Grumpy Jake

Grumpy Jake A Novella

Melissa Blue2019
Bailey Thorne doesn't hate Jake the Rake, just despises him. She blames the rumor mill at her school...and, okay, him. His adorable son has only been in preschool, but Jake has already made an impressive dent in dating the unmarried faculty. She's had to hear of his every exploit from the broken hearts he's left behind. She was fine to loathe him from afar, but now his son has entered kindergarten--and she's the teacher. It's going to be a very long school year.Jake Polaski was more than fine to avoid Ms. Thorne after it became clear she was not amused by his very existence. But then they get stuck in an elevator for an evening. He finds out that underneath that baleful glare she always gives him, lies a warm, funny and sexy as hell woman. He does his best to not be smitten after every exchange afterward. His son needs him rational, steadfast...and love is the most uncertain thing.It was the elevator's fault. Had it worked like it should, Bailey would have gone on with her life without seeing why so many of her co-workers had fallen for the grumpy single dad. (It's his dry wit, his playful teasing and the drool-worthy cut of his jawline.) And now she's caught in the way he doles out smiles and the dark depths of his secrets. If nothing else, she knows from rumor there's a clock ticking on their affair before it implodes, because things always do with Jake the Rake, but she can't seem to walk away first.
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Reviews

Photo of menna
menna@midnightcoffee
4 stars
Jan 31, 2023

this was so cutee

Photo of Kelsey Holtaway
Kelsey Holtaway@kelsey
3 stars
Oct 19, 2021

3.5 This was sweet and easy and light

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b.andherbooks@bandherbooks
4 stars
Oct 9, 2021

Slump buster again thanks to Melissa Blue (last time it was Charming Scottish Bastard, highly recommend)! A kindergarten teacher finds out the sexy dad who's been breaking hearts of staff at the school she teaches at now has his son in her classroom. Jake is grumpy, quiet, and sort of mysterious, but seems to really be one people find hard to forget. After some flirting, texts, and a vomit-clean up situation in her classroom, Bailey finds she is seeing the appeal. I loved Bailey, she is an amazing educator and friend, and this was just a super fun novella. I don't always like romance novels with kids, but this is a perfect example of one that is in my wheelhouse. The kid is cute, acts his age, and isn't just put on the sidelines mysteriously when convenient. Finding out more of Jake and his son's story along the way was also a lovely part of the romance. **Bailey is Black, Jake is white, his son is biracial. CW: puke cleanup (no puking on page), death (secondary, off page).

Photo of Preye
Preye@ayebaipreye
3 stars
Apr 29, 2022
Photo of Lauren Sullivan
Lauren Sullivan@llamareads
4 stars
Feb 21, 2022
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Rachel Rozdzial@razzledazzle
3 stars
Nov 16, 2021
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Jobananareads@jobananareads
4 stars
Oct 2, 2021
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Aline Wirth@thefitbooknerd
3 stars
Sep 17, 2021
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Jo H@psyche_eros
3 stars
Aug 27, 2021