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Mistletoe for the Grump Next Door
She moved in next door with lights, cookies, and chaos.
And I hate all three.
I came to this cabin to write. To mourn. To be alone. What I didn’t plan on was a stunning, cinnamon-scented hurricane of a woman turning my silent retreat into a peppermint-slicked nightmare.
She’s loud. She’s festive. She’s building gingerbread universes while I’m trying to build a eulogy.
But every time she hums, I stop typing. Every time she smiles, I lose a paragraph. And when she puts that damn mistletoe over my door, I lose my mind.
I told myself I’d ignore her.
Now I’m editing her manuscript just to keep her close.
She thinks I’m her grumpy neighbor. What she doesn’t know is—I’m writing a love story. And every line ends with her name.
She didn’t just break my writer’s block.
She rewrote the ending — and made sure it was us.
Read on for holiday banter, creative surrender, slow-burn obsession, and a classically handsome grump who edits with his hands and his mouth. HEA Guaranteed!
And I hate all three.
I came to this cabin to write. To mourn. To be alone. What I didn’t plan on was a stunning, cinnamon-scented hurricane of a woman turning my silent retreat into a peppermint-slicked nightmare.
She’s loud. She’s festive. She’s building gingerbread universes while I’m trying to build a eulogy.
But every time she hums, I stop typing. Every time she smiles, I lose a paragraph. And when she puts that damn mistletoe over my door, I lose my mind.
I told myself I’d ignore her.
Now I’m editing her manuscript just to keep her close.
She thinks I’m her grumpy neighbor. What she doesn’t know is—I’m writing a love story. And every line ends with her name.
She didn’t just break my writer’s block.
She rewrote the ending — and made sure it was us.
Read on for holiday banter, creative surrender, slow-burn obsession, and a classically handsome grump who edits with his hands and his mouth. HEA Guaranteed!
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2025
43 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 14, 2025
When Mistletoe Can’t Save a Third-Act Tantrum
Mistletoe for the Grump Next Door starts strong. Like, genuinely strong. The premise works, and Joseph and Ruby feel like fully formed adults at first. Two authors. One grumpy. One warm but sharp. Watching them help each other grow creatively while slowly falling in love was the best part of this book. Their banter sparkles, and the inner monologues feel thoughtful, tender, and very grown. It had all the makings of a favorite.
Then the conflict happened. And I sighed.
What drives them apart felt unnecessary and painfully immature. Ruby spirals over something Joseph said in an interview a full year before he even met her. Meanwhile, she actively hides her own literary pen name from him. When Joseph figures it out on his own, his reaction is calm, impressed, and supportive. He listens. He grows. He shows emotional intelligence. Ruby does not return the favor.
She storms off without letting him explain. No conversation. No grace. This stung because Ruby knew who Joseph was from the start and saw firsthand how much he had changed because of her. The imbalance in accountability left a sour taste, and by that point I was reading just to get to the end.
Still, the foundation is solid. The romance is sweet. The holiday vibes are cozy. As a quick seasonal read, it works. I just wish the emotional payoff matched the maturity the book promised in the beginning.
Mistletoe for the Grump Next Door starts strong. Like, genuinely strong. The premise works, and Joseph and Ruby feel like fully formed adults at first. Two authors. One grumpy. One warm but sharp. Watching them help each other grow creatively while slowly falling in love was the best part of this book. Their banter sparkles, and the inner monologues feel thoughtful, tender, and very grown. It had all the makings of a favorite.
Then the conflict happened. And I sighed.
What drives them apart felt unnecessary and painfully immature. Ruby spirals over something Joseph said in an interview a full year before he even met her. Meanwhile, she actively hides her own literary pen name from him. When Joseph figures it out on his own, his reaction is calm, impressed, and supportive. He listens. He grows. He shows emotional intelligence. Ruby does not return the favor.
She storms off without letting him explain. No conversation. No grace. This stung because Ruby knew who Joseph was from the start and saw firsthand how much he had changed because of her. The imbalance in accountability left a sour taste, and by that point I was reading just to get to the end.
Still, the foundation is solid. The romance is sweet. The holiday vibes are cozy. As a quick seasonal read, it works. I just wish the emotional payoff matched the maturity the book promised in the beginning.
January 4, 2026
Wow. I have never been so annoyed by the second half of a story like I am with this.
My initial review of the first half of this story is that is reasonably okay. Nothing new. I did like Ruby, especially how she sees things as romance story cliches. Joseph's chapters are a little too clinical and prose-y but I get that is who Joseph is so I got used to it. It's not technically an insta-love but I can't say they were actually building towards any type of relationship, yet somehow that's where it went. I did enjoy their sessions together, when they worked on their writing, but those weren't actually romantic, to me. Normal hands touching as you exchange items does not a romance make.
But I still enjoyed what I read up to that totally contrived and ridiculous "conflict". Wow, Ruby is a dumbass drama queen. Something she hadn't shown a single sign of being. So what Joseph shit talked the romance, and basically all fiction, genre a year ago in an interview. Who cares? Why make her so upset and heartbroken by this? This man literally said those very words to her face when they met and she laughed at him and proceeded to debate why he's wrong. She's known for weeks he's a pretentious, literary snob.
She saw how he suffered from writers block and how he broke through that by spending time with her. So for her to think it was all some elaborate scheme by him is so unrealistically farfetched I can't even begin to comprehend what the authors of this story were thinking.
And the meta insert from Maya, who tells Ruby she's being ridiculous by being upset that the literary snob said literary snob stuff a year ago, just makes it worse. Clearly the authors knew this was contrived AF and yet they still went this route. Why? Because it's always the men who have to give the big apology and make the grand gesture in these romance stories. So frustrating. Joseph didn't get upset when he realized who she really was, despite the fact that she PRESENTLY lied to him about her agent and publishing house, but that doesn't matter more than an interview he did a year ago before they met. An interview where he trashed genre fiction, not her specifically. He didn't even know who she was as an author either.
I couldn't care less about anything that happened after their fallout. I went from really liking Ruby and generally okay with the story itself to straight up hating it. It's amazing I didn't DNF this or give it 1 star.
Edit: Nope. This is a 1 star. Smh
My initial review of the first half of this story is that is reasonably okay. Nothing new. I did like Ruby, especially how she sees things as romance story cliches. Joseph's chapters are a little too clinical and prose-y but I get that is who Joseph is so I got used to it. It's not technically an insta-love but I can't say they were actually building towards any type of relationship, yet somehow that's where it went. I did enjoy their sessions together, when they worked on their writing, but those weren't actually romantic, to me. Normal hands touching as you exchange items does not a romance make.
But I still enjoyed what I read up to that totally contrived and ridiculous "conflict". Wow, Ruby is a dumbass drama queen. Something she hadn't shown a single sign of being. So what Joseph shit talked the romance, and basically all fiction, genre a year ago in an interview. Who cares? Why make her so upset and heartbroken by this? This man literally said those very words to her face when they met and she laughed at him and proceeded to debate why he's wrong. She's known for weeks he's a pretentious, literary snob.
She saw how he suffered from writers block and how he broke through that by spending time with her. So for her to think it was all some elaborate scheme by him is so unrealistically farfetched I can't even begin to comprehend what the authors of this story were thinking.
And the meta insert from Maya, who tells Ruby she's being ridiculous by being upset that the literary snob said literary snob stuff a year ago, just makes it worse. Clearly the authors knew this was contrived AF and yet they still went this route. Why? Because it's always the men who have to give the big apology and make the grand gesture in these romance stories. So frustrating. Joseph didn't get upset when he realized who she really was, despite the fact that she PRESENTLY lied to him about her agent and publishing house, but that doesn't matter more than an interview he did a year ago before they met. An interview where he trashed genre fiction, not her specifically. He didn't even know who she was as an author either.
I couldn't care less about anything that happened after their fallout. I went from really liking Ruby and generally okay with the story itself to straight up hating it. It's amazing I didn't DNF this or give it 1 star.
Edit: Nope. This is a 1 star. Smh
November 12, 2025
He thought that he had found the solace he needed to write his book, but Ruby changed all of that. She brings sunshine and good cheer while Joseph is a grump still grieving his loss. When their paths collide, sparks ignites and feelings come to life. Will the Joseph rewrite the story he came to do and will his journey with Ruby lead to one of happiness.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 29, 2025
A new to me author but an absolute blast of a book. It has all the reasons I love Christmas books. Dramtic over the top characters with a fluffy cutesy vibe but also spicy in all the right places. Joseph and Ruby had me laughing at how opposite they are but also the similarities. He needed her to remember job and she needed him to remember truth. It was a perfect blend of funny with some serious moments.
December 3, 2025
Two writers, opposites attract, grumpy and sunshine romance. They are staying in cabins next door to each other and agree to help each other with the parts they are struggling with. I liked how it was told from both points of view.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 19, 2026
WHAT A GREAT BOOK🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a really great book! I loved the premise of it being based on 2 writers and them having to write together. The word play was very witty and so engaging. The way the MCs play off of each others’ strengths and weaknesses was great! The spice level was really awesome and so organic! I highly recommend this one!
This was a really great book! I loved the premise of it being based on 2 writers and them having to write together. The word play was very witty and so engaging. The way the MCs play off of each others’ strengths and weaknesses was great! The spice level was really awesome and so organic! I highly recommend this one!
December 13, 2025
Joseph and Ruby
This is the best romantic poem turned into a book I’ve ever read. Reading their story made me feel giddy inside. The words chosen from beginning to end were perfect.
This is the best romantic poem turned into a book I’ve ever read. Reading their story made me feel giddy inside. The words chosen from beginning to end were perfect.
December 30, 2025
Mistletoe for the Grump Next Door
Joseph’s and Ruby’s stories are what make this an exciting story to read. Intellect and humor are both key elements in this “happily ever after “. The heated scenes are all unforgettable.
Joseph’s and Ruby’s stories are what make this an exciting story to read. Intellect and humor are both key elements in this “happily ever after “. The heated scenes are all unforgettable.
November 18, 2025
I really liked the premise of this book. She helped him through his grief he gave her writing tips . I loved it so much.
January 4, 2026
Awwwwww
I really enjoyed this book. It totally satiated my love of words, with a story of about love found between 2 writers.
I really enjoyed this book. It totally satiated my love of words, with a story of about love found between 2 writers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews