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When Gracie Met the Grump is the newly released book by Mariana Zapata. It became #1 in all of Kindle in about 24 hours or so after its release.
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Ms. Zapata is a New York Times bestselling author who writes slow-burn romance stories. She has penned some of my favorite and most re-read in the genre.
Her last book before this came out a half and a year or so ago, so I’ve been looking forward to a new one. Last I recently checked, there wasn’t anything definite of a release date for her new book. So imagine my utter surprise when I woke up a few days ago and learned that a new one had just come out. I was ecstatic, of course, and thanked the heavens because finally, after a long wait, there it was!
I began reading as soon as I could, stopping only for the basic stuff (good thing it was the weekend!), and finished it in less than 48 hours.
So, how was it? Here’s my review.
What is Gracie and the Grump about?
When Gracie Met the Grump is a fantasy romance novel.
Gracie Castro is a late twenty-something who lives on her own in the middle of nowhere. She is running from the mob, so she has changed her identity and is constantly on the move.
The Grump a.k.a. The Defender a.k.a. Alexander is a thirty-something real-life superhero who has incredible strength and other supernatural abilities. He helps save humanity from dangerous situations while wearing a tight suit and a cape—think Superman.
One day, The Defender landed in Gracie’s yard, injured and weak. Freaked out of her mind and averse to any company, Gracie nursed him back to health, nonetheless.
Alexander is grumpy, only says a few words, and seems not to like Gracie much, which confuses the latter since she was nice to him.
The two get thrown together and have to bear each other’s company when they get kidnapped and go on an adventure.
How many pages is When Gracie Met the Grump?
When Gracie Met the Grump has 570 pages in paperback.
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My Review
While When Gracie Met the Grump wouldn’t land a spot on my favorites list, it was good nevertheless. It has most elements that make a Zapata book great and much loved, like good writing, fleshed-out main characters, and a good slow-burn romance.
To expound, here are what I liked and disliked
What I Liked
Gracie
Gracie, just like Zapata’s other female main characters in her other books, was easy to like. She was kind, strong, persevering, and optimistic. She may not be among my favorites of Zapata’s female main characters—the honor goes to Salomé Casillas from Kulti and Gaby Barreto from Rhythm, Cord & Malykhin—but she comes close.
The Defender
Alexander is likable because beneath the grumpy exterior is a kind and honorable man. And of course, he’s like Superman with looks and power to match and charity for humankind, so what’s not to like, right?
Setting
I liked Alexander’s estate, one of the settings in the book. That may sound a bit trivial, but Alexander’s place is the stuff dreams are made of. It had this big old house (Tudor style, if I remember correctly) in the middle of a large, secluded expanse of land with lots of trees and away from prying eyes.
Zapata painted a grand yet cozy picture straight out of an English countryside goodness, like something short of Downton Abbey, so it was something I couldn’t help but like. Maybe, even love.
Fantasy Romance
I liked how this is a fantasy romance novel. Fantasy books, particularly with romance in them, are my kryptonite and I have read a good share as you can probably tell from this post of the best fantasy books around.
I applaud Ms. Zapata for branching out into the realm of fantasy romance—a first for her—and not being afraid to try something new. Although the fantasy aspect in this book isn’t as good and well developed as the one in the amazing A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas (an absolute favorite of mine), still it’s not bad.
Other Likes
I liked how Ms. Zapata gave the characters more details making them seem more real, which she’s known to do.
I liked Gracie and Alexander’s friendship; their exchange was cute. That friendship made a good foundation for their eventual romance.
The romance was the usual slow burn that is Ms. Zapata’s trademark. The build-up to it was kind of exciting. I also loved the backstory of Gracie meeting Alexander–though not the painful parts, of course–because I thought that was somehow romantic. I’m being cryptic here, I know, but I’m sorry I cannot say more without revealing spoilers.
The book had some mystery going on, and although I correctly guessed what that was or what was happening before I reached the halfway mark, it still was a good, intriguing mystery that would have you anticipating the big reveal.
What I Didn’t Like
I thought Gracie had a lot of internal monologues in the book, and her and Alexander’s romantic chemistry wasn’t the best there is, but some reading buddies of mine didn’t feel the same way, so maybe you wouldn’t, too.
Final Thoughts
All in all, When Gracie Met the Grump is a good slow-burn romance with a swoon-worthy hero and an inspiring heroine you can sympathize with. If you’re a fan of this genre, then give this latest book from the queen of slow-burn romance, Mariana Zapata, a try. Many love it and maybe you would as well.
Happy reading!
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Look like a great book. I was looking for something to read for this fall. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! Hope you like it.
I’m always looking for books to read so I’ll definitely be adding this to the list. This was a lovely review. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! Thank you so much and you’re welcome!
This looks interesting to read and I like how you organized this book review. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you and you’re welcome!
I haven’t heard of this book before, but it does sound quite interesting. I also enjoyed the breakdown of what you liked and didn’t like and it does seem like a good book even though it’s not one of your favorites.
I’m glad to know that, thank you.