Grumpy Fake Date: A Small Town Single Dad Firefighter Romance

by Blaire Lockhart

I ran from my wedding and landed in the arms of a grumpy fire chief.

Now I’m sleeping in his house, falling for his daughter, and pretending to be his girlfriend because the whole town thinks we’re a couple.

Gage Mercer catches me climbing out a church window in a thirty-thousand-dollar wedding dress. Then he drives me to the crumbling inn I’ve just inherited. He needs my land for an emergency fire road. I need him to stop acting like he owns it.

When a snowstorm cuts us off from town, Gage offers me a place to stay. To quiet the gossip—and the questions about why he wants my land—we agree to play the perfect couple until the roads clear and the inn is safe.

His eight-year-old daughter buys our act. Gage and I are less convincing when we’re alone.

His hands linger when he helps with my dress. His mouth finds mine after midnight.

Each kiss leaves me wanting another—and wondering how long we can keep pretending.

The road through my land could save his department.

And the man I’m falling for may have to choose between protecting my future and taking it away.



Tropes
🔥 Runaway bride
🔥 Grumpy sunshine
🔥 Fake dating
🔥 Forced proximity (snowed in)
🔥 Single dad with a matchmaking daughter
🔥 Enemies to lovers
🔥 Small town where everyone knows your business
🔥 Widower learning to love again
🔥 Steamy, 18+, guaranteed HEA

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2026

Reviews

[DEBBIE GG · Rating 5 out of 5]

review of advanced copy received from author

this is a fun, cute story. a run away bride and a widowed grumpy fire chief wind up together in his house and sparks fly. the storyline is awesome there are some twist and turns and moments of frustration and anger, grief, and some mystery. but i do love when authors add kids to the plot. the entertaining characters just round out a very romantic story. i enjoyed it very much. my favorite quote is

"Okay. But if you mess it up again, I'm moving in with Grandpa Joe, he has a boat."

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun-loving story had me from the first page. Sadie is the type of character you can't help but love and when she connects with Gage, she brings life back into a widower. His daughter soon becomes Sadie's sidekick and together there is never a dull moment. This is a well written book filled with drama along with characters that have you cheering them on.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadie and Gage’s story is a run away bride, a widowed grumpy fire chief, twist and turns, moments of frustration, anger, grief, some mystery, his daughter loves Sadie too. She.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.