While I really liked the premise of this story, the execution didn’t work for me. Hazel (Connie) and Beck live across the hall from each other. She has been disappointed by men and does not believe in true love. Beck appears to be too nice to be true.

While a very nice man, Beck is very awkward with others and inexperienced with women. He has also been bullied into saying get is married by a colleague. Odd, but the premise of the fake marriage. Hazel agrees to pose as Beck’s wife at a work retreat.

While I enjoyed the story of Beck and Hazel getting to know each other, and letting down their emotional guards, I found the abundance of sexual explicit scenes greatly overdone. To me, they were awkward and uncomfortable to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for and ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super adorable fake marriage trope. Cinnamon MMC with tough FMC. Slow burn and all the tension was fantastic!!

Wholesome, sweet, and totally swoon worthy. I see why Charlotte Stein has a following!

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

I loved this book! The forced proximity and one bed DID IT FOR ME and I was here for it. It took me a minute to get into the story but once the characters arrived at their ski villa, I was dying laughing at their tension and subsequent awkwardness.

Connie and Beck have a beautiful and at times, hilarious relationship. I enjoyed how they danced around each other and how much of a cinnamon roll MMC Beck is. It was great seeing Connie realize that categorizing all the “nice guys” in one box had held her back from seeing how wonderful Beck truly was. It was giving growth in all the best ways!

This was a cute read that is perfect for the wintertime. I lived vicariously through their ski chalet and writing retreat- it truly sounds like the dream! It was an easy book to read and enjoy.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hazel, who also calls herself "Connie," decides to help her neighbor Beck by pretending to be his "fake" wife. They are neighbors, and Hazel finds out about his "fake" wife scheme when she enters his apartment, and sees what she thinks is a murder board on his wall, but it is actually all of the information he needs to keep his fake wife ruse going at work. They attend a writing retreat together where the fake wife scheme plays out.

Beck is a total cinnamon roll hero, and I like the fact that he is not your typical hero with ripped abs. Hazel makes a point of calling him a "bear" and referring to his "love handles," and yet she finds him attractive anyway. The two of them are obviously very attracted to each other, but of course, for romance reasons, they keep their feelings a secret, and neither feels worthy of the other.

This book is what I would call very "interior.." There is actually very little action. Most of the story is actually the thoughts of both Hazel and Beck, as well as the emails and notes they send back and forth to each other.

MBFFM was an interesting read for sure! This story of salty and sweet flips the tropes and gender roles in a fun and engaging way. I’ve learned from a previous Charlotte Stein novel that she has a unique writing style that takes a little getting used to. I compare it to a too-hot bath, you want to get in, but take some time and adjustment to get used to it. I liked the plot and the self discovery for the GMC was well done. At times it was too schmaltzy for me, but I can imagine couples going head first like this, it’s just not my typical style. I wish there’d been more story development around the BMC and would have loved this to be a dual PoV. I found myself wanting his perspectives and not only from the loves interests vantage.

I recommend this for lovers of fake dating and only one bed tropes and fans of sometimes raunchy scenes.

I’m making a vow to myself in 2025 to be more selective about what I request on Net Galley to better cater to my tastes. I’m really not built for a zany, silly romcom, which is exactly what My Big Fat Fake Marriage is. I’d gladly recommend it to readers who enjoy that kind of story, but it’s not for me.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein is a steamy, lighthearted rom-com that leans heavily into the fake relationship trope with a mix of humor, charm, and plenty of heat. The premise—a fake marriage between two opposites for mutual benefit—is a tried-and-true setup for romantic comedy, and Stein injects her signature wit and emotional depth into the story, making it a fun and entertaining ride.

The main characters, Beatrice and Andrew, are well-drawn, if somewhat familiar. Beatrice is a quirky, slightly awkward heroine with a big heart, while Andrew is the brooding, seemingly aloof love interest who softens as the story progresses. Their banter is sharp and engaging, and the chemistry between them is palpable, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as they navigate their “marriage” in increasingly ridiculous situations.

One of the novel’s strengths is Stein’s ability to balance humor with genuine emotional moments. As the story unfolds, the characters’ vulnerabilities are revealed, giving the romance depth and making the eventual love story feel earned. However, the book occasionally feels predictable, following many of the beats common to rom-coms without adding a significant twist or innovation to the genre.

Additionally, while the spicy scenes are well-written and steamy, they can sometimes overshadow the emotional development of the relationship, which might leave some readers wishing for more balance between the physical and emotional aspects of the romance.

Overall, My Big Fat Fake Marriage is an enjoyable, fast-paced read that delivers on its promise of humor, heat, and heart. While it doesn’t reinvent the fake marriage trope, it executes it with enough charm and flair to keep fans of romantic comedies thoroughly entertained. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good, spicy romance with a bit of chaos, this book is worth picking up.

⭐️ Not for me. DNF at 20%

The premise of this story seemed right up my alley, but the execution did not do it for me. The dialogue from the MMC came across as childish and dumb instead of genuinely wholesome. I was expecting more Ted Lasso and got…Elmo? I tried, I just really couldn’t get past it. The FMC’s internal monologuing also lost my interest. I would be reading and realized I zoned out and she would still be going on and on about nothing. There were so many words and just nothing happening at all.

I LOVED THIS SOOOO MUCH!! I think I read this in five hours straight and STILL wanted more at the end.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage is a delightful treat for fans of feel-good romance. While it may not break the mold of its trope, the fun dynamic between a slightly insecure yet bold Cecilia and her nerdy neighbor, Beck, is undeniably charming. If you’re in the mood for something corny, playful, and surprisingly sexy, this novel should hit the spot.

I enjoyed this book so much! Beck gives me strong Ted Lasso vibes. He's an American living in England. He has a charismatic, nerdy, happy personality and bakes cakes for his neighbor. And he has a made-up wife. His neighbor Hazel declares that she's his wife and the two have to keep up the charade for a writing retreat. Of course, there's only one bed and a strong attraction between these two. I couldn't put this down and can't wait to read more of Charlotte Stein's books.

I loved the premise of the story and while it delivered on a positive plus size character, there was just too much naivety from Beck, the Ted Lasso wannabe. Connie/Hazy was a little too stuck in her man hating for me as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A pretty good fake marriage read.
If you are in the mood for a cringe worthy smutty read with plus size characters…..you may just love this book.

Loved this. Super fun romance. Solid plot. Strong character development. Could not put it down. A compulsive read.

Lots of editing still needed, but this has the makings of a great romance!
Currently, the sex overshadows the plot, making it almost erotica instead of romance. Again, editing can quickly fix this issue. I also needed much more at the beginning, introducing the MCs, and where’s my meet-cute!! I know Stein can deliver a good one!
Rating it 4 stars in anticipation of good edits, but I’d lower it if it’s published as is.

In a nutshell? Sweet and charming, spicy and realistic. I love a book with positive plus-size representation. Connie is confident, doesn’t spend the book obsessing over changing herself. Beck is awkward to the point of it being a literal plot point, but it's mostly endearing. My biggest gripe with the whole book is his dialogue 😩The slang he uses feels straight out of an oldie cartoon. Totally broke the immersion for me and bordered on off-putting at times. I soooo wanted to like him, so I found myself skimming his dialogue 😅

There was a bit of "neither of us will say what we want" and I wasn’t a huge fan of that—it did drag a little. But despite that, I really enjoyed their dynamic, their nerdiness, and how they sorta just fit together. I loved the writers' retreat type setting, too.

Aside from my complaint about the MMCs dialogue, I found Connie’s internal monologue could be a bit rambling. But tbh that's probably what my head sounds like, too. It felt realistic. I really liked the writing style, overall! I would read more from this author.

Overall, it’s a 4 star for me! If you enjoy nerdy, sweet rom-coms, the fake marriage trope, forced proximity trope, and can get over some awkward wording, I can definitely recommend this :)

This book surprised me a bit, the spice was definitely much better than I was expecting and there was a lot more of it than I anticipated based off of the beginning of the story.

The MMC was far from the usual character archetypes that I’m used to reading and that was a bit off-putting for a while but it wasn’t poorly done.

I loved the concept of really embracing your true nature and finding a partner that brings that out in you and celebrates that side of you. There were a few things that were just odd and didn’t seem necessary to the story though, like the Connie/Hazel thing.

It was a sweet concept, a step outside the box a bit, but didn’t “wow” me.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the arc!

I loved this book! I only gave it 4 stars because it was a little slow in the beginning and the MMC might have been a little top dorky for me. But once this book kicked in...it was fantastic! I was not expecting the spice to be so good and the mouth of that dorky cinnamon roll...wow!
I absolutely loved the way that Connie was with Beck in this book!
The theme/underlying meaning in this book really touched my heart. This is such a sweet story of fake marriage with a golden retriever and a woman afraid to love a man.
You definitely need to read this book!

My Big Fat Fake Marriage was my first Charlotte Stein book that I have read. It was a fun read with a lot of hot and spicy thrown in!  Connie and Beck were the last two people to think there could be something between them, but when you are in a fake marriage, anything is possible!