Fake dating trope is not one of my favorites, but I don’t hate them. Usually it’s used to make an ex jealous, which can be amusing, but also to get family members off your back. And yes, the latter was one part of the plot, but so we’re using it to win a bet. Funny enough, that part was distasteful to me.
I was interested in the book because I love firefighter books. Dyson is great and all, but he didn’t really fit the mold of alpha firefighter. He’s kinda passive. And so is Lexi, so it was a bit like watching the same character dating each other.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the sexy times…don’t mistake this for a sweet, closed door romance, although it is very sweet…I’d think it was a Hallmark based story. Which is great, if those are your thing. I thought it had its witty moments, and didn’t try too hard to be funny…which I really appreciate! I hate those forced, ridiculous events that are thrown into rom-coms to induce laughter. It usually falls flat for me.
Overall, it was a well written book and very low on angst. I will say, though, that while I understand and support forgiveness being given when someone has been wronged, I don’t support the thought of letting them back in your life. So just the conversation about that towards the end of the book dropped this rating by half a star.
This is my first book from the author, but as I said, I lik3 her style and will definitely seek out others from her.

"The Dating Dilemma" was a funny, sweet fake relationship romance between firefighter Dyson O'Neil and Lexi Martin, the assistant director of the Denver Youth Center. Their incredibly awkward first meeting had me both laughing out loud and experiencing secondhand embarrassment on Lexi's behalf. Fortunately, Dyson wasn't offended when she mistook him for a strip-o-gram sent by her best friend as a birthday surprise. In fact, when he found several fire code violations while conducting the center's annual fire safety inspection, he offered to do the repairs himself as an excuse to spend more time with her. Shortly thereafter, when his friend suggested that Dyson find a fake girlfriend in order to get his younger sisters to stop trying to set him up on blind dates, Lexi was the first person who came to mind. She agreed to his plan, but it quickly became apparent that the only thing they were faking was not falling for each other.

In addition to Lexi and Dyson, the book featured a number of likeable, entertaining secondary characters who added a great deal of depth and humor to the story. My favorites were Dyson's fellow firefighters Ward and Diaz, whose antics were just as entertaining in this story as they were in the previous book of the series. I'm so happy that they'll be getting their own story later this year! I also enjoyed getting to know Dyson's sweet but meddling younger sisters, Gemma and Macy. I'd love to read future stories about them too.

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Dating Dilemma" and recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm in freaking love! This was an excellent romance read that takes the fake dating trope to a steamy level with some sexy firemen and a fun female lead. It's the second book in the Mile High Firefighters Series, and I completely devoured this without reading book one. Of course now I need to grab the first book. That goes without saying.

Lexi and Dyson had the best romcom chemistry. The dual POV was excellent. I have a personal love for the male POVs in this genre but even Lexi's kept me on my toes. They both had me laughing out loud, swooning and all in my romcom loving vibes. I mean you can't get any better than mistaking a real firefighter for a strip-o-gram and then watching the sizzle spawn from there.

This is a true to form romcom but the characters really seal the deal and make this the epic read that it is. I absolutely recommend this one to all of my humor loving romance readers.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. True rating 4.5/5.

Ahhhh I really enjoyed this book. It’s my first by this author! It was funny, engaging, well written and kept me interested for the long haul. I love fake dating stories to get family off their back. The characters were well developed with nice back story to fuel the conflict. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Huge thanks to entangled and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

@wannabe_bookstagrammer review

Thank you @mariahankenman @entangledpublishing @wildfiremarketingsolutions for opportunity to read the eARC of The Dating Dilemma by Mariah Ankenman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (1-5 scale)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-4 scale) Sexy Romance

What I’m Starry-Eyed About:
🤩 The meet cute from the book blurb is so good.
🤩 Fake dating is my favorite trope.
🤩 Both sides were also coming from a forbidden relationship situation/standpoint.
🤩 Lexi 😍—I loved her from the start. She is so raw, real, and good. She’s such a tease and a flirt. And the cuteness of how she blurts out her thoughts uncontrollably adds such fun and laughs.
🤩 Dyson is a sexy firefighter and a really good, kind, generous man. I’m so glad he got over his “burned before so never again” attitude pretty fast so I could enjoy him for most of the book.
🤩 Lucifer the cat—I’m not even a real cat lover, but I still liked how he’s woven into the whole story. Even the epilogue. 😻
🤩 When they break the “only in public” rules of their arrangement, they are really hot!
🤩 All the feels we want from a romcom—desire and humor plus love and hope.
🤩 Adorable & loving side characters of friends, family and coworkers.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 mini spoiler ahead, sorry:
💫 When Dyson sees Grace—I’m glad she says sorry and that he realizes how much he’s over it/her/them. It went a little far with them planning a coffee get-together soon. NOPE.

Who doesn’t want a hot firefighter that is sweet and fit and smart and reads? Dyson is so perfect (and I don’t usually go for the sweet guys) and Lexi is super relatable. I love that this book shows sometimes loves find you even when you aren’t really ready. All of the ups and downs the went through were so perfect. Loved it!

Lexi has a bet going with her best friend that she will not get into any relationship for next 6 months. But when Dyson needs her to pretend to be his fake girlfriend to get his sisters off his back, she agrees, after all it not a real relationship. And when the chemistry gets too hot to handle between them, she justifies that a fake girlfriend with benefits is not a real relationship, right ?

This was an adorable read ! I was hooked the minute Lexi confuses Dyson as a Strip-o-Gram, a birthday present from her bestie, and her habit of speaking her inner thoughts loudly was just laugh out loud funny.
I enjoyed this delightful fake-dating romance between a cute couple who share some amazing chemistry and can’t wait for next in the series

3 words: Fake Relationship Firefighter = one-click! I love the books in this series, and especially anything written by this author, cuz I know I'm guaranteed an enormous amount of unfiltered humor that will still have me talking about it the next day.

The book opens with Lexi accusing Dyson of being a strip-o-gram, when he's really performing a safety inspection, so things only spiral from there. This is one you definitely need to watch what you're drinking while reading, cuz I guarantee it'll come out your nose at some point, lol.

The secondary characters are just as entertaining as the main ones and made the book fly by. I can't wait for more of the Mile High Firefighters and the shenanigans in the firehouse!

This was a fun, sexy take on the fake romance turned real trope. Both Dyson and Lexi were likable and the side characters added some fun to the story. My tiny personal gripe was with Dyson’s name. I just couldn’t stop thinking of a vacuum cleaner whenever I read it! :) As I mentioned, the story itself is a great take on a oft-used trope, but it’s done in a fun and interesting way so it doesn’t feel generic. I really like the way Ms. Ankenman writes and how natural and real her characters feel. This was a definite page turner and kept me engaged from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

4 stars

The Dating Dilemma is a cute read by author Mariah Ankenma involving a long-suffering youth center director and a dorky but hot firefighter whose been burned by love.

When Dyson shows up at the Denver Youth Center, the last thing he expects is to be mistaken for a stripper but that's exactly what happens when he encounters the beautiful but quirky director, Lexi. When the center needs repairs to bring it up to code, the two find a mutually beneficial arrangement-Dyson will fix the center to pass inspection and Lexi will act as his fake girlfriend to get his sister's off his back.

They're both on a relationship hiatus and this fake dating plan, isn't real so no harm, no foul, right? Sure. But when feelings get involved, things rarely go according to plan!

This is a cute read. I loved Lexi's penchant for revealing her inner thoughts using her outside voice making for some super adorable and awkward times! I like Dyson very much. He's the quintessential "good guy" but he lets his fear overpower him for too long. The book drug just a little for me in the middle but the side characters, including Lucifer were an extra layer in this cute cake. Good read!

AnnMarie - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

Ah yes! This was a well-done fake dating trope! The author did a nice job of pulling you into the story so that an emotional connection is made with each of the lead characters. Once that's accomplished, it's a no-brainer that you, as the reader will care about the outcome of their "fake relationship."

Lexi, is an over-worked young woman running a youth center on a shoe-string budget. As fortune would have it, Dyson is sent to do the center's fire safety inspection. This convenient meeting eventually leads to a much needed "fake" relationship. Dyson is a firefighter who takes responsibility and rules very seriously. He's close with his two younger sisters. However, they believe that meddling in his personal life is one of their sibling rights. In order to sidetrack them from their goal of "getting him back out there" to meet other women, he asks Lexi to "fake date" him.

Fake dating always sounds good in theory and typically leads to chaos in rom-coms...the good kind of chaos of course. It's always fun when the couple already has chemistry that can't be denied and they decide it's okay to maybe give into it just a little. After all, what harm can come from that?

This is the second in the series by this author. However, you don't need to read the first one as these are each written to function as standalones. This author does a really nice job of writing likable characters with easy and quick storylines that deliver a feel-good rom-com. I look forward to reading more by her.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

4.5 Stars
This was a good book. It's one I couldn't put down. I could tell from Lexi and Dyson's first meeting this was going to be an hilarious fun read. I was right because this book had me chuckling and laughing through out. Lexi and Dyson were so adorable together. Neither are looking for a relationship so pretend is perfect or it would until all too real feelings come into play. I really loved their journey. It's full of heart and feels, but also moments that hit me right in the heart. Oh my gosh the epilogue made this cat lover jealous! Dyson had me swooning big time! This is a book you make sure you have time to dive in or be prepared to stay up all night reading. Lexi and Dyson are so going to suck you right into the story. I really loved Dyson's relationship with his sisters. they're so close and have each other's backs no matter what. Great story with great engaging characters.

This was a fun fake dating, firefighter romance. Lexi is a director of a kids center. Dyson is a firefighter who is sent to do the fire inspection. She mistakes him for a strip-o-gram, and completely embarrasses herself. He laughs it off and offers to help fix some of the things around the center since he has to fail her fire inspection.

Dyson’s sisters won’t leave him alone about dating, and keep trying to set him up on blind dates. To get them to stop, he tells them he is dating Lexi. Lexi is supposed to be taking a break from dating to focus on herself, but agrees to be Dyson’s fake girlfriend as a favor for him fixing up the center. Dyson makes it very clear that he is not looking for a real relationship either.

Both Dyson and Lexi are very attracted to each other, and they eventually add benefits to their fake relationship. They go away for a weekend with his sisters where they become physically involved. After Dyson’s parents passed away in a fire, he and his siblings decided every year on this trip that they needed to do something that scared them and face that fear. This year is Dyson’s turn to pick. He is scared of heights, so he chose zip lining. I really liked the sweet way that Lexi helped him through this. They definitely both fell for each other this weekend and over the course of their fake relationship.

Right about the time that they both want to admit to the other one that they want to make this real instead of ending the arrangement, they find out that Dyson is super allergic to Lexi’s cat. He needs to get shots to help with this, but is terrified of needles. This is a big obstacle in their relationship, and breaks them up. I loved the sweet way they got back together in the end.

I don’t love that this book was written in third person. It took me a little bit to get into it because of that. I also was not huge fan of the fact that Lexi said her thoughts out loud all the time without meaning too. This is something that we see in romance books often, but I feel like it’s unrealistic. I have never known this to happen in real life. It just seemed to be happening way too often, and conveniently always drove the story forward. It seemed like the author might be leaning on that a little too much.

All in all, this was a really cute, fun read!
4 stars

These two are cute but it took me longer than I expected to get into their story. There wasn’t much angst and the drama was mostly light. I do like these visits to this firehouse but this one wasn’t as fun as I was expecting it to be.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am still not sure about it. I was really hopeful for something great based off the blurb. But it was just ok for me. It's billed as Rom-Com but I had a hard time not being annoyed by some things that I guess were supposed to be funny? I think I was sucked in by the cover, and was hoping for so much more. But it just didn't suck me in and I had a hard time finishing it. Dyson (btw, why is he named after a vacuum???) was mistaken as a stripper by Lexi when they first meet. And that sets off their relationship. I really couldn't get into it and had a hard time even connecting with the characters unfortunately. The writing itself isn't bad, but it just seemed like a bad Hallmark movie to me. And I don't even like good Hallmark movies. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. Someone else might love it, but not my cup of tea.

This is the first book I read from this author and she has a really nice style. This is a typical rom-com. Our female character, Lexi, is a giver. She runs a community center for kids and she is absolutely adorable. She speaks her mind out loud without realizing it and that makes this story quite funny. Dyson, our hero, is a firefighter. A really sexy one. The dreamy kind. But he was hurt by his ex and his best friend and now he has this absurd rule about not dating anyone.
Luckily for them, her best friend Jordan and Dyson’s sisters, have other planes. And that’s why they find themselves fake dating. Not for long.
This is a light reading, with a lot of funny moments and absurd dialogs. They are a cute couple and was really nice to see them fall in love. Maybe it was too predictable and I found myself a bit irritated about it. But enjoyable, nevertheless.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lexi and Dyson’s fake relationship story in The Dating Dilemma was cute. She’s sworn off men after being used time and time again, and he’s only been about passing flings ever since his fiancée cheated on him. But when he wants to get his sisters off his back, he convinces Lexi to fake date him in exchange for his help making repairs around the youth center she runs.

Even though their relationship is fake, there’s real chemistry between Dyson and Lexi. And when real feelings get involved, will one of them break their own rule to give a real relationship a chance?

Their breakup comes over something that means a lot to Lexi, and I thought that Dyson was a bit of a baby about what it meant for him vs what it meant for Lexi and her beloved cat. But I was glad to see him man up and their reunion scene was cute!

I received an advanced copy from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley and voluntarily left a review.

This book was exactly what I want in a fake dating situation! They had great chemistry, there was a lot of good humor and tension. I especially liked that there wasn't a big miscommunication trope built in to cause more issues. It was a pretty fast read and I really enjoyed it. I did not read the first book so it also fits as a stand alone, however I will go back and read the first one now!

There was only a small flaw for me, and it is a habit the female MC has. She blurts things out without meaning to, but the way it was written into the story and when it would happen, I would get slightly confused then have to re-read to catch it. I think it's a cute little quirk, but it was more obnoxious than adorable while reading it.

With that being said, I really loved both main characters and the story as a whole.

I love these stories and the author that writes them. Her use of words bring the emotions and the characters to life.
The second book in this new series by an author I’m automatically clicking on.

Lexi is just great, she says what she thinks, and sometimes that gets her into trouble. Her center for kids needs updating, and what better person to help her than a fireman! She just had to remember he isn’t to be taken seriously!

Dyson has a bit of a reputation as a one night stand, no one gets a second date. You can‘t help being that way after your fiancé was caught in bed with your best friend! He needs a “fake girlfriend” to take to his sisters minds off of trying to get him to date properly.

The sparks that fly off these two is just electric, both think that the other one isn’t really interested in getting serious. And Lexi has sworn off dating after the last relationship went nowhere but heartbreak!

Fake romance is what this author does best. Entertaining throughout the book. It’s really hard to put it down one you’ve open it up.
The secondary characters were just as fun. The sisters needs stories (and the fire crew could be ideal 😉) and there are a couple of characters that Dyson knows who could do with a prod in the right direction.

So if you like a RomCom with a little angst, but plenty of laughter and embarrassing moments, I’d recommend this one. You don’t need to read the first book, but after reading this one I wouldn’t be surprised if you go back for seconds.

When Dyson's dispatched to a center to inspect it for fire regulations, he gains much more than just an inspection when he meets the center's director and agrees to help her pass the next time they're inspected if she agrees to be his fake girlfriend.

Lexi's thinking this "firefighter" isn't so much a firefighter as a birthday present and a strip o gram when he shows up all muscular and hot to "inspect" her youth center. Luckily for her, not only is he a real firefighter, but he's got a heart of gold and agrees to help her pass inspection next time. One little thing she has to do is be his fake girlfriend. But that's no problem as long as she keeps her heart out of it and remembers they aren't real. No problem...

Aww, I loved this one! Lexi and Dyson are so sweet together. They both have insecurities, though, so made things a tad difficult at times, but in the end they figured everything out and found happiness with each other. Their chemistry is hot, they're funny and adorable, and I can't wait for more firefighters to fall in love now.