Fragile Sanctuary: an ultimate grumpy-sunshine love story with suspense and hard hitting emotions

Fragile Sanctuary is the first book in the Sparrow Falls series by Catherine Cowles. The scowl Anson Hunt gave the world should have been all the warning Rhodes Stirling needed. Adding in his sexy smirk and the fact that he is her brother’s best friend, she should have stayed far, far away. Now he is the new contractor restoring her house and she runs into him every day. Despite her painful past, Rhodes is determined to be upbeat and positive. Anson is the ultimate grump. He’s rude and enjoys solitude way too much. The man won’t crack despite any of the kindness she shows him. Until, that is, he sees her sunshine demeanor shatter.  After a series of events that seem to target Rhodes herself, Anson is there to keep her safe and a spark between them becomes engulfing flames. But Anson is a man with secrets, secrets that have followed him to Sparrow Falls and threatens them both. Will they discover who is targeting Rhodes? Will they survive? 

Catherine Cowles knows how to deliver a deeply emotional and highly suspenseful story with a great love story. I am still working through her book catalog but I know her story will be a roller coaster of emotions and action. When I heard she was writing a new series, I couldn’t wait to dive. What a story it was! Fragile Sanctuary was the ultimate grumpy-sunshine love story with a great deal of suspense. I loved that Rhodes was determined to have a positive outlook on life. I knew that there was a painful reason for Anson’s hands-off approach. Their romance was filled with witty banter and slow burn to spicy scenes. The suspense was great and the reveal of who was behind everything was a complete shock! I loved the found family aspect and the protectiveness the siblings have for each other. Overall, I loved this story and I am eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Fragile Sanctuary. 

Fragile Sanctuary is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Hot Shot's Mistake: grumpy-sunshine hockey sports romance

Hot Shot’s Mistake is the first book in the Tennessee Thunderbolts series by Gina Azzi. When Devon Hardt signed with the Tennessee Thunderbolts, he only had two goals: prove his injury hadn’t ended his career and get back to his team in New York. He didn’t count on his new physical therapist, Mila Lewis. With her girl-next-door look and professional attitude, she was not like any physical therapist he had ever known. Her sad eyes that hints at a tragic past. At first, he, the grumpy hockey player, wanted nothing to do with his sunshine physical therapist, but slowly he is drawn to her. Getting involved with Mila is a mistake, a mistake he can’t help but do. It is complicated. He wasn’t staying and Mila would never leave her small town. However, they are drawn together and he starts to think of a happily ever after with her. Will he change his goals for love and a future with Mila? 

I enjoy a good hockey sports romance and a grumpy-sunshine couple. Devon is definitely the definition of grumpy. He arrives in town with a huge chip on his shoulder. Mila is sunshine while trying to hide her pain from her small town, a well meaning town that doesn’t seem to allow her to forget it. As Devon and Mila interact and spend time together, he finds Mila to be a soothing balm to his wounded body and soul. I loved how Devon softens toward Mila and finds himself open to a romantic relationship with Mila and even friendship with his new teammates. I enjoyed Devon and Mila as individuals and as a couple. I also enjoyed their friends and teammates. There were plenty of laughs, sweet moments, spicy scenes and plenty of drama. Overall, I enjoyed Devon and Mila’s story and I look forward to the rest of the series. If you enjoy hockey sport romances, I recommend Hot Shot’s Mistake. 

Hot Shot’s Mistake is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Fix Up: a fun banter and heartfelt grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, enemies to lovers romance

The Fix Up is the third book in the Two Harts series by Sharon M. Peterson. Ellie Sterns is a twenty eight year old single mother who has a broken man picker. She recently inherited the cafe in which she works, the house where she lives with her six year old son, Oliver and the land it sits on. However, she quickly learns that she only inherits half of everything. The other half belongs to the previous owner’s grandson, Gilbert Dalton, a grandson no one knew existed. They discover they must live together on the property for six months in order to complete the inheritance. Gilbert is handsome; however, he’d be irresistible if he smiled which he rarely does. Both have different motivations as the cafe and house means a future for Ellie and for Gilbert, it means a past he wants to forget. She wants to stay and he wants to sell. Can they find a common ground?  As the months pass, they learn the heartbreaking secret and their mutual iciness starts to melt, could it turn into a sizzling chemistry? 

The Fix Up is Sharon M Peterson’s fourth book and she has established herself as one of my go-to authors. Full of heart and laughs along with real life drama and hurts, she handles a story that gives all the feels. Even though The Fix Up is the third book in the series, readers do not need to read them in order to understand each book; however, I highly recommend that readers do as each story is wonderful. That being said, I loved this story. This story is the ultimate grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance as when readers first see Ellie and Gilbert together, you can’t help to think that their relationship would never work. I loved the characters, especially Ellie’s son, Oliver. Usually featuring children in fiction can be hit and miss; Ms. Peterson captures the six year old beautifully and believably. There wasn’t a plot point or character that I didn’t care for, everything came together wonderfully. I laughed. I cried and I closed the book with a smile. The Fix Up is sweet with fun banter and dramatic with real emotions. I highly, highly recommend The Fix Up. 

The Fix Up will be available in June 17, 2025 in eBook and audiobook

His Spirit of Christmas: a retelling of A Christmas Carol in the Crescent City

His Spirit of Christmas by Liz Talley is a part of the New Orleans Ladies novel series with the themes of the Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. It is Christmas time in the Crescent City and Brennan Henry doesn’t have time for the holly, jolly spirit of the season. He is too busy boosting the family business. However, it all changes when his grandfather hands over a lot of money to a complete stranger as part of his True Spirit of Christmas campaign. Mary Paige Gentry is kind, compassionate and plenty of sass to counter his humbug attitude. Brennan and Mary Paige spend time together as part of the campaign and Mary Paige’s outlook on life and Christmas challenges everything Brennan thought to be real or right. As sparks fly between them, will Brennan put aside his dollar-and-cents attitude for a true spirit of Christmas? 

His Spirit of Christmas is an enemies to lovers, grumpy-sunshine romance. Brennan is a man with a painful past who hides his pain behind a realist attitude. Mary Paige is a woman who despite having her own painful past is determined to spread kindness around her. I loved the themes of past, present and future from A Christmas Carol as Brennan and Mary Paige spend time together. I also loved the idea that a painful past does not mean a painful or empty future. I enjoyed Brennan’s grandfather as a man who is determined to make sure his grandson has joy and love in his life and not all business. His Spirit of Christmas is a cute, fast paced Christmas romance. There were great moments of laughter and tears filled with Christmas magic. If you enjoy Christmas romance, I highly recommend His Spirit of Christmas. 

His Spirit of Christmas is available in eBook

The Rom-Commers: grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is a romantic comedy on the page. Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a successful screenwriter. She writes romantic comedies and good ones that win contests but she is also the sole caretaker of her father who needs full time care. When a long time friend calls with an opportunity to re-write a script with the famous screenwriter Charlie Yates, she feels it's too good to be true. As her younger sister takes over the caretaking duties, Emma moves to LA for six weeks. However, when she arrives, Emma quickly learns that she is not wanted. Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone and doesn’t really care about this script, it was just a means to an end. And worst, he doesn’t believe in love. Emma isn’t going to give up. She is going to fight for herself, for rom-coms and love. She is determined to change Charlie’s mind about love. Of course, life is often stranger than fiction. Will their script come true? 

Katherine Center is an auto-buy author for me. Her stories are often fun, filled with laughs and great moments. The Rom-Commers is no different. It is so good! I laughed. I cried. I grinned from ear to ear as I could not put it down! It is a grumpy-sunshine, enemies to lovers romance with humor and drama. Are these characters perfect? No, Charlie and Emma are deeply wounded people with pasts that Ms. Center does not sugarcoat or gloss over and do not have easy or simple solutions. No one wants to read characters who are perfect. We want to see characters who change and grow throughout the story and end up changed for the better. Real life people are flawed and yet still lovable which are the type of characters Ms Center writes. The story goes through the highs and lows of falling in love. I loved The Rom-Commers and I closed the book with a sigh and a happy heart. I highly, highly recommend The Rom-Commers! 

The Rom-Commers is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Wild About You: grumpy sunshine young adult romance along the Appalachian Trail

Wild About You by Kaitlyn Hill is a grumpy sunshine young adult romance. Natalie Hart is loud, unfiltered and she won’t apologize for it. However, at the end of her freshman year of college, she loses her merit scholarship and gains an anxiety diagnosis. She is hesitant to take out student loans and discovers an interesting way to get the tuition funds she needs. In a race through the Great Outdoors, Wild Adventures is a reality show a la The Amazing Race. While she prefers to pamper herself rather than roughing it on the Appalachian Trail, complete challenges and compete with other college students. Finn Markum becomes her partner and he is outdoorsy with a Capital O with a growl that would scare a bear. When the friction between them turns flirtatious, Natalie realizes that she’s in more of a wild adventure than she bargained for. 

Wild About You is a fun, young adult romance with an outdoorsy adventure. Filled with a grumpy-sunshine pair, enemies among the other contestants and a life changing experience. Along with the fun adventures along the trail, the story deals with heavier topics of anxiety. Despite her lack of experience, I’d admired Natalie’s determination to give the Wild Adventures her all. She was a bit annoying at first but I enjoyed seeing her growth by the end of the story. Finn was grumpy and standoffish at first, yet with Natalie on the trail with him, begins to lighten up. He was very unlikeable at first as well. Grumpy and unlikable doesn’t always go hand-in-hand. I’ve read some grumpy characters who were likable. Finn definitely had some walls and reasons behind his unlikability. Overall, I enjoyed Wild About You. If you enjoy young adult romances, I recommend Wild About You. 

Wild About You is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Twisted Love: a steamy, spicy grumpy-sunshine, forbidden romance

Twisted Love by Ana Huang is the first book in the Twisted series. Alex Volkov has a stern exterior. With an icy heart, he forms no attachments, no commitments, his only relationship is with his best friend, Josh and his little sister. Ruthless and calculating. driven by tragedy and a past he can’t forget, Alex is fueled by his need for success and vengeance. Having her own childhood tragedy, Ava Chen tries to see the brighter side of life and is determined to see the beauty in the world including Alex. She knows Alex is human despite his cool demeanor and a heart of gold beneath his icy exterior. When they are thrown together, their attraction is immediate. Their love was never supposed to happen and when it does, it ignites a fire that neither of them were prepared for. Soon secrets from both their pasts are revealed, threatening everything. 

Twisted Love has been all over BookTok, Bookgram and Facebook reels that I finally gave in, borrowed it from Prime Reading and  eagerly dug in. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this morally gray character with a hidden agenda, but as Alex and Ava's relationship grew, I was hooked. The heat between them was electrifying! This story is more than a brother’s best friend/opposites attract romance. It is the ultimate grumpy-sunshine romance with spiciness that is off the charts. And if you don’t like spicy romances, this book isn’t for you. The warning given in the book synopsis is not joking (see below). However, if you enjoy a grumpy-sunshine, forbidden romance with a whole lot of spice and a hint of suspense, I highly, highly recommend Twisted Love. I could not put it down and I am definitely reading the rest of the series. 

Twisted Love is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The warning from the synopsis: This book contains a possessive, morally gray alphahole; explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you're looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.