In Romancing the Grump, the story follows Summer (FMC) uprooting her life as an attorney at a DA’s office and moving to work in legal for a minor league hockey team, the Appies. Here, she meets (again), Nathan (MMC), the broody defenseman who is solely focused on playing hockey and never letting anyone get too close emotionally. Due to a social media craze for Nathan, Summer agrees to a fake-dating arrangement to help the situation until the craze dies down. Will this fake situation lead to real feelings? What happens when the fake dating starts to feel more real as the days go on?

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! It was a sweet romance filled with emotions, second guessing and angst between the two MCs. I thought doing a dual POV for this story was perfect, that way we were able to see into each MC’s mind and really grasp the terms of their relationship. I thought the side plots were well done and tied in well with the story as well. I would recommend this book to someone looking to read a sweet (no spice), hockey romance!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC of Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Give me all the Appies stories! For not being much of a sports romance fan, this series has hooked me completely. I can’t get enough of these genuine, caring guys who play hard yet turn to softies whenever their teammates, family, or wives/girlfriends need them. Romancing the Grump is no different. I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and Nathan is the epitome of a grump. From his monosyllabic answers to his often gruff responses, he’d scare away most women except they can’t get enough of him. So much so, that he even has his own hashtag.

Summer is the strong, vibrant woman who’s come to Harvest Hollow to be a new attorney for the Appies. Though she’s attracted to Nathan, she won’t let him get away with that grumpy facade. Deep down, as she gets to know him, she understands there’s a cinnamon roll underneath whose past has affected his relationships. But, can she crack through that tough outer shell all while agreeing to a fake relationship to end his rabid fans’ obsession with him?

I loved these two! There were so many great moments between them and I loved their slow burn romance. It developed in such a natural, gratifying way. There were so many swoony moments like Nate defending Summer, the bus ride, defending Nate, ice skating, the one bed trope, waking the dead, the sick bed, and that kiss! I also loved seeing all the Appies again.

This is definitely a must read series! I’m desperately hoping for more because I can’t get enough of these guys. Even though Romancing the Grump is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone, but then you’ll definitely want to go back and read the previous Appies books by Emma St. Clair & Jenny Proctor. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily given. ( )

The Appies series from Jenny Proctor and Emma St. Clair is, overall, amazing. Romancing the Grump is the fourth, and newest, book from these authors featuring one of the Appies minor league hockey players. It was beautifully done. I loved seeing how the Appies have progressed as a team, catching up with my favorite couples from the previous books (they all had pretty prominent roles, including a "couples" night at Eli and Bailey's house playing Settlers of Catan). The comedy was there in Nathan and Summer's story, but there was also a poignant emotional undertone that elevated the whole novel. Additionally, Jenny wrote the fake dating trope in this book in a fresh way in that Summer goes into the agreement with her eyes wide open. She knows that if she pretends to date Nathan, she'll fall for him, and she gives her friends updates throughout - "I'm 65% in love with him". This really fit Summer's bold personality. She's not afraid to ask hard questions, admit hard things, or talk about things many characters would sweep under the rug. Seeing Nathan finally be honest with himself and open himself up was beautiful. Bonus: all four Hawthorne brothers make an appearance in a super amusing way. ( )