Another great book by Elena Armas! From the very first page I got attached to the main character! A fun possible romance with a bit of family drama. I laughed and felt so much!

Josie is Adalyn's (The Long Game) secret sister and when word gets out, the national news groups go berserk because their father, Andrew, is some billionaire hellbent on salvaging his reputation. And because their father is so famous, he employs people to take care of situations. Unfortunately for Josie, she has become such a situation.

Matthew is Adalyn's best friend who comes to visit her in Josie's small town of Green Oaks, NC where she is the mayor. Josie is quirky, generous with her time and spirit, and loves her small town. She also has a string of ex-fiances that weren't so right for her. As her father's PR strategist is trying to convince her to come clean and fix her relationship with her father, Josie sees Matthew and claims he is her fiance. He weirdly and readily agrees and thus begins their fake engagement.

Overall, I liked Josie and Matthew together but I wasn't a fan of how they came to be. It was a little too easily falling into place. I really did not like how much of a doormat Josie was to everyone that didn't care about her. Why try to salvage her father's reputation and their relationship? Why is his scandal hers?

I enjoyed the writing style and loved the characters from The Long Game popping in. The town's characters were entertaining as always. And I am sure Josie and Matthew will have a long life together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC. The Fiance Dilemma is out now.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I hate to say it, but this one was not for me. At first, I was so excited because I love the fake dating trope and the engagement situation felt like it could build up tension in a great way. However, my excitement deflated the longer I read through this book, even though I enjoyed Armas' humourous, witty writing.

The main issue with this romance is that it didn't feel earned. The MMC has (clearly) liked the FMC from the get-go. He was so into her, but we never figured out why that was. We don't watch him fall in love with her. As for the FMC, she falls pretty quickly and I never understood why, because Matthew sadly has no personality. He is just vague enough that he can fit into anyone's dream guy wall of trophies. And ultimately, I hated that. If you're doing slow burn, I want the angst! Instead, we got a phone sex scene 130 pages into this 340-page book. There was NOTHING keeping these two people apart, literally nothing.

I'm disappointed because this should've been right up my alley. I ended up reading most of the smut scenes in the subway and for what? I got nothing from this book.

The perfect fake dating story! A funny and sweet small town fake dating story. I loved how this worked into the previous story and continued in their universe. Cute, romantic, steamy and fun romance,

Oh how I adored this book, and Matthew was the PERFECT book boyfriend…. Errr fiance! Loved the chemistry, the friendship, and the whole fun fake fiancé story line! The story was really sweet, there were just a few plot holes and a lot of repetitive sentences that knocked the rating down a bit for me. But overall I’d highly recommend, and huge bonus points for no third act breakup!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

4.5 stars

Matthew my dream man. Although too bad he’s blond…

I adored this book and I adored this couple. I was WAITING for Josie’s book as soon as we met her in The Long Game. I absolutely loved the fake fiance situation and I loved how absolutely down baaaaad Matthew was for Josie this entire book. Also bonus points for no third act break up!! 💃💃

I’m not usually a fan of pet names but baby blue was doing something to me in this book 😜

This book was a little bit long and could have been amazing with a little trimming so I did take a half star off. Still this book was very very good!

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

2.75⭐️. Was kinda disappointed with this read - it started out strong with a funny meet cute but it went down hill from there. There are some adorable, sweet funny scenes but nothing spectacular that made me want to root for the couple. Half the time I’m still wondering why the male lead lacks personality (he has plenty of good looks and seems to be someone whose love language is acts of service) but we really needed a dual POV because I don’t know why he even fell for her? Especially with how he got into this whole fake fiance fiasco. Our FMC, gosh, she needs to grow a spine? I can’t believe she is being stepped all over by 2 people who she doesn’t even have close relations with.

While I adored TSLD, this book was not it for me.

Love the humor in this book, loved the dynamic that Josie and Matthew had right off the bat. Animals as extras were a great add, would doesn’t love a pet pig?! A lot of repeat sentences for inward thoughts after they were said, got a bit old after awhile since the book was a little slower than I’d prefer.
Events cut off and flashed too far forward, felt like I was missing out on events that would have helped shape characters. Adaylan and hers maid of honor talk, after the phone dropped in the water, welcome dinner on Andrew’s estate with Duncan, etc, just would have loved a little more. Will be going back to read the other books from Armas. 4 stars just because it was a slower moving book than I would prefer. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange on my honest review.

Matthew Flanagan breaths and my clothes are OFF. I ADORE THAT MAN!!!! This was beyond fun & sweet I loved them so much. Josie is a daddy issues icon so I have no choice but to stan. The spicy scenes in this one were HOT & the small town rom-com moments were so cozy and cute. Elena has an excellent ability to never miss 💜✨💜

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Thank you Atria Books for the advanced reading copy!

Okay, first thoughts were what the heck is this plot. PLEASE NOTE that I did not read the first one, and while I don't necessarily think that you have to, I do think it would make the transition into this one easier, as it took me a second to get into/figure out the characters. If you can suspend belief about the overall premise of this book, it was cute!! The connection between Josie and Matthew was sweet, and they had some really heart-warming moments. There was some spice -- though not enough imo -- that was well-written and fun. Overall a cute story, but would have probably hit better for me had I read the first one!

SYNOPSIS -- Josie Moore is more than willing to give love a try, given that she's been engaged four times. With her influential, long-lost father retiring and needing good PR, Josie learns that her relationship history is... not a good look. When her sister's best friend, Matthew, makes a wrong turn and shows up at her door, he's suddenly roped into a chaotic and not well-thought-out plan to convince everyone that he's her new fiancé... lucky number five. As they get further and further into their charade, it get's harder and harder to turn back, and that's not only because this started under false pretenses... are those butterflies Josie is feeling???

This was really sweet 🥰 I love when the guy falls first and harder. I only wish we had more with his POV instead of just the last chapter because that was *chef's kiss!

he falls first x fake engaged x sisters best friend

Now this wasn't a bad book. It was just incredibly DULL. It's a shame though because I really liked the start of this book. The set up was quite fun, despite the reasons for their fake engagement being so unbelievable. I still can't quite wrap my head around it. Who the fuck cares so much about a random bussiness man's non famous adult daughter to this extend? It just felt extremely fake, and like it could have been solved way easier than this whole mess. However, like I said I liked our early introductions to these characters, I thought Josie and our love interest had great chemistry, and overall I was having fun. So I hate that it turned out this way.
Overall I think my problem is just that this just felt extremely surface level. The characters are extremely underdeveloped, and I can't tell you anything about them. Matthew and Josie do have some really cute scenes together but overall their feelings felt like they came out of nowhere. I truly feel like this could have benefited from being dual POV so much. It would have just been able to add a little something extra to the mix that was currently missing. On top of that I also feel like almost nothing happens in this book, making it feel like quite the drag to me.
The small town is still great. It isn't as showcased as in The Long Game, but we still get some time at town events or with different townspeople. Those scenes always were my favourite because Elena Armas just really knows how to bring this town to life. It's just a shame that it was wasted on these books, man. But yeah, I did like it more than the first book in the duology but it still really wasn't my thing.

Thank you Netgalley and Elena Arias, for the e-arc. My review is being left voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

I have tried to love Elena Armas books, but have come to a conclusion that I just do not vibe with this author's work after TSLD.

4.25 ⭐️

If there is one thing that I love it’s a well written fake dating (engagement!) romance. And let me tell you, Elena Armas delivered!

This is a slow burn with some serious heat/flirting throughout. I’m normally not a huge fan of slow burns but this one left me feeling … giddy? It’s so cute.

This is my first Armas book (I didn’t read the first in the series but this works great as a standalone and the character background stories are explained) but I can’t wait to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Elena Armas for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I read this book during a few hour flight. It was a quick and easy read with a fun plot line. The story kept me engaged, but I wish there had been more lead up and meatiness into their romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

I always love the fake dating trope, and this one did not disappoint; in fact, I think this might be my favorite Elena Armas book so far! Matthew was so sweet and protective (the way he SPRINTED across town when she sent an SOS??), and I loved how he went along with all of Josie’s crazy with no question 😂 I also loved how they decided to reclaim their own story and just do what was right for them. (Also, I totally called Ada from the start lol IYKYK)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. THE FIANCÉ DILEMMA is out now!

Ah, this had great potential but unfortunately it just did not live up to the expectations Armas had set since TSLD. I enjoyed The Long Game, even if I had some qualms about certain elements, but the second book in this duology just did not hit that sweet spot I was hoping it would. The banter was dry and the pacing dragged in the middle. I think this book could've benefited from some editorial tightening. While I acknowledge Elena Armas' attempt to tap into the small-town, sports romance niche, unfortunately she did not really capture the attention needed to show for it! Interested to see what new direction she decides to go in next but hoping she brings us back some original Aaron Blackford-level obsession!

I have learned that listening to Elena Armas books will always result in a lower score for me. Thankfully—I didn’t make that mistake this time. It’s really the horrible accents that make me dislike her books. I might need to do a reread of some of them through physical books.

Tropes I enjoyed in this book:
•he fall first and harder
•sister’s bestfriend
•fake dating

I really enjoyed Matthew in this book. I felt that he was a great male lead, I had wanted more of him when first hearing him in The Long Game. Elena delivered in the male department, I think he is on par or very close to Aaron. Love that he just lets Josie be a little weird and crazy and is just along for the ride.

Josie? Kind of a mid lead for me. Could be a little annoying at times when I felt like she was being whiney or talking about all her engagements.

Okay but did anybody else feel like the last 100 pages were kind of rushed? I felt like we jumped from getting to know characters and building a story to “this is the end” which did kind of stressed me out.

I really feel this is a 3.75 rating so I rounded up. The characters were good, the town is cute, and I loved Grandpa Mo

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

I love Elena Armas, but the fmc in this one made this book not particularly my cup of tea. Josie is the mayor of small town Green Oak, and a huge people pleaser. She's left a trail of broken engagements behind her. When her estranged father Andrew decides to come into her life via a publicist intervention regarding her love life, Josie makes up a quick lie that turns into a complicated charade. She claims to be engaged to Matthew, her friend and best friend to her newly discovered sister, Adalyn. The publicist runs with it and takes over, planning a quick wedding that will involve Andrew and the whole town.

Things I loved: Matthew's character, the slow burn and eventual spice, great chemistry.
Things I didn't love: Josie's character and dialogue were just really not for me. It was way too cutesy and unrealistic. I can imagine this being really appealing for some readers, but it took me out of the story and made it hard for me to finish this book. I also just didn't understand her motivations. She had no reason to go along with Bobbi Shark or her father's plans, but she did. She's clearly not a weak willed woman, but in these instances she just lacks any spine.

I'm rounding up 3.5 to 4 stars because I imagine this book being perfect for a lot of people, but it just wasn't for me. I'll still absolutely read the next Elena Armas novel that comes out.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙝é 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙚, 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.”

I was completely captivated by the fresh and welcoming atmosphere of Green Oaks, beautifully revived from the previous book in the series. It was a joy to return to this charming small town, where a deep sense of community and family spirit infused every interaction. The way everyone looks out for one another with warmth and loyalty that feels almost like family was genuinely heartwarming. I especially loved reconnecting with some of the beloved characters and youngsters from the first book, whose return added a wonderful layer of depth and nostalgia to the story.

Josie has given love plenty of chances—four failed engagements and a father who's always been absent. But when her business tycoon father decides to retire, she finds out that her messy romantic history is turning into bad PR for the family. Meanwhile, Matthew is not only out of a job but, after taking a wrong turn on his way to Green Oak, NC, he unexpectedly finds himself being introduced as the fiancé of his best friend’s sister, Josie. What begins as a huge misunderstanding quickly turns into a fake engagement. Josie might be wearing his ring, but she knows it’s only for show. However, as the lines begin to blur, the small town starts to believe that maybe the fifth fiancé is actually The One.

I absolutely adored Adalyn and Cam and fell in love with everything about this small town in the first book, so it’s no surprise I loved every second of being back in Green Oak. Matthew had me blushing and kicking my feet, and his backstory had me swooning. Josie was so relatable and down-to-earth—I just loved her. Honestly, Armas is one of those autobuy authors for me because her books always make me so happy, but this one might just be my favorite. If you haven’t checked out The Long Game series yet and you’re looking to fall head over heels in love, you absolutely should. It had me kicking my feet like a giddy schoolgirl!