The Grouchy One: A Grumpy Sunshine Billionaire Boss Romance: Part of the Bossy Glenhaven Billionaires Series By Leslie North

The Grouchy One: A Grumpy Sunshine Billionaire Boss Romance: Part of the Bossy Glenhaven Billionaires Series By Leslie North

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend—The guy who sells them? Not so much.

Felicity is on her way to an interview of a lifetime. This is a coveted role for the top public relations team at a prestigious jewelry company. Already late, things turn from bad to worse when a man attempts to steal her cab. This man is none other than Cameron O’Conner—the grumpy CEO she is about to have her final interview with. Naturally, his first words were a jab: “You’re late. Couldn’t find a cab?”

Despite their rocky start, Cameron offers her a job after she boldy critiqued the company’s current PR disaster. He recognized her potential and sweetened the deal with a salary too tempting to deny.

Soon, she starts to work for her “bosshole.” Things take a spiral when the company launches its first ever influencer campaign. The influencer decides to stage a publicity stunt that neither Felicity nor Cameron approved of. # Camlicity spread like wildfire and the audience cannot get enough of the secretly dating couple at the luxury jewelry company. Cue the fake dates, pretend affection, and real tension between two individuals who cannot stand each other.

I listened to this as a standalone audiobook after stumbling across it on YouTube. I was drawn by the familiar and fun romance tropes: grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, billionaire boss. While the plot is somewhat predictable—as most are—there is a slow burn element which keeps the tension.

Felicity was a highlight for me. She is a sharp, driven, and assertive human. However, I was not a fan of her repeated use of “bosshole” to describe Cameron. It felt juvenile and repetitive. Cameron was harder to connect with. He seemed guarded and one-dimensional. His softer side peaked when his dog was in the scene, which I resonated with as an animal lover.

There are emotional moments to the story, but it is not a deeply emotional read overall. It is a light, tropey, and fun story if you want an easy-to-read book.

If you like the classic grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, and billionaire boss drama, The Grouchy One may hit the spot. Just do not expect too much depth beyond the fun. This is for the banter, tension, and overall fun.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 / 5