Q&A: Charlotte Stein, Author of ‘When Grumpy Met Sunshine’

We chat with author Charlotte Stein about When Grumpy Met Sunshine, which is a steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter.

Hi, Charlotte! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Absolutely! My name is Charlotte Stein, and I’m a writer of steamy Romance, and have been for the last fifteen years. I started out writing for lines like Black Lace and many digital presses, and then finally managed to make the leap to a Big Five publisher with my Romcom series, which is all about fabulous fat heroines and the grumps, cinnamon rolls and weirdos they love. It starts with When Grumpy Met Sunshine, which is out 6^th of February in the US and 15^th February in the UK.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I first discovered my love of writing about age six, apparently—my Mum recently found one of the first stories I ever wrote, as a little girl. Though my thirst for the written word really took off around thirteen, when I filled a whole notebook with a tale of two vampire brothers, and assumed that was long enough to be a complete novel.

Spoiler alert: it was not!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Ladybird edition of Sleeping Beauty.
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Vampire Diaries, by LJ Smith.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Currently, it’s Murderbot!

Your latest novel, When Grumpy Met Sunshine, is out February 6^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Hilarious, hot, heartfelt, voicey, fat-positive.

What can readers expect?

A grumpy Roy Kent-ish hero, lots of banter, fake dating, and a connection between two people that makes them more themselves than they’ve ever been.

Where did the inspiration for When Grumpy Met Sunshine come from?

I’d say mostly from my love of romcoms, and sitcoms – specifically, in this case, Ted Lasso. But also just the places I grew up, in Leeds, England. What it is to be a fat girl and woman, navigating that world in particular.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Oh, I just adored writing both Mabel and Alfie. I have such a love for depicting one character wholly through another’s eyes. And Alfie just sung to me, through Mabel’s. His gruffness, his old man habits, his heart of gold. All the signs of his love that she can’t see, but the reader can. Pure joy to me.

What led you to writing within the romance genre?

Love. I love love. Even when I thought as a teenager that I wanted to write other things, like horror – it was always ultimately about love. And desire! And lust! And passion! So I just stopped resisting that. I wrote what I truly wanted to, wholly and completely.

What’s next for you?

Next up, I have a paranormal romance coming out! How To Help A Hungry Werewolf, which releases October 1^st 2024. It’s got an accidental witch and a horny werewolf – who was her friend turned enemy in high school. And f*ck or die mating bond shenanigans ensue!

Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?

Oh gosh yes! At First Spite by Olivia Dade, Canadian Boyfriend by Jennifer Holiday, Wild Life by Opal Wei, Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan, The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott, Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne, When I Think Of You by Myah Ariel, The Frame Up by Gwenda Bonda, Do Me A Favor by Cathy Yardley, Bad Reputation by Emma Barry, How You Get The Girl by Anita Kelly, Girls With Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod, The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa, and Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher.

You can find Charlotte on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, plus you can subscribe to her newsletter!

Will you be picking up When Grumpy Met Sunshine? Tell us in the comments below!