥅 forced proximity
⛸️ hockey romance
🌞 grumpy / sunshine
🚪 closed door romance
🏠 dysfunctional family
🍲 she takes care of him when he’s sick
⛰️ the Appies
💗 found family
✌🏻 Dual POV
😂 Romantic comedies

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
I loved all the side characters

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
The reason behind the fake dating wasn’t the best
The social media aspect

I had a lot of fun with this book, and I can't wait to dive into all the others in the same universe!

Grumpy X Sunshine never fails to deliver, and this book was a feast. I loved all the characters, whether it be the Appies or Summer's family. As this is the first book I read in this universe, I can't wait to discover the love stories of all the other couples (I also sense that Lucy's story is coming hehe, Alec's too, though I'm not sure who both their love interests will be).

At first, I found Summer to be too direct. She always blurts out what she's feeling, and it leaves me yelling "HOW can you be so honest in a moment like that??? You don't have to tell him everything, girl". But that's also ironically what I like about her. It's more like I know I could never be like that that made me slightly uncomfortable, but deep down, I wish I was also a little bit like her.

I liked Nathan's character development. I think it was a great decision to give him the time and opportunity to find some sort of healing. Honestly, both the characters were lovable and endearing. They were so cute together, although I couldn't NOT yell at them "get together already". I understand though why it took time to unfold. The slow-burn was great btw.

Anyway, if you're looking for a cute hockey romance that gives all the feels and makes you smile like an idiot (without the spice), this one's worth it!

I need more Appies Please!!!! I can't tell you how happy I am that Jenny Proctor and another author had such a great response to their books in the Sweater Weather series about some hockey players and that led to them each writing another book about a hockey player from the Appies hockey team! And I don't think any of their fans will complain if they kept writing more! *Hint, Hint* *Winks*

This one is a grumpy/sunshine trope and I loved how the author pulled it off! It's not my favorite trope but I still read several books with that trope. But this one definitely is in my top favorites that includes this trope!

I just adored everything about Nathan and Summer. You don't quite know what to get from Nathan but he was a wonderful surprise for Summer around every turn. And their banter was top notch! I giggled and laughed out loud so many times with these two! I loved it! And I was swooning too!

There were several sweet and tender moments woven throughout as well that just had me loving these two even more. And can I just say a brooding hockey player standing up to protect a woman is pretty awesome to read about! You'll know what scene I'm talking about when you get there! Be still my heart! ;-)

Read all of the Appies books and go back and read the Sweater Weather books as well. Lots of great reading material there!!!

Content: Clean. Some talk of team members drinking alcohol, talk of a family member who suffered from alcoholism. A few kisses but nothing further. No language. I'd let my teenagers read it.

I received a copy from the publisher/author, JPC Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Such a sweet hockey romance. The characters had interesting and positive attributes that made it a fun read. Overall it’s a great rom com that’ll make you laugh and smile.

Sooo good and so cute! I love the whole crew from Harvest Hollow and the Appies! So wholesome.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Él es el gruñón del equipo de hockey, puede parecer duro por fuera, pero tiene un gran corazón. Ella entra en su vida con su encanto y sonrisas. Él se siente intrigado, aunque lo oculte bajo su actitud gruñona.

La verdad estuve muy ocupada con la uni y me costo mucho seguirle el rollo a la historia, pero lo disfrute a pesar de que iba poco a poco leyéndola. En lo personal no fueron personajes muy memorables, pero disfrute leyendo la historia porque se lee rápido solo que no tenía mucho tiempo para leer.

Si buscan un grumpy x sunshine este esta bueno ✨

Muchas gracias por el arc a netgalley

I love both sunshine-grumpy and sports tropes, so Romancing The Grump caught my attention. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this. I especially love that there were no explicit scenes, yet the attraction was clearly portrayed. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

I wasn't sure what to expect from a new author and a new (to me) series, particularly a closed-door romance. But I really loved Romancing the Grump and have since gone back and read the first in the Appies series and the other Appies books in the Sweater Weather series, too. I found I didn't much miss the spice, mainly because there was plenty of substance and interest in the narrative, and the characters were so much fun. I also thought it was great that the setup was something I hadn't seen before: the Appies are an AHL team with a larger-than-usual following, due to some social media canniness, so the whole pace of life for the players and their friends and families is different to the high-stakes lifestyles that tend to characterise other hockey romances. In this respect, the relationships and vibe was actually most similar to Emily Rath's Jacksonville Rays books, but with the spice dialled right down compared to those.

All in all, an excellent example of a hockey romance, with an original spin, engaging characters, and a sweet romance at the heart. Definitely recommend, both for those who prefer a little less spice, and really for anyone wanting something a little different.

Did I read this book within one sitting? Yes, yes I did. Do I have any regrets? Absolutely not. Was I crying happy tears at the end? You bet your bottom dollar I was.

I needed a sappy love story in my life after only reading fantasy books for the past month, and Romancing the Grump was the perfect book for that. I read this book as a standalone but I am definitely going to go back and read the rest of the Appies Series. I’m a person that prefers spice in my books, but I did not mind the lack of it in this one. I do however, wish this book had an additional 200 pages because it left me wanting for more in the best way possible.

Fake dating? Forced proximity? Hockey Romance? Grumpy x Sunshine? A wholesome and respectful man? Yes please. Nathan is a whole mood and I absolutely loved this dual POV. I wish we would have seen a slower transition with his feelings rather than one conversation with his mom, but if that is my only complaint about a plot, I’ll take it.

I loved Summer throughout this book as well and thought that she was a great FMC. There was nothing weak or naive about her, however I do wish there were more details about the first timer her and Nathan met. What about the months of them thinking they would never see each other again? I also wish this book had spanned over a longer time period, but I think the way that Jenny Proctor wrote the plot worked.

Romancing the Grump was such a feel good love story, that I am desperate to read more by Proctor. I definitely recommend this book for those that want something light to read with a cute ending. Thank you so much to Net Galley, JPC Publishing, and Jenny Proctor for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

OH. MY. GOODNESS
This book was so cute and wholesome I couldn’t put it down. Both MMC Nathan, and FMC Summer start a fake relationship to save Nathan from all the negative/provocative female fan attention he had been getting. However, both MC’s learn that their relationship really doesn’t feel fake at all.

I loved this book so much. I couldn’t believe how fast I flew through it! I didn’t even know part of a series (I read it as a stand alone and it holds up) and I immediately need to read the first book now.

This book had it all: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, workplace romance, protective MMC, fake dating, care taking when sick (her to him), found family and the cutest little HEA.

I also loved how the story was dual POV so we could get both Summer and Nathan’s take on their fake-dating (even though the feelings were flying from the beginning).

If you like swoon worthy, closed door romance (with a side of hockey players), definitely check this book out. It was such a fun and fast read!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Calling all Hockey lovers!

Nathan is a grumpy hockey player who is content to be single.
Summer is working for his hockey team as their lawyer and has to step in to be his fake girlfriend (YES this is a fake relationship book!)

You got to love a good hockey romance, and this did not disappoint with a grumpy sunshine trope too!

This book is a clean romance and perfect for those who are looking for a happy easy read.

I loved that they integrated social media and the fact that even though this was a minor league team, social media can blow people up!

If you’re looking for a happy read with characters that you are rooting for - read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

-Grumpy sunshine
-Fake dating
-Hockey
-Closed door

Received via netgalley as an ARC copy

I love the appies, the team vibe and characters are amazing.

This book is an easy read, it flows nicely and moves smoothly between funny light hearted moments, deeper moments and back again

I intend to go back and read the other appies books 👌

I liked the book; it’s about Summer, who starts to work as a lawyer for the Appies, an ice hockeyclub, and Nathan, a professional ice hockey player. Summer has had a crush on Nathan and has tried to get his attention in the past but he didn’t react. Now they’re both working for the Appies. Soon things change because the PR manager needs a fake girlfriend for Nathan to get some over enthusiastic fans to back down. Summer has no issues volunteering for the job, and so their story begins.
I really liked the banter between Nathan and his teammates; I liked Summer going all in as a ruthless lawyer.
I found some parts in the book a bit unrealistic; for example the fact that Summer asked Nathan if she could sleep in his bed when her hotelroom had a leaking ceiling, and then they end up snuggling and spooning, after just getting reacquainted. Also that Summer very quickly in the book admits that she’s never felt like what she feels with previous boyfriends, despite the fact that they hardly spend any time together or have had any meaningful, deep conversations.
I would have liked a bit more depth in the character development; a bit more realistic way of the relationship progressing into romance. But it is a nice read, an easygoing, feel-good story without any big drama’s.
I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a clean, sweet feel-good romance void of sex and profanity. I have read more of Jenny Proctor and this certainly won’t be my last!
Thank you Netgalley, JPC Publishing and Jenny Proctor for providing an advanced copy of this book. I'm happy to leave my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.