I enjoyed this one. Dyson and Lexi's story was engaging and a lot of fun. There was *something* missing for me, but overall I really enjoyed it and will read more in the series!

So I am one who judges a book by the cover because I avoid the little blub that tells us what the book is about. I love going in fully blind. This did not disappoint! H loves romance books. Yes, PLEASE! He is a firefighter? Um, YUM! Bonus, fake dating! The book was a little slow at time but overall I absolutely loved it and highly recommend!

The Dating Dilemina is part of a series I don't think I'll ever read. I will give this 3 stars and move on.

3.5 stars. This was a fast=paced, engaging romance and I enjoyed a lot of it. The relationship between Dyson and his sisters was excellent. The firehouse setting is always fun and I appreciated that Lexi was working at a youth center and the additional layer to the story that those characters introduced was pretty well done. The fake dating trope is always a favorite of mine.

I didn't really like the multiple bet aspects of the storyline = between the firefighters and Lexi and her roommate, etc. there was a lot of side betting that didn't really seem to add a ton to the storyline. Also, I had a little whiplash during the conflict part of the book with things changing and going back and forth pretty quickly.

My first book by this author, I'd definitely read more! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review.

A hilarious romcom that captivated me from the first page to the last!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Cute premise for the story, however Lexi was not my favourite heroine which clouded my judgement of the story. But a fun easy read.

A firefighter mistaken for a stripper, fake dating, chemistry that is too real to be fake, make this slow burn scorch.
From the opening scene I was hooked and could not put this book down.

This series is addictive and I can't get enough of Mariah Ankenman.

Fake relationship turns into real feeling kind of trope.
It was an okay read. Had to force myself to finish it. Nothing wrong with, it just didn’t grab me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the copy.

The fake dating trope is one of my favorites, so this book was definitely for me.
Dyson and Lexi had chemistry and I kept rooting for them to reveal their feelings for each other and be together.

Some characters were really funny, it was a fast read, the story was overall very nice. Really enjoyed their HEA.

"I voluntarily read and reviewd a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own."

I love a good fake romance, and this was a first for me from Mariah Ankenman, but it definitely won't be my last! I really liked our main characters, I loved the fake romance aspect (it wasn't over the top), and it felt more of a relatable fake romance. I also really appreciate that the climatic conflict could have been a predictable fire but it wasn't, and I absolutely loved it. THANK YOU for not taking the easy way out on this one!

Dyson is mistaken for a firefighter strip-o-gram when he goes to inspect the local youth center for fire hazards. The director Lexi is embarrassed by the whole situation but becomes fast friends with Dyson in spite of their awkward first meeting. The pair agree to an unusual arrangement: Dyson will help fix all of the problems around the youth center and Lexi will pretend to be his girlfriend to keep his meddling sisters happy. While trying to keep things as detached as possible, they both begin to develop feelings for one another.

The Dating Dilemma is fake dating contemporary romance. It is the second book in the Mile High Firefighters series but it can be read as a stand-alone. Any crossover characters from the first book are explained.

I do like that the MCs start out as friends while also trying to stay professional. Dyson’s dedication to his sister’s is admirable. I feel like readers are given much more of his background than Lexi’s. This made her somewhat difficult to relate to. Her character didn’t have quite as much depth and it was harding to understand her motivations.

This is the first book that I have read from this author. While it wasn’t my favorite, I would be interested in reading some of her other books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC!

This was not for me. I was cringing from the first page. Hot fireman/inspector gets mistaken for a stripper by a woman who thinks her friend sent him (to her work for!) her birthday. How old are these people? NO, no, no.

What starts off with Lexi mistaking firefighter Dyson (ugh the name is awful to me) coming to the youth center to do a fire inspection as a strip-o-gram for her birthday turns into a fake dating while both of them are on a "no dating rule" there is a lot of fun to be had.

I thought the fact that Lexi would speak her thoughts out loud and not knowing she was doing it was fun. Made for a lot of embarrassing moments with Dyson.

We all know how fake dating goes- someone is always going to go wrong. Though they always planned to "break up" after a month of this charade, the way they actually broke up was different (and a bit scary but that's all I can say)

Funny, a little steamy, and full of friendship, family, and emotions. Can Lexi and Dyson fake a relationship to his sister without getting their hearts involved? Their attraction is great but theie own rules prevent them from dating for real. Wonderful characters that you can’t help but fall in love with

I really wanted to like this book but it fell kind of flat for me. The premise seemed promising but I got bored halfway through and had to make myself finish it. I liked the characters though which is why I kept going. The writing was well done. The book was just not my cup of tea.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for giving me an arc copy to read and review via NetGalley. All of these thoughts are my own.

This is my first firefighter romance novel that I’ve read and it was okay. I’m not much for the fake dating trope because I kind of think it’s pointless but Dyson and Lexi were cute. I didn’t think the chemistry between them was as strong I guess as it should have been. It didn’t really grab my attention like I wanted it too. I’m not saying it’s a bad book because it isn’t but it just wasn’t the book for me.

I think the plot was good but I just kept wanting more from this book. I would still recommend this book to others though, because I feel like a lot of people I know would still enjoy this book.

3 stars!

4.5 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

Featured Review

Lexi mistakes Dyson for a strip-o-gram when he is there to complete a fire inspection on the youth club that she manages. Both Lexi and Dyson have traumas that they are dealing with, and together they become friends to lovers. Fake dating to satisfy a bet and face your fears with fun, sexy, and sweet story additives that Mariah Ankenman knocked out of the park.

Video review available in Week 11: Mar 13 – Mar 19, 2022, total weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

A lighthearted read, for when that suits your mood. The premise is a bit over the top and you have to suspend disbelief at the choice the characters make that further the plot, but don't develop the characters.

Fun fake dating story. Both main characters are likeable. Lots of funny laugh out loud banter between the two. It’s a cute quick romantic read.

I really wanted to like this book. I follow the author on Instagram, and I like the content she produces there. I was looking forward to reading one of her books, especially one with such a hook: mistaking a regular old fireman for a strip-o-gram at your place of work.

What shenanigans! I love a good romantic comedy.

Unfortunately, it became clear to me nearly from the first page that I would not like this book. There was something about the writing style that came across as amateur -- there was a little too much telling right off the bat that was a little too on the nose about the sort of people the romantic leads were. Toss in some unrealistic mannerisms and side characters, and I just couldn't continue. I had to DNF before I even got to the sex, which is saying something, because I love sex in my romance books and Mariah had promised this was her spiciest book to date. But I really couldn't force myself to get there.

Lexi works at a nonprofit center for troubled youth. When Dyson (yes that's his name and this book was allowed to publish with him named after a vacuum) arrives to do a fire inspection, Lexi mistakes him for a strip-o-gram. They manage to get over that embarrassment, and Lexi learns the center is not up to code. Dyson volunteers to fix the issues pro-bono. Back home, Lexi makes a bet with her roommate to stay single for six months, since she has a problem of putting more into relationships than she gets from her partner. Dyson, on the other hand, is determined to stay single after his fiancee cheated on him with a friend. He's wrangled into a separate bet with his co-workers: he has to convince his sisters that he's dating someone for a month. He asks Lexi to be his fake girlfriend after blurting out her name to his sisters.

The set-up is convoluted as all get out. If Lexi loses, she has to clean her apartment in a clown costume, which her roommate will film and post online (not only is Lexi ~deathly~ afraid of clowns but apparently such a video would also make it so the kids at the center would never respect her again) -- it's a ridiculous bet and one that no adult would take. But it's not as bad as Dyson agreeing to compete in a bet he literally has no stake in: his success or failure affects his two co-workers and he has no stake in at all. I think if one loses, the other has to eat his terrible food? There's literally no reason for Dyson to agree.

Let's talk about Dyson's sisters now. Dyson is their parental figure after the death of their mother and father. So he's a little overprotective in a cliche manner. But they suck even more, because they want him to find a woman and settle down and don't believe he's fine with one-night-stands. (He's not, but I'll talk about that in a bit). They don't listen to him when he says to back off and even submit one of their co-workers to a blind date at family dinner that neither Dyson nor the woman in question knew about! They threaten to set up a dating app profile for him and get him dates that way. I have an older sibling and I have never, ever wanted her to settle down so bad I would threaten to impersonate her to set her up with strangers. It's frustrating and I can't believe that he puts up with it as much as he does.

But here's the kicker: Dyson's whole "I'm better off single" shtick is from the cliche "I was burned by love before and therefore it must be useless" bullshit our society lets men get away with. Go to fucking therapy and work through your trust issues and emotional wounds. Go get closure and stop taking it out on every woman you ever meet in the future. So I don't like Dyson.

Then there's Lexi. She kicks off the book saying how important her job is, helping disadvantaged youth so you know she's a Good Person(tm). It felt lazy to have the character herself literally tell the reader how great of a person she is. What she did should have been enough for the reader to figure out she was a nice person who believed in doing good things for little pay. Not only that, she has a cringey habit of saying her inner thoughts out loud without knowing she's doing it and my response to that is: how? If you don't realize your body has engaged the physical mechanisms to form speech, surely she should be able to HEAR herself? It's so unbelievable and embarrassing to read.

So, I stopped reading. I made it about 30% in and I couldn't go on. Dyson and Lexi felt one dimensional. I didn't buy into their "chemistry" (sorry, Lexi just saying that she wanted to kiss Dyson's sexy, sexy face isn't enough. There was no TENSION). I didn't like the set up for the fake dating, and I love fake dating. The stakes were just so unrealistic.

My apologies to Mariah, but she didn't do it with this one.