The synopsis pretty much sums this book up.
Alex, his sister, her friend and his friend win a historic inn by chance and pack up their lives to turn it into a success. However, it wouldn’t be an interesting story if there weren’t a few bumps in the road!
Sydney is back home after many years as her Grandmother was close to deaths door. To make her Grandmother happy, she pretends to be engaged to Alex ...
It was a pretty predictable book but nether the less I enjoyed reading it as it wasn’t too heavy. I look forward to see what book 2 brings!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is rather hard for me to rate and review, folks. I guess what I should stress first is the synopsis is quite accurate in how this story line starts off. Though I did find it a rather coincidental the set of circumstances each of these four musketeer like, posse of family and friends, who seemed able to finish each other's sentences, all found themselves surprisingly in the same boat. It was like true confessions taking place on a busy, big city, snowy sidewalk between strangers who were actually ultra close knit. It is as it was though, so I just had to shrug off "Yeah, right..ah, huh", nod my head, and roll with it. Giving it at least credit for binding them together even more.

Sydney and Alex's first meeting and subsequent time spent together were by far the best parts for me. They were super sweet and cozy compatible, yet still had tangible, swoon worthy, sizzling chemistry at the same time. The at first curious side glances, off the cuff, back and forth, fun, flirty banter, and eventual fake dates, which felt real, had me rooting for them from the get go. Seriously, it's the stuff of romance that makes and keeps me a fan of this genre. I'm more about emotional connections when I read, btw. Yeah, it was a stereotypical, small town romance set-up, but I tend to fall for those each and every time, my fellow romance book loving friends.

I just wish by half way into it there had been more of the main couple. Instead, they often felt like an underlying, simmering, side subplot in comparsion to the inn's challenges, sassy grandma's health situation, Sydney's "Papa thinks he's still the boss of me" issues, and her past, present, and future career choices. With lots of numerous, lengthy, dual point of view, inner monologues and time spent worrying and just being elsewhere, the very s-l-o-w pace and lack of relationship progress had me considering bowing out by 48%. I found myself picking up and putting this book down more than I expected. Sure, the occasional smoldering, well scripted, passionate kisses and brief make out sessions, which slowly but surely lead to more (but not shockingly so), picked up the steam, but lack of progress had dampened my mood. I guess you could say the trade off was spending a lot of time with sub characters, including the town's people, so the stage could be set for pairing off of more couples in future books.

Sydney's affection yet quick to judge her daddy and get her feathers ruffled like an angry teen at his each and every word or deed got old. I would have loved to tap her on the shoulder and tell her to act her age. Fortunately, by the second half she does admit to being petty. Caring about her sassy grandma was the card that got her out of the dog house anyway. But am I the only one who found her selfish in summing them to visit her over the past ten years instead of visiting them? Just a thought. I guess I can be petty and picky myself, folks.

The main couple did hit a rather unbelievably coincidental bump in the road caused by a big, "Say what? How was that even possible?", tell all reveal. As a lover of relationship angst, I didn't mind it a bit and was even disappointed the fall-out didn't last longer. Angst more often than not leads to even more romantic HEAs, IMO.

All in all, the second half played out similar to the first. Enough character development to keep me interested but overly drawn out with mental musings and worry. Dare I say I enjoyed parts of it while finding portions exhausting to wade through. Yeah, I guess I just did. Am I intrigued by what's going to happen next with the rest of the gang? Sure, especially the sheriff, Matt, the hero in book 2, who we only got a glimpse of here. Again, that is on me, because I've always had a thing for small town Sheriff romantic tales.

I think others who don't mind such a leisurely pace and have patience with all the interjected side content will rate this book much higher, btw.

Title: The Accidental Fiance, Series: Love Lottery (Book 1), Author: Christi Barth, Pages: 294, pub date: 2/23/21, stand-alone but part of a series, good guy workaholic hero, passionate kisses, only two or so more steamy scenes, small town romance.

Book 1 - The Fake Fiance (Sydney & Alex)
Book 2 - Definitely Not Dating (Everleigh & Matt)

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any form for this review. There is no relationship or affiliation between this reviewer and the author, publisher, NetGalley, or an PR firm.)

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.


Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes! Reading those always gives me a guarantee that I'm gonna have a good time, and with this one, it wasn't different. Although the book dragged quite a bit for me, the characters were charismatic and I loved their chemistry. Really fun and enjoyable read, I'm definitely checking out more of this author soon!!

The Accidental Fiancé by Christi Barth is the first book in her new Love Lottery series. Alex Kirkland, our hero, has lost his job, and his sister, plus two close friends are also in dire financial shape. When his sister, Amelia, buys a lottery ticket (to win a historic inn), since it’s Christmas and the other three also buy a ticket. They actually win the lottery and the 4 of them are partners, as they head to Maryland, for a fresh start, and hope. The Inn is in bad shape, totally dilapidated, but they are determined to work hard to renovate and manually repair the Inn, and hope they can make some money when it is restored. In a short period, they begin to meet the wonderful townsfolk, who are happy to see the inn possibly return to its former glory.

Sydney Darrow, our heroine, returns home to help her grandmother, who is undergoing chemo, run the family mercantile. Sydney is also on leave from her job, which she was hoping for a promotion; but has put everything on hold until her grandmother is done with her treatment. While working at the store, Sydney meets a handsome stranger, who came across as arrogant, even though he was a hunk.

Alex, the handsome stranger, comes to the store to buy stuff, and her grandmother misunderstands, and thinks he is Sydney’s fiancé. Alex goes along with the ruse (for a couple of months), and soon they become good friends, helping each other, and the town actually believes they are engaged; except for a select few who know the truth.

In a short time, the chemistry between them is sizzling hot, and a romance will begin. It was fun to see Alex, Amelia, Ever and Teague work hard on the house, and the girls especially becoming close to Sydney, who was not used to having girlfriends. I also loved a number of characters in the town, and how many would help the group at the Inn. Alex is also concerned, since he has put out most of his money to pay for the restoration, and the others keep adding to the bills.

What follows is that both Alex and Sydney have some past issues, that somehow are interconnected to Alex losing his job, with neither telling the other. Will they stay together after the truths are revealed?
The Accidental Fiancé was a sweet, heartwarming, romance that was very well written by Christi Barth. This was a fun read, likeable characters, great couple and some steam. If you enjoy a pure romance, I suggest you read this book.

I really enjoy this author, so when I found this book up for review, I jumped at the chance to read it. I loved Alex and Sydney! Their situation was humorous, steamy, and full of what you would expect when a small town gets involved in the lives of the newly “engaged” couple. Alex is from Pittsburgh, recently fired from his job, his sister, her BFF and his best friend win a old hotel in the small town of Chestertown, which ends up being an old broken down hotel in dire shape. Sydney is the granddaughter of the local Mercantile Restaurant, who left town to find her way after high school, but is now back because her grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer. The way these two meet is pretty darn funny, which the humor continues throughout the story and makes it a very enjoyable read. Loved Amelia, Everleigh and Teague. James was hysterical, and the heartstrings are definitely tugged with Brody and Gram. Ending was perfect and I cannot wait for the second installment.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

Let me just say as someone who's blood family really sucks, I love a story that talks about a family that is chosen vs blood. Sometimes that family is better than your blood. Alex and his "family" are down on their luck when they win an old hotel, and decide to take their chances on making a go of it. Sydney has gone home to help her Grandmother who is sick. And she made up that she had a fiance' thinking that would make her happy if she passed away. So she talks Alex into pretending to be her fiance' until it is time for her to go home. This is definitely a cute and sweet story with a lot of laughter involved. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want it to end. Not only are the main characters likable and hook you but the side characters left me wanting their stories as well! I'm usually not the biggest fan of the fake relationships stories, but I definitely liked this one and will be rereading it again!

I had high hopes of this book based on the synopsis, but it fell a bit short for me. I think part of the problem was it was the first book in the series and the couple/romance tends to get lost in the first book in a series. I liked this book, I just wanted more time with the main characters as a couple as I never really felt the attraction/heat between them, sure they had a comfortable relationship and yes their friendship was a good base for a relationship but we never saw that develop.

I grew tired of Alex's continued pity party when he failed to share the truth of the partnership between him, his sister, his best friend and his sister's best friend when they won a inn in Maryland in a lottery. I loved the relationship between this core group and even that had its ups and downs throughout the book, but Alex's fake engagement with someone he'd barely met just didn't work. I liked Sydney well enough, but felt like her character was never really flushed out well.

I felt like The Accidental Fiance set up the Love Lottery series very well, unfortunately the romance in this one was lost in the shuffle.

Alex is one strong stubborn man.
Sydney is a smart sexy woman.
Everliegh has bad judgement when it comes to who she dates.
Teague is Alex sounding board.
Amelia gives the best Christmas presents. That make for an odd mix. But there isn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other. There not afraid to go after what they want.

Alex, his sister and their best friends are down on their luck. In a last ditch attempt they buy a lottery ticket and surprisingly win a B&B on the Maryland shore. Thinking it to be the second chance they all need, they move in at the property and repair the property to have it ready by spring.
Sydney never thought she will ever return to her hometown, but a false near death news of her grandma does the unexpected. Now she is not only back, but also helping at her family diner, and in need of a fake fiancé, she created to make her grandma happy.
A misunderstanding has Alex and Sydney pretending to be engaged and soon the lines start blurring between fake and real, but with Sydney scheduled to leave in a few months what kind of future can they have?
This is a first book in the series and though Alex and Sydney are the main characters we also get introduced to Alex’s sister Amelia, Amelia’s best friend, Everleigh, and Alex’s best friend Teague. I enjoyed the shift in relationship dynamics between them from friends to business partners. This was a fun read and I cant wait to see what the author has planned for rest of the partners.

This was a fun, enjoyable read which I got through in one sitting!.
I do love a 'fake' relationship story, so this book instantly grasped my attention.
The characters were interesting and had detailed personalities, the story flowed effortlessly throughout, and the ending was exactly what I had hoped for.

I had not read a Christi Barth story in awhile but this looked interesting, and IT WAS! It was so enjoyable. Four people thrown together on Christmas Eve, all broke, homeless and out of work, but still best friends and family, buy a lottery ticket to win a Inn in Maryland. And this is our the story begins. I loved each character in this story, and truly hope they all get their own storyline. Alex used to be the manager of a fancy hotel, but got fired, so when they win the Inn, they all agree to start over, in Maryland at An old Inn that desperately need some TLC. Alex meets Sydney who needs a fake fiancé and the story takes off. While Alex and Sydney had the biggest roles in this book, and of course wind their way to a HEA, I felt like each character was sufficiently fleshed out so that I felt invested. An easy enjoyable read, and I hope for more.

I received this arc for an honest review.

Alex and his friends put in for a lottery drawing after he is fired from his job for doing something right or humanly right but the company did not see it that way. Knowing the hotel business, he is down but that night all of his friends talk him up and also into entering. He finds out that he wins, he and his friends move out to the place which at one time was a grand place. He can see the potential in his mind and what the place must have looked like in her glory days. He can also see the amount of work that will be needed to restore this Grand Dame to her glory.
Sydney is working her grandmother's restaurant and back in the town she grew up in, her Podunk town not really wanting to be there. She was a travel show producer and really never saw her life as one is coming back to her hometown. She wants her grandmother to get better and after meets Alex one day she refers him as her fiancé to her grandmother hoping that will keep her spirits up. She tells Alex who goes along and of course, they need to spend time together which also works for the story as well.
Overall a good book with a few parts where it dragged for me anyway maybe not for others. I did like all of the different characters, his sister, their friends, and of course the grandmother, there are others but these were the ones that really stood out for me besides Alex and Sydney. A good story and worth the read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com

Cute fake relationship romance

Alex and Sydney are just so cute together. Sydney had me laughing at her cooking skills ... thinking she could become a chef because she could make a grilled cheese without burning it. Alex was so stoic taking the financial risk of renovating an old hotel even though they all were doing the hard work. I found all the characters relatable and I really liked the story ... even though at times it was a little far-fetched and the story dragged a bit. But I am excited for the next book in the series.

Alex, his sister and their best friends are down on their luck. When they win an old hotel in a lottery, they decide to see if they can make it work ... after all, they are all jobless and next to homeless. Sydney's grandmother has cancer and needs treatment, so Sydney decides to go home to see her grandmother and help her dad in the mercantile. But when Sydney thought her grandmother was dying, she might have mentioned that she was engaged ... even though she doesn't even have a boyfriend. Now to keep up the ruse and her grandmother's spirits, she cons a total stranger (Alex) to pretend to be her fiancé ... just until Sydney leaves town in 3 months when her grandmother's treatments are done. Now all they have to do is keep this fake relationship fake.

I received an early copy courtesy of Tule Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This was an enjoyable read. It is a story about four best friends that buy a lottery ticket and win an Inn. They are all at a low point in their lives so when they win, they all go. What a journey it is for them all. The inn is not exactly what they all expected it to be. This first story is about Sydney and Alex. Honestly in the beginning these two do not mix well together. When Sydney’s grandma thinks Alex is her fiancé all the fun begins. I do not want to ruin the story for you, but I will say this. Pick up this book and give it a chance because you will not be disappointed. Thanks Net Galley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! A new series about four friends/family that win the lottery to own an old Inn. Sydney is just home taking care of her grandma and gets thrown into a fake engagement with Alex who has just won the Inn. The coincidence at the end was a bit crazy to believe, and I still can't believe that most of the town believed the story of their engagement, but it was a fun story. I can't wait to see what happens with the others!

Sydney is back home for a limited time, helping out and on a break from her normal job. Alex is starting over in a small town with his best friends and sister.

This all starts out so innocently and then the twist is out of nowhere. Honestly, it confused me for a while until it was explained.

The characters were good. There was development and shifting within the characters. It was at a slow pace.

That’s something I didn’t really care for. This book was super long and drug in for the most part. There was a lot of inner dialogue and repeating internal conversations that could have been left out.

This was a decent book. I had a small issue with the story being told from third person though. I know that’s not an issue for others, but it’s my least favorite viewpoint.

There was a tiny bit of heat, but not very spicy or explicit. Definitely suitable for many people.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute love story with little steam. It was definitely a decent read, if not a tiny tame.

I like this authors books but this one did not grab me and I thought the premise was silly and overdone.

I'm giving this a 3 star rating because it honestly didn't feel like the romance was the center of this story - the inn and the group of four best friends were. From the way that too much emphasis was given to the core four of this story at the beginning of the story, to the lack of chemistry I actually felt between Sydney and Alex (because, to me, the scenes between them felt forced between all the exposition/scenes about the inn), this story just never really got its legs for me.

That said, did I like reading this - yes, it was okay, but I had to power through at points because the pacing was so off. In summary, it's not something I would pick up again.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christi Barth’s first installment in the Love Lottery series, Accidental Fiancé, has set a pretty high bar for the remainder of stories in the series. If the remaining installments are as top notch as Accidental Fiancé, I’m calling the entire series a sure fire winner.

With a rapidly moving storyline, and rife with witty banter, phenomenal repartee...timing is everything...along with a clever premise that’ll still bring a few surprises as the layers of the story are pealed away. I literally couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough and finished the story in its entirety in one sitting...to me that’s the earmark of an author who knows her reader audience, and just how to deliver a class act of a story. I’m already anticipating just how much I’ll enjoy the second story in the series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley.. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book. It has everything that makes a fun flirty romance novel but they were stuck in the past and had a hard time moving forward.
I thought Alex was a sweetheart in the beginning but he carried too much weight on his shoulders. He became anger and grumpy in a short period of time. I would have liked to see this as more of a partnership rather than him taking on all the burden
Sydney was a bit of a conundrum to me. I still don't understand why she didn't come home for over a decade. I also had a hard time with a few of her choices.
Sadly the !magic in the beginning didn't continue. If it did this could have been a great read.