The Dating Dilemma was a sweet, fake- relationship story with a funny meet-cute between the hero and heroine, the banter between them was entertaining especially when the heroine had a habit of speaking things out loud she didn’t intend to, and there was definitely smoldering heat between them.

Lexi loves her job as the assistant director of the Denver Youth Center, a non-profit that gives kids a safe place to come after school. Always low on funds, Lexi gives everything she has in her to the center and often to those around her never really taking her needs in to consideration. She’s one month into a bet with her best friend and roommate to not date and put herself first when she meets Dyson, in a funny and unusual way.

Dyson will admit he finds Lexi funny and attractive when he shows up to do a fire inspection at the Denver Youth Center and sees her panic at the repairs needed. He really didn’t mean to offer to help, but he also knows centers like this one are important and rely heavily on volunteers. After fending off a bad set-up by his sisters and with them bugging him to get on the dating apps, he tells them he’s dating Lexi and realizes now he needs to get her on board for a fake relationship.

I liked these two together and the arrangement they made to help each other out, but their relationship was almost too easy. They were very comfortable together and fell into an easy friendship that turned into a friends with benefits and eventually more. They both had some hang-ups from previous relationships and of course there was a conflict but it really wasn’t anything big and was solved pretty quickly. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of angst but everything just was so easy for these two. At times the story seemed to lag a bit but all of that being said I did like the book; it just isn’t one I’d ever re-read.

Overall, this was a cute story but not all the memorable.

3.5☆
Cute

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Mile High Firefighters
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

The Dating Dilemma by Mariah Ankenman

Book 2 in Mile High Firefighters Series

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dyson has a dating dilemma on his hands. Problem is he doesn’t want to date, but his sisters have other plans in mind. So when he gets mistaken for a strip-o-gram by Lexi when doing a safety inspection, he realizes what he must do to get his sisters off his back.

Book:
Pros….
💜Fake dating
💜Quirky pets
💜Chemistry
💜Amazing side characters
💜Facing fears
Cons…
☠️The strictness of rules

In all honesty I liked the dynamic of this book and would love to read more by Mariah Ankenman. Sometimes you have to face your fears for love.

Rating: 4⭐️

After a rocky first meeting where Lexi mistakes Dyson for a strip-o-gram the two decide to fake date which leads to the inevitable.. This was cute enough, but I found myself more and more hesitant to pick it up because it didn't really grab me as much as I wanted. it might have been the narration in third person which I'm not sure really works or that the main characters didn't have much personality other than Lexi's quirk of saying whatever was on her mind out loud, even when it was inappropriate for the situation.

All of my problems with the book were personal and a bit nit-picky which also leads me to believe I am straying further from contemporary romance. All in all if this is something you think you'd be interested in I suggest picking it up.

The Dating Dilemma is the second one in the mile High Firefighters, but can be easily read as a stand alone. However, it is much more fun to read the entwined series: both the Mile High Firefighter’s and the Mile High Happiness series. Because we had already seen firefighters Finn (in The Best Friend Problem) and Parker (in The Wedding Dilemma) finding their HEA. And now Dyson is up. But Dyson doesn’t need a happily ever after. Ever since he caught his fiancee in the act with his (former) best friend, Dyson sticks to superficial relations. Lexi is trying to make ends meet at the kids center, where she is the director. She really doesn’t need to fail the unannounced safety inspection from the fire department. Because she doesn’t have the funds to fix all the found violations. Dyson doesn’t want to shut down the kids center, but they really need to take the fire safety seriously. So, he proposes a deal: he will fix the issues at the kids center in exchange for a fake relationship, to get his sisters of his back.

Lexi is not supposed to date. Her BFF, Jordan, has made a bet with her to have a six month dating break. But being a fake girlfriend, for One Night O ‘Neill is technically not dating. So, She is in the clear, right? Both Lexi and Dyson are not looking for a relationship, so no worries. This will be a walk in the park. Well, not so much, when sparks are flying…. A funny and cute read, where Ward and Diaz, Dyson’s colleagues are just hilarious. I’m very happy to see that they get their own story in the next book: The Firefighter’s Dilemma can’t wait for that one!

Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-copy for an honest review.

I loved the first book “the wedding dilemma” and this was just as amazing.

We are following a young women named Lexi who works at a youth centre and a hot firefighter , named Dyson, that comes and helps about at the centre. Eventually these two comes together and fake date so his sisters will leave him alone about dating.
There was so many laughs in this book (in the beginning she thinks Dyson is a strip-o-gram) and even some hot scenes (weekend at the cabin).

I can’t wait for the next book to come out in the trilogy!

All in all, this was average book. It was a nice way to pass the time. Almost everything you thought would happen, happened. There was no twist, no turns, and really no originality to the book. But you want to know what, it still was good book. The formula, is the formula for a reason, because it works. I can only give it 4 stars because it didn't really wow me, but it was definitely a book I would buy and read. This is the equivalent of watching a superhero movie, you know exactly what your getting before you sit down.

The only thing that stood out to me in this book was that the MMC is named after a vacuum. This was an okay saccharine sweet generic romance novel with a fake dating trope and a HAE

I’m grateful to NetGalley for the Arc but this was not the book for me

I received this book as ARC otherwise I wouldn't have reviewed it. Let me first say, this wasn't horribly written. There wasn't anything glaring that makes it "bad" - it just wasn't vibing with me. What didn't I like? Because I know you're curious... #1 - I don't care for 3rd person POV in my romances. It's a turn off. #2 - It started so slow for me. There wasn't that *spark* that I needed to keep going. #3 - I wasn't invested in the characters. I can't even remember their names.

This is a no, for me. But I hope maybe it gives you joy to read it.

I love a light trope filled romance. We have a mistaken identity cute meeting, sassy best friends, fake dating and friends with benefits. I loved Lexi she is so relatable, she is chronically giving more of herself than she should in relationships, work and life in general. Dyson has lost a lot people, some by accident and others by betrayal. He has decided love is not for him. I love Lexi and Dyson's dynamic. They are so sweet together and they both deserve someone who will love them unconditionally. I thought this was a pleasantly light fluffy read and Dyson is definitely a cinnamon roll.

With an adorably sweet and funny heroine who has trouble with her brain-to-mouth filter and a long-suffering older brother, The Dating Dilemma by Mariah Ankenman gets off to a hilarious start that had me LOL and chuckling on and off for a good hour. Ankenman develops and evolves her complex, likable, and intriguing characters who draw you into the novel from page one, making it all too easy for you to care about them and their lives. In this quick read, she nicely balances intense, angsty, emotional moments with amusing, silly moments and steamy love scenes.

Lexi Martin is the assistant director of the nonprofit Denver Youth Center, which offers kids homework help, recreational activities, and a safe space after school. She wishes to forget her birthday—tomorrow—debt and crappy apartment. Denver Firefighter Dyson O’Neil comes to the center to perform a fire safety inspection and gets the surprise of his life when Lexi mistakes him for a stripper sent by her BFF for her birthday. Lexi’s not at all surprised when the center fails the inspection since it’s in disrepair and short on funds and staff. After a failed relationship and betrayal of trust, Dyson closed himself off from romantic relationships and now only engages in one-night stands, earning himself the nickname “One Night O’Neil.” Wanting him to start dating again, Dyson’s sisters and friends keep encouraging him to get back out there and trying to set him up on blind dates. To fend off his sisters’ relentless setup attempts, he tells them he’s already dating somebody. Dyson asks Lexi to pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for him doing the repairs to get the center up to code as offered after the failed inspection. She agrees.

Dyson’s a good guy. He’s generous, kind, and an amazing brother who raised his sisters when their parents died in a house fire. Lexi is sweet, caring, and warm. Driven by the need to help others, she works too many hours at her job. Unfortunately, her overly generous nature leaves Lexi open to boyfriends taking advantage of her. So, she’s on a dating hiatus because of a bet with her roommate. But she is totally into Dyson. Ankenman does a lovely job developing the chemistry and relationship between Lexi and Dyson. Their attraction is immediate and intense, and it isn’t long before they have difficulty resisting giving in to desire. The more time they spend pretending to be dating, especially after sex enters the equation, the more difficult it becomes to keep things casual and their emotions uninvolved.

The Dating Dilemma is a sweet, steamy, hilarious, and angsty fake dating romance about facing and overcoming your fears, forgiveness, and taking a chance on love recommended for steamy and angsty rom-com fans.

Lexi and Dyson had a connection and were so much fun together. They are one of my favorite couples Mariah has written yet with the funny, sometimes hilarious moments they find themselves in. There's also a great cast of secondary characters who are entertaining and add a lot to the story.

This is a fun, quick read and a great addition to the Mile High Firefighters series.

Lexie runs a youth center. Dyson is a firefighter that has to inspect the center. They form a fake relationship, end up falling for each other and then have a HEA. This is the second book in the series I've read. Honestly neither books in the series leave me with a lasting impression and within a few days I'll forget the characters names.

I love the chemistry between Dyson and Lexi, especially the tension that arises from resisting temptation due to their bets. The supporting characters are so entertaining, my favorite being Diaz. Definitely suggest picking this one up and I can’t wait to read more from these characters!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this gifted copy!

This was was a cute and funny read! It is Lexi’s birthday and her friend has told her they sent a present to her at her office. So when Dyson walks in to do the safety check on the childrens center Lexi mistakes him for a strip o gram. With all of the fixes that the center needs to bring it up to code Dyson offers to help. And he needs Lexi to be his fake girlfriend. I loved all of the characters. This was a light way read.

Such a fun fake dating story! It’s not often that I love all the characters, but truly I loved all of these characters. Everyone seemed to care so deeply about each other and there was just such a wonderful feeling of support and community. Friendships were created and deepened throughout the book and it was amazing to see. Love it!

Lexi and Dyson were also fantastic partners. They are both super compassionate and genuinely care about the happiness and success of one another.

Overall The Dating Dilemma is a really great read with a lot of heart, laughs and steam along the way.

A swoon-worthy romance!!
Fake dating, intense sexual tension, attraction power-worthy, ups & downs on an emotional level with traumatic past. What more can you ask from a romance novel (who doesn't love this trope of fake-dating a fireman), I’m flattered by the story. The writing is flawless and every line is smiling perfectly. I kept smiling, laughing throughout the entire journey.

Lexi and Dyson are the characters who give off the made-for each other vibe from the start. They have friends and families who are completely loyal to them and their actions are only for their well-being and concerns related. Both the characters have such a positive aura about themselves and they are worth every banter.

I was completely sucked in the story and felt every emotion conveyed in it. The title is perfectly justified.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Lexi and Dyson. Lexi is the assistant manager of a youth center and Dyson is a firefighter. Dyson comes to the youth center to do a fire inspection, this is how Lexi and Dyson meet. Their are sparks. Dyson asks Lexi to be his fake girlfriend to get his sisters and friends to back off trying to set him up. At first it just a date, but things begin to happe like thinking about each other, wanting and asking if they could include benefits, wanting to really date. They fell in love with each other.

I voluntarily received an ARC of "The Dating Dilemma" by Mariah Ankenman via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"The Dating Dilemma" is a fake-dating romance with a bit of spice and lots of laugh out loud scenes.

2022 is my year of reading more contemporary romances and this was such a good start! I follow the author on tiktok and found I loved her humor so wanted to read some of her works.

Lexi and Dyson both have their personally reasons not to date. But when Dyson's sisters get too meddling he asks Lexi to pretend to be his girlfriend. What can go wrong when she is sworn off dating for a bet and he is know as 'One Night O'Neil'? What goes wrong is their fake relationship is just too right and real feelings begin to blur the lines.

This romance was really fun and had lots of laugh out loud moments. So many fire fighting puns and friends who are there to humble the main characters. The spicy scenes are also pretty good, not the spiciest out there but they are well written and really highlight how much the characters really want eachother.

My only complaint is that Dyson is not my favourite typebod hero. Despite his own claims that he's not perfect, he's kind of too perfect. Though I gotta admit he sounds pretty hot! I just wish there was just a bit more grit.

If you love a lovey-dovey fake-dating romance with a hunky hero and a heroine learning to prioritize herself then this is definitely worth the read.

3.5/5 Stars

Wanna bet?
Firefighter Dyson is tired of being nagged and set up by his sisters to get a girlfriend. His buddies at the fire station suggest he just create a fake girlfriend and solve the problem. The real problem is that Dyson is a horrible liar. That creates an interesting bet - can he or can't he keep it up for a month?
Lexi, also not known for a good poker face and has a weird habit of saying her thoughts out loud (which became very irritating to me), is convinced to help Dyson out with his sister dilemma. She also has her own bet going with her roommate to not date for six months.
Who will break first? Will it be worth it?

This has a lot of things expected out of a fake relationship read but some unexpected too. However I didn't expect or particularly care for the major pity parties these two threw themselves...
Overall it was fun and a good light - yet very sexy - read.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.)