This Rec League was sent in from Cassidy:
I’m looking for a book recommendation (recommendations if I’m being honest) for a book with a reverse grumpy x sunshine relationship. As much as I appreciate the brooding, cold, grumpy hero, I prefer romance where it’s the woman who is the grumpy or closed off one while the guy is social, pleasant to be around, funny, and an overall ball of sunshine/ a golden retriever—but books with this relationship trope are so much harder to find. It feels like literally every fictional romantic relationship is ‘grumpy guy x sunshine girl’. I don’t need a romance novel specifically; literally any type of genre (mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, etc) that has at least a romantic subplot would be great.
Amanda: Tangentially, do we think this flipped trope would be the Black Cat/Golden Retriever or is that a different flavor?
Sarah: Yes, I think it’s similar to black cat/golden if the person is just a ball of sunshine, per the request.
I am fascinated by how this trope is returning in a new form, because way way back, like, 20-30 years ago, most of the time the hero was a grumpy, taciturn, surly, horny asshole.
I think the Chris Pratt/Audrey Plaza pairing from Parks & Rec is a big example – I don’t know their names because I never watched it.
Howl’s Moving Castle ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) predates that, too – so interesting to see the cycles.
Rosie Danan is superb at this trope pairing – both The Roommate and The Intimacy Experiment.
Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur, The Kiss Quotient, too. Oh – Silver Silence by Nalini Singh.
Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay, too. ( A | BN | K )
Shana: Talia Hibbert has many books with a grumpy heroine paired with a sunshiny dude. I’m partial to A Girl Like Her, but that whole Ravenswood series has a bit of that vibe.
Elyse: I’m reading 32 Days in May ( A | BN | K | AB )which I think qualifies but her grumpiness is the direct result of chronic illness.
What would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!