When You Renovate a Grump: A Sweet Romantic Comedy

by Lia Huni

Royalty, Renovations, and a Roadmap for Love

Life as a princess had its perks—but Andi Feltz gave them up when she walked away from the Freiberg royal family. Determined to succeed on her own, she heads to the quirky little town of Rotheberg, Oregon, to start over. She takes a job as an assistant to a high-strung interior designer. Then she finds out their new client is the man who saved her from an embarrassing situation in London—and her brother's newest pal.

Reece Tucker has one renovate his fixer-upper and flip it fast. But when his best friend’s spirited, strong-willed sister shows up as part of the design team, his plans—and his peace of mind—take a hit. Andi’s charm might be impossible to resist, but crossing the line with her could spell disaster for both his business and his friendships.

Caught between family interference and a little too much chemistry, Andi and Reece find themselves in a battle of wits, wills, and hearts. Can they build something lasting together, or will their foundation crack under the pressure?

With humor, heart, and a dash of small-town charm, this clean romantic comedy will have you rooting for love, laughter, and a happily ever after. Although this is book 6 in the series, all of the books in the When in Rotheberg series can be read as stand-alones.

Genres: Romance

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2025

About the author

Lia Huni writes sweet romantic comedy that won't steam your glasses. After travelling the world with the Air Force, she moved with her husband and three children to a small town in the mountains of Oregon that bears no resemblance to the town in her books. Well, not much.

Okay, there's a strong resemblance, but it's completely coincidental.

You can learn more about Lia's books at liahuni.com

Reviews

[Jaymie Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute grumpy-sunshine romance! It has forced proximity, and damsel in distress, and a home renovation with a royal twist. It was faced paced, and hooked me from the start. The kind of book you can read in one sitting!

[Wendy Droke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way Andi and Reece interacted throughout this book. Beginning to end of their relationship was sweet and respectful, if not always seeing eye to eye. The meddling parents also amused me greatly in this. The entire thing was well written and executed.

[Randi Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When You Renovate a Grump is the sixth book in the When in Rotheberg series. I had personally only read one of the previous books in the series and found that I was able to enjoy it just fine as a standalone.

This was such a cute story! A princess who has stepped away from the throne + house renovation? Honestly, this isn't a combination I would have thought to put together, but it definitely made for a really fun story that I couldn't help but enjoy. Andi and Reece were really sweet together. I loved Andi's independence and wanting to make it on her own--- despite her royal upbringing. Reece was such a good match for her--- he might have known who she was right from the start, but he never treated her any differently because of that. Their chemistry was evident right from their first encounter and only grew as the story went on. It was definitely a bit of a slower burn, but definitely worth the wait in the end.

When You Renovate a Grump is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi and Reece’s Story . . .

Andi Feltz was a princess of Freiberg but decided to give all that up and live her own life and make her own decisions the way she chose. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way since she is joined by Celeste whenever she leaves Freiberg since kidnappers could grab her as a hostage. So here in London, she has a constant “companion” on her allegedly “solo” trip and is not happy. How can a girl fall in love with a handler by her side watching every move she makes? She pretends to need the ladies room. The guards at the Convention Center examine her passport which Celeste had, then handed it back to Andi. Because she was a princess, they let her in and she pocketed her passport. Another girl thought they were girlfriends and asked if she wanted her help “losing” the blonde who waited for her. The distraction worked and Andi escaped. But when she gets in trouble with a group of guys circling her, pushing at her and laughing as she tries to escape, Reece helps her out since everyone else kept walking by. But if she screamed, Celeste would find her. Reece recognized her from his sister’s social media as Princess Karola Andela Louisa of Freiberg. But no woman should be harassed by a bunch of thugs. His height alone scared them away, and he insists on walking her to her destination -- which she doesn’t yet know. Finally she says he can accompany her on the train because she is obviously lost and he will provide a solution.

The next time they meet unexpectedly is in Oregon. Reece is renovating a property he wants to flip and Andi is the new assistant to an interior designer who brings her to meet Reece. More and more pieces of their lives seem to ironically intersect. Is this all leading them to finding a life together? Or is this latest contact just a brief job that will end there?

[Liv Plunkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Booked with the Emily’s for this lovely ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and participation in their ARC tour 💕 that being said, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

✨Genre: Contemporary Romance
✨Stars: 4/5
✨Spice: N/A - closed door romance

I have been on a contemporary romance and “rich girl figures out how to be independent” trope kick lately, and honestly I have been loving it! When You Renovate a Grump is an adorable, closed door romance where a chance encounter in London leads to a home renovation with a royal twist 👑


From the beginning of this book, I was really interested to see how things would go for Andi and Reece and how they would cross paths again after London, and I loved the way Huni made it happen. Nothing felt forced, whether it be the friendships, the storyline itself, or Andi and Reece’s relationship as the book progressed. Andi and Reece were adorable characters on their own, which made me enjoy their relationship even more! In terms of story arc, Andi had the better one, which makes sense as a lot of this book centered around her struggles to be independent. I really loved how Andi was trying to make her way and trying to figure out what it means to be independent, but not in a patronizing or maladaptive way - her struggle with finding the balance between being independent and not being alone is a real one.

I had so much fun reading this book and really enjoyed just how sweet it was! It is a perfect break from all of the fantasy (and football) media that I’ve been obsessing over lately and of course, you can’t go wrong with a grumpy x sunshine book! Bonus points as always for the lack of third act break up

[Cameron Charping · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts:
Super sweet, clean romance. Loved the strength of Andi wanting to make it on her own despite being from a royal family. Reece too sought to make his own way and solve his own problems without his family money. Coming February 10th!!

Synopsis:
Royalty, Renovations, and a Roadmap for Love
Life as a princess had its perks—but Andi Feltz gave them up when she walked away from the Freiberg royal family. Determined to succeed on her own, she heads to the quirky little town of Rotheberg, Oregon, to start fresh. Her new job as an assistant to a high-strung interior designer seems like an excellent step toward independence until she meets her first client. How could he possibly be the same grumpy guy who rescued her in London two months ago—and also her brother’s friend?

Reece Tucker has one goal: renovate his fixer-upper and flip it fast. But when his best friend’s spirited, strong-willed sister shows up as part of the design team, his plans—and his peace of mind—take a hit. Andi’s charm might be impossible to resist, but crossing the line with her could spell disaster for both his business and his friendship.

Caught between family interference and a little too much chemistry, Andi and Reece find themselves in a battle of wits, wills, and hearts. Can they build something lasting together, or will their foundation crack under the pressure?

What You’ll Find:
Grumpy-sunshine
Brother’s (second) best friend
Forced proximity
Damsel in distress
Home renovation with a royal twist

Thank you, @bookedwiththeemilys @lia.huni.author for the #gifted copy.

[My_every_day_chilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance: 3/5
Chemistry: 2/5
Spice: 0/5 (it's a clean one y'all)
First kiss: +-93% in (there's an almost kiss at 60%)
Humor: 4/5
Cry factor: 0/5
Drama: 2/5
Suspense: 0/5
Foul language: 0/5

- This was a clean and proper romance story with no foul language. Quick and easy to read with fun and laugh out loud moments. I loved the the MMC's dry sense of humor - I had a ball with that.
- I love and prefer clean romance stories because the chemistry isn't in the spice/intimate scene. Clean authors do chemistry so much better, they really make you feel what their characters are feeling. The chemistry in this one felt flat though, I thought there was an over use of the "zing/electricity" after a touch. There are more creative ways to include chemistry/feelings besides that "zing".
- I was also confused with the text messages in the hospital scene, either the time line was off or there was a plot hole: Reese clearly knew Andi and her brother were on their way because they'd sent him a text, but he made it sound like there had been no communication between them.
- I loved the ending and how he proposed, following protocol then in private with Andi. The Dee Gee isn't so bad after all.

[Danita · Rating 4 out of 5]

When You Renovate a Grump fits right in with the rest of the books in this series of sweet romcoms. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the others though, this one could easily be read as a standalone. In this story, we follow Andi, a former princess who is now trying to provide for herself without the help of her family. She happens to meet Reece in London when he comes to her rescue, though they part ways without exchanging contact information. So imagine their surprise when they discover that they are both living in the same small town in Oregon.

I enjoyed reading this book! Andi has a lot of spunk that makes her relatable despite her former status as royalty. It was certainly interesting to see her helping out with a home renovation! Reece comes off a bit aloof at first, but I liked his dry sense of humor and could tell he was a decent guy. The personalities played against each other well, and I respected that each of them was trying to find success on their own. There were a lot of lighthearted moments, keeping the story fun. The book kept my interest the whole way through, and it was hard to put down!

Thank you to Lia Huni for providing an advance review copy of When You Renovate a Grump! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book that's a sweet romance with all the best feels of a vintage Judi Garland and Mickey Rooney movie than you have the perfect picture for this book and the fun clean antics that this pair go through on the road to their romance. You can feel the connection between Reece and Ex-Princess Andi from the first moment they meet and you know that the still waters between them run so deep that's the only reason you don't see the currents that swirl around them..even though you feel them in every scene.

This is a book that is safe for anyone one, of any age to read anywhere and when asked why you have a goofy smile on your face or what make you chuckle so hard you can just share the book and know that your smile and laugh will be returned.

NOTE : Although this is what looks to be the last book in the When In Rotheburg Series, this can be read as a stand along very easily, although knowing the backstory for some of the secondary characters will definitely make this just a little bit better.

[Sophie Toovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a delightful, heartwarming read! With royalty, renovations, and an irresistible grumpy-sunshine dynamic, When You Renovate a Grump delivers a perfect mix of humour, romance, and small-town charm.

I especially loved the opening in London—it felt so well-drawn and made me want to pay a visit asap! As someone from the UK, I appreciated how the royal aspects were thoughtfully handled, exploring the challenges of stepping away from royal life without being overly idealistic. Andi is a strong, determined heroine, and her decision to carve out her own path added depth to her character.

Reece was so sweet. I adored his dynamic with Andi, and his relationship with his parents was a cute addition. The renovation subplot was really fun—I actually would have loved even more of it because those scenes were some of my favourites.

Overall, this was a super sweet, engaging read with plenty of banter, chemistry, and heartfelt moments. If you love clean romantic comedies with a royal twist, definitely add this one to your TBR!

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
When You Renovate a Grump is part of the When in Rotheberg series. It works as a standalone novel. I have not read any of the other books and it did not impact my ability to enjoy this story.

This book is a light hearted romance. It is a clean romance and there are no spicy scenes beyond a kiss and even that does not occur frequently. There is also no problematic language.

The story is cute. A former princess falls in love with a man who rescued her one evening in London. There are convenient coincidences that would be implausible in real life but work fine to move the story along quickly.

If you like romances especially none spicy ones then this is a cute, quick read with a happy ending.

[clean.reads.corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

When You Renovate a Grump is a fun quick read. It's full of heart, humor, small town charm, and sweet kisses only romance.

After their initial meet-cute in London, Andi and Reece are surprised to not only run into each other in small town Oregon, but to realize Andi is part of the design team Reese hired to help renovate his property.

Andi is fun and full of spunk. I enjoyed watching her character growth, especially once she accepted that being independent does not necessarily mean doing everything on your own.

I love Reese. He is a gentleman, a hard worker, and he knows who he is and what he wants. I really enjoyed his dry sense of humor.

This is book 6 in the When in Rotheburg series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

WHEN YOU RENOVATE A GRUMP is a charming, zero spice romcom featuring a rebel princess and a professional property flipper.

When Reece first encounters Andi, he sweeps in like a knight in shining armor to rescue her from a band of rowdy thugs. He gallantly escorts her to her flat in London and expects to never see her again. They are both surprised to meet again in the quaint Bavarian themed Oregon town where Andi’s family has a business. The attraction is instantaneous though both try to keep things professional. We all know that never works!

Thanks to the author and Booked With The Emilys for the gifted book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[MacKenzie Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness. Andi is such a vibrant personality. I love that she is fully herself even when it isn’t accepted by her family. I also think it is amazing that she has ventured out in her own to find what she wants for herself. It definitely wasn’t easy but you could tell her dedication to the job. If she didn’t know something she researched and did it to the best of her ability. We all know I love a grump. Reece brings us our protective grump who seems to more or less put up a grumpy facade because he will do anything and everything for those he cares about.
This is a dual pov, clean romance. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone novel.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book by Lia Huni, I didn't realize it was a royal romance novel. Those aren't always my favorite, but I'm a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine story, so I gave it a whirl.

Confession: I love what she did with the royal angle in this book! All the other royalty romances I've read tend to have the same romantic conflict, but this book came at it from a new direction, adding a little more believability to the story. Personally, I would have loved to see the romance blossom a little earlier in the book, but the ending more than made up for it with the scenes set in Rotheberg.

If you're looking for a sweet/clean romance to scratch your Hallmark itch, I recommend this book.

Rated G.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andi wants to make it on her own and she leaves her country and goes to work for an interior designer. She was not expecting to see Reece in Oregon - their last encounter had been in London. Reece is her brother's friend. Meeting someone who you know in a place where you least expect to can be awkward. Made even more so as Andi is trying to make her own way in the world. The upside was that it allowed her to meet her one after a few hiccups. This was a cute story.

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

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone however some of the characters overlap throughout the books. Best if read in order.
A disgraced princess finds herself on the outs with the current ruler. Access to her money revoked and refusing to ask for help from family ends up running into the same gentleman. What happens when they learn who the other person is? How does she provide for herself? Will she be able to find forgiveness?

[Noell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Andi, former Princess of Freiberg, escapes Europe to a small town in Oregon, she doesn't expect her first client at her interior design company to be her rescuer from a few months ago in London. Not only that, but Reece also happens to be her brother's friend! Come along with these two as they help each other while renovating a house together. Witty banter, lots of family members, and a cute small-town make this an adorable book that's hard to put down.

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !!! love this series !! love Andi and Reece... this is their story...a fast paced rom/com drama... the meet/cute in London then, the reunion in Rotheberg... Reece wants to flip his house... Andi is part of the design team.. he's her brother's best friend.. she's his best friends sister... she's also, a princess... so funny !! so good !!!.

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

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi is royalty but she wants to be on her own and live heri life. She meets Reece after he saves her from drunk guys. There is an instant attraction Howe, Reece didn't ask for Andi phone so he thinks he will never see her again. Funny how fate works. This was a fun story I highly enjoyed.

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

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written and sweet grumpy x sunshine romantic comedy. I really enjoyed reading Andi and Reece's story. The characters are endearingly written and I liked them. I also loved their chemistry and dynamic together.

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

[Rachel Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

They meet when Reece rescues Andi in London. She is his friends sister so when she turns up in his new home town in America he knows he should keep away from her. I liked how it was told from both points of view and the setting in Oregon.

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

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fun and entertaining story with great worldbuilding, delightful characters, and a lovely romance. I loved the proposal and the ending!

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[ABookLoversGardenDesigns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story. I loved their first meeting in London and then their reunion in Rotheberg. Watching them bond over renovations and finding themselves made a great love story. The ending was perfection!

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy (re-)visiting Rotheberg and Freiberg and I loved to see Andi find her HEA with her not-so-grumpy-once-you-get-to-know-him grump. I am sad to see this series come to an end, but I can't wait to see what new world Lia Huni will create for us to fall in love with next.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi is a smart, sassy, caring, creative, determined and independent woman. Reece is a smart, hardworking, talented and stoic man. This story is fun and different.

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

[GPReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! It's well written and the pacing is good. The characters are well developed. And the ending is done well. Sweet, clean, no cussing and an HEA!

[Rhonda Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a few hard days, this was a perfect story to read. From the first page to the last, filled with witty banter and depth of emotion. Worth reading through the last word.

[The Swoony Awards]

This book has been nominated for a 2025 Swoony Award, to vote for it click here: Swoony Awards.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reece, the grumpy “non-grump”, was a character I thoroughly enjoyed. His family dynamics, his understanding of Andi and his acceptance of things he didn’t agree with (eventually). Hmm - may hubby need to read this 🤷‍♀️😉. I loved the strength Andi demonstrated with her attempts to pull away from royalty, and the support of her immediate family. This was about more than just a romance.