Reviews

Falling for the Grinch by Amy Alves

mamahippyxx's review

4.0

Hallmark meets spice! I fell so fast for these characters, grumpy sunshine is one of my favorite tropes. Love love love!

lauriereadsrom1's review

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Bakery owner Dani Reed and fire chief Declan Walker have had a strained relationship ever since she asked him out and he very publicly turned her down. A few months later, Dani's been hired to plan the fire department's annual holiday party, but Declan keeps vetoing all of her ideas. She's more convinced than ever that he doesn't like her. The truth is that Declan is very attracted to Dani, but he's uncomfortable with their 14-year age difference and concerned that dating her would create a local scandal. His predecessor lost his job because of an affair, and since being hired a year ago, Declan has worked hard to restore the department's reputation and set a good example for the people who work for him. Meanwhile, motivated by a celebrity's viral video, Dani has decided to put an end to her long dry spell by finding a man who can help her work through a list of fantasies by Christmas. She has the perfect candidate in mind, but a poorly timed power outage leads to an accidental hookup with the wrong man: Declan. It only confirms what Dani has long believed. Declan is the one she wants, but can she convince him that their connection is worth taking a risk?

I really enjoyed this story! Dani and Declan had great chemistry and their banter was a lot of fun. Declan fought his feelings for a little longer than I would have liked, but his concerns were certainly understandable. Even so, I liked that Dani made him work for her forgiveness. It forced him to come up with a hilarious, creative grand gesture that was totally perfect for them as a couple and showed her how much he really cared.

I highly recommend "Falling for the Grinch" for fans of age gap and/or grumpy-sunshine romances and look forward to whatever Amy Alves writes next.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

pages_for_holly's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75