Tag: grump/sunshine romance

new release

✍🏻 Two things I LOVE in contemporary romance: a grumpy, emotionally closed-off MMC and his foil, the sunshiney, independent, charming FMC who ROCKS his world. The other thing: small-town antics that add heat to the fire of the couple. You’ll find all of that deliciousness in Vi Keeland’s What Happens At the Lake. Let’s just say that I INHALED this book…and it’s LIVE early on on the ‘Zon. ✍🏻

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Title: What Happens at the Lake
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Trope: Grumpy-Sunshine
Release Date: January 15, 2024
BLURB
When life took an unexpected turn, I decided to get out of New York for a while. What better place to go than the idyllic small town my father spoke about so fondly when I was growing up? Laurel Lake held the title America’s Friendliest Town for seventeen years running, and friendly was just what I needed right now.
Unfortunately, friendly wasn’t the welcome I got when I arrived.
Instead, I got Fox Cassidy. My tall, dark, and burly neighbor, who grunted at me instead of saying hello.
Okay, so I might’ve had his mailbox in my hands the first time we met. And it might’ve been a little crushed after removing it from under my tire. And I might’ve needed his help breaking into the place I was staying in after the key broke off in the lock. But still…he didn’t have to be so grumpy.
As time went on though, I started to notice things about Fox other than his glares. Like how he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking, or how fire ignited in his eyes whenever we bickered. Though I was in Laurel Lake to escape my problems, not create new ones. And getting involved with a man like Fox screamed trouble, even if he was gorgeous and unlike any man I’d ever met.
But alas, problem seemed to be my middle name this year. So why not have some fun while I was here for the summer? It seemed like a good plan. At least until it was time to go home…
They say what happens at the lake, stays at the lake. But it’s not so easy to walk away when what stays behind…is your heart.
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR BIO
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
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Excerpt/Sneak Peek

✍🏻 I fell in love with What Happens at the Lake, the grump/sunshine neighbor story, from Vi Keeland. Check out the sneak peek here! ✍🏻

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Title: What Happens at the Lake
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Trope: Grumpy-Sunshine
Release Date: January 15, 2024
Take a sneak peek at WHAT HAPPENS AT THE LAKE.
You know you want to…

She smelled like damn summer.

And it pissed me off.
Plus, I was tired from a shitty night’s sleep. I’d tossed and turned thinking about Little Miss Home Improvement wearing nothing but a pair of denim short overalls and work boots—no shirt, no socks, definitely no bra or underwear.
Josie hopped down from the last two steps on the ladder. “Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Are you always this grumpy in the morning?”
“I’m not grumpy.”
“No? So this is what? Your idea of a sparkling personality? I asked if your coffee was okay, and you grunted at me.”
“That wasn’t a grunt. That was a yes.”
Josie made a short, deep noise that sounded like a pig.
I arched a brow. “Is that supposed to be me?”
She made the sound again, this time adding some monkeylike arm movements and jumping around. “Gronk.”
“Cute.”
She jumped again. “Gronk. Gronk.”
I tried not to react, but she was just too damn adorable.
Josie pointed at my face. “There it is again. The elusive Mr. Grumpy Pants smile. It’s kind of…dare I say…nice.” She made an exaggerated gasping sound and covered her mouth. “Oh no. I hope it’s not too painful.”
“Alright, wiseass. I get the point. How about you take your oinking ass out front and grab one of the small two by fours I left on the porch? I’ll show you how to make an easy support to hold up the drywall while it gets screwed into the ceiling.”
Josie strutted to the door. The woman was wearing a white tank top and long, pale pink, flowy skirt to do construction. It looked like she was going on a picnic date, rather than hanging sheetrock—though the tank top hugged her in all the right places, and there was something about her collarbone that I couldn’t drag my eyes away from. She bent to pick up the wood out front, and the top of her tank gaped open, giving me a clear view down her shirt. I forced my head in the other direction, though my eyes managed to slant and continue looking.
“Jesus Christ,” I grumbled to myself. “I need to get the fu¢k out of here.”

★★★ 


Excited? We are too!

RELEASING
JANUARY 15th!

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Please note: There will not be an Amazon ebook pre-order, but it will be available on Amazon on release day.



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AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland’s The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tropes: one night stand (ONS) to more; close proximity/neighbors; insta-attraction; surprise baby; grump/sunshine; cinnamon roll MMC

Who knew? Who knew that the big, busy grump of the friend group in Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland’s series, The Law of Opposites Attract, would have the biggest heart of his friend group? In the series’ first two books, we learn that Owen, the MMC of their newest story, The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand, works A LOT. To be a successful real estate mogul would require it. We also see him as the voice of reason, sometimes the “stick in the mud”. However, in their newest story, Owen is a good guy who falls instantly for Devyn, a woman he meets in a bar. When she ghosts him after their one-night stand, he believes he won’t ever see her again until he finds her in an apartment in his apartment building. He is drawn to her, and she is drawn to him too. However, her life is complicated. 

What sets Owen apart from his friends is his instantaneous commitment to wooing and winning Devyn’s heart. To date, he is the swooniest of Keeland and Ward’s MMCs in this series. The traits of tenacity and perseverance emphasized through his work ethic become the main reason why Devyn falls for him despite a list of complications. Keeland and Ward draw this couple so well in The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand that you cheer them on through the entirety of this book.

What’s compelling about Ward and Keeland’s stories is their second, sometimes third-act plot disruption. It happens in all of their books. Given the predominance of it in their stories, one would think this might cause their readers to grow bored of their storytelling. However, the plot disruption is usually something you don’t expect. In this newest book, you might think it’s the surprise baby plot device. But it isn’t. It’s something I didn’t expect, and it added emotional gravity to Ward and Keeland’s romance. I find their ability to create these moments in their stories compelling and one reason I adore their romances. The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand is another example of Ward and Keeland’s genius at crafting spicy, ingenious, and compelling romances.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Juliette Cross’s Peaches and Dreams, a Green Valley Heroes story ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: small town romance; single dad; grump/sunshine; opposites attract; boss babe FMC

“You’re my true north, Marly Rivers. I’ll always find you.”

Nothing makes my blood hum more than a good old-fashioned romance where the MMC is grumpy, and the FMC is sunshiny and independent and fun. This is the case with Juliette Cross’s Peaches and Dreams. Every moment of this story is a delight. Marly and Wade are opposites who attract. Wade has this tendency to judge Marly’s actions, but she quickly shows her tenderness and kindness toward his son, and it wins his heart. 

Juliette Cross has crafted a new Smartypants Romance story in Peaches and Dreams, challenging her readers to look beyond the “cover” of a person and find ways to live life to its fullest extent. It’s okay to choose yourself over your family’s expectations, and a father who loves his child is better than raising one to be just like you.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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new release

✍🏻 Today’s the Day! Sarina Bowen’s I’m Your Guy is LIVE. ✍🏻

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It’s Here! Sarina Bowen’s I’m Your Guy is LIVE!

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2023

TOMMASO

The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.

A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?


CARTER

I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details:
He doesn’t mention that he’s a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.

The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I’ve never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.

Oops. Too late.

Buy It HERE:

Amazon: https://geni.us/Im-Your-Guy-Amazon
Apple Books: https://geni.us/Im-Your-Guy-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/Im-Your-Guy-Kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/Im-Your-Guy-Nook
Audio: https://geni.us/Im-Your-Guy-Audio

Paperback: https://bit.ly/44T2GnJ

All links in one place: https://shor.by/HockeyGuys
ADD TO GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122753552-i-m-your-guy

Goodreads Giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/373772-i-m-your-guy

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new release

✍🏻 Pippa Grant’s The Gossip and the Grump is the spoonful of sweet and spice you need today! This book is PURE Pippa Grant! ✍🏻

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Title: The Gossip and the Grump
Series: Three BFFs and a Wedding #2
Author: Pippa Grant
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Tropes: One Night Stand/Enemies to Lovers
Release Date: October 5, 2023
BLURB
See that guy over there? The insanely tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, scowling, “I don’t drink coffee” suit?
Surprise! He’s the new owner of my family’s mountain café.
The café that has been my life purpose since I was born in the kitchen there almost thirty years ago.
The café that he’s planning to completely gut and renovate for revenge against one of my family members.
He’s also the funny, charming, irresistible guy I spilled all of my secrets to last week.
During the hottest one-night stand of my life.
As my dog would say, woof me.
Secrets and gossip keep getting me in trouble, and I swore I was done with both, but now my family’s café is on the line.
It’s time to use every last trick I know to uncover every secret this man is hiding.
I don’t care how much I liked him our first night together, or how much I keep seeing glimpses of that man beneath his gruff exterior.
One of us has to go.
It won’t be me.
The Gossip & The Grump is a one night stand to enemies to lovers romcom featuring a woman desperately trying to unlearn everything she knows about everyone, a grumpy misfit hiding a secret heart of gold, an unfortunate incident with powdered cheese, and the world’s biggest lap puppy. It stands alone, but you wouldn’t go wrong to read The Worst Wedding Date first.
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PAPERBACK / AMAZON AUDIO
AUDIBLE
AUTHOR BIO
Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did. Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine written as Jamie Farrell. When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes trying to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.
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new release

✍🏻 Roxie Noir’s The Two Week Roommate is LIVE. If you love grumpy heroes snowed in with sunshiney heroines, this is your story for the week! ✍🏻

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Snowed in and eaten out.

The Two Week Roommate, an all-new steamy, forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Roxie Noir, is available now!

We used to be best friends. Now we’re snowed in together.

There are probably worse things than being stuck in a remote cabin with the rugged-yet-grumpy forest ranger who saved my life in a blizzard. Getting mauled by a bear, for example, though I might prefer that to eating breakfast with Gideon Bell, the guy who nearly ruined my life when we were kids.

It was twenty years ago. We haven’t spoken since. Our families still hate each other, and our lives are completely different. I’m not sure we’ve got anything in common besides childhood memories.

But when it’s just the two of us for a couple of weeks, none of that really matters.

What matters is the way Gideon grumbles, but makes my tea exactly the way I like it. What matters is how he always gives me the spot on the couch closest to the fireplace. What matters is how he looks at me when he thinks I’m not paying attention.

And those childhood memories? He’s in all my favorites.

Up here, in the cabin, it’s easy to look past all that because it feels so good to kiss him. It’s easy to spend a wild night in front of the fireplace and wake up still wrapped together. But back in the real world, where everything that drove us apart is still alive and kicking? It’s a lot harder.

Can Gideon and I fix what broke twenty years ago, or does what happens in the cabin have to stay in the cabin?

Fall in love today→ https://geni.us/twrww

Add to Goodreads→ https://bit.ly/3VhYF7j

For more information about Roxie Noir and her books, visit her website:
https://roxienoir.com/

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: Meghan Quinn’s The Way I Hate Him ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: small town romance; enemies to lovers; forced proximity; insta-attraction; rockstar romance; grump/sunshine; workplace romance; cinnamon roll hero 

“She’s peace, but she’s anarchy. She’s a challenge, but she’s effortless. She’s simple…yet complicated. And I like all of it. I’ve become accustomed to her presence.”

Meghan Quinn is a puzzle. Her pieces come together into a complex work of art, yet her surface seems as simple as a 100-piece puzzle. As you delve into her stories, you find quickly that there is always more than what meets the eye. The Way I Hate Him is an emotional juggernaut that I didn’t expect. It begins light but evolves its depth into a story that will make you cry with joy and a side of pain. I couldn’t put it down.

Quinn’s main characters, Hayes and Hattie, are a paradox. At the outset, you’ll find yourself entranced with their fun banter and overwhelming chemistry. These two run hot for each other, and the fun of this book is the way they fight their attraction. Their oppositional forces make you smile and laugh. This is everything you enjoy about Quinn’s romance.

For me, though, it’s the latter portion of the story where Hattie’s sunshine becomes the foil to Hayes’s grump, exposing his soft underbelly. It’s there where the romance morphs from hot lust and fireworks to something more significant. Quinn walks us through themes of grief and familial trauma. She humanizes Hayes, creating vulnerability in him that matches the feelings of grief in Hattie. In that moment, I shed a few tears for their hurts, but Quinn deftly weaves her story into a space of healing, culling her main characters’ happy ending into something with depth. The ending does not go the way of its beginning, and Quinn leaves her readers sated by Hattie and Hayes’s happy ending. 

Finally, the ancillary characters of The Way I Hate Him add layers to this roller coaster of a romance. I fell in love with Hattie’s siblings, Ryland and Aubree, her best friend, Maggie, and Ryland and Hayes’s friend, Abel. Hayes’s grandmother adds humor to the story, but she acts as Hayes’s wizened guide. And the piece de resistance is Hattie’s relationship with her sister, Cassidy. It’s one of the most special portions of Quinn’s book. 


Meghan Quinn’s The Way I Hate Him stole my heart. It was one of my favorite reads to end the month of July and begin August. If you love enemies to lovers with witty banter and spicy fun, grab this one FAST! It’s a great beginning to, what I hope, is a new series. There are too many exciting characters whom I want their stories.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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new release

✍🏻 Oh Brooks! How you make us love your older grumpy self! Jessica Peterson’s The Troublemaker is LIVE, and it’s the PERFECT weekend read. ✍🏻

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The Troublemaker by Jessica Peterson is now live!

Brooks Huntley is the last guy on earth I should ask to take my virginity.

He’s a decade older than me. Lethally hot. And so far out of my league it’s not even funny. The biggest downside to my plan, though?

Brooks is my older brother’s best friend.

I see Brooks every day when I deliver muffins to his office. With his swaggering confidence and sexy smirk, it’s no wonder I’ve always had a crush on him. But I’m not looking to cause any trouble—at first. I just want to give my V-card a long-overdue swipe.

Too bad I have no game when it comes to picking up guys—but Brooks is a master at charming the pants off women. While Brooks himself is off-limits, who better to study for tips on how to get laid?

When he offers me a weekend away at a five-star resort as thanks for satisfying his sweet tooth, I say yes—with the caveat that he comes too. That way I can watch him in action. He counters with a caveat of his own: he’ll come, but my brother can never find out.

On our secret getaway, I do my best to learn from Brooks and take someone new home. But I fail so miserably that Brooks steps in and kisses me “to show me how it should be done.”

And can I tell y’all, I just melted.

Now can I convince him to show me how everything should be done?

Download today or read FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3SqWLkS

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TroublemakerJP

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3YWFeDG

 

 

Meet Jessica

Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughter Gracie, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

Connect with Jessica

Website: https://www.jessicapeterson.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/JessicaPetersonGR

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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetersonsPupils/

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-peterson

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/JessicaPeterson