My Grumpy Valentine by C.P. RiverMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
After her last relationship ended badly, bakery owner Flora gave up on finding love, choosing to focus on expanding her business instead. Unfortunately for her, romance is in the air as Valentine's Day approaches, and she can't seem to avoid it even in her own bakery. The town of Lark's Grove is competing to be named the best tourist destination in the county, and the local chamber of commerce has "asked" all of the businesses in the main shopping district to decorate for the holiday. They hope to create a festive atmosphere that will draw in more visitors and make them feel welcome. At first, Flora has no intention of complying with the request, but she's forced into it when the head of the chamber threatens to have the permits for her upcoming expansion denied if she doesn't cooperate. She does it her way, however, coming up with an anti-Valentine's Day theme.
Everything begins to change for Flora when she meets her nephew's third grade teacher, Teddy Morgan, who comes into the bakery one morning looking for gluten- and dairy-free treats for his class. He's immediately smitten with Flora, but for some reason she interprets his interest as light stalking rather than flirting at first. He convinces her to give him a chance and she quickly finds herself developing feelings for him, but will trust issues from the past stand in the way of her future happiness?
I really enjoyed this fun twist on the grumpy-sunshine/opposites attract trope. While the story touched on several heavier topics, including chronic/terminal illness, there was plenty of humor to offset the serious moments. Also, I really liked Teddy and Flora as a couple; their personalities balanced each other perfectly, and when she finally let her guard down with him, they were super cute together.
I'd recommend "My Grumpy Valentine" for all fans of sweet/closed door contemporary romance and romantic comedy and look forward to the author's next release.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
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