Wow! Just wow. I can see why people were so excited when the news was announced that this author was coming out with a new book cause it did not miss any of the targets it aimed for. I loved Beck as a hero. He gave off himbo vibes while still showcasing high levels of various types of intelligence. I love the encouragement he gave Hazel even before they entered into the fake relationship and how genuinely happy he was for her whenever she accomplished something she thought she couldn't.

And the spice...I've written before about how one should not judge the spicy content of a book by a cutesy illustrated cover but man...I was not prepared for the level of steam that would be contained between these covers. I had to stop more than a few times to get a clear head.

But that wasn't the only thing about this book. It was like a warm hug and I'm mad at myself for taking so long to read it. Would highly recommend.

2.75 stars, rounded up.
I am a fan of a very specific type of romance, and I am honesty not sure that I like the fake dating (or in this case, marriage) trope. This book is a great pallet cleanser after reading a bunch of horror and thriller novels, however this was not for me.

Absolutely devoured this book! The author did an amazing job and I’ve been recommending it ever since I read it! Loved the characters.

I enjoyed this fake marriage story, it’s one of my favorite tropes when it’s done well, and it’s done very well here. I liked both main characters, they fit together well and when their romance turns real it’s totally believable.
4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Honestly, I wanted to love it. It's a fake marriage trope, with one bed? Add in the plus-sized girlie rep and I should have been sold! I was sold! But I felt like I was reading Ned Flanders try to seduce a distrustful writer. I can get behind the distrustful writer, that's not problem. It's all the things Ned there said. I drudged along but it was a lot and I probably should have stopped while I was ahead.

It's a shame because I absolutely adore Charlotte Stein. Iv'e read a couple other books of hers and they were a delight to read but this one was a touch too far for me.

This was so cute and sweet, definitely an easy summer read. I had so much fun reading these two realise that they were always meant to be together

My Big Fat Fake Marriage is a witty, fun, and delightfully unconventional romance full of sparks and unexpected twists. Charlotte Stein crafts lovable characters and sharp humor that make this fake-marriage trope feel fresh and irresistible. A total joy to read!

This book was such a fun and charming read! The romance was perfectly crafted, filled with banter, chemistry, and steam. I loved Hazel and Beck together; the two were so kind to one another and always put each other first. Beck was so attentive and tender. They were just both completely obsessed with each other, and I loved their obvious lust. First time reading from Charlotte Stein, enjoyed the book.

TIE ME UP WITH THIS BOOK.

Good lord, this was so fun,

The Ted Lasso vibes were vibing so well and I was LIVING.

So sweet and sexy and fun!

4.5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book for my honest review.

Tropes:
● Forced Proximity
● Fake Dating
● One Bed
● Sexual Tension

I had a great time reading this book. My Big Fat Fake Marriage follows Connie and Beck. They are neighbors but Connie distrust Beck because he's so nice. When Connie stumbles to his apartment, she notices something very startling. Turns out, he has schemed a whole charade at work about having a wife. Nevertheless, she is ready to help him out by attending a writing retreat for his job. But sparks fly at the writing retreat and things get steamy and sexual tension arises. And you know what, who would've known that Beck's righteousness and chivalry was so sexy!!!

I was swooning how Beck understood Connie. The banter was sweet and sexy.

I also liked how the 3rd act breakup was quickly resolved. It was needed to make things clear.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage was one of those books I had a really hard time putting down—it was just so delicious in all the right ways. The setup is classic fake marriage, but the execution? Total perfection.

Henry Samuel Beckett (or Beck) is the ultimate cinnamon roll hero—soft, swoony, emotionally available, and charming in that bow-tie-wearing, sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day kind of way. I adored him. And Connie? She’s quirky in the best, most relatable way. Her cynicism about “nice guys” made her journey with Beck all the more satisfying and believable. Their chemistry is electric, but it’s the emotional connection that truly shines.

This book has everything I want in a romance: heart, heat, humor, and a love story that makes you believe in the real thing. If you’re a fan of fake marriage tropes with cinnamon roll men and smart, lovable women, My Big Fat Fake Marriage is an absolute must-read.

Read if you like:
🍰 Fake Marriage
🍰 Cinnamon Roll Hero
🍰 Curvy Main Characters
🍰 Forced Proximity
🍰 Only One Bed

I wish I had remembered what I thought about this author's last book before I picked this one up, because I feel exactly the same about this one. This started as a cute, witty rom-com. I liked Connie, and I loved Henry's awkwardness. I can see how his G-rated dialogue could be perceived as cringy, but I thought it was endearing. The fake dating trope was fun, and I liked how Connie was so quick to stick up for Henry with his annoying colleague. However, about halfway through, that all went out the window. For about 8 chapters, the only thing Connie thought about was Henry's "member". Any relationship building ceased. I am not a prude by any means, but this was not even spicy; it was completely cringeworthy and such a turn-off. I almost didn't make it to the end to see how the relationship wrapped up. I do not think this author is for me. If you like spice with no substance, definitely check this one out.

Why why why did it take me so long to read this! It was excellent and wow 🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥. It’s a fake dating / forced proximity romance that packs a punch. I LOVE both the main characters and the way they went on individual journeys of self acceptance, together. Would absolutely recommend! Great beach read (or anytime read).

I really loved Beck, and that is was boosted this rating. I didn’t like the authors writing style; particularly the sentence structure. It was quite odd and distracting. I felt the way she worded her sentences were unnecessarily jambled. There were easier ways to say things and she just didn’t. Or unnecessarily repeating words in a sentence.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was fun and quirky, and I loved the characters. I loved Hazel's internal dialogue, I thought she was so charming and relatable at the same time it really helped in connecting with her. The writing was really funny and the book was just such a fun time. I adored Beck, I loved his character. He was so charming and different from other characters I've read that it was really refreshing. This was just a lovely and enjoyable read.

I cannot even explain to you how sweet this book was. Beck is the cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls. I CANNOT. He's so sweet and majorly sexy. And I love love love Hazel and how relatable she is. And. I love the two of them together. The plus size rep was *chef's kiss* and I loved the fun tropes we got--fake marriage, one bed, forced proximity.

So far I've been very impressed with the Charlotte Stein books I've read and this one was no different!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

If you like a slow burn romance and a story about learning about intimacy together and what that means, this is the book for you. Beck (Henry) is so adorably naïve and wholesome and it just adds so much fun to the character development and the development of the relationship between him and Hazel.

Hazel is extremely apprehensive about others and the way that Beck pulls her out of that and they really learn to trust each other is just beautiful. Thank goodness for the Cinnamon Roll MMC to blow in and create a sense of coziness and belonging. I really wish we had been able to see more of this reflected in the parasocial relationship with the side characters in the book as well.

I really enjoy Charlotte Stein’s writing. This is the second book that I have read of hers and I definitely will be back for more because she just has a way of writing that is so cozy and enjoyable.

Phenomenal book! I really loved this book from start to finish! The characters were well written, the book was very well written. Loved it

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this ARC!
This is a book I was super excited about and was so anxious to read. Sadly I thought the book was just fine. The only thing I really liked about it was Henry. He was an adorable golden retriever boy and he has my whole heart. Over than that I was bored and had no interest in finishing the book but I decided to finish it anyway. I can see other's loving this book but for me it was not the one.

3.5⭐️ I listened to this one on audio and enjoyed the narration of the story. I really enjoyed the writer/editor aspect of the storyline. The writing retreat sounded like a lot of fun and the interactions between the two MCs at the retreat definitely built the tension and deepened the fake wife/marriage storyline.

This book definitely plays into some of the common romance tropes - teddy bear MC (achingly sweet - almost too sweet for me), fake marriage, one bed. Overall, I thought the storyline was good - the interactions between the MCs were engaging - I definitely felt like some of the dialogue was a little cringy and the MMC was almost too sweet for me, but overall an enjoyable and quick read.

Thank you to the publisher for the physical copy as well as the eARC. Of course, special shout out to the illustrator who is one of my all time favorites!!