Revenge of the Sunshine is a delightful grumpy sunshine romance. Jackie Lau takes charming characters, throws them together in a fake dating scheme, and gives them their HEA in a quick, easy to read package.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Zoe Shen is shocked when she finds her boyfriend fooling around with her best friend and roommate. Now without a place to live, a bestie, or a plus one, Zoe decides revenge is the answer. So she seeks out her ex’s older brother Bennett Chang, and suggests they fake date to get back at his sibling. Bennett and his brother don’t get along, but the serious grump needs a little convincing before agreeing to Zoe’s plan. After all, showing up with a girlfriend at family events will help get his parents off his back about his dating life. Soon Zoe is moving in, and even charming his cat Mittens. But when lots of chemistry and actual feelings develop, can this pair make it real?

Read this book if you love:
🐈‍⬛ fake dating
☀️ forced proximity
🐈‍⬛ revenge
☀️ grumpy sunshine
🐈‍⬛ cat dad
☀️ complicated family relationships

Bennett is more withdrawn than outright grumpy, which makes him even more likable, especially once his backstory is revealed. While Zoe is always looking on the bright side, it’s refreshing to see her realize how she’s been letting some of the people in her life take advantage of her. And, the way these two manage their family relationships feels both complex and realistic.

I had a great time reading Revenge of the Sunshine. It’s a wonderful book for when you are looking for a quick dose of grumpy sunshine, fake dating goodness. And, now I can’t wait for the rest of this friend group to find their own HEAs.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this book as an advance reader copy courtesy of NetGalley. Any day that a new Jackie Lau story shows up in my in-box is a good day, and Revenge of the Sunshine fits the bill! Zoe is the sunshine of the title, good-natured and sunny, but when she catches her boyfriend and her best friend having sex in the kitchen, that good-natured part of her takes a hit. Worse, that now-ex-best friend is her landlord, so she has now lost her best friend, her boyfriend, AND her place to live. Once she calms down (as she crashes on her brother and sister-in-law’s couch), she plots revenge…and decides to get it with the help of Bennett’s her ex-boyfriend’s estranged brother. Bennett eventually agrees to Zoe’s plot to pretend-date, even offering her a place to stay while she looks for a new apartment. The plan works, until they realize that maybe it’s not pretend after all. This delightful story of romance blooming in a revenge plot was a pleasure to read.
#RevengeoftheSunshine #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

Revenge of the Sunshine by Jackie Lau is a fun, heartwarming rom-com that takes a classic fake-dating setup and gives it plenty of charm, humor, and emotional depth. After a betrayal by both her boyfriend and roommate, Zoe's revenge plan seems simple enough: pretend to date her ex's older brother. Of course, things quickly become much more complicated when real feelings enter the picture.

Zoe is an easy heroine to love, bringing warmth, optimism, and humor to every scene. Her sunny personality plays perfectly against Bennett's more reserved and work-focused nature, creating an entertaining opposites-attract dynamic. Watching Bennett slowly open up and reveal the man beneath his serious exterior was one of the most satisfying parts of the story.

The fake relationship, shared living arrangement, and growing attraction are handled with plenty of chemistry and laugh-out-loud moments. The supporting cast adds extra heart, and the elderly cat is a scene-stealer whenever it appears. Beneath the romance, the story also explores themes of grief, healing, and learning to trust again.

While some plot developments are fairly predictable, the engaging characters and strong emotional core make the journey worthwhile. Overall, Revenge of the Sunshine is a sweet, funny, and swoony romance that delivers plenty of feel-good moments.

Anything Jackie Lau writes is an auto-read for me and Zoe and Bennet's grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, roommate romance had me cackling late into the night. Zoe walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her with her roommate and wants revenge. Her plan? See if his estranged, older brother might be up for some payback too. What follows sees Bennett offering a temporary place to stay with him and his elderly cat and the two proceed to fake date falling for one another along the way. Funny, heartfelt and spicy with tons of emotional depth, meddling mothers and supportive friends. I can't wait to read Karina and Gil's story next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: infidelity, death of a loved one in the past, grief and depression

I've been a long time fan of Jackie Lau and there's nothing she does better than Grumpy Sunshine. The idea of the most sunshiney forgiving person you know being on a revenge mission is delightful. Since the brothers really do not get along, dating her ex's older, handsomer, sterner, more successful brother is the perfect upgrade. But he's had a tragic loss in his past and has never been tempted to risk his heart again, until her. Their fake but very real romance takes place in the autumn, featuring Halloween and the Christmas season so is perfect for this time of year. Jackie always writes about Asian Canadian characters and the love and authenticity is impossible to miss. I was rooting for every bit of their satisfying retribution and well earned happiness.

Thank you Netgalley and Jackie Lau Books for the ebook of Revenge of the Sunshine (Love & Spite, Book 1) by Jackie Lau for my honest take. All thoughts and opinions within this review are my own. Fake Dating is one of my favorite tropes and Jackie Lau hit this one out of the park. Bennett is the embodiment of the grumpy older brother who has rules around everything including which mug to use for morning coffee. Each time Zoe gets Bennett to relax one of his rules you can feel them growing closer. You also get the feeling Bennett and Zoe being forbidden because Bennett is Zoe’s ex older brother. I recommend this novel for anyone who wants all the Fall feels and including a pumpkin spice latte.