[Double Booked] 25+ Diverse Grumpy/Sunshine Recs

We welcome our first guest collaborator and talk about some of the diverse grumpy/sunshine romance books we love.

Introducing Double Booked - Double Booked is a collaboration between two Black romance reviewers, myself and Tropes and Kisses, to read and review books by and about BIPOC characters. We’re prioritizing our ARC TBRs to share our perspectives of every swoony line, every lust-fueled plot, and the scenes that literally stop you in your tracks.

Hi Librarygoer!

You are in for a treat today. Double Booked is … triple booked today! When Christine and I started this collaboration, it was a space for us to talk about the diverse books we were going to talk about anyway.

It’s still very much that but we have influenced each other into disrespecting our TBRs and letting hidden gems jump to the front of the line. Sorry, not sorry at all!

I suppose our literary gifts for gab are contagious because Natalie Anne slid in our DMs to ask if she can get in on the action. So today Double Booked has three creators to inspire your next book haul.

And we’re talking about one of my favorite tropes … grumpy/sunshine. This trope often shows up in romcoms which means we get to laugh at characters making fools of themselves while falling in love. There’s a grumpy brooding character who only unthaws at the sight of their sunshine-y love. And nine times out of ten, the sunshine-y character is often using their great disposition to hide a longstanding hurt of some kind.

These books are entertaining, emotional, and are unputdownable page turners for me! If you don’t already love them, I hope you find one or two that peak your interest!

Happy reading!

- Aleia

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Double Booked Grumpy Sunshine Recommendations

Aleia’s Recs

1. Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa - A Mexican heiress plus an Afro-British politician on the British Ton.

2. Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma - Accidentally marriage between long yearning friends.

   Five-Star Review: Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma

3. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna - Peak grumpy sunshine in these pages! A South Asian wayward real witch masquerading as a fake, Instagram witch becomes a witchy tutor to the three wards of the grumpy librarian (plus other caretakers) in the English countryside.

4. Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan - Grumpy x grumpy-adjacent. A playwright suffering from writer’s block falls for her slightly grumpy (but very eager) neighbor in the Tennessee mountains.

   Double Booked w/ Neighbors to Lovers in a Small Town: Once Upon A Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan

5. The Problem with Falling by Brittainy C. Cherry - A free spirit and youngest sister spends the summer hijacking the life of a grumpy in this small town romance.

6. Give Me A Shot by Gia de Cadenet - A grumpy-grumpy pairing between an archer and a blacksmith.

7. All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens - This is the most touch her and you die grumpy sunshine to grace my fingertips in a long time! I mean, when you’re an alien superhero and she is a painfully shy PR exec, of course you threaten to melt people’s organs from the inside.

   This Week's Reads: All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens and Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (Pre-Order)

8. Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez - when a “never been kissed” confession goes viral, a 30-something ace librarian devises a scavenger hunt where the winner wins her first peck. Only she ropes her longtime crush and bartender into helping her and there’s much more to their deepening friendship than remembered drink orders.

9. Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava - Disgraced pop star finds herself on her estranged grandmother’s farm hiding out from paparazzi and clashing with the farm hand that’s not feeling like pampering the princess.

10. A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera - Lady grump plus a rich rake of a duke battle the patriarchy in 1899 Paris.

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Natalie’s Recs

1. King of Envy by Ana Huang

2. Redeemed by Lauren Asher

3. Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher

4. The Right Move by Liz Tomforde

5. The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

6. Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher

7. Twisted Love by Ana Huang

8. King of Sloth by Ana Huang

➡️ Head to Natalie’s post to see why she recommends these books!

Christine’s Recs

1. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

2. Quarterly Love Crisis by Jasmine Burke

3. Give Me A Shot by Gia de Cadenet

4. The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kanin

5. The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

6. Salty, Spiced, and A Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti

7. Here for a Good Time by Pyle Moe Thet War

8. Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid

9. Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit

➡️ Head to Christine’s post to see why she loves these books.

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Do any of these top your list? Tell us your favorite grumpy/sunshine book in the comments!

PS - Want to collab with Double Booked in the future? Start here!