The Moment That Changed Everything: A Grumpy Sunshine Small Town Romance

Lani Blake

Aug 2023 · The Duke Brothers Book 1 · Vella Ink

About this ebook

He needed a date for his cousin’s wedding before his family forced one on him.

No strings. One night.

Sawyer Duke hadn’t planned on it being her.

Birdie McAllister was Lyntacky’s Little Miss Sunshine. Unnaturally happy and living her best life, or so he’d always believed.

All that changed when he overheard a single conversation.

Now he knows her secret, and he’s making her pay for his silence by being his plus-one.

The only issue Sawyer could see with the arrangement was that she no longer just annoyed him. Now he wanted her too.

Of all the people she knew to find out her secret, it had to be him. Sawyer Duke, Lyntacky’s grumpiest man. Yes, they have a monthly poll for that!

Birdie was just barely keeping her head above water, working three jobs and trying to keep her family home. She didn’t need a Duke poking his nose into her business.

She’d go to the wedding to ensure he kept her secret, but then she was avoiding him.

But a night surrounded by loved up people loosened Sawyer’s tongue, and she realized her secrets were nothing compared to his.

Clearly, there was more under that rough exterior than he wanted people to see.

Lyntacky was like most small towns. It had its interfering locals and families who could trace their roots back hundreds of years. Where Lyntacky stood out from the rest was their love of Square Dancing and the Duke brothers. Both were trouble. Neither had plans for leaving.

Ratings and reviews

"Grumpy vs Sunshine" is my absolute favourite trope! Probably because I live it! But the pseudo "meet cute" on this one just surpasses them all hahaha! Lani Blake has a beautiful hold on small town dynamics and HEA. Quirky (on a whole other level!), full to the brim with characters, love and genuine care. A little adversity (cause you have to have something to overcome right?!) and a happy happy ending, which in this day and age, I appreciate knowing. I'm not sure the "how" of getting a date to the wedding did our hero justice, but enjoyed everything that followed. Our heroine is shouldering a significant burden in her family, and needed a self-esteem reframe. Our hero was (as all the best grumps are) a bit broken, a lot squishy inside, and terrible really at hiding it hahaha! Lani Blake has created the perfect compliment to her Ryker Falls and Lake Howling worlds, and I am absolutely here for the ride!! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About the author

I'm Lani, coffee addict, chocolate connoisseur and romance author. I live waaaay down at the bottom of the globe on an island filled with beautiful scenery, lakes, and close-knit communities. My home has inspired me to write these stories of idyllic small towns, and the quirky but wonderful people who make up their communities.

I'm a sucker for an alpha hero with a heart of gold, who works HARD to deserve the heroine he falls in love with.

Lani Blake also writes historical romances under the Kindle Unlimited All-Star and USA Today bestselling author name of Wendy Vella.