Thank you for the audio arc of this book. I liked the idea of a fake marriage and found some of the situations a bit comical. The characters were likable but I would’ve liked to hear both POVs. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had hoped, but it was still overall a cute book with more spice than I expected.

This is my first read from Charlotte Stein, I will absolutely be reading more from her, when I enjoy a book AND it makes me laugh that's a 5 star for me because I'm not an emotion reader so when you get laughs you get the stars🤣

the way Beck talks was so fun because I talk like him so much 😅 I called my hubby and was like do I sound like this he was like yep pretty much 😂

It all just seemed so awkward but in a fun way, the protectiveness I felt for beck I wanted to put him in a bubble away from the world. Hazel was so great in helping him though and supporting him.

Loved and would recommend thanks netgalley and MacmillanAudio for this advanced ALC for an honest review

Thank you to PRH audio and NetGalley for this ARC!

This audiobook was well produced, however the single POV and narrator were very bland.

I really like the MMC. He was like a plus size Ted Lasso. He made up a fake wife because he was embarrassed about not dating. He uses words like “golly gee” which can get a bit annoying.

The FMC volunteers to be his fake wife because he’s nerdy and she definitely has a crush on him. They have to go to a writing retreat together and continue the charade. I just wish they communicated their feelings instead of the FMC guessing the entire time.
I don’t know if this author’s work is for me.

My first impression when I started this book was that it was going to be a cutesy fake relationship romance. Then it got SPICY. I was shocked and I loved every second of it!! Thanks netgalley!

I wanted to love this book more than I did :( I loved the concept of fake marriage and forced proximity but the entire plot felt like it was lacking and then completely fell apart once they got to the retreat. I would rather have a longer book and have the characters played out more than to only have spicy scenes. As well, I did not love the male main character or maybe just the dynamic that the two characters had together. He almost seemed gay to me at the beginning and I thought that was going to be the reason that he needed a fake wife because I don't know any straight male who would comment on the even-ness of my winged eyeliner, even my own boyfriend who watches me do my makeup often. It also seemed like they went from "omg I touched her butt" to "hey lets touch ourselves in front of one another and then make it weird". I really loved the concept and I liked the characters dynamics before the writing retreat but once they got there the plot got lost for me and it turned too much to the spicy/sexual aspects. I loved "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" and the writing in that and so it was sad to me to see this under-developed for what it could have been.

The narration in this book was very well done. I love the idea of a fake marriage plot; it can be such a great lead into an unexpected romance. I thought the characters were well developed but did not seem like a great match to me.
Ultimately, this was DNF for me. The level of spice was too much and took over the plot of the book.
This book would be great for readers looking for high levels of spice.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prefacing this by saying Imogen Wilde did a phenomenal job narrating this, but not even she could make me like Connie lol. Such a bummer as I usually love Charlotte Stein books, but ended up DNFing.

Cute and well-narrated. The final third is more spice than plot, but there are definitely readers who will like that aspect.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillian Audio, and Charlotte Stein for the ARC of "My Big Fat Fake Marriage." The audio version is narrated by a British voice which is my absolute favorite to listen to. "My Big Fat Fake Marriage" by Charlotte Stein is a contemporary romance novel that follows the unconventional "marriage" of two neighbors, Connie and Beck. Connie, a writer, has a history of distrusting nice guys, believing they are just waiting to reveal a hidden agenda. However, she meets Beck, an editor who is kind, cheerful, and seemingly too good to be true. Beck, known for his love of bow ties and his sunny disposition, confesses to Connie that he has been pretending to be married to avoid the advances of a co-worker. When Connie defends Beck, she ends up agreeing to be his fake wife for a writing retreat.

The retreat is a whirlwind of awkward encounters and forced interactions as Connie and Beck try to convince everyone that their relationship is genuine. However, as they spend more time together, their initial awkwardness melts away, replaced by a growing attraction. They share their first kiss, their first touch, and eventually, their first time in the same bed. The simmering tension between them builds, and Connie begins to question whether their fake marriage might be turning into something real.

The novel is praised for its charming lead characters, Connie and Beck. Connie is relatable, having experienced numerous failed relationships with men who used their "niceness" to manipulate her. She is a strong and independent woman, but beneath her tough exterior, she is vulnerable due to past hurt. Beck, on the other hand, is a genuine "cinnamon roll" character, meaning he is caring, considerate, and good-hearted. He embodies positive masculinity, practicing consent and respect throughout the story. He is a supportive and attentive partner, always checking in with Connie to ensure she is comfortable.

The novel also explores themes of body positivity and self-love. Connie is a "thick queen," and the novel portrays her body image in a positive and realistic way. The author, Charlotte Stein, is known for her advocacy for body diversity in her writing. As Connie and Beck navigate their fake marriage, they both learn to leave their past experiences behind and embrace self-love. They discover that they deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, and they find love in each other.

"My Big Fat Fake Marriage" is a heartwarming and humorous romance novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about fake relationships, second chances, and finding love in unexpected places. The novel is praised for its charming characters, its exploration of body positivity, and its steamy romance. It is a light and entertaining read that will leave you feeling hopeful and optimistic about love.

This book is not at all what I expected, but I am SO happy with that.

The narration was amazing. The VA was expressive & played all of the voices very well. I have to admit I prefer audiobooks where there’s both a male and female voice, but this VA made it easy to get through. Normally, I find sec scenes voiced by the same person doing two voices very awkward, but I think she did a LOVELY job with all scenes, spice included.

The whole time, I was picturing Penelope from Bridgerton & Ted Lasso!! The basketball scene really completed the Ted Lasso parallel for me.

The main reason for -1 star is that I found the MMC’s lack of confidence to be exhausting at times. I get the appeal of finally having an MMC that isn’t dominant and arrogant, but this maybe pushed the bounds too far. I was just picturing a very odd, sexually inexperienced weirdo sometimes, and it was really difficult to make that sexy. Considering the last 40% of this book is 90% smut, that’s maybe not the easiest challenge to overcome.

HOWEVER, I thought the spicy scenes were well-written and fun. I enjoyed that our FMC was on a journey of self-discovery through this all, and I thought this was such an exciting take on fake dating.

I definitely recommend this book if you like:
- body positivity / fat representation
- tall man / short woman
- fake marriage
- inexperienced (but secretly confident) MMCs
- nerdy banter
- bookish setting

Pubs March 11th! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the copy to read and review!

Would recommend if you love:
-Fake marriage
-Forced proximity
-Slow (but SUPER HOT) burn
-Giant Teddy Bear with cinnamon roll vibes

The character growth in both the main characters is a driving force of this story. Hazel realizes she chooses losers and tries to open up to this incredibly nice guy. Beck is nice almost to a fault but learns to open up and be honest with Hazel even if he is uncomfortable. This is a SLOW burn but it is so steamy, and seems like such genuine feeling when we get there.

The narration of this is so good. The narrator has perfect pacing and emotions. I was kept in the story all along; did NOT zone out like with some narration.

Side note: When Beck says "What did you just say to my wife" GIIIIRL ALL THE YESSSSS 🥵😇

DNF @28%

This audiobook narrator was so SO good. I probably would've DNF'd it sooner if it weren't for her. She did the voices and expressions really well and they didn't feel like voices she was putting on. Each character was distinctive.

My problem with this book was how low the male main character's self-esteem was. The FMC was constantly having to reassure him. He was very non-confrontational and the instances where he was bullied as a kid and as an adult were so frequent and depressing. His character was sweet, but I found his personality unrealistic and frustrating to read about. I couldn't continue the book due to this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for my honest review.

First half, blah. I had a lot of questions due to confusion at the beginning of this book. Second half redeemed itself. Not too many characters to keep track of which is a bonus in my mind. Lots of 🌶️. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this story.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the eARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley! These are my honest thoughts!

Charlotte Stein! OMG. This book was... something! LOL

I actually had a lot of fun with this fat girl book about Connie and her neighbor, Henry Beckett, who end up in a fake marriage and on vacation on a writer's retreat. Connie's concerned about her nice neighbor, Henry, because his mustache isn't as perky and his hair is a little out of place. Turns out? He lied about having a wife and now needs to go on a writer's retreat with the colleague that likes to bully him mercilessly about everything.

Connie, an aspiring writer herself, is scheduled to go on the retreat, and ends up proclaiming she's his wife at a random event where the bully is present.

THEN HENRY ASKS HER TO FILL OUT A SURVEY, and he buys her cute pajamas in her size, and he does loads of things to make her more comfortable and to feel seen.

I just loved Henry a whole lot. He's a respectful horndog. And I loved it.

The final 40% of the book is very chemistry/physically focused. I think that's just what Charlotte does... and I had a fun time listening.

This is book #2 in this universe, and we get to see the characters from When Grumpy Met Sunshine, so that's FUN.

Read if you LOVE:
- fat rep
- body positivity
- superhero references
- a nice guy book editor who has read *all* the things in fiction
- a brazen fmc
- a MMC who is both kind AND kinda naughty (secretly)
- forced proximity
- fake marriage
- British FMC x American MMC
- LOTS of references to pop culture/books/etc. INCLUDING QUANTUM LEAP, which my mom loved

4 solid stars on both the ebook and the ALC front. I love the British narrator who brought Connie to life.

Confident FMC who knows how to help a timid, MMC.

The narrator's voice, the humor, the chemistry, the spice - it was everything for me. I listened to this audiobook and I cannot tell you how many times I caught myself with the biggest smile on my face because of Connie and Becks interactions with one another.

I loved and related to how confident Connie was in who she was and what she looked like.
An inexperienced MMC is not necessarily one that I find myself falling head over heals for, but I can certainly appreciate the layers that Beck had and the ways he was confident in his own ways.
I will certainly read again an can't wait to see what other stories Charlotte Stein give us.

Thank you to Net Galley, MacMillan Audio, and Charlotte Stein for giving me an advanced audiobook to listen to.

Last year I read When Grumpy Met Sunshine from the same author and enjoyed it. This story was in the same world as that one, making reference to the former’s FMC Mabel and MMC Alfie. Unfortunately, this book’s FMC Connie and MMC Beck don’t do it for me the way their friends Mabel and Alfie did.

I liked Alfie’s similarities to the character Roy Kent from Ted Lasso. At the time the book came out, the final season of the show was either out or coming out soon. The grumpy x sunshine and soccer tropes worked well without being too on the nose.

I have several issues with My Big Fat Fake Marriage, but the first is that Beck’s character is like a lumberjack, virginal Ted Lasso. It’s a caricature of a story we already know and previous fell in love with. The show won 11 Emmy’s…it’s kind of untouchable as far as inspired content goes.

Whether or not it was the author’s intention to make Beck just like Ted—tall, mustached, hailing from Kansas—he comes across as more of a himbo than a cinnamon roll. Yet, we’re also supposed to believe he is incredibly gifted at editing and somehow sexually proficient despite never doing more than polite kissing in his dating life.

I get that all of these contradictions are supposed to reflect the changing mindset of Connie/Hazel (her name changes throughout the book. Which leads me to the second major issue I have with the story: Hazel’s internal monologue.

Hazel’s thirstiness/horniness/what have you went from feeling dissatisfied with her dating life, to the story being centered around her need to get off. This isn’t exactly the plot line I thought “My Big Fat Fake Marriage” was going to circle around. If anything, the similarity to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” would indicate similar themes of overbearing family, ugly duckling has a makeover, or at the least a wedding.

Lastly, the narrator failed the execute a masculine, middle American accent which contributed to the cringeworthiness of Beck’s character.

When she wasn’t being crude, I liked Hazel’s banter. I also thought that the genuine admiration and attraction Beck had for her was very sweet.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was so cutesy
-fake marriage
-one bed
-good spice
-swoony MMC who falls first

The FMC is hilarious, book-loving, writer, and deep in denial of her feelings, while the MMC is a big, soft, dorky book editor who’s always wanted to be a husband. He’s so bad at lying that it makes him physically sick which is hilarious because of how much he’s had to lie.

I just wish we got an MMC POV because I would have loved to be in his head

I would recommend, it’s a quick flirty & fun read (or listen)! It won’t change your life but it will be a good time!

Ps. Loved the narrator!

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

Special thanks to NetGalley for the eARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

From the very first chapter, this book resonated with me on a deep level. As a big, beautiful woman, I felt the FMC’s plight in my soul.

Let’s be real—dating while fat is not for the faint of heart. Like the main character, it’s easy to become a little jaded when the world constantly tells you love and even yourself should look a certain way. It’s even harder when the voices in your head are the people who should have raised your self esteem. Our FMC can’t help how she feels when rejection is the expectation not the exception.

And then comes Beck—an absolute teddy bear of a man, and honestly, a dream come true. His entrance into the FMC’s life is a bit rocky, but that’s what makes it feel so real. Or at least what we hope one day could be real.

I mean, how does a man like him even exist?! Sweet, adorably naïve, and so effortlessly kind, Beck is proof that every woman deserves a love that sees and cherishes her for exactly who she is. And honestly? We all need a Beck in our lives.

The more the FMC expects disappointment, the more he proves her wrong. Every time she braces for rejection, he shows her he’s exactly the man she never dared to hope for.

Why You Need This Book in Your Life:
-It’s a romance that restores your faith in love.
- It’s the perfect palate cleanser if you’ve been reading too many heavy, angsty romances.
-It makes you believe in the possibility of someone truly seeing and loving you—for you.

This book made my grumpy “love isn’t real” mantra fade into the background for a few hours, and for that, I’m so grateful.

🌟 5 Stars! 🌟

Huge thanks to the author and narrator for bringing this story to life!

I loved the first half of this book--connected with the characters and really loved the narrator. The narrator is female & does dual narration of both the female (who is British) and male (who is from the US) characters beautifully. After investing about 50% of the book really loving this book, it all fell apart for me because the next 45% was way too spicy for my taste. Thankfully, in audiobooks, it's easy to skip the parts you want! I did like the ending but this book was too sexually explicit and had too much language for me. This was disappointing because the author had done such an excellent job of character development and the 'fake dating trope' that, for me, it detracted from the plot. I know there are others though that love their books spicy, so this will be right up their alley. *I received a complimentary audio copy from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I received an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and fluffy book, which is sometimes so needed! 😅 Beck cracked me up with his innocent, golden retriever vibes. Connie/Hazel’s inner monologue was pretty funny too. I will say this book definitely had a lot more smut than I was expecting. However, this will definitely be an enjoyable read as long as you don’t think too hard about the likelihood of a man making it to his 30s without so much as a kiss.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review.