Eloise and the Grump Next Door (2022)

About the Book

Book: Eloise and the Grump Next Door

Series: Oakley Island RomCom #1

Author: Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor

Release Date: August 14, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Rom-Com

I’m not sure which is worse–the lawyer handling my grandmother’s estate or the attack pelican living on the screened-in porch. Just kidding–I’ll take the pelican any day.

After graduation, I thought I’d be off to grad school, doing research on my favorite poet. Instead, I’m renovating my late grandmother’s home and posting about the process on Instagram. Talk about a detour …

But here I am. Turning Gran’s beach house into a bed and breakfast–a process that would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to deal with the grumpy lawyer living next door. It doesn’t help that the night Jake and I met, I got a little tipsy, and he had to carry me back to my hotel.

But the longer I stay on Oakley Island, the more I feel a connection to my childhood and to my grandmother. This isn’t the life I dreamed of, but dreams can change. Especially when new dreams include a future with Jake. On the outside, he might be pricklier than a puffer fish, but I catch glimpses of a delicious, cinnamon roll center.

Did I mention the tattoos he hides underneath those crisp button-down shirts? Yowza.

When I’m suddenly presented with the academic opportunity of my dreams (former dreams?), my picturesque life on Oakley starts to unravel.

A part of me wants to stay. If only a certain tattooed grump didn’t seem so determined to send me away …

Eloise and The Grump Next Door is a grumpy sunshine, closed door romantic comedy. The Oakley Island RomCom series follows three very different sisters as they renovate the house they inherited and find love on the island along the way. Each book will have sizzling chemistry but no spice.

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My Thoughts

I knew I wanted to read Eloise and the Grump Next Door as soon as I saw it was co-written by Emma St. Clair. I will read any book by St. Clair. Her stories are always SO well-written, so swoony, and so realistic. I have not read a book by Jenny Proctor yet, but after reading this one, I went and purchased a few of her novels. If you have not read a book by St. Clair I highly recommend you do so immediately. And I do recommend checking out Proctor as well. Her books look super cute and so fun!

I am super impressed by the seamless quality to the writing of Eloise and the Grump Next Door. The only way I knew it’s a collaborative effort is because there are two names on the cover. Bravo St. Clair and Proctor on writing such a good-quality novel I cannot tell it’s written by two people! The storyline is excellent. I was hooked from page one and did not want to put this book down. In fact, I was so engaged in this book that my husband and daughter watched two Hobbit movies and I didn’t know. I was that engrossed in the story! The characters are superb. I love Eloise. She is a character I wish were real because I would want to be her friend. I love how smart she is, how funny she is, and how in-touch with her emotions she is. Eloise is a well-rounded character who knows herself and goes after what she wants! Jake is grumpy, but not in an overly mean way. He’s got some baggage he’s holding on to and it makes him scared. I like that it was Jake’s character who dealt with fear and the need to overcome those feelings. That is not typically a character issue we see heroes face. I like the added vulnerability to his character. The chemistry between Eloise and Jake is FANTASTIC. It’s immediate electricity. It’s swoony, romantic kisses. And it’s a tension that could be cut with a knife. I loved every minute of their journey to love. While all of what I’ve covered would be enough to make this book a solid, 5-STAR story, my favorite aspect is the comedy. I laughed so hard several times throughout the story I actually snorted. At 4 AM I had to cover my laughs in a pillow so I wouldn’t accidentally wake my family up. The humor is fantastic!

Eloise and the Grump Next Door is an impressive first book in a series I know will be AMAZING. I am so excited for book two to release. It’s going to be a long wait! If you are a fan of excellent Contemporary Romance that has substance, great chemistry, and seriously hilarious moments then you will not want to miss out on Eloise and the Grump Next Door.

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on August 16, 2022, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.