A solid 4 stars! This book was funny, and cute, I loved the main characters. It did start to get a bit repetitive with certain phrases or in the doubting romance moments, but it was not bothersome enough to change my rating!

Connie thinks she knows herself and men so well, but when suspicion of her neighbor creeps in, she has to confront him but I don’t think she’s ready for what’s gonna happen next!

Beck is a burly dork who works as an editor, but his coworker is a bully and he can’t stick up for himself. But Connie will!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of My Big Fat Fake Marriage!

this book was such a cute and fluffy romance!! it had a few moments or phrases here and there that didnt exactly hit for me, but i had fun nonetheless! i loved their little notes back and forth and just seeing how well they complimented each other with their similar interests was really heartwarming.

also i just wanna know where i can find my own beck? like is that too much to ask for here? 😅😭

thank you so much netgalley and st martin’s press/ st martins griffin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Honestly starting this read had me questioning if i would finish; the characters were pretty quirky from the jump and the writing took some getting used to but by the end I was jumping for joy for the HEA. I loved this version of almost grumpy x sunshine; MMC is so sweet, kinda dorky and awkward while the FMC is cold, broken from her past and hard on the outside (hiding the most tender heart beneath it all). These two had the chemistry, the spic was unexpected but alluring and overall was a beautiful story that was so unique and original.

Oof. This book.

Look, I wanted to like it, tried so hard to like it, but it was a mess from start to finish. I made my first negative note on page one but kept reading. I have, after all, enjoyed this author before (four stars for When Grumpy Met Sunshine!), and I trusted that my perseverance would be rewarded.

It was not.

So, back to that page one note—Hazel recaps a date with “the last decent-seeming guy” she went out with, but nothing she describes indicates decency, and we are never given a reason why she even agreed to the date. Nor is there any indication that that man, or any other man she mentions throughout the novel, baited-and-switched her. Not once do we see “fakers who use the idea of being nice as some kind of currency” luring her in with a Nice Guy routine. It’s more that her default is something like, ‘Welp, I guess all guys are asshats, so I must date asshats.’

And maybe this rough start would’ve faded from my memory if Hazel’s backstory were more fully developed, but it isn’t. We’re given a smidgen of parental toxicity, but it’s too sparse and superficial to justify her behaviors and decisions—including her decision to rename and then un-rename herself, a gimmick the book didn’t need.

Then there’s Beck. Let me be clear: he is a caricature, not a character.

I’m going to limit myself to the costume choices made on behalf of this over-the-top cinnamon-roll MMC (which means I’m not even going to get into the whole Ned Flanders/Ted Lasso speech-pattern thing, except to say that it was such a lazy way illustrate his naiveté). But Beck’s bow ties, suspenders, and long johns—followed by his complete style change for the writing retreat? It doesn’t make sense, and it certainly doesn’t help flesh out a believable character. Think about it for a minute—a big deal is made about Beck wearing long johns, “the kind that connect with a top.” They get four mentions early in the book. Seems important, right? Like maybe the long johns, or his preference for them over underwear, illustrate an aspect of Beck’s inner world. Except that they are never mentioned again. Instead, we see him don “really, really tiny shorts,” “seventies shorts,” to lead the retreat. Um, really? I get that I’m overthinking this, but let’s face it—there is no world in which it’s cold enough to merit long johns one day and warm enough to casually switch to too-short shorts and a thin t-shirt days later. It doesn’t make sense for character development or for how humans actually live in the world.

Another thing that doesn’t make sense is that nobody ever asks about Hazel’s non-American accent. I mean, Beck is American, and he tells people that his “wife” isn’t with him because she’s “stuck in the US.” Seems like maybe she’s American, too, right? But when Hazel, a native Englander, impulsively introduces herself as Beck’s suddenly-in-London wife, nobody questions it? Are you kidding me?

The last thing I’m going to mention is the banter. It isn’t good. It pains me to say this since it’s one of the things I loved in When Grumpy Met Sunshine, but it too often feels forced and pointless in this book. I had to scan backward several times even to make sense of some of the back-and-forth between Hazel and Beck. Imagine my disappointment when I put in that effort only to find that they didn’t really say anything.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage could have been good. It could have been a light and witty rom-com that nevertheless managed to say something incisive about virginity and self-worth. But it isn't, and it didn't.

This book was funny. I definitely enjoyed reading it. The characters were amazing and the story line was great. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it. And it's definitely 5 stars

2.8/5 Rounded up
I love the fake dating trope so this premise caught my attention, specially since the MMC was described as being a nice guy too. Lately all the male characters in romance are very macho or possessive so this was a nice change. The story has its sweet moments but the characterizations were a bit much. Nothing wrong with Beck being super nice but the way he talked was a bit cringey, with the jeepers, darns and fudging, who really talks like that all the time. As for Connie I liked that she was confident and wanted Beck to be too but her inner dialogues were so long. And I don't really think it was necessary for her to change her name, in what world is Connie better than Hazel. Where it missed me a bit too was that as soon as they got to the retreat it became lust city and that's all she seemed to think about. Overall it was an easy book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

This was story had me laughing at the situations the two main characters would get themselves in. In this story we have Hazel and Beck who are neighbors. Beck has told his colleagues at work that he has a make believe wife. In a the heat of passion after getting to know him Hazel announces she is his wife to his annoying coworker at a party.

This story has you rooting for this couple the throughout the story. I enjoyed seeing both of them come together and realize they could become their true self.

Hello Fellow Readers,

This is my first read of 2025, and it's a five-star? How delightful. I hope this sets the reading tone for this year because I am ready for more great reads. The main female character, Hazel, was amazing. At a glance, you may think she is self-confident, but it becomes fairly obvious that her self-confidence needs a pick-me-up. From an overly critical mother to very, very, very awful ex-boyfriends, Hazel needs someone to love her and understand that she can be successful and loved.

In comes Beck, the nerdy, inexperienced teddy bear of a man, who has made up a wife because he didn't want Doug (screw you Doug) to tease him. Hazel steps up thinking she could put Doug (screw you Doug) in his place, not realizing that this will unlock exactly what she needs. Beck and Hazel's chemistry is off the charts and the spice is *Chef's Kiss*. Beck may just be the fake book husband of my dreams and I feel sorry for any book MMC love interest that has to compare.

Overall, a delightfully hot read in my favorite trope.

The characters were interesting but the book was too slow for me. . Thank you St Martin’s press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story is a solid 3.5 stars. I received this ARC from NetGalley and enjoyed the banter, the incredulity of the story, and the sweetness of the characters but I took fault with how frustratingly similar yet silly these two leads were. This was an incredibly slow burn. Plus, the 🌶️ was heavy and wild and not problematic but a bit messy, still, it was also funny and entertaining too. Overall, I enjoyed it and would read others from Ms. Charlotte Stein.

This book was SO cute, fun, & steamy! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. This is very much a fun romance escape read.

Long story short: MMC Beck and FMC Connie are neighbor acquaintances and end up in a long con with Beck’s work colleagues that Connie is his wife. Hilarity and Spice ensue!

Things I loved:

American Ted Lasso-esque MMC x Eccentric Brit FMC
Plus size representation
Forced Proximity
Fake Marriage
Man-maiden MMC
🌶️🌶️🌶️ pretty spicy
Very funny banter

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of the ARC.

This is my second book by this author, and I thought I would enjoy this more than How to Help a Hungry Werewolf (which I also read on NetGalley), but sadly, this also did not hit the mark for me. This book was not what I was expecting, even though the synopsis sounded intriguing.

This book had its moments, just as Werewolf did. I am just starting to believe perhaps that the stories might be good, but this author might just not be for me. There were parts that I enjoyed, and some times when I could stand the main characters.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this fake marriage of convenience book! The characters were over the top but in an enjoyable way. The book was also funny.

I was really interested in this book when I heard the premise, but unfortunately it did not hold up for me. I could not take the writing seriously, something about it did not add up. I could not believe I was reading about a grown woman and not a 16 year old. I had to stop reading halfway beacuse the plot was not interesting enough to keep going.

A sweet and super spicy (very graphic) romance develops through fake dating. Beck is the most wholesome MMC. Connie could be a tad annoying but easy to read through the character development. I enjoyed the moments of confidence building for both main characters.


Thank you to Charlotte Stein, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent book!! I enjoyed the character development as well as how the plot was developed throughout the story. The author was able to to do a good job with all aspects of the story. I would recommend to others.

My first Charlottes Stein novel—definitely not the last! I enjoyed pretty much everything about it. Great characters, lovely Indonesian setting, believable romance and sometimes laugh out loud wit and humor. Plus it’s always rewarding to watch good-hearted characters win out over the jerks.

This was a fun, VERY spicy romance book about overcoming all the "negatives" we believe about ourselves & finding someone who embraces them. This is a grumpy/sunshine trope with only one bed thrown in. The sex scenes are graphic if that is or is not your thing. I have not read the previous book that is about 2 side characters & don't think that's a requirement to read this one. Overall, a good, witty romance that tackles somewhat heavy themes in a fun way.

DNF @ 35%.

This book was not was I was expecting and I did not enjoy it due to the characters. I found Connie to be very annoying and Beck talked like an old man in 60s when in fact he’s 35. The vibe of this book was not for me , however this may be a good read for someone who is a fan of the authors works.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I loved how quirky some of the characters were. It was a fun and quick easy read.

Definitely recommend!