As a construction foreman, Ethan Davis is used to being in control.
So when his parents buy a rundown beach house in a faraway town and hire someone else to renovate it, he insists on doing the work himself.
If he stays focused, he should finish the job early and under budget.
But there are some things Ethan can't control. Like an unreliable ferry, inclement weather, and his new neighbor, Chloe.
Chloe's cheery attitude and constant smiles really get under his skin. Not that it matters. He has a job to do, and his deadline is written in stone.
Life is good for Chloe Mills. Not only does she live right on the beach, but business at her coffee shop is booming. The only thing missing is someone to share it with.
Unfortunately, in a tourist town like Inner Shores, people tend to come and go with the tide. Like her new neighbor, Ethan.
He might be the surliest person she's ever met, but Chloe can see a big heart hiding beneath all those scowls.
So when he moves in next door, she decides to show him all that Inner Shores has to offer. Even if it means catching feelings for someone who was never meant to stay.
Because, for both Chloe and Ethan, nothing about life-or love-is a sure thing.
ARC REVIEW! Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray just know how to write a book! I want to visit this cute island in real life it was so fun! I need to start praying to the ferry gods! GrumpyxSunshine is one of my favorite tropes and they did it perfectly! I loved all the side characters too! Hoping we get more stories from this world. The Barnacles were the absolute best I’m obsessed with them. If we do get more from this world i need them in the background!
Well this was a fun read! Thank you to the authors for my E-Arc copy.
Set in holiday island of Inner Shores, a quaint coastal town, where everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business. Chloe our quirky FMC runs Mugs the local coffee shop, she is the definition of a sunshine character, constantly happy but also unapologetically herself. She also happens to be the girl next door.
Ethan is Mr. Grumpy, he is fixing up his parents future house which just so happens to be right next door to Chloe.
Chloe forces Ethan the workaholic to relax and live in the moment and sparks unexpectedly start to fly.
3.5⭐️ Thank you to the authors for providing me with an early review copy. This is definitely a beach read and will get you read for the summer. The grumpy x sunshine trope was strong but I loved watching our MMC slowly melt for the FMC against his will. This book does tackle a few heavier topics, so check your TW, but overall was an enjoyable and spicey read.
"You know, I've gotta admit, all the books I've read have not prepared me for the disappointing reality of the 'only-one-bed' trope."
A Shore Thing by Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray is set in a small beach town in North Carolina. Chloe loves her beachside cottage, her morning surf, her best friends, and her coffee shop, Mugs. Ethan does not like spending his vacation fixing up his parents' retirement home, the beach, people, or his sunshiny neighbor. What these two opposites don't know is that they're exactly what the other needs.
Friends, have I got the perfect beach read for you! A Shore Thing is the best mix of swoon, banter, and spice. Chloe is the sunshine to Ethan's grumpy face. She loves to live in the moment and enjoy the peace and tranquility of her beach town. He needs a rigid schedule and to control as much of his life as possible. These two have great banter! I love how much Chloe teases Ethan just to get him to smile. They have fantastic chemistry and tension!
In addition to the romance, I love the supportive female friend group that Chloe has! Willow, Lola, and Chloe all have such distinct personalities and yet they complement each other perfectly. Willow and Lola are the gals you want in your corner. They bring the laughs, the teasing, and they're there for Chloe whenever and wherever she needs them. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we get to more stories in this series for each of them!
There are some heavier plotlines sprinkled in with all of the beachy fun, which the authors note. There's an alcoholic parent, as well as a cancer reoccurrence scare. Please take care if these may impact you.
A Shore Thing is another winner from Fyfe and Murray, and is sure to be exactly what romance lovers need this summer! Don't miss this fantastic story!
"He's so domineering. So uptight, I want to ruffle his feathers. Throw him off-kilter. Take some of that control for myself."
"Being so focused on the end goal means you miss so much along the way."
"When Chloe and I are together, it feels as if we could set the entire planet on fire."
"When you're a naturally sunny person, folks don't want to know you so much on the days when your mood is cloudy. When you're feeling stormy."
(Was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by the author in exchange for an honest review)
This is my first time ever reading anything by Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray. I did not know what to expect other than a good execution of the tropes they mentioned in the book like grumpy x sunshine, small town, spice x swoon, beachy romances.
People may argue that a combo of these elements in a story makes it cliche. Yes, there is truth in that statement. But that also raises the stakes because if it's cliche, then it means the pressure is on as I and countless others find comfort in these kinds of stories.
And goodness gracious: THEY DELIVERED! This is a scrumptious rom-com ripe for the picking! It was so tempting to finish this book in one sitting (you totally can) but I'm glad I took my time taking a bite out of the glorious banter between Chloe and Ethan. Can't deny the chemistry between these two. Plus, they're an only daughter x eldest son pairing, which I love!
If you're itching to get your happily ever after on the beach with some hot and heavy action (the typical meaning of those words plus some things scorching and weighing on their minds), this deserves your consideration for your TBRs.
This was a really sweet beach read that’s perfect for any weather! I read this one cuddled up in bed on cool winter nights, but it gave me all the warm and fuzzies 🥰
The books follows Chloe, the definition of sunshine, who lives in tourist town Inner Shores. She loves a surf, runs a local coffee shop and tackles everything with a smile on her face. As a fellow woman living in an isolated coastal town who also tries to do life with a smile - I related to Chloe!!
The book also follows Ethan, who is very grumpy, who is a building foreman supposedly on holiday, but has ended up having to renovate a death trap home his family unexpectedly purchased.
Small town shenanigans ensue! It was charming and I loved it. I especially loved the little reference to the title when I found it. I sometimes find it corny - but I thought it was done well (in an unexpected way!!).
Definitely recommend picking this one up for a fun, cute and summery read!!
Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publisher for an eARC of this book.
This book was the beachy breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. I loved every minute I spent at Inner Shores 🐚🌴
A Shore Thing has the perfect mix of best friends, small town characters, banter, slow burn and spice. It definitely ticks all the boxes for a perfect beach read!
I loved how Chloe was the sunshine to Ethan’s grumpy. She is very much living in the moment while Ethan is planning his days down to the minute. It was so enjoyable to watch Chloe slowly break down the walls of control that Ethan has built around himself.
I loved the relationship Chloe had with her customers and besties and how protective they were of her in return. The addition of the kitten also showed us a softer side to Ethan that we may not have seen until later in the book.
I loved the flow of the story, the setting and the characters. It made for a fun and binge worthy read. I definitely recommend putting A Shore Thing on your holiday or beach reading tbr 🐚💕
Thank you to the authorsb for a digital copy to honestly review.
I absolutely devoured this book, and I loved every minute! Jenny and Natalie have a seamless way of writing together that flows so beautifully from one chapter to the next.
This is the perfect summer beach read, I could imagine that I was sunbathing outside my own little beach side shack, listening to the waves crash on the shore.
I adored the grumpy X sunshine dynamic, and the way Ethan gradually thawed over the course of the book as Chloe wormed her way into his feelings. I loved the serious notes that were included in the storyline, with Chloe's father and her medical history adding real depth to her character and making me really root for her happy ending. Usually I relate more to the grumpy characters, but Chloe's eldest daughter vibes made me a little emotional, particularly when she started to lean on Ethan more and let him take care of her!
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a spicy summer romance to keep you entertained by the pool or beach this summer!
You don’t have to smile through absolutely everything. ~ Oh, how I love when these two get together to write a book, and the fact that Israel had a beach town setting made it all the better! I love a good grumpy-sunshine, and the premise of this made it such a fun read! And the way Jenny and Natalie tackled more serious issues, physical and mental health wise was so spot-on and made me feel so seen. It also brought awareness to some super important things that happen on the daily that might otherwise be ignored, and I loved that. Ethan and Chloe were just the perfect push and pull together, and watching them finally realize what they meant to each other was a joy to read. A job well done yet again!
Grumpy x sunshine is my absolute favorite trope, and this one is done just right. The character shift is natural and organic—not a sudden, jarring flip—which makes their connection feel so authentic.
Chloe brings pure jokes-and-innuendo energy while Ethan quietly loses the battle against his own scowl, and it is so satisfying to watch.
A man giving a woman a shell he found because it reminded him of her? That is straight-up penguin behavior, and I am 100% here for it. (And that outdoor shower scene? 🔥 That's all I'm saying.)
Jenny Fyfe and Natalie Murray’s writing is always a good time, and A Shore Thing is no exception!
I absolutely adored Chloe and how she was a bright ray of sunshine on Ethan’s grumpiness. I kept laughing at the banter, and I so enoyed seeing him warm to her. Both of them had a journey to go on, and they both learned and grew SO much. As a chronic people pleaser, I related a lot to Chloe and her urge to do what’s “right” even when it’s not right on a personal level.
The OBX vibe is so fun, and made this the perfect summer read. This is the book that you want to curl up with by the pool and inhale all in one setting. So stop reading this review and go read it now!
I received an ARC from the authors. This is my review:
I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well written and I loved being able to escape to Inner Shores, North Carolina when I'm in the depths of winter in New Zealand right now. This is definitely a fun, summer read.
I loved the dynamic between Chloe and Ethan and I liked how they both developed and grew in themselves by the end of the story. Their romance was believable and not too insta-lusty.
THE VIBE : 💛🏄☕💪 This is your book for SUMMER. Chloe is the definition of sunshine, she's positive, social anxiety is afraid of her, she's funny and smart and free. Ethan on the other hand is grumpy, he's a lonely boy, good with his hands but not with people, he's strict and likes to follow the rules. They have nothing in common and yet... An adorable love story, it's funny, cute brings one or two heavy topics and it's a perfect summer read. If it doesn't make you want to open a little cafe near the beach I don't know what will. I'm a huge fan of Jenny Fyfe contemporary romance and this one is not exception, even if it's a cowriting romance. I just want to read more because it's good to the soul Love it, 1000% recommend.
This was a cute quick read. It was grumpy/sunshine which a trope that I enjoy. They couple complimented each other.
I liked how the MMC didn’t really change to fit the needs of the FMC. Yes, he became more approachable but he was able to maintain the grumpy attitude for the most part.
I also liked how the FMC was able to help him see what was happening within himself after the accident with his friend.
I definitely want more books with the best friends because I loved the scenes involving them.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is the perfect beach/summer read, especially if you love grumpy x sunshine!
Chloe is full of sunshine and so very forgiving. I love her coffee shop and all the mugs she has. Her group of friends is amazing and I love that she has support.
Ethan is guarded from everything that has happened to him in the past. I loved seeing him this growth throughout the pages. Swooning from how protective he is of the ones he loves.
Inner Shores is a beautiful quiet coastal town where Ethan’s parents have bought a rundown beachside shack they plan to retire in. Ethan reluctantly agrees to spend his much needed holiday renovating the house for them to move into
Chloe has lived in Inner Shores forever, and owns and runs ‘Mugs’ the only coffee shop in town. Her positive, take no crap approach to life keeps her upbeat despite the harder and frustrating times she has been through
Ethan is determined to stay under budget and ‘get in and out’ quickly of Inner Shores with no distractions.
But enter a fabulous meet cute and we now have Chloe and Ethan drawn to each other, only then amplified when we discover they are now neighbours
Chloe & Ethan are 🙌
From the first chapters Ethan had me swooning! Chloe is so fun and a firecracker
Queue the slow burn and some fabulous banter, and you have a binge worthy romcom!
A fabulous collaboration, I have loved Natalie’s novels Love, Just and Lights, Camera, Love and am now excited to read Jenny’s too!
Thank you so much to both authors for my gifted e-arc! This is a must read for any romcom lovers out there 🙌
The PERFECT summer romcom- literally I’m not joking. This book has everything you want in a beach read: its takes place literally in a beach town, grumpy sunshine vibes, found family, slow burn, great banter, it’s the perfect amount of spicy, and overall such a fun read. Add it to your summer TBR now, because you don’t want to miss out.
A Shore Thing by Natalie Murray & Jenny Fyfe. The perfect grumpy / sunshine beach read with a generous amount of heat to warm you up if it’s Winter where you are. Set on an island with a small beachside community, cafe owner Chloe and visiting construction worker Ethan (who is fixing up his parents’ beach house) can’t deny their obvious attraction forever.
Favourite quote refers to Ethan as ‘the Thor next door’.