Cover Image: The Engagement Arrangement

The Engagement Arrangement

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Member Reviews

Jacinto Burton writes another amazing one to ass to the list.
You can seriously never go wrong with one of her books

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If you're looking for a friends to lovers, fake fiance, a wedding, and a vineyard set the stage for this scorchin read.

Finn Nolan has known Brenna Bellini since he was a teenager and has kept his feelings quiet. What will happen when she asks him to be her plus one at a wedding that her ex-husband is attending?

Years of desire build up to a wild chain of events that test Finn and Brenna, their friendship, their jobs, and family expectations. When the games are over, will they be brave enough to confess how they really feel?

Sometimes, the love you need is the one you never expected. This heartwarming story is full of hope, faith, trust, and love. Grab your friends, head out to a vineyard and stomp some grapes and enjoy a glass.

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This was my first time reading a Jaci Burton book so I was extremely excited, more so due to the synopsis and cover if I'm being completely honest. However, I just didn't connect with this book. I felt like it was truly hard to like Brenna, though she may mean well she felt constantly antagonistic whereas Finn was such a pleasant character in comparison. I enjoy a fake engagement trope like many others but found this one to be a bit dull and uninteresting, as I didn't feel any chemistry whatsoever between Brenna and Finn. In addition, the resolution felt way too rushed especially when the breakup happened so close to the end of the story. In the end, while I was intrigued about the story initially, I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel any time soon.

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Gimme all the fake dating, that trope never fails me and this didn’t either. Your basic romance but I like the comfort in predictability.

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***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I love books set around weddings. I have no idea why. I think it's that they are such a happy time (although, why I don't love Christmas books for the same reason, I have no idea) but whatever the reason, this one was interesting to me just from the blurb.

I also love books where you see a character who was wronged in the previous book get their happily ever after, and this was Brenna's chance to get hers.

Finn is perfect for Brenna. And, I loved them together. You are already on her side after watching what happened to her before and you are emotionally connected to both of the characters.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

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I love a fake dating story, but this one didn't do it for me. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't read the first book in the series (I didn't realize it was part of a series until I was about halfway through) but I had a hard time getting invested in the characters or their stories. Not bad, just not my favorite.

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- This is book 2 in The Boots and Bouquets series by Jaci Burton. I loved the first one (Best Man Plan) but this one just was not as good.
- This is a workplace/fake dating romance story. Brenna has to be a bridesmaid in a wedding with her ex-husbands new wife so she wants to pretend that she is happily engaged. So she picks the man who helps run her parents vineyard with her.
- The saving grace of this book was the puppies that they adopted and the wine. I’m a sucker for cute puppies and wine.
- Finn, the hero, was just okay. He was an Irish cowboy with so much potential but it just didn’t work for me.

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Fair warning: I’m 30 books behind on my reviews - I read this one in July and its almost October. I really don’t remember this at all. I even read the summary, and the only thing I remember is thinking that Finn’s infatuation with Brenna seemed a bit unrealistic. I don’t have strong feelings about it, but I do know I finished it which is a lot more than I can say for a lot of books lately. (I DNFed so many books this summer!)

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

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I read everything Jaci Burton writes. I’m a huge fan.
This book is another winner!
A swoon-worthy hero. A heroine who is real and fantastic.
A love story to immerse yourself in. Love it!!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Jaci Burton is a go to author for me. This book showcases why! Brenna and Finn were perfect. Jaci's writing was phenomenal. I immediately preordered the paperback after reading this!

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Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Finn Nolan was only 18 when his mother passed. He left Ireland and went to live with his mother’s best friend and her family, the Bellinis. And, when he got there he was struck by their beautiful albeit angry oldest daughter, Brenna. She didn’t understand why this strange guy had come to live with them and she definitely didn’t trust him.

Brenna’s sisters Honor and Erin became sisters to him, just like their parents became parents to him. However, Brenna never was like a sister to him because his crush on her wouldn’t allow it!

Out of respect for the family that took him in, Finn never made a move on the girl of his dreams. He was forced to stand by and watch her with that jerk Mitchell, who she eventually married. He also had to see her devastated with the marriage fell apart. He has seen over the years how much that relationship has changed Brenna, made her harder and even less trusting. Brenna never wants to get married again because she was hurt once and doesn’t want to go through that again.

One of Brenna’s close friends is getting married at the Bellini family’s winery. Everything was going great until the matron of honor was grounded from travel. Now she’s being replaced with Brenna’s once friend, Allison, who is now, her nemesis. And, to add insult to injury Allison is now MARRIED to her ex, Mitchell! She is going to have to deal with them for the entire four day weekend, but she doesn’t intend to do it alone! She enlists Finn’s help to pose as her fake fiancé!

Can Finn make her see what a relationship with him could be like? Or will the damage Mitchell inflicted on her become too much to overcome?

I wasn’t a big fan of the first installment of this series, The Best Man Plan, and I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this novel. However, I’ve read many of Burton’s books over the years and I had to give this series another shot! And, I’m glad I did. I found myself really enjoying Finn and this story as a whole.

Finn was so incredibly sweet. He wasn’t the usual cocky jerk you expect in these types of books. And, boy do I love those jerks 🙂 He proved that the good guys can be fun too. He was so sweet and attentive with Brenna and was always up for anything! He also took advantage of any opportunity to get physical with her as well. Nobody said he was a saint!

It did get annoying how quickly Brenna could overreact though. And, I was glad when Finn actually pushed back!

And, I’m not really sure where all these stray dogs are coming from … it seems to be a theme in this series.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to the next book. I have to assume it will be Honor’s and … Owen?!? Plot twist. Although it seems kind of obvious, after reading this book. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if my suspicions are true!

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Jaci Burton’s The Engagement Arrangement is a fun, spicy western.  Though it doesn’t reach the heights of the author’s firefighter or sports romances, it’s still a hoot of a good time.

Finn Nolan is Irish to the core - but unlucky in love.  Working on the Bellini family vineyard as a kind of adopted son, he’s always had his eyes and ears trained on Brenna, the family’s middle daughter, and the girl he’s been crushing on since he was eighteen.  Brenna’s never noticed him that way, but he’d love to get her to go out with him.

Workaholic Brenna is done with relationships after a disastrous divorce, but she’s thrilled when her close friend announces she’s going to be married and wants Brenna in the wedding party.  Brenna takes up the task of planning the wedding, but soon learns that due to unexpected circumstances not only will her ex-husband, Mitchell, be at the event, but so will her high school rival, Allison – and that would be because Allison and Mitchell are now together, and Allison will be the matron of honor.  The idea of being single around the two of them is an appalling prospect, and to avoid that fate Brenna turns to Finn and begs him to pose as her fiancé for the wedding week.

It’s all supposed to be for show and end once the wedding is over, but naturally Finn can’t resist the prospect of trying to make Brenna truly his.  He buys her a ring.  They do public PDA.  Dates lead to kisses, which lead to a whole lot more.  Will Brenna break her vow of no more romance for Finn?

The Engagement Arrangement is lighthearted, sexy and filled with the occasional touch of sturm and drang.  Brenna is not over what happened during her lousy marriage, and Finn’s hopeless pining occasionally feels like it’ll be a forever-thing, but eventually they work it out.  Emphasis on eventually.

Brenna does do a lot of emotional ping-ponging, which was particularly annoying, and her stubbornness is going to irk a lot of readers.  I loved her dogged independence, but her maturity level is kind of wibbly-wobbly.  But who wouldn’t love romantic, big-souled Finn and his huge love for Brenna?  He really solidified the book’s grade for me.  Their romance blows hot and cold and sometimes I thought he deserved better, but eventually Brenna comes around.

For fans of The Best Man Plan, the previous book in the series, the rest of Brenna’s Italian family pops up again; her sister Erin and Erin’s now-husband Jason from book one, and her baby sister Honor.  Owen, Erin’s cancer-stricken ex-fiancé reappears as the series makes its way toward the its final volume.  Burton’s California vineyard setting works very well and the warmth of her characters continues to make her books stand-out.

If you’re a Jaci Burton fan, you might enjoy seeing her work with cowpokes, and her spicy couple makes the ride worthwhile. For fans of western romance in general, The Engagement Arrangement is also bound to please.

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This was such a sweet story. Brenna is happy with her life. She loves her job at her family’s winery. When she asked by her friend to be a bridesmaid, she happily accepts. Everything is going great until there is a last minute Maid of Honor change. The replacement is married to her ex-husband and has never been nice to Brenna. To make this a little easier, she asks family friend Finn Nolan to be her fake fiancé for the wedding festivities. Finn has had a thing for Brenna for as long as he can remember. This arrangement gives him the opportunity to make sure she sees him as more than a friend. I really loved the story and characters were so fun. Brenna and Finn were amazing together. Off the charts chemistry and good old fashioned romance. Absolutely love these sisters.

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THE ENGAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT was a quick and enjoyable read. I like to turn to Jaci Burton’s books for this very thing. Whenever I’m in need of a little refresh, I can always count on Burton to deliver. I especially liked the hero, Finn. He was hot, charming and sexy to boot! If I were Breanna, I would definitely also be rethinking marriage.

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This was the second book in the series and a good friends to lovers romance but nothing about the story really stood out to make it great. Brenna was kind of unlikeable as a character but Finn made the book.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

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I have been reading Jaci Burton's books for years and, whenever possible, I read what she has coming up, and that is the case with The Engagement Arrangement. Although it is the second book in a series, it read perfectly well as a standalone. However, I will be putting the first book in my TBR. Although I received the ebook for this title, I also received the audiobook, which was expertly narrated by Holly Chandler., especially when she used an Irish accent with Finn's dialogue.

Brenna and Finn are best friends who are both rather in love with each other. However, their friendship is precious to the both of them and so neither has addressed their feelings. When Brenna is invited to be a part of her friend's wedding party, she knows her ex will be there with his wife. In order to hold her head up high, Brenna feels that if she attends the wedding as an engaged woman, her ex and her friends won't make her feel so bad. So, she asks Finn to be her plus one, and to also act as her fiancé.

Although Brenna has feelings for Finn, she is determined never to marry again. However, the more they spend time together, especially having to act as if they are in love, they both begin to feel unable to resist their strong feelings. I enjoyed the chemistry between Brenna and Finn, especially with Finn's attempts to make Brenna to see him more as a friend. This story flowed smoothly and had a wonderful ending. I hope this series will continue and if it does, I will definitely be picking up the next book.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

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3.5 stars

Some books are like a gourmet meal - unforgettable.
Some are like fast food - tasty and filling but not memorable. The Engagement Arrangement is the latter.. A fun, spicy read about a fake engagement. Enjoyable but not memorable. I don't mean any disrespect to the author - sometimes we all need a little fast food in our lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

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I had never read a Jaci Burton book before this one, but I've heard lots of good things about her writing, so I was interesting in reading one of her novels! And after this book, I can understand why people love her books! This was a nice romance, with an ending I liked a lot! Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

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Jaci Burton brings us Brenna Bellini and her family. Her family run a wedding service on their vineyard. Brenna centers her life on the wine making with her father. Brenna is a bridesmaid in an upcoming wedding. Unfortunately, her ex-husband and his new wife also known as her former best friend will also be in attendance. She also knows that her single status and living at home would be commented on during these festivities. So what's a girl supposed to do? Get Finn who has lived and worked alongside the Bellini family ever since moving from Ireland and being captivated by Brenna all those years ago to be her fake fiancee. How will this turn out? Will Finn get Brenna to fall for him or will she run scared and miss her chance?

Jaci Burton brings you into the Bellini family where you get to meet Brenna, Finn, and her sisters. You get invested in this family and look forward to more adventures with the sisters in this Boots and Bouquets Novels. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this privilege.

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*3.5 stars*

When you’re in love with the boss’s daughter…

Finn was in love with Brenna. From a distance. Or as far away from him as possible, with him working for her father. To save face, she roped Finn into a simple (or so she thought) plan. In front of her ex and an old enemy, they would be engaged. Happily, joyfully engaged. She and Finn could do it. It’s only one wedding. Long enough for her to show them she was not a person to be pitied. How hard could it be? Well… That was where it got complicated…

I loved ‘good guy’ Finn! He was everything Brenna could want if she would actually look up and notice him. And it seemed she was. She had to see him differently as they played their parts perfectly. Maybe too perfectly! Finn’s steadfastness, his belief that things would work out (finally) made him exactly what he was. A super good, sexy guy who’s heart was all in for the lady of his dreams. I wish I’d felt the same from Brenna’s character. She was definitely not in the same space as Finn, with her inability to acknowledge her feelings.

Did they sort it out? Oh yes, their happily ever after was what I wanted for Finn (and Brenna too)…

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