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Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

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Christmas and I aren’t on speaking terms.

Not since I got left at the altar in front of my entire town.

Now December hits like a personal attack—twinkle lights, carols, and casseroles from women who think I need “checking in on.”

Save it.

I’m a firefighter. I run toward flames.

I don’t jingle, I don’t deck halls, and I don’t fall in love at Christmas.

Except?

My sister’s best friend, sunshine and chaos incarnate, is back home.

She’s in my way.

And in a sick twist of fate, she’s running the entire Yuletide Fest—while I get assigned as her safety officer.

So now I’m stuck shadowing her through parades, cocoa disasters, Christmas markets, and every holiday mishap she accidentally summons like it’s her superpower.

And the more we’re forced together, the harder it is to pretend she’s not still under my skin.

Her smile wrecks me.

Her optimism makes me crazy.

Her lips…

Yeah, I remember exactly what they taste like.

I swore I’d never get tangled up in tinsel or feelings again.

But the way this woman sets me on fire?

That’s one blaze I refuse to put out.

Every good girl deserves a bad boy. ~ Weston

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2025

651 people are currently reading
92 people want to read

About the author

Weston Parker

224 books1,771 followers
Hey there. I'm Weston.

Have we met? No? Well it's time to end that tragedy.

I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker, but live in Texas with my wife, my two little boys, my daughter, two dogs, three cats, and a turtle.

Yep. A turtle. You read that right. Don't be jealous.

You're going to find Billionaires, Bad Boys, Military Guys and loads of sexiness.

Something for everyone, hopefully. I'd love to connect with you. Check out the links below and come find me.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for KaylaJane.
147 reviews
Read
December 2, 2025
This author is one that avoid like the plague because I'm convinced he/she has no idea what fictional romance is, so why did I bother? Call it a moment of sheer stupidity or curiosity that killed the cat. In any case, this just confirms that I need to stay away from this writer for eternity.

Profile Image for Nicole Bolig.
77 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2025
Super cute Christmas read. Love that young love found its way back. Joy and Cooper deserved their happy ending.
252 reviews5 followers
November 28, 2025
Twenty-seven year old Joy Murphy moves back home to Calton Hill, Utah and her Aunt Victoria after she lost her New York marketing job. While there, Victoria asks Joy to help with the annual Yuletide Fest, but the first assignment is a disaster at the local elementary school.

Fireman Cooper Frost is especially grumpy this time of year because a year ago his bride left him at the altar, and now he and his crew are en route to a fire at the elementary school. Upon investigation, he finds the culprit turns out to be none other than Joy Murphy, his sister’s best friend and his first love, and to make matters worse, he has been assigned to her as safety officer to plan and carry out all things Christmas for the town.

Working together and acutely aware of the chemistry, they share feelings about their frailties and insecurities, hoping that they will have a chance of developing a better relationship based on trust and respect. And if their spectacular rolling out of the holiday festival events is any indicator, they are on their way to success. But the closer they get, the more each worries if the relationship is sustainable given Joy’s propensity for running away and Cooper’s disastrous betrayal by his fiancée Lynn.
Then, lo and behold, SHE walks into the station and proclaims that she was wrong and wants another chance.

Weston Parker absolutely made my jaw drop when I read the surprise of Cooper’s ex. I was caught between anger and horror that the witch would have the nerve to show her face much less suggest a do over. But that’s how this gifted writer continues to hone his creative skills and keeps me wanting more. Will Cooper give in to his securities and fall for the lure of reconciling with his vile ex, or will he take a second chance on Joy, whose relationship track record is not stellar? As for Joy, will she be content living with Cooper in a small town as tourism coordinator, or will she leave him to Lynn, the more perfect wife? Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy will take you on a wild ride that has more ups, downs, and curves than Utah’s Uinta Mountain Range, so grab a copy, cozy up in your favorite nook, and enjoy a delicious holiday story, punctuated by sizzling passion, more holiday trimmings than anyone could imagine, and a surprise conclusion!

I received this book as an ARC reviewer and voluntarily offer my honest opinion.
Profile Image for BP34.
6,312 reviews47 followers
December 1, 2025
You'll enjoy Joy and Cooper's story.  Joy was single, 27 and had a successful advertising career in NYC until her company downsized and replaced her with a robot.   She had no choice but to come back to her small hometown and live with her aunt that raised her until she got her life figured out.  Things get interesting as she reconnects with high school friends and especially Cooper, the twin brother of her best friend Katrina.  They'd each had a secret crush on the other but were off limits.  Joy and Cooper will grab your attention right away and their attraction can't be missed.  Emotional and drama filled.  His heart is closed off after being left at the altar the previous year.  Plus his sister, Katrina kept stirring up doubts.   The ex fiance comes back to town and things get interesting.  Twists and surprises as they each deal with their insecurities and baggage.  Town   gossips and front page pictures take things to another level. This slow burn romance will grab your heart as they find forever love. The characters are likable and well developed.   The storyline was good but frustrating at times when they just couldn't get it together.  A happy ending and no cliffhanger.  I read a free arc via the author and voluntarily chose to write a review.
Profile Image for Vicki Wayne.
130 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2025
I absolutely loved this wonderful and complex love story. Joy is back in her home town, somewhat dejected and between jobs. She's not thrilled to be back, but she doesn't have much choice after her dreams in New York City were trashed. Cooper is a local boy, turned handsome firefighter. He was left at the alter by a gal at Christmastime, and now is an absolute bah-hum-bug. Can Joy, who's now in charge of the town holiday festival, be the one to turn Cooper's frown into a smile when it comes to the holidays?
Although this is considered one of the author's 'Bad Boy' series...I don't see Cooper so much as a bad boy, as much as he is sad and jaded. Becoming the topic of small town gossip, right at Christmas, would be enough to make anyone feel pretty grumpy. But I think calling him a 'bad boy' is a bit of a stretch.
I did truly enjoy the story though. Both of these characters are struggling with the next phase of adulthood in their own way. It just so happens that they each have something to prove and learn, both about themselves and each other. The author does a really great job of drawing us in - as usual - and having us feel what they feel and root for second or even third chances!!
48 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
This was such a great Christmas love story between Cooper and Joy who grew up together with Joy being best friends with Cooper's twin sister, Katrina. Joy left for College and New York City and Cooper stayed behind. (They always had a thing for each other but neither would admit it) After Joy is let go because of company downsizing she moves back home and is living with her Aunt Victoria who talks her into taking over the Yuletide Festival Event which is a huge deal in this small town.
Cooper is assigned to be the safety officer overseeing this same event which puts Cooper and Joy working side by side. Cooper is anything but happy about this as he hates everything Christmas after being left at the alter last Christmas by his fiance. Joy loves everything Christmas. These two have a lot to work out but first is to admit the feelings they have for each other which are growing stronger each day they spend time together. This story has it all. Ups, downs, old fiance showing up and wants Cooper back, the off the charts sex, and 2 people that desperately need and love each other but are too stubborn to admit it. This is a MUST read and a great Christmastime story. You will LOVE it!!!!
Profile Image for Terra Oenning.
3,560 reviews
November 29, 2025
wowsa this book is absolutely fantastic and will definitely have you engrossed from the beginning until the end. when bad boy Cooper Frost gets left at the alter around christmas he turns into a grinch and wants nothing to do with christmas until Joy Murphy shows up his sister Katrinas best friend who kissed him and left for college and now She's back but can he work with her at the YuleTide festival to get his promotion of lieutenant at the fire department or will someone try to destroy him again?Joy has always loved Cooper but when her best friend warned her away will she get a second chance to be with him again? Joy is taking over and helping her aunt to organize and rjn The Yuletide festival if she does a great job she could possibly get a job working with the city,but will someone try to get her to run away from town again and Cooper? This book was such a great story that will definitely have you believing in love and christmas miracles and second chances . I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
138 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy is a charming, snowy small-town romance that delivers heart, humor, and just the right amount of heat. Noelle returns to Pine Ridge hoping for a fresh start, and instead ends up paired with Grayson Wolfe — the town’s grumpy, Christmas-hating contractor with a past he’d rather keep buried. Their forced partnership on the Holiday Cheer Program leads to hilarious mishaps, unexpected vulnerability, and slow-burn chemistry that crackles on every page.

Weston Parker beautifully balances festive chaos with emotional depth as Noelle and Grayson confront old wounds and learn to trust again. And when a figure from Grayson’s past shows up, the tension skyrockets, making their eventual breakthrough even sweeter. This story is cozy, addictive, and filled with the kind of small-town magic that makes holiday romances unforgettable.

I received an ARC of this book and am sharing my honest opinion.

Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
12.3k reviews92 followers
December 7, 2025
When her professional life takes a detour Joy decides to return to her hometown while she tries to determine what happens next. When she agrees to work for a holiday event she wasn’t prepared for the fact that it would mean working with Cooper, her first love who she left with no further contact when she left to pursue her education years earlier.

Cooper had feelings for Joy since before she left and in the years since he has created a successful career as a fireman however his personal life imploded when his fiancé left him on their wedding day. Seeing Joy and spending time with her brings up all the feelings he has tried to deny however the past has a way of resurfacing when you least expect it.

Great chemistry, a little turmoil, surprises and two characters who must make peace with the past both when they were together and apart.
Profile Image for Jean M.
426 reviews8 followers
November 28, 2025
I can definitely recommend this Christmas love story, with all the trimmings of small town and their interfering ways.
Joy and Cooper, childhood friends, but both fragile and damaged.
Cooper having been left at the altar by his ex, and then Joy, returning home after losing her job in New York.
As they both danced around their attraction to each other, luckily Cooper had his twin sister to provide some common sense and Joy had her aunt providing support.
All was ticking along nicely until the dreaded ex turned up with her manipulating and scheming plans.
It was never going to be a smooth journey but there was certainly some fun along the way.
A fun read with a few anxious moments of will they or won’t they, but the HEA was worth waiting for.
113 reviews2 followers
December 5, 2025
After being jilted at the alter last Christmas it’s understandable the Cooper Frost, a local firefighter, might not be feeling the festive spirit this year, especially as he lives in the small town where he grew up and everyone knows everyone’s business. As they approach the festive season his sister and his fellow firefighters have started calling him a grumpy grinch.
Meanwhile Joy Murphy is returning home to stay with her Aunt Victoria temporarily, while she regroups and decides on her next course of action, having left Nee York feeling like a failure after losing her job and not making it career-wise, in the big city, where she’d gone to live, hoping to lie her best life, leaving her home town, Calton Hill, after graduation.
Cooper’s twin sister and Joy were best friends at school, but not seen each other much since Joy moved away. How will Joys return home be, will she stay this time? A lovely festive stand alone story which I thoroughly enjoyed having received it as an ARC.
45 reviews
December 6, 2025
How a Grinch Captured a Bride

We start in a small town to which a deflated girl returns after losing her job in NYC. Feeling like a failure, she thinks her life is over. Her aunt, who she stays with, passes the torch of Yuletide festival organizer to her. The Mayor appoints a grinchy fireman as safety officer to work with her. The firefighter has a sour attitude about Christmas - he was left at the altar last Christmas Eve. He and our heroine shared a kiss as graduating high school seniors that neither has forgotten. Their relationship develops as they tackle the challenge of organizing the festival, but his ex returns to the town seeking to get him back. Will they overcome all challenges to be together?Read the book!
Profile Image for Anna-Marie Buchner.
937 reviews7 followers
December 15, 2025
Hmm I have mixed feelings about this read. Don't get me wrong I did like it. Maybe a little to angsty for a holiday read. I loved Cooper BUT he let his ex take up too much real estate in his head. As for Joy okay I get it she lost her job, her apartment in New York so came back to the small town she grew up in. Now I get she had a crush on Cooper in High School but why the kiss and run. Was it because it was her best friends brother. To me Joy was a runner, she didn't know how to handle much of anything if it got complicated. Her instincts were to run and hide. Disappointing if you ask me. In the end both Cooper and Joy got their acts together so all good.
Profile Image for Jennifer Rice.
6 reviews20 followers
January 12, 2026
honestly, disappointed

Despite the raving reviews, I was really disappointed in this book. The spicy scenes were basically the same dialogue, the time line was super inconsistent, and it dragged. I feel bad leaving a bad review, but when something is referred to as 10 years,then 15 years, then 8 years? It was like the author couldn’t decide when the history started. It was supposed to be the summer after high school graduation. They are 27 now. So none of those seemed to make sense. Then he said he got with the ex after MFC left for college 10 years ago, but she left him at the alter after a 3 year relationship? I’m sorry, but this was so poorly done.
216 reviews
December 1, 2025
Joy is back home and her best friend asked her to help with the annual Yuletide Fest. Her first assignment is a disaster is at the elementary school. Grumpy fireman Cooper is en route to the fire at the school. Joy is the culprit and was his first love. Now Cooper is assigned to be her safety officer to plan all things Christmas that he hates. Oh boy what a story. Things was going great between them when his ex decides to come back. Who will Cooper choose. Will Joy stay in town. Grab a copy it will keep you glued to the pages. It is a great story.
Profile Image for Emma C..
83 reviews43 followers
December 2, 2025
I love second chance romances with a happy ever after. I got hooked in when Joy - down on her luck after losing her job - is forced to move back to her hometown to stay with her aunt who raised her until she could figure out here next move. Her aunt tasks her with taking her place putting on the annual Christmas celebration which brings Joy face to face with her past with Cooper when he becomes assigned as the safety officer - he’s all about safety being a firefighter.

Their partnership is entertaining and quite solid despite outside parties trying to interfere.
Profile Image for Lyn Brownlie.
682 reviews15 followers
December 2, 2025
Coming home
I love a great Christmas story and this one ticked all the boxes.
✔️Fun Christmas activities
✔️Romance
✔️Grumpy MMC
✔️Steaminess
✔️Horrible Ex
✔️Second time around at getting it right
Joy was back in her home town upset after losing her job and Cooper was still processing the heartbreak he experienced last Christmas.
Follow the two as they navigate spending time with each other and the attraction that had not dimmed since they were teenagers.
Great storyline and characters.
I loved this Christmas story.
Profile Image for Kathy.
353 reviews5 followers
December 2, 2025
Joy and Cooper's story is full of emotions! They keep you on your toes! I went through a number of reactions with them tenderness, warmth, understanding and concern. Sometimes I felt like hugging them and then other times, banging their heads together! They're only human but they have some great friends and family. Got to love those supporting characters, they bring so much to the story! Thank you Weston for being the explosive author you are, your books make me so joyful!
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the author, and voluntarily leave my honest opinion.
1,798 reviews6 followers
December 13, 2025
This is a great read.
Joy is back in her home town after losing her job and gets a job running the Christmas festival.
Cooper is a fire fighter but doesn't like Christmas after being jilted at the altar the previous Christmas and now he has to work with Joy on the Christmas festival.
They soon get close and Cooper starts to enjoy Christmas again but what happens when his ex comes back to town.
Plenty of drama but also a love that can't be denied.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
101 reviews
November 30, 2025
It was good

I enjoyed Joy and Cooper’s story. It was pretty predictable but I loved the Christmas theme and the thought of a small town community festival. The writing made me really wish I was walking through the Christmas market and experiencing all the fun. There were a couple editing issues but not enough to detract from the story. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, I’m going to check out some more.
5,639 reviews
December 1, 2025
I absolutely loved this story!
Honestly, I love everything I've read by Weston Parker, but this, "chef's kiss" amazing!

What an appropriate heroine name for this seasonal romance!
Wait until you meet Joy!

Cooper was absolutely swoon-worthy! SIGH!
He makes you want to start a teeny, tiny fire!
He definitely set me on fire!

There's plenty of drama, plenty of heat, and oh so awesome dialogue!

A must read in my opinion!
205 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
Falling For the Grinchy Bad Boy by Weston Parker
This was a sweet, small town second chance romance set at Christmastime.  Joy Murphy moved back to Utah after losing her marketing job in NYC.  Cooper Frost is a hometown firefighter who has yearned for Joy since high school.  There is much drama, with an ex-fiancee thrown into the mix.  They finally reach their HEA in the best dramatic fashion.  I think everyone will love this book.
Profile Image for Merry Jelks-Emmanuel.
13.5k reviews155 followers
December 3, 2025
Joy and Cooper are wonderful characters with so much presence in this heartwarming story. She's sunshine and happiness and he can give the Grinch a run for his money, but Joy brings something out in him. She's running the towns Christmas fest, and he is assigned as the safety officer and their path begins. Will her cheeriness open up more than his heart and lead them along the path to happiness.
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book.
537 reviews3 followers
January 5, 2026
Falling for the Grinch Bad Boy

Yep, he was definitely the grinch and she was the one who left although going to college should’ve never been hyped up to be running away. Second chances for them both made the story more palatable to read and understand. Of course being left at the alter in front of all his peers and community at Christmas didn’t help either. May be being called the grinch wasn’t so bad after all.
Profile Image for Chris Cantu saldana.
465 reviews
January 28, 2026
Second Chances

This was a definite second chance story. Joy and Cooper are a perfect match who found a first love feeling as young teens and rediscover that feeling as adults. When Joy comes back to her hometown, after years of being away, we see a storyline made up of emotional baggage , humor, self realization, heated chemistry. Join these two on their journey to find a happily ever after. Enjoy!
8 reviews
December 2, 2025
Great Holiday Read

Joy & Cooper will make you believe in HEA for the second time. He helped her see her resilience to change and get over the fear of failing. While she helped him to overcome his past bad experience and enjoy Christmas again. These two will have you laughing- the cocoa disaster and swooning when he finally replaces his grumpiness with Joy!
304 reviews1 follower
December 2, 2025
I don't usually like reading Christmas stories, but this was a very interesting read. I read this book quickly as I couldn't put it down. Joy and Frost were wonderful to watch grow as a couple.  They had great family beside them. It's true in life, family is the one thing you should always be able to count on being there for you.
Profile Image for Ann Brown.
3,489 reviews24 followers
December 3, 2025
A beautiful Christmas romance. Cooper is a Grinch after being left at the altar. Joy is returning home feeling a failure. They are both asked to prepare for the Yuletide Festival. Emotional, sweet and heartwarming with a little drama with Cooper's ex. A best friend's brother story that was an amazing read.
2,628 reviews8 followers
December 3, 2025
Cooper is a firefighter that does not have the best relationship with Christmas. Joy comes back to town after she lost her job in New York. She is working on the Yuletide fest and Cooper is her safety officer. They will have a lot of obstacles to overcome to find joy this holiday season. This is a great story with wonderful characters to get you in the holiday spirit.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
515 reviews
December 3, 2025
A great small town second chance romance. Joy and Cooper have known each other since childhood. She comes back to town after her job downsized. She is helping with a festival at the local elementary school, and Cooper joins her and decorates for a holiday he hates.
This was a perfect mix of will they, won't they. And the holiday setting is magical.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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