Sweet, funny and heartwarming, The Accidental Fiancé is a cute fake relationship romance.

When a chance lottery win for an abandoned inn might be the new start Alex, his sister and two best friend needed, they pack up their lives and move to a small town in Maryland.
The only thing that managed to get Sydney to return to her home town after so many years globe trotting was her Gram's dire diagnosis.
But when a chance meeting mixed with a little white lie Sydney told her Gram causes a misunderstanding, a fake relationship is the only way to protect her Grams heart and of course, hijinks ensue.

4 stars and 3 oaks.

I loved this story and the characters, I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, it was simply amazing!

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I felt it dragged a bit, I also liked a lot of the story and the characters. I thought we were too much inside their head and some repetitions were unnecessary.

It’s the first small town romance I read where it doesn’t have only bad effects on the characters. Here, the author develops a sense of community that I really enjoyed. They all support each other, even the Three Oaks Inn’s newcomers and Sydney the escapee. They’re like a second family.

The fake relationship becoming real wasn’t original at all, but the tension between Sydney and Alex, and the gentle seduction, were really compelling. I loved that couple. I wasn’t too fond of the conflict that threatened their relationship though. It was such an amazing coincidence! My suspension of disbelief only goes so far. I willingly chose to accept it and run with it, since it isn’t the only one in the book–the whole premise is one big one too.

The relationship between the members of the Three Oaks Inn’s crew was interesting too. There are Alex and his sister, Amelia, plus Amelia’s best friend, Everleigh, and Alex’s long time friend Teague. The character development and the various interactions between them make them compelling and I’m interested in reading their personal stories in the next books in the series.

Quickie

Series: Love lottery #1 (can be read as a standalone)
Hashtags: #small town romance #fake relationship #newcomers
Triggers: mention of cheating to a secondary character
Main couple: Sydney Darrow & Alex Kirkland
Hotness: 2/5
Romance: 4/5
+ I enjoyed the way the Three Oaks Inn’s crew is slowly accepted by the town
– I’m still wondering how they managed to fool anyone with their fake relationship

4/5 stars.

I love the idea of second chances. Alex was down on his luck after losing his job and his friends were following in the same boat as well as being kicked out of their respective houses. Alex and his sister lost their parents at a really young age and he took over the parental role for his younger sister. When she found out that he lost his job, she bought a "lotto" ticket to win a hotel as a way to earn back their luck.

Of course, they win and now they get to start over in Maryland.

That's where Sydney comes in. She is back in a town that she ran far away from as soon as she graduated high school, but now she is back because of a scare in her grandmother's health, but it is going to be short-lived. At one point, when things weren't looking very good, she fibbed to her grandmother that she was engaged in some whirlwind romance, and just as her luck could have it, handsome Alex walks into her family-run restaurant and gets sucked into the lie.

It works in both their favors that Sydney's grandmother can stay happy and excited during chemo treatments while Alex gets some much-needed face time with the town. But can they continue to pretend that they don't work well together as a couple?

I enjoyed this book. It was nicely paced with the attraction from the start. I do wish the author had dived in a bit more with the backstory about why Alex loses his job in the first place, but I think it might tie in with the other books as they come out. I also feel like there might be a hinting relationship between two of the other main characters which I would LOVE to see. The angst is there, but minimal for this feel-good fake relationship romance.

So excited for this new series from Christi! After falling in love with her princess series I was so excited to see what was next for her! After a bit of drama and getting fired from the job where he thought he would be at forever, Alex seems to be continuing to get bad news and is hitting rock bottom. But thanks to his sister and their friends, they decide to buy a lottery ticket and pray for some good luck, and they get it by winning the lottery and becoming owners of an inn! Unfortunately, when they get there, they find that the inn is in worse condition than implied, and when Alex takes on a bigger risk than the others, it pushes him to his breaking point. Sydney promised to never return to her hometown after graduating high school and years later she has kept that promise, until her grandmother is at risk of dying and she returns home to help with the family business. Returning home causes her to look at everything she ran away from all those years ago, and with that she also lies and says she’s engaged. When Alex and Sydney meet, they’re like oil and water – until Sydney’s grandmother mistakes him as her fiancé and he agrees to play the part. Overall, this was a cute storyline perfectly executed by Christi, although with the establishing of all the characters that will likely be focused on the next books, it was a little long to read. Other than that, I am definitely interested in seeing where things go with this group of friends and the inn!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this story. I adore stories that involve our chosen family - as much as the one we are born in to. This has a great story for also never giving up on your dreams and maybe taking a chance on new ones. Although the story focuses on Alex and Sydney - it is just as much a story of the four friends (one of them Alex) winning the lottery to own a historic inn on the Chesapeake Bay. Its about them learning to work together and trust each other in new ways. The crew of friends has hit rock bottom when they buy the lottery ticket for the inn. Each had lost their job and place to live and needed a fresh start. Alex, a former hotel manager, had lost his job in a kind of cruel twist as a result of trying to do the right thing. His dream had been to run his own hotel - but getting the inn back in shape is pushing him to the brink. He feels both personally and financially responsible for it all. As a result his micromanaging is driving his friends nuts. His only safe harbor is in his "fake" relationship with Sydney.

Sydney is a travel TV show producer who is back in her podunk hometown for the first time in forever. She's hated her hometown and isn't happy to be there. Being home forces her to confront a lot of her baggage. Including the fib she told to her dying grandmother about being engaged. Enter Alex and bam instant fake fiance sitch.

I will say there is a LOT going on in this book - both Alex and Sydney are trying to get a fresh start. They are both also trying to learn to trust and move on from the lemons life has handed them. Add in the inn, the large cast of characters, and it can be a lot. Tho - I could 100% see NetFlix making this series as a show!

The one plot point that didn't 100% work for me was the issue of Sydney writing an article. Why would a TV producer need to do that? I know an explanation was given - but it really didn't make a lot of sense to e overall. ITs the source of the big drama between Alex and Sydney - so I kind of felt like it needed more credible background. But that point definitely didn't detract from the overall story!

There are so many stories in the town of Chesterton! Well beyond Alex, Amelia, Everleigh, and Teague. Please! Give me the stories of James and Cam! As well as all the other interesting people along the way.

Overall I really liked this and it is as an awesome start to a new series!

This was not what I was expecting. I absolutely love fake dating stories and will always take the time to read them. The fact that they won the B&B and then had to figure out from there just how this was all going to work was pretty funny.
The only downside i had was the main character got a bit weird about the fake dating and how much it had to happen.

Fake dating is always a win for me. I got a kick out of the winning the lottery for the B&B. I could relate to Alex, as a hotel manager and felt for him and the situation. Sydney and her family are a hoot, though Alex's gang aren't half bad either. It was a fun cute read that I really enjoyed and would say is a great vacation read.

This was such a nice change of pace from what I've been reading lately. It far exceeded my expectations to be honest. All of the characters are loveable and interesting (they all need their own books, just saying) and the romance and chemistry is perfect as well. I need an Alex and possibly a Teague, in my life! Thank you for approving me, I can't wait to read Ever's story!

Alex, his sister, and his two best friends have one the chance of a lifetime when they win a raffle for an abandoned inn. When they arrive it's not exactly in the condition they been expecting.

Sydney is back in town to help out at the family mercantile after her grandmother's diagnosis and subsequent treatment of cancer. Only, she might have told a tiny white lie to give her grandmother peace when she thought she was going to die. That she was engaged.

When the grandmother misunderstands and thinks Alex is the Fiancé, Sydney convinces him to play along. Expected Hijinks ensue.

The Accidental Fiancé was a cute heartwarming romance. Well written with characters that it was easy to relate to.

*This eARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Alex and his friends won a fixer upper in Maryland. They are all excited for the new challenge. While in Maryland, Alex pretends to be Sydney fiance. As Alex and Sydney spend more time together they grow to like each other. I enjoyed the different characters in this book.

So this book as a my wish being granted. And let me say I am not really in love with this wish. I just do not why , but I just did not enjoy this book as much as I wish I would....

The whole that story winning The Inn by the lottery is little bit silly, and the dialogs are little cheesy...

I love fake dating romances but this was just okay for me.

Just a 3 star read

This is a fun story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Alex, his sister, and two friends, win a lottery with an inn as the prize. Since they've all been down on their luck and a bit lost, they're thrilled and move to the inn, only to learn that it needs a great deal more work than they'd been told. As they dig in to their work load, they begin too meet the townspeople and engage with the community. When Alex meets Sidney, sparks fly, and, almost before he knows it, he's fake engaged to her. Heat and humor follow, along with a great hook.

If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. I'm giving it 4.5 stars, only because the middle of the book seemed to drag a bit. I'm a fan of the author and have her on my must read authors' list.

Good book! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! This book was funny and light hearted! The storyline kept my attention from the beginning. It was a really cute story with a little steam to it too! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!