3.5⭐️

The story is cute. Josie is quirky but has emotional scars. Matthew is a book boyfriend. It’s a fake dating trope that works. The plot is predictable and enjoyable, but I think I wanted more.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

I love Elena Armas, her books are becoming automatic reads for me. I loved hearing more about the characters in the quaint little town, and enjoyed the development of the story.

Tropes:
• Fake Dating (engagement)
• He Falls First
• Small Town
The Fiancé Dilemma is a standalone romance but I would highly recommend you read The Long Game first!!! Elena Armas gives you enough information to enjoy the storyline but most of the characters were introduced in The Long Game and their backstory was built from there. I had already read The Long Game, so I was not only familiar with Josie and Matthew but loved each of them already individually. Together, they did not disappoint in this sweet and sexy Runaway Bride-like story!
Josie is so sweet, caring, quirky, and charming but she has many insecurities she tries to hide underneath it all. She cares deeply for her town and the people around her, going out of her way to help. This has often led to her losing her own sense of self in being what she needs to be for others. Now that her father is in the picture, her own history is not just small-town news now. It gets splashed in the tabloids, amplifying all those insecurities for her and the world to see.
Matthew was top notch book boyfriend material!! He was playful, loyal, protective, patient, and so incredibly supportive of Josie. And the man knew exactly when and how to bring the spice!! I loved Matthew to begin with, but this book brought it to a whole new level. The only true expectation he had for Josie was that she be herself no matter what anyone else thought about it. He wanted her just as she was and helped her slowly realize it.
Their connection and chemistry were perfect throughout. Josie tries to fight it throughout the book, trying to keep to their fake arrangement, so this slow burn took a minute to heat up but the way they learned to rely on each other and read each other on the way there made it worth the wait.
Thank you to Elena Armas, NetGalley, and Atria books for the chance to read this advanced copy so I could share my honest review!

I received an ARC for this book from Atria Books and Net Galley. Thank you!


First off, I’m going to stay single until I meet my own Matthew. His character was such a breath of fresh air compared to Andrew. I loved that he loved Josie from the first moment and treated her how she needed to be treated.

I felt like Josie’s character was relatable, minus the 5 engagements. Can’t relate there haha. My favorite character was Pedro Pigscal. Mostly cause the name is iconic.

This is a sequel and not a stand alone, that being said as someone who very much enjoyed book 1 in this series and fell in love with Josie and Matthew as supporting characters it was wonderful to get their love story! I think in contrast to Elena's previous books there was no Spanish or spanglish and I kinda missed that - it wouldn't have worked here but I really enjoyed it in her previous writing and missed that element in her writing here. The other fiancé's stories weren't really explored which was surprising and I might've appreciated more time on Matthew's belief that Josie was his soulmate - it was sweet and we didn't get to see his perspective or how that played out. I think this storyline would've yielded a 5 star review had it included a dual narrative. Overall it was good - really good in fact but not my favorite of Armas's work and I think it had potential to be.

3 1/2 stars- I was excited to get this arc and this was the first book by Elena Armas I have read. I feel like this book took me a little while to get into and I feel like the first half could have been a little shorter. Once I got to like half way through I flew threw the second half. I really liked Matthew and I liked Josie and I was excited to see how they would build their real relationship! I struggled a little bit with connecting to the Andrew/Bobbi plot line. I wanted to see more scenes between Josie and Adalyn!

Love this author. This a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it. Mathew is wonderful and couldn’t get enough of him.

I read this in one sitting. I love a fake relationship trope and this book delivered. This man had me giggling and kicking my feet throughout the entire book. Not to mention the mouth on this man! Elena is the Queen of rom-coms. This is a great book for getting you out of a reading slump. Small town, found family, cinnamon roll MMC what more could you want? Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3/5
It was a good rom-com book, but not one of Elena Armas's best. I'm a little disappointed because I was so looking forward to hearing Josie's story. But I feel like things were rushed. I feel like you don't really know what kind of person Matthew is until like halfway through the book. I honestly still feel like I don't know much about him, unlike Cam from The Long Game. I feel like the premise was good, but it just needed to be fleshed out more.

Josie Moore has given love—plenty of chances. Four if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include her absentee father who kept her existence a secret until recently. So when her father decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece about the family, Josie realizes her romantic history is a complicated PR issue. Matthew Flanagan is in the mud, literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but also the tires of his car are stuck after taking a wrong turn as he enters Green Oak, North Carolina. So he goes in search of a place to crash and he finds his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé. What starts as a big messy misunderstanding quickly turns into an arrangement with Matthew playing her doting fiancé. A fifth engagement—and a stunt, at that—makes Josie’s stomach turn, but Matthew doesn’t seem to mind becoming one more number in a colorful list of grooms-that-never-were. Despite the ring on her finger, Josie knows this is only temporary, even if the rest of the small town believes that the fifth time’s the charm.

Matthew falls first, and I love him. I liked him in The Long Game and I like him here. Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this because I really did like her in The Long Game, I didn't really care about Josie here. I felt like her failed love life was her main personality trait....which is a shame because she's the literal mayor of her town. I needed more from her and I wanted more for her. I'm just not sure I feel like her payoff is enough or her arc is complete. I still love the small-town vibes and the relationship progression, but I'm just sad that it wasn't as good as it could've been. I give it 3.5 stars.

**I want to say thank you to Net Galley and Atria Publishers for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The long game was by far my favourite Elena Armas book. I absolutely adore Cam and Adalyn. So when I found out the next one would be about Josie and Matthew I was ecstatic. This book had me giggling and laughing quite a bit, Matthew and Josie are just so adorable and quirky- I caught myself smiling so many times. I’m definitely loved this book for the characters, the plot felt a touch rushed at times, but the banter and Matthew Flanagan more than made up for that. I would have liked to have learned more about Josie and her runaway bride tendencies, I feel like we talked about them, but perhaps not in the detail they deserved. If you’re looking for something more light hearted you’re in luck- this is the perfect summer romcom and come on, who doesn’t love a fake fiancee.

Matthew carried this book! It was so nice to return to Elena Armas' writing after so long and see that her male romantic leads are as amazing as ever. The Fiance Dilemma serves slow burn, entertainment, and juicy drama. It was cute to see the progression between Josie and Matthew as they evolved from "fake" to something more.

With that being said, there were some aspects of the book that were much too corny for me. SPOILERS AHEAD! And the book violated two of my hard no's for romance books: publicly revealing the fake dating scheme and no epilogue. For that, The Fiance Dilemma lands at a 3-star.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishing company for this arc!

4,5 stars! A little slow to get into but such a cute romance read! loved the fake engagement and ended perfectly! super cute and a fast read!

I love them!!!! This was such a delight. There’s nothing I love more than a boy obsessed. Except maybe when a boy is obsessed and also has a v filthy mouth. Their chemistry really exploded off the page and had me kicking my feet. Reading this made me happy and there’s really not much else you can ask for. I’m kind of hoping for a Bobbi and Robbie love story next???

I really enjoyed this story. I love a fake dating trope, and this one did not disappoint! My only critique is that the book was a little longer than I would have liked. I enjoyed the characters. They were all very engaging and well thought out. There were some really laugh out loud funny moments in this book and other moments that were heartwarming and had me tearing up. This was a book that I enjoyed and would love to recommend.

This was a fun and easy read, that starts with an abrupt “fake” engagement that stems into an unbreakable bond between the two characters. Slightly predictable—but in a good way.

Thank you to Atria Books for this Advance Readers Copy of The Fiance Dilemma! Elena Armas' books are always fun. I loved Josie and Matthew's story. Josie has broken off 4 engagements, and is pressured by her small town and others to move forward with a successful engagement. Matthew is in the right place at the right time, though they soon discover that they are both interested in more than just a fake engagement. There is a colorful cast of minor characters that are hilarious, both from Josie's small town and her Dad's publicist Bobbi. As the wedding day approaches, the pressure is on. Armas ties up the story neatly with Josie's happily ever after. Lots of steam reminiscent of Tessa Bailey. This book was funny and sweet, and I couldn't put it down, wanting to find out how Josie would get herself out of her latest engagement. All's well that ends well. This book is a treat!

This book was refreshing and got me out of my reading slump. I enjoyed the development of the main character and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the plot. This isn’t the first story I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last. 5 stars given to Elena Armas.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC of “The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas in exchange for my honest review. The story follows the lives of Matthew and Josie. Josie has a complicated history with love and has been a runaway bride multiple times. She’s dealing with navigating her relationship with her newly discovered father while dealing with a PR nightmare. Matthew is the best friend of Josie’s newly discovered sister. Josie easily convinces Matthew to become her fake fiancé.

I’m a fan of Elena Armas and have throughly enjoyed all her other books. I found this one to be a bit slow and choppy from chapter to chapter. I wasn’t hooked to the story until I reached 85% completion. Overall, it was a good read and I’d recommend if you’re into Fake Fiancé/Fake Dating, Small Town Romances, Single POV and Slow Burn Romance. I’m rating this one at 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Well I DEVOURED this book in 2 days and I absolutely LOVED it! I’ve read all of Elena’s books but this is my fave and I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my shelf.
I loved the humor throughout the book, especially the banter between Josie and Matthew. And Matthew is my new favorite book boyfriend- a cinnamon roll with a dirty mouth?? Sign me up!

Thanks for the ARC!