Charlotte Stein does it again!!! I absolutely adore her writing, it just flows and keeps me hooked! This story was just so much fun! It had a slightly zany premise, but Stein made it believable by having such amazing and hilarious main characters! I adored Hazel, and her insecurities hit me right in the feels. I adored seeing her discover her self worth and grow more comfortable with herself as the story went on. And Henry Samuel Beckett, what can I say about him that will do him justice?! I love him. He's just such a perfect cinnamon roll that needs to be cuddled and kept safe at all costs. They are so good together, their banter and cute scenes make me swoon a little-especially those emails! Also-the spicy scenes were HOT. None of them felt forced in, but each was organic to the story.

Connie is burnt out on love. In her experience there is no such thing as a “nice guy”. Connie runs into her neighbor Beck, who has been nothing but cordial with her. Except Connie believes he’s putting up a facade because in her mind nice guys don’t exist.


Connie’s suspicions are right about her nerdy bowtie wearing neighbor he is putting up a facade. Nice and sweet Beck told his coworkers he was married. When in reality he is 30 single and a virgin. Connie decides to help Beck and pretends to be his wife.


I loved their dynamic together. This was a really cute and wholesome read. If you like odd ball MC’s, fake marriage, one bed , forced proximity, then you’ll eat this book right up

Thank you St Martin Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review

This book didn't do it for me. The banter felt strange and unrelatable and the MMC was super unattractive to me. I'm sure this book will be loved by many but it wasn't my piece of cake!

“My Big Fat Fake Marriage” by Charlotte Stein
This story Surprised me..
This is a good, very good story. But IF you prefer not to read open door romance stories; you might want to pass on this story. I was offered a free read and what I read in the description left me a surprised reader when I got into this story. I persevered and must say it is a good story but .. it turned out not to be my cup of tea. If I had rated this story on my personal preferences alone. it would have only gotten 2 stars at most; but on the story and its merits alone it is at least 4 stars. Happy Reading ! !

My Big Fat Fake Marriage was so cute! I really enjoyed the chemistry between our MCs. I love how corny Beck is and the sweet moments had me kicking my feet! No third act breakup and great representation of larger bodies 👏
5/5 ⭐️
Thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a refreshing and captivating experience, and I found the writing to be both engaging and accessible. The story flowed smoothly, making it easy to stay connected to the plot and characters without feeling lost or overwhelmed. The author struck a perfect balance, keeping things interesting while still making the content feel approachable. Overall, it was a wonderful read, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for an enjoyable and easy-to-digest book.

Charlotte Stein never disappoints. Funny, emotional, and utterly bingeable, I was unable to put My Big Fat Fake Marriage down and I’ll 100% be picking it up again when the audio is released. There is just something about Charlotte’s writing that makes my brain go brr and I never miss a chance to read her.

Henry is the type of guy who would make you cinnamon rolls while you read spicy romance about a cinnamon roll MMC and then give you multiple Os while you talk about your book. You just can’t help but fall in love with him. In fact, he’s so nice and loveable that Hazel, aka Mabel’s bestie Connie, is pretty sure he’s a serial murderer. All that aside, she’s willing and able to step in to put a shitty coworker of Henry’s into place.

Connie/Hazel (to be called Hazel for the rest of this review) is a badass who doesn’t need anyone. Except, she’s kind of addicted to everyone’s approval and being the posh girl. After years of conditioning from her perception obsessed mother, Hazel doesn’t know who she is or how to be herself. She’s so certain that she’s doing Henry a favor when she joins him on a writing retreat posing as his fake wife but Henry has his work cut out for him too. The way Henry nudges Hazel into being the person she wants to be without seeming to do anything is utterly masterful.

I absolutely loved seeing Hazel come out of her shell and Henry is a blushing, bumbling adorkable giant who is joining the top of my Book Boyfriend list.

Eeeek I feel bad but I jumped ship at 70% 🫣

I liked When Grumpy Met Sunshine so I was excited to receive an ARC of My Bit Fat Fake Marriage. Unfortunately, this just was really cringey.

I've read a lot of reviews that the MMC is meant to be inspired by Ted Lasso, but this just takes it a bridge too far. The quirks and dialogue were so over the top and unlike how any real person would act -- like, golly and gee wiz paired with the super awkward sexual talk did not work whatsoever.

I hope to give Charlotte Stein another chance in the future, this one just wasn't for me.

Connie has been burned by "nice guys" and when she finds herself falling for the ultimate nice guy next door, she doesn't know whether its meant to be or not... especially since they're pretending to be a couple on a writing retreat and sharing a bed. I want to start off by saying I adored "When Grumpy Met Sunshine", the first book in this series, and I can tell that the male love interest are all mostly inspired by Ted Lasso characters. In this book it follows Connie, a woman who is tired of "nice guys" being not so great, and so when she meets her next door neighbor, the ultimate nice guy, Henry Samuel Beckett, she knows there has to be something sinister underneath his nice guy persona... except maybe not. What Connie finds is that Henry is actually the ultimate cinnamon roll guy, he's sweet, he doesn't swear, and he's so naive and adorable. She also discovers that he's been lying about having a wife and that he's told everyone at his publishing house that he's married... and when he is almost caught, Connie steps in and says she's his wife... and so begins their fake marriage. They both have to go on a writing retreat, and keep up the act... while sharing a bed and Connie is finding that she is falling fast and hard for this nice guy... but is it all an act or is it real on his part? Henry definitely is a mix of Ted Lasso and Ned Flanders, and apparently looks like a hairy Captain America. I really wish I could have liked this one because i absolutely adored the first book but something about this one just missed the mark for me. Beck just felt so awkward despite being so wholesome and sweet. I just kind of felt so out of place in their romance. This book just didn't hit as well as the first book to me and thats okay, I'm still a huge fan of Charlotte Stein and can't wait to read what she writes next.

Release Date: March 11, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A few of my favourite tropes present in this one!! One bed, fake dating/marriage and lots of forced proximity. Also the book / publishing industry connection which is a cherry on top.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read BUT upon reflection it’s not super plot heavy and there’s a place for that especially in this genre. I really enjoyed the relationship at the centre of this story and its evolution, however brief.

Light, fun and an enjoyable read. A happy stand alone companion to the first by this author.

Wow. I was not ready for the pacing of this book. It is really 0-60 in 30 seconds, both for the humor and the heat.


Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Beck is utterly wacky. He’s a huge dude that wears bowties and avoids crass words, even in private. He writes notes to himself and bakes. He is American (probably Southern of some variety based on his vocab), working in England as an editor. And the whole book is from Connie’s perspective as she processes everything culture and upbringing have taught her about nice guys.


The action moves quite quickly in this book. From their first real conversation to leaving for the writing retreat, the time is short. And at the retreat, their relationship moves fast as they negotiate being adults in this shared lie and room.


I liked their relationship and the nerd culture scattered throughout. I was not offput by their speed, but it is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. And the heat, the steaminess is quite high here, fair warning. It was also really funny, at least to me. Some dialogue ended up being laugh worthy and situations were trope-y.


I enjoyed this quick read romance featuring a huge cinnamon roll and recovering grumpy cat. It was hard to take breaks from reading this as it was quite funny.

I had the privilege of an advance copy of this book. Had a bit of trouble getting started but the premise intrigued me so I kept reading. The interaction between Hazel and Beck was different and I struggled with a man being so naive in today's world is kind of hard to accept. In all it was a cute romance between two broken people who fit together. I was surprised when the steamy finally happened but it helped me enjoy the book.
This is my first book by this author and I will try to read another before commenting too much on the style.
I see this as a beach read where you don't have to think a whole lot and just relax

Charlotte Stein writes amazing banter.

Connie (aka Hazel) lives across the hall from Beck (aka Henry). She mistakenly believes he might be a serial killer. Come to find out, the situation is way sillier - he pretended he was married to his coworkers. Hazel jumps in to save him from his own undoing. Hence, the fake marriage scheme.

“He’s just incredibly burly. Bearish, almost. Like some big wholesome dork in the body of a lumberjack.”

I loved these two - Beck is a giant cinnamon roll, and Hazel has been hurt before, so she’s a little leery of such a nice guy. Fake marriage turn to real love?

This book was adorable and I liked it. It was spicy, it had amazing tropes: one bed, cinnamon roll MMC, and a black cat FMC.

The MMC was a timid, burly, nerdy man but when him and the FMC were finally together, you forgot all about his timidness when he opened his FILTHY mouth! <3

Thank you so much though to NetGally, Charlotte Stein, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was so here for this 40 year old virgin inspired romcom!! Set in the same universe as When grumpy met sunshine, this book features Mabel's friend Connie who unexpectedly finds herself volunteering to pose as her nerdy, awkward neighbor, Henry's fake wife on a writing retreat he's organized. I loved the honest, open communication between Connie and Henry. They bond over a shared love of Star Wars and old tv shows like Quantum Leap. It was also swoony watching Connie get angry on Henry's behalf when he's too nervous to stand up against bullies. Steamy and heartfelt and just pure fun. This was great on audio narrated by Imogen Wilde and perfect for fans of authors like Kayla Grosse. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Want to read a story where you have a nerdy cinnamon roll who is actually isn't when he finds his person?
Turns out that Connie...was looking in all the wrong places yet he knew all along...who she was meant to be.

Connie and Beck are just two nerds, finding their way, to each other.
This story was wholesome, spicy, and full of witty banter.

Not only does My Big Fat Fake Marriage having fake dating, you also have the single bed trope, which we know never fails the readers.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage
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Ugh I really wanted to love this one, there were so many things I enjoyed! I loved their honesty together, it was a judgement free zone and there was so much encouragement and communication along the way, and fake dating is one of my favorites! It also perfectly shows us how we don’t have to change for other people, we don’t have to dim our light to make someone like us. You’ll find your people who will love you for you and only want you to be your true self, I loved the authenticity. Now…Beck is THE cinnamon roll of the cinnamon rolls and I love me some cinnamon rolls, the writing threw me off though 🫣 He used words like ‘jeepers’, ‘sweet lady friend’, and ‘by golly’ just to name a few…it almost felt overly cutesy at times, like a joke maybe, but wasn’t meant to be joke (almost what you expect when reading a magical realism romance in the hallmark town in the 50s lol). The MMC is also very inexperienced and again love it, totally fine, but there moments that felt a bit childish to me, I don’t know, just not my cup of tea, but it could be yours!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you NetGalley, Charlotte Stein, and St. Martin’s Griffin for this e-arc, it comes out March 11th!
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Ali Hazelwood did a great job in Love Hypothesis (I think that’s the one I’m thinking about) where Olive was inexperienced and their moments together were filled with a lot conversation, fumbling, etc but it still was hot. Why is that awkward to say, I need to grow up 😂 that’s just an example of when it worked for me

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the premise. I loved the plus sized main characters. But I just did not connect.

A fake dating trope between two neighbors. Connie is a hard outer shell character that has a soft heart. Beck is a nerdy, wholesome man. And they pretend to be married while at a writers conference to avoid too many questions from Beck’s co-workers.

The story itself was cute and a little fluffy. But I struggled with the dialog. I found it hard to follow, particularly when Connie was talking to her best friend.

This one was not for me. 3 Stars.

Connie has no intention of settling down. She's used to men using her. She doesn't trust men and doesn't believe there is a nice guy or marriage in her future.

Beck, her neighbor across the hall, seems a bit strange but somehow Connie finds herself feeling a protective of him, leading to a massive blunder where she tells a coworker of his that she is Beck's wife, which means they have to fake this relationship in front of said co-worker at a long work retreat.

I had a hard time getting into the book until about halfway through, and had difficulty connecting with the characters at times. There was very little angst or yearning, the MMC almost too mellow. I did appreciate the characters attempts at building each other's confidence. Overall it was a perfectly pleasant story. It's one I'd recommend to some of my friends, but not one I'd see myself reading a second time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for providing an eARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I loved it so much. It was funny and cute and everything I was hoping it would be. So happy I got to read this, there were so many moments where I was laughing out loud.