4.5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and Elena Armas for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this! I fell in love with Josie and all her quirks in The Long Game and I was so happy to know that The Fiancé Dilemma would center around her and Matthew.

Just like Josie, this book was a whirlwind that kept you guessing. I loved Matthew and Josie together and the fact that Matthew was always in her corner from day one - especially considering how their first meeting went!

I also loved seeing Adalyn and Cam again!

WOW I loved this so so much.

Matthew was so perfect and the way he showed up for Josie just had me swooning nonstop. I’m a sucker for a good fake dating trope and this book just did things so so so right.

I’m literally already itching to read this again.

Thank you to Atria Books + NetGalley for this eARC!

The obsession I have with this book. Matthew coming to Josie’s help randomly at first and then continuing to try to show Josie that she is worth more than what everyone expects of her or what the media is saying melted my heart. Also the fact that he’s her newfound sister’s best friend who can’t stand the deadbeat dad (for Josie) and isn’t afraid to go against him or the people’s he’s hired to “fix the mess” that is his new daughter’s PR nightmare of almost weddings? Love him. Josie is a sweetheart who deserves protecting and I’m glad Matthew recognized that

I didn't read the first book in the series before this one and I feel like I should have to fully get this one. I think this book could still be a stand-alone, but background and context was missed without the first. I think I had a hard time understanding Matthew and Josie's dynamic because he likes her almost immediately. I wish we got to see more growth there because I kept thinking "was I supposed to read the one before this to get it?". I also think Cam and Adalyn were mentioned too little for them to hold any emotional stakes to me as someone who is reading this stand-alone, but too often that it made me confused on if I actually HAD to read that book before.

I liked Josie as a character, but I wish we got more depth on her role as mayor. Like I said, maybe they do that in the last book, but it felt more like something that was occasionally said in this one. I also think we never saw her coffeeshop again after about halfway through.

Matthew felt pretty one-dimensional to me. I only learned that Matthew loves Josie, Boston, and not his old job. I'm not sure I know much else about him than his feelings for Josie.

We also never found out why her engagements ended before. At one point, I thought it was hinting that it would be like a big reveal later but it just... wasn't. I think there were too many half baked antagonists: Bobbi (who I actually enjoyed lol), Andrew, Otto (is he one? idek!), Duncan.

Fake dating is my favorite trope and I don't mind formulaic aspects about it. I think, however, that this one just didn't do it for me. I'm rating this 2.75 stars!

i absolutely loved this book! i was in a reading slump for a while and this was the book that broke me out of it. Josie and Matthew’s story literally made me tear up, i kid you not. i laughed, i cried, this made me feel everything. Fake Dating is one of my favourite tropes and Elena Armas captured it perfectly. I started this book on the way to work and i wasn’t able to continue reading until I got home, where I finished it in one sitting. It was a fast paced book and I loved every moment of it. Thank you for the opportunity to give me an ARC!

💜Fake Engagement
💜He Falls First
💜Small Town
💜Slow Burn

This was such a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed the fake dating aspect and that Matthew went along with Josie’s hare brained idea…going along with her telling her dad she was engaged to him. I loved that he stood up for her and fell hard for her. Josie was an endearing character that I loved from the get go. She was down to earth and relatable as well as funny. These two had me cracking up multiple times! Over all I really enjoyed this book. The only thing was I wish that we had gotten more of Matthews point of view.

From Spanish Love Deception to The Long Game Elena Armas has had an incredible way with words and has become a writer whose works I enjoy greatly. The Fiancée Dilemma was absolutely no different.
First I would like to give a huge thank you to #NetGallery and #Atria Books for an Arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I truly am grateful for having an opportunity to read this story.
The Fiancée Dilemma is an extreme good time. For fans of The Long Game you are definitely going to want to read about Josie and Matthew’s story.
What I loved about this story was how funny it was. Grandpa Moe, Adalyn and Maria do not disappoint. There is no third act breakup and he falls first. I also love the idea that along the way Matthew and Josie fall in love and he sees her for who she truly is. Josie for along time hasn’t been seen or heard by the men in her life. Matthew accepts and loves her for everything she is and everything she stands for. Matthew was a man you would definitely need in your own relationship.
Overall i thoroughly enjoyed this story. My overall rating is 4 stars. The only wish i had was to get more of Matthew’s p.o.v but even though we didn’t this story was overall a good time

The Fiancé Dilemma

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced readers copy of The Fiancé Dilemma.
This was a different plot than I’m used to: Josie has been engaged four times and this book highlights the story of her fifth engagement. I mistakenly did not read The Long Game, which is this book’s predecessor. I assume I would have more background story if I had read it prior.

Josie and Matthew were a cute story, but not the most believable, even for a fiction novel. I enjoyed my time reading this and I suggest fans of Elena Armas add this book to their reading list!

I finished this gem a while ago and finally get to gush about it! I love Elena Armas- her writing is hilarious, fast-paced, and creative. I also love that the characters that she creates are real and experience feelings in a realistic way. The entire book I was laughing because of the crazy situation the FMC finds herself in, but what I LOVED was that the MMC gave up and just went with it! Yes, it's a slow burn, fake dating, small-town story, but it feels original because of the characters Armas developed. There's SO much chemistry throughout the entire book that I was screaming at some points for the two goofballs to finally give in, and it did not disappoint! I do love a story where the MMC falls first (and hard)! I didn't need confirmation, but yeah, I'll read anything Elena Armas writes! Highly recommend this wonderful read! Brb, about to start my reread...
Thanks, #NetGalley for my ARC of #TheFianceDilemma

loved this book! the fiance dilemma is just marriage of convenience perfection. in elena fashion, its so funny and chemistry filled.

Elena Armas at her best. Fast paced, entertaining, everything you want out of a contemporary romance. I found myself grinning at the ARC far more often than I care to admit. A perfect summer romcom.

This book was not a favorite for me and I had hoped it would be. It seemed like a light and fun read, but overall it did not hit home for me. The characters were just ok, the banter was off, and the whole thing made for an ok read. The characters were choppy, the storyline was blah, and it just made for a difficult read. I didn't connect with any of the characters and the storyline should have been easy and light, but this was hard to finish. Overall this book was not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Good book. Elena Armas has a way of writing characters that you can hate at the beginning but then love by the end. Josie was manipulative, but you understood her by the end. Matthew single-handedly saved this from being a terrible romance.

My outward facing notes are here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6552900768.

Copyedit notes:
Pg 45 2nd paragraph: "I also wish I hadn't," -- just (suggesting adding a comma for clarity). Had to reread the sentence.
Pg 111 second paragraph should read "concern surged..." -- not "concerned surged"?
Pg 260 1st paragraph last sentence "...Or when I flip you on your* belly?..." -- "your" is missing?
Pg 295 paragraph 3 last sentence, "...but my hormones are on* high alert " -- not "in high alert"?
Pg 299 paragraph 2, 4th sentence "...telling you anyone's story..." -- "anyone's" instead of "no one's"?

ELENA DID IT AGAIN! Josie and Matthew are quite possibly my favorite couple, they are so amazing. Matthew is 10/10 and possibly one of my favorite MMCs ever. I missed the cute quirky Josie I got to see in The Long Game but my love for her is still strong. Genuinely loveable characters and a great book!

"Beautiful things shouldn't be boxed. It eventually dims their light."

I am very conflicted on how I feel about this book.

What I liked:
- Matthew is 🔥🔥🔥
- the small town is a joy to be back on. I wish we got more time with the all the kids in town
- I enjoyed the parts with Josie and Shark, where she really stood up for herself.

What didn’t work for me:
- When the scenes at the end of chapters were just cut off, and the next chapter would pick up days later. It happened so many times.
-Some of the chemistry between Matthew and Josie felt lacking

3.75/5 stars: I was grateful to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. This was my first Elena Armas book. I enjoyed the romance a lot and Matthew Flanagan is the KINDEST soul. I loved that there is no third act breakup! I just found myself super confused about what any of this has to do with Josie’s dad. I HATED Bobbi the whole story. She was annoying & honestly felt unnecessary. I didn’t like the podcast & thought it was unnecessary. I wished there was more of a redemption arc with Josie & her father’s story. I enjoyed the romance, but the plot with her dad & the PR was hard to understand. Overall, I did enjoy this book.

💍 💜

4⭐️

I read The Long Game right before this, I was so excited to jump into this ARC right after! I’ve read all of Elena’s books, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Her books always make me laugh, her MMC’s are always so swoon worthy as well 🫠

Josie finds herself in a predicament, a PR nightmare caused by her estranged father. In walks Matthew, fake fiancé extraordinaire to save the day. They come up with an agreement, however the lines get blurred. Boundaries are crossed, but hearts are healed ❤️

I absolutely adored these characters, Josie is quirky and so fun. Matt is such a sweetie, it’s hard not to fall for him. If you enjoy, fake relationships, small town rom coms, you’ll love this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC, I was honored for the opportunity to early read this book.

I’ve read every Elena Armas novel and loved them all. She’s quickly becoming one of my most recommended authors. And Matthew is now a Top 5 romance hero. Swoon.

In all fairness, Josie took time to grow on me. She came off as immature and messy and the runaway bride thing… but seeing her growth and her relationship with Matthew made me love, love, love this one. (Also, always fun to see Adalyn, Cameron, and the goats!)

3.25 ⭐️
NetGalley ARC Review
Elena Armas is an automatic read author for me. I’ve enjoyed all of her books and was super excited for this one as fake dating/engagement is one of my favorite tropes. However, it fell a little flat for me at times. The overall plot was fun, but wasn’t explored to its full potential. Josie’s four failed engagements were a major plot point, yet they weren’t really fleshed out or explained to the extent I expected. I just never really felt connected or like I understood Josie. I did enjoy Matthew and would’ve loved more of him. This story was simultaneously a super slow burn while also not really having much on paper build up/development. It just didn’t feel like we really got to see their feelings/relationship develop, there was nothing and then everything all of a sudden. So while the story was fun and cute it was also lacking. So if you’re looking for a simple cute read, you will probably enjoy this book, just don’t go in expecting anything super deep.

Josie's reputation as a four-time runaway bride isn't great PR for her uber-rich and famous absentee father who has decided to make a splash of his retirement so she tries to rectify the blemish her reputation may have on her father's big news by faking an engagement to her sister's best friend, Matthew.

I really liked the premise of this book, it was something different from the usual fake-dating trope, but I had a hard time relating to Josie. I found her a bit immature and kind of annoying. But I liked Matthew and without giving any spoilers, I liked, and was surprised by, his reason for participating in Josie's scheme.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.