From beginning to end, I adore this book.
The two main characters are vivid, funny, engaging, and dynamic people who propel this story as much as the fun and beautifully written plot. This is one of those books that every aspect is so well written and charming, from the main characters and plot to the friend group side characters, backstories, and setting, that I didn't want this book to end.
The banter, romance, and relationship in this book perfectly balance the light airy fun parts with some more serious moments and backstories that give this book some depth. The only (very minor) thing I would change is the 3rd act break up, but it was handled well and doesn't detract from the many reasons I loved this book.
I love a fake dating book, and when the characters talk and communicate through their issues instead of lying and ignoring? Perfection.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone and I can't wait to get my copy in my hands to loan to everyone.

When cornered by friends at a wedding, Tansy declares that she has been dating a Gemma, the name of her favorite romance cover model, for months, only for the same Gemma to walk into the wedding a few minutes later. Turns out Gemma needs to be married so she can inherit her grandfather’s company so she goes along with Tansy’s story and declares them to be engaged. The two agree to a quick and easy court house wedding, but their complicated families get involved and drag out the process. As the two spend more and more time together, the feelings become real, but so does the risk of their lie being found out.

I’m still not a huge fan of fake dating books, but this one worked for me, which speaks more to Alexandria’s writing skills than me changing my mind about the trope. I loved both Tansy and Gemma. Both were complex and well rounded characters which entertaining personalities. I am very jealous of Gemma’s apartment and Tansy’s book shop. I loved all the Taylor Swift references and the glitter practical joke resulting in Tucker being called Edward Cullen. What can i say, this was a book written exactly for me to enjoy a trope that isn’t my favorite.

I adored Alexandria’s Written in the Stars series and am excited to see what she writes next (from what she’s teased on socials it also looks delicious). Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Now this was cute. I’ll admit that I struggled with the beginning. I fully understand that fake dating and marriage of convenience tropes rely on a lot of coincidences, but this had so many that I was (momentarily) distracted by how unlikely it all was. Sometimes I just have to remind myself “this is fiction, enjoy it” and move on. I did and this was pretty adorable.

This book is full of characters that are easy to love and villains that are easy to hate. Each of the MCs had some past traumas/issues to deal with and I was as invested in those storylines as I was the romance. Bellefleur did a great job weaving all of the storylines together to create a really cohesive story. I appreciate that most of the conflict originates from outside the relationship and while, yes, there are misunderstandings, they are generally worked out by (doing the thing often absent in romance novels) talking to each other. The inevitable third act breakup feels less like an unrealistic miscommunication and more of a natural extension of the way the characters’ care for one another. The story absolutely benefits from dual perspectives.

The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
Narrated by: Lauren Sweet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: Open door: 2 chilis
Pub Date: 4/18

I will read anything by Alexandria Bellefleur and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! This was a quick, light, sapphic marriage of convenience romance that was entertaining and fun to read.

Tansy and Gemma enter into a fake dating/marriage of convenience situation after a misunderstanding that turns out to be beneficial for both of them. Tansy needs money to buy her family’s bookstore, and Gemma needs to get married to inherit her grandfather’s company. Seems easy enough until feelings get involved, and things get much more complicated.

This book is super sweet and very steamy! Bellefleur keeps things light while also tackling a few difficult topics. I loved the friendly banter and the opposites-attract aspect of the story. I mostly listened to this on audio, and I was really impressed with how well the narrator, Lauren Sweet, handled all the different voices and accents. It was tough to distinguish the two female lead characters at first, but it didn’t take long to get used to it.

As much as I enjoyed this one, I also struggled with a few things. Gemma and Tansy have an instant attraction. And while I don’t mind insta-love, they start dating a few pages into the story, and there isn’t enough buildup to establish a connection or any chemistry between them. Also, there are a LOT of characters, and it was difficult to keep track of them all, especially when you have names like Katherine and Kat as some of the more important side characters.

Overall, this was a good read, and I can’t wait to see what Bellefleur comes up with next!

Read if you like:
*Fake dating
*Marriage of convenience
*Sapphic romance
*Open-door scenes
*Tons of family drama

Thank you so much to Harper Audio, Libro.fm, Avon, and NetGalley for my ARC and ALC.

5 freakin stars!!!! Alexandria Bellefleur can really do NO WRONG! The Fiancée Farce is the bisexual f/f narrative that the sapphics truly deserve!

Gemma and Tansy’s relationship oozes with chemistry from the start. This story reads like candied almonds and I simply could not get enough. This book has so many of the tropes that we all know and love: marriage of convenience/fake dating, they both fall first, found family, etc.

The pacing of this book? Perfection. The dash of spice? Also perfection. Bellefleur really crafted such a smooth narrative with Gemma and Tansy. And THE BANTER! It was so good. I was smiling and giggling and kicking my feet so much. The bisexual representation was so beautiful to read about. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thank you to Negalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

After several meh and DNF books, I flew through The Fiancee Farce and enjoyed every minute of it.

Tansy is a shy, anxious bookseller who concocted a fake relationship with romance book cover model Gemma in order to avoid gatherings with her dreadful family. When she and Gemma are thrown together at an event, fate takes over: Tansy needs Gemma to pretend to be her girlfriend so she’s not embarrassed in front of her family, and Gemma needs to get married in order to inherit her late grandfather’s newspaper empire. They agree a marriage of convenience would benefit both of them, with the added bonus of Tansy getting the money she needs to buy her family’s bookstore, which is the only true home she’s ever known. There’s nothing fake about the feelings both women develop for each other, but with obstacles in the form of both their families, it’s hard to believe a happily ever after is in the cards.

This book is a real charmer; it’s funny, romantic, and steamy, with great characters, just the right amount of drama and angst (that is to say, not much, which is how I like it these days!), and a friend group I’d love to be part of. I loved how Gemma saw Tansy and how she was determined to make Tansy see how amazing she was, despite the poor treatment she’d always received from the people who were supposed to care about her. The pair had great chemistry, and I loved watching their relationship blossom into something truly beautiful and moving. Gemma’s friend group was (mostly) incredible, and I loved that they took Tansy in and accepted her as one of their own. I’m a sucker for the found family trope, and this was done so well.

Sweet, steamy, and fun. This is the fake dating trope done at its best, and I loved both Gemma and Tansy as characters, along with Gemma's group of borderline over the top friends and her evil family. Plus, a bookshop is always a bonus as a setting!

This is my first time reading Bellefleur and I had high hopes but unfortunately this book was not for me. I wanted to like it more than I did but there wasn't anything fresh or new about this story. Tansy and Gemma were polar opposites and so extreme in their personality types that I had a hard time believing they would actually be interested in each other. The chemistry was completely lacking for me. As for the supporting characters- Gemma's friends and family and Tansy's family- they felt super exaggerated, just like super evil people with no redeeming qualities. The whole book felt like stereotypes and caricatures, though I do appreciate the attempt to take a traditional marriage of convenience storyline and give it a Sapphic vibe. This might have played out better as a movie.

Fake dating or marriage of convenience are tropes that I really love, so I was so excited about The Fiancee Farce. This book met all of my expectations and then some. It has humor, character development, fun side characters, a fake relationship (that we all know won't stay that way), and a few spicy moments.


Both of our characters definitely have reasons to want to be in a relationship. Tansy wants her family off of her back and Gemma actually needs to be married to inherit her family's company. Tansy accidentally says that she's in a relationship with Gemma and she ends up going along with it. One thing I really want to praise this author for is that these characters communicated!! There wasn't a miscommunication trope that caused issues. I really appreciated it.


Tansy and Gemma are definitely different. Tansy runs a family bookstore and Gemma is a book cover model who wants to take over her grandfather's business. While they're both ambitious and want to succeed they both have different things they're after. Watching these two grow closer was so fun and heartwarming. Their banter was amazing and their chemistry jumped off of the page.


While this book is lighthearted it also tackles some more serious things and we see both characters have conversations with family that aren't easy. I really believe that them being together and supporting the other really made that possible. We all know this relationship will get messy, but it wasn't over the top. All in all, The Fiancee Farce was amazing and I hope that Alexandria Bellefleur writes a new book soon!

Honestly I don't think there's a book by Alexandria Bellefleur that isn't amazing, and The Fiancee Farce is by far my favorite of hers. The banter between Tansy and Gemma is top notch, their chemistry is explosive, and their story is so sweet! I loved this so much

This author in my eyes can do no wrong. She kills it every time. This is just another fine example of her wonderfully enjoyable work. I will buy everything that this author writes. The romance was great. The characters were lovely. I had such a great time.

In this sapphic romance with a slight nod to Cinderella, Bellefleur gives us a unique take on the fake relationship trope with booklover Tansy Adams and her crush, romance book cover model Gemma West. When an engagement between Tansy’s step-cousin Madison and Tucker Van Dalen (an ex-boyfriend who hurt her badly) is announced, Tansy avoids family events by using the excuse that she has plans with her girlfriend, Gemma (who she’s actually never met). At the wedding reception six months later, her wicked stepsister Ashleigh snidely implies that the girlfriend is made up, and Tansy is certain her lie is about to be exposed; that is until Gemma crashes the wedding and turns out to be the estranged cousin of the groom. When Madison’s younger sister Jackie recognizes her from a photo on Tansy’s phone, she announces that Tansy’s girlfriend has arrived.

So imagine Tansy’s (and everyone else’s) surprise when Gemma not only acknowledges the relationship but announces they’re engaged. Gemma, who has just inherited her late grandfather’s shares and presidency in the family’s publishing empire, must marry by the annual board meeting in a couple of months and Tansy needs millions to buy her family’s bookstore before her stepmother sells it out from under her. It’s a win-win situation for both of them as long as they can keep the secret from Gemma’s evil family and pesky feelings from developing. When the ultimate act of betrayal surfaces, will it spell the end of their dreams and their relationship?

As seemingly opposites on the surface, Bellefleur does a convincing job of getting readers to recognize that these characters can’t be judged by their covers. She also gives us villains we love to hate, a brief glimpse at a second-chance mature romance, colorful and funny secondary characters in Gemma’s roommates, and a believable love story between a Princess Charming and a Cinderella with a heart of gold. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Sapphic marriage of convenience written by THE Alexandria Bellefleur? Say less.

The setup of this book is fantastic. Tansy makes up a girlfriend to get her family off her back, a lie that she's dating the woman on the cover of all her favorite romance novels. Lo and behold when the very same model waltzes in and discovers Tansy's lie, she uses it to her advantage to inherit her grandfather's newspaper company. The fact that Gemma proposed within the first three minutes of meeting Tansy--and in Chapter 1 no less--had me squealing with glee.

I absolutely adored this book! Gemma and Tansy captured my heart from their very first interaction. The tension--the CHEMISTRY!!! Unmatched. I swear I had to fan myself at a few points, that Gemma has a mouth on her. If I were Tansy, I'd be just as tongue tied. Also, it was such a satisfying reversal when Gemma found herself unwittingly falling for Tansy and she became the speechless/tongue-tied one. UGHHH I love them so much!!!

Romance aside, this book very much felt like a love letter to my two favorite things: romance novels and Taylor Swift. Tansy works at a book shop and bonds with Gemma over romance books, which was super fun to see. While the superstar herself might not be mentioned as much, best believe my Swiftie heart caught every single lyric reference. It was like a fun little scavenger hunt that only made me love this book even more.

Alexandria Bellefluer continues to be one of my favorite authors writing Queer romance right now. I look forward to her books every year now, and I can't wait for the next one she comes out with!

I always have a blast reading Alexandria Bellefleur’s books, and this one was no different. With a lovable cast of characters, this dual-POV romance will have you hooked from the first page.

Tansy Adams is tired of her stepfamily’s inquiries into her love life. All she cares about is keeping her late parents’ bookstore afloat, and when she needs an excuse to stop going to family events, she decides to tell a small fib. Using romance cover model Gemma West as inspiration, Tansy spins a tale about a woman named Gemma that she’s been dating. Imagine her surprise when Gemma West crashes into her life, introducing herself as Tansy’s fiancée, and that she’s not Gemma West, but Gemma Van Dalen, outcast and wild child of a wealthy family. Gemma Van Dalen needs to get married to claim her inheritance, and she’ll be damned if she loses it to her asshole cousin. So she strikes a bargain with Tansy; marry her, maintain the ruse for two years, and Gemma will help save Tansy’s bookstore. But what happens when their relationship starts feeling less of a marriage of convenience and more like the real thing? And will they be able to survive the nefarious schemes of the rest of the Van Dalen family?

I loved Gemma and Tansy’s relationship. They had such a strong connection from their first interaction, and their sarcastic and flirty banter was so much fun to read. I’m a sucker for a good marriage of convenience, and I love how seamlessly their relationship went from a farce to the real thing. The progression of their love story felt natural, and I loved how much honesty there was between them.

The only thing I wish I got more of was Tansy working at the bookstore. I would have loved to see the dynamic between her and the other employees, giving her a friend group like Gemma’s.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love a rom-com filled with humor, heart and all the best tropes.

I absolutely ADORE Bellefleur's writing and The Fiancée Farce is Bellefleur at her best. I loved Tansy and Gemma and their "relationship of convenience" turned lovers. I loved the high society types that Gemma grew up with that she gave absolutely "zero effs" toward pleasing and how well Tansy complemented her. Another winner from this talented voice!

This book was an absolute blast that I was somehow able to tear through in less than two days. It's been a while since I read a good contemporary romance, so I can wholeheartedly say that I am thrilled that I read this one on a whim.

The Fiancee Farce is the fake dating trope that we all dream about, but one that always seem to be so far from our grasp. It is equal parts ridiculous, fun, and full of heart. It has all the makings of a cheesy romcom - the bigger than life friends, the evil family members, the high stakes, but told in such a way that makes you root for characters and brings them to life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the free e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review, I had a blast.

3.25 stars, rounded down

So I'm not the most well versed in romance but even with that in mind I feel like this book wasn't the greatest to <i>start</i> my trek into the genre. I did really like the characters, how trope-y they were, how FUN and full of life and color they were. It wasn't hard to get their personalities down or hard to understand their motivations. Both women have a rough history and it was nice to see them get over that together.

There were just a few things that made it hard for me to truly and utterly love this book which was the fact that both women are conventionally attractive, thin, and very femme. Both from well off financial backgrounds (mostly, for Tansy). It just didn't have as much emotional draw, or weight, or interest to me because it was like every other sapphic story I've read or watched or seen on TV. It's mostly a matter of personal taste though, no shade to Bellefleur. It just isn't what makes a story compelling to me. Even if there's family drama.

With that aside, I really appreciated that it was a "fall hard, fall fast" story and that Gemma was the one to go first (even though we know Tansy got the feels just as fast). Seeing Gemma woo Tansy, how she struggled with it, only made me love their bond even more. I loved how dorky they were with each other, the love felt genuine and fun!

This was an all around fun book, a beach read for sure!

This book was capital F Fine. It wasn't terrible, there was nothing egregious about it. It was just....boring...? Like, I started reading and the characters were ok, I did like Tansy but couldn't really get a read on Gemma, and then her family was TERRIBLE and honestly, so was Tansy's stepmom who I know had dealt with a lot of grief but still had a 16 y.o. who had lost BOTH her parents within such a short time. There were just a lot of terrible people and it made it hard to focus on the 2 MCs and their actual romance seemed to get the short thrift because of it. I could also tell what was going to happen in the dark moment wayyy before we actually got to the point and even though the villain was obvious, even the person who sold out Gemma and Tansy was also pretty obvious. In short, there were no surprises in this book, nothing that really delighted me. I think contemporary marriage of convenience is a really hard trope to write. Basically, it has to involve an inheritance issue, as is the case here. But I never bought the moment they switched over from MoC to a real relationship and so I stopped caring about the HEA.

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.

While the premise is a little extreme and silly, the main characters are impossible not to love. Tansy and Gemma end up in an arranged engagement when Tansy lies about dating someone. Gemma takes advantage of it to secure her inheritance. But it quickly becomes more than a marriage of convenience. Some of the secondary characters blur together, and others that might typically be major secondary are swiftly sidelined. But in the end, if you are reading just for the dynamic between the main characters than you won't be disappointed.