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Three BFFs and a Wedding #2
The Gossip and the Grump
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.
The Gossip & The Grump is a one night stand to enemies to lovers romcom featuring a woman desperately trying to unlearn everything she knows about everyone, a grumpy misfit hiding a secret heart of gold, an unfortunate incident with powdered cheese, and the world’s biggest lap puppy. It stands alone, but you wouldn’t go wrong to read The Worst Wedding Date first.
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.
The Gossip & The Grump is a one night stand to enemies to lovers romcom featuring a woman desperately trying to unlearn everything she knows about everyone, a grumpy misfit hiding a secret heart of gold, an unfortunate incident with powdered cheese, and the world’s biggest lap puppy. It stands alone, but you wouldn’t go wrong to read The Worst Wedding Date first.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2023
About the author
Pippa Grant
59 books8,764 followersPippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.
Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.
When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.
Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.
When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 600 reviews
November 2, 2023
DNF. I only got 16 percent through. Initially I wasn’t digging the characters but then I got the spot with the they/them pronouns. I am not a prude but the plural pronouns when talking about one person kept confusing me, so I would go back to read thinking I missed something before I realized it was “Zen’s” preferred pronoun. I just didn’t care for the storyline.
October 18, 2023
“My parents blamed me for existing for my entire life,” he says quietly, no hiding, no blinking, no hesitation. “I was the accident. The highest-maintenance. The one who wasn’t supposed to disrupt their lives. So I made myself as small as I could be. But fuck that. We get to exist. We get to make mistakes. We get to be wrong. Even when we know we’re being wrong. We’re human. And right now, I want to make another very big mistake with you.”
It's a rule that books where the main character's pet has a big role in the story, are good by default.
Add to this that Pippa Grant's humor is stellar, that the chemistry between Grey (a name that gakskfakfshsakhf makes my everything tingle) and Sabrina is undeniably majestic, and that small town cozy romances are perfect for autumnal days, The Gossip and the Grump was a revelation and the cutest way to spend an afternoon.
In some ways, it reminded me a little of The Love Hypotesis. Grey, in particular, is a big, hot and sometimes goofy science nerd è la Adam Carlsen.
I really don't wanna make comparisons, because TLH wasn't my cup of tea, but I feel like fans of Ali Hazelwood would appreciate this one.
One thing's for sure. I liked Sabrina way more than I did Olive.
Was I expecting a little more spice from this? Yes.
Did I mind that there's not much smut, that some sexy times ended up on a humorous note, and that the action there is is mostly of the closed doors kind? Not really.
The romance and small town shenanigans made up for it. And it's not like Grey and Sabrina's relationship lacked passion.
They sent me into fangirl mode more than once with their cute exchanges.
I don't think I'll read the first book of the series (I'm almost certain each book can be read as a standalone, if you're not into the back-to-back kind of reading), because the plot doesn't interest me, but I think book 3 will be about Emma and I can't wait to see what Pippa Grant has in store for her!
October 28, 2023
The Gossip and the Grump by Pippa Grant
Three BFF’s and a Wedding series #2. Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Can be read as a stand-alone. Humorous. Present tense.
Greyson and Sabrina meet in a bar in Hawaii after a wedding gets cancelled. Neither wants a commitment or anything longer than one night given the heightened emotions of the weekend. After a night filled with passion, Sabrina walks out the door and disappears.
One week later, Sabrina finds out that Greyson has bought her family cafe and plans to turn it into a trendy hangout. Besides still being attracted to Grey, Sabrina had also told him all about the family and people and friends that visit the restaurant. Now Sabrina is swearing off gossip but it may be too late to save her favorite restaurant.
A fun and often funny romance that you will want to read in one sitting. The chemistry between Grey and Sabrina is electric and the gossip factor ties the story together from beginning to end. It’s important to know that the gossip is never mean and is really just sharing of friendships.
Bonus Epilogue: from the dog’s POV. Hilarious! I laughed and giggled all the way through it. This makes it a 5 star for me. So much fun.
Three BFF’s and a Wedding series #2. Contemporary romance, romantic comedy. Can be read as a stand-alone. Humorous. Present tense.
Greyson and Sabrina meet in a bar in Hawaii after a wedding gets cancelled. Neither wants a commitment or anything longer than one night given the heightened emotions of the weekend. After a night filled with passion, Sabrina walks out the door and disappears.
One week later, Sabrina finds out that Greyson has bought her family cafe and plans to turn it into a trendy hangout. Besides still being attracted to Grey, Sabrina had also told him all about the family and people and friends that visit the restaurant. Now Sabrina is swearing off gossip but it may be too late to save her favorite restaurant.
A fun and often funny romance that you will want to read in one sitting. The chemistry between Grey and Sabrina is electric and the gossip factor ties the story together from beginning to end. It’s important to know that the gossip is never mean and is really just sharing of friendships.
Bonus Epilogue: from the dog’s POV. Hilarious! I laughed and giggled all the way through it. This makes it a 5 star for me. So much fun.
October 5, 2023
This series is definitely one of the best by the author. In the first book, we met Sabrina, and she was such an interesting character, I couldn’t wait to read her story. And I wasn’t disappointed.
Sabrina didn’t suffer from what I sometimes call–in my head–the side character syndrom. AKA when a side character almost steals the show in one book, and becomes bland as a main character in their own book. It sure wasn’t the case here. With a keen eye for reading people and a strong love for her community, Sabrina was a wonderful character, funny and sweet and smart.
She needed a great opponent, and Greyson was perfect. What I enjoyed the most was that he was naturally her absolute opposite in everything, but when he spent enough time with her and let himself open up even just a little, they were totally compatible without being too similar. And his slight resistance the rest of the time–by being grumpy and solitary–may have helped her getting over all her hangups, showing her she should take some risks and be open to new opportunities. Since he did the same.
Their story goes a bit like that: they both decide to be free and careless and have a wonderful night of passion; which in turns reveals to them what they’re most afraid of, and they reverse to a stronger version of their usual self; then they find each other again and challenge each other all the way until they let go of their fears together and become more balanced individuals with space for the other. I love it when the characters basically don’t need anyone, but end up as a better version of themselves by being with the right someone.
The author usually writes really well, but I felt she gave us a little something more in this book. As the official gossip, Sabrina can understand people beyond just what they say. She uses body language and what’s not said to get to the truth. Well, in her chapters, the author includes that trait in her writing, with lots of meaning behind smiles and glances. It was clever.
Great chemistry means lots of tension, and the pages were almost burning to the touch! The book doesn’t exactly qualify as a slow burn, as Grey and Sabrina get it on right at the beginning of the book–though off page–and they keep thinking about their hot first encounter, but they’re still reunited quite late in the story. We don’t get a lot of sexy times on the page, but the steam never lets go anyway, from page one to the end.
I still think Chandler didn’t get what he deserved yet. Though Greyson’s method doesn’t pan out, I’m all for Justice and it hasn’t been served yet. I’m hoping the last book in the series delivers, but he didn’t leave this one unscathed either.
Once again, the author offers a quirky small town with colorful characters. We barely saw it in the previous book, but this time, we’re at the center of the action, right beside miss gossip. And since it’s one of the author’s many talents, it’s once again delightful.
Funny, sweet, hot, and with compelling characters, this book about being yourself and never settling for anything less than total acceptance is definitely a new hit for the author.
Quickie
- Series: Three BFFs and a wedding #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romcom #small town romance #workplace romance #one night stand #enemies to lovers #opposites attract #dogs
- Triggers: mention of emotional abuse
- Main couple: Sabrina Sullivan & Greyson Cartwright
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + oh my, the chemistry!
- – the final coincidence challenged my suspension of disbelief big time
Sabrina didn’t suffer from what I sometimes call–in my head–the side character syndrom. AKA when a side character almost steals the show in one book, and becomes bland as a main character in their own book. It sure wasn’t the case here. With a keen eye for reading people and a strong love for her community, Sabrina was a wonderful character, funny and sweet and smart.
She needed a great opponent, and Greyson was perfect. What I enjoyed the most was that he was naturally her absolute opposite in everything, but when he spent enough time with her and let himself open up even just a little, they were totally compatible without being too similar. And his slight resistance the rest of the time–by being grumpy and solitary–may have helped her getting over all her hangups, showing her she should take some risks and be open to new opportunities. Since he did the same.
Their story goes a bit like that: they both decide to be free and careless and have a wonderful night of passion; which in turns reveals to them what they’re most afraid of, and they reverse to a stronger version of their usual self; then they find each other again and challenge each other all the way until they let go of their fears together and become more balanced individuals with space for the other. I love it when the characters basically don’t need anyone, but end up as a better version of themselves by being with the right someone.
The author usually writes really well, but I felt she gave us a little something more in this book. As the official gossip, Sabrina can understand people beyond just what they say. She uses body language and what’s not said to get to the truth. Well, in her chapters, the author includes that trait in her writing, with lots of meaning behind smiles and glances. It was clever.
Great chemistry means lots of tension, and the pages were almost burning to the touch! The book doesn’t exactly qualify as a slow burn, as Grey and Sabrina get it on right at the beginning of the book–though off page–and they keep thinking about their hot first encounter, but they’re still reunited quite late in the story. We don’t get a lot of sexy times on the page, but the steam never lets go anyway, from page one to the end.
I still think Chandler didn’t get what he deserved yet. Though Greyson’s method doesn’t pan out, I’m all for Justice and it hasn’t been served yet. I’m hoping the last book in the series delivers, but he didn’t leave this one unscathed either.
Once again, the author offers a quirky small town with colorful characters. We barely saw it in the previous book, but this time, we’re at the center of the action, right beside miss gossip. And since it’s one of the author’s many talents, it’s once again delightful.
Funny, sweet, hot, and with compelling characters, this book about being yourself and never settling for anything less than total acceptance is definitely a new hit for the author.
Quickie
- Series: Three BFFs and a wedding #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romcom #small town romance #workplace romance #one night stand #enemies to lovers #opposites attract #dogs
- Triggers: mention of emotional abuse
- Main couple: Sabrina Sullivan & Greyson Cartwright
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + oh my, the chemistry!
- – the final coincidence challenged my suspension of disbelief big time
October 14, 2023
The book was a bit confusing because of a secondary character that was nonbinary and used pronouns they/them. It was an effort to understand who the other characters were referring to. So much so that I completely missed any clues there might have been to who was Emma’s hero. I guess I will just have to wait for the last book in the trilogy. At least the dogs and kittens were fairly normal. No cows, donkeys, or raccoons running around.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone.
I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone.
October 9, 2023
Boring
I think this is the worst book I’ve read from this author. I was confused with the the hell Zen was and why they kept referring to him as them. Maybe I missed something in the book. I struggle to finish it.
I think this is the worst book I’ve read from this author. I was confused with the the hell Zen was and why they kept referring to him as them. Maybe I missed something in the book. I struggle to finish it.
October 6, 2023
Ah, can I just live on Pippa Grant world?
Anyway, this is such a great and enjoyable read as we head back to Snaggletooth Creek to enjoy Sabrina and Grey’s story.
This is 100% a meant to be relationship! Sabrina’s cousin lost the family cafe, right out from under her. And Grey met Sabrina attempting to turn Karma around by doing good deeds. They have a one night stand and Sabrina ghosts Grey until he shows up at the coffee shop.
All the wonderful Pippaverse stuff is in this book and you will enjoy it so much! I loved this story!
Anyway, this is such a great and enjoyable read as we head back to Snaggletooth Creek to enjoy Sabrina and Grey’s story.
This is 100% a meant to be relationship! Sabrina’s cousin lost the family cafe, right out from under her. And Grey met Sabrina attempting to turn Karma around by doing good deeds. They have a one night stand and Sabrina ghosts Grey until he shows up at the coffee shop.
All the wonderful Pippaverse stuff is in this book and you will enjoy it so much! I loved this story!
October 19, 2023
3.75
I hate to say this but this was sort of - boring. It was a lot of back and forth. A lot of what ifs but the story felt this it took forever to move along.
They didn’t even get back together until 79%!
If Zen wasn’t in this I would have given up.
I hate to say this but this was sort of - boring. It was a lot of back and forth. A lot of what ifs but the story felt this it took forever to move along.
They didn’t even get back together until 79%!
If Zen wasn’t in this I would have given up.
October 10, 2023
I finally finished this book. Let me tell you that this book didn’t really hit the top for me like the first one. 😩 I love Pippa and her writing but for some reason this book was dragging, the characters were just too much I was confused half the time until the end. 😏 I mean if you never read the first book I feel like you’d definitely be lost.
Overall the story was good, a bit boring but the last couple of chapters it picked up and it ended up being really cute which made me give it 3 stars. ⭐️ I think Emma’s story will be way more interesting and I hope we get more drama, more steam, and just more interesting scenes in the story.❤️
Overall the story was good, a bit boring but the last couple of chapters it picked up and it ended up being really cute which made me give it 3 stars. ⭐️ I think Emma’s story will be way more interesting and I hope we get more drama, more steam, and just more interesting scenes in the story.❤️
March 19, 2024
Pippa Grant never fails to bring top class entertainment, epic banter, swooniest feels and most addictive characters in her books. The Gossip and The Grump was no exception. Sabrina and Greyson's small town, second chance, frenemies to lovers, boss-employee romance made me smile and laugh so hard and filled my heart with warm cozy feels. This is the kind of heartwarming romance that just leaves me a thousand times lighter. Beautiful setting of a quirky small town where people love and rally for each other. A genius man with heart bigger than sky turned into a bitter vengeful person after getting hurt repeatedly. A sweet and sassy and most genuine woman who just wants to save her family cafe while trying not to fall for her grumpy brooding irresistible boss. What more do you need to fall in love with this story?
This story has thousands of little moving pieces and that's hard to capture in a Synopsis. When Sabrina slept with a stranger she met in bar in Hawaii after the worst day of her life, she didn't expect to meet him again in her own small town haven..Snaggletooth Creek. And she definitely didn't expect him to be a villainous boss who bought out the family cafe from her ahol3 cousin for revenge and plans to make it a kombucha bar. Greyson hates her by association, for leaving him at the hotel room, for being so full of sunshine, for distracting him from his plan..and Sabrina has to convince him to change it. Without falling in love.
As you have probably guessed from the title, Sabrina is the gossip- the good kind because she knows anything and anyone in her town and cares deeply. She is recently in a state of regret and guilt because she thinks keeping a secret ruined her best friend's wedding whereas she has actually saved the day. Greyson is an unexpected complication. She wants to hate him for the plan of remodeling the Cafe into something. This cafe is like her heart. But as time goes, she gets to know many secrets of this complex man. Greyson is an enigma. A sharp brain. A beautiful heart. A life of being manipulated, used and hurt. Sigh I feel so much for this man. He doesn't trust anyone and he absolutely shouldn't trust the town gossip because they are kind of rivals. But he is secrets obsessed with her sweetness, her charm, her hotness, her little moments of vulnerability..in one word, everything to do with Sabrina. Things are getting dicey. The slow burn was pure perfection here. The enemies to lovers tension was high and the way the lines blurred.. just amazing! They have this flawless banter that makes me smile. And just the right dose of angst..I am a goner. The town with it's colorful citizens is a character itself. Ultimately Greyson has to choose between his vengeance and his dream woman. Sabrina has to choose between the cafe and her dream man. It's an emotional journey of healing, new beginning and all consuming love.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
This story has thousands of little moving pieces and that's hard to capture in a Synopsis. When Sabrina slept with a stranger she met in bar in Hawaii after the worst day of her life, she didn't expect to meet him again in her own small town haven..Snaggletooth Creek. And she definitely didn't expect him to be a villainous boss who bought out the family cafe from her ahol3 cousin for revenge and plans to make it a kombucha bar. Greyson hates her by association, for leaving him at the hotel room, for being so full of sunshine, for distracting him from his plan..and Sabrina has to convince him to change it. Without falling in love.
As you have probably guessed from the title, Sabrina is the gossip- the good kind because she knows anything and anyone in her town and cares deeply. She is recently in a state of regret and guilt because she thinks keeping a secret ruined her best friend's wedding whereas she has actually saved the day. Greyson is an unexpected complication. She wants to hate him for the plan of remodeling the Cafe into something. This cafe is like her heart. But as time goes, she gets to know many secrets of this complex man. Greyson is an enigma. A sharp brain. A beautiful heart. A life of being manipulated, used and hurt. Sigh I feel so much for this man. He doesn't trust anyone and he absolutely shouldn't trust the town gossip because they are kind of rivals. But he is secrets obsessed with her sweetness, her charm, her hotness, her little moments of vulnerability..in one word, everything to do with Sabrina. Things are getting dicey. The slow burn was pure perfection here. The enemies to lovers tension was high and the way the lines blurred.. just amazing! They have this flawless banter that makes me smile. And just the right dose of angst..I am a goner. The town with it's colorful citizens is a character itself. Ultimately Greyson has to choose between his vengeance and his dream woman. Sabrina has to choose between the cafe and her dream man. It's an emotional journey of healing, new beginning and all consuming love.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
November 3, 2023
Ok, this was fabulous. I loved the pup, adored Zen and Mimi. Loved the embrace of the gossip (or as my family would say the “bochinche”). For all of those that are SO HARD PRESSED about the they/them pronouns, I hope you can all open up your minds and take this as an incredibly valuable learning opportunity to retrain your brain about context. I, myself, have a trans nibling so the representation and inclusivity meant the world to me.
One small gripe, the entire concept that tearing down the cafe would bring vengeance was weak sauce. Feel like we could have done something different there. Didn’t bother me much tho because I was enjoying that steamy kinda slow burn. Refreshing!
One small gripe, the entire concept that tearing down the cafe would bring vengeance was weak sauce. Feel like we could have done something different there. Didn’t bother me much tho because I was enjoying that steamy kinda slow burn. Refreshing!
September 21, 2023
(4.5 Stars)
When Sabrina Sullivan meets a stunning man that she ends up enjoying for one night in Hawaii she didn’t expect that he, Greyson Cartwright, is also the infuriating man taking over her Mountain Cafe! Oops! Now she needs to come to terms whether to hate him or let her real feelings take over. I love all the side characters too with their funny banter. An adorable and silly romcom with cuteness, a big dog and two sting willed people that just work together. Told in dual POV.
When Sabrina Sullivan meets a stunning man that she ends up enjoying for one night in Hawaii she didn’t expect that he, Greyson Cartwright, is also the infuriating man taking over her Mountain Cafe! Oops! Now she needs to come to terms whether to hate him or let her real feelings take over. I love all the side characters too with their funny banter. An adorable and silly romcom with cuteness, a big dog and two sting willed people that just work together. Told in dual POV.
October 9, 2023
Small town fun
Another very solid read from Grant, this small town romance was easy to binge in one sitting. I loved the initial encounter between these strangers, which showed the softer side to both. They let down their guards for one night and revealed pieces of themselves that they probably wouldn't have with anyone else. That makes their second encounter - as brand new enemies - all the more delicious, and I loved the unique progression of their relationship. It's got slow-burning vibes despite their history, and the found family aspect was a lot of fun. I do think you'll get more out of this if you read the series in order, but it stands on its own if needed. Watching the community slowly come to accept our semi-grumpy hero was pretty great, and I liked that he wasn't the "traditional" grumpy hero. These two complemented each other well, and I would've loved a stronger focus on the relationship, personally. That's the only thing that loses this a star from me - the romance sometimes took a backseat to the small town vibes. But I really enjoyed it overall.
The story follows Sabrina, a woman who is reeling from a falling out with a friend. When she meets a sexy stranger in a bar, the last thing Sabrina has on her mind is a hookup, but the tempting (and sweet!) man surprises her in the best of ways. While Sabrina avoids relationships, she can't help but wonder if she should've stuck around to explore things with her handsome stranger. That is... until he shows up in town. Turns out, Grey is the new owner of the coffee shop Sabrina has devoted her life to, and he intends to tear it to pieces. Though he's never been a villain before, Grey has his reasons for wanting to tear the business to the ground. Unfortunately, he can't seem to forget the night he spent with Sabrina, and knowingly tearing apart the business she loves doesn't sit right with Grey. As the two get to know each other on a deeper level, they realize that they might've got it right the first time around.
While this can technically be read as a standalone, I think it'll be easier to enjoy if you read in order. The large cast of characters can get overwhelming at times, especially if you haven't read the first book. I liked that side of the story, but I would've bumped my rating from 4 to 5 stars with a little less small town connection and a little more romance. I really enjoyed Grey and Sabrina together, and I also liked that their emotional connection developed over time. They are opposites in a lot of ways, and neither one is in the right headspace for a relationship at the start of the book. I loved getting to know Grey better, and I thought he was such a sweetheart beneath his bruised and tender heart. The chemistry was definitely there, and their connection made for a lighthearted read with just a bit of emotion. It's not as overtly funny as Grant's past work, but I'm settling into this newer vibe from her and it's steadily growing on me. I did miss the spice though; we don't actually see the first hookup OR their first time after getting together, which was disappointing. This will be a major win for lovers of small town romance though, and it made for an easygoing, bingeable read.
Audio note: The audio is very good! I love me some Jason Clarke, so his chapters were an absolute pleasure to listen to. I love his voice, and he embodied Grey well. A lot of readers love Callie Dalton, but she's not a personal favorite of mine. Just preference - she does an excellent job here. They both brought their characters to life, and having the audio made this fly by even more than it would've in text format. The slow-burning romance means this makes an ideal workday listen. Though there's a touch of spice, it's brief and minimal. The runtime (about 11 hours) meant I could binge the majority of it in a single day, and the lighthearted feel made it an uplifting listen. Definitely recommended in the format overall.
Another very solid read from Grant, this small town romance was easy to binge in one sitting. I loved the initial encounter between these strangers, which showed the softer side to both. They let down their guards for one night and revealed pieces of themselves that they probably wouldn't have with anyone else. That makes their second encounter - as brand new enemies - all the more delicious, and I loved the unique progression of their relationship. It's got slow-burning vibes despite their history, and the found family aspect was a lot of fun. I do think you'll get more out of this if you read the series in order, but it stands on its own if needed. Watching the community slowly come to accept our semi-grumpy hero was pretty great, and I liked that he wasn't the "traditional" grumpy hero. These two complemented each other well, and I would've loved a stronger focus on the relationship, personally. That's the only thing that loses this a star from me - the romance sometimes took a backseat to the small town vibes. But I really enjoyed it overall.
The story follows Sabrina, a woman who is reeling from a falling out with a friend. When she meets a sexy stranger in a bar, the last thing Sabrina has on her mind is a hookup, but the tempting (and sweet!) man surprises her in the best of ways. While Sabrina avoids relationships, she can't help but wonder if she should've stuck around to explore things with her handsome stranger. That is... until he shows up in town. Turns out, Grey is the new owner of the coffee shop Sabrina has devoted her life to, and he intends to tear it to pieces. Though he's never been a villain before, Grey has his reasons for wanting to tear the business to the ground. Unfortunately, he can't seem to forget the night he spent with Sabrina, and knowingly tearing apart the business she loves doesn't sit right with Grey. As the two get to know each other on a deeper level, they realize that they might've got it right the first time around.
While this can technically be read as a standalone, I think it'll be easier to enjoy if you read in order. The large cast of characters can get overwhelming at times, especially if you haven't read the first book. I liked that side of the story, but I would've bumped my rating from 4 to 5 stars with a little less small town connection and a little more romance. I really enjoyed Grey and Sabrina together, and I also liked that their emotional connection developed over time. They are opposites in a lot of ways, and neither one is in the right headspace for a relationship at the start of the book. I loved getting to know Grey better, and I thought he was such a sweetheart beneath his bruised and tender heart. The chemistry was definitely there, and their connection made for a lighthearted read with just a bit of emotion. It's not as overtly funny as Grant's past work, but I'm settling into this newer vibe from her and it's steadily growing on me. I did miss the spice though; we don't actually see the first hookup OR their first time after getting together, which was disappointing. This will be a major win for lovers of small town romance though, and it made for an easygoing, bingeable read.
Audio note: The audio is very good! I love me some Jason Clarke, so his chapters were an absolute pleasure to listen to. I love his voice, and he embodied Grey well. A lot of readers love Callie Dalton, but she's not a personal favorite of mine. Just preference - she does an excellent job here. They both brought their characters to life, and having the audio made this fly by even more than it would've in text format. The slow-burning romance means this makes an ideal workday listen. Though there's a touch of spice, it's brief and minimal. The runtime (about 11 hours) meant I could binge the majority of it in a single day, and the lighthearted feel made it an uplifting listen. Definitely recommended in the format overall.
October 17, 2023
Wanted to like this book very much, but found it lacking the same punch as the first book did.
I was giving this 3 stars but as I was writing this review i found that I didn't like this book much at all.
I couldn't quite put my finger on why it is exactly but one of the other reviews here mentioned confusing dialogues and jumping around and I do agree with that.
Honestly, I found the motivations of the characters here very juvenile and weak - like here is the MC randomly here in this small town because of a revenge plot from whatever happened years ago. But if the revenge plot was so important, it wasn't really unpacked properly and we don't really get to see, as much as we're told, how "the incident" is really bad and is deserving of Greyson's revenge. At the same time, it's honestly weird that if former Friend A fcked me over, I'll fck over former Friend B (Chandler), who is not related at all to the other one and who i haven't spoken to in years, instead. Like?
Also, the revenge plot isn't even hurting Chandler. like it's weak revenging in my opinion - He wanted to sell the cafe, why does Greyson think sticking a bee on it will be an 'in your face' revenge?
Even Sabrina's solution to her problem is very juvenile (I'll tell on you). and the whole group of friends' alternative to MC's original revenge is also juvenile. (instead of putting a bee on the building lets just put it obnoxiously on a car he loved). Like wow yes, you guys really did show him.
Although I feel like the car thing was better than the cafe because it was established that Chandler really was invested in the car (whereas that wasn't shown with the cafe)
Also, Greyson isn't even grumpy so idk why he's deemed as the grump.
Lastly, I initially loved and was intrigued by how Zen's character was introduced but found that as I read on the pronouns just became confusing 🥲 Like I would be on a roll in reading through the story but would abruptly stop because the "they/them" would make me think I missed a part on a group of people, and i would backtrack a passage, when it was actually referring to Zen.
Grammatically speaking as well (but maybe that's just me), the 'they/them' pronouns were sometimes used with wrong verb tenses and singular/plural nouns/adjectives/verb agreement.
I was giving this 3 stars but as I was writing this review i found that I didn't like this book much at all.
I couldn't quite put my finger on why it is exactly but one of the other reviews here mentioned confusing dialogues and jumping around and I do agree with that.
Honestly, I found the motivations of the characters here very juvenile and weak - like here is the MC randomly here in this small town because of a revenge plot from whatever happened years ago. But if the revenge plot was so important, it wasn't really unpacked properly and we don't really get to see, as much as we're told, how "the incident" is really bad and is deserving of Greyson's revenge. At the same time, it's honestly weird that if former Friend A fcked me over, I'll fck over former Friend B (Chandler), who is not related at all to the other one and who i haven't spoken to in years, instead. Like?
Also, the revenge plot isn't even hurting Chandler. like it's weak revenging in my opinion - He wanted to sell the cafe, why does Greyson think sticking a bee on it will be an 'in your face' revenge?
Even Sabrina's solution to her problem is very juvenile (I'll tell on you). and the whole group of friends' alternative to MC's original revenge is also juvenile. (instead of putting a bee on the building lets just put it obnoxiously on a car he loved). Like wow yes, you guys really did show him.
Although I feel like the car thing was better than the cafe because it was established that Chandler really was invested in the car (whereas that wasn't shown with the cafe)
Also, Greyson isn't even grumpy so idk why he's deemed as the grump.
Lastly, I initially loved and was intrigued by how Zen's character was introduced but found that as I read on the pronouns just became confusing 🥲 Like I would be on a roll in reading through the story but would abruptly stop because the "they/them" would make me think I missed a part on a group of people, and i would backtrack a passage, when it was actually referring to Zen.
Grammatically speaking as well (but maybe that's just me), the 'they/them' pronouns were sometimes used with wrong verb tenses and singular/plural nouns/adjectives/verb agreement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2023
I love a small-town romance and this one is a favorite. They were like a big family. Friendly, charming and hilarious. I loved love loved the food fight and speed dating. The whole place was adorable.
Sabrina, ohhh what a sweetheart. She was suppose to be annoying but I just couldn’t see anything but a sweet, beautiful eccentric, fun person. Grey didn’t have a chance. And I gushed over the romance. One of my favorite things about this author is the way she puts pets and animals in her stories. It always makes me smile. Fred, you need your own book.
Thanks to the author and Rick for this precious novel.
Sabrina, ohhh what a sweetheart. She was suppose to be annoying but I just couldn’t see anything but a sweet, beautiful eccentric, fun person. Grey didn’t have a chance. And I gushed over the romance. One of my favorite things about this author is the way she puts pets and animals in her stories. It always makes me smile. Fred, you need your own book.
Thanks to the author and Rick for this precious novel.
October 22, 2023
Disaster
Apparently Pippa has jumped on the transgender propaganda wagon, her choice, but subjecting her readers to this nonsence is a deal breaker for me.
Attempting to figure out who she's talking about with the use of her pronouns is painful
and plain ridiculous.
I've read/bought and enjoyed every book book she's written except her last series.
This one is it. Too bad as I used to love her writing.
Apparently Pippa has jumped on the transgender propaganda wagon, her choice, but subjecting her readers to this nonsence is a deal breaker for me.
Attempting to figure out who she's talking about with the use of her pronouns is painful
and plain ridiculous.
I've read/bought and enjoyed every book book she's written except her last series.
This one is it. Too bad as I used to love her writing.
October 10, 2023
Boring boring boring
Slow boring start. Confusing dialog that sounded like 2 people in a mental institution having conversation. The meet cute was weird with both characters talking in riddles and making up stories to the point I just had to give up. Nothing in the first meeting of these two was true with both characters telling lies and speaking in riddles. Just plain bad
Slow boring start. Confusing dialog that sounded like 2 people in a mental institution having conversation. The meet cute was weird with both characters talking in riddles and making up stories to the point I just had to give up. Nothing in the first meeting of these two was true with both characters telling lies and speaking in riddles. Just plain bad
September 25, 2023
I received an ARC but all thoughts are my my own.
Pippa is one of the authors I always keep track of and make sure to read on release day. When I saw I was selected for an ARC for this book, I almost peed my pants. Gossip and The Grump follows Sabrina and Grey, who met in Hawaii during Emma's disaster of a wedding (we see this in book one of the series). There's some overlap between this book and the previous, so I do recommend reading in order, though you can still enjoy this book without.
After their one night stand where Sabrina ghosts him, she returns to her hometown and finds out the new owner of her cafe is of course, Grey. Grey has his own reasons for buying the place from her cousin, revenge. Grey is supposed to be a Grump but you can tell it's not in his nature. He just doesn't know what else to do with all the emotions he has going on after being betrayed by various people he thought he could trust. His nibling, Zen is fantastic and one of my favorite characters. I love how protective the MMC is of him but how Zen watches out for their Uncle as well. It's a really sweet and nice relationship. I really liked watching Grey try and figure out the characters in the gossip that Sabrina had shared with him in Hawaii. Whenever he'd randomly ask her if he was correct in a guess, it was a nice little break from him trying to become this evil mastermind.
I really enjoyed Sabrina as well. Yes, she might have been the town Gossip, but she never planned to use any of it for evil or to hurt anyone. The way she felt responsible for Emma's wedding disaster broke my heart. I liked watching her interact with her Grandfather and The Triplets as well. You can tell how much she loves not only her coffee shop, but her town. The way she uses her town as a positive weapon against Grey was pretty ingenious. What better way to save your shop than by showing the new owner how much it means to the people of the town? And for the town to show how grateful they are for him stepping in to save the place from bankruptcy?
And we can't forget about Sabrina's wonderful pup, Jitter! I just love that name for a dog. One thing Pippa does really well it write animal characters.
All in all, this was the perfect Pippa read. It had heart, laughter, and adorable animals. And man, I cannot WAIT for Emma's book. Do yourself a favor and read this book! And the first one in the series if you missed out.
Pippa is one of the authors I always keep track of and make sure to read on release day. When I saw I was selected for an ARC for this book, I almost peed my pants. Gossip and The Grump follows Sabrina and Grey, who met in Hawaii during Emma's disaster of a wedding (we see this in book one of the series). There's some overlap between this book and the previous, so I do recommend reading in order, though you can still enjoy this book without.
After their one night stand where Sabrina ghosts him, she returns to her hometown and finds out the new owner of her cafe is of course, Grey. Grey has his own reasons for buying the place from her cousin, revenge. Grey is supposed to be a Grump but you can tell it's not in his nature. He just doesn't know what else to do with all the emotions he has going on after being betrayed by various people he thought he could trust. His nibling, Zen is fantastic and one of my favorite characters. I love how protective the MMC is of him but how Zen watches out for their Uncle as well. It's a really sweet and nice relationship. I really liked watching Grey try and figure out the characters in the gossip that Sabrina had shared with him in Hawaii. Whenever he'd randomly ask her if he was correct in a guess, it was a nice little break from him trying to become this evil mastermind.
I really enjoyed Sabrina as well. Yes, she might have been the town Gossip, but she never planned to use any of it for evil or to hurt anyone. The way she felt responsible for Emma's wedding disaster broke my heart. I liked watching her interact with her Grandfather and The Triplets as well. You can tell how much she loves not only her coffee shop, but her town. The way she uses her town as a positive weapon against Grey was pretty ingenious. What better way to save your shop than by showing the new owner how much it means to the people of the town? And for the town to show how grateful they are for him stepping in to save the place from bankruptcy?
And we can't forget about Sabrina's wonderful pup, Jitter! I just love that name for a dog. One thing Pippa does really well it write animal characters.
All in all, this was the perfect Pippa read. It had heart, laughter, and adorable animals. And man, I cannot WAIT for Emma's book. Do yourself a favor and read this book! And the first one in the series if you missed out.
October 13, 2023
OMG, every time I think she can't get better, she does. There was so much humor and heart and small town shenanigans in this book. Jitter is adorable, Zen is a freaking DELIGHT, and all I can say is dude, I want Sabrina and Gray on my side the next time someone wrongs ME. Also, it was highly entertaining to see that Sabrina has the same kind of google skills of my teenager. You don't think it's a thing, but it totally is. I've seen it. Two thumbs up and a multiple lemon scone salute!
October 23, 2023
They/Them
I absolutely love her books but this one It's slow and confusing when it comes to Zen. If you're going to dance around with. Someone's sexual orientation, just say it without feeling like you need to be politically correct or cautious this book would have been more tolerable.
I absolutely love her books but this one It's slow and confusing when it comes to Zen. If you're going to dance around with. Someone's sexual orientation, just say it without feeling like you need to be politically correct or cautious this book would have been more tolerable.
November 28, 2023
⭐️⭐️ Just not my jam.
Side note: Inclusive writing. This book has a non binary character that identified as a they/them. Call me an old-fashioned gal in love with the proper use of English grammar, but I just find it difficult to get on board this train. It was so confusing to read and comprehend when the author kept referring to a single individual human being as they/them. I wish there was another word that could be used to describe a person who does not want to be categorized as male or female that does not also indicate characters in the plural sense. Also, I just discovered that nibling is now an acceptable gender-neutral term child of your sibling. I guess we learn something new every day.
Side note: Inclusive writing. This book has a non binary character that identified as a they/them. Call me an old-fashioned gal in love with the proper use of English grammar, but I just find it difficult to get on board this train. It was so confusing to read and comprehend when the author kept referring to a single individual human being as they/them. I wish there was another word that could be used to describe a person who does not want to be categorized as male or female that does not also indicate characters in the plural sense. Also, I just discovered that nibling is now an acceptable gender-neutral term child of your sibling. I guess we learn something new every day.
November 4, 2023
Book 1 was a 3.5 but I rounded upward to 4 on the strength of the main pair and a 'less annoying than many' supporting cast. This is a solid 4, if not 4.5 stars. A bit smoother, a little less absurd (note I'm not saying realistic😂), and Sabrina's behavior seemed fairly consistent between the two books, as did that of other overlapping characters when she interacted with them. Grey, and Zen, fit right into her story development and the town. Laney, Theo, and the triplets were all extensions of how we left them, no major personality changes. I'm looking forward to Emma's story in #3! Jitter was MVP in the supporting role, though🐶, along with Zen's nicknames for a certain C-word🙃
October 15, 2023
DNf 50 %. The banter in the first chapter was FANTASTIC! I was so happy reading it.
And then it never appeared again, at least as far as I got. She’s a gossip, which is apparently her whole personality aside from only doing one night stands? He is trying to exact revenge on her cousin, who was a dirtbag in the first book, but what he’s trying to do won’t hurt Chandler (as far as I can tell) but will hurt Sabrina and the town- I assume he figures this out by the end? I just can’t get the motivation to read more to find out.
Le sigh.
And then it never appeared again, at least as far as I got. She’s a gossip, which is apparently her whole personality aside from only doing one night stands? He is trying to exact revenge on her cousin, who was a dirtbag in the first book, but what he’s trying to do won’t hurt Chandler (as far as I can tell) but will hurt Sabrina and the town- I assume he figures this out by the end? I just can’t get the motivation to read more to find out.
Le sigh.
October 22, 2023
Quickish Review
Grumpy sunshine is my smutnip of choice, so I just rolled around in this little tale all weekend, happy as a clam.
I only took off points because while I understood that Grey’s plans for the cafe were simply a reason for him to come to this small town, it didn’t really make a lick of sense, but whatever.
Looking forward to the next entry.
Grumpy sunshine is my smutnip of choice, so I just rolled around in this little tale all weekend, happy as a clam.
I only took off points because while I understood that Grey’s plans for the cafe were simply a reason for him to come to this small town, it didn’t really make a lick of sense, but whatever.
Looking forward to the next entry.
October 30, 2023
This is the 2nd book in Pippa Grant’s latest series Three BFFs and a Wedding. It can be read as a standalone but as so much of this story began with the first book in this series, The Worst Wedding Date, I’d strongly suggest you read that one first. The series is built around the lives of three BFFs Laney, Sabrina and Emma who grew up together in the small town of Snaggletooth Co. In the first book they’re all gathered in Hawaii for Emma’s lifelong dream destination wedding to marry her long-time fiancée Chandler who is also Sabrina’s this story's female protagonist's cousin. But nothing goes as planned. Emma’s wedding never happens when it’s revealed to Emma at the last moment that Sabrina has known for years that Emma’s brother Theo took the fall for Chandler and spent a little time in jail because of it. Before the wedding Laney falls in love with Theo her lifelong antagonist. The Worst Wedding Date is Laney’s and Theo’s enemies to lovers story. After the wedding implodes with it going viral on the internet, Sabrina feels responsible for the wedding disaster for not telling Emma years ago that her cousin Chandler had let Emma’s brother Theo go to jail for something he’d done. Emma had rushed out of the wedding crying and Sabrina fears she has ruined her lifelong friendship with Emma. Sabrina is so upset she sets off on a mission to do good deeds to try and balance out the bad karma she feels she has coming for not informing Emma. and generally being the town gossip. She swears off of being the keeper of the town’s secrets. Obviously she’s the Gossip in the title. While out doing good deeds she meets Grey Cartwright (the Grump) in a bar and as a good deed rescues him from an unwanted woman who was hitting on him. They spend part of the night doing good deeds together and the rest rolling in the sheets having multiple orgasmic amazing sex. Neither reveals their true identity to the other because neither as they tell each other is interested in dating. Grey says his name is Duke and he calls Sabrina Duchess. The next morning Sabrina ghosts Grey thinking she’ll never see him again. Because Sabrina having witnessed more than her share of relationships cause heartbreak more often than happily ever afters doesn’t do relationships. She doesn’t date. She does one-night stands and brief flings. Because while she may not trust love she really enjoys sex. But fate has other plans for Sabrina and Grey. Seems Grey has a long-standing vendetta against Chandler who until he sold it to Grey, owned the family’s coffee shop which has been in Sabrina’s family for three generations and where she was born, grew up and now manages. Chandler got into money difficulties because of his gambling problem and was about to lose the café to the IRS. He secretly sold it to Grey before his planned wedding not realizing Grey is going to destroy the café as payback for something Chandler did to Grey in college. Grey was actually in Hawaii with the intention of spoiling Chandler’s wedding by revealing he had sold the coffee shop to him. Chandler has had his trust broken by his family and closest friends and his now ex-wife. He's tired of being manipulated and used by people and feels its time for him to get some justice via revenge on Chandler. The only person he trusts is his nephew and personal assistant Zen who is non-binary and prefers people use the pronouns they, them and theirs when referring to him which quite honestly served to keep me confused for much of this story when the other characters were referring to Zen. I’m not certain whether Pippa did this to be funny or to be politically correct? Whatever her reasons I loved the Zen character but found the use of non-binary pronouns which I grew up being taught were used to identify plural numbers of people confusing. Anyway despite Grey’s reluctance to trust anyone he felt a connection with Sabrina he’d wanted to explore. But when she ghosted him the next morning he got angry with her but still couldn’t forget her. When Sabrina shows up for work early one Monday morning to discover the café’s new owner is her one-night stand from Hawaii, she and Grey are both shocked. When she discovers Grey’s plan to completely gut her family’s legacy and turn it into a Kombucha bar, it becomes “Game On” as Sabrina attempts to stop Grey by doing whatever it takes. The basis of this story is these two really have great chemistry and over time really come to understand, respect and care for each other. But Grey can’t give up his goal of seeking revenge against Chandler and righting a decades old wrong and Sabrina can’t accept the planned changes to her family's former business and a town institution. So they spend most of this story dancing around and fighting their attraction to one another as Sabrina tries to save her family’s café and her job and the townspeople embrace Grey and Zen giving them a place they feel like they could belong.
IMHO Pippa Grant is always entertaining. That said I feel like this book is among her best works. It’s of course funny with Zen and Sabrina’s puppy St. Bernard Jitters, the quirky townspeople of Snaggletooth and Grey and Sabrina getting in their own way of falling in love. It’s got heart as both protagonist struggle overcome their long held plans and Sabrina worries about her relationship with Emma. It’s got enough sexy when these two finally give in to require a cold shower. Just a great fun read. I’m really looking forward to Emma’s future book.
IMHO Pippa Grant is always entertaining. That said I feel like this book is among her best works. It’s of course funny with Zen and Sabrina’s puppy St. Bernard Jitters, the quirky townspeople of Snaggletooth and Grey and Sabrina getting in their own way of falling in love. It’s got heart as both protagonist struggle overcome their long held plans and Sabrina worries about her relationship with Emma. It’s got enough sexy when these two finally give in to require a cold shower. Just a great fun read. I’m really looking forward to Emma’s future book.
January 5, 2024
2⭐️s
Yeah, I don’t know about this one… too many conflicted feelings. It started off fine, even made me a laugh a couple of times but the whole revenge thing got really old after a while. I mean, you’re a grown man and you want revenge on some asshat from college? Granted, what said asshat did was terrible but the revenge plan was so juvenile. And then there was the whole gossip (for good?). I don’t know… Something was just off on this one. Starting with the cover, which did not match the research focused, beanie wearing MC, Grey. And then there was Sabrina. I cannot figure her out. I don’t know if I like her or intensely dislike her. On top of it all, there was all the gossip about the town itself and all sorts of drama around who slept with whom and who is whose child etc. I needed a town family tree to keep track of it all. Laney also did a 180 turn in personality. In other words, despite claiming this can be read as a stand alone, you’ll be completely lost if you don’t read the first book.
FYI Open door but not particularly steamy. Also, the bonus chapter is an anthropomorphic one featuring the pets… did not care for that one bit.
Reminded me a bit of the Knockemout series by Lucy Score.
Yeah, I don’t know about this one… too many conflicted feelings. It started off fine, even made me a laugh a couple of times but the whole revenge thing got really old after a while. I mean, you’re a grown man and you want revenge on some asshat from college? Granted, what said asshat did was terrible but the revenge plan was so juvenile. And then there was the whole gossip (for good?). I don’t know… Something was just off on this one. Starting with the cover, which did not match the research focused, beanie wearing MC, Grey. And then there was Sabrina. I cannot figure her out. I don’t know if I like her or intensely dislike her. On top of it all, there was all the gossip about the town itself and all sorts of drama around who slept with whom and who is whose child etc. I needed a town family tree to keep track of it all. Laney also did a 180 turn in personality. In other words, despite claiming this can be read as a stand alone, you’ll be completely lost if you don’t read the first book.
FYI Open door but not particularly steamy. Also, the bonus chapter is an anthropomorphic one featuring the pets… did not care for that one bit.
Reminded me a bit of the Knockemout series by Lucy Score.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2023
I love rom-coms, romance novels, and love stories. So I read a lot of them. This is great fun for me, but it means that my personal "market" is oversaturated. It will take a truly great romance to get more than three stars. In case you are interested:
Relyn's personal rom-com & romance novel rating system
5 stars - This book is excellent. It stands out from the hundreds of other love stories I've read, and I loved it.
4 stars - Oh, I really, really liked this one.
3 stars - This was a good, entertaining book and I'm glad I read it.
2 stars - Meh - boring, or overdone, or in some other way just not a good fit for me
1 star - This one stunk.
February 14, 2024
Grey and Sabrina. This book may have been ok in story but the use of juvenile speak was distributed. One character is already referred to as they instead of him???? The dog is given as much action as any of the characters. Nope! Too much.
October 30, 2023
Read the 1st book was fabulous & so funny. Had high hopes for this book also but CAN'T get past the they/them crap, for Zen character . I tried pushing past it but can't so returned it back to Knidle Unlimited only partially read. Totally bummed
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