
Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Our first kiss was a lie. Our second was a mistake. And the night we spent tangled up in each other? Hot as hell but a complete disaster. Because now Sutton Sinclair—the sharp-tongued troublemaker who left claw marks down my back and a dent in my self-control—is living in my backyard cottage with her teenage daughter. And I’m her goddamn landlord. I like things quiet. Controlled. She's neither. Sutton’s chaos wrapped in sunshine, a temptation in scrubs I can’t seem to stay away from. When her ex shows up acting like Sutton’s still his to lose, I claim her on instinct. The kiss? Hot. The fallout? Immediate. Now my family—and the entire town—thinks we’re a couple. Fake dating Sutton wasn’t in my playbook, but if being a pro-footballer turned high school coach has taught me anything, it’s how to pivot. All I have to do is keep my hands to myself. Then her cottage floods. Now we’re sharing a roof…and a bed. The line between real and fake is blurring faster than I can redo the guest house. This is supposed to be temporary. But Sutton doesn’t just crash into my life—she rewrites it. She’s in my home, moaning my name, breaking every rule I’ve ever lived by. And I’m starting to want something permanent with the woman who’s already got one foot out the door.
Tags
The Grump Next Door: A Small Town Fake Dating Romance: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This contemporary romance features explicit sexual content with detailed intimate scenes, strong language, and adult themes. Best for mature readers 18+.
What to know going in
This book has no graphic violence, very steamy sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include on-page sex.
Who'll love this
Adult readers will enjoy the tension between a grumpy former pro-footballer and his sunshine single-mom tenant as they fake date their way into real feelings.