REVIEW: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fake relationships, spicy banter, and a lovable librarian you can’t help but root for!

Witty dialogue, slow-burning chemistry, and a heroine who discovers her strength perfectly capture the spirit of The Boyfriend Candidate. Alexis and Logan’s journey is messy, humorous, and genuinely heartfelt.

✨ Fake dating + political campaign
✨ Bookish heroine learning to voice her opinions
✨ Grumpy (but secretly sweet) hero
✨ Enjoyable banter

Some parts in the middle moved slowly, but it was worth the wait. If you’re looking for a modern rom-com with both swoon-worthy romance and meaningful depth, definitely add this to your TBR.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, for providing me with a free advanced copy for my honest review.

FAKE DATING IS ALWAYS GOING TO GET ME.. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

alexis wants to get out of her shell after being dumped for being not being "more adventurous" in the bedroom. she ends up in the process of a one night stand when the hotel quite literally catches fire in the lightning storm. they end up getting captured running out together and let the story begin.

enjoyed this story but I do think the aspects of polictics made me like the story less. at times, I don't know why some parts were not necessary. besides that, it was a fun read!

The Boyfriend Candidate follows Alexis Stone, a school librarian who gets mixed up in a political scandal when she (almost) has a one night stand with Logan Arthur, a politician who is in the running to be the next governor of Texas. The two are spotted in a romantic entanglement at a hotel after a freak accident. To save face, Alexis and Logan pretend that they have been dating for a while and start to work together to get Logan elected.

This was a delightful read for anyone who enjoys lighthearted, humorous, and romantic stories about self-discovery, fake dating, and the thrill of taking risks, making it a perfect fit for fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction who crave a fun, feel-good tale with a touch of politics and wit.

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
The Boyfriend Candidate is a sharp, timely thriller with strong feminist undertones. Winstead’s characters are compelling, and the suspense builds steadily, though some plot points feel slightly predictable. A solid read for fans of political thrillers with heart.

I watched to like this book, but every time I picked it up, it just never hooked me. So here I am two years late giving a review. It was cute enough, and I'm glad I finally took the time to read it, but it's not one that I'll go back to or keep thinking about.

I was excired for this, but it just wasnt as good as I hoped i think, personally, it needed a little scandal

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

me 🤝 fake dating.

This was SO FUN!!!!!! The set up was so fun and I LOVED Logan! their meet cute was very cute and charming, and I love a fake dating element. Alexis and Logan had such great personalities that created incredible chemistry between the two of them.

Winstead's pen is MIGHTY and her characters and writing worked so well together and really sold me on this romance and story.

Funny at times and sexy! Loved it

I love anything written by Ashley Winstead including her romance novels and this one did not disappoint.
The Boyfriend Candidate is the second book in the Fool me once duology.
This follows school librarian Alexis who is reeling from a breakup. When her ex implies she is a “mouse” in bed she decides she needs to change..
I loved the personalities and the chemistry between the MC and the love interest.
One thing to note that there is political aspect in this story but not as heavy as in the first book of the duology.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

I gave this a try since I liked Ashley's thriller novels to see how her Rom-Coms were. It was okay, I will probably stick to her thrillers though.

Short Synopsis: Alexis is a shy librarian, but decides to break out of her shell and have a one night stand. When the hotel bar catches on fire, and Logan Arthur (a governors candidate) carries her out they decide to fake date to avoid scandal.

My Thoughts: I was a bit skeptical going in to this one, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. The characters were complete opposites, but they complimented each other so well. I adored watching their relationship blossom as their fake charade turned into the real thing.

Read if you love:
- Opposites Attract
- Fake Dating
- Politics

Alexis Stone has my fuckin heart too 😫

That's it. That was my whole review. I am a huge Ashley Winstead romance stan.
Her writing just does something for me and I cannot get enough. Her characters are well thought out and strong main characters to follow.
I am forever grateful to be able to review her books!

I loved this book, as all of this author’s books. The author’s writing is witty and funny. I def recommend.

This was good. It is amazing Ashley Winstead can be a master author in multiple genres. The characters were great, I really enjoyed the love story, even though the misunderstanding was a bit predictable. But overall, a worthwhile read if you can stomach the heaviness of the political aspect. Even though this book is clearly about a politician, I do agree with other reviewers that said I read to escape the political drama of the country, so maybe this one just wasn't the right fit to read right this second. But all in all, a cute romance.

The Boyfriend Candidate follows Alexis Stone, a school librarian who gets mixed up in a political scandal when she (almost) has a one night stand with Logan Arthur, a politician who is in the running to be the next governor of Texas. The two are spotted in a romantic entanglement at a hotel after a freak accident. To save face, Alexis and Logan pretend that they have been dating for a while and start to work together to get Logan elected.

Fake dating is a trope I cannot always get behind, but I really liked how it played out in The Boyfriend Candidate . Yes, they could have just talked and shared their feelings to realize they were into each other, but the characters coming to this realization took some character growth and then figuring themselves out before moving into the relationship. This depth justified the fake dating trope in a way that worked for me.

I am also not someone who likes the inclusion of "famous" or well known characters in books, but I think Logan being a politician was really interesting to read about. This book is obviously VERY political, which could have made it boring or preachy but it was actually fun and informative. I loved that Alexis's job as a librarian led to her adding to Logan's campaign by discussing political issues regarding libraries and public schools. I also really loved the inclusion of the teachers union and the ways in which people use politics to benefit themselves instead of focusing on the people the government is supposed to serve. A lot of this book involves political machinations and sometimes it seemed like a lot for a romance, but in the end I loved this plot and how it played out.

Overall, The Boyfriend Candidate is a fun and complex romance between two very well written characters. I will definitely be going back to the first book in this series since I did not read it before getting into this one. I look forward to more romance by Ashley Winstead!

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys lighthearted, humorous, and romantic stories about self-discovery, fake dating, and the thrill of taking risks, making it a perfect fit for fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction who crave a fun, feel-good tale with a touch of politics and wit.

this was cute and iw ant like crazy about it but it was cute and I like the concept of the whole plot-story

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was a funny romcom that I enjoyed reading. There were a few times during the story where I wanted To shake the characters and tell them to get over it but it was just apart of the story.

As a librarian myself, I am always so excited when I see that a book featuring one of my own "colleagues" is coming out! This book did not disappoint.

Alexia's character growth throughout the story made it worthwhile enough, but pairing her up with a sexy Texan/British and making it a "fake dating" kind of relationship made it that much more enjoyable.

I look forward to reading more of Ashley Winstead's books in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've not read a book about two more obtuse characters. I wanted to reach in and shake both the MMC and FMC by the shoulder and to tell them to stop being so stupid.