Scoring The Grump by Sophie Irving: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

I shouldn’t enjoy our battle of wits so much.

Coach Dean Ainsley is a grumpy jerk.

I can't believe the man who ordered me to run a hundred laps almost gave me butterflies on our first meeting.

But to get into the national soccer team, an impossible-to-please coach is just what this prospective champion needs.

I don't mind the grueling training sessions. Or the high-intensity drills. If Coach Dean wants a hundred laps, I'll give him two hundred. Does he want me to sprint faster? Yes, Sir.

Before long, I'm spending all these extra hours training with Dean. And sometimes, it's not on the field...

It doesn't mean anything when we hang out studying soccer films. It's totally not a date when we have dinner together. And it definitely doesn't mean anything that he writes me tiny messages, showering me with praise and encouragement, which contradicts his gruff exterior.

But when our arguments and battles on the training ground became the highlight of my day, I should have forfeited the game.

Now, it just might be too late.

Scoring the Grump is an enemies-to-lovers, coach/player romantic comedy with sizzling chemistry and no explicit scenes. Get ready to squeal, giggle, and kick your feet! Check out the second book in the Love Always series, which revolves around four protective brothers and their two sisters. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

The Author

Sophie Irving loves sweet and swoony. So, she writes sweet and swoony without spice or swearing.

She lives with her two sisters in a tiny town. If it wasn’t obvious (lol), she loves kdramas, rice and bread--not necessarily in that order. 

Her perfect day is cold and rainy (throw in a storm, too), snuggled under the blankets with a good book and hot coffee.

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Book Review

Scoring the Grump is the second book in the Love Always series. While you may see some familiar characters, I do think this could be enjoyed just fine as a standalone. 

Talk about a grump! Dean might just be one of the grumpiest. While I admit, I love a good grump, I have to admit there for a bit earlier on, I wasn't sure Dean was going to win me over. It took a while to see that softer side (and to see why he was the way he was)--- but when we finally get it? Well, it was definitely worth the wait! Dean and Rowan have a really unique dynamic between them... she's definitely the sunshine to his grump and I enjoyed how, intimidating as he might have been (I mean, he did fire her after all), she never backed down from him... she kept being unapologetically who she was. I found I enjoyed their back and forth. Admittedly, I don't know the first thing about sports and how clubs and such work, and while this is a sports romance where the sport truly is front and center, I found that I could still enjoy it despite me lack of knowledge. I can only imagine that those who do know and enjoy the sport will only appreciate that aspect of the story all that much more! 

Scoring the Grump is a closed-door romance with kisses only and very minimal minor language. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Y5AFIG