This is my new favorite book. I am obsessed with every page of it and no one will be able to take it from my hands once I can buy a physical copy of it.

Alexandria writes the kind of stories I would have loved to grow up with. If I had seen or read about two women loving each other as beautifully as Tansy and Gemma, maybe it wouldn’t have taken me 18 years to figure out my sexuality. Queer stories are so important!

This book was a dream. The perfect chemistry? The tender moments? The vulnerability? Everything was so good. Gemma was made of steel on the outside, but on the inside she was so insecure and vulnerable. The way she opened up to Tansy like she was her biggest, safest space after being scared for years made my heart so full. Also the way she loved Tansy, even before she realized she was falling for her, which healed Tansy’s own wounds.

Tansy’s past made me really sad because even after all the pain she’s gone through, she’s still loving, gentle and has a heart of gold. The love she and Gemma showed each other was so deserved. A beautiful accident brings them together, but they built the love that made them stay together.

Gemma’s friends were so good! I don’t know if we’re getting more books set in this universe, but I love them all. They were the perfect group of side characters that make a book level up for me.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for my ARC. Opinions are my own!

TW: Bullying, death of a parent

Rating: 5+/5
Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, high level of detail

Alexandria’s books just continue to get better and better! And utter delight of a book, and I cannot wait to see what she’ll write next~

Tansy can’t stand her step-cousin’s fiancé, Tucker, because of a history where he hurt her, so in order to get out of family dinners she decides to say she has a girlfriend. But not just any girlfriend - Gemma West, the cover model on several romances whose Instagram Tansy has been following. She thinks it’ll be a simple fib, but of course it soon grows bigger as her step-sister and step-mom keep trying to figure out if she’s real. Lo and behold, when Madison and Tucker get married the wedding is crashed by his cousin, Gemma van Dalen, who also happens to be Gemma West! When Gemma meets Tansy and learns they’ve apparently been dating for six months, this seems perfect and fortuitous because her grandfather past away just a month prior, leaving the van Dalen Publishing empire to Gemma with the stipulation she be married, for love, before a board meeting. In exchange for getting the money to buy her family’s independent bookstore, Tansy agrees to the scheme and soon they’re getting to know each other, and realizing the feelings they have are more than merely physical attraction.

I’ve loved Bellefleur’s books since Written in the Stars, and this just shows her continued growth as an author and storyteller. I love the characters and the romance and just, reading this was such a delight and joy to my day. I do wish there was more with Tansy’s friends, but I love how Gemma’s friends quickly adopt her and help her out of her shell. I also really loved how Gemma is trying so hard to break from toxic cycles and examples her family has set so she can be someone better.

All around this is such a fun fake dating turned marriage of convenience (or fiancée of convenience?) romance that I highly recommend if you’re looking for something fun to brighten your day.

Rating: 4.45 stars
Taylor Swift song I'd assign to this book: delicate

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that the intersection of sapphic romance novels and taylor swift is at minimum 93% of my personality. Of course this means that when I saw Alexandria Bellefleur, the brain behind Darcy Lowell (love of my life), tweet an upcoming novel with "an abundance of taylor swift references" I was going to move this book to the top of my TBR as soon as I got a chance to read it. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review:

There is so much to love about this one! Firstly, this book is filled with an abundance of Taylor Swift references. Quiet indie bookstore owner and newspaper heiress moonlighting as a romance novel cover model end up in a marriage of convenience. We get two people who seek partnership and check-in with each other instead of going through the miscommunication assumption roundabout. There are lovable side characters and (view spoiler) We get moments of domesticity, "Come on. Indulge my domestic fantasies, darling. I want to share a Costco card with you". Which, by the way, made me literally swoon a little while reading. Bellefleur thankfully does not use the phrase, "throat jerked" near as much as she did in Count Your Lucky Stars (14 times by the way!!!!) but it does sneak in there once and I am still begging her to use "gulped" or "swallowed nervously" or literally any other phrasing. There were so many moments that made me laugh while I was reading.

When I finished the book though, I felt like it was missing something. It's hard for me to put my finger on it and I've read other reviews trying to figure out what was making me feel that way. Maybe it's that there are many similarities to other things so it can feel like a modge-podge of other books versus finding a groove in its own story and voice. Maybe it was that the conflict was too simplistic and there wasn't enough to make me believe in the resolution. Maybe it's because I love slowburn and it's clouded my ability to appreciate other stories but I feel like we don't get enough of Gemma and Tansy as individuals which makes it hard for me to believe in their motivations and the speed of their love story. For example, I wish we had gotten more from the moonlighting as romance novel cover model aspect of Gemma's character. It didn't necessarily take away from my enjoyment of the story but maybe I would've enjoyed it more.

TLDR: I really did enjoy this one but it won't be super memorable to me in a time of really great sapphic contemporary romance releases.

**spoilers ahead**

I don’t know where to start. I loved this book so much and devoured it in one day. Literally I finished it at midnight then stayed up for an hour thinking about it. I could probably spend this whole review just fangirling over Alexandria Bellefleur because I adore her books (like I think about the Written in the Stars series daily) and she never misses, but I should probably write some sort of proper review. So let me start by saying, The Fiancée Farce is my most anticipated book of 2023 and it did not disappoint.

Tired of her stepfamily’s questions regarding her love life, Tansy tells them she’s been dating a woman named Gemma for the past six months. Tansy isn’t too worried about her little fib since she’s never met Gemma….until Gemma shockingly shows up to Tansy’s step-cousin's wedding. Tansy’s stepfamily believes she’s lying about dating Gemma and takes this opportunity to find out the truth. Luckily for Tansy, Gemma goes along with the lie while taking it to the next level by announcing their engagement. Gemma has recently inherited her grandfather's publishing company, though it comes with one condition, she needs to be married to inherit. Gemma and Tansy agree to be fake fiancées and be wives for the next two years so Gemma can honor her grandfather’s wishes.

I know the saying is two wrongs don’t make a right, but that is not the case here. While Gemma and Tansy’s relationship starts as a lie, it quickly becomes real, even though they both tried to fight it. I won’t lie, Gemma and Tansy have quickly become one of my favorite book couples. Their chemistry is insane and they’re banter is so good. And like any good Alexandria Bellefleur book, the secondary characters are everything (expect Tucker and Lucy, they better watch out). I especially loved Teddy and hope we see more of him in another book (hint hint nudge nudge). This book is so good and angsty that it had me experiencing so many different emotions at once. I was blushing, swooning, ready to fight a man, and laughing uncontrollably (seriously the glitter bomb scene is one of my favorite scenes ever). Sigh, I just really adore this book and one of my favorite parts has to be that Gemma and Tansy are both living out their favorite book tropes with each other (insert some crying face gif).

I’m calling it now, The Fiancée Farce will be the book of 2023. It stays with you and I don’t see myself stop thinking about it anytime soon. Please buy it when it comes out, and as for me, I’m going to go reread it now and swoon over Gemma and Tansy.

I will post my review on Amazon, my blog, and other platforms closer to publication date.

I received an ARC from Avon and Harper Voyager through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just perfect rom-com cheesiness. As I love with all of her books, Bellefleur writes layers of sexiness just dripping off the pages. And I'm here for it!
Am I annoyed with the Van Dalen clan and all the money? yeah, it feels like a fairytale and not very realistic. I needed more of the bookstore and much less of the Bitsie and Tucker. I think I prefer a romance driven by character development and internal conflict with the relationship, rather than over-the-top villains.
Anyway, still super sapphic and sexy and fun!

This was such an amazing read! I expected nothing less from Alexandria Bellefleur. She writes books that are more on the emotional with rom-com side and I feel like this book really threads the needle between those, and I had a wonderful time reading it. It is easy to become connected to both Tansy and Gemma. This a romance that is rich in chemistry and love.
Overall, a very entertaining story that I highly recommend as I do all of Bellefleur's books.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beyond perfect. I loved the fake engagement trope and Tansy and Gemma’s relationship development from physical attraction to love was exquisite. I loved how tender they were and the way they fought for each other through their struggles. Perfect!!!

I've been waiting for this one ever since it was announced, and it did not disappoint. Bookstore manager Tansy makes up a fake girlfriend based on her favorite romance cover model, to give her some space from her family (for Reasons). But at her cousin's wedding, the real Gemma appears--and goes along with Tansy's lies. In fact, she announces that the two are engaged! (Also for Reasons.) The plot is a little complicated, but Tansy and Gemma are cute together and their relationship is fun to watch develop.

I loved Gemma's and Tansy's friend groups, and hope some of them will get their own books. The romance itself felt a bit like insta-love, and some of the plotlines were resolved too quickly. But otherwise this was a charming read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

This stand alone fake marriage plot from Alexandria Bellefleur will knock your socks off! Gemma is confident and daring while Tansy is a shy bookworm. Can they pull off this fake marriage arrangement to get what they both want? But what if they catch feelings while they're at it?

5/5
Alexandria Bellefleur pens another effortlessly charming contemporary romance, harking back to god-tier romantic comedies, and a multitude of Taylor Swift references. From its impeccable setup, right until its emotional conclusion, The Fiancee Farce is pure chaos combined with all the romantic tropes and twists you could ever yearn for in a romance novel.

A delightful lesbian love story-a funny, somewhat silly, very sweet love story. There's some super hot sexy times as well which is a nice bonus. Plus a small bookstore plays a key role. Lots of winning here.

The breakneck pacing of this book didn't work for me. I wish we'd had more time to get established in the story before the events of the first chapter, and I wish there had been more depth throughout; we don't get much background development or character growth, just a relentless all-out sprint to the end. Because of this, I never felt invested in the romance or the stakes.

I also struggled to connect to the romantic plot because there's very little tension there. There's nothing keeping the characters apart and no reason why they can't simply be together, so there's not much story happening in that regard.

It's an OK book, but I expected a lot more from one of my favorite romance novelists.

What a fun sapphic romance. I really enjoyed it. I loved the main characters and their chemistry. I also really love Marriage of Convenience/arranged marriage fics so this really hit the spot. I will definitely be recommending this and buying it as soon as possible.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in return for my honest feedback.

This was a great addition to the marriage of convenience trope. The characters were multi-layered and felt very sincere.

Received an ARC from NetGalley so thank you to NetGalley 🙏

The Fiancée Farce is the modern take of the Marriage of Convenience trope I didn’t know I needed! Tansy is sick and tired of facing family functions without excuses so she tells one tiny white lie that she’s dating a romance novel cover model! What’s the harm? Well none until she meets her. Gemma needs something in return though. Marriage. Only her marriage will get the family business to be in her hands. When Tansy and Gemma decide to try their hands at fooling their families, they have no idea what’s in store.
You’ll laugh and you’ll swoon for this breathtakingly gorgeous story. With fantastic writing, all the romance tropes are done so well. I couldn’t put it down!

This book is incredible! I love the writing style of this book and how is helps to give the reader all of the feels. It is incredibly cute, incredibly queer, and incredibly well written. The Fiancée Farce will have you wondering just why we don't have more book like this on the market.

I am over the moon smitten with this book. It doesn’t come out until April 2023 but I already ordered a physical copy after reading my ARC. Alexandria Bellefleur wrote my favorite book of 2020, the award winning, Written in the Stars. I’m so happy that this book takes place in the same universe. Although none of that series characters makes an appearance here.

Tansy Adams runs her family book store. She makes up a fake relationship to avoid attending extended family dinners. It all comes to a head when the real Gemma (West) van Dalen, who Tansy claims is her girlfriend, appears at a wedding. Gemma has her own reasons, a will, stock shares, grandfathers company, so she doesn’t blow the cover story. Instead she doubles down and claims they are engaged.

Tansy and Gemma are delightful together. They take time to get to know each other. A little 20 questions, a date, and a promise to always tell each other the truth. I love that Tansy is a little curvy, anxious and loves books. And Gemma is lovely as the smitten girl who wants to build Tansy up and never let anyone hurt her. Especially her manipulative family.

I’m giving a big recommendation if you enjoy queer romances. This has heat but is not nearly as spicy as the author's Count Your Lucky Stars (Feb 2022). Alexandria Bellefleur has officially become an auto purchase for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and the author for giving me a sneak peak with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandria Bellefleur’s sapphic and queer books are my sustenance. This book is beyond incredible and had me on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. Tansy and Gemma have an electric connection from the get go that simply strengthens with every page. Gemma’s friend circle is endearing and hilarious. The ending had me in a twist yet resolved beautifully. Love!! I hope there are more in this series.

I’ve been excited to read The Fiancée Farce since it’s announcement, and oh my word it was even better than I was expecting! Gemma, Tansy, and co have stolen my heart! What an incredible cast of characters and magnificent use of romance tropes while being a celebration of queer love and the romance genre!

I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!

This book is just so... everything. It is sweet and funny and sexy and I wish I could go back and read it again for the first time. I'm all about marriage of convenience and this one is just so good. I love Tansy and Gemma and I hate Tucker in equal measure.

The Taylor Swift references are *chef's kiss* perfect and the hints that put this book in the same universe as Bellefleur's WITS series made me smile.

Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.