Member Reviews
Elizabeth N, Reviewer
Sophia has done everything possible to make her father happy. Following the rules, being a good daughter, etc., but even she has a limit, and, him arranging a marriage for her for the sake of the family business is it. Dion was an orphan and has clawed his way to the top. He didn't have anything back then, now he has everything. Billions of dollars, the respect of his peers and then some. However, his past left emotional scars he doesn't allow anyone to see, but you can only ignore them for so long. He wants to make his mentor proud, but marrying a woman he's never met? No, not for him...and he'll let her down gently the second he gets a chance. Sophia is nothing like Dion expected, a vice versa, but he didn't get where he is by not being observant. He knows she's putting on a show, wanting to push him away and not want to marry her, but he sees the real her...and is falling for that woman. Can Sophia convince Dion not to go through with it? Does she even want to any longer? Will Dion be able to prove to Sophia he truly wants this and no longer sees it as a business arrangement? Will they get their HEA? One-click now and follow along as two people are brought together for one reason, only to find a real connection that will bind them instead. **I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.** |
Stella T, Reviewer
An Arranged Marriage! Sophia has always been the good daughter, doing whatever her controlling father has asked, partially because fighting him is not productive, and partially because her mother is a complete doormat, unwilling to do anything except exactly what her husband demands. Now, he is selling his business to Dion and part of the bargain is Dion must marry Sophia. But she doesn’t understand his motivation, nor is she will to go along as the dutiful daughter/fiancé. But she had to find a way that Dion would back out of the deal! Her plan is hilarious and Dion continues to be the gentleman while she does everything she can to make him change his mind. When he catches on to her plan, they then have an attraction they have to navigate in their arrangement. I really loved Sophia and her “I’m going to F with Daddy’s plan”. I loved watching the couple fall for each other, and I enjoyed how Dion reacted to Sophia’s antics (especially Baroness Sasha Foxington the III) and how BSF popped up as a shared joke throughout the book. I received an ARC copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing and am voluntarily reviewing it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. |
Sophia and Dion’s unexpected love story in How to Lose a Fiance’ by Stefanie London, was an emotional and wonderful story of two people never planning to marry who needed to be honest, understanding, and communicate true expectations. Sophia tried to be the good daughter to please her domineering and controlling Greek father. This time, he had gone too far; forcing her to marry a Greek billionaire who can save the crumbling family company. Sophia wondered what would happen if she became a deconstructed Cindrella? Instead of dressing up to win the prince, she could dress gaudy and obnoxiously in order to get hers to reject her as his bride. Dion is no longer the scared, skinny orphan with only a single friend. Today he runs a billion-dollar investment company and is respected by everyone who meets him. On the surface, his charm hides many of his emotional scars, including his abandonment. Dion is not interested in having a bride as part of a business deal, so he plans on letting the gal down, gently, when they meet. However, his future bride is truly nothing like he thought she’d be; quirky and wearing strange outfits. Dion is smart enough to see past her surface to figure out her game. The harder she works to convince him that she is not wife material, the more he wants her to believe that they would be perfect together. I loved the humor and creativeness Sophia and Dion use while trying to convince each other of their beliefs. Sophia’s use of Goodwill-type clothes to disguise her true beauty had Dion seeing through the covering to the rebellious actions. The use of the taxidermy animals was pure genius. I loved the fox, Baroness Sasha, and the various locations she was placed by either Sophia or Dion. These two strong and determined characters perfectly fit each other and their strengths enabling the other to become stronger. Ms. London wrote a wonderful, sexy and emotional story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Sophia and Dion a chance at love, happiness, and a future neither expected. I highly recommend How to Lose a Fiance’ to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. |
A bankrupt father who, to keep up appearances and not lose share in the company he is about to sell, offers his daughter to marry as part of the deal. And despite being blackmailed to agree, with her father using her mother's fragile health as an argument, Sophia is not satisfied. All she wants is to live a quiet life, working as a virtual assistant and helping people organize their lives, not just being a rich man's trophy wife. Then a plan comes up: if her future groom gives up on marriage, her father can't blame her. Dion doesn't believe in the institution of marriage. Nobody knows but his desire in buying the company is just one: revenge. He wants to exterminate his father's legacy. A father who abandoned him in an orphanage and never looked back. Then begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse. He trying to understand the bride, she indirectly trying to convince him not to marry her. Stuffed animals, exaggerated clothes, mismatched and psychedelic ... even clown trousers enter the dance. Only when the couple allows themselves to abandon all masks, similarities, mutual understanding and chemistry appear explosively. An intriguing and engaging narrative despite third-person narration. A predictable end, but with a development full of secrets and very interesting developments to follow. A complete and recommended novel for lovers of the genre. |
❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5 This was a cute, angst free, funny and sexy book. With a heroine desperate to ditch her fiancée you know you are going to be in for a fun ride and I was not disappointed. . Our heroine is suffering from the case of an arranged marriage her father has arranged as an extension of a business deal. She can’t back out so instead she comes up with a plan to get her super hot, Greek billionaire fiancée to call it off instead. The antics are definitely funny and involve a taxidermy fox and so much more! . Honestly I don’t know why the heroine wants to get out of the marriage (except for yeah it not being her choice) because the hero is a dream boat- not only is he rich, hot and heard working but he is super sweet and more than a little bit sexy. The only problem I really had was that the climax of the book felt kinda rushed and not enough build up to it. Other than that a cute read! |
Sophia reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage to protect her mother. She flies out to Corfu to meet her soon to be fiancè but she has a plan. Dion wants to buy Sophia's fathers company for personal reasons and if that means a bride being in deal then who is he to say no. He wants the company more than anything else. I didn't even mind that he is a millionaire. He did act like it and he doesn't have a string of women. I rarely wander into the rom com genre there is just something that rubs me the wrong way. Keeping a balance where it is funny but not going over the line to ridiculous is a difficult feat. I found that this applied here. The plot was a bit thin and could have had more depth. But rom com is meant to be fluffy. The writing is excellent and engaging. I was enjoying it up until the 28% mark and then I hit a snag. The heroine was about to do something stupid but she managed to backtrack but in the end it all blew up in her face. She knew it was a bad idea yet she did it anyway. I liked it but if you love rom coms then this is the book for you.Sophia reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage to protect her mother. She flies out to Corfu to meet her soon to be fiancè but she has a plan. Dion wants to buy Sophia's fathers company for personal reasons and if that means a bride being in deal then who is he to say no. He wants the company more than anything else. I didn't even mind that he is a millionaire. He did act like it and he doesn't have a string of women. I rarely wander into the rom com genre there is just something that rubs me the wrong way. Keeping a balance where it is funny but not going over the line to ridiculous is a difficult feat. I found that this applied here. The plot was a bit thin and could have had more depth. But rom com is meant to be fluffy. The writing is excellent and engaging. I was enjoying it up until the 28% mark and then I hit a snag. The heroine was about to do something stupid but she managed to backtrack but in the end it all blew up in her face. She knew it was a bad idea yet she did it anyway. I liked it but if you love rom coms then this is the book for you. |
Gin A, Reviewer
An entertaining story with a hoot of a heroine. A taxidermist heroine? Sofia as the quirky heiress whose father is trying to marry her off is fabulous. And what a dreamy hero in the hunky Greek billionaire, Dion. Heart throb! Well, he needs a wife and Sofia fits the bill although she’s reluctant to say the least...until she meets the handsome Dion. Sparks fly and between the laughs there is the build of a steamy romance between two wonderful characters. Love the sassy, sizzling couple and sexy romance in another fantastic read from this terrific author. |
I thought How to Lose a Fiancé was going to be a romantic comedy. There are definitely funny moments, especially in the beginning. But the book quickly turns into something more. Something deeper. Dion Kourakis and Sophia Andreou are characters you can't help but respect and love. Dion made something of himself from nothing. Seriously, he spent his entire childhood in an orphanage. Sophia has been emotionally and mentally abused by her father since she was a child. He even forces her to marry Dion as part of the condition to selling his company. Then insists she digs up dirt on Dion, in order to get a divorce and the company back. Sophia and Dion are so much alike, with similar experiences. Together, they grow as people. When they let their walls down, they love openly. Even though they aren't actually sure what love is. I've been on a Harlequin Desire reading kick lately. For me, this has that same feeling, only much longer. |
Delhia A, Reviewer
I heard a lot about the author and was curious to discover one of her novels. Sophie has always had to comply with her father’s wishes. He manipulates her, models her as he wishes and she accepts it because he always brings her mother up. But here it is, she doesn’t accept his new request, not at all and she doesn’t know how to get out of this story. He sells his company to a great Greek man, but for this sale to happen he wants his daughter to marry the new owner. Why is that? To have an ancestry on the company through her. This idea repulses Sophie, and if she still goes to see Dion, she does everything to look like the worst woman possible so he cancels the wedding on his side. But Dion is determined and he will soon realize that something is wrong with her. In romance, we can easily find common frames, but I found that the one in this novel was quite original. I loved Sophie’s ideas for Dion to refuse the wedding. But then, the funniest thing is the taxidermy thing with Princess Sasha. Our heroine invents a whole new life for herself that will drive our billionaire crazy. But there is also more to this transaction and we will gradually discover the wounds that Dion hides. It was a really nice novel and I must say that I had a great time with the story and the characters! Now that I’ve discovered the author, I can’t wait to read more! |
How far are you willing to go to protect someone you love? Would you marry a stranger? This was my first book by Stefanie London and it will not be my last! Next to enemies to lovers, fake relationships are one of my favorite tropes! I love the forced proximity and how the characters get to know each other while pretending to be together. This one was a lovely slow burn and a great story of two people finding their footing by standing up to their past. Dion was such a sweet character while Sophia was strong and flourished after getting out from under her fathers control. If you’re a fake relationship/arranged marriage fan, this was a fantastic read! |
Rating: 4.5 stars It's a weird day when my biggest problem with the book is the cover. And it's not even a bad cover when you take it as it is. It's just... the heroine of this book, Sophia, is frequently described as pale, paler than Dion at the very least. So why is this beautiful but very tanned woman on the cover??? Yes, I know that's a very picky point for me to make, but ugh. Now that my worst criticism is over and done with... I read this book mostly in one sitting. Seriously. I pretty much read it all in one day, aside from the first few percent that I read before sleeping, only getting up for bathroom breaks. I barely ate on Sunday because I didn't want to stop reading. I had plans for that day! Aspirations! I was going to accomplish things! And yet this book demanded my attention. In the story, Sophia is effectively sold to Dion as part of the sale of her father's business. All she wants is to hide away from the world while running her own online business, but her father has her mother under his control, and Sophia won't leave her mother unprotected. So, to keep her mother happy and healthy, she agrees to fly to Greece and meet Dion. However, she has no intention of actually getting married. Instead, she plans to adopt rather interesting hobbies and styles to encourage Dion to reject her. The only problem with this is that Dion really, really, really wants this company. He has ulterior motives for buying it; he wants it destroyed, and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. What results is some rather hilarious interactions, particularly involving taxidermy and a certain fox. What I really like about this book is that it surprised me quite a few times. It looked like it was gonna go down particular routes at here and there, and it would have been very predictable if it had done so. For example, I really don't like plots that involve cheating, and I would have probably given up on the book if the cliché cheating scandal was used. But Stefanie managed to avoid that, and I'm so pleased she did. Instead we got something a little bit more unique given that it looked like it was going to be a fairly standard Greek billionaire story with an alpha male. We got something a tad bit deeper. The tension between the characters didn't come from people not communicating, nor from serious power trips — well, not exactly. Really, it was born out of a lack of self-awareness. Maybe a dash of toxic masculinity as well, given that men are supposed to show emotions other than anger. Dion did try to to get to know Sophia and to accommodate her wants and needs, while Sophia gave Dion chances. They even communicated about most things fairly quickly. It all came down to not being able to accept love as a viable emotion, and not just romantic love. Ultimately, there was a good balance of emotional depth and humour that kept me hooked from (almost) the beginning to the very end. This might be one of the best billionaire stories I've read in a while. I'm looking forward to reading more from Stefanie! |
Great setup for this fun, sexy romance! Sophia's controlling father has planned a marriage of convenience for her to Dion along with the sale of his company. Sophia needs Dion to reject her so she can get out of the marriage without making her father angry, so she plans to be as outlandish as possible, and exactly the wrong type of woman for a society lifestyle. But it's not long before Dion sees through her ruse and when the truth comes out, the real woman is even more fascinating to him. Maybe a marriage of convenience can get them both what they want.... There are lots of laughs in this one. Sophia's deception doesn't last too long, and when Dion finds out why she's acted the way she has, he wants to make this an arrangement that will work for both of them. He has no interest in love, but a companion for the days (and the nights) is pretty appealing. I love how they grow closer together as the story progresses and there are some very sexy love scenes. Sophia's goal in this marriage is to get her mother away from her controlling father but things don't quite work out the way she wants. Through it all Dion is a supportive partner and it's not long before he realizes that his feelings for Sophia are stronger than he'd planned. The loss of a mentor and friend makes him realize he has to take a chance on a real future with Sophia. The beautiful island setting of Corfu makes for some a lovely setting. This is a fun, sexy story with likable characters and a sweet happy ending. I can always count on Stefanie London to provide a thoroughly enjoyable romance! Review has been posted at sale sites and Goodreads. |
How to Lose a Fiancé was my first book by Stefanie London and I really liked it. It's very well written and the story is beautiful. I loved Dion and Sophia. |
Great read from start to finish! Love me a hot billionaire read! Add to it that he’s a Greek billionaire...and swoon. Be sure to check out this read!! |
I adore "marriage of convenience" romances and How to Lose a Fiance by Stefanie London is a wonderful addition to the trope. This story draws you in immediately, and the engaging plot continuously entertains with each and every moment. The two main characters, Sophia Andreou and Dion Kourakis, have amazing chemistry, and their relationship is replete with desire, compassion, and inspiration. This is the fourth book I have embraced from this author. By day, Sophia works for her father's property business, and by night, she runs her own virtual assistant company. Her tyrannical father has managed her life so far, and now he expects her to marry a man of his choosing, in order to keep his business from shutting down. Sophia has never disobeyed any of her father's orders or schemes, and now her entire future is being planned out without her consent. Luckily for Sophia, Greek billionaire Dion Kourakis is gracious and genuine, however, he has his own agenda for purchasing her father's business. Dion grew up unhappily in an orphanage and hard work is what has made him a success. He leads a lonely life, with one best friend, and a mentor/father figure who is suffering from lung cancer. I really enjoyed this well-written book. The first few chapters are quite humorous, due to Sophia's outlandish ideas and antics. Sophia and Dion challenge each other for the better, and as a result, their fragile relationship evolves into true love. In addition, their sexy times are quite hot. Sophia's father was beyond manipulative, while her mom was a doormat. Overall, this is a solid romantic read that should be added to your TBR list. Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. |
I've been a big fan of Stefanie London ever since I read her Bad Bachelors series. She writes fun contemporary romances that are super swoony to boot. I loved the concept of How to Lose a Fiance, so I knew I had to try it. I mean, what's not to like with a story of a woman trying to get her fiance to dump her? Sophia has spent most of her life keeping her family by basically being a puppet in her father's hands. She does everything that he asks of her without a word, but this time around he has gone too far. He has arranged her marriage without her consent to a Greek billionaire who is also helping save their family company. Sophia has no say in the matter, but she won't go down without a fight. She heads off to Greece with plans of having her new fiance dump her. Will she be successful? You'll have to read the book to find out! I had mixed feelings about Sophia. I felt for her and I understood why she was so frustrated with her situations, but at times, I found her actions to be childish. She acted like the worst possible version of what she thinks a bad wife would be like. When she gave up her front though, I found her more likable. Perhaps my feelings of annoyance towards Sophia stemmed from Dion, her fiance being such a good guy. Dion grew up an orphan and has worked hard to become a billionaire. He has his reasons for agreeing to marry Sophia that have to do with his mentor who really made him the man he was. I liked Dion a lot. Even when Sophia kept embarrassing him in public, he showed her nothing but kindness and thoughtfulness. Once these two started bonding, the romance was super sweet. I wouldn't call it as memorable as Bad Reputation, my favorite book from the author, but I still enjoyed it. In the end, I liked How to Lose a Fiance, but it's not one I loved. If you're in the mood for something fun and light this summer, I'd give this a try. |
I loved this story so much. I’ve never read any Greek billionaire stories, but I am a sucker for any fake relationship/arranged marriage romances. I don’t think the cover properly shows how quirky and funny this story really is! Sophia is essentially forced to marry Dion, a complete stranger, in order to keep a hold of her father’s company once Dion buys it. This isn’t what Sophia wants (who wants to marry a stranger?), but she will do anything to be able to make a life for herself and save her mother from her emotionally abusive and controlling father. Sophia quickly comes up with a plan to make sure Dion wants nothing to do with her once they meet. Y’all, I was not at all expecting Sophia to be so quirky and fantastic! The plan she comes up with is hilarious, if nothing else you should put this on your radar so you can be properly introduced to Baroness Sasha Foxington III! Like with her Bad Bachelor series, London added so much heart to this story. The more you learn about Sophia and Dion’s backstories, the harder it is to put the book down! And that epilogue! This was exactly the funny, heartfelt, satisfying romance I needed when I read it! How to Lose a Fiancé was a 4 star read for me! I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you love fake romance/arranged marriage plots! |
This was my first read by Stefanie London and I will say one thing for sure, she sure knows how to make you laugh out loud where my hubs started giving me funny looks across the room lol. The book started straight out with the main heroine getting told she is to be married to a complete stranger who is wanting to purchase her fathers company and that the marriage is part of the business deal. What shocks her the most is that is wasn't the stranger who asked for the marriage but her father insisted it, saying no business deal could be made unless he married his daughter. Yeah total douche. Determined to get out of this arrangement and continue to pursue her dreams and desires of living a quiet life in the woods and being her own boss, Sophia plans to do everything she can to make her "fiance" NOT want to marry her. Because if he calls off the wedding then he father won't have any excuse to take it out on her for his failed business deal. Dion soon discovers that Sophia hasn't been her true self around him and he eventually breaks her shell and she admits her reasons. They form an agreement of their own and go through with getting married- on one condition...no love. After they both have been through seeing rough relationships they want nothing to do with love. But you can't stop what you truly feel when it is standing right in front of you. Overall I enjoyed this book. I almost gave it 3 stars, but because I laughed so much and enjoyed reading it, I gave it 4 stars instead. My only complaints on this book would be that once the main characters decided to get married after all it seemed the story line was them having lots of sex, and then a tiny shit hits the fan and its quickly heading to the end of the story. I thought the first half of the book was great, with her trying to repel him, but the second half came I guess I expected a slow burn but instead it felt like it shot by faster than a bullet to the ending points. Overall it was a good read, and I liked how it sort of gave off a vibe of the movie "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". |
How to Lose a Fiance by Stefanie London was great book! I love how Sophia transformed as the time with by with out her controlling father. Dion is a great character too! I found Dion to be loyal alway he just need the push to see he was loved and could find love. I like that even though Dion was successful and had the power it was looking to by tryant to Sophia. I love the story of them find the loving they need in themself to bring them to love for each! I truly in joyed the story! |
How do you get out of an arranged marriage when your father is the actual worst? Be the exact opposite of everything the potential groom would want. Sophia's antics were absolutely hilarious. I could picture all of her crazy outfits and laughed out loud to her unbelievable schemes. I loved how Dion took all her crazy in stride and did his best to roll with it. These two kept me wanting to read more to see what would happen next. I missed the first book in this series but I'm adding it to my TBR!! |








