About the Book
Book: The Grump Who Doesn't Belong Next Door
Author: Emily Dana Botrous
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian Romance, Romantic Comedy
Release Date: 05/01/2024
Small-town Iowa? Not for this big-city attorney. Too bad his plans for a quick exit are mired by the girl next door.
Lottie: I have no time to waste on glass-half-empty people. My daughter and I have had enough of that in our lives, thank you very much. So when my neighbor’s grumpy son arrives in my hometown, turning his nose up at every Iowa corner, it’s no skin off of my back. But I can’t help teasing him. It’s sooo easy to ruffle his feathers. Plus, he’s easy on the eyes. Win win.
Anthony: My plan? Three weeks in Podunkville, Iowa until my mom recovers from her stroke. Then back to Atlanta. Civilization. My upcoming promotion to senior lawyer. I have no interest in forming any attachments in Red Rock Place. Even if my new next-door neighbor and her spunky daughter are a daily dose of sunshine I never knew my life was missing.
But then there’s the matchmaking. The fake date that isn’t really fake. The cake explosion. Oh, and the cow. (Really, God? We could have skipped that one…) Let’s just say, things are not going according to my plan.
My Review
5 stars
Emily Botrous had me laughing out loud with this upbeat romcom.
Lottie’s character had me rooting for her from the opening lines. I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs in her life. Anthony is a fish out of water when he goes to Iowa to be with his ailing mother. I loved the sunshine grumpy trope and the way the author used snappy dialog to convey this.
The romance between Lottie and Anthony develops sweetly based on the character traits they admire with each other.
I don’t read a lot of romcom, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A few times I laughed out loud and I smiled quite a bit while reading it.
I highly recommend this to fans of sweet, clean, Christian romance, romcom and anyone who wants to read a light-hearted engaging page-turner.
Romance: Very clean. Light kissing.
Faith: Both characters grew in their relationship and understanding of God, even though the spiritual aspect was a minor part of the story until near the end.
Disclaimer: I requested and received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
About The Author
Emily Dana Botrous lives in San Diego, California with her husband and their four children. She lived in 10 states before she settled on the West Coast where she plans to stay for awhile. She started writing short stories at age 10 and studied English in college. The only thing she enjoys more than writing is motherhood. While there are a lot of things that matter to Emily, nothing is more important to her than Jesus Christ. It is her goal to point anyone who reads her writing toward Him. When Emily isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, long walks, music, and playing with her kids. "A New Shade of Paint" is her first book.
Connect with Emily on the web at: http://emilydanabotrous.com/
Scripted Love Series
Check out this author interview with Emily, along with my review of her Scripted Love Series:
