Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - When Grumpy Met Sunshine

I absolutely loved this book! I am a fan of Charlotte Stein already, and I was a little surprised at the plot of this book when she talked about it since it's a bit different from some of her other books. That's not a bad thing at all! This is a slow-burn, "idiots-to-lovers," and fake dating story, but there are many of Stein's ultra-hot scenes sprinkled in (the one at the end was scorching!). And Stein does a great job developing the characters so it's more understandable why they keep thinking that the other doesn't really have feelings for them. This means the story does touch on sensitive topics, but it's done with care. Stein goes VERY in-depth on these two characters, which does mean that nearly all other characters are flat, but I didn't mind.

I wasn't sure about the last bit of the book, but I've sat with it for a bit and I've decided I'm okay with it.

I thought we weren't headed for that dreaded third act breakup, so I was very surprised when it happened. And then the flash forward A YEAR?! But the more I think about it, the more I realize that both Mabel and Alfie needed to move forward on their own for a bit. He needed to write his memoir and start living as his authentic self. Mabel needed to pursue writing her own book. Each was a catalyst for the growth of the other, but they needed to have that growth separately to be really ready for the relationship. I think the story could have worked okay without the separation, but with all of the character work that Stein did to show how much trauma each of them had, it needed to be Mabel and Alfie as individuals pulling themselves up out of it on their own to avoid even the appearance of co-dependence.

So highly recommended! And if you like the spiciness of this book, definitely check out Stein's other books (Sweet Agony is still my favorite, although you should read the warnings!).

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rachminick's review

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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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kshertz's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

I read this book in 2 days! I love a plus sized character and I love when a person can’t resist them 😍. It was awesome to follow their journey of fake dating and watch them grow and make each other better. Smut was excellent but was at the VERY END so can’t give 5 stars. But highly recommend as a great romance book that hits all the tropes for a happy ever after

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vickie0326's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Lots of sex, but no real relationship development. They seemed to forget the whole ghostwriting aspect of their initial connection and it instead jumped to fake dating.

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bookshelves_by_kezia's review

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

1.0

People raved about this as “chocolate cake”—an indulgence for romantics. While I do see where they are coming from, the indulgence, to me, is a heavy lean on sexual tension and romcom tropes without much else. I did like the characters, despite how one dimensional they were.

My best description is that this feels like polished fan fiction (not sure of what, maybe of romcoms in general). Could’ve used a good editor and stronger plotting; I was confused about plot points much of the time. Also, as I don’t read romance for the sex and generally skim those, the absence of an actual story was fairly blatant.

The banter between them was hilarious, however, and with better plotting/editing I think I would’ve really enjoyed these characters.

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hazelgirl21's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

3.75

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garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

Didn't love the narration, it was hard to tell who was talking when. And there were some points in the text that were almost too awkward to live through. But there was steamy stuff and decent jokes and fat positivity and a HEA.

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blairwithredhair's review

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funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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