The Grump I Got Stuck With

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Any book set in Scotland is a dream for me. Scotland has such a soft spot in my heart, so I was already predisposed to love this one. But even better, a snowbound Highland castle? Sign me up!

In the first chapters, I didn’t love Madison as a character, and I didn’t understand some of her decisions. But then we delve a bit deeper into her backstory and the way she interacts with people, and I grew really fond of her, as well as of Alistair! I knew this was book three in the series (which also works as a complete standalone), and I hadn’t read the other two, but I could tell some of the mentioned characters had been the leads in books one and two. After finishing this one, guess what I’ll be doing next? Going to immerse myself in the rest of the series, because I had SUCH a great time with this!

Alistair is such a wonderful father, and Kenna is just delightful, such a sweet kid! My heart broke for Alistair several times throughout this. You can really see the trauma he’s been through, how hard he tries to be a good father and to care for Kenna above everything else. Such a well-written character, through his flaws and strengths. Same can be said for Madison, really.

The spicy scenes, unfortunately, weren’t super great. I wish they were better written, but I’m sure there are others who’ll enjoy them more than I did. Just my personal preference!

Pacing was just right in my opinion, nothing felt overly rushed or slow. I loved seeing Madison get closer to Kenna, and watching Kenna grow.

If you’re a sucker for grumpy single dads, forced proximity, and a Highland village where everyone knows everyone, pick this one up! It’s got heart, it’s got heat (even if the spice wasn’t quite my favorite), and it’s got a family being built in the messiest, sweetest way possible. And now that I’ve had a taste of the Braeburn Cliffs world, I’m absolutely going back to start from book one. Highly recommend if you love found family threaded through your romance.