Single mom Noelle can’t stand her crotchety next-door neighbor.She’s never met the man in person, but Mr. Grieder, a.k.a. Mr. Grinch, leaves her nasty notes whenever her son plays in the hallway. He complained until their doorman got rid of the beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby. He even slammed his door on the Girl Scout Carolers. This is Noelle’s first Christmas since a painful divorce, and … divorce, and this grouchy old hermit seems determined to make her favorite holiday as unpleasant as he possibly can.
Except there are two things Noelle doesn’t know about Mr. Grinch:
One, he’s not an old man.
And two, he’s going to be her date for Saturday night.
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He’s a MEAN One… Mr. Grinch! But Here’s The Sweetest Story of “How the Grinch Stole My Heart!”
He’s a MEAN One… Mr. Grinch!
He’s Really a S€X¥ BEAST…
He’s Cuddly as a Teddy
And As charming as SEAL…
Mr. Grieder!
He’s a Tad Dramatic
With Cheesy WiseCrack zeal!
He’s a Coder… Mr. Grinch!
His heart’s T’was Brok’n Through
His brain’s full of Glue
He loves Chinese to His soul
Mr. Grinch!
I wanna touch you
With Certainty-For-You Blaz’n In-My-Eyes!
He’s a S€X¥ one, Mr. Grinch!
He has SunShine in His smile
He has all the tender sweetness
Of a LoveSick Juvenile
Mr. Grinch!
Did I Mention He’s S€X¥
And That’s “How the Grinch Stole My Heart!”
I was granted an ARC of Annabelle Costa’s “How the Grinch Stole My Heart” via B00|{$P®0UT. I recommend this book to others based upon its own recommendations. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time… Happy Reading!
A delightful Holiday read!!!
A unique, warm-hearted, funny Christmas story with all the feels. Annabelle Costa hits the right holiday note with this one.
How the Grinch Stole my Heart is a good holiday romance. I like the characters. They had good chemistry. There are funny and entertaining moments as they develop their relationship. It is a cute story.
If you can overlook the moderate profanity and sexual content that distracts from the story you’ll find an interesting story about a young man struggling physically and emotionally with a disability that has left him with the perception that he is less of a man because he’s no longer normal. His pain and struggles are real and my heart went out to this ‘grinch.’ The heroine, who’s ex-husband left her for his co-worker, is more shallow and a typical story trope. You know she has struggled financially to raise her son, but I just felt the author could have built more depth with the physical burdens, but emotional ones that have left her wounded. Plus, she doesn’t reprimand her son, even when he is doing wrong, so the son is a bit of a brat. Both characters seem to think sex is love and solves the problem in their relationship. Personally I would have liked to see the author take this relationship further to bring healing of heart, mind, and body, and help the hero develop into the husband and father all three characters needed. Otherwise the story is a quick read and does have a happily ever after.
I adored this book! It was cute, funny, romantic, and relatable. I love this author’s style of writing. I will definitely read more of her books!
I’ve read a few other romances with disabled Heroes but not that many. It’s even rarer to find a book with a disabled heroine. It’s not very common and it has to be done right. Ms. Costa does it very right.
I’ve said it before, I love reading about characters who are down and out. Learning about their challenges and how they persevere day after day. They may not be able to change their circumstances but if they can find that one person who makes it worth living it’s a beautiful thing. Jeremy and Noelle have a beautiful thing, but it’s a long hard road getting there.
Don’t get me wrong, this story has laugh out loud funny moments, it also has heartbreaking moments. Moments when you want to sob for Jeremy and what he’s lost. He’s so young to have lost his virility, his marriage, his mobility and his self-image and self-respect. Just getting from point A to point B at times seems like an insurmountable task. This is what Ms. Costa is able to make us understand so well. Noelle also is going through tough times. It’s easy to overlook her difficulties compared to Jeremy’s, but being a single mother and dealing with an ex can be torment.
So the set up is pretty clever. There’s a grouchy man at the end of the hall who has zero tolerance for Noelle’s son, for carolers, Christmas trees or anything else. At the same time, that grouchy man feels tortured by not only this little imp, but by his life in general. Inside their apartment building, when they are faceless and only communicate with notes, they hate each other. But outside when they meet face to face and don’t know who each other is, they like each other, and indeed are highly attracted to each other. These parallel scenarios play out for most of the book, keeping the reader hooked in, waiting for the ultimate reveal. It’s hard to put the book down and I read it all in one go, neglecting my other Christmas duties for a whole day. In the end, their HFN is so wonderful and you feel certain that an HEA is on the way. It sure would be great to read a sequel to this story as it begs for an epilogue, but for now I’ll just write my own epilogue in my head.
Not everyone is going to be able to read this story. Some of it’s sad and the realism is stark. But for any romance reader who wants something different, with more substance and grit that’s made that much more poignant set at the holiday time of year, then this is for you.
How the Grinch Stole My Heart is a sweet, honest and beautifully written Christmas romance. Noelle and Jeremy are neighbours but don’t know it when they meet and their attraction is instant. Unfortunately real life does not make things easy for them. This book has great, well rounded characters with flaws, problems and daily struggles. Annabelle Costa writes with honesty and empathy without pity or condescension. The flashes of humour are brilliant and I laughed out loud at times. Henry is a typical little boy who will melt your heart and Fanny is simply marvellous. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to all romance fans. This book may be set at Christmas but it can be read at any time of the year because the story overrides the season.
Jeremy has endured so much and his life is basically empty until he locks eyes with the beautiful Nicole. What he doesn’t know is that the boy who irritates him to no end, playing in the hallway outside of his apartment, is actually her eight year old son.
Nicole is the wife that got dumped for a newer model and no man has interested her until Jeremy comes into the restaurant she works at. She has no idea that he is the grouchy, “old” neighbor they refer to as Mr. Grinch.
How the Grinch Stole My Heart is a funny, sweet, heartwarming romance with great characters and a highly entertaining story. I loved this wonderful romance.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Can Christmas p’s magic bring two people together? Noelle is struggling as a single mother after her divorce and his grumpy neighbour is not helping. He is always complaining about his son behaviour with sticky notes in her door. For Jeremy, Christmas time I send always hard. He suffered an aneurism fix years ago and has almost half of his body without function. And his son’s neighbor Isa making it more difficult for him. But when Jeremy meets this wonderful woman in a bistro he feels an instant connection. And Noelle is looking forward to meet to the handsome stranger again. But can they hate each other and fall in love at the same time? A heartwarming story about love, friendship, hard times and facing your life. I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it.
This is a first I’ve read from Costa. After reading a few reviews I was a bit hesitant going in to reading this. I’m not one that really sticks with books that just seem to drag on. However, in the case of this book, I really think the author dragging things a bit before bringing these two characters together finally was necessary.
For 34-year old Jeremy, the Christmas holiday is one that will always hold bad memories for him. After all, it was 6 years ago on Christmas day that his life changed forever. Once a happily married man, he’s now a bitter divorcee. Jeremy has also become a hermit in his own home to avoid the stares of people and avoid any kind of accident.
Noelle has recently taken a blow to her self-esteem when her husband leaves her for a woman years younger. Recently moving into a new apartment building with her son, she hasn’t had a chance to meet any of her newer neighbors. But she has heard plenty of the grouchy man Mr. Grieder.
Jeremy and Noelle meet plenty of different times outside of their apartment complex, so for Noelle she never puts together that Jeremy is the man the children in their complex call the Grinch. Will Noelle be able to help Jeremy’s view of her favorite holiday change? Or does Jeremy’s contempt for this holiday run too deep?
I really, really wanted to love this book. I have read other romances with a disabled hero embarking on a new relationship that have been bittersweet, endearing, and romantic.
This book had those qualities, but it took Forever to finish reading it. It seemed to drag on and on. Way too many chapters, and it took way too long for them to discover they lived that close to each other.
I liked both Jeremy and Noelle. I felt for Jeremy locking himself away and having to deal with so much on his own. There was no mention of him having any family or friends. Not even prior to the event that changed his life. That made me sad because he was so alone.
The number of hot and miss occasions for Jeremy and Noelle to find out about each other were over the top. When they FINALLY did find out the truth, the ending was so rushed, I felt cheated. An epilogue would have been nice, and added stars to my review.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book received via Hidden Gems.
A story that had me smiling, a book I will be reading again closer To Christmas. Jeremy Grieder acts like the Grinch and he is upsetting Noelle Moore with his attitude. Noelle just wants to give her son Henry a good Christmas Holiday. Jeremy has some things that make it hard for him to accomplish certain things. A well written story that I enjoyed reading. I received an Arc from Hidden Gems and I am voluntarily reviewing.
A handsome Grinch to win her heart: delicious!
I found this story funny, poignant, romantic and just a great treat! Although it’s based around the run-up to Christmas, I would enjoy Jeremy, Noelle, Henry and their apartment building neighbors and staff anytime of the year. I totally fell in love with gorgeous, damaged Jeremy, his sad backstory, his grumpy frustration and his little battle with the irrepressible Henry. Noelle could not have found a better guy! Noelle’s zany customers at the diner and run-ins with her ex added some bite to her side of the story.
The writing was good. I especially liked the build-up to a dramatic identity reveal, switching POV between Jeremy and Noelle and the quick pace of the plot. I could not believe I reached the end so swiftly and the whole reading experience left a smile on my face. I will be looking for more works from this author.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
How the Grinch Stole My Heart – This is my first read by this author and I found it so intriguing I could not put the book down. I meant to read a few pages for a break and four hours later I finished the book and the break. Well, I had mowed enough for one morning.
Jeremy and Noelle are great characters. Franny and Henry are good supporting characters, not to mention some of the other players. The well thought out storylines tear at your heartstrings, but you keep reading immersed in their lives.
There is humor to help balance the pain. I absolutely enjoyed watching their relationships progress. This story is well written and a delight to read. I found this book on Booksprout. 5*
Love that the characters were flawed just like us all
*contented sigh*
Such an easy, entertaining read. Loved the characters. I need more of them. (Please.)
Just in time for Christmas, a heartwarming tale of a single mom and her grumpy not-so-old neighbour! Romance blooms and wounds heal when Noelle and the guy next door turns out to be Mr. Right. Escape the holiday hustle and bustle with a swoon-worthy story that is sure to leave you smiling.
As soon as humanly possible, I get my greedy little hands on the new Annabelle Costa release because there’s a 100% chance that I’ll fall hopelessly in love with the hero. Costa doesn’t write alpha, bad-boy jackholes in need of redemption. Instead she takes an ordinary, everyday guy with a significant physical infirmity and peels back the surface challenges and shortcomings to reveal the extraordinary inside. Our hero, Jeremy Grieder, is no different, although he’s definitely lacking in hope and in need of some healing. Noelle Moore may be just the gal to help with that, until she realizes that sexy-nerdy guy she’s been running into around town is actually the Grinch who lives down the hall and hates her eight-year-old son.
Trust me on this, you’re going to want to read this book. The premise is unique, and Jeremy’s character is a breath of fresh air in romance writing. Despite the somber undertone, there’s plenty of humor to add levity and the story will squeeze your heart in the best of ways. This one captivated me easily and I read it in one sitting, I was a little sad to see it end. After you finish this book, do yourself a favor and check out some of Costa’s other books. They’re just as poignant, compelling, thought-provoking and uplifting as this one, and you won’t be disappointed!
I have rather given up on contemporary romances as they do not transport me any more except for some few authors and Annabelle Costa is one of them, her stories always deal with crippled or disabled hero, and how at one time he get his own love story.
There is no billionaires nor fairy godmothers, it is always down on earth stories with all the not so nice details the protagonists face in real life, how they struggle to do what looks to us so easy but is like a real challenge each time.
Jeremy had a stroke on a Christmas Day six years earlier, it left him hemiplegic and if not bitter, he became rather a recluse, having problems to face the eyes of others.
Noelle is recovering from her divorce with her cheater of husband, with a young son to raise, in a new flat as she can’t afford her old one. And now her direct neighbor is causing problems with her son, when at the same time she just meets a nice guy and his disability does not bother her, he is so cute and nice.
I do loved how the author described Jeremy’s life, all he went through after the stroke, how he does with every days chores, his feelings of loneliness and also his fears to see pity or disgust in others eyes. I loved him. He does not appeared harsh to me to Henry, Noelle’s son, the kid was rather infuriating, playing a little with her mother’s idyllic view of him but he is no bad child, just a bored one. Noelle is a nice woman, she has an instant attraction with Jeremy and his handicap is not an issue for her, she is more dealing with a little low self esteem and is a little unsettled on how to get to see this nice guy again.
« I just want to see her. We don’t even need to talk. But maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of her across the room, and she’ll smile at me. That would be nice. It would be a bright spot in my day. Maybe that sounds dumb, but I don’t care. I want to see her. »
So how would they react when they realize they are each one the nemesis of the other.
It was a great read, with no idealized nor honeyed descriptions, but great flawed characters.