Second Chance with The Grumpy Bartender

Pebble Point

by Elle Winterton

I meant to run away from my wedding… not into the arms of that grump!Three years traveling in Europe, and I come back to this?

All grown up and oh-so-cute in that tight-fitting shirt.

Leo Winters, the grumpiest bar owner in Pebble Point.

At high school, we were almost much more than friends.

But now we are so different, surely things can’t go back to that?

His gruff exterior, that bossy demeanor, and yet...

The softness in his eyes when the sun sets over the beach.

It's clear there's more to Leo than meets the eye.

But we both have deep secrets that could keep us apart forever.

Can this runaway bride and that brooding bartender write a love story in the sands?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Clean Romance

126 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2023

About the author

Elle Winterton, an Amazon #1 bestselling author, crafts enchanting contemporary romance stories that offer a serene refuge from the turbulence of everyday life. Her narratives are imbued with a sense of purity and simplicity, allowing readers to lose themselves in a world where love unfolds in the most unexpected places.

Winterton's characters, portrayed with heartfelt authenticity, embark on journeys filled with both tranquility and turmoil. These paths invariably lead to a coveted destination of happy endings, symbolizing the safe harbors of life. Her belief that beauty lies in simplicity shines through in her work. The tales she weaves, though unadorned with unnecessary complexity, resonate profoundly with readers, echoing the timeless themes of love, trust, and companionship.

Her writing style reflects her conviction that sometimes the most direct stories of affection and mutual support are the ones that most deeply stir our emotions. Elle Winterton's novels not only captivate the heart but also reinforce the enduring power and simplicity of love.

Reviews

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Booksprout and Elle Winterton for allowing me to review the audiobook edition of this book. I read this story via ebook and audiobook. I really enjoyed the story and how Leo and Sue's relationship developed. However, I really did not enjoy the narration. It was very monotone and did not do the story justice. If narration does not bother you, then definitely give the audiobook a try! The story was definitely worth the read though. I will definitely be checking out Elle Winterton's other works in the future.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small town, second chance, grumpy-ish/sunshine, friends to more romance. The characters are enjoyable and really pull you into their story. An emotional yet adorable book that showed how life’s twists and turns sometimes lead you home. This was a very entertaining, sweet, wholesome romance with a great ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing as always, uber immersive and fun. Sue gets her second chance with Leo , the boyfriend she left behind is now all man. But is it going to be plain sailing or a sinking reality…..renewed friendships and a plan for the Harbour In , and a romance is always good too , it’s the first audio I’ve listened to for longer than five mins it’s not a bad listen , with great characters and cosy town .


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing as always, uber immersive and fun. Sue gets her second chance with Leo , the boyfriend she left behind is now all man. But is it going to be plain sailing or a sinking reality…..renewed friendships and a plan for the Harbour In , and a romance is always good too , it’s the first audio I’ve listened to for longer than five mins it’s not a bad listen , with great characters and cosy town .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Virtual Narrator; Out-of-the-Blue Plot Complication

In my wanderings around Amazon and Audible, I've been noticing that more and more books are being “narrated” by what Audible calls virtual voice. This means an actual human narrator did not narrate the book. Instead, it's computer generated. This is the first book I've actually listened to that had virtual voice. This new way of narrating has pluses and minuses. Having listened to a fair amount of human narrators, I could actually say that this virtual one is better in some respects than some human ones I've listened to! She didn't make vocal flubs like some human narrators are prone to do. However, the phrasing was completely off and eventually became annoying. It had its own internal cadence that certainly does not match the way a human would say words, phrases, and sentences. At first, I was a bit distracted by the virtual voice, focusing more on it than the story.

I didn't feel the story's plot actually flowed as well as it should have. I felt like I listened to two parts of two different books. The first part has the vibe of a small-town, second-chance rom-com, but it did not quite prepare me for the second part focusing on a considerable complication that threatens the hero and his business. But that didn't get mentioned for far too long, making it feel like the complication came out of nowhere. If you're going to make something a huge plot point, it should be introduced early and discussed, even if briefly, often. It felt like it came out of nowhere.

If you're into the whole grumpy hero trope, this one isn't quite as grumpy as some are these days, and he soon let go of that. I know it's just fiction, but I hate it when a character does something morally repugnant to another character in a story. That's how I felt when Angela entered the scene. How is she allowed to do the things she does? What she does isn’t remotely legal… and she does it all publicly in front of lots of witnesses! It makes little sense! This is a small town. Wouldn't local law enforcement be on top of her illegal actions like white on rice? The whole “working for her” option she presented … you’ve at least got to pay someone minimum wage … which would have brought in more cash than was suggested. And she took WAY more than was owed her. How is that remotely OK? A story's villain(s) must get their due for a story to feel satisfying, not get a massive payday for illegal actions. To make it even worse, it's as if it’s no big deal for most of the characters involved. Grrrr! Anyone with moral sensibility wants justice, not the bad guy (or girl, as in this case) rewarded!

I received a free promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

💭 Overall thoughts:
I was scrolling through the free Kindle books on Amazon and came across this. I saw the cute cover and liked the title so I figured I'd give it a read.. without reading about what the book was about.. here's what I thought, this book reads more like a short story than a novel, it also felt like it was written by someone young..  it was rushed and parts didn't make sense.. IDK, not my jam 2/5 ⭐ and even that is a bit generous..

Friends to Lovers ✅ always a classic trope




⚠️ SPOILERS IN FORM OF MY PLAY-BY-PLAY THOUGHTS ⚠️

She dropped the title of her English teachers last name quicker than I'd be able to in my mind.. In her thoughts she called him Sam, I'd still be thinking of him as Mr. Samuels..

How she automatically realized it was her old friend Leo after not recognizing him is beyond me..

Feels a little repetitive.. her repeating the feeling of unresolved tension..

It feels a little.. lackluster.. I know I'm only on chapter 3 but it just feels boring already..

It's weird that each chapter ends on a small cliffhanger..

They just jumped right into admitting their feelings..

I'm literally rolling my eyes at how they talk to each other.. why does it feel like this was written by a high schooler?

If I were someone who DNF'd books, this would definitely be on that list..

Girl, get a fucking grip.. her curiosity about the 2 phone calls is ridiculous..

Why does she talk about Leo as if they literally just met? I get that they haven't seen or spoken to each other in 3 years, but.. IDK.. weird..

The author uses words like whirlwind and uncertainty so much!

She also uses "can't shake the feeling" a lot..

It's trying to hard to be a mystery novel..

I don't think I use someone's name when talking to them as much as the characters in this book.. it's kind of annoying. As if I forgot who they were talking to..

"Mafia-connected loan sharks" 😂 mmk..

Her ill-connected Italian ex 😂😂 okkaaayy.. gotta add to the ridiculousness of Leo's issues..

If she had truly been scared of Antonio then she wouldn't risk contacting him, and she wouldn't have kept a phone/number he would be able to track.. especially if he's someone means..

Some bits feel like she's writing in a diary... "Little did I know.."

How was she surprised that Angela knew her name yet had made a deal with her already?

Wtf was that ending? So rushed.. actually, the whole story felt rushed..

[Karissa Cratty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Chance with the Grumpy Bartender was a super fun short little read. I read this in about two hours because I really just wanted to see if Sue and Leo were going to make it work. I will be honest I wasn't thrilled about the pacing, I wish that it went a little slower, specifically for parts that I thought would be an interesting story beat/element to really bring life and backstory to the characters. For example, Sue and Leo had a not so great departure three years back, and when they reunited, they really did not get into their separation too much. I could totally be wrong and that's okay but to me, if the person I cared for and wanted to be with the most ditched me at the airport when we were supposed to travel Europe I'd have a few more questions and words to be said then almost instantly making up. Maybe having a little bit of that back and forth of will, they won't they would have been nice. Also, the Anotonio debacle would have been nice for Sue to get into and maybe know a little more about that. Did she tell Leo or was that a closed door convo?!

Also, this story didn't give me the vibe of a grumpy-sunshine. Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed reading it and felt that all the aspects of a good grumpy sunshine were there but just executed... in my opinion... not so great. I don't usually like giving reviews with dislikes because I am not an author, and I don't want to put down anyone's work that they worked hard on. I just thought there could have been upgrades.

One more thing. Did anyone else see the whole mafia bad "b" trope coming at all? Was shooketh when Angela became a factor. I felt like that whole situation would have been to flush out a bit more, really make things impact full. But last but not least, Leo's dad just causaully giving him money seems like such a man thing to do, and then sauntering off into the sunset had me cracking up for some reason.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really brought to light the importance and comfort a close-knit community can bring. As, book blurb states, this book is about a long time Pebble Point resident Sue returning home after traveling abroad for several years. She is immediately embraced back into life with old friendships, most importantly Leo. Leo was her long time boyfriend left behind. He has grown into an extremely attractive man and the two instantly connect to old feelings and the desire for a new future.

Of course, life is never that simple and the author does an amazing job at foreshadowing those challenges the couple will face.

While I enjoyed the town and its inhabitants, I wish we had a dual POV with our main characters. It became a bit repetitive with Sue's thoughts continually driving home both the sense of community and Leo's chances. If some of that inner dialog had been spent on my character dialog and looks into specific events they shared, I feel the story could have been better served.

Still, this book will tug on hearts and genuinely provides a glimpse into what makes small communities can feel like found families. So reminiscent of my personal history!

I recommend this relatively short sweet read to all.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this is an average 2.5 stars. Not bad but I didn't like it enough for 3 stars. But since we can't give half stars, I'll go with 3, because I feel 2 is not accurate either.

This story could benefit from being tightened. Which would probably turn it into a short story, perhaps a novelette... The characters kept saying and thinking the same things over and over.

The story idea was fine, and it had a decent plot, but I feel the actually implementation needs work. I found the narrative dry and choppy, and the dialogues felt forced to me.

The formatting of the dialogues was confusing and made it very difficult for me to follow who was talking half the time. New paragraphs in a dialogue should start typically when person A is done saying something and person B replies...

But here, new paragraphs started when person A continues talking after a brief tag. So you'd have Person A's part of the dialogue broken up into 2 paragraphs, 1 paragraph with the dialogue tag and the other without... then Person B would start answering at paragraph 3. I kept having to go back up the text to check who was saying what. It was frustrating.

I did like the little twist of how Zoe sent Angela away and took care of the problem with her ex-fiancé at the same time. I felt that was clever.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksfunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another sweet, quick novella in this series. The romance is between old friends with a “what might have been, but never was” type of past. It was nice to see them come together. Back to Pebble Point we go with Sue, who returned after years travelling in Europe and reconnected with her old friend, Leo. They both had some problems from their lives during their separation, but Leo’s in particular rose to cause further problems. “‘Strength isn’t just about shouldering everything on your own…it’s also about knowing when to lean on others.’” As in the other books, the community is very important and gets involved too. This book is the fourth in a series, and there is some carryover but it reads as a standalone. This is a closed door story with mild innuendo and very brief, very mild harsh language.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Parhelion · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to read. I will say that the plot had potential to be interesting, and I do think the author made sure there was definitely a sense of place. However, it's a romance and yet the romance between the main characters was unconvincing. They met each other again after many years apart and basically picked up where they left off. There was no chemistry. No push and pull. They just suddenly liked each other again.

The writing was unengaging. There was a lot of repeated and unnecessary. For example, there was an over-reliance on feelings being communicated through the eyes. Feelings were often spelt out rather than shown, and spelt out repeatedly. I also found it a bit weird that the female lead returned to town and was hanging out so much with her former teacher.

I can forgive a poorly written book if I still find myself caring for the characters. This book did not do that for me.

[A Datwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept of the story but the narration was mechanical. To be fair, it is a digital voice and I realise I don't like them. They lack the characteristics of a modulated voice that adds dimension to the performance.

Aside from that, I liked the idea of the plot. There was a lot of description but most of it was focused on the current setting where as I felt some of it should have gone into explaining Leo and Sue's backstory. While it was explained very briefly, I felt it held more significance than it was given, especially considering how fast the romance escalated between the two characters. Because of this I felt that the story was a little lacking. Lots of potential but, for me, it doesn't quite fulfill it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leann Arave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet small town romance with big town drama. Let me explain… Sue returned to her small hometown and quickly ran in to her high school sweetheart. They had parted ways on not the best of terms. But feelings and emotions returned with vigor.
Big town drama shows up in the form of Italian mafia? Do I have you intrigued yet? This is a cute short love story. The plot is maybe a little far-fetched but still held my interest. One downside for me was the repetitive comments, I think a good editing would be helpful. I appreciate the clean romance, but I don’t even remember there being any kissing, Hmmm? Still, it was a lighthearted, easy read.I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a short story, very sweet and funny at times. The characters are realistic, real life reaction. It did a great job showing how small towns can come together, and provide support for one of their own. Sue moved away years ago, and is back. She was welcomed back into the heart of the town and old friendships. She dated Leo way back then, before they moved away and apart. Turns out the chemistry is still there, and they are headed towards a HEA. Sue spent a bit too much time in her head. Overall, well written, and an enjoyable book. The narrations was good, choppy at times, although it may be from how the story was written. Looking forward to more stories from the author. I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Reads lotsa stuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every one has a dream….Sue returns home after traveling for 3 years in Europe. Her first stop appears to be at a bar where she is still carrying her travel laden backpack. The story unwinds as she settles into a visit with a retired high school teacher. The bartender, Leo watches from the side as Sue pivots and crashes a table full of glasses to the floor. Way to make an entrance. As Sue attempts to clean up she finally recognizes the bartender as an old friend from school. Leo and Sue quickly reconnect with more secrets and revelations in every chapter. For young adults they certainly have lived full lives but it makes it that much easier to get wrapped up in their messy lives. Can they possibly become boring when they reach their 30’s?

[Marichus Real · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue has been travelling in Europe and after three years away, she returns home where she finds some friends.
Leo had a lot of financial problems and made a bad decision that now is going to cost him everything he worked so hard to get.
I didn’t like that there were sentences repeated a lot like “I have a confession.”; “There’s something I never told you about that night.”; “There’s something I haven’t told you, something important.”, etc. However, I liked this book because it has a mystery that is developing little by little until the last page. And I liked the end and Sue’s clever idea.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ruth R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sue came back to her Hometown from three years of traveling in Europe.
She entered into the bar Harber Inn it is new she doesn’t remember it. When she goes in she met with her high school English teacher, they catch up and enjoyed talking by mistake her backpack collided with a table full of glasses and everything shredded in the floor.when she asked the bartender to help clean the mess she thought that he is familiar.
When she introduced herself he told her that he knew her but when he told her who he was ,she couldn’t believe because he was her best friend.

This is a lovely story
Even the writing is good.

[Korkoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unconditional Love and Support -
This was an absolutely intriguing second chance romance story with plenty of emotion and small-town charm, as well as an unexpected twist, that you will enjoy reading. The story started out slow, but it picked up the pace with all the angst, suspense and drama, as I kept turning the pages. Grab a copy of this book and you won’t regret it.

I received a copy of this book free and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J. Rose Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

clean and cute

This was a cute story about a runaway bride who went home again and reignited an old flame.

The bartender wasn’t so grumpy and I think timelines are a bit askew. But the story of the two friends growing up together and how they reunited was sweet.

Cute small town romance.

[Jocelyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Elle Winterton's book. This is a sweet friends to lovers small town romance. The characters are interesting. Sadly, I was really disappointed this book was narrated by a digital voice, which was very boring. This should have been mentioned on Booksprout. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. #HumanVoicesOnlyPlease

[casvec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo and Sue's story is a sweet second chance romance as Sue returned to Pebble Point and reconnects with her old friends and her old boy friend, Leo, who now owns the bar.

Their journey is fun and entertaining tale that keeps you turning the pages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, small town romance read. Well written and wonderfully narrated, I fell in love with these characters and the storyline was sweet and swept me away. Captivating and satisfying. A good romance listen that is sure be a heartwarmer.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*this review is based on the audio version of this read.

[Lilly Guirguis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue and Leo are the best, like Luke and Lorelei 🥰🥰

“Our love had weathered storms and emerged stronger, a beacon of hope and resilience amidst the intricate weavings of fate and choice”

Excerpt From
Second Chance with The Grumpy Bartender
Elle Winterton
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. A second chance romance for this pair now she is back in town will she realise who she left behind?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairly short and quick read/listen. It is a sweet grumpy sunshine romance about Sue and Leo. It is a second chance with some emotional aspects, humor and some twists. I enjoyed the story and liked the characters.

[Sarah Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t my personal favourite, but it was a cute little book with a unexpected little twist. But a really quick read which was kind of nice, compared to other really long books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little love story that was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. A short grumpy/sunshine romance!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Summer Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story however the narration by digital voice was not as good as I'd hope and it was obvious that it was a digital voice. Some of the narration seemed stunted.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jamie Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author but it will not be my last . This was a short and sweet second chance romance. So beautifully written .

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Stopped after a few pages. Not my taste, neither the writing style which seemed to have overly much words really, nor the heroine who seemed somewhat shallow from the first few pages.