Gracie Castro has spent so many years in hiding that when The Defender, famed member of The Trinity, falls from the sky injured and lands in her front yard, she understands that she must hide him, nurse him back to health, and keep his secret even though he is rude grump. However, there are other forces at work in her life, and Gracie knows that she must move on soon, even if The Defender isn't healed before her own life implodes.

When Gracie Met the Grump is a unique romance between a superhero and an average human. The source of The Defender's powers is revealed, utilizing a plot device that I'm not particularly fond of. Also, the novel is written in sections, with each one examining a new problem but not following a cohesive storyline, while each section reminds me of another novel or a movie. The first section is somewhat grounded in reality, but each subsequent section becomes less and less believable. In addition, the characters seem juvenile, even though they are dealing with huge issues, and the long awaited romance between them doesn't happen until that last couple of chapters in the book. Overall, When Gracie Met the Grump is a disappointing novel with very little substance and an overly long page count. ( )

If the author edited out half of Gracie's inner ramblings, the book would have been better (and much, much shorter). Gracie has a major inferiority complex and her inner thoughts are repetitive and frustrating.

The hero doesn't show much personality until halfway through the book. He gets better later, but he is still a strange, flat character. Secretive and inconsiderate.

The scenarios that the author puts the characters in are unbelievable and ridiculous. I rolled my eyes and exclaimed in disbelief whenever something stupid happened, which was way too often.

This is the 9th book that I've read by this author ( )

Fun read. Would have liked a more informative ending but this was definitely a fresh spin on contemporary romance. ( )

Dragged ( )

This is so cute and funny and so charming. Albeit long, but worth the time. I read through the book in one sitting and like every other Mariana book, it kept me hooked. There are hints about where the story was headed, and I had caught on to what was happening before Alex and Gracie got on board. So, it was exciting to see the entire thing play out beautifully. One of my favorite reads this year. ( )