Grumpily Ever After

~ Teagan Hunter

Isabelle “Izzy” Stevens is getting married, and her best friend Odette Chambers is the wedding planner. Simple enough, right? Except every venue Izzy wants is booked, and Odette is dealing with her family’s long-standing “curse,” which has been quietly wrecking her confidence and threatening her business.

Enter Noah Stevens. Former hockey player, owner of Stick Tap Cidery, and Izzy’s much older, very grumpy big brother. Through a mix of sibling pressure and behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Noah finds himself strong-armed into turning his cidery into a wedding venue. Odette may or may not be helping that plan along.

Odette desperately needs a win, and she’s convinced Izzy’s wedding is it. Once Noah’s business partner signs off on the renovations and budget, Noah dives into planning what needs to be done on the farm where the cidery and his home sit. Odette volunteers to help, despite Noah’s reluctance, and the tension between them sparks almost immediately.

But the Chambers women have lived under the shadow of a love curse for generations, and Odette can’t shake the fear that it will ruin this wedding too and possibly end her career. Can Noah pull off a full wedding venue in ten weeks? And can Odette finally break free from the curse hanging over her heart?

To find out, you’ll need to pick up Grumpily Ever After.

Teagan Hunter does a great job with character development. Noah absolutely delivers on the grump factor. You feel it from the very first scene, from his curt responses to his resistance against turning his livelihood into a wedding destination. Izzy is upbeat and infectious, her excitement spilling right off the page. Odette is thoughtful and thorough as a planner, but beneath that competence is a deep fear that the curse will ruin not just relationships, but everything she’s worked for. All three characters feel layered, flawed, emotional, and very human.

The pacing is quick and keeps the story moving. While some elements are predictable, as rom-coms often are, there are enough twists and turns to keep you invested all the way through. I won’t spoil the ending, but it was absolutely worth the read.

My favorite characters? Tootsie and Larry. Trust me, you’ll understand once you read it.

As the first book in the Stick Tap series, Grumpily Ever After left me wanting more, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment. If you’re in the mood for a quick, feel-good read that delivers humor, heart, and a touch of swoon, this one is worth picking up when it releases on January 20, 2026.

I would like to thank Valentine PR and Teagan Hunter for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Grumpily Ever After. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.

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