Thanks to Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC! I received an advanced copy of the book and am leaving an honest review.

I went into this quite literally for the title. I figured, this is gonna be a cutesy fun read. A curvy sunshiney ghostwriter works with the grumpy surly ex footballer on his memoir? Love the premise. I was a bit concerned since I read an ARC last month with a similar premise but just WOW. It kept getting better as I read it.

I love Mabel and Alfie. I saw so much of my self in Mabel, with the self doubt and insecurities. She was such a fun character and I LOVED how she saw Alfie and how she was able to draw him out. She had such a way with him, it was lovely to read.

Hooo boy. Alfie. Freaking. Harding. THIS MAN. He has to be one of the absolute SWEETEST and MOST THOUGHTFUL men ever written. WE LOVE A MAN WHO DEMANDS CONSENT!! He was always his grumpy self but totally softens around Mabel. You can see how she’s, not changing him, but allowing him to be more himself and admit to things about himself he hasn’t liked previously. I loved the developing relationship between them and it felt very authentic and real.

I honestly started off the this and got a good halfway into thinking, ok this seems like a good 3-3.5 star read. But as I kept going, I couldn’t put it down! This turned into a true 4.5 star read for me.

My only complaints (and there aren’t many) are that it was physically hard to read, I’m pretty sure it was just the way the file downloaded and I was honestly reading it mostly on my phone, so it wasn’t great. The only other thing was it was a sloooooow burn for me, I would have loved it to pick up a bit earlier and get a bit spicier. But I do have to give props, Alfie can talk DIRRRTY!!

This is my first Charlotte Stein read but it won’t be the last! It was great and I would HIGHLY recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to receive this book as any book I see where the main character is curvy or not a normative size is a yes for me. However, this one just didn't do it for me.

I didn't like that it was only from one POV. In romances, I like to know the POV of both main characters and this book didn't have that.

On the other hand, the conversations between them? They are two adults in their thirties, but they have absurd conversations all the time. Also, I don't see the point where they go from hating each other to falling in love. It's impossible for them to develop that feeling when they're fighting all the time about super childish things.

But my main problem is with him. He's supposed to be so grumpy and always frowning, but then he hides from her behind a plant? It just doesn't make sense.

Very sad, because it could have been a wonderful book, but a lot of things were missing.

"When Grumpy Met Sunshine" by Charlotte Stein is a delightful and heartwarming tale that explores the unexpected and transformative power of love. The story revolves around two seemingly opposite characters, Grumpy and Sunshine, whose lives take an unexpected turn when they cross paths. The author, Charlotte Stein, skillfully weaves a narrative that is both humorous and touching, creating a perfect balance between lighthearted moments and deeper emotions.

The characters are well-developed and endearing, making it easy for readers to connect with their quirks and vulnerabilities. Grumpy's stoic demeanor contrasts beautifully with Sunshine's infectious optimism, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine moments of connection. Stein's writing style is engaging, and her ability to convey the emotional journey of the characters is truly commendable.

The book not only explores the romantic relationship between Grumpy and Sunshine but also delves into themes of self-discovery and personal growth. It is a story that reminds us of the transformative power of love and how it can bring out the best in people. "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" is a feel-good and uplifting read, perfect for anyone looking for a heartwarming romance with a touch of humor and a lot of heart.

The first part of the book was quite enjoyable, even though it had some rough patches. Then it started to drag on with rambling sentences and trying hard to be funny: I’ve seen references to Ted Lasso so I’m assuming, as someone who hasn’t seen the show, this may be why I couldn’t connect.

Overall, I'd say it was a decent read.

While the book didn't exactly resonate with me, it's not because it's bad—it just didn't align with my preferences. The humor tends to be a bit over-the-top, which isn't my usual cup of tea. However, if you enjoy lively rom-coms, this book could be a perfect fit for you.

I really wanted to enjoy this, but sadly it just failed to pull me in, so I decided we are better off parting ways. There was no objective reason why this was, and I'm sure many romance readers would enjoy it, but alas, it was not for me.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a rom-com packed with banter and spice. It follows Mabel, a beam of brightness who are a ghost writer and former football player, Alfie, who wants assistance writing his memoir. However, there was a miscommunication between them and the public. They decide the best course of action is to fake date. Will this work, or will they realise they're not really faking anymore?


Let me begin by saying that I adore the Grumpy X Sunshine trope, so I knew this would be right up my alley. Mabel and Alfies had a perfect mix of humour and romance, and I had quite enjoyed their British banter.


One way I could characterise this book is that when it was fantastic, I couldn't stop reading, but when it wasn't so good, I didn't want to take it up again.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, despite the fact that some portions were choppy, making it slightly more difficult to read. However, I liked Charlotte's take on the grumpy/sunshine trope. The following 25/30% was primarily spicy stuff that didn't really add to the plot and I found this made the book drag a little, but after that, I enjoyed the way Charlotte made the last 10% work and I couldn't put the book down and it gave me what I wanted.

Overall, it was an okay read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Charlotte Stein's When Grumpy Met Sunshine in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

There wasn’t anything wrong with this book, per se, I think it just wasn’t a good fit for me. A little too OTT for the sake of comedy. But I think for someone who loves a slightly-farcical rom-com then this book would be perfect.

The premise of this book is delicious, and I am absolutely here for all the Roy Kent inspired books that have been coming out recently. This book was unabashed fan fiction (there’s even a Ted Lasso character) and I really enjoyed how gleeful it was - the author was obviously having a blast and so was I. Full of brilliantly funny lines and simmering romantic tension, this was a great read.

As others have mentioned, this draft was seriously under-served editorially. There were quite a few places where I found myself having to go back to try and work out what was being said (sometimes realising it didn’t actually make sense at all), and who was saying it. Hopefully this is just an issue with the early proof draft, I won’t hesitate to recommend the finished thing to readers looking for a funny slice of escapism.

This was a new author to me and I will definitely be looking at her back book list.
I loved this book, Alfie and Mabel were wonderful characters full of quirky traits and awful self esteem issues.
Mabel, because of her body shape and career choices and Alfie because of other peoples perception of him.
They book manages to be a slow burn, whilst being filthy in parts, ( all in a good way!)
Loved it and everybody should read it immediately.

The story of Alfie and Mabel. She is the ghostwrite hired to help him, a former footballer, write his memoir. They don't get off to the best start, but will they give each other a chance? A great read, I love a grumpy and sunshine romance.

Absolutely fantastic characters, and a book for anyone who watched Ted Lasso and wanted to see more Roy Kent (in every way). With a fat heroine who, and a hero who falls first and HARD, this was definitely a fun read. I will say, it's a lot spicier than I anticipated, so definitely watch out for that!

Mabel is a ghostwriter who has been chosen to write a biography for notoriously grumpy ex-footballer, Alfie. They don't get off to a good start and Mabel doubts the arrangement will work since Alfie seems to hate everything about her. But she has no choice, so she teases him and starts to find him opening up to her.

It took me ages to read this one as I couldn't get into it. I enjoyed the sexy scenes to an extent but there was a lot of use of the words hairy and meaty. Which is just cringe. And constantly referring to one another as mate? Just plain weird!

Alfie's "kink" that he can't really get into it unless his partner is gagging for it, isn't really a kink. It's just normal surely? Don't we all want a sexual partner who wants us with the same intensity and desperation we want them???

The writing wasn't great, the story didn't flow very well and half the time I had to reread parts as it didn't make sense, but the rereading did nothing to clear anything up. It's like sentences were removed that would have gone a long way to link one piece to the next.

I enjoy the plus size romances and I liked that it didn't harp on about Mabel being bigger. It was mentioned a few times but not in a weird way. Alfie and Mabel's lack of communication frustrated me, as always, people should just talk to each other so there is no confusion rather than just assuming. But I can also see why Mabel thought the way she did about Alfie, her past experience with lovers wasn't great.

I wanted to like this story, I really did, but it just didn't hit the mark.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I must admit I wasn’t sure about this book at first - the plot felt a bit silly and unbelievable and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief, but I kept reading because the main characters, Mabel and Alfie, had such great chemistry. When I found myself thinking “I can’t wait til they kiss 🔥” I knew I was all in.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine reads like fanfic (specifically Roy Kent fanfic) in all the best ways: light on plot, heavy on feelings (repressed and expressed) and yearning and banter and smut.

It made me laugh out loud and wriggle with glee. Plus I welled up a bit towards the end. I loved it.

A national treasure footballer needs a ghost writer to right his life story. Unfortunately he has a reputation for being a man of few words and an explosive temper. After turning down various ghost writers., Mabel is drafted in. Giving back as good as she gets, a deal is struck. Not only will she write his life story but be his pretend love interest so no one knows she's writing his life story.
Of course it's picked up by the press and internet.
Confusion, lust and what's really real abounds. Enjoy I did, light hearted romance

Well, this one was just okay for me
I am not really a fan when the book is in 3rd persone. And just could not completly enjoy this book. For me 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'When Grumpy Met Sunshine' by Charlotte Stein.

Oh I wolfed this book up like it was a cake. 'When Grumpy Met Sunshine' was a sports star x writer romance and it was so cute!! It also mixed in with the reality of footballers and just how obsessed the public eye get with celebrities and their private history. The amount of fatshaming our darling MC received was disgusting and its honestly disgusting that this is how life is. All that aside - I felt like it was a point I needed to bring up in case you thought this love was an easy ride - I did absolutely enjoy this story and I would read another Charlotte Stein book in the future.

I liked this book. It was nice having a plus size FMC. I did struggle a bit with all the dialogue to begin with and it did take me a while to get into the story, however once I did I liked the characters and how quirky they were.

A nice feel good book.

I was really looking forward to this book and I enjoyed the blurb and the whole idea of the book. However, once I started reading, it felt as if the author just took the already established character of Roy Kent from Ted Lasso and stuck him in a book.

I love Roy Kent but it was as if there was no original ideas for this character and, because of this, I found it hard to lose myself on the story.

DNF @ 27%

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the plot of this book, a ghost writer and famous footballer have to fake date while she writes his memoir, however i just couldn’t get into the story - the dialogue felt like it went on for ages and was cringy/quirky. Same for the characters, didn’t feel like they had much depth to them.

4.25 🌟
From the get-go, it's very obvious the path this book will take but surprisingly it's not an issue. I picked it up knowing that it would be the grumpy/sunshine trope (obviously!) And was pleasantly surprised. The characters embody their personality traits brilliantly and are detailed and well set up to interact with each other. It doesn't feel like they butt heads, but instead it feels like they engage with each other and allow the other one to thrive and open up some more.

For those who like slow burn elements to stories, with some 🌶 as well, I'd say this book has all of that!