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Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy: A Small Town Best Friend's Brother Sweet Romance
My best friend’s getting married in Maui.
But wait...her grumpy brother, aka my secret teenage crush,
is going to be there, tempting my heart all over again.
I left our beach town for a fast-paced career in NYC.
Glamorous, ambitious—until burnout hit hard.
So when my best friend’s wedding invite came,
I didn’t hesitate.
What I didn’t expect?
For her brother to pick me up.
Or for us to be sharing a house.
He’s still broody. Still ridiculously handsome.
Back then, he was a flirt with a new girlfriend every week.
Now, he runs his family’s pineapple farm with a quiet strength I never expected.
One cliff jump rescue, one breakfast in bed, and one slow dance...
I wonder—has he been hiding feelings too?
One kiss...and the best friend code is hanging by a thread.
What if I want the one guy I was never supposed to have?
Loving him risks our friendship and everything I’ve built in NYC.
But leaving might break me for good.
He’s the one risk I’m willing to take...
even if it changes everything.
Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy is a sweet, spark-filled escape with plenty of swoon, zero steam, and a heart-melting HEA. Each book in the Aloha Ever After series is a standalone, so you can dive in anytime and in any order. Get swept away to Makakoa, Maui, a dreamy, sun-drenched beach town where the surf’s up, hearts are full, and love always finds its way.
But wait...her grumpy brother, aka my secret teenage crush,
is going to be there, tempting my heart all over again.
I left our beach town for a fast-paced career in NYC.
Glamorous, ambitious—until burnout hit hard.
So when my best friend’s wedding invite came,
I didn’t hesitate.
What I didn’t expect?
For her brother to pick me up.
Or for us to be sharing a house.
He’s still broody. Still ridiculously handsome.
Back then, he was a flirt with a new girlfriend every week.
Now, he runs his family’s pineapple farm with a quiet strength I never expected.
One cliff jump rescue, one breakfast in bed, and one slow dance...
I wonder—has he been hiding feelings too?
One kiss...and the best friend code is hanging by a thread.
What if I want the one guy I was never supposed to have?
Loving him risks our friendship and everything I’ve built in NYC.
But leaving might break me for good.
He’s the one risk I’m willing to take...
even if it changes everything.
Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy is a sweet, spark-filled escape with plenty of swoon, zero steam, and a heart-melting HEA. Each book in the Aloha Ever After series is a standalone, so you can dive in anytime and in any order. Get swept away to Makakoa, Maui, a dreamy, sun-drenched beach town where the surf’s up, hearts are full, and love always finds its way.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2025
12 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Tanner
11 books11 followersEvelyn Tanner loves all things sweet romance with socially awkward heroines and charming gentleman heroes—stories that melt your heart. Happily-ever-afters are a must. While crafting her stories, she loves to have green tea and sweet treats within reach. When she’s not working on her books, she enjoys cooking up something (hopefully) delicious in her kitchen, chasing her son at the playground, and hiking to soak up nature. Evelyn lives in California with her loving husband and adorable son.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 3, 2025
✅🩷Thank you @evelyntannerauthor for the opportunity to read Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
My thoughts:
This was a very sweet read. It is a closed door romance with zero steam.
The setting is beautiful Maui…Makakoa is a cozy beach town.
The main characters are Lea and Kai. Leo comes to Maui to help Kai’s sister with her wedding.
Childhood was a rough time for Lea…she’s always had feelings for Kai. Can she keep her crush a secret???
Lea’s life is in NYC and Kai’s life is in Makakoa, Maui.
What could this mean to them?
There is plenty of swoon moments that will have you sighing deeply.
Though part of a series, this can be read as a standalone.
#shortbookthyme
@shortbookthyme
My thoughts:
This was a very sweet read. It is a closed door romance with zero steam.
The setting is beautiful Maui…Makakoa is a cozy beach town.
The main characters are Lea and Kai. Leo comes to Maui to help Kai’s sister with her wedding.
Childhood was a rough time for Lea…she’s always had feelings for Kai. Can she keep her crush a secret???
Lea’s life is in NYC and Kai’s life is in Makakoa, Maui.
What could this mean to them?
There is plenty of swoon moments that will have you sighing deeply.
Though part of a series, this can be read as a standalone.
#shortbookthyme
@shortbookthyme
July 5, 2025
Kai and Lea . . .
Mari is getting married in Hawaii. She and Lea are best friends, so Lea is flying to Hawaii from New York where she now lives and works to be there for her best friend. Back in their teenage years, Lea had been attracted to Kai, Mari’s brother, who always seemed to have a new girlfriend on a regular basis. Lea soon finds out Mari has sent Kai to pick Lea up at the airport. Because of termite fumigation which they expected to be completed by now but still smelled nasty, Lea has to now stay at the pineapple farm with Kai, making things even more awkward. Kai is actually running the pineapple farm by himself and is struggling. After the guests tour the farm, Lea asks him about maybe putting in a tasting area of some kind for tourists who visit the farm so they can sample fresh pineapple and perhaps sample a drink made with the juice. That would be the best way to sell directly to them and increase his business. And he likes her idea. Will he start paying more attention to her? Will he recognize that his own reactions to her might be indicating he has real feelings developing toward her? And does she still feel her attraction to him? Just maybe she no longer wants to live in New York when there is so much more waiting for her here with Kai.
Mari is getting married in Hawaii. She and Lea are best friends, so Lea is flying to Hawaii from New York where she now lives and works to be there for her best friend. Back in their teenage years, Lea had been attracted to Kai, Mari’s brother, who always seemed to have a new girlfriend on a regular basis. Lea soon finds out Mari has sent Kai to pick Lea up at the airport. Because of termite fumigation which they expected to be completed by now but still smelled nasty, Lea has to now stay at the pineapple farm with Kai, making things even more awkward. Kai is actually running the pineapple farm by himself and is struggling. After the guests tour the farm, Lea asks him about maybe putting in a tasting area of some kind for tourists who visit the farm so they can sample fresh pineapple and perhaps sample a drink made with the juice. That would be the best way to sell directly to them and increase his business. And he likes her idea. Will he start paying more attention to her? Will he recognize that his own reactions to her might be indicating he has real feelings developing toward her? And does she still feel her attraction to him? Just maybe she no longer wants to live in New York when there is so much more waiting for her here with Kai.
July 2, 2025
Kai and Lea's story is the best summer read! With a setting in Hawaii, you can't go wrong! That's just the icing on the cake, though, because you get all the good summer vibes from Kai and Lea! The story starts out centered around Mari, Kai's sister and Lea's best friend. It's her wedding that has brought them together again. From the very beginning, we get a taste of the snarky banter between Kai and Lea, and I'm all for it. These two are wonderful! The banter hides those pesky feelings that consume the rest of the book. There's angst, deep connection, misunderstandings, and then just wonderfulness!! I just loved watching these two and being in their world as they built it! I HATED having to leave it. It was over way too soon. I was crying, laughing, rejoicing, and just sitting with warm feelings of contentment. It was the best!!
July 2, 2025
I enjoyed this quick beach read. The characters were relatable & the pace felt realistic & not forced. I also liked how the story didn't just end when they got together but continued to show how they grew as a team.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 3, 2025
Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I just couldn’t put down this book. I loved the characters, the storyline, the setting, the drama, the unknowns, and the feelings in this wonderfully written story.
Lea has arrived at the airport in Hawaii, yes, this story is in beautiful Hawaii and seems to be her usual clumsy self. She almost single handedly destroyed a Welcome to Paradise display at baggage claim. And just her luck, Kai is there to witness the whole episode. She’s not so thrilled to see him, but Mari, her best friend and bride to be, sent her brother to pick her up. Lea noticed her best friend’s brother, but it seemed there was always a new girl every time she went to a sleepover at Mari’s. Now, it’s been about ten years since she’s thought about him and the crush she had on him.
On the road to get to her destination, she makes small talk and notices how attentive Kai is to the road and traffic. She attempts to make small talk, but his answers are short, and he doesn’t ask her any questions. Lea asks about the farm and his reply is “It’s struggling.” She wasn’t expecting that. Mari had told her that her parents had died in an accident, but she had no idea how their deaths had affected the farm. They finally reach her parents’ home, and her dad is there to meet them before she can even get out of the truck. It seems they “started a termite fumigation in the guest wing two days ago. Thought it’d be done by now, but the smell is still lingering.” The guest wing is Mari’s old room. Her parents’ bedroom also has a lingering smell and they’ve been staying at her Auntie Mary’s while it airs out. As Kai starts to get back in his truck, he looks over and asks, “You want a bed or not?” “The drive to the Hamilton beach house is quieter than before, but it feels…different.” When they finally pull up to the house, Lea is “hit with a flood of memories-sleepovers with Mari, backyard barbecues and impromptu camping nights, sneaking sodas when they thought no one was watching…and, of course, a few that included Kai and whatever girl he was flirting with that week.”
Mari is there to greet them when they arrive. Luckily, they have one room left and it’s across from Kai’s. How will Lea handle this?
The wedding party is scheduled for a tour in less than an hour, so Kai needs to make sure everything’s ready for that, but his stomach twists as he walks by the invoices taped to the bard wall. The farm isn’t doing so great at the moment. Kai tells them about the pineapple farm and leads them on a tour. Afterwards, Lea approaches him and asks if he has “thought about adding a mini tasting station. Something interactive for guests?”
Lea explains that he knows the tour spiel, but if “people could sample right here- fresh pineapple slices, and maybe a drink made with the juice-it might make the experience feel more immersive. Especially for guest who post everything online.”
Kai is thinking that the tour isn’t something they normally do. He just arranged it for Mari and her wedding party. After talking with Lea, he is warming up to her idea. How will he get through this wedding with his feelings all over the place since Lea arrived?
This story is filled with unexpected feelings, new experiences, changes, a wedding, and maybe a new romance. You don’t want to miss Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy by Evelyn Tanner! Get your copy today and get lost in this wonderful story filled with challenges, hope, and happiness.
Lea has arrived at the airport in Hawaii, yes, this story is in beautiful Hawaii and seems to be her usual clumsy self. She almost single handedly destroyed a Welcome to Paradise display at baggage claim. And just her luck, Kai is there to witness the whole episode. She’s not so thrilled to see him, but Mari, her best friend and bride to be, sent her brother to pick her up. Lea noticed her best friend’s brother, but it seemed there was always a new girl every time she went to a sleepover at Mari’s. Now, it’s been about ten years since she’s thought about him and the crush she had on him.
On the road to get to her destination, she makes small talk and notices how attentive Kai is to the road and traffic. She attempts to make small talk, but his answers are short, and he doesn’t ask her any questions. Lea asks about the farm and his reply is “It’s struggling.” She wasn’t expecting that. Mari had told her that her parents had died in an accident, but she had no idea how their deaths had affected the farm. They finally reach her parents’ home, and her dad is there to meet them before she can even get out of the truck. It seems they “started a termite fumigation in the guest wing two days ago. Thought it’d be done by now, but the smell is still lingering.” The guest wing is Mari’s old room. Her parents’ bedroom also has a lingering smell and they’ve been staying at her Auntie Mary’s while it airs out. As Kai starts to get back in his truck, he looks over and asks, “You want a bed or not?” “The drive to the Hamilton beach house is quieter than before, but it feels…different.” When they finally pull up to the house, Lea is “hit with a flood of memories-sleepovers with Mari, backyard barbecues and impromptu camping nights, sneaking sodas when they thought no one was watching…and, of course, a few that included Kai and whatever girl he was flirting with that week.”
Mari is there to greet them when they arrive. Luckily, they have one room left and it’s across from Kai’s. How will Lea handle this?
The wedding party is scheduled for a tour in less than an hour, so Kai needs to make sure everything’s ready for that, but his stomach twists as he walks by the invoices taped to the bard wall. The farm isn’t doing so great at the moment. Kai tells them about the pineapple farm and leads them on a tour. Afterwards, Lea approaches him and asks if he has “thought about adding a mini tasting station. Something interactive for guests?”
Lea explains that he knows the tour spiel, but if “people could sample right here- fresh pineapple slices, and maybe a drink made with the juice-it might make the experience feel more immersive. Especially for guest who post everything online.”
Kai is thinking that the tour isn’t something they normally do. He just arranged it for Mari and her wedding party. After talking with Lea, he is warming up to her idea. How will he get through this wedding with his feelings all over the place since Lea arrived?
This story is filled with unexpected feelings, new experiences, changes, a wedding, and maybe a new romance. You don’t want to miss Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy by Evelyn Tanner! Get your copy today and get lost in this wonderful story filled with challenges, hope, and happiness.
July 1, 2025
Love, Family, Hawaii, To Pineapple Everything!
This is the second book in the Aloha Ever After series. Lea lives and works in New York City, but she is returning to Maui, Hawaii for her BFF Mari’s wedding. Mari’s brother Kai picks her up at the airport which gives us the awkward, meeting up with your childhood crush scene. 😏 Apparently, a few years before is when Mari and Kai’s parents died in some kind of accident. It left Kai running the family’s pineapple farm. 🍍 Mari and her groom, Nathan, have tons of ‘typical’ Hawaii things planned for the incoming guests, beach time, jumping out of airplanes and…cliff jumping. Um, I actually Googled Cliff Diving vs Cliff Jumping. I knew what cliff diving was, but I guess I wanted to double check about cliff jumping was. When I did this, Google came up with tombstoning. 🙅 Yes, you just heard my mental, slamming on the brakes sound! All I could think was, ‘Lea don’t do it!’
Yes, she cliff jumped, but it didn’t end in a tombstone. 😌 Other than the whole cliff jumping scene, this book is completely at Island Time pace; slow, relaxed and unhurried. 🌺 Even with situations that would make most people highly stressed and uptight, Ms. Tanner managed to keep the tone and pace throughout the story and characters. I appreciated that Lea managed to not bring New York City type stress to Hawaii, she managed to learn how to be present, be in the here and now. My biggest question throughout the story was, if you live in Hawaii, where on Earth are you going on your honeymoon? If this wasn’t set in Hawaii, I honestly wouldn’t ever think that farmers were also surfers. 🏄🏽 This is a very enjoyable story and makes me want to go read the first book of the series, Stuck with My Enemy Protector.
I received this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the second book in the Aloha Ever After series. Lea lives and works in New York City, but she is returning to Maui, Hawaii for her BFF Mari’s wedding. Mari’s brother Kai picks her up at the airport which gives us the awkward, meeting up with your childhood crush scene. 😏 Apparently, a few years before is when Mari and Kai’s parents died in some kind of accident. It left Kai running the family’s pineapple farm. 🍍 Mari and her groom, Nathan, have tons of ‘typical’ Hawaii things planned for the incoming guests, beach time, jumping out of airplanes and…cliff jumping. Um, I actually Googled Cliff Diving vs Cliff Jumping. I knew what cliff diving was, but I guess I wanted to double check about cliff jumping was. When I did this, Google came up with tombstoning. 🙅 Yes, you just heard my mental, slamming on the brakes sound! All I could think was, ‘Lea don’t do it!’
Yes, she cliff jumped, but it didn’t end in a tombstone. 😌 Other than the whole cliff jumping scene, this book is completely at Island Time pace; slow, relaxed and unhurried. 🌺 Even with situations that would make most people highly stressed and uptight, Ms. Tanner managed to keep the tone and pace throughout the story and characters. I appreciated that Lea managed to not bring New York City type stress to Hawaii, she managed to learn how to be present, be in the here and now. My biggest question throughout the story was, if you live in Hawaii, where on Earth are you going on your honeymoon? If this wasn’t set in Hawaii, I honestly wouldn’t ever think that farmers were also surfers. 🏄🏽 This is a very enjoyable story and makes me want to go read the first book of the series, Stuck with My Enemy Protector.
I received this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 17, 2025
Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy
Evelyn Tanner
This sweet and Sweeney romance is sure to please! Evelyn Tanner has delivered yet once again!
Leah is going to Maui for her best friend’s wedding. It dawned on her that her sexy and high school crush brother Kai will of course be there! So when she gets off the plane and happens to have quite an embarrassing situation, whose voice does she hear? It’s him… Kai and yes, he is as sexy as ever!
As he drives Leah to her parents, he’s very quiet and doesn’t react to her sarcasm. She is informed by her mom and dad that her room had to be fumigated for termites, and the smell is not gone. Where does that leave her? Spending the week with him.
Well, these two find a way to overcome 10 years of silence?
In this wall written romance, you get all the warm feels of building a beautiful romance.
Can Leah give up everything in New York City to move back to her home for a man most of all and her utmost happiness?
You’ll have to read it to find out.
Thank you, Evelyn so much for such a beautiful romance! It has really brighten my day📚♥️
Evelyn Tanner
This sweet and Sweeney romance is sure to please! Evelyn Tanner has delivered yet once again!
Leah is going to Maui for her best friend’s wedding. It dawned on her that her sexy and high school crush brother Kai will of course be there! So when she gets off the plane and happens to have quite an embarrassing situation, whose voice does she hear? It’s him… Kai and yes, he is as sexy as ever!
As he drives Leah to her parents, he’s very quiet and doesn’t react to her sarcasm. She is informed by her mom and dad that her room had to be fumigated for termites, and the smell is not gone. Where does that leave her? Spending the week with him.
Well, these two find a way to overcome 10 years of silence?
In this wall written romance, you get all the warm feels of building a beautiful romance.
Can Leah give up everything in New York City to move back to her home for a man most of all and her utmost happiness?
You’ll have to read it to find out.
Thank you, Evelyn so much for such a beautiful romance! It has really brighten my day📚♥️
June 28, 2025
STUCK WITH THE GRUMPY BAD BOY by Evelyn Tanner was a quick read. Set on Maui the story is told in alternating chapters by Lea and Kai.
She’s best friends with his sister and has had a crush on him for forever. She returns from New York for his sister’s wedding and things take off from there. I like how they reconnect and more. That he lives and works on his family’s pineapple farm that he’s now solely responsible for was a great backdrop. We only really get to scratch the surface of the characters but all the events and activities on the farm are great.
There are vivid descriptions and scenes throughout that made me feel like I was there. The romance played out nicely and there’s a hint of their happily ever after. The epilogue that takes place six months after the story ends gave closure.
Ms. Tanner is a new to me author and I look forward to reading more of her books.
She’s best friends with his sister and has had a crush on him for forever. She returns from New York for his sister’s wedding and things take off from there. I like how they reconnect and more. That he lives and works on his family’s pineapple farm that he’s now solely responsible for was a great backdrop. We only really get to scratch the surface of the characters but all the events and activities on the farm are great.
There are vivid descriptions and scenes throughout that made me feel like I was there. The romance played out nicely and there’s a hint of their happily ever after. The epilogue that takes place six months after the story ends gave closure.
Ms. Tanner is a new to me author and I look forward to reading more of her books.
July 2, 2025
“Stuck with the Grumpy Bad Boy” by Evelyn Tanner
-A sweet, slow-burn romance unfolds amid pineapple farms and island adventures. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Lea returns to Maui for her best friend’s wedding and reunites with Kai, her old crush. This is a zero-steam, swoony escape with heartfelt moments and a satisfying HEA.
A cozy, feel-good read perfect for fans of closed-door love stories in paradise and the feel of home.
My favorite quote from Uncle Mateo:”Time is a suggestion”. It makes me want to slow down at a beach.
-A sweet, slow-burn romance unfolds amid pineapple farms and island adventures. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Lea returns to Maui for her best friend’s wedding and reunites with Kai, her old crush. This is a zero-steam, swoony escape with heartfelt moments and a satisfying HEA.
A cozy, feel-good read perfect for fans of closed-door love stories in paradise and the feel of home.
My favorite quote from Uncle Mateo:”Time is a suggestion”. It makes me want to slow down at a beach.
July 12, 2025
While Alexis was stuck with her Grumpy Protector Stephen when visiting her friend's Mari wedding, Lea is stuck with her Grumpy Bad Boy Kai, at the same wedding of Nathan and Mari. Love this Aloha Ever After series. And welcome back to Maui.
Loved this love story of Kai and Lea and Pineapples. Wonderful characters - perfect duo where his silence is louder than her sarcasm. Sweet summer beach read, well written - funny and entertaining. Enjoyed it.
To Pineapple Everything!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved this love story of Kai and Lea and Pineapples. Wonderful characters - perfect duo where his silence is louder than her sarcasm. Sweet summer beach read, well written - funny and entertaining. Enjoyed it.
To Pineapple Everything!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 2, 2025
This Island setting draws you in along with Kai and Lea. He is her best friend's brother who was her secret crush. When she returns home for the wedding Kai picks her up and it stirs old feelings which looks like they both have been harboring. Will their close proximity together lead them to a relationship neither expected.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 10, 2025
Not what I was Expecting, But what a Great Book. Evelyn with Her Wonderful Descriptions, You can See and Feel as if You are Actually in This Beautiful Place. I Highly Recommend This Book 😘
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews