Feeding the Grump

by Jax Calder

I’m fairly sure that when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll still be cursing Benji Gange’s name.

My neighbor paints his gate purple. His experiments with organic farming drift onto my land. He feeds me casseroles while we argue about everything from water rights to rugby selections. For five years, I’ve told myself he’s the worst thing to happen to farming since foot rot.

Then my orphan lamb escapes, and we end up tangled in a hedge together (don’t ask), spying on something that turns my whole world upside down. Suddenly, I realize that all the vegetables I leave on his doorstep and the casseroles he makes me might not be just neighborly gestures. And maybe the way my pulse races during our arguments isn’t about the disputed thistle paddock at all.

Is it possible that the biggest thorn in my side is exactly what I’ve been missing all along?

Feeding the Grump is a 16,000 word enemies to lovers novella that features a grumpy farmer and his sunshine neighbor. It was first published in May 2025 as part of a charity anthology and no additional material has been added.

Genres: M M Romance, Novella, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Friends To Lovers

76 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2025

About the author

Jax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and cute novella.

I liked the first part of the story more. It was so much fun and I wish we got more on-page banter between Benji and David. Benji is adorable.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another absolute gem in Jax Calder’s novella line-up, because this was PURE SWOON 😭

From the start, the “nemesis” vibe between David and Benji is hilarious and heart-melting all at once. They argue constantly - definitely not flirting, nope, absolutely not - but at the same time they’re silently bringing each other food, looking out for one another in ways no self-respecting nemesis ever would.

And then that glorious turning point: when David finally realises that planting specific vegetables because Benji mentioned liking them once, or quietly helping him out, or Benji looking out for him, again and again, weren’t random neighbourly favours. They were little acts of service. Proof that they’d been caring for each other this whole time. The instant it clicks that maybe they’re not enemies at all, but have probably been in love for years? AND WHEN DAVID FINALLY DROPS THE OBLIVIOUSNESS AND DECIDES TO ACTUALLY COURT BENJI?! My poor little heart almost couldn’t take it. 🥹

Because all those acts of service are told in retrospect and therefore shown on page, their shift from nemesis to lovers feels very natural and convincing - a perfect little, round, satisfying novella 🥹🐑

And I suddenly realize we’ve been speaking this language all along. In vegetables left on doorsteps and meals cooked just for me, in arguments that were really just excuses to stay in each other’s orbit.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a super cute, angst-free story featuring faux-enemies-to-lovers, five years of pining and obliviousness, grumpy/sunshine, a sheep named Pepper, demi rep, and a glorious epilogue.

I wish this book were a full-length novel. The connection between the MCs wasn't adequately developed.

Also, must there be an Aiden/Tyler cameo in every single book Calder writes? We just saw them in The Unlikely Spare. No more, please.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super sweet, slow-burn, (even if we don’t see it happen on the page) fake-nemesis-to-lovers. Featuring grumpy farmers and adorable neighbours.

It felt a bit like a commercial for Playing Offside in a roundabout way, but it was still fun.

[Evelyn220 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Cute and I liked the premise, but 70 pgs is too short. Definitely would have shined with 100 more pages.

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - 3.75⭐

A sweet story with a nice setting.
I really liked David and Benji, their chemistry and dynamic was really good, but I would have loved to spend more time with them. This was too short!

🟢 Farmer neighbors
🔵 2 years of courting, pining, build up (sweet)
🟣 Gay/bi-awakening (demi)
🟡 Grumpy/sunshine
🌶️ That one sex scene was good, could be more; kissing, some oral, penetrative; t/b

"I looked at him standing there in his faded work shirt with a smudge of dirt on his cheek, avoiding eye contact as he handed over vegetables he’d grown specifically because I might like them. All while pretending it was nothing special. The same man who’d lectured me about proper fencing techniques for forty-five minutes last month. Who’d stayed up all night with me during that storm when my barn roof threatened to give way. Who argued with every new farming method I tried and then quietly implemented the successful ones on his own land. A voice snuck into my head. This man is the love of your life."

I really liked this setting and the start of a sweet, wonderful romantic journey for Benji and David. Becoming neighbors in rural Auckland, David, a seasoned farmer, struggles to accept the modern ways of his younger neighbor Benji, who has inherited the farm next door. Without fully understanding his own feelings, David is barreling toward his bi-awakening with Benji, who patiently waits for him to realize what’s developing between them.

I haven’t read many books about farmers, and I really appreciated the worn-out jeans, flannel shirts, those rough farmer hands and then them both loving on each other at the end of the day.

It was good and real, but we only get a glimpse of their lives like this, so I'm not as happy.

But apparently I've already read Aiden and Tyler's book and loved it and I'll definitely re-read it.

[Nanilya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Very sweet and cute. I wish it was longer!
I would recommend reading Playing Offside first to know the characters before reading this one.
Always a pleasure to read something about my "babies" Aiden and Tyler ❤️
Does someone know why Jax never refers to the All Blacks? It's always written "New Zealand Rugby team"... I don't get it.
But anyway, Jax is defo one of my favorite MM authors!!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a book by Jax Calder, and this one was no different. Benji and his grumpy neighbour, David, were both adorable, especially when we find out how long it took David to realise how long he’d had feelings for Benji.

It was funny, endearing, and very sweet. The way they brought each other gifts and subconsciously looked after one another for years. Ah, it’s far too cute! I also loved the little cameo from Aiden and Tyler.

Always a pleasure to read these novellas.

[juli✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

He’s always like this, always acts like he’s pleased to see me despite the fact that nearly every interaction between us has some point of friction.

I can't help but wish Feeding the Grump was longer. That being said, this novella felt very fleshed out for being a novella. Love the pseudo enemies-to-lovers energy happening between the leads. I can't help but adore this very specific kind of enemies-to-lovers romance.

[Sjoukje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and therefore way too short story 😍🤩🤗 (And little lambs 🥰🥰🥰)

I love this author and everything she writes. Please give me more next time!

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!! Cute enemies to lovers novella. ❤️❤️

[erm · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweetest thing ever go read it rn

[Zainab · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Remember the time you kissed me on the riverbank?”
“I’ve never kissed you on the riverbank.”
“Oh well. Then I guess you better fix that. If you think it’s the neighborly thing to do.”

i trust Jax for making me cackle and swoon HARD on a bad day

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great quick read with fleshed out characters

This really pleasantly surprised me that a short story with less than 100 pages was so expertly fleshed out in regard to the MC’s.
David was an adorable grump that really showed how caring he was even when he was ‘feuding’ with his sunshine neighbor Benji.
I liked that the POV was from David’s perspective and the Epilogue from Benji.
Low angst and no major drama aside from Pepper escaping, I definitely recommend and would read more. Looking forward to Aiden and Tyler’s story.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet short novella

[IAASA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this before but still enjoyed it again

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 5⭐️ 1🌶️

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was soo cute! I wish it was a full length book. Even like 100 more pages would have been suffice. Completely safe for me. No others and no break up. HEA.

[Emma ~ a chapter of tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute, light no angst novella with a surprisingly emotional sprinkling of spice, loved it!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute grunpy-sunshine short story. Loved how David's self-discovery of his sexuality was such a non-issue. I wish that's how it always was.

[Em Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely cute!

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - forgot I was reading it.

[Sandy Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer delight in a grumpy-sunshine, enemy/rival neighbors, gay (demi?)-awakening read!

I adore Jax Calder’s storytelling, her voice works so well for me. I ate up every word of this little charmer, featuring stoic grump David and effervescent charming Benji, who’s been David’s neighbor and the thistle in his crops for 5 years now.

Or so David thinks.

Seeing David’s slow awakening to what he and Benji have come to be to each other was adorable. And realizing Benji has been oh, so very patiently waiting for him to see it was poignant and a little heart-wrenching.

Benji’s been needling David with his newfangled farming ideas ever since the former big-city boy inherited the farm-next-door and waltzed on into town spouting ways to improve on the farming methods locals have relied on for generations. And being right in many cases.

When the two of them get caught in a tangle in the middle of a hedge while witnessing something rather shocking...then David realizes how he’s reacting to being pressed up to Benji...and the wool FINALLY gets pulled from the sheep farmer’s eyes...well. Things heat up satisfyingly, and as it turns out, David the grump is one farmer who won’t let the grass grow under his feet. Seeing David some a-courting was enchanting, and the two of them felt so right for each other, thanks to all the Jax-style examples of how they’ve supported and cared for each other underneath the snark and snapping throughout the years.

Just a darn good feel-good read that ends with stellar intimate sexy times. Feed me more, Jax Calder!

HEA, enemies (rival neighbors) to lovers, grumpy-sunshine vibes, and I’m pretty sure gay or demi awakening for David, who has his first-times with a man with Benji. So sweet and lovely. Totally safe for me, no others, just minor info on Benji’s former dating life, which ended two years ago (because Benji is a LOT quicker on the uptake 😂). Highly recommended. Read when you need a break from angst and drama and just want to smile!

My thanks to Jax Calder and her team for the reading copy. This is my free and impartial opinion.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable in the best way. A Grumpy taciturn farmer slooooooowly realizes that his feelings for the neighbor who plagues him constantly aren't exactly hate. At all.

The details really made this story for me. The way perpetually grumpy stereotypical farmer David pays attention to everything Benjie says, even while they're arguing. The way he grows heirloom vegetables just because he knows Benjie likes them. The way he always brings a basket of produce to their arguments. The adorable lamb Pepper.

I appreciated the cameo from the characters in Playing Offside (even though I haven't read it yet--it's on my list), and the way David respects and guards their privacy.

The thorn bush scene was hilarious and I greatly enjoyed it.

I wasn't sold on the necessity of the sex scene, and even if it did need to be there I don't think it needed to be as long as it was. There just weren't enough non-sex-scene pages to balance it out. To be fair, I'm not a fan of sex scenes ever, but I don't like them to feel like they're overpowering the rest of the book.

Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and definitely recommend it, especially if you like grumpy characters who are slow to realize their true feelings. In fact, I would say it's better than a lot of romance novellas I've read. It felt a lot more fully realized and complete than many romance novellas do. And it did a much better job of making me care for the characters and making them feel like real well-rounded people.

*Thanks to Jax Calder for providing an early copy for review.

[Kiki Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feeding the Grump is classic Jax Calder - fun, flirty, and full of heart.
This sexy little novella features:
🐑 Antagonists to lovers
🐑 The ultimate grumpy-sunshine pairing
🐑 A rather spicy secret revealed
🐑 And a lost lamb named Pepper
Imagine: two New Zealand farmers. Neighbors. Who couldn’t be more different.
At first personification of the strong, silent type David. isn’t sure what to make of his new neighbor Benji. With his fancy hair product and New Age ideas… Ok, Benji was right about water conservation. But painting his gate purple and keeping bees is the last straw.
At the pub, David’s brother jokes he’s used up his monthly word allowance arguing rugby with Benji. (Put a pin in that - it will become important later,)
After five years of animosity mixed with kindness, David may think he’s just tolerating Benji, but his actions prove him wrong. Every time David drops off fresh fruit and veg Benji returns the favor with casseroles and baked goods. Unacknowledged but accepted. Food as a love language, even though they don’t know it.
Then the hunt for a runaway lamb named Pepper leaves them entangled in a hedge, eyewitness to a potential scanda. And that’s enough to make David rethink his feelings for his vexing neighbor…
David has some serious wooing game, and Benji is understandably smitten.
“It’s always the quit ones.”
I loved this charming small town romance. Benji is a mellow free spirit who balances David perfectly. Give it a read.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A multigenerational farmer finds love right next door

Two farmers in New Zealand's countryside have a different opinion of each other. David is the fifth generation of his family to farm on this land. To his new farmer neighbor, he's seen as a grumpy guy, but there's something in the way they interact that hints at deeper feelings. David hates the color Benji painted his gate, argues he's not doing farming properly, and protests other things about how Benji manages the farm.

But David, knowing that Benji likes heritage vegetables, plants some and leaves them on his step as a gift. Seeing David eating microwave dinners, Benji makes casseroles and leaves them on David's steps.

David's brother notices something is going on between these two feuding farmers and isn't surprised when he learns they have feelings for each other. It takes seeing another gay couple in this remote area for them to realize how they've been treating each other and that they're truly in love.

This is a wonderful story written by Jax Caulder. Her depiction of the countryside and the traditions of these generational farmers is heartwarming. The community's acceptance of their unconventional way of connecting wins David the title of demisexual.

Read this story—it's short, charming, and full of surprises.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

David & Benji
When I first read this story in the Delicious Anthology (of which I'm still making my way through), I thought the story was silly and sweet and a lot of fun to read as I enjoy all of the stories I read from Jax. But one thing I really loved about it is its seemingly slow burn of their relationship and how it developed, yet Benji knew what was happening all along and it was David that was oblivious throughout most of their time as neighbors. But once he realizes the significance of his feelings, he knows what direction he needs and wants to take with Benji. And though I'm not familiar with the cameos, we see from Aiden and Tyler from Playing Offside, I knew that they had to have been included on purpose.

I really enjoyed Feeding the Grump. It's a fun story and a great short novella that shines a little bit of a light on farming in New Zealand. And how small farm communities come together and work together.
It was also really fun to imagine and picture the way their lives combine on their shared property and how they continue to have their their individual farms while coming together as a couple.

I received an authorized copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet and heart warming novella. It is the story of David and Benji. David is a farmer down to his bones. His family has farmed the same land for years. Benji took over the land from his uncle. He moved from Auckland and started to put all his environmental management skills to good use. The two of them have been bickering like an old married couple from the day they met. Yet they still help each other out on the farm under the "being a good neighbor" heading. David brings extra fruit and veggies that he grows to Benji. And if he happens to grow the heirloom vegetables that Benji mentioned he prefers, that is nobody's business but his own. And if Benji shows his appreciate by baking or cooking something for him, all the better. This is their story. The book is well written and easy to read. I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review. When Benji and David get trapped in a hedge while looking for a missing baby lamb, David has an epiphany. Suddenly he realizes how the two of them have worked into each other's life. David finally catches up with Benji. This is a sweet and heart warming book. Another great story from this author.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

👨🏻‍🌾Let's thank the little lost sheep🐑

For the length of this cute MM romance novella, the author provided perfect proportions of background/lead up to the romancing/heat, and then wrapped with a cozy HEA. There's no mistaking who's the grump between these two farming neighbors, or that David's years-long complaints about Benji are not a serious antagonism. I mean, in many ways on a regular basis each supports the other, so believe how they act not what is said until David has his Road to Damascus moment of enlightenment when little lambie orphan Pepper escapes her pen.

Yes, I would have liked to spend more time with these two and especially those years before they get together, but it's a lovely feel-good story, to the point and a good read. The brief scene with Aiden and his houseguest made me want to go back and read Aiden's story Playing Offside with those New Zealand rugby rivalries.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

David and Benji have been bickering neighbors for the past five years. Their farms are next to each other and everything Benji does drives David bonkers. Whether it’s Benji painting his fence purple or trying out new farming techniques, David is always outraged. But they bring each other food and supplies and when David’s lamb goes missing, Benji joins the search without hesitation. It’s all their own kind of foreplay until David can figure out what is really happening between them.

This is a cute story of two men seemingly in no rush to put a relationship together. Benji knows he wants to be with David but he’s waiting for David to get on board and figure it out as well. There isn’t enough time to get into why Benji was willing to wait so long, it had already been two years, or how long he was prepared to wait and it was not as easy to get behind that aspect for me.

The story moves quickly but the full story is there from grumpiness to their happy ever after and this is a great read for when you are looking to start and finish a book quickly.