This was such a fun contemporary romance! It hooked me from the start with a disastrously messy meet cute, and interesting setting, and a fabulous cast of characters.

Connor is the definition of a broody MMC. A brilliant, driven CEO who is still grappling with the aftermath of a divorce, he’s all rules and restraint. Connor definitely comes across as cold and untouchable at first, but the more time Eddie spends with him, the more it becomes clear that his guarded personality hides someone loyal, thoughtful, and kind. Unlike Connor, Eddie is pure brightness. She’s funny, warm, and unafraid to throw a little sass his way, which is very different from how others treat him.

The romance between Connor and Eddie is full of banter, tension, and so much chemistry. They definitely make a good team, both at work and as partners. Their romance has a lot of challenges, between work stresses, a no work relationships clause, an age gap, and Connor being a complete fool. I’m so glad there was a bunch of groveling, because Eddie deserved it.

The family dynamics are also fantastic, especially with Connor’s daughter and Eddie’s young sister. They are both going through struggles of their own, and Connor and Eddie are steady influences in the girls’ tumultuous lives. I really loved seeing Connor with his daughter. He’s a wonderful father and the love he has for her is endearing. Connor’s brothers and their partners are great, too. I definitely want to go back and read their stories!

Overall, The Grump I Loathe is a swoon-worthy, opposites-attract romance with plenty of heat, humor, and heart. If you enjoy messy meet-cutes, grumpy heroes who turn out to be cinnamon rolls at their core, and heroines who shine without being pushovers, you should check this one out.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Jumping right into the thrid book in the Lockhart brothers series - and it did not disappoint! We get enemines to lovers and workplace romance - oh and spice!
Lot's of banter and many cute moments!
Leslie North delivers yet another great book, funny and esay to enjoy.

The gaming stuff was handled well--meaning I didn't lose interest in those parts of the story as a non-gamer. But the chemistry between Eddie and Conner was nonexistent and there are far too many family dramas going on in this book. I don't see how any relationship can thrive will all that to deal with. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

The Grump I Loathe

By Leslie North

When indie game developer Eddie is desperate to grab lunch before her panel, the last thing she expects is to get stuck behind a guy treating the food truck menu like an interrogation. After asking if she can skip ahead, he says no… then proceeds to ignore her completely. By the time he finally orders, Eddie douses her food in hot sauce and bolts for the panel.

Enter Connor—still reeling from a messy divorce that tore his gaming company apart. He’s clinging to black-and-white rules, trying to keep everything neat and controlled. But those rules don’t stand a chance when Eddie joins the team. Where he sees order, she brings chaos—in the best, most colorful way possible.

(3.5/5) for The Grump I Loathe. The premise and plot pulled me in right away—I really enjoyed the setup and where the story was headed. Toward the end, though, the pacing slowed a bit, and the relationship resolution didn’t feel as strong as I was hoping. The MMC especially left me wanting a little more growth and accountability. That said, once things finally came together, I did enjoy where the characters ended up, and the journey had plenty of moments that kept me engaged.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Grump I Loathe.

Leslie North NEVER fails to deliver - each book in the Lockhart brothers series is *chefs kiss* perfection.

This book perfectly wrapped up the series with a neat little bow, there was nothing I would change, I loved every moment and devoured this book in one sitting, it was impossible to put down!

This was a fun read - great characters and great plot! Easy to get sucked in to the story. Love the slow burn and the resulting spice! Not overly cheesy and a very satisfying read overall!

Actually 3.5⭐️

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

I found the Connor and Eddie more enjoyable than the previous MCs in this trilogy and appreciated that they both showed some growth.

I would recommend this to certain friends.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dont do what i did and pick this up first. It can be read as a standalone, but eill be more enjoyable in order to due to characters and references. Still fun as a standalone though!

I loved this story. I haven't read the other books but I think that's ok and this could be a standalone. The characters were great. It was fun and emotional at all the right times.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!

Great writing and details. Love the characters . Enemies to lovers workplace romance 🖤

Love that this has good story line and dialogue and some slow burn 🔥 romance

What a great end to this series!!! I have enjoyed all three books!!! Connor and Eddie’s book was no different. There was banter, so much sass, lots of love and spice!!! Connor didn’t seem like such a stick in the mud in the other books, but seeing him as CEO made him seem extra boring!! Eddie got him out of his shell and they helped each other grow and become better versions of themselves. Grace was great in this book and we got to see how she is around her dad and everyone else in her life. I enjoyed how Connor and Eddie first met and all the weird things that happened after. This was such a great ending to the series. Thanks for the ARC.

Oh Connor. I think he has to be the broodiest of the brothers. He had a lot to work out. I absolutely adored their meet-cute (maybe not so cute for them at the time) and watching their growth throughout the story. This book did break my heart before it soothed it. Highly emotional.

I loved that it didn’t hold back when introducing him as a father, and we got a lot of daughter, Grace time in the book. What a sweetheart. I also adored Eddie (the fmc) and the connections she made even outside of the mmc. It had a lot of found family vibes.

The chemistry was on fire even with their little hate-mance going on. I was entertained from start to finish. Good banter and lots of fun reading about the two of them.

spoiler:
The only part I wasn't entirely sold on was the ending. I felt like the jump back in was just a little rushed after the third act breakup. I love Leslie North's stories, and I did get all the way there, but it truly broke my heart so much it was hard to fall back in love. But because of how amazing the entire thing was, this didn't take a star away. It just would have been nice to have a little more.

It's a great story and I had a lot of fun.

✨4.5 stars✨
🌶️ 2

Thank you to NetGalley and Relay publishing for the Arc.

Eddie is a beautiful and bubbly game developer. Connor is the grumpy, billionaire CEO of a gaming company. They have a spicy (literally) meet-cute in a burrito truck blow out that leaves them fast foes. The problem? He’s about to be her next boss. The Grump I Loath is an upbeat, enemies to lovers, workplace romance full of top bants and simmering tension.

This is the definition of a feel-good, vibes-read and I am here for it. The bants is bantsing, the spice is spicing, we get humour and a just-right sprinkle of drama. Depth would be a strong word, but our characters are layered and have rich backstories which makes them feel alive. Eddie may be the rainbow side of our rainbow vs grump romance, but we learn pretty quickly that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. She’s sassy and not afraid to speak her mind. On the flip side, Connor is supposed to be the grumpy monochrome foil, but really he’s just a little cinnamon roll. The relationship between the two is genuinely fun to read, whether they’re going for each other’s throats or, ahem, other parts. The dialogue is punchy and Eddie, in particular has, a delightful amount of snark and sass.

In summary, this is a fun read and would be the perfect palate cleanser if you’re craving a HEA. This is book 3 in a series but can absolutely be read as a standalone.

✨4.5 stars✨
🌶️ 2

Thank you to NetGalley and Relay publishing for the Arc.

Eddie is a beautiful and bubbly game developer. Connor is the grumpy, billionaire CEO of a gaming company. They have a spicy (literally) meet-cute in a burrito truck blow out that leaves them fast foes. The problem? He’s about to be her next boss. The Grump I Loath is an upbeat, enemies to lovers, workplace romance full of top bants and simmering tension.

This is the definition of a feel-good, vibes-read and I am here for it. The bants is bantsing, the spice is spicing, we get humour and a just-right sprinkle of drama. Depth would be a strong word, but our characters are layered and have rich backstories which makes them feel alive. Eddie may be the rainbow side of our rainbow vs grump romance, but we learn pretty quickly that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. She’s sassy and not afraid to speak her mind. On the flip side, Connor is supposed to be the grumpy monochrome foil, but really he’s just a little cinnamon roll. The relationship between the two is genuinely fun to read, whether they’re going for each other’s throats or, ahem, other parts. The dialogue is punchy and Eddie, in particular has, a delightful amount of snark and sass.

In summary, this is a fun read and would be the perfect palate cleanser if you’re craving a HEA. This is book 3 in a series but can absolutely be read as a standalone.

3.5/5


Eddie Sheppard es una desarrolladora de videojuegos que apenas empieza a hacerse un nombre en la industria. Su primera gran oportunidad llega en GeekCon, pero lo último que esperaba era pelearse con un hombre arrogante en la fila de un food truck. Lo que comienza como una guerra por comida termina convertido en un desastre de salsa picante… y en el inicio de una rivalidad que marcará su vida.

Ese hombre resulta ser Connor Lockhart, CEO de LockMill Games, famoso por su carácter gruñón y su falta de paciencia para el drama. Para colmo, también es el nuevo jefe de Eddie. Trabajar juntos es un tormento: él es frío y exigente; ella, ingeniosa y explosiva. Sin embargo, entre pullas y discusiones, la química empieza a desbordar.

Cuando la pequeña hija de Connor se cruza en la vida de Eddie y comienza una inesperada amistad con la hermanita de ella, ambos se ven obligados a bajar la guardia.


___



Me gustaron los tres libros, pero todos tienen un gran problema: la forma en que los hermanos Lockhart arruinan sus relaciones y hacen sentir a las protagonistas como si no las quisieran. Hasta ahí podría tener solución, pero en lugar de reconocer su error, arrastrase y pedir perdón para recuperarlas, se alejan y se convencen de que lo que sentían no era amor. Al final, siempre tiene que haber alguien más que los haga entrar en razón para que decidan buscarlas, y aun así sus esfuerzos son mínimos. Obviamente, las protagonistas los perdonan, pero es una lástima porque, aunque todo lo demás está bien, esto termina arruinando la historia.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.