Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - When Grumpy Met Sunshine

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When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

4 reviews

rachminick's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I received this audiobook through NetGalley and though it too me a few months to come back to it- I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wished for more of the relationship and felt the abrupt third act conflict came out of left field and felt rushed. Overall, I liked the story and felt the narration added to the experience nicely.

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natashaleighton_'s review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Sizzlingly swoon-worthy, fabulously entertaining and full of northern charm—When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a banter filled (and heartfelt) Rom-Com that I loved from start to finish.

It follows Mabel a sunshiny, plus sized ghost writer who’s been brought in to ghostwrite the memoir of famously grumpy footballing Legend, Alfie Harding (who has already rejected the previous sixteen writers!) The pair clash a little at first, but after Mabel gives Alfie a piece of her mind they soon find common ground—which leads Alfie to opening up about his life, in ways he’s never done before.

But, after Mabel is papped leaving the ex-Man Utd player’s house (in an innocuous but oh soo secret writing session) rumours start to circulate about their supposedly blossoming relationship. With the need to keep up the pretence that Alfie is writing his own memoir (or risk kissing her job prospects goodbye) the pair have no choice but to fake date… at least until the book is released.

However, what started as a reluctant (but mutually beneficial) arrangement is slipping into something far more serious (and steamier) than Mabel had ever anticipated, and as her feelings for the short tempered sporting legend grow, so too does her uncertainty over what is real and what is fake.

This was such a deliciously addictive and humorous read that I (a self confessed Grumpy x Sunshine fanatic) couldn’t get enough of! The writing was incredibly engaging, and the characters all soo wonderfully witty and nuanced —especially Mabel and Alfie (though Alfie’s assistant and Mabel’s best friends were also rather entertaining.)

Mabel, our overly cheerful protagonist was an engagingly endearing character and I loved getting to explore her sensitive, yet heartwarmingly complex nature. I also loved the depth we see in her inner thought processes and feelings surrounding her struggles with self worth, which, as someone who is also plus sized felt incredibly relatable.

Though much as I loved Mabel, it was our misunderstood cinnamon roll of a love interest, Alfie that stole my heart. His adorably grumpy (and socially awkward) interactions were soo endearing—in a heartwarming, Nick Miller meets Roy Kent kind of way. Despite his own hang ups and trauma, Alfies’s unwavering support and trust in Mabel had me rooting from the start.

Though as entertaining (and swoon-worthy) as Alfie and Mabel were together, I have to warn they do curse up quite a storm—which, I know may be off putting for some readers. Personally, I thought their creative use of swears worked well in breaking the tension between them, and helped bring a sense of normalcy (and relatability) to an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

Overall, a deliciously fun, laugh out loud Rom-Com that fans of Grumpy X Sunshine or opposites attract romances are sure the enjoy.

Also, a huge thank you to Chloe at Pan MacMillan for the finished copy.

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meganpbell's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A curvy, bubbly ghostwriter finds herself in a fake dating scheme with a grumpy footballer a la Ted Lasso’s Roy Kent in this rom-com about being yourself and embracing your softness that’s as HOT as it is hilarious! Highly recommended for fans of grumpy/sunshine pairs, Cinderella/celebrity romances, when it’s painfully obvious they’re head over cleats in LOVE but they’re total utter numpties/silly gooses about it, and absolutely FILTHY dirty talk.

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jessgj's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own

So Charlotte Stein has been on my radar for a while now. She's friendly with some writers and reviewers I follow (Okay, semi-stalk) on Twitter and she writes romances with plus-size leads. I even remember when she announced this book and mentally adding it to my TBR.

So imagine my surprise when the stars aligned and I got an ARC for this book.

Y'all, this book. I'm not even going to tease it. It's a 5 stars for me and probably my favorite romance I've read this year. This book had me in my friend's DM yelling about it for a week. It's been a while since I've read a book that's just had me giggling and smiling like a menace as I read.

While the book wears its Ted Lasso inspiration on its sleeves, I was definitely reminded of Gilmore Girls' Luke Danes. The perpetual scruff, the terse man who lectures while he fixes whatever problem he encounters, the secret playfulness, it's there and it had me swooning.

I've seen a few reviews saying this book has "too much banter", which is a valid opinion, my response to that is "Jokes on you, I grew up on Cary Grant movies and 'Gilmore Girls'". While the banter can go on a bit, it's completely understandable that these two joke as much as they do.

When we first meet them, Mabel and Alfie seem worlds apart but we soon learn how similar they grew up and how their trauma has impacted them. Their conversations are fun and lightning-fast because this is the first time they've been able to be themselves in their full glory, These two are constantly bantering because they get to play for the first time in goodness knows how long.

The book is told entirely from Mabel's POV. I definitely missed the experience of seeing events through his eyes but Stein is so good at conveying what he's feeling. Even through Mabel's biased lens, every gesture, word, and stare is just loaded with meaning and feeling and ugh, THIS BOOK!!

(That said, if Stein ever decides to give us a snippet or epilogue through Alfie's POV, hook me up. I need it)

Admittedly, sometimes Mabel's thought process can be a little frustrating because she chalks a lot of their moments up to "Oh, he's such a good friend" and baby girl, y'all passed that a minute ago. Still, when you've spent your life surviving off crumbs, a full meal can feel frivolous and too good to be true.

The ending feels a little rushed to me and I wish we could have gotten more of our couple's Happy Ever After but I adored this book. One of my favorite reading experiences this year.

TW: Alcoholic parents, abusive parents, fatphobia, fandom culture, sexual content

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