A fun fake dating/marriage of convenience romance! Read this in one sitting.

Tansy is a bookstore manager who's been lying to her family and saying she has a girlfriend (a romance novel cover model!) in order to get them off her back. When that exact romance novel cover model walks into Tansy's step-cousin's wedding, Tansy's certain her lies are about to out. Instead, Gemma, estranged cousin of the groom, plays along with Tansy's lies, needing a fake partner of her own. The two strike a deal to enter a marriage of convenience.

I'm not typically a fan of fake dating/marriage of convenience, but I think this one took out most of the bits about the trope that frustrate me—lack of communication, too many assumptions, refusing to get together for real out of preconceived notions, etc. The two main characters were very open and honest with each other, which was refreshing. The side characters were great, and I was rooting for the MCs the whole way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was a touch insta-lovey, but not overly saccharine. A solid 3.5, rounding up because I think a 4 is more accurate than a 3.


Oh, PS! The book is written in third person, dual POV, like Alexandria's other novels. I know some people like to know that kind of thing going in.

4.5 rounded to five

I fazoomed through this f/f romance last night, which is paced at a breakneck speed, especially in the first half.

It's not truly a marriage of convenience, but once I adjusted my expectations, I began to appreciate how much these two *talked* to each other. It was such a relief not to run into Grand Misunderstandings caused by total non-communication, a trope I've never liked, and have come to thoroughly dislike.

Tansy and Gemma have enormous issues, which we uncover as they get to know each other. The side characters are colorful (I adored Teddy, Gemma's main roomie) and the tension between Gemma and Lucy really gripped me. I fell in love with both Tansy and Gemma from the latter's first dramatic appearance (this would make such a terrific film!) and the villains were all thoroughly horrible, which highlighted Uncle Brooks and his arc.

Lots of delicious emotional and UST, and great turns of phrase made me an instant fan of this writer.

The Fiancee Farce is a WLW fake dating romance novel. Tansy is the shy bookstore owner who has accidentally told her family she is dating a romance cover model named Gemma. She fears it will all blow up in her face when the real Gemma walks in to the same wedding she and her family are attending. However, Gemma has reasons of her own to continue the charade. Fans of the trope know exactly where this is headed . . .

While I like the premise of Gemma having to marry to gain control of the family business, I do think the pace of the book is on the slow side. I don't quite understand why Gemma falls for Tansy-- she's nice enough but it did take me out of the story.

I do prefer Bellefleur's other books, but plenty of romance readers and fans of the fake dating trope will enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This was a delightful & quick read queer romance novel. The plot was completely extra and over the top, but I was rooting for the protagonists the whole way. A great addition to the queer romance genre.

Tansy Adams inherited her father's bookstore and it's turning out to be her one true love. When Tansy tells her family on a whim that she's dating a Romance-cover model the last thing she expects is for her book-cover crush, Gemma Van Dalen, to show up at the wedding, and then go along with the farce.

Gemma needs a fiancée fast if she's going to inherit her grandfather's business, and Tansy has just given her the perfect opportunity to show she already has a girlfriend. If they marry Gemma can lead the family business, and Tansy can save her business from her step-mother's designs to sell the bookstore.

Gemma and Tansy lead wildly different lives, but the more time they spend together the more they each feel they might just belong together.

(Also, the cover is just, ewww...)

I have enjoyed Ms. Bellefleur's past books and was looking forward to this one as well. It didn't disappoint. Fun, quick lesbian romance with a few twists. I enjoyed the two main characters and how they interacted. The perfect read for a snowy day.

Ladies and gentlemen....

Her✨️

With The Fiancée Farce, Alexandria Bellefleur has solidified her status as an auto-buy author. This was absolutely fantastic and I am so excited to have been one of the first people to read it, if only because I now have the opportunity to push this down your throats for MONTHS before release day 💕

Read the Fiancée Farce for:
- Queer rep that doesn't come with a subplot of homophobia, making it a safe/comfortable read for when you want to read about two people
- Family drama with gossip girl vibes
- Taylor Swift References
- Found family/the best friend group around
- Cinderella, but make it modern

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon + Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It was a cute book for sure! Definitely leaning on the side of fantasy but sometimes it’s good to escape reality for a little with the help of a good book

I must confess this book drove me a little bananas, because I was expecting the majority of it to involve hilarious fake relationship and family shenanigans. Instead I think about 90% of it is dialogue between the two leads. And a good chunk of that is flirting, but a kind of flirting that turns me very off. There is family stuff, but it’s more like the family are antagonists instead of a delightful setting for hijinks. Okay, to be honest, this was more like two stars for me but I’m giving it three stars because the things I don’t like are really just down to personal preference. The majority of the audience for contemporary romance will love this.

Alexandria Bellefleur writes rom com magic! I just want to be friends with all her characters. This book instantly drew me in and I was swept away by the charm and swoon and wit of Tansy and Gemma. I LOVED the bookstore owner/cover model angle as well as the marriage of convenience and fake dating vibes. Their chemistry practically sizzled off the page and the texting banter was perfection. I found myself laughing out loud several times and was sad when the story ultimately came to its end because I didn't want to say goodbye to these loveable characters. I will read whatever she writes!!

Part fake-dating romance and part family drama, this new book from Alexandria Bellfleur is sure to delight fans of author's earlier series, Written in the Stars. I would not necessarily recommend this as a light/fluffy romance because of the family drama, but for readers that don't mind a bit a drama, this is a great read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is exactly the cute saphic rom-com of your dreams. Tansy lies about having a girlfriend to avoid some family gatherings when her cousin starts dating an ex of sorts. Fortunately for her, Gemma finds out she is Tansy's supposed fake girlfriend at a time when Gemma happens to need a fake wife. Yay, coincidence! Gemma felt like the star of the show in this book. Her no holds barred, sarcastic personality read beautifully in the story and I found myself wishing I knew her in real life. The secondary characters also steal the show a bit. They are written so well. I also found myself wishing we could get a Brooks and Lena second chance book out of the deal but you'll just have to read Fiancee Farce to find out the outcome of both!

I did find the book to be lagging a little at times. There seemed to be some pacing issues with conversations/scenes that didn't serve to entertain or inform so it took me a little longer to read than I thought it would. There's also some repetitive writing in the book which really started to cast a shadow over the book towards the end but for the most part the reader can ignore in the name of the entertaining story. At one point I started highlighting when people said 'pray tell' because it was being used so much. I have also noticed that for whatever reason, authors tend to tone down the spice in saphic romances (which I hate) so while the romance is 5 stars the spice tops out at 2 chili peppers I'm sad to report.

Overall the Fiance Farce should absolutely be in your new year rom com reads.

I absolutely loved Alexandria Bellefleur’s Written in the Stars series, and couldn’t have been more excited for The Fiancée Farce — I haven’t read a lot of marriage of convenience romances, but I am a sucker for fake dating, and was excited to see Bellefleur’s twist on both tropes. While I did enjoy The Fiancée Farce, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping to.

The Fiancée Farce drops you straight into the drama — I picked it up, and went “Oh this … went from 0 to 100”, except I had made that statement on the second page of the book. Right away, we find out that Tansy has been lying about dating Gemma for six months, only for Gemma to show up in person, and say that they’re engaged. Gemma, who has been recently named as the heir of Van Dalen Publishing must be married in order to inherit. Seeing as how all the pieces have already fallen into place, Gemma decides to take their lie a step further, and say that the two of them are engaged. With Tansy’s family bookstore in danger, and Gemma needing to be married by December, the two of them decide to team up. But their happy marriage gets tangled in the complicated web that is the Van Dalens, and Tansy and Gemma have to decide what’s worth fighting for.

I’m not sure what it was about The Fiancée Farce that fell flat for me, as I really adored Bellefleur’s past works. I’ve been thinking it over, and I think it’s boiled down to the fact that it’s missing some of the things I love most about fake dating. While there was quite a bit of external conflict with the Van Dalens, there wasn’t a lot of internal conflict for Tansy and Gemma. The two of them fell for one another quite quickly, and there wasn’t a lot of pining or angsty yearning. Tansy and Gemma are simply dating — there’s no circumstances preventing them from being together, there’s no pining over what the other one is feeling. The only lie they’ve told to their families is about how they met, and how long they’ve been together. The Fiancée Farce simply lacks tension.

In hindsight, I also just wish that we’d gotten more set up between dropping us in the thick of it. I spent the first few chapters confused about who the Van Dalens were, why they mattered. I had a hard time initially distinguishing the side characters from one another. The side characters in Bellefleur’s other novels are usually some of my favorites, and so it just felt a little bit like a let down.

What I did love about The Fiancée Farce was how Gemma and Tansy learned how to stand up for not just each other, but also themselves. Throughout the novel, Gemma and Tansy both have tumultuous relationships with their family (more so Gemma than Tansy), and end up making strides towards healing, and being their own advocates. Something that I can always count on in Bellefleur novels is wonderful Seattle nods! As someone who lives in Seattle, I know that I can always look to Bellefleur for food recommendations. Bellefleur always has such vivid imagery that makes it easy for me to imagine I’m right there with her characters.

Overall, I didn’t love The Fiancée Farce as much as I was hoping to, but I’m sure other readers will absolutely adore it!

I've never read a book by this author before, but after this read, ill definitely be on the lookout for more. Great characters, great emotions, and just spicy enough. Loved it.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Alexandria Bellefleur for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I was a HUGE fan of the author’s previous works and was so excited to get my hands on this one, and it did not disappoint! This is one of my favorite books of the year and is super cute and entertaining.

This book follows Tansy and Gemma as they meet at a wedding reception… but people think that they already know each other. See, Tansy said that she was dating Gemma (who is also a famous model) and Gemma tells people at the reception that this is true. Gemma has something in it for herself as well which we will soon realize.

Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes and it’s done so well in this one! The romance is paced well and is really sweet. I loved both characters and could see how great they are for one another.

One of my favorite things about this book is that there’s no unnecessary conflict and that all of the problems in it contribute to the main storyline. I hate when romance books include the miscommunication trope or make the characters fight for no reason and that didn’t happen in this one. That helped me stay engaged in the plot and love their relationship even more!

I highly recommend this book for romance fans. It’s one of my favorite sapphic romances, and books period, and I think that people will enjoy it. 5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy to read and review! Everything in this review is my own, genuine opinion and has not been influenced by receiving an early copy of the book.

THIS. BOOK. IS. EVERYTHING.

Alexandria Bellefleur has been one of my absolute favorite authors since I started reading her books! The Fiancée Farce was everything I'd hoped for and then some! As soon as she'd revealed the premise of the book as a newspaper heiress x bookstore owner with the fake dating / marriage of convenience tropes, I was SOLD. And the cover is absolutely stunning & would look incredible blown up as a large movie poster!

Tansy and Gemma are both the black sheep of their families. Tansy is a sweet & shy bookstore owner working to carry on the legacy her parents started before their passing. All she has left is her stepmother and stepsister who don't actually treat her well. Gemma is sassy and self-sufficient and is the soon-to-be president and majority shareholder of Van Dalen Publishing. As long as she's in a genuine marriage before the big meeting where the passing of the torch will take place.

One of my favorite things about contemporary romance books like this are when the author includes little nods to popular culture. Alexandria has woven a multitude of Taylor Swift references into The Fiancée Farce and they were so much fun to find.

The solution to the major problem of the story is a little unrealistic with how it goes down. But I don't read for everything in a book to be 100% plausible.

I absolutely LOVED these characters, their relationship, and of course, the spice.

This book was pretty much perfection. Marriage of convenience is a tricky plot to pull of plausibly, and Bellefleur does so masterfully. When Tansy makes up a fake girlfriend to get out of family dinners, she doesn't expect the romance cover model, Gemma, she used as inspo to walk into her cousin's wedding. But when Gemma hears she and this stranger have apparently been dating for six months, she takes things one step further and declares them engaged!

Tansy and Gemma are just too fabulous characters you want to be fabulous together. Tansy, bookshop owner, dowdy-cardigan owner; Gemma, newspaper heiress, wild child, and secret smarty pants. They fit so perfectly that I shipped them so hard from the get-go. I love how we jump right into the story and the good stuff, wasting no time on fluff. These characters have pasts--tough ones--and they add to the story in unexpected ways.

I'll also note that this book feels different from the Written in the Stars trilogy--in a good way. It feels like something new and exciting yet just as amazing. I love that we're seeing a new direction for Bellefleur and another (fourth) 10/10 read for me!

Thanks to Avon for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of parents (past), grief, revenge porn (past), blackmail, family tension

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-f/f contemporary romance
-fake engagement
-opposites attract
-who hurt you?
-millionaire romance cover fantasy of a LI
-cardigan wearing bookstore obsessive
-let me spoil you

This was the perfect mix of Fairytale vibes and Taylor Swift easter eggs just fantasy read. A terrible relationship with her step family, Tansy makes up a fake relationship so they'll get off her back. Her dream girl, the girl on the covers of her favorite romance books. The girl who happens to walk through the door of the wedding she's at and happens to need a wife for her inheritance.

Gemma sweeps Tansy off her feet, and accidentally gets swept off her own feet. I love stories where someone is not at all looking for love or romance in their life just goes soft and tender for one special person and Gemma is just so soft on Tansy. Worried all she has to offer is her wealth and Tansy is used to feeling like the wallflower in the room. I just adored their interactions, their flirting, how these two fumbled admitting their feelings and shifting from a fake relationship to admitting they wanted the real thing. So much built up sexual tension.

This was just so soft and tender and just a bit of revenge (Taylor would be so proud). Grand gestures and romance and just standing up for yourself and what you want. I adored the journey Gemma and Tansy took independently and through their relationship. Alexandria Bellefleur continues to be an author who just doesn't miss

Steam: 3

This book has such a beautiful cover.
I have read the written in stars series and it's absolutely incredible.

The fiancée follows a story of Tansy and Gemma, Tansy creates a fake girlfriend in order to avoid family dinners and she wants money to buy her bookstore which she has many memories. Gemma wants to become a newspaper company heiress, which can be fulfilled by getting married.

I loved how even after going through so much in childhood, Tansy is so loving and caring. Do I want to be Gemma or do I want to date her??
I loved Taylor Swift references.

Although I loved this book so dearly, I just thought there was too much of of drama at the end.

Apart from Gemma and Tansy, I loved Teddy, Brooks and Lena.

Rating - 4.5/5⭐

TW- emotionally abusive parents and exs

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange of honest review.