Love the grumpy x sunshine trope? Check out MY LUCKY CHARM by Courtney Walsh - you're in for a treat!

Grayson Hawke has just been traded to the Chicago Comets from Philadelphia and is adamant he doesn't need any help. Enter Eloise, the actual physical representation of sunshine, fresh off a bad breakup and needing a new job.

I loved how grumpy Gray is and how the author showed his reasons for being grumpy - the plot twist was perfect and really added to the character of Grayson.

The representation of the deaf community was refreshing and well integrated into the story. And the found family feels with all the different characters made for a perfect ensemble.

READ FOR:
🤩Grumpy x sunshine
🏒Hockey romance
🦻 Deaf community rep
❤️Closed door romance
⭐️4 stars

Thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC! Opinions are my own

#rochellereadsit

Grumpy hockey star!? Gimmeee🫠🫣
I loved how Eloise helped making him feel home in Chicago. How he found a family there.
Their relationship was so cute. I’m obsessed with the grumpy x sunshine trope and I am obsessed with this book too. Thank you NetGalley ❣️

He’s a grumpy mc-grumperson and she is the physical representation of sunshine. So when Grayson Hawke is assigned an assistant by his newly traded hockey team, he pushes back like the idea of working closely with her is personally offensive to him.
But then again, this isn’t their first meeting.

Gray has just been traded to the Chicago Comets from Philadelphia and while he is adamant he will do this on his own, there is one person he has left behind in Philly that cements his grump status in this new city.

Eloise is fresh off a breakup & a firing from a job she was actually looking to grow in. If that wasn’t hard enough, the boss that fired her? Her boyfriend that neglected to tell her he was seeing someone else. For the first time, she was looking to grow career wise, but the relationship definitely made things complicated. She may wear her heart on her sleeve, but the people around her doubt her commitment to building a career. And you know what? Maybe that’s not her goal after all.

A chance encounter one New Year’s Eve introduces this pair but it’s the second meeting at her parents front door that sets the tone for their relationship.

If you read Book 1 of this Holiday with Hart romance you will be pleased to see familiar characters of Poppy & the rest of the hart family as well as a more in depth look at the Comets. What I really loved was how Courtney integrates details of the deaf community & signing within the Hart family. Their father Mick has been deaf since he was a child and it’s so well integrated into their family story that it’s a comfortable yet refreshing addition to this solid family dynamic.

Note: as I was finishing up this read I also received an ARC copy so I both paid for my own copy and received an advanced copy courtesy of Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op

My Lucky Charm is book two in the Holidays With Hart series by Courtney Walsh.
This was such a feel good and delightful romance!
Eloise and Gray were super cute and fun together! They had a ton of chemistry.
This book is well-written and includes lots of witty banter.
This book was amazing! The description was so vivid and this book kept me up all night.
A fun and exciting grumpy/sunshine, sweet hockey romance.

Thank You NetGalley and Sweethaven Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was a breath of fresh air. 😍

Courtney Walsh just writes the best books, with the best characters, in the best settings, with the best feels 😂 but seriously! I couldn't stop reading.

The characters! Gray is the grumpiest grump ever and man if that's not how I wish I could treat the world 😅 instead of words he grunts. He's not there to make friends. He's there to be the best. And Eloise, what a sweet, sunshine-y, chatter box. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and has so much extrovertedness it's enviable. (I could never be that out going). The dynamic between the two is refreshing and fun!

From the first chapter, I was giddy and squealing (silently)! That kiss 🔥 yes it's a clean/closed door romance, but it still gives you all the tingly feelings of giddy happiness!

Anywho, go grab this one from somewhere and give it a read! It'll brighten up your day! 🌞

Thank you Netgalley and Sweethaven Press for the ARC! 😘

I absolutely ADORED this book! I have recently discovered that I LOVE Courtney Walsh's books! I enjoyed book 2 of the Holidays with Hart series! The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to sneak a few more chapters in. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this amazing book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers

🌟 Book Recommendation 🌟

📖 My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

➡️ Swipe through for all the book info!🫶

I have really enjoyed The Hart Sisters series so far! My Phony Valentine was adorable and mature with Poppy + Dallas. I worried this second one would feel too similar in plot but it does not! It is such a different sweet story that goes a little deeper and Eloise's character is also very funny.

Eloise Hart is a bit lost in life and love. On New Year's Eve she needs a way to make her horrible ex jealous and she approaches the quiet handsome guy at the bar to help her out. She never anticipates seeing her amazing kiss stranger again until she is brought in to take on an unusual job assisting a grouchy NHL player with a bad attitude and helping him adjust to life in a new city after being traded. (props to a Chicago setting❤️)

If you love Grumpy/Sunshine this is a MUST read for you. Grayson is truly the grumpiest of grumps BUT you still love him and root for him as his kindness shines through and backstory unfolds.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC - this book is out now! and available on kindleunlimited.

I am veryyy picky about my romance books. It’s not my go-to genre by any stretch but with booksta being my number 1 way to try new authors or find books I may like, I’ve realized that my cold heart does love a little romance 😂

And with that I say, this was perfection. I loved it from page 1 to page ___ (insert page number 😜). You got me with grumpy meets sunshine mixed with single dad. And for good measure we got a trio of sisters that completed this hat trick.

I should note that I married a hockey player. And he never had an assistant but can I relate to Eloise. The random hockey locker room chats ring true. So is the difft egos/personalities that complete a team. A few things I would have added but I was too busy giggling at the banter, smiling with Scarlett or just waiting for the HEA he come to love with the authors books.

This just took spot for the ones I’ve read of hers.

Ps. I married my grumpy player

Thank you Sweet Haven Press for the advance copy.

My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh is the equivalent to curling up under a cozy blanket with a hot beverage. It simply warms the soul and brings your heart joy.

My Lucky Charm is the second book in Courtney Walsh’s hockey-themed Holidays with Hart romantic comedy series. My Lucky Charm will be better understood and enjoyed if read after My Phony Valentine. This is a clean opposites-attract workplace romance that doesn’t contain any sex or profanities.

Eloise Hart was introduced in My Phony Valentine as Poppy Hart’s younger bleeding-heart sister. Eloise is 29 years old and has had a string of low-paying jobs and loser boyfriends who broke her heart. She most recently had a relationship with her businessman boss Jay, who she found out was cheating on her. Then she finds out that she was actually “the other woman”. When she sees Jay and his girlfriend at a bar just before midnight on New Years Eve, she asks a handsome stranger to kiss her when the ball drops. He agrees because he sees what’s going on with Jay.

Weeks later Poppy’s boyfriend, Chicago Comets center and team captain, Dallas Burke, recommends Eloise for a job as an assistant to their newest team member, Grayson “Gray” Hawke. Gray has been traded from the Philadelphia team and he’s not acclimating well to Chicago or his new team. Dallas thinks that Eloise’s sunny disposition and golden retriever personality is just what Gray needs. Gray doesn’t want an assistant, nor to participate in any publicity for his new team. After several bad practices, he realizes that his career will end if he doesn’t maintain his reputation as a top scorer.

So Gray accepts Eloise as his assistant, even though she know nothing about hockey. He pretends not to recognize her as his New Years Eve kisser. She decorates his apartment, shops for him, stocks his refrigerator with prepared meals, and handles all of his social media. She also encourages him to get to know his teammates and enjoy playing hockey again, instead of expecting perfection. For his part, Gray is attracted to Eloise, but his father has drilled into him since he was three years old that he should only focus on hockey.

Gray is hiding a big secret from the world, and Eloise discovers why he is so bitter and closed-off. She constantly fights her attraction to him and does her best to stay professional. Occasionally their real feelings surface and they have a passionate kiss, and then agree that it can’t happen again. They have a push-pull relationship throughout the story.

I enjoyed the continuation of Poppy and Dallas’ storyline and seeing more of the hockey players from My Phony Valentine. I enjoyed My Lucky Charm more because of the amazing chemistry between Gray and Eloise. All of the various family dynamics and interactions really added to the depth of the story. I’m looking forward to reading the oldest Hart sister, Rayna’s story.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Loved everything about this hockey rom-com! Eloise is the sweetest heroine, and Gray might be the grumpiest hero ever written! They might be my favorite grumpy-sunshine couple ever. So much tension between them, lots of misunderstanding and adorable side characters! A fun story that I devoured in one afternoon because I couldn’t put it down.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Eloise shares a New Year’s kiss with a stranger, only to later find out that he’s her new boss, the grumpy hockey star Grayson Hawke.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
It’s no secret that My Phony Valentine is one of my favorite romances, so when I heard that all of the sisters were getting their own books, I squealed like the dramatic woman that I am.

I didn’t think that anything could beat Poppy & Dallas’ meet cute from my Phony Valentine, but Eloise & Gray’s comes pretty dang close. We know that the chemistry is going to be explosive instantly, but then Grayson fully unleashes all that grumpiness & I was stepping back just a bit.

Excuse me sir, how dare you be so grumpy towards the sunshine that is Eloise?!

But then the reason behind the grumpiness is revealed, Eloise’s light starts to penetrate through Gray’s clouds & BAM! we’ve got ourselves some mutual pining goodness, my friends!

& y’all, I thought I had this book alllll figured out, but then Mrs. Walsh went PLOT TWIST & I was gasping for air like ummmm 😳

Let’s just say there’s a certain hidden trope in this book that I wasn’t prepared for😏

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲:

“𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

“𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.”

“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳?”

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 “𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵” 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘶𝘺. 𝘌𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴.”

“𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘌𝘭𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯.”

•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-

This book is seriously one of those books that just makes your heart happy. I can’t wait for Raya’s story!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭:
☘️grumpy x sunshine
☘️opposites attract
☘️hockey player x assistant
☘️surprising plot twist
☘️forced proximity
☘️teammate banter / support

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC of this incredible book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My lucky charm by Courtney Walsh
Pub date: February 23 2024- available now!

I really really really enjoyed this! A hockey romance (aren’t they all these days?) with genuinely likable characters and some pretty exquisite tension. No open door scenes and nothing beyond kissing between our sweet Eloise and stormy Grayson. A quick read, this only took me an afternoon but such a delight.

Thank you @courtneywalsh and @netgalley for my arc! Really looking forward to going and reading the first book in the series and already anticipating the final Holidays with Hart story!

Such a light, happy, fun romance! It's refreshing to find an author who writes more about the emotional connection between two people and less about the physical. I enjoy her humor, and especially the relationships between the characters. The Hart sisters (and their parents) are so endearing. Even the grouchy Grayson really grew on me as the book progressed. My favorite character was definitely Scarlett, a precocious 10-year-old. When she came into the story, my heart was fully invested! Who knew I would enjoy a book about hockey, but honestly, the team's dynamic is great and I've found it be a wonderful setting! Definitely would recommend this series to friends and I'm hoping that Raya's story will come next.

Thank your Net Galley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Sweethaven Press for the ARC copy of this book by Courtney Walsh. I really enjoyed this book about Gray, the grumpiest guy in hockey and Eloise, sunshine all wrapped up in a Dr. Pepper loving woman. The book flowed nicely although I had wished for Gray to get over his complex grumpiness just a little earlier in the book. Gray comes with a lot of baggage and after being traded to the Chicago Comets he has trouble adjusting to his new team and town (Chicago). Enter Eloise, the sister of the team captain's fiancee, to assist Gray in making the necessary changes for his public persona. As Gray's past relationships in his life unfold you come to see the barriers he has put up behind his wall of grumpiness. I love how their relationship evolves and how Eloise chips away at his outside shell to reveal the real man. As a Midwest girl from the suburbs of Chicago I loved the setting details in this book. Courtney Walsh told a very sweet hockey romance story. I had not read the first book in this series, so immediately read that one too, My Phony Valentine.

Loved this return to Loveland and the Hart sisters. This is Eloise’s story. She meets very grumpy hockey player Grayson; he was brought to Chicago in a trade (mostly requested by Dallas Burke). He is very unhappy to be on a new team and makes no effort to befriend anyone. Eloise is hired to be his personal assistant to help with his persona and to help him find love for Chicago. I love the interactions between the two!

This book may have one of my favorite first lines in a rom-com! And from those very first pages, Eloise shines on everyone she means. Gray couldn't fit his name more, which makes them a perfect, delightful pairing in this grumpy-sunshine story.

I love that there are always such interesting secondary characters in Courtney Walsh's stories. And this one was no exception. (I won't spoil the story for those who haven't read it, but one of my favorites comes later in the book.

I also love stories where family is an important part of the characters lives, and Courtney does such a beautiful job of showing family relationships that maybe complicated but are still supportive. And this family is one we have met before in the first Holidays with Hart series (if you haven't read this first book, you should!), so it feels like visiting old friends.

After losing her job, Eloise feels like she has a lot to prove - to herself and others - so she's determined to do the best possible job she can in this new role. The only problem? Her job is to help a newly-traded hockey player fit in by making him love Chicago and easing the transition, and Gray is the rudest man she's ever met. It's not going to be easy! But as she gets to know him a little and begins to uncover the reasons for his rudeness, she finds herself in danger of repeating the very mistake that cost her her last job: falling for her boss. Can she manage to coax Gray out of his shell and help him fit into his new team, or is she destined to fail once again? More to the point, can she keep her heart safe in the process?

This was a delightful read, with plenty of humour but also full of heart. I really felt for Eloise in her never feeling good enough, and Gray intrigued me from the start - because no one is that grumpy without some reason. And watching Eloise uncovering that reason and helping him move past it was amazing. The truth is that both characters had me hooked from the very start (okay, maybe not quite - the kiss felt like it was for all the wrong reasons, but after that), and the story itself was beautifully written and held me attention throughout. It also has me eager to read Raya's story - because of course she has to have one next... All in all, an inspiring and satisfying story. I just wish she didn't use God's name the way she (occasionally) does.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Courtney Walsh, and Sweethaven Press for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I feel like I really dropped the ball on this ARC. I thought it came out the 29th of February, but it released today and I hadn’t had a chance to read it yet. However, I read it all in one sitting. It’s that cute! I love a good grumpy and sunshine story. Eliose is the epitome of a golden retriever: impossible not to love. Gray is so surly and grumpy, but the reasoning behind it is understandable. He has a soft side to him which is completely endearing and you will end up falling for him at the end. If you love a good sports romance, but don’t want all the spice this is for you. Even if you do want the spice… this will leave you smiling and you will love it. Now I need to go read the first in this series and all Courtney’s other books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is so much fun! It's sweet and adorable and I loved it! Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and boy was Grayson Hawke a grump, in the BEST way!! 😏 Eloise and her fun-loving, sunshine personality was a breath of fresh air and I related to her in many ways. Her inner monologue is hilarious, much like mine. 😉🤭

I loved that there was disability representation of a deaf character, because I don't see it often in books I read. After hearing about Chicago dyeing the river green for St Patrick's Day, I'd love to see it in person.

Thank you @netgalley & @courtneywalsh for my eArc!!