This was an extremely well-written romance novel. I loved both the main characters (and in particular how strong and reasonable the female main character was). I loved and fully believed in the romance, and how it progressed. The supporting cast was just great. I laughed out loud quite a bit, which to me is a sign of a cleverly written book. I look forward to reading the whole series.

My only *minor* critique is, generally speaking, I would prefer to speculate how they feel about each other by their actions and dialogue, not be told through inner-dialogue. I'm generally a fan of show, don't tell, and there was just a bit too much tell.

I strongly recommend this book and will seek out the author's other work.

Romancing the Grump is a fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, hockey romance and the second book in the Appies Hockey Romance series. Both the MMC and MFC were easy to root for and bought out the best in each other. Closed door with lots of sizzle but no spice. A cute, enjoyable read.

Why is this my first time reading Jenny Proctor? That's the first question I asked myself as soon as I was done reading Romancing the Grump. I asked because it was such a good sports romance featuring grumpy/sunshine and fake dating tropes, which are my weaknesses. Summer and Nathan are easy to love and cheer on!

Summer is an attorney who landed a new job working for a hockey team, the Appies. She had to leave her previous job because of a gross boss and I am glad she made the move. On her first day on the job, she has a run-in with the grouchiest player on the team, Nathan. If you look up grumpy in the dictionary you'll find his picture, and everyone knows it. But why can't Summer help the tingles and butterflies when he is near? They met a while back, but he hardly spoke. Nathan has been used to keeping to himself and solely focusing on being great at his sport and showing up for his teammates. But after he goes viral for doing what he does best, being grumpy, he needs to be seen in a new light. So, the team's PR manager suggests he and Summer should fake date. They may not speak much, but at least Summer will get to see his beautiful face.

Fake dating is just meant to lead to something more...at least in the books right? And I think it was inevitable for the pair. Although it was challenging every step of the way because of Nathan's hesitancy. He did not want to enter into a relationship for fear of becoming like his father. Not giving enough to his partner. But as time goes on, they can't help but feel real feelings. I love all the tender moments they share and the beauty of falling in love when you least expect it. I want to read all of Jenny's books because I couldn't get enough of her writing!

No surprise that I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It had some of my favorite tropes - hockey romance, grumpy x sunshine, and fake dating! If you like any of those tropes then you will enjoy this book.

Their relationship was very sweet. It’s a closed door romance and is not very spicy if that’s what you are looking for in a book.

I loved this book so much that I breezed through it in a day. Having loved ‘Absolutely Not In Love’, I was pretty excited for Nathan & Summer’s story which was introduced in that book.

Summer & Nathan’s first encounter in the first chapter set the tone for their chemistry. The grumpy x sunshine banter is so fun and perfect. We get to know pretty soon how much Nathan is affected or attracted by Summer, but Mr. Grumpy fights his feelings as he doesn’t want to date anyone. I loved how Summer was so sure of her feelings and wanted to take a chance and laid out her heart to Nathan.

There are so many swoon worthy moments in the book that I loved. Let me reassure you that it maybe a closed door romance, but Jenny like always, writes the best chemistry and sensual kisses that it was so much better than over explicit scenes. The highlights for me were:

- the moment between them when they touch foreheads through the screen and Nathan full on smiles for the first time
- when Nathan stands up possessively for Summer in front of her ex.
- how Summer takes care of Nathan while he is unwell
- a complete chapter full of text exchanges which made me giggle
- Nathan’s conversation with his mom regarding his view on his dad’s role on their life
- the whole Appies team especially Felix and Gracie, Alex who I wish to see more in a book in future.

Overall, I would really recommend this book if you are looking for a grumpy x sunshine, closed door, hockey romance with all the feels!

I received a copy of this for my honest review

In this sweet romance book our FMC has just started a new job as an in house attorney for a minor league hockey team. On her first day she runs into our MMC. She has met him before, and even tried to go out with him, but he shut her down. But he's on the team she now represents, and they will be spending time together at work. Or at least that's all it should be, until his social media presence as a grump let's the hashtag #tamethebeast trends making some inappropriate response videos. To try and kill the hashtag, they are offered the idea to fake date. This wouldn't be as bad if she wasn't already in like with him. But when she truly works to be his partner, does it help enough to change his mind on no dating until after hockey.

Captivating from start to finish, this book seamlessly weaves together the allure of fake dating, the irresistible charm of grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and the exhilarating world of hockey players. it's a delightful read and it had everything I wanted in a book I would love to read more from this author in the future and will definitely be checking out her catalog!

Where to start… this was my first hockey romance and it didn’t disappoint. Following the budding romance between Nathan and Summer was so fun. And reading from both povs was perfect. I loved the forced proximity, fake dating, grumpy MMC. Just an overall cute romcom. I think my favorite part was the whole hotel situation. 😳

Thank you NetGalley and JPC publishing for this arc!

The Appies hits continue! I wasn’t sure about Nathan at first, but both Nathan and Summer were great characters and they had good chemistry. The supporting cast was top notch; I’m excited that more Appies books are coming.

Jenny Proctor is one of my faves, and the Appie's series is so excellent. I was so excited to get this book and read about Nathans story. I loved the way the previous books peep through and bring all the characters together. Such a great series that everyone should read!

Thank you Netgalley for Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor

This fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, sweet hockey romance had me SWOONING. Nathan may look grumpy on the outside, but he’s a warm, sweet cinnamon roll on the inside who manages to be both charming and romantic. Summer was such a good balance for him, and I really enjoyed reading her POV. I also loved getting to see the Appies again from the previous Appies books, and I can’t wait to read more of them. If you’re entering your hockey romance era like I am, you’ll definitely enjoy this book!

This is a clean/sweet romance, which means there is no spice beyond some really swoon-worthy kisses. There was a handful of mild curse words used, but nothing that was too offensive or off-putting.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Romancing The Grump was an adorable romance novel set in the land of ice hockey. Whilst ice hockey seems to be the most popular choice of sport themed romance novels, I throughly enjoyed Proctor’s take.
This novel is not spicy and it is a classic grumpy sunshine love story. I love Summer and Nathan as characters. Both were relatable, interesting and felt realistic. I definitely will be looking into more of Proctor’s work.

✨Book Summary✨

Nathan Sanders is a hockey player, actually a defender, in a small team
called the Appies.

Everything in his life is quite simple, until the moment Summer Callahan, the new legal counsellor of the team, starts working at the Summit.

And not only that but because of the team’s social media success there is a new trend going viral under the hashtag Tame the brute.

The only way for Nathan to get some privacy and set some boundaries to his female fans is to have a fake relationship.

But what happens when the lines are getting blurry between what’s real and what’s fake?

Romancing the Grump is the fourth book in the Appies Hockey Romance series. I didn’t know that when I requested this book but now I am hooked! I loved it! So I will definitely read the rest of the series.

I did some research and the books can be read as standalones so I think we are good to go.

I loved Romancing the Grump!
It was so sweet, a great rom-com in my opinion. And i was surprised to see that there was no spice in it.

Nathan and Summer have a wonderful chemistry, the tension between them was on point and aside from their relationship I loved all the secondary characters as well. There wasn’t unnecessary scenes or the miscommunication trope which I really appreciated.

If you love Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus Series or if you are looking for a sports romance without spice I think you should definitely check out this book.

I have always loved a good grumpy sunshine romance and this one did not disappoint. I love everything about Nathan and Summer, and their love story.

Nathan is perfectly grumpy and Summer is relentlessly sunny, and they are both so unapologetically themselves. Each of them is so honest and real, and the way they communicate is so good. Nathan's growth and Summer's patience are sweet and encouraging. The scenes when they protect each other are seared into my mind, I adore that the protection is mutual and not one-sided. And their text chains were simply delightful.

The Appies (as always) were phenomenal support characters, I will never get sick of reading about adorable, manly hockey players supporting and loving each other well. And Summer's friends and sisters were just lovely. I can't wait for Lucy, Alec, and Van to each get there own story (hopefully!).

Thanks to Netgalley and Jenny for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Romancing the Grump" by Jenny Proctor is an exceptional read that skillfully weaves tension and chemistry between its main characters, Summer and Nathan. Proctor's writing style is captivating, effortlessly drawing readers into the unfolding romance and making us root for the protagonists to come together. The plot is robust and engaging, masterfully utilizing the fake dating and sunshine/grumpy tropes, which are among my favourites. Proctor's nuanced character development and sharp dialogue further enrich the story, making it a truly enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this delightful book!

Breezy thoroughly enjoyable rom com. Bailey, shy attendant at a adoption facility, has a favorite visitor there, a handsome guy, Eli, who loves dogs but can't adopt because he travels too much. Eli has another problem, his visa is ending and the reapplication process necessitates his returning to Canada for up to a year. Unless he gets married in less than a month. You know where the story is going but it's the getting there is just so much fun with these delightful characters. 4.25 stars

A great hockey romance. I loved the interactions between all the players. The main characters had lots of chemistry and I found myself rooting for them the whole time.

This book was sooooo fricken cute omg I was giggling and smiling and kicking my feet. Was it perfect? No it wasn’t. But was it enjoyable and a very good read? Yes it definitely was!!

I don’t know what else to say apart from the fact that I had a very good time reading this. Nathan was definitely broody and Summer was quite literally a ray of sunshine. They were the perfect grumpy x sunshine and neither of them were annoying!!

There’s no spice in this book and if I’m being honest I didn’t even miss it. In fact I didn’t even realise until I was well into the book. The relationship between Summer and Nathan was slow-burn but also at such a perfect pace. I liked the side characters and the plot line with Nathan’s brother.

The only thing I will say is that the ending felt a little abrupt but other than that I really really liked this one!!

Thank you @NetGalley and JPC Publishing for this ARC of ‘Romancing the Grump’.

I had a suspicion for a while now but after reading this book I am a proud to say I am a BIG fan of the grumpy x sunshine! This book was GREAT yall. I didn't realize it was spice free until mid-read but honestly, I don't know if it would have fit in this one. These characters were awesome. I loved meeting the side characters and trying to figure out who will be pairing off. I am probably going to read the first one because I am a legit series addict. This book made me smile with how determined Summer was to make Nathan smile. I loved learning more about their backgrounds and why they both are the way they are. I loved the little nuggets that Nathan started giving Summer that were like GOLD. Just overall a really easy summer read with some hot kisses and an HEA.

Summer is excited to start her new job. She is a little nervous but isn't letting it show. That is until she has a run in with none other than Nathan Sanders in the parking lot. The same Nathan who gave her all kinds of tingly feelings when they met each other in the fall at a festival. The same Nathan who is now scowling at her and looking like she is an inconvenience. And yay! This is her first day. Moving along with the story, Summer finds herself in a situation where she is asked to be Nathan's fake girlfriend for PR purposes. She doesn't mind because she is finally facing that she has some feelings for him. At least this way she will be able to spend some time with him and maybe work on getting him to smile more. Maybe she will get to know a little bit more about the team grump who she cant stop thinking about. Especially now that he has actually smiled, and they have kissed, and they are pretending RIGHT?! He has made it clear he can't do relationships, but Summer can't help but read into how he acts around her versus what he is saying. Could he be ready? Would he want to try with her because she definitely doesn't want to pretend anymore.

Nathan is happy. He is doing what he loves, and his team is doing better than expected. He has a problem now though. This PR campaign of his brooding pictures has turned a little too risqué for the team. Some of the fans are losing their minds which is when Parker, their PR person, comes up with Summer and Nathan fake dating. This way the fan ladies will cool off. The problem is Nathan doesn't know how to be a real boyfriend let alone a fake one. He just knows what to NOT do, and that is be how he remembers his dad. Which is why he has to keep reminding himself that him and Summer are just friends. Even though that kiss felt real. And waking up next to her felt real. And seeing his name on her does things to him. But definitely they are just friends. But maybe he could try to break the mold that he has kept himself in. IF he could do it for anyone, it would be Summer.

I haven't read anything by Jenny before but will definitely be looking into her other series which is in the same universe as this from what I can tell with some characters that we have met. I liked the lightness of this one. The angst and heat were hot but again no spice. Lots of thoughts about things happening but nothing more than kisses which fits this story. This one made me smile, and I hope it will make you smile too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5/5 ⭐️ This book was such a sweet hockey romcom. Honestly, I wish the Appies were a real team so I could follow them in real life. Summer and Nathan had the perfect blend of slow burn, grumpy sunshine and banter in this book. My only critique would be that I would have loved to read more about the side stories (Summer's ex boss and Nathan's brother). I will definitely be checking out the other couples' books!

Thank you to JPC Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are solely my own