Grumpy Sunshine

Tag: Dual-POV

  • Book Review: Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter

    If you’re into flirty texting, chaotic girls, and brother’s hot best friends who maybe catch feelings, then Mr. Wrong Number needs to be your next read.

    Olivia Marshall is clumsy, messy, dramatic (in the best way), and totally lovable. After accidentally setting her apartment on fire—yes, literally—she ends up crashing with her older brother and his ridiculously attractive (but annoyingly perfect) best friend, Colin. Awkward, right?

    Things get really interesting when Olivia starts texting with a mystery guy—her “Wrong Number”—and the texts turn into a full-blown flirt-fest. What she doesn’t know? Her secret texter might be someone way closer than she thinks.

    Colin Beck is Mr. Responsible. He’s neat, serious, and 100% not ready for Olivia to explode into his calm little world. But the more time they spend together, the more he realizes her chaos might actually be kind of… adorable? And just when he thinks he’s falling for the girl he’s been texting, he finds out she might be under his roof.

    This book made me actually laugh out loud. The banter is fast and fun, the chemistry is “chef’s kiss”, and the dual POV makes it so fun to watch them both fall for each other without even knowing it. I loved how over-the-top and ridiculous it was at times (in the best rom-com way possible), but it still felt real enough to get totally hooked.

    🔞 Recommended for 14–15+ readers because of a little mature language, swoony scenes, and steamy vibes—but nothing super graphic.

    ⭐ My rating: 5/5. I’ve reread it three times already and I’m still obsessed. The characters? Adorable. The texting? Flirty perfection. The ending? So satisfying.

    📚 If you love dual POVs, slow-burn romance, and chaotic-good main characters, this one’s for you. Similar authors: Carley Fortune (Every Summer After), Sarah Adams (The Rule Book, C.W. Farnsworth (Kiss Now, Lie Later)

    Here is a playlist I made for Olivia and Colin on my YT channel. Feel free to subscribe if you want to!

    Also by Lynn Painter:

  • Book Review: Kiss Now, Lie Later by C.W. Farnsworth

    Kiss Now, Lie Later is a YA romance with an amusing but also slightly serious tone.

    Maeve Stevens is a smart, dedicated soccer player. Her dad is Glenmont’s head football coach and her twin brother is the quarterback. Across the rivalry? Weston Cole—deviously handsome, arrogant, and the star quarterback of Allegheny. When their paths cross again senior year (and a few secret late-night kisses happen), hating each other suddenly feels impossible… especially when they have to keep it hidden.

    When I say I loved this book, I mean it. I adored how the chapters switch POVs between Maeve and Weston. It makes the story super engaging because you get both sides of the rivalry, the gossip, and the banter. The small-town setting is written so well it feels real, and honestly, it’s like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet—but with football, soccer, and way less tragedy.

    ✨ There isn’t a single thing I’d change. I just wish it hadn’t ended! Even though there’s an epilogue, I desperately wanted more of Maeve and Weston’s story. Luckily, there is a sequel in the Rival Love Series called Not Now, Not Forever, which I can’t wait to read.

    🔞 Recommended for ages 14+ because of swearing, kissing/intimate scenes, and underage drinking.

    ⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars (but honestly, it felt like a 6/5 because I loved it THAT much). This was one of my favorite reads of 2025—I finished it in just three days because it was so perfect.

    📚 If you like: Dual POV romances, small town feuds and rivalries, and strong independent female leads Similar authors: Lynn Painter (Better Than the Movies), Carley Fortune (Every Summer After), Sarah Adams (The Rule Book), and Chloe Walsh (Binding 13)

    Also by C.W. Farnsworth:

    Book 2 of the Rival Love Series

  •  Book Review: The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

    If you love hilarious workplace chaos, swoony second chances, and a rulebook that definitely gets broken… you’ll want to grab The Rule Book ASAP.

    Nora Mackenzie is smart, confident, and not here for drama—especially not the kind that comes with working for Derek Pender, a famous (and still ridiculously hot) football star… who also happens to be her first real love from college.

    There are rules in place to keep things professional:
    ❌ No touching
    ❌ No flirting
    ❌ No talking about the past
    …but Derek is making Nora’s life awful as his agent. And she’s not about to back down.

    Things really spiral after a surprise work trip to Las Vegas, one unexpected night, and—oops—they wake up married. So much for the rules.

    This book is seriously SO funny and romantic. The chemistry between Nora and Derek is amazing, the banter is quick and adorable, and the dual POV lets you see both of them totally falling (again)(and freaking out) in real time. I loved watching them wrestle with old feelings, pretend to be cool, and slowly realize they still care—maybe even more than before.

    🔞 Recommended for ages 14–15+ for a little mature language, a few steamy moments, and some flirty tension—but it stays mostly cute.

    ⭐ My rating: 5/5 stars. The plot is fun, the characters are lovable, and the vibes are everything. I wouldn’t change a single thing.

    📚 If you like dual perspectives, funny twists, fake marriage, and swoon-worthy second chances—this book delivers. Similar authors: Hannah Grace (Icebreaker), Grace Reilly (First Down, Beyond the Play series), Becka Mack (Consider Me)

    Also by Sarah Adams:

  • Book Review: Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh

    Binding 13 is a deep, emotional YA romance set in Ballylaggin, Ireland in 2005. It’s intense, romantic, and occasionally funny (thanks, Gibsie <3), but definitely not your light-and-fluffy read.

    The story follows Shannon Lynch, a sweet, quiet girl who’s been through a lot and is trying to start over at a private school where she can finally feel safe. Then she meets Johnny Kavanagh—rugby star, local legend, and literal walking heartthrob. Their worlds are nothing alike, but somehow, they start to fit into each other’s lives in the most unexpected (and adorable) way.

    This book totally pulled me in. The characters are so different, but when you put them together, they make the story even better. I loved the banter (especially the supportive and hilarious moments), and the way the book shows both Shannon’s and Johnny’s perspectives. Chloe Walsh does a great job showing two very different lives—rich vs poor, popular vs invisible—in a way that feels super real.

    But just a heads-up: this book gets heavy. It deals with some seriously tough stuff like abuse, alcoholism, drug use, fights, and a lot of swearing (including f-bombs and Irish insults). It made some parts hard to read, especially because Shannon is dealing with trauma the entire book. So if you’re not in the right headspace, you might want to wait before diving in.

    🔞 Recommended for 15+ because of mature themes, intense language, and sensitive topics like abuse and addiction. This isn’t a fluffy romance—it’s emotional and raw.

    ⭐ My rating: 4/5. I loved the writing style, the characters, the chapter lengths (not too long!), and even the playlists at the end! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the heavy stuff sometimes made it hard to fully enjoy the story—but that’s also what makes it powerful.

    📚 If you like friends-to-lovers, dual POV, and emotional romances with real-world problems, this one might be for you.

    Similar authors:

    • Becka Mack (Consider Me) – romance with mature themes
    • Laura Nowlin (If He Had Been with Me, If Only I Had Told Her) – emotional, heavy topics, but a beautiful story
    • Jennifer Gold (On the Spectrum) – teen romance, eating disorders
    • Carley Fortune (Meet Me at the Lake) – dealing with grief, includes smoking

    Also by Chloe Walsh:

    There is more to the Tommen Boys series including Taming 7 and Releasing 10

  •  Book Review: Betting On You by Lynn Painter

    Betting On You is the perfect light and funny teen romance—full of sarcasm, summer vibes, and just the right amount of slow-burn feelings.

    Bailey is a super relatable, slightly cynical teen who doesn’t believe in love (thanks to her mom’s messy relationship history). She’s planning a chill summer working at a fancy resort with her best friend… until she finds out she has to work with him—Charlie, the charmingly annoying guy she sat next to on a flight two years ago and hoped to never see again. Obviously, she doesn’t like him. Right?

    The best part of this book is how the story is told from both Bailey and Charlie’s points of view. You get both sides of the tension, the banter, and the feelings they’re both trying to deny. Lynn Painter does what she does best—writing characters with amazing chemistry, hilarious personalities, and dialogue that snaps.

    I honestly loved every second of it. There’s nothing I would change. It’s the kind of story that makes you smile while reading and maybe even giggle out loud.

    🔞 Recommended for ages 14+ (or mature 13+ readers) for mild topics like divorce, a little underage drinking, and kissing—but overall, it’s a clean and super cute intro to romance.

    ⭐ My rating: 5/5. I loved the characters, the banter, and how naturally their story came together.

    📚 If you love dual POVs, slow-burn romances, and flirty back-and-forth, this one’s for you! Similar authors you might like: Carley Fortune (author of Every Summer After) and C.W. Farnsworth (author of Kiss Now, Lie Later)

    Also by Lynn Painter: