This book was an absolute delight!! I went in totally blind but had just finished The Long Game right before -I'm glad I read that book first because it gave helpful background about the characters and the small town.
What I loved: the flirting, chemistry and slowwww burn, fake engagement/engagement of convenience (my favorites!!!), Matthew
What I didn't love: I was hoping to see more of Adalyn and Cam in this story, I feel like they could've been more involved with the fake engagement scenario, and multiple times it felt like the book was trying to lean into "it's always been you" for Matthew and Josie but they e known each other for like a year?? Every time something like that was mentioned I felt like I had missed a part of their past or something.

Overall I really enjoyed this one!! Such a pleasant surprise and a true delight!

Cute read for a fake fiance trope. Josie finds out her real dad is somewhat famous, making her reality news. At a desperate moment she gets Matthew to pretend to be her fiance. Josie is a little cooky, and that adds to the funniness of the book. This was an easy read, since you know they'll work it out in the end somehow.

This book was absolutely amazing, i’ve always loved Elena’s writing and this book did not disappointed me

Josie Moore, a woman with four failed engagements under her belt and a complicated relationship with her newly reappeared father. When her dad’s PR team decides her romantic history is bad for the family brand, Josie blurts out that she’s engaged—again. Enter Matthew Flanagan, her half-sister’s best friend, who just happens to show up in town at the worst (or best?) possible moment. One misunderstanding later, and he’s playing the role of fiancé number five.

What starts as a PR stunt quickly spirals into something deeper, with fake wedding plans, real feelings, and a town full of nosy neighbors watching it all unfold. Expect snappy banter, slow-burn chemistry, and a pet named Pedro Pigscal (yes, really).

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this arc!

I really liked this, but I felt like something was missing or on the contrary it just had too much going on at the same time.

This is a slow burn which I like, but it dragged on too much, it was longer than it needed to be.

I did like the characters together though, even when some scenes were kind of cringe.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas is a charming and heartwarming fake-engagement romance set in the cozy town of Green Oak, North Carolina. Josie Moore, known for walking away from four almost-weddings, becomes the center of unwanted attention when her estranged father decides to reenter her life with a PR stunt to fix her image. That’s when Matthew Flanagan—grumpy, stranded, and conveniently available—agrees to play her doting fiancé. What starts as a temporary arrangement for show quickly becomes tangled with real emotions, past wounds, and unexpected connection.

Josie is endearingly chaotic, navigating family pressure and her fear of commitment with a mix of vulnerability and humor. Matthew is the perfect soft-hearted counterpart, offering support, quiet strength, and slow-burn chemistry that steadily builds into genuine affection. Their banter is quick and delightful, and the emotional development between them feels natural and grounded. The small-town setting adds a warm backdrop filled with quirky locals and heartfelt moments that bring depth to the story.

While the plot follows familiar rom-com beats, Elena Armas elevates it with emotional sincerity, well-paced tension, and a heroine you can’t help but root for. Some backstories could have been explored more deeply, but the story doesn’t rely on unnecessary drama to move forward. Instead, it leans into healing, honesty, and trust—making the resolution all the more satisfying.

The Fiancé Dilemma is perfect for fans of fake-dating tropes, soft grumpy-sunshine pairings, and slow-burn romance with a wholesome yet steamy payoff. It’s a feel-good read with heart, humor, and just the right amount of heat.

It’s a story about learning to trust, confronting the ghosts of your past, and discovering that love doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real. A fantastic pick for fans of slow-burn romance with substance

This was a fun read. I enjoy Elena's writing and find her stories to be ones that I want to read. Thank you for this ARC.

Did not read. Have way too many books on my shelf - need to cut back. Hoping to get to it in the future though.

I really enjoyed The Spanish Love Deception, so I was excited to start this book by an author that I already enjoyed. The Fiance Dilemma is the second book in The Green Oak series. I was not aware of this when I started reading it, and there are some characters from book one that show up in this book. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time getting into this book, and I don't know if that is because I didn't read the first book or if I just couldn't connect with the characters. Are Josie and Matthew introduced in the first book? I find it weird that Josie saw an acquaintance on the sidewalk in front of her house and tried to convince a stranger that they were engaged. I also find it weird that he goes along with it. I ended up having to DNF this book at about 7 chapters in (22%) because I felt like I was missing something about these characters, like I should have read the first book in this series or something. I also found it weird that Josie was engaged 4 times before the age of 30. This gal needs to go to therapy and her friends need to encourage her to do that, not just blindly accept that she's engaged to someone they had no idea she was even seeing (as this was their story since the engagement is actually fake). It's a no for me on this book.

A fake engagement that turns into a long love story!!! This book was such a cute and fun read. Although not a 5 star read for me, I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for her future books that I will be reading!

This book was really enjoyable as it hit me with all the feels, but I also felt like it was maybe missing something, but I'm not sure what, which is why I give it a 4/5. I think overall, the storyline was pleasant to read but would have loved something extra to make it more unique from other romance books.

Thank you to the publisher and thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this e-ARC. Full review will be available soon

I tried this book last summer and had to put it down because I couldn't get into it. I picked it back up yesterday DETERMINED to power through, and although I did finish, I had to skim to get there. I think it was just too much of a slow burn for me.

I liked the banter between Matthew and Josie, and fake dating is always a favorite trope, but I just had a really hard time believing this one. I know, I always say "it's fiction, so it's expected to have to suspend reality" - in fact, I just wrote that in a review yesterday. This was a bit much for me though. Josie and Matthew never met, and she springs this random fake engagement on him from her front porch and he just miraculously goes with it? I don't think anyone could pull that off in such an off the cuff way. The concept was good but the execution was lacking.

Okayyyyyy!! I loved Josie's story! And can we talk about Matthew?? Because WOW! I adore him!

Josie gets Matthew involved in a fake engagement to help with the PR issue caused by her famous dad. It becomes an even bigger deal when the public discovers this is her 5th engagement and the tabloids and podcasts go off on it. I love the fake dating trope and this was just precious!

I love that we got another book set in Green Oak and the wonderful people from this small town. It was also fun to see more of Adalyn and Cameron throughout the book. I can't wait to read more from Elena Armas!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to give Elena Armas' books another shot after not really enjoying The Spanish Love Deception. Unfortunately, I just don't think Elena's books are for me. There were some tropes in here that i enjoy generally such as fake dating, but it just didn't hit the way I had hoped. This book just felt very formulaic and the characters didn't feel very fleshed out. While I liked that there wasn't a third-act conflict, I feel like the connection between the two MC's just wasn't super strong. Maybe I'll give another one of Elena's books a try in the future, but I am 0 for 2 so far.

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas is a sweet, small-town fake dating romance packed with charm, chemistry, and just the right amount of chaos. Josie, known for her trail of failed engagements, pretends to be engaged (again) to her sister’s best friend, Matthew, to clean up a PR mess—and of course, real feelings start to complicate things. With a lovable cinnamon-roll hero, witty banter, and cozy tropes like “he falls first” and “found family,” it’s a fun, heartfelt read. Some parts move a little slow, but the payoff is worth it if you love a feel-good, tropey romance.

This was a really fun romcom. I loved Matthew, oh how I loved him. And Josie, oh sweet Josie. I loved their fake engagement. I loved how he loved her and that it was just so clear from the get go. It was sweet and silly and so funny. I love the author’s humor.

This was a me problem. I am not a romance girly and I need to remember that. Just because a cover is cute and/or the description sounds good, doesn't mean I'm gonna enjoy the book. To me, this just felt like every other romance book I've read before. I felt like feelings were admitted too quickly and I got bored with the romance.

This was a hard read, Elena Armas’ writing style is a bit tougher to read through, but I’ve enjoyed her other works. This story was hard for me to empathize with the MCs. Josie felt more manic and shallow than exciting and fun.