Review: Eloise and the Grump Next Door (Oakley Island Romcom #1) by Emma St. Clair & Jenny Proctor

About the Book
I’m not sure which is worse--the lawyer handling my grandmother’s estate or the attack pelican living on the screened-in porch. Just kidding--I’ll take the pelican any day.

After graduation, I thought I’d be off to grad school, doing research on my favorite poet. Instead, I’m renovating my late grandmother’s home and posting about the process on Instagram. Talk about a detour …

But here I am. Turning Gran’s beach house into a bed and breakfast--a process that would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to deal with the grumpy lawyer living next door. It doesn’t help that the night Jake and I met, I got a little tipsy, and he had to carry me back to my hotel.

But the longer I stay on Oakley Island, the more I feel a connection to my childhood and to my grandmother. This isn’t the life I dreamed of, but dreams can change. Especially when new dreams include a future with Jake. On the outside, he might be pricklier than a puffer fish, but I catch glimpses of a delicious, cinnamon roll center.

Did I mention the tattoos he hides underneath those crisp button-down shirts? Yowza.

When I’m suddenly presented with the academic opportunity of my dreams (former dreams?), my picturesque life on Oakley starts to unravel.

A part of me wants to stay. If only a certain tattooed grump didn’t seem so determined to send me away …

Eloise and The Grump Next Door is a grumpy sunshine, closed door romantic comedy. The Oakley Island Romcom series follows three very different sisters as they renovate the house they inherited and find love on the island along the way. Each book will have sizzling chemistry but no spice.

Amazon / Goodreads

Available in Kindle Unlimited at time of posting

MY THOUGHTS

This was so much fun! I absolutely loved it! I haven't laughed this much while reading, probably since my last Emma St. Clair book. I hadn't read anything by Jenny Proctor before, but I'm definitely adding her backlist to my TBR pile. Her and St. Clair make such a great writing pair!

Not gonna lie, I fell hard for Jake. From the moment he stepped onto the page, I was a goner. There was just something so swoony and irresistible about the Grump. Eloise was super likable. I loved that she was so unapologetically herself. And I also liked her quirky style. And Steve the pelican? What can I say? Star of the show! LOL!

I loved Oakley Island. It had such a charming small town-vibe to it. And the residents were great too. I can't wait to visit it again! The next book can't come out soon enough. If you're a fan of sweet romcoms, this book is a must read!

4.5 STARS