Once Upon a Grump

by Penelope Bloom

He keeps himself hidden away from the world in his fancy office.
He’s a grumpy caveman in a suit.
If you do see him, you don’t make eye contact.
You don’t get in his way. You definitely don’t cross him.
And whatever you do, absolutely do not start to fall for him.

Whoopsie.

Mr. Untouchable just made the mistake of hiring Ms. Not So Good At Following Rules (that’s me).

Maybe I should rewind a bit here. just got finished fleeing the ruins of my former life.
I picked up everything I owned, drove across the country, and immediately applied for the only job I could find.

So, yeah, I need this. I need it badly enough that I’m not going to let some grouchy caveman in a suit scare me off.

If I was going to run, it definitely would've been the moment he whipped out an N.D.A. and said the job he’s really hiring me for has nothing to do with being his secretary. But curiosity only kills cats, right?

If I want to keep this job, it’s going to mean getting tangled up with his secrets and all the danger that comes along with them. It’s going to mean working too close for comfort with the giant question mark that is my new boss.

He’s convinced I won’t last, but I’m going to enjoy proving him wrong. He thinks I’ll run from the challenge, but he has no idea. And he better not think I’ll fall for him in the process, because there’s no chance.

Christian: I don’t want her to fall for me, I just want to bring her to her knees.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Rom Com, Workplace Romance, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2022

About the author

USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Penelope Bloom is taking her first flight into romantasy—and yes, there are dragons. After years of contemporary romance, she's temporarily trading meet-cutes for magical academies and coffee shops for castles that reek of blood. She promises the banter is just as sharp, but now it comes with deadly consequences.

Fun fact: “Penelope Bloom” started as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the family dog, Penelope—never meant to be anything serious. But then the books took off, and the name stuck. Behind the scenes, Penelope Bloom is actually a husband-and-wife team. He handles the writing; she edits, helps with brainstorming, and runs the reader-facing side of things (like social media and messages). So if you’ve chatted with “Penelope” online, you’ve likely been talking to her—with the author chiming in whenever needed. Together, they’ve built the voice readers know and love.

Reviews

[Vini Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lola is so freaking funny and uncensored.
Exactly the kind of heroine I love to find.
Gotta explore more of the author's works now.
Can't miss out on finding unfiltered heroines now that I've met Lola.

::::::::::::::::

I leaned forward. “A non-disclosure agreement? Aren’t these those things that mean I’m not allowed to talk about something you are going to show me? Is it a really weird mole? Because this might be a bad time to admit I have a thing for pulling out hairs. If you show me a hairy mole, I’m totally busting out the tweezers and having the time of my–”
Christian raised his palm toward me without a sound, cutting me off. I gulped and leaned back in my chair, hands on my thighs.
“If you sign this, I’ll tell you why you’re really here. If you don’t, I’ll give you a severance package and you can be on your way.”
“Oh my God. I read Fifty Shades a few years ago. I mean… Your name happens to be Christian… Are you actually some kind of perverted sex fiend?” I clamped my mouth shut when I saw the look on his face and pressed my lips together. “Sorry. Bad time for jokes

-----

Lola jumped back suddenly, smiling while practically gasping for breath. “Sorry. I’m a little bit of a hugger. It won’t happen again. Sir.” She added that last bit after a delay. “Well, it won’t happen unless you do something really nice again. If you are nice to me, I can’t promise I won’t hug you.”
“I’ll do my best to avoid being nice,” I said flatly.

-----

Mr. Stone stared. “Your dog escaped into a creek this morning and you had to jump in to save her?”
“After I’d already showered. Yes. So I had to shower again. Can you believe that?”
“I don’t, no. This is your first and final warning, Miss Thorn. I do not tolerate tardiness.” He took my arm in his hand and dragged me toward the elevator. I felt like a child getting scolded by her super-hot, grumpy teacher. I should’ve been mortified, but some twisted, perverted part of me hoped we’d get to the spanking part once the elevator doors closed.

-----

I clenched my fists, biting out the words. “You owe me nothing, Lola. This was all my choice.”
She got up and grabbed the bowl of soup, carrying it to the sink and setting it down. “Then at least tell me what this is all really about. If you have feelings for me, act like an adult and just say so. I’m tired of the games.”

YESS ADULT CONVERSATION. She is so direct, leaving no possible miscommunication. I LOVE HER.
-----

I shivered, melting into his touch when he put his big hand on my cheek, cupping it and drawing me closer. “Last chance to run, Butterfly.”
Oh, was he still rolling with the social butterfly nickname? “Why? Do you have handcuffs hidden in your pants or something?”

-----

“I want to taste you so fucking bad,” he growled. His stubble tickled my inner thighs.
“Help yourself,” I whispered.
He looked up, quirking an eyebrow.
“I suck at dirty talk, okay? Just… do your thing. Please,” I added.

-----

“We’ll come back here, and I’ll fuck you so good you won’t have any energy to feel guilty. Then–”
“Fuck me so well,” I corrected.
“No. I’m going to fuck you good. And I’ll fuck that proper grammar of yours, too.”
I scrunched up my forehead, pulling back to look at him. “If I knew good grammar was going to get me fucked by a man like you, I would’ve paid a lot more attention in school.”

-----

I grinned when I rolled over to find Lola sleeping beside me in a pile of messy, tangled hair. Her mouth was hanging open and drool glistened at the corner. She had one leg thrown over the edge of the bed and an arm draped over her forehead. It looked like an explosion had sent her flying and she’d just landed in a heap on my bed.
I leaned in slowly to kiss her forehead. She sucked in a surprised breath through her nose, snorting and rolling over to begin an impressive string of snores

-----

Okay okay enough!
I need to stop quoting all the Lola fun in this. I might end up copy pasting the whole book.

::::::::::::::::

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice fluffy romance 🥰 Lola was the best and so funny too!

[Jezabel Nightingale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely hilarious book about a grumpy millionaire in a high rise tower in a small town. It may seem WTF, but it is so quirkily laugh-out-loud funny that it makes perfect sense.

From buying straws to chew on online because of their flavour, to Termite the pug-cross and her leg humping antics, to a surly teen who got into my heart, it was impossible to put this book down.

Even if you never realised you needed it before, you really do need a small-town, highrise billionaire working grump, pseudo/secret sunshiny EO/nanny romance that brings the laughs and all the good feels!.

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

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ it was just your classic rom com which I will never complain about! It was a slow burn up until the half way mark and then I felt like it all just happened so fast (if that makes any sense lol) so overall it was just a fun and easy read

[Veronica LaRoche · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the banter between Christian & Lola. Lola is a real firecracker that will have you lol. This was a great read and I’m so glad the Christian and Lola got what they deserved.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. Lola is looking for a new start. She ends up working for Christian. The problem is that he is hiding something from everyone. Things between them are complicated but it all works out for them in the end.

[JustOuttaAzkaban · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 DISAPPOINTING STARS

Some of my fav quotes...
I started pushing napkins against his chest around the same time I got my first real look at him. Walls of muscle. Mountains of masculinity. Eyes like little blue daggers made for slicing off panties in one clean swoop. He was the kind of gorgeous that made stories about women falling for their twisted captors believable.

I blinked. I was definitely sleep deprived. He was just a man. A man who was glaring at me as I awkwardly pushed napkins against his hard, sculpted pecs. He had dark black hair cut short at the sides and swooped back at the top. He wasn’t just hot. He was smoldering, even in his PJ’s.

He had a sharp jawline, high cheekbones, great hair, and those eyes… They somehow managed to make me feel like he was picturing me naked and about to drag me back into the rain by my collar at the same time. Why was that combination so hot?

He had a voice like chocolate syrup. Deep, smooth, and delicious. I had a brief and powerful urge to strip off my clothes and drizzle that delicious syrup all over my body.
.
.
Best of all, they were cooking something in the restaurant downstairs that smelled good enough to make me want to lick the inside of my nostrils.
Did she just said that?!
🤢🤢🤢

I leaned forward. “A non-disclosure agreement? Aren’t these those things that mean I’m not allowed to talk about something you are going to show me? Is it a really weird mole? Because this might be a bad time to admit I have a thing for pulling out hairs. If you show me a hairy mole, I’m totally busting out the tweezers and having the time of my–”
Goddddd.. Lola is so talkative and quirky. I really like her.

“Maybe you want to be on one of those reality cooking shows. Or maybe you want to go on a vacation to the Grand Canyon in an old, beat-up RV. But your RV breaks down in the middle of the desert and your only hope is the hot guy who can’t seem to find his shirt. The two of you go off looking for help alone and you have to cuddle for warmth at night. And just when you think the romance is about to blossom, his even hotter brother shows up in the middle of a dust storm and the two of them fight over you, and…” I trailed off when I saw the look she was giving me.
🤣🤣

But this kind of situation was exactly why casual sex was created, right? A group of cavewomen got together, realized that all men were not boyfriend material, and decreed that from that moment forward, “hit it and forget it” could be invoked in special circumstances.
.
.
Lola was something precious. She was fleeting, like the view of a sunset glimpsed through the trees from the window of a bus. There was no stopping the bus. There was no way to stop the sun from sinking out of view. All you could do was recognize the beauty of what you’d seen and try
to memorize it.
.
.
OKKAZZZZZ quotes aside, I had a few problems with this book.
1) The pacing- it was so fast that after a few chapters, it felt very fake and unrealistic. It felt like they went from enemies to casual f*ck buddies to bf-gf to professing their dying unlove for each other within minutes.

2) The character development- Where is the DEPTH? I don't like surface level character personality.

3) Messy plot- This was an office romance so why the hell is mafia coming in between? It was totally unnecessary. It felt like as if Ms. Penelope Bloom was in a hurry to just finish this book..

THIS BOOK STARTED REALLY GOOD BUT IT WENT DOWNHILL WAY RAPIDLY WHICH WAS QUITE UNEXPECTED..

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! We get to come back to Fairhope again. It’s not the couple I was expecting we’d see next, but I loved this opportunity to see the town from the view of these two, relative, newcomers. I couldn't help but be charmed by these characters. It was so easy for me to sympathize with Lola as she said way too much at the worst possible times. And it was impossible for me not to feel Christian’s pain and frustration when he was working so hard to jump through the hoops the Board set for him. This book kept me laughing all while it tried to break my heart as I watched Lola and Christian try to fight the chemistry pulling them together. I don't know which direction the author is going to take us in next, but I know I'm already looking forward to it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Kelly (the book hussy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, it was OK. A little too long. I kept checking how far along I was….not a good sign.

It started good, then got boring in the middle. Then there’s some OTT drama at the end with one of the board of directors. I know authors love conflict, but it needs to be believable. Not just thrown in there for the sake of adding conflict.

The heroine’s reason for leaving NY and starting over was also a strange storyline. She never wanted to talk about it. It was built up so much…and then once it comes out….anticlimactic.

I liked Max, the hero’s niece. We never get a scene with her dad. Or any closure there. I would have liked that added.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian is a rich CEO living a hermit lifestyle in the skyscraper he had built in Smalltown Colorado. Lola left her old life in New York after some emotional upheaval and got a job as Christian's assistant, only to find herself taking care of his niece Max instead. Christian has got himself mixed up in the schemes of some dangerous people and is scared of Max or Lola getting hurt.

This story was entertaining, even if it felt a little far fetched at times.

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

[Emily Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lola and Christian . . .

Lola Thorn and her dog moved to Colorado to get a new start. She gets a job and it seems that everyone really likes her with her sunshine personality. But… her boss, Christian Stone, is not what he seems. He is grouchy and bossier than a boss should be. But Lola still has to try to avoid her attraction to the man. Can a girl like Lola, who is open and without filters, keep Christian’s secrets and do the job he expects? Or will she have to walk away?

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun and entertaining enemies to lovers romantic comedy. Lola and her dog move to Colorado and she has an interview for a job. She's full of sunshine and bubbly and her new boss, Christian is a grouch. Of course, there is an instant attraction to each other. Their first interaction is great and sets the whole story in motion. Lots of laugh out loud moments and truly great characters.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Improbable plot, and I have questions

Let me get this straight —

Chase and his two brothers started a company, built it up from scratch. They have a board of directors three of whom are trying to rest control from their family. Whether it's public or private, those three brothers had to have shares in the company or else equity that would give them voting rights. That block of company control would prevent or head off board members trying to take over your company. And they're not even all the board members, and there hasn't been mention of a vote.

Now one brother, the former CEO? slept with his assistant and she committed some industrial espionage against his company. But he's the one to go to jail for 5 years? The other brother also fell in love with his assistant, ended up marrying her and walking away from the company.

Now we have Christian who has taken the CEO slot, and is being threatened by three directors of the board who wanted to depose him. One of them is the son of a mobster.

Christian also has taken his niece in after his brother went to jail and he is afraid that this will be held against him if those directors find out. So he keeps her in his penthouse in this building.

Now here comes Lola, his new EA. Eventually they start something and then the whole cycle happens again.

Now I like Max and I sort of like Lola although she's a little immature and she flaps her mouth a lot. And she doesn't seem to be doing any work nor does Christian really have that much work for her, or himself for that matter. He spends a lot of time looking at her through the security cameras. (Not that we really know what the company does.)

So aside from all the other plot holes, the basic premise of this book is that these three brothers, two of whom got pushed out from company leadership, and now the third is head of the company and he's in danger of being pushed out. Excuse me: what about those blocks of shares/equity? This book treats them like they are hired CEOs rather than than founders who built the company from the ground up. It doesn't make sense to me and it's not explained in any other way.

Christian feels under pressure. Yet, the son of a mobster sits on his board. Excuse me! That is SEC, DOJ, and Treasury worthy right there. It would bring him out from under whatever threat or pressure he is in. After the initial threat, Christian uses that if his brothers have been around, he could have put them on them to investigate the directors. But he can't now. There are people he could hire for that.

The whole "keep my niece a secret and don't let her leave my apartment or else I'll lose my job" is totally improbable to me.

This could have been a much better book had the framework been a little more believable, and Christian less clueless. A more improbable CEO I have never seen. And no one on the executive floor acts professionally. Lola's coworkers Cassie and Paisley continually want to know if she's f**king Christian and they've only known her for a few days.

And what's the deal with Lola moving into a squalid apartment that smells like 13 cats when she's making a decent salary and could live somewhere better?

The one strong character in this book was Maxine, Christian's 14-year-old niece. She's snarky, and she has issues because people just leave her. But she seems real.

Had this been presented as a proxy fight and the niece's life threatened, I would have gone for that. The elements were all there. And the whole spiel about the brothers walking away from the company — oh please. What could have been a great story had me raising my eyebrows throughout.

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

[Nerdy Norie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an all around good love story! A lovable grumpy man with a fun-loving leading lady. Toss in some drama… A littttttle spice (it’s not too much at all) and you have a Bloom Beauty! The grumpy billionaire executive, Christian, draws you in immediately because you see straight through his grumpiness. And Lola has such a good personality he cannot help but be drawn to her. It’s a quick read you’ll chuckle throughout!.

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

[geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast... 4.5 Stars

Things aren't always what they seem.

One look at Christian Stone and can imagine that every woman wants to be his and men wish they could be him. A sexy CEO Christian commands obedience and hard work from his employees and tolerates no slacking off. King of the Jungle, this Lion finds himself on a leash that he does not appreciate. Life has thrown him a lot of curve balls and not just to him but his siblings as well and his latest curve ball has him walking around like a zombie! In light of all of his responsibilities the last thing he needs are distractions... including the kinds that has miles and smiles of curves...

Lorna Thorne is a ball of energy that is dealing with a world of hurt. You know life has thrown you for a loop when you are driving to a job interview in the middle of the night. Looking for a fresh start Lorna applied for a job that delivered her to a potential job miles and miles away. Experiencing betrayal and lies it's hard to thrive when you don't whom you can truly trust. Well one she does give her heart to has 4 legs and has an addiction. Ready to spread sunshine to all those she meets Lorna has her own issues to face... namely a tall dark haired hunk of muscle with blue eyes that turn her to jelly. Determined to do self-reflection she can't help herself from pulling is chain... and other parts.

I enjoyed this story that keeps the reader engaged with the trajectory of the story and entertained not only with main characters but the supporting characters as well. Every book that I have read from Ms. Bloom keeps me laughing. I literally read this book in one day. The only thing that caught my attention was a couple transitions in the story and maintaining the integrity of the story.

For example, if I violated an NDA there are no second chances and I'll leave it at that. All in all it was a great read... Good Job!.

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

[Kim Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read books from this author before and haven’t been disappointed yet. I didn’t even know this book existed had I not seen it in my subscription emails. It follows my typical plot line I enjoy with a billionaire and falling for someone in the workplace. This started off as an enemies to lovers theme then slowly became one of compassion, love, desire and friendship. This is my only complaint, that it was very slow moving in the beginning but I still kept wanting more and continued reading. One might say that this type of plot line is always the same and never changes, which is true most of the time. However, there is always differences in the stories that makes them all subtlety different and keeps my interest. In this case Christian is portrayed as a hard ass and grumpier than most bosses I’ve read about. It got to the point where his staff cowers when they see him and he fires quickly and often never being satisfied and always expects top notch. He even makes them cry. This I haven’t read about before so this alone was different. In comes Lola with an air of positivity about her and ability to call things out when she doesn’t agree with something as well as riding Christian’s ass and giving him a hard time. This isn’t new, though Lola really made me want to be her friend and I enjoyed reading about her antics and thoughts. I loved her boldness and ability to get Christian to come out of his shell. Once that happened he became a totally different person, though it took a while until he gave in. He became one who laughs and wasn’t afraid to drop his walls and open up to the possibility of love. When they finally give into their desires, the heat was palatable and the need and want between them was exciting to read. At the end of the book we are faced with intense drama and danger which added more depth to the already fascinating story. I feel like it added a lot to the book and definitely kept it interesting. Great stumble on this book and to me the length was perfect, not too long and not too short.

[Meryl Markowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her name was Lola....no she wasn't a showgirl, she was a girl on the run from a stressful situation in NYC. She packed up her clothes and dog and headed out west to start anew. She has an interview lined up to be an executive assistant. She's a bit nervous and decides to drive by the office building to scoop things out, and discovers a man in PJs drinking coffee at the door of the building. Figuring she could get some inside tips, she enters the building to talk to PJ man.
PJ man, unbeknownst to her is Christian Stone, the CEO and the man she will working for, if she gets the job. He grudgingly offers this strange woman a cup of coffee and winds up doing an informal interview, without her knowledge. He has his reasons for being secretive, and his life is super complicated. he decides that regardless how beautiful he thinks she is, HE WILL NOT GET INVOLVED>
When Lola shows up and is immediately hired, she realizes she has her work cut out for her. Not only does Christian have a giant stick up his you know where, she has her past in New York, that is clambering to be settled.
The longer these two work together, the tighter the tension is wound, until something just snaps in them and the chemistry is explosive. There are snarky, sassy characters , situations and characters that will make you laugh out loud and hot, steamy scenes that will have you fanning yourself.
This is a fun, fast read and you'll be glad you read it. Penelope Bloom never disappoints
Thank you to Books Sprout for the advanced copy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Upon a Grump is the second book associated with the Fairhope, Colorado town, but it does stand alone. Lola is running from her past towards a job that she can’t afford to lose. Working for Christian isn’t easy, especially when it comes with a side of danger, but she can’t seem to resist him. Christian knows that to be with Lola would potentially be the end to everything he’s ever worked for, but when danger stalks those he loves, can they ever find their happily ever after?

This book was a fantastic read! I went in expecting one thing and definitely got something different, but in the best of ways! I really enjoyed Lola and Christian’s dynamic and relationship. I loved that they both were a bit broken, not looking for a relationship, and had some pretty solid reasons why they shouldn’t be together, but just couldn’t help themselves. Lola was fun. She had great charisma, she was confident in herself (mostly), and I loved how much of her heart she gave to her job and those around her. Her love for his niece made me just as happy as her love for Christian. Definitely grumpy and used to getting his way, Christian was a great character that just didn’t know how to have it all, and had a huge amount of responsibility on his shoulders. Thinking he could only rely on himself, it was fun to watch him interact and face the challenge that is Lola. I liked them together. I liked watching them bring the other out of their shell. And I liked their passion! There’s some drama that’s working in the background of this story, which I think enhances the storyline, and once I started this book, I didn’t want to put it down because I just didn’t know what would happen next. I have been liking this series so far and can’t wait for the next one!

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying a new beginning was not proving easy for Lola and even less when her new demanding, controlling and extremely attractive boss, constantly challenged her. Not to mention the mystery that seemed to surround him and with which Lola had to deal. Almost impossible, for a girl like her, truthful and communicative, to keep secrets. Lola's personality and her lack of filter when expressing herself made me laugh a lot. The attraction between her and Christian was immediate despite the clash of personalities. Well shown the fact that opposites attract and these two had a mega magnet. I was struck by Christian's personality, his corporate problems and the role played by his brothers' actions. I almost, almost saw him losing control with the social Butterfly! Besides, the chota took me by surprise! I had not imagined that. Lola kept me intrigued for much of the story, hoping to find out what issue she left behind. Liked her relationship with Max. how she was helping then girl and naturally the tender and amusing scenes with Termita. An interesting, intriguing, and very funny story with good characters, family, strong emotions, office environment, cut-throat villains, romance and passion. I voluntarily reviewed this copy that I received for free from Booksprout and I had a lot of fun with it.

[Linda Whitacre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this “fighting the instant attraction” of this story. I especially LOVE Lola. Her monologue is off the charts. Lola may feel cowardly about facing the past she ran from but she holds nothing back when dealing with rude, grumpy, beautiful Christian Stone, the CEO of Stone Financial.
Christian is the last brother left to run Stone Financial. One brother was kicked out for having an affair with his assistant and the other brother is in jail because he got mixed up in some funny business. The board of directors is seriously hounding Christian watching his every move, waiting for him to fail so they can kick him out too. This poor guy is under a lot of pressure including now caring for Max, the teenage daughter of his jailed brother.
Lola is the latest hire for his personal assistant; a job that is more as a tutor to his niece Max than to just shuffling papers. Lola is a sweet lovable outgoing fun funny person who everyone quickly loves. Even though she is new in town she soon has many friends. Her new “student”, Max, is a snotty hostile teenager who hasn’t had the best life but Lola is changing that too. Lola changes a lot for many, including Christian.
Once Upon a Grump is a good interesting story full of wonderful characters and is set in a lovely small town. Linda

[Linda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drawn in to the story immediately, lots of passion and intrigue
Sometimes I start a book knowing that the ending will be what is expected BUT also knowing that the journey to the HEA is what it is all about. Ms. Bloom has a knack for making that trip oh so much fun! If you want a laugh-out-loud rom-com, read this book. Heck, read any of Ms. Bloom’s books. They are all a true delight.
In this book you will immediately be focused on Lola Thorn. She is 25yo and making a new start away from family and friends in a little town: Fairhope, Colorado. A painful event made her leave her home in New York. What was it? She has come to Fairhope for an interview at Stone Financial Corp which seems to be misplaced, this huge towering skyscraper in this little Podunk town. What’s with that?! Her meet-cute with none other than Christian Stone, CEO of Stone Financial, on the night before her interview will set the stage. But this wouldn’t be a Bloom story without heat and intrigue. Love Max and the other secondary characters. The resolution comes quickly but I for one want that to happen so we can get on to the Epilogue. Good Stuff.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Booksprout and highly recommend it to readers who like to laugh while squirming in their seat. Wink!

[K. Smock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! This was an unexpectedly funny enemies to lover read. Great characters especially the leads with great dialogue and a story that keeps you reading right to the end. Lola was in need of a change, a drastic change. She left New York and drove with her dog, Termite, to a small Colorado town that had a large financial company in need of an executive assistant. Christian is the alpha male who is the CEO of Stone Financial and a bit of a recluse. He has had to deal with tons of stress as well as taking on more than is possible. After signing an NDA, Lola learns that Christian really wants her to tutor his niece and she can't tell anyone what she is doing. Lola is the bubbliest nice person you will meet who knows how to get along with people. I think Christian is jealous of her ability to communicate with people. Chrisitan can't get Lola out of his head. She is distracting him from his work. Will Christian take the risk of a casual affair with her get them what they want? or will it all blow up in their faces? A surprisingly entertaining read.

I voluntarily wrote this review from reading an advanced copy of this book from Booksprout.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story from the An Enemies to Lovers Romance Series with Lola a young woman running away from her life in NY and Christian a grumpy CEO whose trying to hold onto his business built by him and his brothers. I love the 1st interactions between Christian and Lola and how it step the pace for the entire story with laughter throughout. Lola tries to keep their relationship professional and along the way she makes friends and starts to rebuild her life. One day Christian stats to show he is human and not just a grump and kisses Lola with an undeniable heat. These two have a love hate relationship, Lola’s constant quirky comments keep everyone on their toes. Lola ignores Christian’s bossy comments and gives some of her own. Max is a wonderful teenager whose had a difficult time with every adult leave her. Lola has a beautiful relationship with Max and they form an unbreakable bond. They way Christian deals with the threat causes problems but he does what he can to protect the two most important women in his life! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the engaging, enthralling, and captivating enemies to lovers romance.story. When Lola first comes to town with her dog, Termite, she wants to glance at the place her interview is at the next. morning, she meets a mysterious, handsome, arrogant, grumpy stranger reading a newspaper in the Stone Tower Lobby who won't tell her his name, offers her coffee, and asks her questions. about herself. Christian, the CEO. of the. company from last. night, has her sign an NDA, and wants. her to secretly watch his niece during the. day and part-time as the Executive Secretary who assigns the job duties to everyone else. Even though Christian is attracted to Lola and starts having feelings for her, he. can't let himself get involved with an employee and needs to primarily focus on the company. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written with captivating characters, and a. riveting story that captures the reader's attention from the first page of the story until the last page of the story. Another must read love story by the phenomenal and amazing author, Penelope Bloom.

[Terri Zumbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

In ONCE UPON A GRUMP Christian is the grumpy boss with some serious family and business challenges that really give him reason to be the grump. Along comes Lola, a quirky, bubbly and unintimidated-by-the-grump type who is fleeing her life in NYC for Stone Industries in Fairhope, CO.

It’s an entertaining story that stretches the boundaries of what people would likely do, but it’s done with both fun and passion between our two MC. Christian does his best to resist Lola’s pull, but her “crazy” leaves him helpless to her charms.

The only thing I didn’t like about the story was that it felt like it was already going along at a good clip before I entered it. In other words, I felt like there were things I should have known about but missed. It could have been the way the story was told or it could have been that there was actually an overarching theme that went through other books that I didn’t read (likely). Either way, I eventually got up to speed and figure out what I missed.

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

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is everything we want in a billionaire romance read: A sexy, grumpy, damaged man - and a sweet, bubbly, caring woman, in need of a fresh start. Love it!

I found this difficult to stop reading once I began, as the pages turned themselves. It is easy to read and very quickly into the story, I was invested in Lola's happiness. Her initial meeting with "Mr. Stone" is cute.
While some of this story goes the way I expected, other parts were a surprise. I was happy, frustrated, sad, hopeful and more in this story, and that is exactly why I read these! All the feels - very entertaining!
The chemistry and attraction between these two is written well, and they are nice and steamy together! The HEA was exactly what I wanted for these characters.

In the past I had enjoyed works from this author, so when I had the opportunity to grab this free ARC from Booksprout, I did. I voluntarily (happily) leave this review, as I recommend this author and this book, along with her numerous other works.

[Julie Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola moves from New York to Fairhope after her fiancé cheats on her and she needs to get away. The job vacancy for an Executive Assistant sound perfect so why not.

Christian is the CEO of Stone Financial and a complete grump but things aren't what they seem.

After mistaking Christian for night security and unwittingly being interviewed for the vacancy of EA, Lola arrives still excepting to be attending an interview. However Christian has other ideas.

One DNA and an introduction to his niece Max, and working as an EA to the CEO, Lola starts a rollercoaster of a ride with Christian.

She brings out the best in him, and Max is absolutely adorable. However when things get personal and danger lurks Christian breaks off their relationship without a good explanation to try to protect her. .

I wouldn't say that this book made me laugh but it definitely made me smile.

It is wonderfully written, and kept the pages turning throughout.

Thoroughly recommended.

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

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "ONCE UPON A GRUMP" This is an exceptional laugh out loud story with some pain, frustration, secrets, passion, angst, sympathy, ou can't put this book down addicting to the end.
Lola Thorn with her dog Termite leave her home town in New York something terrible happened to make her leave headed to the town of Faurhope to interview for an assistants job at Stone Financial Corp where Christian Stone is CEO.
Christian Stone known for his grumpy nature trying to hold onto his business hires Lola after signing an NDA he really wants her to tutor his neice & she can't tell anyone they have a kind of love hate relationship.
Max is a great teenager who has a special bond with Lola always had trouble with adults before her as bossy as Christian is to her she gives as good as she gets keeping everyone on their toes.
I definitely recommend to get this very interesting, entertaining, engaging story I loved the chemistry between Christian & Lola will they get a HEA you must get this book to see how it all turns out.
EXCELLENT MUST HAVE BOOK FOR SURE!!!!

[Tracie Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola is running away from her life in New York and runs straight to Colorado for a Job interview at Stone Towers. She decides to get a feel of the place when she arrives in town and goes into the unlocked door. Starts a conversation with a man she thinks is security. Leaves and goes to the Inn next morning she goes to her interview. When she meets Mr. Stone it dawns on her it wasnt security last night but the man himself. He actualy hires her on the spot feeling she is the only person that is true and real with him. Hes a Grumpy man that most of his employees butter up too. But Lola isnt really hired to be his assistant its to Tutor his niece. Now the laughs really begin. Lolas comical on her own but add Max that you will laugh so hard. I love these characters from Grumpy himself to the sweet Lola. Penelope Bloom has done it again with this book.

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

[Ann Mihailovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once Upon a Grump by Penelope Bloom is a grumpy, sunshine, office romance romcom that can be read as a standalone. The main characters are Lola and Christian. Lola Thorn uprooted her life from New York and moved to Colorado with her dog in hopes of a new fresh start. She finds a job working as an assistant to billionaire CEO Christian Stone. Christian has just taken the helm of CEO along with becoming guardian of his niece. He has a lot on his shoulders with trying to keep the company that he and his brothers built. His bubbly assistant has him seeing her in a different light but he refuses to become involved with an employee as he needs to give his attention to the company. What will happen with these two?
Another great story by Penelope Bloom. Lots of laughs, banter and I loved the chemistry and attraction between these two. I also enjoyed the roles from the secondary characters in this story.