NetGalley ARC -
Fun fake fiance trope, liked the tie in with the characters from the last book. Overall some cute banter, fairly predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!

I wanted to love this book, I really did.
The MMC, Matthew is sweet, kind and wholesome. if not, a little boring.
My main issue is with the FMC, Josie. Shes extremely quirky, girl next door vibes. but there was hints of a little back bone in there that I wanted to see more. However, the fact that she’s changing her entire life and bending over backwards for a father she’s never met.. weird. And letting a PR lady boss her around with no issues. It just felt silly and not cohesive to how she is with everyone else.

Absolutely loved this book! It may rank right up there with The Spanish Love Deception. I loved Josie and Matthew’s story and couldn’t put it down. From the first meeting, you’ll be hooked. It was such a great read. Matthew is something - he was such an amazing MC. Josie is adorable and I loved her. I’d be her friend.

Elena Armas does it again! I can’t wait to read it again.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I think this might very well be my new favorite from Elena Armas!!! Matthew Flanagan WHEW what a man.

This was everything I love about fake dating/PR relationship mixed in with the perfect amount of Hero Falls First and it made me want to giggle and kick my feet in the air. For a character who claims to be "unserious" about most matters, Matthew takes everything about Josie as seriously as a heart attack. And he's the first person in a long time to do so--making their connection instantly strong and trusting. He'll never hurt her, always believe her, and never leave her. What more could a gal want? It doesn't hurt that he's pretty easy on the eyes.

I liked the bits of Adalyn/Cam that were peppered in as Josie navigates having a sister! Cam is so funny, especially when Matthew fangirls. The Andrew plot felt like it got resolved really nicely by the end, and I no longer hate him with the power of a thousand suns. Progress!

Overall this was bone-crushingly sweet, earnest, but SO HOT TOO!! Josie and Matthew are soulmates and you can't change my mind.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I must say, think this book was leaps and bounds better than Ms. Arma's previous books. I enjoyed them all, but this one I felt like I connected with the characters the most. I legitimately read the entirety in a little under 5 hours, and had FUN. I loved the romance, it felt natural and effortless to follow along, and I felt more emotionally invested in the characters. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book from @netgalley and was soooo excited to read another Elena Armas book. If you haven't read The American Roommate Experiment or The Spanish Love Deception, you need to get on that, especially if you love the fake dating trope because clearly it's Elena's fave.

This book had quippy, personality filled exposition. Josie feels like your sarcastic, snarky bestie is filling you in. However, it got old for a while there, just because it just went on too long. Later on, it came back around and was mostly endearing.

Followed up with previous characters from The Long Game, which I loved.

Kind of wish it was dual perspective - Josie felt like an unreliable narrator. We get one small section in Matthew's POV and I loved it but also Josie's perspective let you linger in the "does he doesn't he" realm longer which was important to her character development.

This novel delivers a charming blend of romance and family drama, with Josie and Matthew's dynamic stealing the show. While the beginning felt a tad rushed, the story eventually finds its stride, delving into Josie's complexities and her evolving feelings for Matthew. Though I wished for more insight into Matthew's perspective, his endearing qualities shine through, making him a delightful love interest. Despite some pacing issues, the ending subverts expectations in a satisfying way. Overall, a recommended read, especially for fans of Elena Armas. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Elena Armas for the ARC!

This story follows Josie and Matthew. Josie gets caught up her absent fathers PR nightmare. In an effort to diffuse the situation and take the spotlight off of her and her 4 failed engagements, she finds herself "engaged" once again. Enter Matthew- Josie's new fiance and her sisters BFF. Matthew happens to show up at Josie's at the exact wrong (or right) moment and the fake engagement takes off from there. No time is wasted in the planning and execution of wedding #5. As the weeks pass, Josie finds herself falling in love with Matthew but the idea of walking down the aisle is still terrifying for her. As the day approaches her father starts making everything about him, which doesn't surprise anyone but still is disappointing. Will Josie and Matthew find their happily ever after? Does #5 finally feel right enough that she will make that walk down the aisle??

4.5/5 stars

This is definitely my favourite Elena Armas novel- her others are good but I’ve never loved them like this one! Josie and Matthew were so sweet and I loved the Runaway Bride/27 Dresses vibes. I also appreciate a linked series that don’t need to be read in order. The supporting characters added a lot to this book and I would have liked to see a bit more of Grandpa Moe featured. I will be recommending this one a lot!

This was a cute story. Josie was a great side character in The Long Game, so it was fun to see her get her own book. At times the story felt a little longer than necessary and the middle was a little slow. However, the end was immaculate. Matthew was a fantastic love interest, and I adored him. Elena Armas delivers perfect book boyfriends time and time again without fail and I love it.

This is my first ever ARC and I’m so glad that it’s for an author that I have followed so closely these past few years. I’ve read the past three books that Elena Armas has written and have loved each one!

The Fiancé Dilemma reminds me a little of the Runaway Bride. Josie, our female
main character, has been engaged 4 times but never married. Because of her relationship history, and her attempt at building a relationship with her wealthy and famous father, she calls on her sister’s best friend, Matthew (our male main character), to pretend to be her fiancé to add some positive PR of the family.

For me, the story started a little too chaotic with lots of things happening at the beginning. She was making jam in the first few pages and after 20ish pages, she had a fiancé and essentially the main conflict and three other important characters were introduced in the book.

I think the pacing settled a quarter into the book. And I liked that there was a lot of time dedicated to establishing Josie’s character and why she may have chosen to not follow through with her other engagements. I only wish there was more time dedicated to Matthew. He was so sweet and did/said a lot of cute things with Josie. I wanted to understand where that came from and why. I also didn’t really see his perspective until the very last chapter. I wish there had been more chapters dedicated to his POVs.

I do like the ending, especially as it relates to the title and subverting expectations to how this would end. Overall, a great read! Would recommend to fans of this author and romance in general.

I’m in different with this book. I thought the storyline/ plot was creative, entertaining & developed nicely. However, it still felt anticlimactic but I still enjoyed the book.

In The Long Game, Josie’s character was initially introduced to us & she was full of personality. In turn, that was portrayed in the beginning of this book as well. I thought there would have been more character development & more wittiness from Josie but as it turns out, she lacked development & her character was rather dull.

As far as Matthew, his character was rather flat but I loveeeeedddd the way he loves. Despite his character being so blasé, I relish in the “he falls first” trope.

Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable & entertaining.

✨Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Atria Books & of course the author, Elena Armas for the ARC! ✨

I loved this book so much! Josie and Matthew might be my new favorite Elena Armas couple. I love how Matthew stuck by Josie’s side no matter what. Matthew was utter perfection. The book had the perfect blend of humor, emotion, swoon-worthy romance and spice.

Sooooooo cute! Matthew and Josie are goals! Wonderful romcom with a little bit of spicy! Made me swoon!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

It seems like I have been reading a lot of pretend dating books recently. This one handled it well and I liked seeing how the characters bonded with each other. I loved finding out more about Josie especially about her past. I thought the media was handled realistically in this too.

Overall I give it four out of five stars.

I got this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elena Armas did it again. I could not put this book down this weekend and knew I had to finish before the work week started. This book was quirky, funny and had me smiling through out its entirety.

In order to not provide any spoilers I put some of my general thoughts below!

I never knew I was a fan of blonde men but Matthew? I think he convinced me🥵 that man knows how to treat a woman and I fell in love within the first three chapters!

Josie is quirky, kind, a true ball of sunshine, and I just KNOW she would be a fantastic friend.

I wish there was a bit more background on why Josie was a “runner”, and a bit more background on her mom/dad’s story but in all this book was so fun!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the eARC 🤍

This was the first ARC that I have DNF'd. I had high hopes going into this, knowing how well loved this author is, but I was honestly disappointed. The FMC's entire personality was essentially this manic-pixie "I'm klutzy and that makes me cute" thing. It was really hard to read and when you are writing a book where the main trope has been done so many times, there's got to be something special to keep the reader hooked. The writing style was great and easy to read but the FMC herself just didn't do it for me with this one.

3.5⭐️

The story is cute. Josie is quirky but has emotional scars. Matthew is a book boyfriend. It’s a fake dating trope that works. The plot is predictable and enjoyable, but I think I wanted more.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

I love Elena Armas, her books are becoming automatic reads for me. I loved hearing more about the characters in the quaint little town, and enjoyed the development of the story.

Tropes:
• Fake Dating (engagement)
• He Falls First
• Small Town
The Fiancé Dilemma is a standalone romance but I would highly recommend you read The Long Game first!!! Elena Armas gives you enough information to enjoy the storyline but most of the characters were introduced in The Long Game and their backstory was built from there. I had already read The Long Game, so I was not only familiar with Josie and Matthew but loved each of them already individually. Together, they did not disappoint in this sweet and sexy Runaway Bride-like story!
Josie is so sweet, caring, quirky, and charming but she has many insecurities she tries to hide underneath it all. She cares deeply for her town and the people around her, going out of her way to help. This has often led to her losing her own sense of self in being what she needs to be for others. Now that her father is in the picture, her own history is not just small-town news now. It gets splashed in the tabloids, amplifying all those insecurities for her and the world to see.
Matthew was top notch book boyfriend material!! He was playful, loyal, protective, patient, and so incredibly supportive of Josie. And the man knew exactly when and how to bring the spice!! I loved Matthew to begin with, but this book brought it to a whole new level. The only true expectation he had for Josie was that she be herself no matter what anyone else thought about it. He wanted her just as she was and helped her slowly realize it.
Their connection and chemistry were perfect throughout. Josie tries to fight it throughout the book, trying to keep to their fake arrangement, so this slow burn took a minute to heat up but the way they learned to rely on each other and read each other on the way there made it worth the wait.
Thank you to Elena Armas, NetGalley, and Atria books for the chance to read this advanced copy so I could share my honest review!