A fairly slow paced book, but one that proves you don't need spice in your rom coms to have a good rom com. it didn't have a wow factor for me, but that's probably just due to the fact that I've read a lot of hockey rom coms at this point, so I'd need something to blow me out of the water, and hockey plus grumpy sunshine isn't something new or jarring enough to make me give it a super high rating befitting of something like "this is the best book I've ever read, 5 stars!".

I need more than five stars for this fantastic book! I loved it This author is a must read with anything she puts out. The romance was sweet, intense, and extra swoony. I adore the Appies. Such a fun series. Practical Summer began a new job working for the Appies hockey team. This brought her into significant contact with Nathan, a grumpy player on the team. “I won’t not listen to my heart. It definitely gets a seat in the boardroom. But my head is chief executive, and it makes every decision with careful precision.” Their attraction and chemistry was apparent, but Nathan had a declared commitment, influenced by his past, to focusing solely on hockey and avoiding relationships. When Nathan’s fans got aggressive and out of hand the solution became a fake dating relationship with Summer. “A decoy girlfriend to help control the narrative - a love story to replace the conquest narrative that’s trending right now.” But fake dating still meant real proximity, affection, and time together which started to blur the lines between real and fake. No matter how much Nathan resisted it. “How long before it gets hard and messy and stuff just…breaks?”

The romance was excellent and had perfect intensity. Very swoony. I liked the author’s treatment of the fake relationship. Summer and Nathan were great main characters. They were layered and compelling, not to mention so very likeable. And can we talk about those Appies? I’m a sucker for fun team dynamics and friend groups. The Appies really are all that and a bag of chips too. The other wonderful group that shows up in the story is Summer’s family, which extends to include the Hawthornes. I loved revisiting those characters. There really were so many entertaining moments. Both funny and cute showed up for work in this book. There are some interesting subplots focused on Nathan’s younger brother having some difficulties and a problematic situation from Summer’s former workplace. There are elements in this story that include workplace harassment, alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, injury, juvenile criminal activity, juvenile behaviour that might be perceived as bullying/scapegoating, criminal justice proceedings, and aggressive fan behaviour. This book is part of a series focused on Appies and also ties to the Hawthorne Brothers series by the author. There is plenty of carryover but this book can be enjoyed as a standalone with no difficulty. (But why would you want to? The other books are all so good!) This is a closed door romance with mild innuendo and a handful of instances of mild harsh language.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Title: Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor

Release Date: April, 23rd, 2024

4.5 Stars

Book 2 in The Appies Hockey Romance series

While this book connects to other books in the series, it stands alone and can be enjoyed independently.

"Romancing the Grump" tells the story of Nathan Sanders, known as the grouchiest player on the Appies minor league hockey team. When Summer Callahan enters his life with her cheerful demeanour, Nathan brushes her off. However, Summer is determined to break through his tough exterior, believing there's a softer side to him.

The main characters, Nathan and Summer, initially have a rocky start when they reconnect, but circumstances lead them to fake date due to Nathan's social standing. As they navigate this arrangement, their feelings deepen, drawing them closer together.

While the storyline may feel familiar, Proctor brings refreshing depth and authenticity to it. She explores themes of vulnerability, forgiveness, and the transformative nature of love, adding layers to the romance. Additionally, the supporting characters contribute to the richness of the story, enhancing the overall reading experience.


This closed-door grumpy-sunshine hockey romcom is filled with heart and humour, catering to fans of sports romance seeking a lighter read.
This is a charming read that will appeal to fans of closed-door romances and the fake dating trope. Proctor's skilful storytelling and exploration of meaningful themes make this book an enjoyable and satisfying read.



Thank you to The Publisher JPC Publishing , The Author Jenny Proctor & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful love story. Nathan is a grumpy hockey player and proud of it. But Summer’s smile and sunshine demeanour is dangerous to his guarded heart. Fake dating is the of his problem if he can keep his heart guarded. Summer and Nathan’s story will warm your heart and you will keep rooting for them to be brave and open their hearts.

Romancing the grump @jennyproctorbooks this book is part of a series each couple written by a different author, great idea. When the team's most grumpy player needs help taming the fans who want to tame the beast, he starts to fake dating the team's new lawyer. Who falls hard for the grumpy player who is actually the kindest man. This is a clean romance. So so good. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sweet hockey romcom with the grumpy sunshine trope that never disappoints. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters never annoyed me which is a nice treat when you’re reading a slow burn romance. I will definitely be reading more in the series. I cannot wait for Lucy’s story and to find out who she ends up with. It HAS to be one of the Appies or I will revolt! While I wish there was a bit more time where they were

(spoiler)****

a real couple, the ending made up for it with the sweet proposal and adorable fact he had bought the ring three months into officially dating her. Him automatically telling summer and Lucy apart was amazing, especially when Lucy’s boyfriend could not.

End of spoilers*****

I will definitely be reading more from this author and series! A great sizzle no spice romance that did not disappoint.

Fake dating. Mr Grump and Miss Optimistic. This book was so good, so cute. Even though Nathan Sanders is a bit of grump, he was such a golden retriever energy deep down and I loved every bit of it. It was so amazing and I loved reading how they both had some of the same internal battles with how to handle what they were feeling. Communication is key though. I kind of wish there was more spice overall yet it was so cute. This book had me feeling all the feels from laughter, happiness, charm, anger, etc.

Would definitely read another of the Appies boys journey to love.

This book was an utterly charming and quick read. Summer and Nathan fit so well from the start, he just had to get over his baggage. The whole Dream Team is delightful and such a wonderful found family. I loved that he wasn’t too proud to ask for help (once he didn’t remember doing it, but it counts) and was truly just a soft heart. There is only kissing and cuddling in this book, so if that’s what you want then it’s a great option! My only “negative” was that it felt more like a novella where things progressed quickly, but I also loved that so it’s not even a complaint. Definitely would read more from this series and author.

Thank you to NetGalley and JPC Publishing for providing the ARC.

This was a really sweet fake dating romance that I just adored. I loved the relationship between Nathan and Summer, and how they learned to be in love with another. I think it's a great angle having Nathan be a secret softie as opposed to a grump that becomes less grumpy because of the sunshine. Proctor did an excellent job balancing the pining with the real feelings these two were experiencing and approached a beloved trope with a level head. Too often I feel like people rely on the sensationalist side of fake dating, but this story felt very natural to me.

This was a really great romance read that left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

I totally enjoyed the love story of Nathan and Summer. Grumpy or not, reading their story was a treat. Jenny Proctor's writing continued this series on the Appies, and it didn't disappoint. I highly recommend it. I can't wait for the next couple's story in this series. Thanks to the NetGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #RomancingtheGrump

4.5⭐️Summer is the new in house lawyer for Appies hockey team. Nathan is a grumpy player who swore off relationships. The two agree to fake date to help with Nathan’s publicity but of course we know that the line between fake and real can get very thin.

I loved Summer and Nathan and every moment between the two (her taking care of him, their ice skating date, jersey wearing, the grand gesture). She fell for him despite knowing his relationship struggles and her sunshine personality complimented him so well. The found family between the hockey teammates was the cherry on top! I adored the text chats between “The Dream Team” and the comic relief the players brought! While this a closed door romance, and I usually prefer some spice, the relationship did not feel juvenile at all and the banter/ chemistry was sizzling.

Read if you like:
-Workplace setting
-Hockey player x team lawyer
-Fake dating
-Grumpy hero
-She takes care of him
-Kissing only
-Cameos to the Hawthorne Brothers

Jenny Proctor is my go too book person. Must read books.

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read

This book is so sweet! I'm excited to read more about the Appies!

I'm thinking the characters met in a previous storyline and didn't have the best second meeting when Summer "stole" Nathan's parking spot.

I love how brave and honest Summer was with her feeling in this fake romance.

Some may not enjoy it as much, but I enjoyed the social media aspect and felt that it brought the story to present times. It gave me "Georgia Fruit Baseball" team vibes (iykyk) and I loved it.

My favorite part of the story was when Nathan gets sick and Summer comes to the rescue. Beautifully written to tug on the heart strings. Oh! The initial bus scene was so perfectly high school, which is how I picture young athletes acting.

I also appreciated the epilogue so we weren't left in the dark about their relationship.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story of a seemingly grumpy minor league hockey star and the team’s newly hired legal counsel is just so well done, I can’t say enough about it. Nathan and Summer start off either him seemingly disliking her (though he secretly pines for her) while her crush on him becomes increasingly hard for her to hide.

When circumstances arise that require them to “fake date” (we love a fake dating trope!), all bets are off in terms of the way their feelings change. Of course, with Nathan having lots of childhood trauma associated with relationships, he’s utterly resistant to the idea of love (much to Summer’s disappointment)…but their love is palpable and inevitable — something that’s so very clear on the page.

I’m an equal opportunity reader in terms of spice in a book — I am open to any level of spice from zero to HOLY SMOKES. This book, while very much closed door, G-rated spice, was no less butterfly inducing relative to the passion felt between our main characters. I didn’t miss the spice at all — Jenny is amazing at making us really FEEL without being explicit.

I loved this sweet, heartfelt, quick read and can’t wait to read more of Jenny’s titles!

i LOVED this! i'm a sucker for fake dating, sunshine/grump trope, and sports romances and this just had everything bundled up together

i also love romances that have dual POV - in this one, we get to the characters falling for each other but refusing to admit it to each other. Nathan has put himself off limits when it comes to dating while being a hockey player and he has strong walls built around his heart, but we see how these walls crack and crack before they come tumbling down and he finally lets Summer in. i loved seeing the emotional growth of these characters throughout the book.

this book definitely has a slow burn kind of fake dating trope. i do wish we got to see more of these characters actually together than just an epilogue, especially because it felt really rushed and cheesy. the books builds up to this climax of them finally admitting they have feelings for each other and then it just fizzles out because we only get the end of a chapter and an epilogue of them being an official couple.

This book was a decent read. I would’ve liked it a lot more if i didn’t get the ick from these men every other chapter. The plot had so much potential but there were so many scenes that were too ridiculous to believe. Exhibit A: a group of hockey players sitting around at a bar talking about their rules for respecting women. Exhibit B: when Nathan gets the man flu and she’s somehow able to help move and hold up this giant hockey player. sigh. i wanted to like this so badly. It’s also closed door, so.

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏
𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚜 #𝟸
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

🏑𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙷𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝙲𝚘𝚖
💚𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝙳𝚘𝚘𝚛 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🏑𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢/𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
💚𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
🏑𝙵𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐

Summer Callahan just started a new job as part of the Appies Legal Team, an up-and-coming minor league hockey team. She met the grumpy enforcer, Nathan Sanders, and immediately tried to flirt with him, only to be ignored completely. Just when she decides to give up, a situation arises that requires them to be fake dating to fix his online reputation. And of course, their fake dating will turn into more…

OMG, I didn’t expect to enjoy this so much. Nathan is so adorably grumpy, we learn that he is just an awkward person with a tendency to blurt rude things when he’s flustered. But he’s actually really sweet guy with a bear and broody appearance, who doesn’t love a guy who brings you coffee everyday? Summer is such a delight, she’s funny and witty, and she knows what she wants. I love the friendship that they formed when they are fake dating, it’s so stinkin’ cute! This was a sweet feel-good romcom, I had so much fun reading this, highly recommend it!

🅆🄷🄰🅃 🅈🄾🅄 🄶🄴🅃 🄸🄽 🅃🄷🄸🅂 🄱🄾🄾🄺:
✅𝙰𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚔
✅𝙱𝚞𝚋𝚋𝚕𝚢 & 𝙲𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎
✅𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
✅𝙻𝚘𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚂𝚘 𝙵𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 & 𝙺𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜
✅𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

✿ 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 #netgalley 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✿

I love both sunshine-grumpy and sports tropes, so Romancing The Grump caught my attention. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this. I especially love that there were no explicit scenes, yet the attraction was clearly portrayed. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review

This was mas my first time reading anything by this author, but it is not likely to be my last. I really enjoyed it. Summer and Nathan are great characters, each coming with their own emotional baggage. Their mutual attraction is immediate but is slow to evolve into a true relationship. It was well-written with high a level of sexual tension and more than a few laughable moments. Overall, a perfect choice for lovers of rom-com who prefer "somewhat sweet" to "steamy" yet without any religious undertones.

FTC disclosure: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This has not affected the content of my review.

I like this book the couple was cute, but nothing super groundbreaking to me. The story just fell a little flat for me.