He’s the last man I should’ve picked for a one night stand…

See that guy over there? The insanely tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, scowling, “I don’t drink coffee” suit?

Surprise! He’s the new owner of my family’s mountain café.

The café that has been my life purpose since I was born in the kitchen there almost thirty years ago.

The café that he’s planning to completely gut and renovate for revenge against my family.

He’s also the funny, charming, irresistible guy I spilled all of my secrets to last week.

During the hottest one-night stand of my life.

As my dog would say, woof me.

Secrets and gossip keep getting me in trouble, and I swore I was done with both, but now my family’s café is on the line.

It’s time to use every last trick I know to uncover every secret this man is hiding.

I don’t care how much I liked him our first night together, or how much I keep seeing glimpses of that man beneath his gruff exterior.

One of us has to go.

It won’t be me

My Review

I loved the dedication at the beginning of this book and immediately connected with the theme of life unexpectedly going off course. The story opens in Hawaii, setting up tropical vibes and a fresh start, but the question quickly becomes… does it stay there?

Grey is in Hawaii dealing with the fallout of his latest business acquisition when things do not go according to plan. Instead, he finds himself crossing paths with a very intriguing woman. If you have read the blurb you already know some of what is coming, but it is still fun seeing how everything unfolds.

Sabrina’s life is complicated. She may be the biggest gossip in her small town and among her friend group, but underneath it all she has a heart of gold. Her last night in Hawaii brings unexpected sparks, though the details are mostly left to the imagination. The real story begins when everyone returns home and the tropical setting gives way to small town life.

One of my favorite parts of the book was easily Jitter. The puppy absolutely stole the show for me. Back home, Sabrina returns to Bean & Nugget, the café that means everything to her, only to discover it has recently changed hands. The first meeting with the new owner is full of chaos, banter, awkwardness, and tension and really helps launch the story forward.

The mountain town setting was charming and gave the story cozy small town energy. I also enjoyed seeing the forced proximity elements come into play, especially as Greyson settled into his grumpier side after the glimpse we initially got of him in Hawaii.

When the characters were not caught up in tension and misunderstandings, they did have moments of chemistry. However, I personally struggled connecting with Greyson at times and kept waiting to see more of the softer side we briefly saw earlier in the story. Sabrina remained the easier character for me to connect with and I especially enjoyed her more natural and playful moments.

This is definitely a character-driven romance with a slower burn and a stronger focus on relationships and emotional development. The pacing leaned slower for me personally, but it does allow readers time to really sit with the characters and uncover their histories and personal struggles.

Jitter continued to be a standout throughout the book and honestly some of those scenes ended up being my favorites. I also enjoyed Zen’s presence in the story and thought they added extra personality and depth.

The romance eventually comes together nicely and the ending wraps things up in a satisfying way. For me personally, I loved the opening chapters and enjoyed the ending, while the middle section felt slower and more focused on character interactions than plot movement.

Overall, this story was not quite the right fit for me, though I can appreciate the writing and character work that went into it. Readers who enjoy slower paced, character-focused romances may connect with this more than I did. I especially enjoyed the beginning, the conclusion, and the lead-in to Emma’s story, which definitely has me curious for what comes next. 💛

Thank you Pippa Grant for the arc copy of this book I am leaving an honest review.

If you would like to read The Gossip and The Grump by Pippa Grant you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Neighbors to Lovers, Small Town, Forced Proximity.