Review: "The Grumpy Side of Paradise" by Brittany Larsen

The Grumpy Side of Paradise by Brittany Larsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evie's best friend Georgia, a fellow interior designer, has just been offered her own show on HGTV and needs an assistant. She'd like it to be Evie, but the network has someone else in mind. Before they make a final hiring decision, Georgia convinces her new bosses to let her and Evie do a small project to show how well they work together: restoring the house she inherited in the small town of Paradise, Idaho, near the Utah border. It's a risk for Evie because it means quitting her boring but safe job in New York, but the payoff would be worth it; if they're successful, not only will she land the job as Georgia's assistant, they'll also have the funds they need to rehab the rest of the property Georgia inherited, the Little Copenhagen Resort.

Meanwhile, Georgia's childhood friend Adam recently moved back to Paradise after several years in New York City, where he trained as a chef. He's taken over his mother's restaurant, the Garden of Eatin', but since they don't make enough of a profit for him to support himself, he's also decided to start his own construction company. When Georgia hires Adam's company to do the renovations, he and Evie quickly find themselves at odds, though the chemistry between them is impossible to ignore. Could Evie's sunshine be what grumpy Adam needs to chase his clouds away?

I loved this story so much! Adam and Evie were endearing protagonists, the conflict between them was real and relatable, and I couldn't help liking and rooting for both of them despite their opposing viewpoints. Adam's grumpiness was understandable given everything he was dealing with, but he was a good guy at heart. I especially loved that he secretly read romance novels to learn how to do better in relationships. As for Evie, I related with her tendency to hold back from expressing her true feelings because she was the person who was supposed to make everyone else happy. Like Evie, I had to learn not to keep my feelings bottled up, and I really appreciated the book's message in this regard.

I highly recommend "The Grumpy Side of Paradise" for all sweet/closed-door contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

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

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