Falling for My Best Friend's Grumpy Brother

by Lily Jacobson

I’m renovating a house with my best friend’s brother.
The grumpy neighbor I’ve been prank-warring with for fourteen years.

Caleb Brannick humiliated me in front of half the school and called our first kiss “lame.”
I’ve hated him ever since.

Now, thanks to his matchmaking sister, we’re stuck fixing up a crumbling Victorian.
Eight weeks. One house. Nowhere to hide.

Between glitter bombs, fake snakes, and gnome sabotage, I came ready for war.
But then he brings me tea.
Finds the dream sketch I tucked away—and makes it real.
And when the power goes out, Caleb finally tells me the truth—
That he cared about me back then, but he was scared.

Now I’m the one falling. Fast.

Cue the glamorous, confident, and here to “save” the day.
She’s everything I’m not.

Suddenly, I’m fourteen again. Rejected. Second best.

I could run. Like always.
Or I could stay and fight—for him, for us, for once.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2025

Reviews

[Emelia Levy · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ - Falling for My Best Friend’s Grumpy Brother by Lily Jacobson

This book left a lot to be desired. I feel that she rushed through this story line and rushed the romance. I understand that they are supposed to have had feelings for each other forever but to say I love you by the third chapter and then to also have a third act break up… I feel like she was just trying to make a deadline.

[RoseVE · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Partnership

Caleb and Wren have been pranking each other since high school. Now as neighbors Wren has the perfectly engineered glitter prank. A bucket of rainbow glitter balancing over his front door. It works perfectly and as Caleb stands covered in glitter he yells, "WREN!" And so begins the story of an unusual partnership. Caleb needs her help with a renovation of his grandmother's Victorian house. As they work together, Caleb and Wren grow closer. They clarify misunderstandings when they were teens. The community of Langford begins a betting pool on how long they can last without killing each other. That gradually changed to when they would realize they were in love. This is a story of becoming partners in business and finding the one who is the best partner in life. I really enjoyed it.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is his neighbor and sister’s best friend. He is in desperate need of a designer to help him restore his grandmother’s Victorian home in eight short weeks or risk losing tax credits and the bank taking the house. Oh and they happen to be in the prank war to beat all prank wars. Can they get the project done in time or will they submit to the pressure of near disastrous delays and an overbearing meddling ex girlfriend trying to jump in and push them apart? I truly loved this book. What an endearing love story filled with emotion and just the right amount of laugh out loud humor. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by booksprout.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enemies to lovers, small town romance. Wren is an interior designer. Her grumpy neighbor Caleb is a contractor and the brother of her best friend. Caleb came back from the war with a whole lot of grump, but Wren starts a prank war with glitter. Caleb needs have his house renovated historically or lose it, and when he can't find any other designer, he asks Wren for help. Will this just be one big battle or will they be able to overcome their differences? A good read.

[Debdutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Falling for My Best Friend’s Grumpy Brother” by Lily Jacobson

A heartfelt, funny romance about healing, love, and unexpected second chances.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
Wren’s glittery chaos meets Caleb’s gruff silence in this charming enemies-to-lovers tale. Their forced collaboration on a historic renovation slowly melts his guarded heart.

With prank wars, simmering tension, and small-town sweetness, sparks truly fly. A fun read.

[Addy Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the idea of this book but i did not like the way it was executed. after the big conflict happened, we didn’t even get to read the apology. his sister basically did it for him which was just an easy out and still done off page! like i get finishing the house is also a plot in the book but we’re here for the romance. let us see this man grovel like he needed to, his actions were not okay just because they were convenient.

[Debbie Knisleu · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything’s better with glitter

A very sweet, funny, yet serious story. Caleb’s fear of losing someone he loves, causes him to withdraw from everyone, even the woman he loves and hide behind grumpiness. Wren fights with her insecurities of never being good enough to be someone’s first choice. Then you add in a whole community who get involved in seeing that they finally choose each other. Made my heart happy.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourteen years is a long time to hold a grudge, or is it humiliation? Being a typical teenage boy, Caleb makes a bad, cruel comment to Wren, his younger sister’s best friend and it is still affecting her. Their tricks/sabotages are things of legend around town. Fate or maybe sister/best friend brings them together to save his grandmother’s home. This is a fun book with humor, romance and a few twists.

[Vanessa Hilario Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wren is interior designer that helps renovating a house with her best friend’s brother. Caleb is boy that humiliated Wren when she was fourteen. A lovely and heartfelt book that has Caleb and Wren fight for healing, love, and a second chance. A must read!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute quick read

This was a cute story. I was cracking up with the pranks as they were funny but harmless. The quickness of their relationship is a bit unrealistic but it’s a short story and they’ve known each for a long time. It’s worth a read if you want a quick feel good story.

[Brandi Leyrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I absolutely loved this book! The first book I have read where the best friend is rioting and playing match maker for her brother and her best friend! This book had me laughing so hard I was crying the first couple pages!

[Megan Rung · Rating 1 out of 5]

very choppy

I honestly feel like someone went through and ripped pages out or deleted parts. It only talks about their interactions when they are doing this project that is significantly affecting them… but we get next to no information about the project and their meetings.

[Roberta Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome book

So good to read a book full of love and unity ( no sex ). Loved it and want lots more. Thank you

[Mindy Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book

I love the heart warming book it was short and to the point but had so much heart and understanding.

[Chelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this to be cute and to love this. but it was so repetitive/contradictory on it's self that I'm honestly impressed that was possible in less than 150 pages. dang.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome, clean romance that brings the warm fuzzies.

[N. Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick, cute story. Honestly would have preferred the storyline to be a little more. It was definitely very Hallmark-y, which I didn’t expect.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

awwwww

Quick read for all the good feels, I think we all forget to lean on others sometimes. But these two sure figured it out.