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The Grinch Next Door
I’m the Grinch hiding from all the nosy Who’s in my life.
And this Christmas, a cabin alone in the woods is my Mount Crumpit.
The only problem is...it comes with a neighbor.
When my flight to join my family for Christmas was cancelled, I jumped at the chance to be alone. After all, as all jaded singles know, Christmas is the worst time for a single woman to be around her loved ones. Who ask questions, make comments, and suggest blind dates with their neighbor’s nephew’s roommate. No thank you.
Thankfully, my best friend just so happens to run a dated dude ranch that’s empty for the holidays...or so I thought.
When I arrive, fully prepared to hole up like a grinchy hobbit, eating seven meals a day and shouting until my echoes shout back at me in true Grinch fashion, the last thing I expect is to find a neighbor staying in the cabin right next to me.
Liam Cartwright may be the Wade Kinsella of my dreams, but his enthusiasm for Christmas is more than I can handle. But when we’re forced to combine our Christmas vacations and spend it together, I find myself wondering why I found him so annoying in the first place...
Never mind. He just came out of his room wearing a Christmas onesie and antlers. I’m officially annoyed again.
This book is perfect for fans of Shari L Tapscott and Emma St Clair! This novella includes tons of sassy humor and swoony romance, without any sex or swearing!
And this Christmas, a cabin alone in the woods is my Mount Crumpit.
The only problem is...it comes with a neighbor.
When my flight to join my family for Christmas was cancelled, I jumped at the chance to be alone. After all, as all jaded singles know, Christmas is the worst time for a single woman to be around her loved ones. Who ask questions, make comments, and suggest blind dates with their neighbor’s nephew’s roommate. No thank you.
Thankfully, my best friend just so happens to run a dated dude ranch that’s empty for the holidays...or so I thought.
When I arrive, fully prepared to hole up like a grinchy hobbit, eating seven meals a day and shouting until my echoes shout back at me in true Grinch fashion, the last thing I expect is to find a neighbor staying in the cabin right next to me.
Liam Cartwright may be the Wade Kinsella of my dreams, but his enthusiasm for Christmas is more than I can handle. But when we’re forced to combine our Christmas vacations and spend it together, I find myself wondering why I found him so annoying in the first place...
Never mind. He just came out of his room wearing a Christmas onesie and antlers. I’m officially annoyed again.
This book is perfect for fans of Shari L Tapscott and Emma St Clair! This novella includes tons of sassy humor and swoony romance, without any sex or swearing!
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2023
4 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 19, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I loved this!! There was so much sweetness & snark. Sophia’s inner monologue, no flirting capabilities, snarkiness, and paranoia closely mirror my own. And let’s face it, Liam was a dream. 🥰
This story holds a lot of heart & introspection between the laughter & comedy. You can tell Rachel put her heart into this project because it’s authentic. 💛 And, yes, being single is hard around holidays, even if you are really content, because (usually) well-meaning individuals ask nosy questions. 🙈
All in all, a heartfelt, short Christmassy read that I can’t wait to add to my shelves!!
I loved this!! There was so much sweetness & snark. Sophia’s inner monologue, no flirting capabilities, snarkiness, and paranoia closely mirror my own. And let’s face it, Liam was a dream. 🥰
This story holds a lot of heart & introspection between the laughter & comedy. You can tell Rachel put her heart into this project because it’s authentic. 💛 And, yes, being single is hard around holidays, even if you are really content, because (usually) well-meaning individuals ask nosy questions. 🙈
All in all, a heartfelt, short Christmassy read that I can’t wait to add to my shelves!!
December 10, 2023
I absolutely loved Liam & Sophia's grinch-y, sweet,caring, loving, Christmas -y , swoony story!!!
February 20, 2023
You know when you have high expectations for something, and then that said thing goes and exceeds them and knocks your socks clean off into the next room? Well, that is exactly what The Grinch Next Door did to me! To say I loved this book is an understatement! I was either grinning, giggling, or internally screaming the WHOLE TIME.
The chemistry between Liam and Sophia was brilliant and their snarky banter was top notch. This novella was an insta-love romance, but it was done in a way that felt real unlike so many other stories with that trope I've read.
Being the Bonanza geek that I am, I highly appreciate the fact that Liam's last name is Cartwright. And the fact that he had the "Cartwright feel" which is something only Bonanza fans will recognize, and it was amazing, especially since R.E.S. told me she's never watched the show. For those of you wondering what the "Cartwright feel" is, it's when a guy is loyal, honorable, strong but not afraid to let his emotions show, and Liam was all of those things!
All in all, this is a wonderful novella that will make you want to read it in one sitting, and I highly recommend it, especially if you love a good Christmas story, reverse Grump X Sunshine, cute kittens who like to interrupt things, and snarky characters.
Oh, and I'll end on this--the HILARIOUS shower scene...I don't need to say anymore, just read it to find out.
The chemistry between Liam and Sophia was brilliant and their snarky banter was top notch. This novella was an insta-love romance, but it was done in a way that felt real unlike so many other stories with that trope I've read.
Being the Bonanza geek that I am, I highly appreciate the fact that Liam's last name is Cartwright. And the fact that he had the "Cartwright feel" which is something only Bonanza fans will recognize, and it was amazing, especially since R.E.S. told me she's never watched the show. For those of you wondering what the "Cartwright feel" is, it's when a guy is loyal, honorable, strong but not afraid to let his emotions show, and Liam was all of those things!
All in all, this is a wonderful novella that will make you want to read it in one sitting, and I highly recommend it, especially if you love a good Christmas story, reverse Grump X Sunshine, cute kittens who like to interrupt things, and snarky characters.
Oh, and I'll end on this--the HILARIOUS shower scene...I don't need to say anymore, just read it to find out.
December 30, 2025
I was going to leave this one until Christmas, but what better time to read this than July? Especially since we had some snow!
Anyway, I loved this story!! It was so sweet but still had some sizzle, and — Ahh, it was amazing!!
Christmas 2025 edit: reread this story this Christmas, and it was just as enjoyable as on the first read through 😆
Anyway, I loved this story!! It was so sweet but still had some sizzle, and — Ahh, it was amazing!!
Christmas 2025 edit: reread this story this Christmas, and it was just as enjoyable as on the first read through 😆
December 29, 2023
This was sooooo cute!! I really appreciated the respectfulness of the couple and how they were mature in how they interacted. It's grumpy/sunshine, which is a trope I love, and It's nice seeing a guy really into Christmas verses it always being the girl. The snarky commentary was everything I needed, and I couldn't put it down! It didn't completely wow me, but I really really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend if you like sweet/clean Christmas Rom/Coms!
Content warning: This is an age gap romance of 9 years, so if that isn't your thing, then pass on this. Personally, it didn't bother me at all.
Content warning: This is an age gap romance of 9 years, so if that isn't your thing, then pass on this. Personally, it didn't bother me at all.
January 11, 2024
This book just made me melt inside. I loved the small town vibes, and I especially loved the refreshing twist of a heroine who's NOT some big city career boss babe. I need more rom coms like this!
January 21, 2023
The Grinch Next Door
Reader’s Notes:
– this is told from Sophia’s point of view
– there is a moment where Liam is accidentally naked (left the bathroom in a towel & the towel accidentally got knocked into, making it fall; Sophia purposefully doesn’t see the full nakedness)
– there is a nine year age gap between Sophia & Liam
Review:
This is such a sweet romantic comedy! I enjoyed their banter and that Sophia attempted to stay grumpy as well as alone when she discovered her unwanted neighbor (not that it worked of course). I loved that Liam kept trying to break through her grumpy exterior and loved to win her smiles. I also loved that he knew when to give her space and when she needed the opposite. I loved that Sophia had a great relationship with her family, but also knew she needed space from them during that Christmas season. It was so relatable to see a character who knew that seeing happy couples during the holidays made them sad to not also have someone for themselves like that. Some of my favorite scenes included: Liam bringing/making Sophia meals, Liam wanting to protect Sophia, sledding, getting stuck in the snow, Sophia smiling at a photo, and the epilogue.
Summary:
When Sophia’s flight is cancelled, she jumps at the chance to have Christmas all to her self. Though she loves her family Christmas can be hard for her single self especially with nosy relatives wondering the same things she does about her romantic life: when will she find her own special someone? Luckily, her best friend has a cabin open that she’s willing to let her borrow for the holiday season. Unfortunately, her friend failed to mention that Sophia wouldn’t be as alone as she hoped and her neighbor is the complete opposite of her when it comes to Christmas. And his exuberance for Christmas lights might just cause her power problems, which Sophia needs if she’s going to get any progress made on her work.
Sophia didn’t expect to have a neighbor, but when more than power issues cause Sophia to have problems with her self-contained holiday season, she is grateful for him. Their unexpected combination of vacations may not be what Sophia wanted, but maybe it’s just what she needed…
Reader’s Notes:
– this is told from Sophia’s point of view
– there is a moment where Liam is accidentally naked (left the bathroom in a towel & the towel accidentally got knocked into, making it fall; Sophia purposefully doesn’t see the full nakedness)
– there is a nine year age gap between Sophia & Liam
Review:
This is such a sweet romantic comedy! I enjoyed their banter and that Sophia attempted to stay grumpy as well as alone when she discovered her unwanted neighbor (not that it worked of course). I loved that Liam kept trying to break through her grumpy exterior and loved to win her smiles. I also loved that he knew when to give her space and when she needed the opposite. I loved that Sophia had a great relationship with her family, but also knew she needed space from them during that Christmas season. It was so relatable to see a character who knew that seeing happy couples during the holidays made them sad to not also have someone for themselves like that. Some of my favorite scenes included: Liam bringing/making Sophia meals, Liam wanting to protect Sophia, sledding, getting stuck in the snow, Sophia smiling at a photo, and the epilogue.
Summary:
When Sophia’s flight is cancelled, she jumps at the chance to have Christmas all to her self. Though she loves her family Christmas can be hard for her single self especially with nosy relatives wondering the same things she does about her romantic life: when will she find her own special someone? Luckily, her best friend has a cabin open that she’s willing to let her borrow for the holiday season. Unfortunately, her friend failed to mention that Sophia wouldn’t be as alone as she hoped and her neighbor is the complete opposite of her when it comes to Christmas. And his exuberance for Christmas lights might just cause her power problems, which Sophia needs if she’s going to get any progress made on her work.
Sophia didn’t expect to have a neighbor, but when more than power issues cause Sophia to have problems with her self-contained holiday season, she is grateful for him. Their unexpected combination of vacations may not be what Sophia wanted, but maybe it’s just what she needed…
May 18, 2023
Cute Hallmark style romance
Fun story, total fluff, the cheese factor got a bit much for me but really- I read these stories for a predictable happy ending and that is what this had. Lots of kissing towards the end but no graphic spice. A few ‘deepened kisses’ and one joke about keeping his tongue in his mouth. Don’t remember any swearing either.
Fun story, total fluff, the cheese factor got a bit much for me but really- I read these stories for a predictable happy ending and that is what this had. Lots of kissing towards the end but no graphic spice. A few ‘deepened kisses’ and one joke about keeping his tongue in his mouth. Don’t remember any swearing either.
March 11, 2023
I don't normally read romance, but since this one was short I thought I'd give it a try. It was such a sweet story! Not liking romance made me wanna give it a 3 star, but the ending forced me to bump it up to 4 because it reminded me of my love story with my husband. We started dating shortly after meeting, and married 6 months after that. A lot of people told us it was too fast, but we didn't care. Nearly 4 years later and I'm still happy we did it 🥰
If you like lovey stories and some snark, read this book!
If you like lovey stories and some snark, read this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2023
This book was the perfect addition to a chilly winter evening! I loved the dynamic between the characters and the way they so naturally grew in their friendship. This gave all of the warm fuzzy feelings and silly, sappy smiles of a hallmark movie, but in book form…and with the added pleasure of copious amounts LOTR references.
December 4, 2023
🎄”But one thing was for sure. This grinch’s heart had grown.”🎄
4 stars is given to this warm hug of a book. It was the perfect read to devour while snuggling on the couch, wrapped in a fuzzy Christmas blanket, hands grasping a hot cup of hot chocolate, while the only light was coming from the Christmas tree.
Hot chocolate is the perfect description of how this book feels and in the words from the main Character:
“but instead it was heated in the way hot chocolate heats you from the inside out: sweet, strong and with a satisfaction that makes your heart sigh.”
Now let’s dive into this review shall we! If you want to read the synopsis, it is listed here on Goodreads so no need to repeat. However I like to list some pros and cons to go with my review. Let’s get the bad over with:
And by ‘bad’, it’s always kindly told ❤️
Cons:
1) I’m a hallmark lover because of how cheesy and joyful they are. Especially the Christmas ones! Anyone else agree? If you like those vibes, this is the book for you. But even though I am here for those cheesy vibes, this was almost “to good to be true”. I wouldn’t even label this as a slow burn even though kissing doesn’t happen until almost 80% through the book but their relationship moves super fast. However I still loved it so it’s not really a con lol! It’s kinda like a warning - they fall fast - and it’s magical!
2) Ok so my thoughts got a little judgy with Sophia, the main Character, and I don’t like to admit that because I had to correct myself and humble myself too. But she’s 27 and I often felt like she was very immature for her age. Especially with knowing she has a fear of being alone and lives with her parents still. However again, I had to step back and humble myself because who am I to judge? I don’t know what it’s like to have irrational fears you can’t control due to anxiety. Now I have anxiety and I tried to relate with it. And it humbled me, helped me to step back and understand the character better and why the author chose to include this in the book. Especially after reading the Acknowledgments and learning that the Author herself struggled with this same thing. And I loved that she brought light to this subject and opened my mind to it. Again not really a con lol.
3) I felt like the characters were just a tad bit immature for their age, especially with the age gap between them but it didn’t bother me. It wasn’t enough to take Away from the story. It was just something I personally noticed.
Pros:
1) Liam..... oh Mr. Perfect Liam who actually turns out to not be so perfect with his own past traumas however it made him perfectly imperfect and I adore characters who have realness to them. He was extremely sweet and thoughtful, making him a favorite book boyfriend now. Because let’s face it, men written by women exceed all expectations lol. Liam is a favorite. Men, take notes on how to treat your ladies!
2) I freaking adored Sophia and her internal sarcastic comments. Especially when referring to The Office, a favorite of mine, as well as Lord Of The Rings, another favorite of mine. I instantly loved her lol! Even with her grin by spirit where mine is much like Liam’s love for Christmas.
3) I adored the close proximity even though I felt like them staying in a cabin together went a little fast but it was sweet why and they respected each other’s space, making this a super Swoony closed door romance my heart found comfort in. I loved everything that comes with the forced in a cabin together vibes!
4) Christmas!!!!!!! This gave me all the vibes and I loved it so much! Especially with Liam’s reason for why he loved Christmas so much 🥺 & why Sophia was a grinch. Their backstories had me swooning, especially with how thing fell together.
Overall this story was absolutely sweet and I had an enjoyable time reading it. Hints that it only took me days to finish. Thank you for this sweet book!
Read this if you enjoy:
🎄Forces Proximity
🎄snowy cabin vibes
🎄He loves Christmas, She is Grinchy
🎄 Grumpy / Sunshine
🎄Swoony
🎄Hallmark Vibes
🎄Fun Banter
And more.
4 stars is given to this warm hug of a book. It was the perfect read to devour while snuggling on the couch, wrapped in a fuzzy Christmas blanket, hands grasping a hot cup of hot chocolate, while the only light was coming from the Christmas tree.
Hot chocolate is the perfect description of how this book feels and in the words from the main Character:
“but instead it was heated in the way hot chocolate heats you from the inside out: sweet, strong and with a satisfaction that makes your heart sigh.”
Now let’s dive into this review shall we! If you want to read the synopsis, it is listed here on Goodreads so no need to repeat. However I like to list some pros and cons to go with my review. Let’s get the bad over with:
And by ‘bad’, it’s always kindly told ❤️
Cons:
1) I’m a hallmark lover because of how cheesy and joyful they are. Especially the Christmas ones! Anyone else agree? If you like those vibes, this is the book for you. But even though I am here for those cheesy vibes, this was almost “to good to be true”. I wouldn’t even label this as a slow burn even though kissing doesn’t happen until almost 80% through the book but their relationship moves super fast. However I still loved it so it’s not really a con lol! It’s kinda like a warning - they fall fast - and it’s magical!
2) Ok so my thoughts got a little judgy with Sophia, the main Character, and I don’t like to admit that because I had to correct myself and humble myself too. But she’s 27 and I often felt like she was very immature for her age. Especially with knowing she has a fear of being alone and lives with her parents still. However again, I had to step back and humble myself because who am I to judge? I don’t know what it’s like to have irrational fears you can’t control due to anxiety. Now I have anxiety and I tried to relate with it. And it humbled me, helped me to step back and understand the character better and why the author chose to include this in the book. Especially after reading the Acknowledgments and learning that the Author herself struggled with this same thing. And I loved that she brought light to this subject and opened my mind to it. Again not really a con lol.
3) I felt like the characters were just a tad bit immature for their age, especially with the age gap between them but it didn’t bother me. It wasn’t enough to take Away from the story. It was just something I personally noticed.
Pros:
1) Liam..... oh Mr. Perfect Liam who actually turns out to not be so perfect with his own past traumas however it made him perfectly imperfect and I adore characters who have realness to them. He was extremely sweet and thoughtful, making him a favorite book boyfriend now. Because let’s face it, men written by women exceed all expectations lol. Liam is a favorite. Men, take notes on how to treat your ladies!
2) I freaking adored Sophia and her internal sarcastic comments. Especially when referring to The Office, a favorite of mine, as well as Lord Of The Rings, another favorite of mine. I instantly loved her lol! Even with her grin by spirit where mine is much like Liam’s love for Christmas.
3) I adored the close proximity even though I felt like them staying in a cabin together went a little fast but it was sweet why and they respected each other’s space, making this a super Swoony closed door romance my heart found comfort in. I loved everything that comes with the forced in a cabin together vibes!
4) Christmas!!!!!!! This gave me all the vibes and I loved it so much! Especially with Liam’s reason for why he loved Christmas so much 🥺 & why Sophia was a grinch. Their backstories had me swooning, especially with how thing fell together.
Overall this story was absolutely sweet and I had an enjoyable time reading it. Hints that it only took me days to finish. Thank you for this sweet book!
Read this if you enjoy:
🎄Forces Proximity
🎄snowy cabin vibes
🎄He loves Christmas, She is Grinchy
🎄 Grumpy / Sunshine
🎄Swoony
🎄Hallmark Vibes
🎄Fun Banter
And more.
February 11, 2024
This is a sweet Christmas romance where, for a change, the girl is the grinch. Sophie has come away for Christmas to stay at a cabin owned by friends. Some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the season. What she didn’t expect is the guy next door who embraces everything about Christmas. When they meet for the first time he’s just caused a power outage due to the lights he was putting up outside. From there, the chemistry is definitely there between the two of them although Sophia puts up a good fight against her feelings. Her anxiety doesn’t help either. Definitely worth a read and I’m looking forward to more from this author.
October 5, 2024
I wanted to like this book. I really thought the story had good potential, but the story just fell flat for me. Instead of being sympathetic character with the struggles she faced, the main female character was super annoying and mean to the main male character. Given how she treated the main male character at the beginning his insta-love feelings for her didn’t really make any sense and felt unbelievable. Also, the whole scene with him wanting to prank their friends by making them think they hated each other didn’t really land for me either.
I rated this a 2.75.
I rated this a 2.75.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2024
Wholesome Christmas Love Story
This was a cute grouchy girl meets sunshine guy tale. I appreciated the author's decision to keep it wholesome, with keeping the main characters abstinent until marriage. There was still plenty of the witty, flirtatious banter I love and all the lovey dovey feelings.
This was a cute grouchy girl meets sunshine guy tale. I appreciated the author's decision to keep it wholesome, with keeping the main characters abstinent until marriage. There was still plenty of the witty, flirtatious banter I love and all the lovey dovey feelings.
September 25, 2023
The title really fits with the story. There is a nice mix of romance and humor to the story. Overall the author does a great job telling this story and really keeping my interest. I really enjoyed reading this book.
December 16, 2023
The heroine was the Christmas grinch in this one, but she seemed to be grinchy for reasons that didn't really justify her cranky and at times rude behaviour. He was nice, though, but unfortunately this one didn't gel with me.
July 24, 2024
Christmas? Bah! Humbug!
I enjoyed this story as the characters learned and grew and came to care about each other. I liked the family relationships. The witty banter was great. However, it needs to be proofread and grammatical mistakes corrected.
I enjoyed this story as the characters learned and grew and came to care about each other. I liked the family relationships. The witty banter was great. However, it needs to be proofread and grammatical mistakes corrected.
December 14, 2024
This was a cute little freebie (and I love the cover as well!). I liked that the girl was the grinchy character and the guy was super into Christmas. I also liked all the fun Christmassy things that they did together. It was a little instalovey but still ended up being a cute read.
November 29, 2023
4.5⭐️ the cutsiness the snarkyness sophias inner monologue all of it was just so perfect and such a fun read!
December 3, 2024
It had kissing, and no cursing. They fell really fast but it was cute. I wasn’t prepared for the Bible references in the beginning but still good.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews