This was so FUN! I love a good hockey romance and this is no exception. Nathan was an absolute dreamboat and Summer was so relatable! The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star was that while Nathan felt complex as a character, Summer didn’t.. it sometimes felt like her only personality traits were having a crush on Nathan and being a twin. Overall though I REALLY enjoyed this and would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Romancing the Grump is a major upgrade from the first Appies book (which I also enjoyed). Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I feel like we got a lot more of the actual dating aspect this time around. The romance and relationship from fake to real doesn't feel rushed or forced here.

Summer, our FMC, is the new team lawyer for the Appies. She has met Nathan, the Appies resident grump, once before and makes it her goal to crack his hard shell, convinced there is soft man inside. After a hashtag for Nathan #TamingtheGrump gets out of control, the teams social media manager, Parker, suggests Nathan and Summer fake date to get them off his back. Summer is already interested in and likes Nathan. Nathan's father was an NHL hall of famer who played for the Bruins and was not the best father. Hurt by his past, Nathan has made it very clear he does not believe in relationships, especially while he is playing hockey. As Summer falls further into love with Nathan, will he be able to stop running from Summer and instead towards a bright future with her?

We get even more Appies in this book, which really ties the whole thing together. You really feel the love and brotherhood the team has for one another. They support each other and aren't fueled by being Alphas or by toxic masculinity. I am hopeful for more books with more of the team (here is to hoping Van gets a book soon!)

If I had a criticism, some of the growth in the relationship between Summer and Nathan happens quickly and via text messages. I get that it may be easier to say things via text than in person, but I missed getting their reactions/internal monologue to what they were discussing and things they were saying to one another. There also was not a time frame given for the text exchanges. It's an entire chapter, but how long of a period are we talking about? Was this all in one day? Over the course of a week? Multiple weeks?

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. Fun main characters and plenty of side characters to root for. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.

This is a really lovely slow burn romance, no great angst or drama but full of depth and great characters.
Summer has a new job working as a legal representative of a minor NHL team The Appies . Here she meets Nathan an extremely grumpy taciturn star player. Instantly attracted to him despite his sternness and grunts, Nathan is also attracted to Summer but won’t show it and does not want any type of relationship due to a hard childhood.
Summers happy approach to life and work slowly wears down his barriers and their developing relationship is well described and beautifully told.
My only minor quibble… I hated the team name for some reason it did not gel and was to me annoying. That said I loved this story
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Grumpy x sunshine hockey romance yes please! I will say I typically need all the spice in a book but I did not miss it a bit with this one. You have your major grump hockey player and your full of sunshine summer (literally) and although he seems grumpy and broody he is a total teddy bear for summer.
-grumpy x sunshine
-hockey romance
-workplace romance
-she takes care of him while sick 🥹
-he protects her from an old boss 😍
Overall the banter in this was amazing I was laughing constantly and the sizzle between them you could feel through the pages I do love that there was no third act breakup 💚

Grumpy x Sunshine hockey romance with fake dating are the best kind of tropes! I read this book so quickly. It was heartwarming and light hearted in a way that stopped me from putting it down.
An easy read, with the right amount of romance and slow burn to keep it interesting.

The main characters were perfect for the premise, and although Nathan is portrayed as the typical grumpy hockey star, sunshine Summer and her upbeat personality helped us to understand Nathan for the big softie he truly is!

There’s little drama and no third act break up, which is usually my thing, but the writing style and easy flow of the plot made it just as enjoyable. This book is just filled with the usual kind of ‘found family’ you have within the hockey scene, wholesome moments and banter!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Grumpy/Sunshine is one of my favorite tropes so I was super excited to read this book. Summer and Nathan were so cute and I loved their individual growth in the story. Character development is such a huge component of a story that draws me in and this one definitely had that! The side characters were cute, banter with the boys, and overall romance was perfect! I loved this romcom and will definitely be reading more from this series!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author.

This book had a great mix of sunshine and grumpy. Nathan is one of those grumps that you just feel for. You know they aren’t a bad person and you want to get close with them but you are also kind of scared too because they don’t show emotions well. He is so easily to relate to and very well written.

Summer is such a strong fmc. She has been through a lot and being in her field doesn’t help. I am so happy that she doesn’t let her past scar her away from anything and she still has a lot of personality.

Closed-door contemporary romcom with sizzling kisses.

Full disclosure here, I think I've had a book hangover for a few weeks. I read an amazing book with ALL OF THE FEELS and have had trouble connecting with characters since then. I've read and listened to more than a dozen books that haven't really made me love the characters. The drought has been broken!

Nathan and Summer are in the house and rocking it! Their chemistry sizzles but there is heart to the book too. I was invested in the story. I could feel the emotions being described. It was lovely to feel that connection to fictional characters again.

This is the 4th book that features the fictional hockey team, The Appies. They are set in Harvest Hollow, NC. That town was featured in the Sweater Weather series. Those are each standalone stories, as are these, but are loosely inter-connected. It's fun to read them all and see the camaraderie in the team and the town too.
So those books not only introduce us to our hockey hero, Nathan, but Summer shows up too. She actually is first seen in the 4th Hawthorne Brothers series book. All that to say, read this one... Read them all!

Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the complimentary ebook. I am happily leaving an honest review.

I loved it. I am on my hockey romance era. It was cute grumpy sunshine vibes. It had some fake dating. i loved that the girl falls first. Thanks for letting me ARC read this one. I can't wait read more for this author. ❤️

I just started the Appies series with a different book, saw this one and had to read it. This series is so great!

Romacing The Grump brings us team grump, Nathan. He is grumpy but not too grumpy to make you dislike him. I love the dual POV so we can see how he really feels. Summer is the new legal counsel. There is mutual attraction and then a plan to fake date to help Nathan. Will the fake dating turn into something real?

Jenny Proctor does a great job of keeping the romance and some steam without anything but kissing. All the characters in this book are ones you may have met before or maybe you'll want to go and read their stories. This book was an awesome, sweet read!

Thank you to NetGalley and JPC Publishing for this e-ARC. This review is my own opinion,

If you're looking for an easy, lightning fast read then this is your book.

Hockey romance? Check.
Grump/sunshine trope? Check. I mean, come on. Are we expecting anything else with a title like Romancing the Grump?

Nathan Sanders is just grumpy enough to not put us off or cheer against him. And our main squeeze, Summer, is the sunshine type that isn't off-putting to those of us not filled with sugar.

And the cast of characters is delightful. Carrying over from other books that you can dive into (or enjoy again) -- the dynamics of the group are just fun and easy to get sucked into. The 3rd act breakup isn't too dramatic or long. And the humor along the way just makes this an overall lovely read. Cons? Not a ton. I'd take more development into certain areas of the story but it's not a must. 10/10 would recommend for sure.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would. I loved this book! It is a closed-door hockey romance that follows Nathan and Summer as they navigate fake dating. Nathan is a grumpy Appies hockey player who absolutely does not want to fall in love. He is determined not to have a relationship while he is playing hockey. Summer has taken a new job as a lawyer working for the Appies (a hockey team you can't help but love). She is very curious about Nathan who seems to just ignore her. However, he can't ignore her when they have to fake date to help the team's reputation. Nathan is one of my favorite Jenny Proctor characters so far. There is more than meets the eye with his grumpy exterior. He is so swoon-worthy. Summer is great as well. She is funny and she knows exactly what she wants. Some things I loved about this book are the grumpy/sunshine trope, she takes care of him, and the fake dating trope. She also may or may not wear his jersey which he may or may not love. I also loved getting to see more of the Appies team. We even get glimpses of characters from previous books, however, it is not necessary to read the other books before this one. Romancing the Grump is a standalone in a new series of interconnected books.
Thank you to NetGalley! These opinions are my own.
This review is posted to Amazon, BAM, BookBub, and Goodreads.

I'm loving this Appies series! The characters in this book are so loveable. I love a book that makes you want to be friends with the characters. I felt like the characters were well written. I had so many laugh out loud moments and I was swooning like a teenager. Fans of sweet hockey romance or sweet small town romance will love this one! I really enjoy a series of interconnected standalone stories. I came into this series after the second one and I din't feel lost. This was such a fun and entertaining book. I was hoked right away and I can't wait to read more in this series. Thank you Jenny Proctor for writing such a great book!!


Thank you NetGalley and JPC Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Another 5/5 read for me, I’m on a streak here. I was not expecting this book to hit me like it did, it was such a fun read, literally the sweetest cavity inducing book, Summer and Nathan as much as they didn’t want to admit it were in absolute awe of each other from the very start of this book and I was seated for it. I am so in love with this book and I can’t wait for other people to read this. 💙🩵🤍

I have been eagerly waiting for this book and it was just so good! I loved the characters and the story. Romancing the Grump is the second book in the Appies Hockey Romance. This series has been so fun
Nathan and Summer were just perfect for each other. It was sweet to read about the progression of their relationship and how they just fit together. I liked how they connected and how they became friends first. Summer drew Nathan out and Nathan helped support Summer.
Nathan was a big teddy bear beneath all his grumpiness. He was scared to let people in because of his past. I loved reading about Nathan interacting with the team and his family. He truly cared for the people he let into his circle. But Nathan had to learn to trust Summer.
Summer was fun and I loved her strength. She was trying to figure out her new job and how to interact with Nathan. It was so cool to finally read about her in her own book because you met her in How to Kiss a Movie Star.
This book was everything that I had hoped and I am excited to read more in this series. The characters drew me in and the story was so sweet. The fake-dating worked well for the story and it didn’t feel forced. I also loved the grumpy/sunshiny aspect of this book.
Romancing the Grump is a must read and I would definitely recommend it! Romancing the Grump is a closed door romantic comedy.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Thank you to NetGalley and JPC publishing for the ARC of this title.
Having read a lot of hockey romance, this book didn't really bring anything new and refreshing to the mix. That being said, I enjoyed it, because I enjoy this genre.
Nathan has a famous hockey father who he has abandonment issues with and this results is him swearing off relationships.
He is exactly as the title depicts him, a grump. He rarely smiles, has one word answers, and tends to be a lone wolf outside of the hockey rink.
Enter in Summer who is now a legal aid for the team Nathan plays for. She is sunny and doesn't stop talking. The opposite to Nathan, they find a common ground and almost instant love with one another. Although neither is ready to admit it to the other.
This book has common tropes such as one bed (props for the authors imagination to bring this to fruition), fake dating, and workplace romance.
It was interesting that this was a minor league team with the spotlight of an NHL team. The book is also in on the joke and the author knows she plays up these tropes. I liked that cute wink to the readers.

Overall, enjoyable read if you are a fan of hockey romance, fake dating, and grumpy and sunshine.

Jenny Proctor has done it again! I couldn’t put this book down! Hockey, Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, clean romance and the Appies—all my favorite things!

Nathan is a grump who has sworn off all relationships while playing hockey. When some female fans get a little out of control, having a fake girlfriend seems like a good way to fix the problem. Summer Callahan is a lawyer for the Appies and agrees to be Nathan’s fake girlfriend, but quickly falls for him. She is such a likable character-smart, sassy, and supportive.

You can feel the chemistry between Summer and Nathan from the very beginning. She’s one of the few people that can make him smile and melt the ice around his heart.

I love all the connections in this book. The way that Summer and her sisters are so close, the found family/brotherhood vibes from the hockey team, and connections from other Jenny books.

I highly recommend this book! Can be read as part of the Appies series, or stand-alone.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jenny Proctor and the publisher for allowing me to review this ARC!

📣Calling all hockey romance girlies📣
This one is for you! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review.
This is the fourth book is the Appies series. And let me just tell you it is amazing. It is a grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, fake dating, and a sweet hockey romance.
I love the characters Nathan and Summer, you really get to know them.
Nathan is a man of few words, but you can tell how good of a man he is by always being there for Summer. Summer is strong, funny, and knows how to make her point.
Together they are amazing!
This book was a page turner for me, I needed to know what happened next. All around great book!
I can’t wait to read more about the Appies!
Publication date: 4/23/24

I really enjoyed this book. It is a clean hockey romance book and I didn´t mind that at all. Nathan is a grumpy broody hockey player, that doesn´t want a relationship. Summer is the new contract attorney for the Appies and she is determined to see a smile on Nathans face. Love that Nathan is secretly a softie and the chemistry between the two of them is sizzling. It was a sweet and funny story and loved the ending

This book is a grumpy sunshine sport romance. Summer is an attorney who has recently got a job at a hockey team. Nathan is a grumpy hockey player who seems to be attracting the attention of lots of female hockey fans. The book is the perfect amount of cringy but also sweet. If you enjoy hockey romances you will enjoy this. I will definitely be reading more of Jenny’s books. Thank you to Jenny Proctor and Net Gallery for allowing me to read this in exchange for a honest review.