Loved this book from Katy, I love a grumpy x sunshine and this was great. Very my style and I’m super happy I was able to receive

In this charming romance, Bronwen Jones, a capable and determined horse barn manager, finds herself in an increasingly desperate situation. Under new ownership, the barn is falling apart: bills remain unpaid, feed and hay are running out, and the ever-growing pile of manure reflects the chaos surrounding her. Just as things seem hopeless, Ian Kingston enters the picture—a former show jumper with a scowl as sharp as his good looks.

Ian, once a star in the competitive equestrian world, is now a shadow of his former self. An injury has not only ended his riding career but left him bitter and isolated, nursing his wounds with whiskey and avoiding any connection to the life he’s lost. Despite his reluctance, Bronwen refuses to let him stay on the sidelines, especially when the wellbeing of the horses is at stake.

The turning point arrives with Hades, a majestic but traumatised black stallion sent to the barn by Ian’s sister. As Bronwen and Ian work together to care for the challenging animal, they find themselves drawn closer, their shared passion for horses helping them confront their own emotional scars. Vulnerabilities are revealed, trust is tentatively built, and a slow-burning connection ignites between the two.

The dual perspectives bring depth to both characters, showcasing Bronwen’s resilience and independence alongside Ian’s struggle to reconcile his past with his present. The small-town setting and the supporting cast of riders and boarders add warmth and authenticity to the story, while the romance balances sweetness with a touch of spice.

This is a beautifully written tale of two broken souls finding healing and hope, with the horses serving as a metaphor for the challenges and rewards of trust and love. The narrative captures the vulnerability of starting over and the courage it takes to let someone in.

Fans of grumpy/sunshine dynamics, small-town romances, and stories of emotional growth will find much to love here. With heartfelt moments, relatable characters, and a satisfying arc of redemption, this book delivers an uplifting and tender romance that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is my first book by Katy James and I really enjoyed it, it's light and fun and I will certainly be reading more from her!

I was really taken with this cover as soon as I laid eyes on it, I know, I know you should never judge a book by it's cover, or pick a book by it's cover alone, but I did with this one and I am very pleased that I did, even though I wasn't 100% blown away by the story, I sis enjoy it!

I loved the close knit community feel to the story and the beautiful unspoken message of how healing being around horses and animals can be, I really liked Bronwen and Ian's cosy romance, there's passion and cuteness galour and I really enjoyed the rom-com feel to it, the story is sweet and at times a little too cutesy for my liking, but it's a story you will happily invest a few hours of your time in.

Country Romance. Grumpy Sunshine. Forced Proxemity.

This was a quick and fun read, it does touch on some hard subjects as the two lovers work through their trauma but overall it is a lighthearted romance full of spice and love.

Hades is also a favourite, a grumpy horse with a grumpy owner, with his own trauma. A perfect animal reflection or our love interest and I think the tactics our MC uses work for both.

I love the family feel of the farm, the boarders and riders all so warm and friendly whilst watching with bated breath whether the new owner's brother and the barn manager will spice things up.

I am excited for book 2, I am unsure who this will centre around, perhaps Anne as she is back.

When the Morningsong Farm has a new mystery owner, manager Bronwen fears for the community of the barn. After a devastating riding accident, Ian reluctantly agrees to look after his sister's latest project,t not realising what it entails. I like the passionate connection between Bronwen and Ian, the barn setting and supportive community, and the charismatic horses. It's a cosy rom-com with characters you invest in; it's a lovely read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

If this doesn’t speak romcom perfection I don’t know what does!… I was so delighted with the warm fuzzy feeling this book left me with

I read this start to finish in about 2 hours and it’s quite spicy 🥵 🌶️🌶️
Firmly in my cowboy era and that’s what this was advertised as although it’s not, it’s horsey just not cowboy horsey more like pretty pet horses. Still a really good storyline though. Lots of spice for those that love it.
Ian is trying to get away from his previous life, far away from horses and the horse people that previously surrounded him! Bronwen is struggling to keep the stables afloat and the new owner is nowhere to be seen! When she storms into the house and finds the new owners brother, it’s an instant dislike. Or is it?
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Release date - 21st November

Thank you to NetGalley and Mills & Boon publisher for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for a review!

3 Stars
This book was a really enjoyable and sweet read! I loved the elements of horses throughout the story, as somebody who grew up loving horses and the countryside, the setting of this book was perfect for me. I also really enjoyed both main characters and how passionate they were for the stables, the horses, their career, and everybody in their lives, always putting other people first. If you were a fan of the saddle club when you were younger like me - you would love this book! It’s basically adult version of the saddle club!
I would have enjoyed a more slow-burn romance within the book, and more of an actual grumpy romance as that did not last very long into the story. I do usually like my romance novels more emotional, insightful and longer with a slow-burn element which is why I’m settling on a 3 stars, but I still had a fun time reading this book! If you are a fan of Elsie Silver and cowboy romances I’d recommend giving this one a go!

Grumpy meets sunshine on a ranch full of charm!

Thank you to @MillsandBoon and | Afterglow Books for my ARC copy of The Grump Whisperer

I have used this book as a New release for the #NetgalleyNovemberKnockDown.

This is an enjoyable and quick read. In this book, we are following Browen, a farm manager, as the old farm owner has left and sold the farm to a new one. We are then introduced to the new farm owner, Brother Ian is really grumpy compared to Brownen, who whom Sunshine so if you love that, trope this book is for you. The sister has sent Ian here even though he does not want anything to do with horses, anyone but her incomes, a poor horses who need help called Hades.
The show's star for me is Hades; the horse has such a personality around the ranch. Thought the cast of characters was really fun to read, and I hope to see more of them

#TheGrumpWhisperer #BookReview #ARC #FarmLife #HorseLovers #FictionFans #ReadingCommunity #BookLovers #Netgalley #NewRelease

Title: The Grump Whisperer
Author: Katy James
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5

Publish date - 21st November 2024

A little different to my usual reads this was a cutesy small town cowboy romance. Typical grumpy sunshine read.

It was a nice low stake read great for holidays. With a small amount of spice.

The storyline is predictable but I still liked it. A short cleanse read between the heavier plotted books.

I definitely made horse riding my personality while reading this and wanted to go and buy a horse. The hubs said no.

You'll love this book if you like
- cowboy romance
- small town
- grumpy/sunshine
- workplace romance

This was a lovely story,I loved the journey of the characters although i kept willing them to get together sooner and groaning when something stood in their way. Really enjoy the story and characters. A nice easy read

This book was a really sweet and light-hearted read that felt a bit like a Hallmark movie. I really enjoyed the in-depth knowledge shared about horses, I ended up learning quite a lot throughout my read.

This book is made for Horse Girls™ and is a very easy, quick read with a sweet romance and cute horses. Was a bit insta lovey for my taste. 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed the horse content in this book as I don’t know a lot about the horse world and it was interesting reading about the different aspects involved. In general I found the pacing a bit slow and the book for me was a bit hard to get through. I did enjoy the romance between the two main characters even if it all seemed to happen all of a sudden. Ian (the main male character) seemed to go from grumpy to a pretty nice guy quite quickly. I liked Bronwen (female main character) and loved how dedicated she was to her work. I found her to be likeable and relatable. All in all this was a sweet romance and something different to what I’d usually read. Thank you to Mills & Boon, NetGalley & author Katy James for providing me access to this ARC.

This book is perfect if you love small town romances, it was a nice read that was easy to get sucked into. It was a grumpy meets sunshine style and Bronwen and Ian's chemistry was clearly there and they were great lead characters. They was portrayed really well and was so easy to fall in love with.

This book is a cosy read for grumpy x sunshine readers. A feel good book about healing, horses and relationships. I really likes how they showed the knowledge of horses without it feeling like a slog and the chemistry was brilliant.
3 stars 1 chilli pepper.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Okay, so I love horses - always have, always will. Therefore, when I saw a horse-themed romance book on here, I had to request it and I'm so glad I got to read it! Bronwen is the barn manager for a small, close-knit barn of boarders, including her own horse, Charlie. She loves horses, but something made her terrified to ride again. Ian is the brother of the woman who has bought the farm/barn and is an ex-showjumper who is grumbly and grizzly with everyone except horses. But he doesn't want to be around the horses anymore, as they remind him of his past that he can't have anymore.

Of course, they meet when Ian's sister sends him to her new home but doesn't tell him anything about the boarders there. And then she one-up's the situation by buying Hades - a well-bred stallion prospect who is unmanageable after being abused. Ian doesn't want anything to do with horses anymore, but he can't stand by and ignore a horse that's been abused, especially when he knows there's no such thing as a bad horse. Bronwen feels the same, and the two begin working together to help rehabilitate Hades and show him that not all humans are bad and mean.

As you might expect, emotions blossom between the two, but it's all physical at first. Ian is leaving after he's got Hades rehabilitated and sold, whereas Bronwen will never leave the farm.

For the most part, Ian and Bronwen communicated well with each other regarding their feelings and were adults about everything. The one thing they did agree on was that the horses come first, which is what you'd expect from two horse-minded like them. The relationship felt natural, though my only issue was that everything seemed to feel a little fast. It kept mentioning that a week had passed, so I had no real idea of how time was progressing, and whilst their relationship didn't feel rushed, I was a little confused about how long they'd known each other.

The horse stuff was all pretty accurate - there were no moments where I was like, 'THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN LIKE THAT!'. Probably the only thing I side-eyed was how fast Hades was rehabilitated if he was that aggressive upon arrival, but maybe it was because he was young and easy to train. Who knows? Horses are weird like that.

Overall, I enjoyed this and it was a quick read that was fun and filled with horses!

The Grumpy Whisper is a spicy romance novel by Katy James.
This was such a cute read. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The book was easy to follow and had a good cast of characters. A good book that I would recommend to other readers.
💜 Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.