Book Review: When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter.

When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can’t imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.

And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute as heck ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.

But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item for a public who’s ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. Or at least, it feels like it’s pretend―until each slow burn step in their fake relationship sparks a heat neither can control. Now they just have to decide: is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending?

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My Review:

I thought the humor the author displayed on social media was right up my alley. So, when this book, with a heroine who sounded like she could be another one of my own personalities, started showing up everywhere I was looking, I knew I had to give this book a read. And it was one hundred percent my kind of humor. It’s snarky and dry, and you really kind of have to be paying attention to catch the full impact of the zingers that just snuck by. Plus, I connected with Mabel on a fundamental level. I understood her insecurities and hangups, her fears and dreams. Even Alfie’s big gooey marshmallow heart inside that granite exterior, called to me. I loved watching this pair open up to one another and let down their defenses. And even though the sheer number of times they came so close to admitting their feelings only to back off again drove me right ‘round the bend, it also kept me hanging on to find out what would be the straw to break that particular camel’s back. When it came, I was almost in tears because that scene spoke so deeply to my heart. I adored Mabel and Alfie and I’m in no way prepared to let them go yet.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.