Grumpy Sunshine!!!!! It is the literal best trope around and no one can convince me otherwise…except maybe enemies to lovers, or fated love…but besides that it’s cream of the crop! I will always be immediately attracted to a fictional dark haired man who is a grouch (yes the dark hair is a must).
Grumpy Sunshine Book Recommendations
Well Met
I’ve only read the first book in this adorable Renaissance Festival Rom Com series, but I absolutely loved it! This one is for readers who also happen to have a bit of a nerdy side when it comes to Medieval Fairs and Renaissance Festivals…and who doesn’t have that side right?
Word Vomit Synopsis: Renaissance festival love story, kilts, grumpy but loveable man, did I mention kilts?
Act Your Age Eve Brown
Talia Hibbert is my Contemporary Romance Queen! I love everything she writes and she is very deservedly an auto buy author from me. Eve is one of my favorite Brown sisters (from the Brown sister series) and her adorable chaos mixes perfectly with our male love interests super control.
Word Vomit Synopsis: Bed and Breakfast, autistic representation, body positive fat rep, slow burn, adorableness overload.
The Love Hypothesis
This one received a lot of hype, and then a lot of controversy considering it is a student/teacher relationship…and although there are some strangely worded moments (IE: a boob in a mouth…please ask me if you’re curious and ok with being spoiled), over all I actually liked the book.
This is Kylo/Rey fanfiction and right away this earns it about 500 cool points from me. I absolutely pictured Adam Driver as the lead male character and that was pretty much all I needed to have fun with this book.
Word Vomit Synopsis: Grad student, teacher/student relationship, Grumpy sunshine, Science, Reylo fanfic, fake dating turned real.
The Hating Game
I started a new job after reading this book and you better believe I had fantasies about experiencing a crazy grumpy sunshine whirlwind enemies to lovers romance in the work place! My fantasies were all elevator centered, so I’m pretty sure I must have been watching Grey’s Anatomy at the same time. Alas, no work place romance ensued so this book will have to pick up the slack.
Honestly, this is a super fun rom com and is very binge able and easy to reread.
Word Vomit Synopsis: Cute fashionable girl and handsome guy aggressively flirt by picking on each other, steamy, work place romance.
Written in the Stars
This is a modern adaption of…Pride and Prejudice. Yes, this means it’s pretty much automatically perfect. P&P is the OG grumpy sunshine and enemies to lovers romance, and this retelling is super cute!
Word Vomit Synopsis: Sapphic Pride and Prejudice, Fake dating, Holidays, Opposites attract and Enemies to lovers.
Related Links: Pride and Prejudice book retellings
Lady Luck
I always say that Kristen Ashley is the Queen of writing Alpha Males, and Ty is 100% an alpha male. He doesn’t make my top KA men, because he’s a little too grouchy for me (how even right?!?) but this Romance still deserves a spot on the Grumpy Sunshine list. If you are a fan of small town romances give this one a try.
Word Vomit Synopsis: Man wrongfully accused, super grouch, big hunky man, alpha male.
By a Thread
I am in the process of reading this one now, and originally picked it up because it gave me extreme Hating Game vibes. The two main characters are in their older 30s and 40s so it seemed like a nice change from romance books written about 20 year old’s, however they are both extremely immature. There behavior might have been more believable had they been 10 years younger so I have decided to ignore their age and have been enjoying the drama of it all.
The banter is fun and sassy and entertaining and if you enjoy work place grumpy/sunshine shenanigans I think you will find this book cute.
Word Vomit Synopsis: Work drama, sassy arguing, grumpy boss, funny, slow burn, steamy.
2 Grumpy Sunshine Books on my TBR for this year. I’ve only heard great things about them from people I trust whole heartedly with book recommendations
*Blurbs curtesy of Goodreads*
The Queer Principles of Kit and Webb
Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.
In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying.
Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit.
But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts withstand the impediments in their path?
Second First Impressions
Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.
Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.
