When Grumpy Met Sunshine

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What to expect

'A hilarious and modern Cinderella story that feels like eating warm chocolate cake' – Talia Hibbert, author of Get a Life, Chloe Brown

Finding love was not the only goal . . .

When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can't imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.

And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute-as-hell ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.

But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item to satisfy a public ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. And now they have to decide: is their fake relationship all for show, or something so real it might just give them their fairy-tale ending?

A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter. For fans of Ted Lasso and Tessa Bailey.

'Alfie’s Roy Kent-inspired voice is a triumph — and very, very funny — but sex is where Stein really shines. This, children, is how the professionals do it. Not a rote list of parts and positions, but a physical flow between two people. It’s the difference between seeing choreography laid out in footprints on the floor, and being swept away by the dance' – The New York Times

Critics Review

The queen of delicious pining returns! This book is a hilarious and modern Cinderella story that feels like eating warm chocolate cake
Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author of Get A Life, Chloe Brown
I don’t think anyone has ever delivered on a slow burn quite like this
Rosie Danan, bestselling author of The Roommate
Delivers all of the heart, humour and steam with her usual deft writing style. And romance-reading Ted Lasso fans are sure to be delighted with her take on the surliest soccer star to ever set foot on the field
Kylie Scott, New York Times bestselling author of the Stage Dive series

Though they seem like opposites, underneath Mabel and Alfie are anguished, self-doubting weirdos. What they need — and what they’re terrified of — is liberation from the cages they’ve built for themselves.

Alfie’s Roy Kent-inspired voice is a triumph — and very, very funny — but sex is where Stein really shines. This, children, is how the professionals do it. Not a rote list of parts and positions, but a physical flow between two people. It’s the difference between seeing choreography laid out in footprints on the floor, and being swept away by the dance.

New York Times

User Reviews

Book 3.5
Narration 4.5
3.0
5.0
I liked the characters, the chaos, the miscommunications, and the sudden depth of Alfie. I was initially worried he and the storyline would be very superficial and generic, but the book took a pleasing turn. The ending suits them just right. A pleasant read, particularly when you like the grumpy meets sunshine trope, although it’s not as satisfying as many other books in this category.
Majka 09/03/2025
4.0
4.0
lola_thedragkn 09/02/2025

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