Contributed Photo / Katie Bird
One of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford Books It Up’s favourite tropes to talk about is grumpy/sunshine, which means we have endless recommendations to share!
Grumpy/sunshine tropes are essentially when two characters with opposite personalities and outlooks on life meet. One is upbeat and positive while the other person is a grumpy, pessimistic person. In the trope, when these two characters meet, they eventually grow to love one another.
If we are talking about grumpy/sunshine books, we must mention Mariana Zapata, as she is the queen of writing grumpy/sunshine slow burn romances. Her book All Rhodes Lead Here is one of the most heartwarming and, of course, steamy reads out there. The story follows Aurora De La Torre who needs to change things up after she gets out of a long-term relationship, and how better to do that than head back home to your small town in Colorado? Although it won’t be easy starting over, it might just be what Aurora needs, and when she finds the perfect ad online to rent a little studio apartment, she knows it’s the right choice. Tobias Rhodes has not had it easy, but he still knows he needs to work hard to be a good dad for his 16-year-old son, Amos. Tobias tends to stick to himself and focus on his son and his job as a game warden but that all starts to change when his new tenant, Aurora, moves in. Aurora might have moved looking for a fresh start and to focus on herself…but what’s the harm in checking out your new landlord? All Rhodes Lead Here will definitely give you all the grumpy/sunshine feels while you follow Aurora and Tobias navigate their relationship and build a family.
Already sick of winter and need a book to make you feel the summer heat? Then you must pick up It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, as it is one of the most fun grumpy/sunshine books out there. This book follows Piper Bellinger, a Los Angeles fashionista and wild child who loves everything glamorous. The paparazzi can’t get enough of Piper and on the latest rooftop party, Piper couldn’t get enough of the champagne. Before she knows it, she’s spending her night in a cell. Her stepfather bails her out on the condition that she spends the summer learning what responsibility is in her hometown, Westport, a small fishery town, fixing up her late father’s dive bar. In this small town, it takes only minutes before Piper is running into Brendan, the gruff, bearded and smoking hot sea captain. Brendan takes one look at Piper and knows she won’t last five more minutes in their small town, but Piper is determined to show that she is not just a pretty face. Everything starts to change when they start to work on the bar together, as they quickly begin to realize their completely opposite personalities have caused a spark between them that can’t be ignored. Piper has to decide; can she really leave her life in LA to live in a small town for a guy who’s gone at sea for weeks at a time? Can Brendan who has only ever loved the sea open his heart for Piper? This book is a must-read that will keep you on your toes, laughing the whole way and falling in love with the characters.
You can never go wrong with a good grumpy/sunshine read, so pick up either of these books and add them to that TBR (To Be Read)!
