This book was such a fun read! Armas masterfully blends humor, romance, and relatable characters into a captivating story. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric, and the plot twists keep you hooked until the very end. Perfect for anyone looking for a fun and heartwarming romance. Highly recommend!"

5 ⭐ 3 🌶

Gahhhh I love them so much! Matthew and Josie were so dang sweet, and the spice was angsty, dreamy goodness. I really loved the whole story too and I had such a hard time putting this book down, gobbling it up any chance I got.

Matthew was a got danged dream boat. I knew from the start he felt something for Josie, but as the story went on and he started to show her, it had me in a freaking puddle. And the text exchange between him and Adalyn, it had me close to tears it was so sweet and so perfect.

Grandpa Moe was everything. I love a good gpa/gma with no filter and Maurice was amazing. I adored seeing Cam and Ada again, especially in the roles they played. The podcast guys, Bobbi and 98% of Andrew can kick rocks, but overall this cast of characters had me swooning and cackling for days.

I'm guessing both series are done at this point (although I'd love to see Matthew's sisters in a book or two!), but I'm so excited to see what Elena has for us next. She has very quickly become a one click read for me.

This book was everything. I always get nervous the second book in a series won’t live up to the first. This one may have actually been better!! And I loved the first!!

This was so much better than the 1st book of this series! I loved the first 2 books I read by Elena but The Long Game was a bit of a let down so I was nervous this one would be a bust too but it was so good! I have a feeling Matt would have committed murder for Josie if she had asked because he had no issues doing whatever she needed of him. There was great banter and flirting, a decent amount of spice, and a great surprise from Cam and Adalyn from the first book. So glad that Maria hasn't changed a bit from the first book, that little girl is hilarious!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The whole premise of a romance novel is knowing there is going to be a happily ever after at the end. This happily ever after was absolutely everything! I don’t want to give too much away but the journey was so amazing and heartfelt and real. Elena Armas is so incredibly talented that you feel like you never want to leave the world created and once you do finish the book, you are in such a better place than when you started.

Elena Armas has done it again with *The Fiancé Dilemma*, delivering a delightful romantic comedy that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The story follows the classic trope of a fake engagement, but Armas injects it with fresh humor and heartfelt moments that make it stand out in the genre.

The characters are well-developed, with the protagonist, Lina, being both relatable and endearing. Her chemistry with her fake fiancé, Mateo, is palpable and their witty banter adds a fun dynamic to the narrative.

The pacing of the novel is just right, balancing moments of comedic mishaps with deeper, emotional scenes that explore themes of love, family, and personal growth. The secondary characters also add depth to the story, making the fictional world feel vibrant and real.

While the plot is somewhat predictable, it's executed with such charm and skill that it doesn't detract from the enjoyment. If anything, the predictability provides a comforting framework that allows the characters and their relationships to shine.

Overall, *The Fiancé Dilemma* is a charming, light-hearted read that's perfect for fans of contemporary romance. Elena Armas continues to prove herself as a talented storyteller who knows how to tug at the heartstrings while making you laugh. Highly recommended for a cozy weekend read!

Josie Moore has had an unfortunate past surrounding her previous engagements. And when her newly discovered, absentee father works with a magazine on a piece about his family, Josie’s past comes to light and becomes a PR nightmare. Matthew Flanagan lost his job and decides to pack his things and head to Green Oak where he find himself being introduced as his best friend’s sister’s fiancé. Josie’s plan to deter her father’s PR team only creates more buzz about her (now very public) love life. Matthew and Josie continue on with their ruse and plan a fake wedding for a fake relationship… even if it doesn’t feel so fake anymore.

The Fiancé Dilemma was nothing I expected and everything I needed. Matthew Flanagan has such a fun personality and he has become one of my favorite book boyfriends. The romance and tension between the main characters was incredible, but the plot itself had its flaws. I felt that mose of the conflicts were very avoidable, but I pushed those thoughts aside and thoroughly enjoyed the relationship building between Josie and Matthew.

The Fiancé Dilemma is the second book in the Long Game series but it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend reading The Long Game first to really get the full experience. Much thanks to Atria books for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

small town deliciousness reminiscent of Stars Hollow with all the quirky townspeople. Insta love with a slow burn pay off that's worth the wait.

4.5 stars ⭐️!

literally DEVOURED Matthew and Josie's story omfg

one thing about me is that I will eat up an Elena Armas book, I've read her books since TSLD was published and I will simply continue to read every one that comes out and they will make it onto my list of comfort reads

this slow burn, small town, fake engagement story was literally made for a girl like me, literally some of my fav tropes to read! we were briefly introduced to both of the characters in The Long Game and so getting to learn about them fully was so so fun! I truly loved Josie so much, honestly she was SO relatable to me and I felt like I jsut understood her so well in some situations

Matthew was literally the perfect match for Josie! A character with a calm and lakd back personality, but a hidden side to him that was clearly wild 🙂‍↕️ and as the book progressed and we got to unpack his character more, I just fell more in love with him!

Their story follows a fake engagement plot (duh) but these two truly teased me with the SLOW BURN. now i truly love slow burns but i wasn't expecting that so I was def screaming at them (in a good way LOL) once i started this book, i was hooked

I'll miss reading about them so so much but I know I'll
come back and reread this book again

thank you Atria Books for this arc!

I read about 15% and just couldn't buy into the premise - I adore marriage of convenience, but this seemed like a very silly reason (the ring was stuck?) and moreso, you've never met this person in real life. No chemistry, no spark - it just didn't make sense to me.

Thanks to @netgalley @atriabooks and @thebibliotheque for the chance to read and review an early copy of The Fiance Dilemma. It releases on 7/30/24.

The hook on this one got me immediately--Runaway Bride meets 27 Dresses. If you've loved Elena's other books you won't want to miss this one! (I'm very sad that I will be out of town for her SF event)

Josie's estranged father kept her identity a secret until recently and now her romantic entanglements become a PR issue to solve. She has been engaged four times, so it doesn't seem like a stretch when she gets fake engaged for a fifth time to her brother's best friend, Matthew. What starts as a misunderstanding turns into a mutually beneficial arrangement. But their small town seems hell-bent on making the fifth time the charm. Will they succeed?

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: fake relationship, small town, slow burn, friends to lovers, bad dad

This book was really cute! I absolutely loved the way Matthew treated Josie and the way he flirted with her was everything! I just felt like we knew nothing about Matthew until about 80% in, and even then we were only told things about his family and his previous job, nothing really about him as a person, and that bothered me a bit. I also felt that it was a bit too long for my taste. Despite this, it was a cute story and I would still recommend you give it a try if you're interested.

I've been anxiously awaiting this one and I put it off for so long because I wanted to savor it....and savor it I did. The story itself was a little bit messy, Josie was a little bit messy (and not completely in an endearing way). I wish I had reread the long game prior to starting this, there were so many things I had forgotten.

But Matthew. I loved the chapter at the end from his perspective, but I think the plot in general would have benefited from it being dual POV for the whole story. Matthew alone gets all the stars for this story. ✨️ easily a favorite book boyfriend.

As him and Josie rush to the alter to appease her newly found father, their fake engagement turns to real feelings and there are soo many melt worthy moments that you literally spend the entire book rooting for them. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I just really really loved Matthew. I can't wait to listen to the audio book and pick up things I may have missed!


Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The Fiancé Dilemma (The Long Game, #2)
by Elena Armas

⭐⭐⭐
🌶🌶🌶

The Fiancé Dilemma is the second book in an interconnected series (duet?) by Elena Armas. I actually hadn't read the first book (The Long Game) but that didn't impact my ability to understand & enjoy this book.

This is a friends-to-lovers small town rom-com. Matthew and Josie's story is a sweet & spicy romance with The Runaway Bride vibes. It has a good sense of humor and fun cast of supporting characters. It has a lot of tried & true tropes like:

✨ Slow burn
✨ Found family (in more ways than one)
✨ Fake dating
✨ He falls first
✨ HEA

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was like warm hug that gave me everything I expected. Did it break any new ground? No. Did I ever expect that it would? Also no. I definitely recommend for contemporary romance readers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria Books for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

another hit by elena armas, loved everyone of her books before this and this was no exception. Hope she does a third in this series

I didn’t have the highest expectations after not loving The Long Game, but ended up enjoying this one so much more. Fake engagement, great banter, fun side characters (I want to be BFFs with Maria), and a blonde man 💕

Overall, the plot is quite silly but it’s entertaining, moves pretty quickly, and a perfect summer read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for my copy!
This was a good book, but it was nothing special. I think I went in with too high of expectations as it was first title by this author, but had heard raving reviews for her other works. It was cute, but felt like every other fake-dating book. Nothing felt new or really exciting which I feel like is so needed in today's book society.
I did like the main characters & their chemistry. They were well developed, but I do wish we had learned more about her past relationships. What exactly went wrong with Duncan? He ended it, but for what reason? And then he leaked the video, but why if he wanted Andrew's support? Some things felt rushed and unfinished.
The whole daddy-issues trope didn’t hit for me either. It seemed problematic but Josie pushed everything to the side at the end. It felt unrealistic. Additionally, the sex became very intense. Just something that I didn't know of going into the book because one again, this was my first book from this author.
A bit of a miss for me but overall cute! I would still pick up another title from this author in the future to see what she does!

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

Such a cute follow-up to Armas’s The Long Game! Was here for the romance, hilarious banter, and small town feels. Josie and Matthew’s story was exactly what I was hoping for!

I was surprised this was a single POV since The Long Game was dual POV, but I think that was a good call since it lead to wondering what Matthew truly thought about Josie! At first I really thought he did not like her like that, but as the story develops, you get to see how down bad he is!

I loved how the whole town comes together and supports them both, and the ending was so so sweet. I truly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick read that will keep you interested through every page!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A huge thank you to NetGalley, Elena Armas, and her team!

This was a cute quick read romance with some quirky characters in a quirky small town. The characters overlap from The Long Game, but I preferred this book over that one.

I didn’t understand why Josie felt obligated to bail out an absent father who had never acknowledged her or why she would think solving a PR issue of having 4 ex fiancés could be solved by having another fiancé, but I guess they had to get together somehow. Matthew falls first, but lets Josie figure out her feelings herself. There’s a few slow parts, a few steamy parts, but overall a cute read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers ant the author for providing this ARC.

Elena Armas delivers a charming and heartfelt romance in *The Fiancé Dilemma*. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, and their banter is both witty and endearing. Armas' writing captures the complexities of relationships, blending humor and emotion seamlessly. While some plot points are a bit predictable, the overall story is engaging and satisfying. Fans of contemporary romance will find *The Fiancé Dilemma* a delightful read, full of warmth and genuine connection.