The Grump's Guide to Chaos

by Valerie Pepper

She’s chaos and sunshine. He’s order and grumpiness. What could possibly go wrong?

When Tori Welch upends her career and comes home for a reset, she’s forced to stay at the local B&B instead of her mom’s house. And that would be fine, except her only regret in life happens to be the innkeeper.

Will Joseph likes order and rules. It’s what’s made him such a good firefighter all these years, and what’s helped make the B&B he runs with his brother thrive. In fact, the only person who ever turned his orderly world upside down left town twenty years ago.

Except now she’s back, staying in his B&B and suggesting they enjoy some no-strings-attached fun. When she agrees to the rules he puts in place to make it happen, he figures he’s safe.

Ha.

Genres: Romance, Second Chance Romance, Small Town Romance, Second Chance

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2024

About the author

Steamy romantic comedy and contemporary romance author. Hoarder of half-used notebooks. Boots enthusiast. Lover of fall. Also coffee. Lots of coffee.

Reviews

[Bella Battaglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

just finished my first ever ARC!
this was such a fun read, spice 4/5🌶️!! sheesh
small town, very grumpy x sunshine, found family romance between will and tori, this was such a great read, for a much mature audience. i loved the banter between them, as well as tori and the neighbour hood, really really enjoyed this and so happy to have had the pleasure to read!!
release day: jan 12 🩷

[Brigettha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book was amazing 🌶️ 🥵 🔥

Can I please have a will Joseph in real life ?

The tropes in this book with the perfect balance of angst had me sitting on the edge of my damn seat !!

This book definitely deserves 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Hayley Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 (rounded up)

* Thankyou to the author for a copy of this ARC!

"Thick thighs save lives, but his might make me pass out. There's something primal in the way I want to climb him like a jungle gym. As though evolution itself has set its hand on top of my head, swilved it to Will, and said That one."

Another win for Valerie Pepper!

Let me tell you ... I am obsessed with this series. The character development and growth, the plot, the tough subjects to work through, all the characters, and ... the spice! 🥵

Daddy Will & bratty Tori are chefs kiss! 👩‍🍳

"She rips her mouth away from me with a gasp, her eyes blazing, her mouth even more lush and ripe than usual. "Jesus, Will." "Just Will is fine." She huffs a laugh. "Did you just make a joke?" I allow a tiny smile to cross my face, and she blooms. "Oh my God, you did. Okay, Just Will. I see you."

You get:
• Second chance romance
• Rom com
• Firefighter MMC
• Just once to get it out of our system
• Mental health representation
• Healing trauma
• Spicy 🌶

It's such an amazing book, from start to finish! You can check out the whole series now on KU.

"The emotions that pour off of him are weighty and relieved, as though he's carried them for so long and finally has a place to put them.

[Hannah Plaxco · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: 4.5⭐️ Book releases Jan 12, 2024!
Will Joseph - possibly my favorite of the three Joseph brothers. *swooning* I will say, it took me a minute to really understand Will Joseph, but I think that just comes with the territory of being the troubled, oldest brother. Tori absolutely stole my heart from page one and watching them fight, then banter, then make up was just so fun. This is the third and final book in this series and while you could read it without reading the other books, I’d highly recommend reading in order. It was so fun to watch all of the relationships in each book continue to grow and connect.

Highly recommend this series and truly… kinda sad it’s over. 💗

[Isis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything Valerie writes I AM READING IT.
WILL FUCKING JOSEPH YOU BIG BROODY, GRUMPY BEAST🐻
I can’t believe the series is over and it ended with the best brother. I had such high hopes for this book, and Valerie really did that.
This series follows three brothers, and this one was about Will and Tori, this is also second chance, romance and I honestly am not a huge fan of them, but I am in this case. The chemistry, the tension, the banter, the Mr. Darcy reference, the way Will will takes control , everything was so good, and I just ATE.IT.UPPPP. These two really do complete each other, heal each other, and the way it’s written makes you feel everything. 🥹❤️❤️
I will never stop recommending the series✨

[charlie 🤍 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy when I got selected for the ARC of this book and oh my god you guys aren’t ready !!

this book brings this clumsy, closed off, sassy, bad bitch energy girl whose just quit her job and moved home together with the ultimate grumpy, anxiety ridden, full of guilt, misunderstood man. they dated in high school and never got over each other. start off with an agreement of one time only sex (like that was ever gonna happen) and shock they can’t keep their hands off each other.

the smut in this book is insane. but I also had moments where I was giggling. I’ll admit I did even cry when Will was having his little moment.

I’d never read anything by this author before but best believe I’m going to go read the rest of her stuff now.

the grumps guide to chaos is out Jan 12th & you’d be stupid to not go read it xxxx

[Jenna Crumpton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book for an honest review!

My first book of 2024 and the most anticipated read of this series and I was not disappointed! Will and Tori absolutely blew me away separately but seeing them together was just magical! Our broody Joseph brother, Will, has been kind of a mystery throughout the other two books in this series and boy was I excited to finally get his POV. Seeing both Will and Tori overcome their past and find each other again was just absolutely the best! And when Mrs. Valerie Pepper said that the spice in this book was going to be even more intense, she was not lying! These two had incredible chemistry both outside and definitely inside the bedroom. 🥵 I’m sad that this series is over but I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Sarah (The Kindred Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5 Stars😍] One of my new all-time favorite small town romance series is now complete with the release of The Grump’s Guide to Chaos.🥰 Let me tell you, Valerie Pepper did the damn thing with Will and Tori’s story because I loved this book from start to finish. I had been waiting on Will’s story since I first met him in The Widow’s Guide to Second Chances,

And.
I.
Was.
Not.
Disappointed.

Not only did Valerie Pepper write complex and nuanced characters with depth and a lot of heart, I loved the balance she struck between Will and Tori. They complement each other so well, and the grumpy/sunshine trope was *chef’s kiss* perfection! Valerie also turned up the spice for Mr. Stern Daddy’s book and I had to fan myself a couple of times to keep from sweating 🥵

I loved how all of the characters from her previous books were in the finale, and the friendships between Tori, Jodi, Devon and CeCe made me wish for my own small-town, coffee shop girl gang. The Grump’s Guide to Chaos felt like a true and perfect ending for my Talladega crew. 🥹 Speaking of which, sign me up for throwback costumes at Talladega if I make it to another race!😂

Download the entire series on KU today and fall in love with the Joseph brothers, the women who love them, and the quirky small town in Alabama they call home!

Download The Grump’s Guide to Chaos if you’re in the mood for:

🚒Dual, first-person POV
🏡Southern, small town setting
🍪Firefighter/Baker/Innkeeper MMC
💕Strong, sassy and sweet FMC
🚒Great supporting characters
🏡Grumpy/sunshine
🍪Forced proximity
💕Friends with benefits
🚒”It’s always been you”
🏡Second-chance romance
🍪Fast burn romance
💕Open door spice

Friends, if you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey, then definitely check out Valerie Pepper and her books TODAY! You can get a free copy of the novella that started it all on her website! You WILL NOT be disappointed! 🥰

+A huge thank you to Valerie Pepper for the ARC of The Grump’s Guide to Chaos! All thoughts in this review are my own.
____________________________________
Details:
💘Contemporary romance
🎈Romantic comedy
👀Dual, first-person POV
🥀Third Act breakup
🙌Would re-read
🌟Favorite

Tropes:
🚨First responder
⚡Fast burn
📍Forced proximity
🤑Friends with benefits
🌤Grumpy/sunshine
💙He falls first
💝"It's always been you"
🪃Return to hometown
🏡Small town

Spice:
🥵Explicit content and language (extreme)
____________________________________
Emoji Ranking System:
🤩Fantastic (4.75-5.00)
😍Great (4.25-4.75)
😊Good, but not great (3.50-4.25)
😒Just OK (2.75-3.50)
😑It's A No (1.00-2.75)
🚫DNF

[Lena Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I don’t even know where to start with this one. I have loved the Joseph brothers since I first read The Widow’s Guide to Second Chances. They’ve each been some of my favorite male characters.

But can I just say… WILL JOSEPH. 𝗬𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲. The mouth on that man. The scowling & attitude and ugh. THE SPICE. Lawd have mercy. 🥵

There were many times throughout this where I wanted to grab him and squeeze him. He needs lots of hugs and reassurance and that’s exactly what Tori offers.

Tori is the perfect match for Will and I’m so thankful for their story.

Will is by far my favorite Broseph. Aaron & Price hold a tie for second place because I literally cannot choose between those two.

I love Valerie’s writing style and everything about her books. She writes some amazing characters and gives them wonderful stories and personalities.

[Stephanie Gail Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series has been so fun to read! I’m so sad it’s over, but these characters will live rent free in my memories forever! Joseph brothers can do no wrong! And the 🌶️ just gets better and better with each book! Highly recommend for those book lovers of Rom/com, small town, grumpy/sunshine, brothers finding love, and fun banter!

[❀ Tracy ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

౨ৎ˚ the grump’s guide to chaos │ 2.5 ★
by valerie pepper

I‘m chaos and you’re control.

☕️🧺

Not the biggest fan of too much smut but I wanted to try this this book. Probably why I didn’t like this book that much. I skipped most of the smut and only continued reading this for Will. Tori was okay. Didn’t interest me that much. In general this type of books aren’t my thing so I prob won’t read those anymore. Appreciate that the author wrote a black fmc, I think she did a good job.

[Kylie ve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy do I love a good grumpy sunshine book and let me tell you will and Tori are exactly that. Watching these two overcome their past traumas and find themselves and eachother again in the process was such a perfect story. This book made me emotional let me tell you…. This was such a wonderful close to the series and I have to say quite steamy as well! Thank you for the opportunity to ARC review this amazing book!

[Briana Gagnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy spice!! What a way to begin the new year! This is the final book in a series, giving us a grumpy x sunshine, small town, found family romance! I loved the way our MMC and FMC find themselves and work through their traumas together.

The spice in this book was definitely a 4🌶️/ 5
The banter was great, and I really REALLY loved our “big guy”

Can I just say I wish our MMC kept a mustache? Because I am a sucker for firefighters with mustaches BUT I digress.

I highly recommend this book and this series. I really enjoyed it!

Pub Date is January 12th!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

•ARC REVIEW•
What a finale! Grump’s Guide is the final book in the Guided to Love series and it is seriously a perfect way to end it. Happy happy happy and such a warm fuzzy feeling. More spice than the previous ones but like isn’t the saying that the quiet ones are crazy?? 👀 I’m left with no questions about the backstories that were brought in throughout the previous two and I’m honestly sad to see the end of all these characters. Thank you Valerie for another incredible ARC! 🫶🏻 And for writing such a cozy homey small town with character I adore.

[Stephanie Sides · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Guided to Love series, and this book was the perfect way to end the series. I’ll miss all of the characters that I’ve grown to love, but I’m grateful that all three of the Joseph Brothers had their “Happily Ever Afters.”

[Ashley Niedzwiecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good lord Valerie Pepper has done it again!! The spice in this book is 🥵. I let my husband read a chapter and he told the kids they need to go to bed early tonight. Tori and Will are the dream couple. Finished this book in a day, couldn't put it down. Ready for the next one! Thank you again for allowing me to ARC this book.

[erica | readingaroundky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book as an ARC reader and it was so much better than I could have imagined! I love a good second chance romance! I don’t know what it is about a grump that gets me excited but Will was all the squeals.
And the spice is strong with this one! Solid 4.5 stars!

Check out my full review on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1srgDkrv...

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tori (37) & Will ( I swear they never said his age but I could be wrong) dated in high-school and broke up when Tori was scared of her feelings & ditched will for the QB. Tori quits her job and moved him and after a a funny run in with her mom and her mom’s new bf she is forced to stay at the local inn.

These two both have their issues but wills deep childhood trauma really messes him up. This couple has there 3rd scene blip but comes out with a HEA

I am sad this is the end of the Joseph brothers but hopefully we get more from this quaint little town.

This might be my least favorite from the 3 brothers stories as I just felt like it was missing more context from them and less s*x. Not that I’m complaining about that but I felt like maybe a little more story line was needed to be mixed in.

[Seneca Wainright · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grump's Guide to Chaos was a fun read from start to finish. Tori has just imploded her big-city life and moved back to her small hometown, where she immediately runs into her high school sweetheart, Will. Will is a firefighter, innkeeper, and the eldest of three boys who had a dysfunctional childhood. The chemistry is off-the-charts from the moment they make eye contact for the first time after all these years, but it takes them both a little time to come around to their second-chance attraction.

This is the third book in a series but is the first that I've read, though I'll certainly be going back for the other two. Even without having read the first two books I felt immediately immersed in the small-town setting and the family of characters who have developed over a couple of novels. The main characters from previous books are strong side characters in this one. Their stories are relevant and meaningful; often in this type of sequel, previous characters will be shoehorned in without much care. That is not the case in The Grump's Guide.

I love both Tori and Will. Tori lives up to her nickname "Chaos" while still having the gravity a full-grown woman in her late thirties. Often, the "clumsy woman" trope is also paired with a "not like other girls" energy and I was so relieved that Tori is a confident, successful woman with strong network of other women, who just happens to be clumsy and sometimes impulsive. Will is strong, brooding, and sensitive and dealing with anxiety throughout the book. At some points we see him feeling cool and in control, and at others he spirals into near-panic. The highs and lows make him feel much more real than a fireman-innkeeper-calendar model otherwise may have.

This book gets 4 chili peppers on my personal spice rating scale. I'm not the reviewer to give in-depth spice reviews, but I will say that I loved Tori and Will's dynamic, though it would have been amazing to see Will give up control at some point.

Overall, I give The Grump's Guide to Chaos a 4.5, rounded up to 5 on Goodreads. I can't wait to read more of Valerie Pepper's work!

Thank you Valerie Pepper and Stafford Lane Publishing for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Rebmay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will and Tori’s story is emotional, funny and entertaining. They dated for a short while in high school until she decided to break up with him and go to the prom with the captain of the football team. Twenty years later, neither has forgotten that time, how they felt or let go of the regrets and hurt. Of course both went on with their lives, professionally and personally, with Will staying in town and Tori leaving it. Tori and Will have reasons to be wary or maybe even afraid of love and commitment, and have done their best to avoid both. Strangely enough, both have begun to feel restless and believe something is missing from their lives. Fate is about to show them what they have been missing is each other.

Will, a grumpy firefighter and part owner of a B&B, is contemplating how changing careers might affect him and the people he cares about. Tori, a sunshiny yoga and palates enthusiast and former pharmaceutical rep, has already started to make a change in her life. She quit the job she had begun to hate, gave up her apartment and came back to her home town where she thought she would be staying with her mom while she sorted out what to do next. It turns out that her mother is in a new relationship and suggests Tori stay at the B&B, the B&B Will owns with his brother. He reluctantly rents a room to Tori while wondering if he is crazy to do so. Her apology for the way she treated him all those years ago is nice to hear, but when she suggests they sleep together, Will is stunned. The tables are turned a day or two later when he takes her up her suggestion, though he tells her it will happen only once and never be repeated or spoken about again. Their very combustible and mind-blowing interlude leaves them both shell-shocked. Determined to stick to their agreement, both avoid each other, though neither can stop reliving their time together. Resistance proves futile and another bargain is struck. What happens when they catch feelings or realize that they have fallen for the other? Is Tori in town to stay or will she leave again? When all the old fears, doubts and anxieties resurface, will they be pushed apart or will they let go of the past to build a future together?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Will and Tori are well defined, relatable characters that make it easy to become invested in seeing them have a future together. I will definitely be looking to read more books by this author.

[Melisa DeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie Pepper has done it again! Hell, she has outdone herself on this third, and seemingly final, installation of her 'Guided to Love' series " Grump's Guide to Chaos". I say "seemingly" only because I don't want this series to end!!! This series needs to be made into a series in my humble opinion, just NOT on the Hallmark Channel! Not unless they have veered off the vanilla path and embraced the type of spice this book brings :P There is a reason Valerie's last name is Pepper, she sprinkles that shit in like a chef! In all the right places and at all the right portions.
In this book, we delve into the life eldest Joseph brother, Will, who is also a firefighter and co-owner of the local B&B with his brother. Into his world returns his high school sweetheart, Tori Welch, and she needs somewhere to stay while she works on restarting her life after leaving the city and her big time pharmaceutical sales job after realizing her mom is getting more D than she is at the moment after walking in on her and her gentleman friend in the living room. Did I mention he co-owns the local B&B? What could go wrong???
After Tori flat out asks Will if he wants to sleep with her (after not seeing each other in nearly 20 years) the spice and feelings and internal struggles begin. The ever present humor and spice of Valerie's writing helps to balance out the heavy moments of mental health representation through Will and Tori's story. And boy, is there spice!!!! By far the spiciest of the trilogy, I am here for all of it!
And as someone who is pushing 40 myself, to see a female main character embracing her 37 years and not being afraid to go after love or being as bold as Tori is a breath of fresh air! And did I mention the spice?!?! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ As always, thank you for the ARC!

[Jordan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying I adore this entire series by Valerie Pepper. I had the pleasure of being able to read this in exchange for an honest review. (ARC) The one thing I love about this series is you don't have to read them in order, they can be stand alone books if you want.
I will say that this one is by far my favorite because of WILL.....oh boy did I LOVE ME SOME WILL. He is one my new book boyfriends and he isn't a walking red flag like some of my others.

I have been reading a lot of dark romance or splatterpunk books and I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy this because of those. BUT I love the Valerie's writing style and this book was SPICE!!!!
I would say its a solid 4.5 stars and the spice was 4 peppers! I think Will is going to run rent free in my head. I am sad that this is the last of the series but I can't wait to read whatever she is going to be working on next!

Here is a list of tropes to expect from this book
You get:
• Second chance romance
• Rom com
• Firefighter MMC
• Just once to get it out of our system
• Mental health representation
• Healing trauma
• Spicy 🌶🌶🌶🌶

A couple of my favorite highlights from this story

“You’re a fucking beast, you know that?” I shrug and back away, turning to grab some boxers out of the dresser just so I have something to do. Beast isn’t the word I’d use. Possessed, maybe. Obsessed, definitely."

"Thick thighs save lives, but his might make me pass out. There's something primal in the way I want to climb him like a jungle gym. As though evolution itself has set its hand on top of my head, swilved it to Will, and said That one."

Also ladies if you love praise, then be a good girl and read this book!

[Alyson Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good- I finished it in one sitting. I didn’t stop from the moment I started until the minute I finished, it was so good. Hooked from the very first page! This was everything I wanted and more for a romance book, including a very healthy ending where the MMC realizes he needs therapy and his family and loved ones help him through dealing with his anxiety and negative self-thoughts.
Tori, the FMC, moves to back to her hometown after quitting her dead-end job in ATL. She then runs in to her high school ex-boyfriend, Will, the MMC. Tori meets all of Will’s brothers and their spouses, and finds her ‘family’ in them as well as with someone who works at the coffee shop one of the spouses owns. Their banter is amazing and had me laughing throughout the whole book!
Will, the MMC, grew up with his 2 brothers very close. Their mom was an alcoholic and he thought as the oldest that he needed to take care of them, and eventually got so upset with his mother that he ‘forced’ her to go to rehab in order to get her life together and help herself. Then, he ended up raising his brothers and eventually this lead to him feeling like a failure for a multitude of reasons. He eventually overcomes this at the end and seeks out therapy after discussing with his brothers/mom.

Of course, there is an HEA that is BEAUTIFULLY done. Only thing I wished for was a proposal scene in the setting of a few years after the ending 🤍 but nonetheless a great ending for a great book. Thank you so much to the author for providing me with an e-ARC, even though I received this book free of charge, these thoughts are all my own and were not swayed by this.

[Jenna Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

📕 The Grump’s Guide to Chaos
✍️ Valerie Pepper (@authorvaleriepepper)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5: Steamy AF final installment in the Guided to Love Series.

Tropes:

👩‍❤️‍👨 Grumpy/sunshine-ish (Grumpy/Chaos?)
👩‍❤️‍👨 Second chance / reunion romance

The MCs:

♀️ Will Joseph. 37. Thoroughly ripped, disaffected firefighter-cum-B&B owner.
♂️ Tori Welch. 37. Thorough hot mess, drug sales rep-cum-Pilates studio owner.

Setting:

📍Talladega, AL
⏰ Present

Yay!

❤️ VERRRY spicy scenes. 🌶️🥵
❤️ Biracial FMC
❤️ BIPOC LGBT+ side characters
❤️ The signature hilarity, heat, and heart we’ve all come to expect from Valerie Pepper (watch out, Lucy Score!)
❤️ Did I mention VERRRRRY SPICY SCENES?!! 🥵🪭

Hmm…

🤔 YMMV, and absolutely no kink-shaming here, but the grumpy jacked-up alpha male trope admittedly isn’t my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely see why it’s appealing on a certain level; I just prefer the cinnamon rolls and golden retrievers. Having said that, I still very much enjoyed and recommend this book very highly.

Spice:

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5: Five or more open door / on-page sex scenes, but the love story is still the main focus of the plot. Sex acts, body parts, and/or bodily fluids and their movement are described in explicit, graphic detail and with the prolific use of swear words.

Pairs well with:

📕 The closest I can think of that I’ve personally read is either Things We Left Behind, by Lucy Score, or maybe One Look, by Lena Hendrix.

Content advisories:

⚠️ Parental loss & alienation
⚠️ Romantic relationship difficulties
⚠️ Anxiety

Thank you, Valerie Pepper, for my free copy in exchange for my honest review! 🙏

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD this was AMAZING!! I devoured this book in less than 24 hours (and whilst I finished the Christmas shop too). It is addictive, wonderfully written and so freaking perfect!!!!!!!!

Tori is a girl after my own heart, feisty, sassy and (like me) able to trip up whilst walking across a flat surface… she is also so freaking funny, caring and just, well, perfect!!!!! When Tori decides to accidentally on purpose implode her life, move back to Talladega and try to figure out how to rebuild her life, the last thing she expects is to have to live in the inn rather than her mum’s house (trust me - she couldn’t stay there 🫣). Unfortunately the inn is run by the very grumpy and extremely hot ex boyfriend from high school, Will Joseph. Will strives for control, through work, the inn and working out, everything is accounted for and catalogued accordingly. He is NOT rest for the chaos that is Tori. This girl is THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY and she is determined to shake up his life. Plus the TENSION. OMG the tension between these two is unreal!!

The two decide the best way to deal with all of this is to have a 3 month long s3x deal. Cos what can go wrong, right?! Cue shenanigans, so much hot spice (seriously, I’m pretty sure if I had the paperback, it would be on fire…) and hilarity.

Also, we get to see Devon, CeCe and Jodi, who are the BEST friends ever. the banter between these girls is unreal!! Plus the brotherhood between Will, Aiden and Price - ALL OF IT IS PERFECTION!!!!!!

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie Pepper became one of my favorite new authors of 2023. I read four of her books and I have enjoyed them all so much! If you are looking for spicy, witty romance…this is your girl.

Ok, and now that I have gushed about the author, let’s talk about the third, oldest, grumpiest Joseph brother…Will! Oh, Will. There were times I wanted to slap both of these characters who are so set in their ways and focused on their pasts. But that makes a good read, right? You want to be passionate about them and their choices. I liked that both characters were in their late 30s, it made it more relatable to me. Getting to build on all the characters we know and love from the first two books, and getting to know what happened with Will and the mom connects the dots with all the brothers. I love to read some family drama. And Tori had some of her own as well. Her story was fascinating with changing her career, coming home and trying something new. That was badass! I love how she just fit right in with the group of ladies we have all come to love. And I am going to miss this little Talladega town. Please, Valerie, keep writing small Alabama town romance! I may never look at Noccalula Falls the same after reading this book either. IYKYK.

We have second chance, lots and lots of steam, he falls first, firefighter/baker/innkeeper, forced proximity, one night to get it out of system, anxiety disorder, small town romance, so much. So good.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received an advanced copy of The Grump’s Guide to Chaos from the author in exchange for a voluntary review. **

[Tancy | tancysreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arc review

She’s chaos & sunshine. He’s order & grumpiness. What could possibly go wrong? When Tori comes back to her hometown & runs into her old high school boyfriend Will then has to stay at his B&B. A friends with benefits relationship ensues, with rules set so no one gets attached or hurt, what could go wrong?

Will was the grumpiest grump I’ve ever read in a book. His anxiety struggles were real and relatable with intrusive thoughts and need to shut everyone out to protect them. Tori was a hot mess and spoke her mind the majority of the time which I loved. The little friend group was so fun and made me want to be part of it. I didn’t read the 2 books before this, so it took me a minute to get adjusted to all the characters but after I did I liked it.

However, I felt like the characters were not fleshed out at all. These 2 characters were saying they’re in love & we had seen like 3 total conversations between them on page. Their love solely came from hate sex and I just didn’t believe it. There needed to be so much more character development with them together and much less sex imo. (& I love spice) but if you’re giving me allllll this spice then there has to be something else too.
I had lots of friends who loved this though so don’t let me deter you. Maybe I just needed to read the other 2 books first instead.

Read if you like these tropes:
•Grumpy/sunshine
•Quirky girl
•Second chance
•Enemies with benefits

3/5🔥.

Thanks to the author for an arc of her book in exchange for an honest review!

[Elizabeth Satala (ElizaJayneReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Will Joseph is the grumpiest, growliest, moodiest of the bunch, and I love him the mostest! Will and Tori are total opposites attract goodness. He doesn’t like people, whereas she loves chatting. He is careful and reserved, and she is clumsy and outgoing. When Tori comes storming back into town, Will is totally thrown off his routine. When she starts staying at the Inn, he loses it completely. She hurt him in the past, and he doesn’t want his heart getting involved again, but easier said than done. They have an indescribable chemistry. He loves to take and be in control, but so does she. When she relinquishes her control to him, sparks fly! The push and pull between these two throughout the whole book was what sucked me right in. Both of these characters have baggage, but Will deals with extreme anxiety and guilt over his family dynamic and how things are with his mother. He keeps all his feelings to himself, and it hinders the progression of his and Tori’s relationship. It was hard not to feel for Will in this book. He has a lot going on, and he feels like it’s his own burden to bear when, in reality, he has a ton of people who care for him. Once he lets go of some of that guilt and starts doing things he wants, he can see that he is loveable and does have people in his corner. Tori is someone who I’d want to be friends with in real life. There would never be a dull moment! I’m so sad the series is over, but these Joseph men will live in my brain forever!

[Menthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent too many nighttime hours reading this book because I chose Will & Tori over sleep. I have zero regrets. This love story was the one I was waiting on.

Will is the oldest brother - he is super grumpy & the caretaker to his younger siblings. The way we read about him & his personality in the prior books, I knew he had to be holding a lot of shit inside. Turns out, he blames himself for a lot of the strife that occurred within the lives of the Joseph brothers. I was so sad, yet honestly relieved, when he finally breaks down with his brothers & lets it all out. It was like a sigh of relief was written into the pages.

Ok, so Will is a firefighter & innkeeper, with his brother, Price. He loves to bake & cook. He is an absolute control freak.
He has only ever loved one woman.

Tori is a firecracker. She is the epitome of strength and genuineness. She came home to start over, make a life for herself because the one she had - didn't make her happy anymore. The strength that it takes to admit that to yourself, those around you, and then to make it happen is .... just exceptional.

Ok, so Tori is quite clumsy, outspoken, and doesn't take shit from anyone. She also has only ever loved one person, but she ran away from him in high school.

I love these two together. The sexual chemestry is phenomenal. The emotional history & baggage are delicious. I love that this woman has brought Grumpy Will to his knees, literally.

Excellent read

[Cat Rose (chaptersandroses) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grump’s Guide To Chaos is the third and final book in the Guided to Love series. I loved the first two, but I think the last one is my favorite!

Read if you like:
- small town
- frenemies to lovers
- grumpy x sunshine
- forced proximity
- brotherly banter
- firefighter who bakes
- “one time to get it out of our system” …yeah, right
- matchmaking fire chief
- main characters in their 30’s
- interracial romance

The story follows FMC Tori Welch—a confident, albeit clumsy, 30-something who returns to her small hometown after twenty years and proceeds to follow her dream of opening up a pilates & yoga studio. And MMC Will Joseph—the oldest of the Joseph brothers and a broody firefighter & innkeeper who bakes, while also struggling with anxiety and his sense of control.

Twenty years ago she left town, and Will. But now she is back, and Will wants her gone. When she ends up staying at his B&B, he knows his sense of normalcy is about to be shattered. So when they agree to one time to get it out of their system, neither of them are expecting what it leads to.

The book is basically chaos & sunshine meets order & grumpiness. It’s got humor. It’s got A-level spice. And it’s got some pretty great side characters that you can’t help but love for carrying the story! I’m looking at you, Ceci.

It’s a great, fun read from start to finish, and damn, Valerie Pepper did not waste time getting to the point…and by point, I mean the spice!

Overall, I rated it 4 stars!

Huge thanks to Valerie Pepper for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for a review.