This was super intense and I loved it!

Molly was such a vibe, she started the book with literally two suitcases and her willpower, and ended it with the job of her dreams and the man of her fantasies. Total girlboss babe

Also, I don’t know what’s with me but a dominant/broody guy that’s also a consent king? I was weak at the knees every time Nic said “use your words” or “baby, I need words” before going feral.

I loved loved loved the first book of the series, and my heart was ecstatic with every character from summer heat that we saw or heard about here. I love the interconnected stories.

It’s not five stars for me because I found myself skimming a bit after the 50% mark, some of it felt like it dragged a little too much. But I would most certainly recommend it, and I will be reading book three when it’s out.

Sold 3.5!! I had a fun time reading this. Grumpy X Sunshine is one of my favorite tropes. Nic was definitely a grumpy MMC, he did make me mad in some chapters, but in a good way. Molly Quinn she’s super cute!!! I love that she’s bold and always pushing Nic’s buttons This book was so funny I was giggling kicking my feet. I needed a quick summer read and it was a good one.

I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this review is my honest opinion!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡: 🥐 an iced vanilla latte + a breakfast sandwich from your favorite food truck
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥:🌶️🌶️🌶️ slow burn with satisfying payoff
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: ☀️ summer — hot, messy, and full of possibility
𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝? ✅ Yes. Absolutely. Immediately

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
📚 Found family energy
🎬 Flirty chaos and romantic tension
👗 Women chasing big dreams
💬 Witty banter that crackles
🎡 Summer vibes with depth and heart

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Summer Hustle was pure serotonin. The kind of book that wraps around you like warm sunlight and doesn’t let go. It had everything I love in a summer romance. Chaotic ambition, laugh-out-loud banter, swoony slow-burn heat, and just enough emotional depth to make it stick with you.

The chemistry between Nic and Molly was off the charts. The main character was messy and real in the best way. And the whole story felt like a love letter to figuring it out as you go. It struck the perfect balance between hilarious and heartfelt.

Brooke Straiton captured the magic of a transformative summer and turned it into something that feels fun, fresh, and genuinely empowering. I devoured this and didn’t want it to end. Add this to your TBR immediately if you want something that brings the sunshine with a side of sass.

Summer Hustle is a fantastic Grumpy vs. Sunshine romantic comedy that had me hooked from the start. The male main character (MMC) is the perfect blend of grumpy and golden-hearted—moody in all the best ways, but undeniably lovable. He’s the kind of character who grows on you with every scene.

The female main character (FMC) was written perfectly. She’s strong, confident, and relatable, with just the right touch of girly charm. One of my favorite parts was how the author portrayed the everyday struggles of going to the gym—it was hilarious and incredibly true to life. It made her feel like someone you could actually know (or be!).

If you're looking for a light, laugh-out-loud rom-com with heart, Summer Hustle delivers. It’s the perfect read for fans of witty banter, feel-good romance, and the classic opposites-attract trope.

Thanks to netgalley and the author for the arc !
This was really fun, steamy and funny summer read.
The gym members were very entertaining and made me laugh out loud at times. I really loved viral blooper reels chapter.

Nic and Molly had a great chemistry and great banter. Lots of spice. I would have liked to have seen a little more about their background. The author only touched on it here and there but never a complete answer. The story as a whole was a fun easy read.

Gym romances are not typically my thing, but this one called out to me. Still not a new favorite, but it's good! Cute.

This story was a lot of fun!
The characters were great, and their chemistry was adorable.
I thought the writing was quick, fun and engaging.
Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this new title.

Enjoyed this book so much!
It's  Grumpy/Sunshine, Enemies 2 Lovers, Workplace romance.

Molly is a Marketing Content Producer hired to improve and promote Southside Strength a gym that ex-MMA fighter "Nic" is a silent partner of.

They don't hit it off straight away but oh boy! When they do!? Look out! There is some Dom behavior and binding that is so 🔥

The depiction of gym-life and member friendships and bonding was so much fun to read.

Loved this: 𝖨 𝗌𝗎𝖽𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗀𝗒𝗆 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗄𝗇𝗂𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗒. 𝖶𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗎𝗆𝖺 𝖻𝗈𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖯𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗅𝗄𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾, 𝖺𝗀𝖾𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗌, 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌. 𝖳𝗈𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋.

It's so true!

Recommend for a fun read that just MIGHT motivate you to hit the gym!!😄

Many thanks to Netgalley and author for the ARC and opportunity to share my thoughts!

3.75 ⭐️
Thanks to netgalley and the author for the arc
I hope you’ll call me good girl and give the points to gryffindor (it happens to be my house)

This was really fun, steamy and well very spicy (but you’re warned by the author at the beginning so, can I really complain)

The side characters were very enjoyable and entertaining. I really loved the chapter with the clip videos, it was relatable and well written.

Nic and Molly had a great chemistry. I love a good banter as well! The spice scenes were like a new generation of 50 shades of Grey and were legit guilty pleasure but aren’t we adult here!

I liked that there were more to them and that there were some character growth in there.

The end felt like those christmas movie ending well. Maybe Nic was a bit too soft there. I think I’d loved to see more of Nic’s Mom, more of their own background. I do believe it’s hard to go in depth in 310 pages but it felt like I knew more about the side characters than Nic and Molly by the end of the book.

The whole book felt like those books Rachel in Friends would read and share to Joey 😉.

Side note : the author admitted to using AI to help in rephrasing, organizing the characters, reworking paragraphs. Every post on her position on her facebook account. As this is a controversial topic, up to us readers to have a critical thinking about it and either way is ok, no judgement ☺️. As for me, I think I won’t be reading more of the author.

Solid 4⭐️ read!!

If you are looking for a grumpy x sunshine , dom/sub, acts of service, steamy treat - look no further!

This book was delightfully fun and spicy!

The chemistry between the two main characters was PALPAPLE. The small-town vibe of this book added a nice touch of found family. The side characters all definitely have their own personalities and gave a lot of humor and heart to the story.

Truly the only reason I am not rating it 5 stars personally is because I didn't get ✨️that feeling✨️ but I can totally see how it could be someone else's!

☆ I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ☆

Thank you Brooke Straiton and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to arc read this book!

The perfect summer read with a lot of spice to sizzle you up. It has a great plot, loved the FMC and MMC, the tension, the spice, the ugh, all of it!
Plus, it is super funny to read, having you just laugh and giggle throughout. I was only gifted this yesterday and I've read it already. An easy read and 100% worth reading, easily read it in one sitting. Molly and Nic? Wow, just wow! Chemistry and banter? Perfect.

Goodreads review posted on: 07/09/2025

This was easily one of the best books I’ve read lately!

Nic and Molly have a chemistry and banter that was displayed perfectly throughout the story. Nic was a broody trainer and coworker while Molly was bubbly and determined, despite her setbacks in her life. One thing that I loved about this story was that it touched on their backstories but didn’t focus the entire story on their history and demons.

There were a few unexpected twists in the story and some side characters that weren’t super important to the story. The ending did feel a little rushed but the overall story itself was fast paced and energetic which was great.

Overall, 4.5/5 ⭐️ with 3 🌶️ because some of the scenes between Nic and Molly were SPICY😅