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.

***Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book from in exchange for my honest review.***

For fans of Elena Armas - this is a MUST read! This book is giving 27 dresses vibes (although, instead of a being a bridesmaid, Josie Moore is always the bride that does not follow through and Matthew is the down-on-his-luck pal that falls in to her orbit and lets loyalty take over honesty when he comes head-to-head with the "Shark"). Josie and Matthew get wrapped up in a PR stunt turned love story that is the perfect mix of sugar and spice. 4/5 stars only due to the very coincidental nature of the story (I usually look for something a hair more relatable) and 4/5 peppers for spice!

I had a lot of fun reading The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas. It’s a cute, slow-burn romance with one of my favorite tropes—fake engagement. Josie is a bit of a mess in the best way, and Matthew is this sweet, golden retriever-type guy who balances her out perfectly.

Their chemistry was great, and I liked the mix of humor and heart. It doesn’t go super deep, but it still gives you those warm, fuzzy feels. If you’re into small-town vibes, flirty banter, and fake dating turning real, definitely give it a shot.

This was a cute book but a little predictable. A continuation of the saga of Josephine the estranged daughter of a multimillionaire one night stand. The only thing that made me want to throw this book across the room, was the "assistant/wedding planner" always being so high and mighty and butting into where she didn't belong. It was a quick read. The spice was a little bit unbelievable that people would just let two people "bang" as the wedding planner described, just anywhere. It was cute and a quick read.

4.5/5
This was CUTE. I was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. Liked this much better than her other books I’ve read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in return for an honest review.

The Fiancé Dilemma, is the fourth book that I’ve read by author, Elena Armas. It’s the second book in the Green Oak series and so far it’s my favorite.

I just finished and I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Josie and Matthew are my favorite book couple right now. Their story is funny, sweet, and sexy and omg, I didn’t know Matthew had it in him. Whew.

And Grandpa Moe.

And Adalyn and Cam, gah.

And yes, Adalyn and Josie’s dad is still a jerk.

If you like small town romances with humor, heart and heat, you’ll love The Fiancé Dilemma.

My favorite Elena Armas book to date!
The second Josie lied and blurted out that she’s in a relationship with her sister’s best friend, I just knew this book would be amazing. It’s a small town, slow burn, sisters best friend, angst filled fake dating romance and I couldn’t be more obsessed.

Matthew and Josie just have my entire heart. The way he’d do anything for her is what won me over. He’s so kind and gentle with her that it made it achingly obvious he never stopped thinking of her. Josie deserves the world, and Matthew gives it to her and so much more. He gives such golden retriever energy !!!

As always, Elena delivered with this book and I cannot recommend it enough!!!

The Fiancé Dilemma
By Elena Armas
Narrated by Brittany Pressley and Zachary Webber
3.5 ⭐️

This one took me a full 30% in to warm up to. I just didn’t click with the FMC. She did grow on me eventually, but I still feel like I need to give an * about her saying she’s not really my cup of tea. Because of that, I had a difficult time getting fully invested in her story. I liked the themes, audio narration, and supporting characters enough to still enjoy my time with the book. Plus, I loved the author’s general writing style (except for the FMC issues I had) and humor. I was laughing out loud a lot throughout this story. I do recommend this one, but I’d give a warning on the FMC.

Thank you NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria books for the eARC. The audiobook was borrowed via my library/Libby.

Love love love. I mean this book is by one of my favorite authors so I knew I was going to appreciate the writing style and the plot.