The Accidental Fiancé is a cute, sweet small town romance. A second chance to make life work and first time romance story.

I liked the cast of characters. I didn't love them. I couldn't connect with them. I felt like I was being dragged through the story. It is probably a "me thing" since I typically enjoy Barth's books. I'll chalk it up to being the wrong read at the wrong time.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't click for me. Too much being thrown too soon at the reader, and so many people in the first 10%, I was ending up lost and then confused for the rest of the read. The first meeting between Alex and Sydney also didn't endear me to a romance between them, so that feel flat

This was such a fun read. It was a unique premise and I loved how it all played out. Fake dating is always a fun trope! I love the side characters and can't wait to read what happens next for everyone!

Nice small town romance with a fake slow burn relationship and a big loving nosy family
Trope cell developed and cute love story
Some parts were not well developed IMO but overall nice cute story
3.5 stars

This was an okay read for me. This story was more sweet than the books I usually read. I like a little more spice to my stories. The writing was okay for the most part, but I felt like there was a lot going on in this one to set up for the rest of the series. That meant that it wasn't always about Sydney and Alex's relationship. There wasn't a whole lot of drama in this one, it was mainly just not being open with each other and realizing there were some things they probably should have had a conversation about. I was really hoping for some closure about Sydney's mom, but it was just left to "I have no idea why she left". Kind of disappointing. The ending was sweet though, and these 2 get their HFN ending. I will probably check out the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book.

I really struggled with this book. I didn't care for the main characters, and too much time was spent focusing on getting the inn ready then their romance. I picked up and put down this book many times, and I never fully felt hooked. To finish this book I ended up skimming through some of the sections. While this may be in part my own issue, since I have been struggling getting engrossed into books this last year or so, this was my experience thus my review. *I received an ARC of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thinking of Christi Barth and her books always brings a smile to my lips, because all I can remember is the wit and humor in her stories that is I simply adore!!!!

New series, new book, and "The Accidental Fiance" keeps her writing trend going as she creates another interesting series. Lottery winners and friends, Alex Kirkland and Sydney Darrow are working together to renovate a dilapidated inn they had won along with a couple of other friends and to make fresh start in their lives. Circumstances make Alex, Sydney's "accidental fiance and as the charade continues, so does the attraction that had sparked between them.

But now they have to decided if this attraction is lust of love that gives them a chance for a future, along with getting the inn ready for the spring season. Christi always creates fun characters, and I cannot wait to meet all of them in the series and read their happily ever afters!

I thought this story was quite cute. As a native Marylander, and one who would go to the shore a lot, I really enjoyed the small town feel of the setting. The characters were enjoyable, and I thought there was a balanced focus between the main couple and the secondary characters.

A historic inn, a contest, and a lucky opportunity in this slow burn romance.

Friendship, obligation and a desire to find love in the most unexpected place.

Small town romances usually wind up all over the front page of the newspaper, will this budding relationship
survive the renovation?

I'm always up for Christi Barth romance, this one is fabulous and not to be missed.

What happens when you, your best friends, and the only family lose everything? You buy a ticket and win an Inn in another country. So the gang pack their belongings and is very surprised when Inn looks worse than represented. The story is about family, sticking together, finding yourself again, and finding love. Sydney comes home to help her sick grandmother and her family and to make grandma happy she makes up a fiance and Alex is the best candidate. Soon fake becomes very real, but the decisions are going to make will they be positive or not?
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

The Accidental Fiancé is an entertaining and well written romance. Good plot and character dynamics. I recommend this book.

The Accidental Fiancé is book #1 of the Love Lottery series by Christi Barth. It is a stand alone story told from both points of view and has with a happy ending. Genre: contemporary romance Trope: fake relationship | small town romance

Alex Kirkland is looking for a fresh start and nothing could have been better than the opportunity to renovate the once beautiful hotel he, his sister and his friends won over the holidays. They just have to drop everything, relocate to Maryland and rebuild with a very, VERY limited budget in time for wedding season, but he never imagined he’d be fake engaged himself.

When Sydney Darrow told her ailing grandmother she was engaged, she didn’t think she’d have to actually find a guy to play the role. Lucky for her Alex was willing to play along, but after spending time together, can they distinguish between what’s fake and what’s real?

This was a fun read and a lovely start to the series.

I really liked the plot and concept of this book. But this book could've been so much better if the characters were more likable or lovable. I really didn't like Sydney. Alex was a hypocrite. I didn't like the main characters at all. Only liked Sydney's dad to be honest. That dude and his mother were smart. Sheesh! I didn't even care anymore if Sydney and Alex got together or not!

What a thoroughly charming story. Christi Barth has created a welcoming community of intriguing characters on the Maryland shore that have me wanting to return again and again.

At the heart of the story are Alex, his sister, Amelia, and their two best friends, Everleigh and Teague. I really loved this small family of the heart. It was fun to watch them come together to create a place that will hopefully secure their future as well as become their home. Their relationships are realistic, heart-tugging, and not without their issues but their love for, and support of, one another is solid. Sometimes, too solid for those who would like a little more independence from well-meaning but over-protective siblings. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of them in more depth and follow their individual journeys in future books.

Sydney may not hold any love for her hometown but her loyalty to her family is bone deep. It's that family love and loyalty that causes her to propose a fake engagement to a stranger and Alex's own family history that leads him to agree. These two are so sweet together. I really enjoyed their journey from strangers to friends to so much more. There's a twist in their story that I did not see coming and though some might find it a bit beyond the realm of believability, I was willing to buy into it and the conflict it caused. It gave both Alex and Sydney the vehicle they needed to look deeply into their own hearts and evaluate the importance of their hopes, career dreams, and personal desires in order to determine what was most important to them. Without that twist, I would not have been as confident in the staying power of the love that was developing between them.

If you're in the mood for a sweet, charming, contemporary romance with heart, humor, likeable characters, and one feisty grandma, give Christi Barth's The Accidental Fiancé a try. I'm already gearing up for book two, Definitely Not Dating, featuring Everleigh (whose bad dating choices usually leave her holding the short end of the stick) and Police Chief, Matt Halliday (a great guy who's keeping a secret that may put everyone at risk). It's available for pre-order and will be released May 4.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

A big thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing/American Hearts for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the first in a new series. This book is sort of unbelievable, but who knows maybe it could happen! It's a fun book, full of good friends, family, finding yourself, home and hardwork. Plus throw in a fake fiancee. Alex and Sydney are both interesting people. This is probably not for everyone, but I think most romance readers would enjoy. I found it a pleasure to read. 3.5 stars

As you well know this was get thanks to NetGalley.

This book gave me vibes of one original netflix "Amor en Obras", but with fake dating, and I love it.

I love when the characters aren't supposed to meet but they do and they fake that they are in dating but you can see how they are slowing finding the other attractive, the tension between them starts to grow, that you start to question why they don't realize that they are in love and want them and need them to get together as soon as possible.


The story is fast to read and easy to read, I highly recommend it for suckers of fake dating as me.

Hot but not necessarily steamy, cute but don't cheesy. I liked it

This is a cute little fake romance story. We have Alex who seriously needs a break in life and he gets one when his sister buys a lotto ticket and they win a hotel and they get a chance to start over. They move to Maryland, him and his sister who he is raising since they lost their parents at a young age. They end up meeting Sydney who is in town to care for her grandmother whom she lies to and claimed that she is engaged to bring happiness to and guess who that person is, yup Alex. And while these two fake it and fight there feelings for each other eventually admit what everyone else sees. cute book.

I've had to DNF this after 3 chapters. I might go back to it, but I just found everyone losing their jobs/places to live and then winning an inn/hotel a lottery that was on Christmas the EXACT time none of them had to quit/make big life change was TOO coincidental and cheesy for me and I just couldn't...
Like, I want a bit of internal conflict maybe? Maybe someone doesn't want to leave their job/city/home but they were all in one flat with eachother for various reasons and i just really couldn't bring myself to read much more.
The book annoyed me more that I was enjoying it, so it's paused at the moment, possibly indefinitely

This book had potential but I found it difficult to read. The writing was clunky and was more tell not show. I felt I was reading much younger characters these did not feel like they were mature adults. I was really disappointed in the execution of the book. THe writer had a great idea I just wish it was better written. </p>

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A book about a fake engagement, sign me up! These are definitely one of the funnier tropes and this book didn't disappoint. But it's not just about a fake engagement, it's about friendship, coming to terms with your past and striking out on your own.

Sydney Darrow returns home to help out the family business for the next 3 months. Prior to arriving, she let her grandmother know that she had a fiancé (who doesn't actually exist). When Alex Kirkland, new co-owner of the dilapidated Three Oaks Inn, walks into her family's shop, Sydney's grandmother mistakes him for Sydney's fiancé and the lie begins.

Initially, I was confused by the book. I didn't understand who was who, but after the first couple chapters, everything started making so much more sense. While the book does drag in spots, I enjoyed the story and the characters. I really wish we got to see more of the grandmother because she was a hoot.

I can't wait to read more from this series because I want to know what happens to Teague, Everleigh and Amelia.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.