Jackie Lau writes some of the most satisfying contemporary romances. A favorite read of the year for me. ( )

Fun and funny this is mostly a foamy latte of a romance. The usual perfect man for our grumpy, introvert Charlotte, whose last boyfriend's scoreboard proposal not only ended the relationship but kept her celibate for five years. Just after her friend suggests practice dating, Charlotte spots her childhood friend Mike at their favorite Cider Bar and well, practice makes perfect. ( )

I received an ARC of this book to read through a review crew. All opinions are my own. His Grumpy Childhood Friend by Jackie Lau is the second book in her delightful Cider Bar Sisters series. It could be read as a standalone; however, the first book is excellent, so I recommend reading them both. Charlotte Tam swore off men and dating five years ago when her then-boyfriend subjected her to a Blue Jays jumbotron proposal, something that still gives her introverted soul nightmares. Deciding to dip her toes in the dating pool again has her nervous, and with her friends, she comes up with the idea of practice dating … but with whom?
Mike Guo on the surface appears to be outgoing and confident but an abusive childhood has left him unsure of himself on the inside no matter what image he projects to others. When Charlotte runs into her childhood friend Mike at the cider bar she asks him to be her pretend date because he already knows her foibles and he’s good at this stuff isn’t he? I look upon Jackie Lau books as comfort food reading, you get interesting, intelligent, likeable protagonists, a fairly low angst romance with just the right amount of steam, and a glorious tour of all of the wonderful food to be found in downtown Toronto. The stories are a bit of a love letter to the city I grew up in. I enjoyed this book immensely. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date: October 27, 2020 #HisGrumpyChildhoodFriend #JackieLau #CiderBarSisters #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #IndieAuthors #IndieBooks ( )