This book was an absolute blast that I was somehow able to tear through in less than two days. It's been a while since I read a good contemporary romance, so I can wholeheartedly say that I am thrilled that I read this one on a whim.

The Fiancee Farce is the fake dating trope that we all dream about, but one that always seem to be so far from our grasp. It is equal parts ridiculous, fun, and full of heart. It has all the makings of a cheesy romcom - the bigger than life friends, the evil family members, the high stakes, but told in such a way that makes you root for characters and brings them to life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the free e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review, I had a blast.

3.25 stars, rounded down

So I'm not the most well versed in romance but even with that in mind I feel like this book wasn't the greatest to <i>start</i> my trek into the genre. I did really like the characters, how trope-y they were, how FUN and full of life and color they were. It wasn't hard to get their personalities down or hard to understand their motivations. Both women have a rough history and it was nice to see them get over that together.

There were just a few things that made it hard for me to truly and utterly love this book which was the fact that both women are conventionally attractive, thin, and very femme. Both from well off financial backgrounds (mostly, for Tansy). It just didn't have as much emotional draw, or weight, or interest to me because it was like every other sapphic story I've read or watched or seen on TV. It's mostly a matter of personal taste though, no shade to Bellefleur. It just isn't what makes a story compelling to me. Even if there's family drama.

With that aside, I really appreciated that it was a "fall hard, fall fast" story and that Gemma was the one to go first (even though we know Tansy got the feels just as fast). Seeing Gemma woo Tansy, how she struggled with it, only made me love their bond even more. I loved how dorky they were with each other, the love felt genuine and fun!

This was an all around fun book, a beach read for sure!

This book was capital F Fine. It wasn't terrible, there was nothing egregious about it. It was just....boring...? Like, I started reading and the characters were ok, I did like Tansy but couldn't really get a read on Gemma, and then her family was TERRIBLE and honestly, so was Tansy's stepmom who I know had dealt with a lot of grief but still had a 16 y.o. who had lost BOTH her parents within such a short time. There were just a lot of terrible people and it made it hard to focus on the 2 MCs and their actual romance seemed to get the short thrift because of it. I could also tell what was going to happen in the dark moment wayyy before we actually got to the point and even though the villain was obvious, even the person who sold out Gemma and Tansy was also pretty obvious. In short, there were no surprises in this book, nothing that really delighted me. I think contemporary marriage of convenience is a really hard trope to write. Basically, it has to involve an inheritance issue, as is the case here. But I never bought the moment they switched over from MoC to a real relationship and so I stopped caring about the HEA.

Alexandria Bellefleur pens another effortlessly charming contemporary romance, harking back to god-tier romantic comedies, and a multitude of Taylor Swift references. From its impeccable setup, right until its emotional conclusion, The Fiancee Farce is pure chaos combined with all the romantic tropes and twists you could ever yearn for in a romance novel.

While the premise is a little extreme and silly, the main characters are impossible not to love. Tansy and Gemma end up in an arranged engagement when Tansy lies about dating someone. Gemma takes advantage of it to secure her inheritance. But it quickly becomes more than a marriage of convenience. Some of the secondary characters blur together, and others that might typically be major secondary are swiftly sidelined. But in the end, if you are reading just for the dynamic between the main characters than you won't be disappointed.

The Fiancée Farce is the story of Tansy and Gemma, both trying to escape and save the lives they currently live. I know, that doesn't sound very clear, but the situations they are in aren't very conventional either. On one side, Tansy is trying to protect her family's legacy and trying to escape from the pressure of being asked "why don't you date?". On the other, we have Gemma, who is trying to fight her family's control over her life at the same time that she fights for what she deserves. Their paths will cross and it will be messy, but it will be so worth it.

I'm the worst at explaining books but WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS: THIS BOOK IS MESSY! But it's also so, so funny! I couldn't stop laughing most of it, except when it made me angry and frustrated, especially with Gemma's family HEAVEN KNOWS I HATE (almost all of) THEM. But really, this is pure romcom behavior: funny moments, emotional scenes and a crisis to overcome to accept true love in your life. Alexandria writes some beautiful romcoms and most of the time they involve some kind of family issue, and she writes them so well!

The characters are so good and relatable. I love Tansy and Gemma but I also liked the fact that we had this very diverse casting of characters who can get into your heart very easily. I loved how Gemma's friends really care about her and how, when they realize how important Tansy is for Gemma, they start caring for her too. I love the complicated family dynamics with those family members I liked, like Gemma's uncle and mother. I feel the complexity of the characters makes this story even more enjoyable.

Not gonna lie, everything happens a little too fast, but I love some instalove every once in a while, particularly when it's so nicely written and entertaining as this book has been. You totally have to give it a chance!

PS: TWO BISEXUAL MAIN CHARACTERS? VERY BISEXUAL AND VERY CHAOTIC? I love Alexandria to the moon and back just for that!

Alexandria Bellefleur writes the absolute best sapphic romances, and The Fiancee Farce does not disappoint. A little white lie leads to bookseller Tansy Adams (a perpetual modern-day wallflower) becoming fake engaged to Gemma van Dalen, her favorite romance novel cover model and all around wild-child. This modern engagement/marriage of convenience is an absolute delight. It's romantic. It's funny. It's poignant and sweet and while it does have the dreaded third-act breakup, the guarantee of a happy ending kept me reading. Bellefleur is really good at balancing humor and hard things. Each book of hers that I read only leaves me more convinced she's a romantic genius.

It's books like this that helped me realize I'm not as straight as I grew up thinking I was. Which is a funny thing to figure out in your thirties.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for my advance review copy.

Omggggg y’all, Alexandria Bellefleur has done it again, this just might be her best book yet! A fun tidbit I picked up while reading, this book is set in the same universe as the written in the stars trilogy! I love things like that. Anyways, onto the review.
The fiancé farce is a marriage of convenience romance, with hijinks and laughs, spice and absolutely swoon-worthy romance. Our main characters are Tansy, a quiet bisexual who runs the book store that’s been in her family for years and is desperate to save it, and Gemma, the bisexual heiress who’s running out of time to get married and win her place as president of her family’s multigenerational newspaper. Quite by chance(or was it fate…) after Tansy concocts a lie in which she’s dating Gemma to get her family off her back, they stumble into each other at a wedding, and Gemma sees the opportunity for both of them to get what they want by proposing a fake marriage.
Tansy and Gemma have my heart 100%. They were so wonderful together, and their communication and commitment to each other was just perfect.
One thing I greatly enjoyed is that there is zero homophobia in this book. I was expecting there to be some homophobic reactions from Gemma’s truly awful family, but I was delighted to see that it just didn’t play a part at all. Very refreshing.
The plot had me on the edge of my seat, rushing through to get to the end, and I haven’t been able to read a book like that in awhile. If you’re looking for the perfect book to save you from that reading slump, this is the one y’all. The romance literally had me kicking my feet and awwwing out loud, that’s how good it was.
For all my sapphics out there, if she isn’t treating you the way Gemma treats Tansy, she isn’t the one! Gemma is the definition of a book girlfriend.
I definitely see myself re reading this one in the future! It’s pure cotton candy fluff, with very little angst. And you know what? Sometimes you need that. 5/5 stars

Jena has been all over my TikTok FYP, so when I saw that she had a book coming up, I jumped at the chance to read it and see if it would be a good fit for my wee store.

This book, despite the title, includes funny and frank discussions about comedy, the misogyny she's experienced, the infuriation of being asked about the bad behavior of men in her industry more than anything else, about privilege, and about using comedy in an overtly political way. She proves that comedy can be edge and actually not harmful or punching down. (For example, I used to think comedians should never have material about rape, but I just needed some women to add some material.) Not Funny is part memoir, part social commentary. She talks about her journey to now, with a background in improv, working on The Daily Show, working in standup. She also does some straightforward grappling with having had a good relationship with someone who later was fired for allegations against them (Jeff Garlin).

A great companion to the documentary Hysterical on Hulu, this is a must-read for anyone interested in comedy or supporting comedians.

cw: sexual assault/harassment, rape, abortion, racism, statutory/CSA, misogyny

I mean how could I not love this romance? A fake dating trope to save a company and a bookstore. Tansy can't bare being around her step-family after things that occurred in the past. To avoid those things she made up a girlfriend who she was busy with. But when Gemma walks in the person whom she should be dating and also fall in line with the lie the question is why.

Gemma needs a wife to fulfil her grandfather's will to take over his paper company. Tansy needs funds to buy her stepmom out before she sells her family bookstore.

I ain't gonna lie this story gave me some modern Cinderrella vibes at some points. And I am living for it

Gemma is so funny and relatable and Tansy is a sweet shy girl we all have inside of us. I wanted these two to make it and want their enemies to fail at everything

I zoomed through this in one day and I loved it all. Going to be pre-ordering this one

Rating: 4.25/5
Warnings: difficult family dynamics, death of a parent(s), sexual coercion/harassment (in past)
Steam: 3/5
Tropes: marriage of convenience, forced proximity

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for access to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I simply adored this book…she will be the sapphic romance of the season. Alexandria Bellefleur keeps getting better and better with each book. Marriage of Convenience is a favorite of mine and I love how this one was done. Tansy and Gemma just give you the warm hug like feelings. The comedy was on point, there was great banter and steam. The bookstore and all the foodie moments were the perfect add. I do think there were a bit too many side characters in this book.

This cover is not my favorite, but I love that it was a modern interpretation of a historical cover which is major easter eggs to this couples meet cute.

Crafting my feelings into a review for this book is hard, because I loved it so much, I'm not sure there are enough words to express my enjoyment. I first picked it up because of the cover, but it was the synopsis that captured me and had me clicking "Request" in NetGalley. Shy bookstore owner needs money, wealthy rebel heiress needs a wife, and the two collide in the most hilarious of ways to create a story that is so much more than its tropes. I went into this expecting a fairly predictable fake relationship romance, and what I received had so much more nuance and layers. It's easy to see why this author is so popular on bookstagram, where people recommend her books to me all the time. This is my first read by Alexandria Bellefleur, and now I feel the intense need to go read the rest of her books. If I get this many butterflies in my stomach lingering for days from just one of her books, I imagine I will get the biggest of all book hangovers once I read her backlist. Best. Hangover. Ever.

Tansy Adams just wants to run her late father's bookstore and be left alone by her stepfamily, who have zero interest in her or her life. When she continues to be dragged to family affairs, where she is confronted by a past too traumatizing to think about, she makes up an excuse as to why can't go - she has a date with her girlfriend, Gemma. Who happens to be a romance model cover, one of Tansy's favorites, and oh yes...she's not actually her girlfriend. Thinking the truth would never come out anyway, Tansy is horrified to come face-to-face with Gemma at her stepsister's wedding. Turns out Gemma van Dalen is her new brother-in-law's cousin, the black sheep of the family, and she is just tickled pink to discover she has a girlfriend she didn't know about. That's when Gemma comes up with a brilliant idea - announce her engagement to this pretend girlfriend and solidify her cooperation to join in holy matrimony. Just for two years, until the stipulations in her grandfather's will are complete, and Gemma can officially inherit the family business. In exchange, she will help Tansy buy her bookstore from her stepmother. It's sure to be a full-proof plan, since Tansy isn't Gemma's type, and nothing real will come of it. Right?...Right?

Both Gemma and Tansy were an absolute delight, as individuals and as a couple. Tansy was so quiet and uneasy with attention, whereas Gemma thrived in the spotlight and had no problem voicing her opinions to everyone. They were complete opposites, and so it was natural for everyone to be suspicious when their engagement was announced. How could a mouse like Tansy attract a swan like Gemma? What I loved was that Gemma saw the sparkle in Tansy from almost the very beginning, and she was so kind and patient with her. And protective - my goodness, I felt all kinds of feelings when Gemma realized how Tansy had been treated in the past, and she immediately went into protector mode. Be still my beating heart, I wanted to swoon. Gemma is someone I would love to have as a friend, and as a girlfriend, it's clear she would be one of the best. Tansy blossomed around Gemma, and while she still remained quiet and out of the spotlight, she found her soulmate in Gemma. Their physical chemistry was off the charts, but it was definitely more of a slow burn, with Gemma having to woo Tansy. She had never been serious with anyone before, so it was totally new territory for her. Which meant all kinds of fun for the reader, watching her try her best to have a normal relationship with Tansy even while pretending with everyone else like they were already madly in love. Tansy kept Gemma grounded, showed her what true love required, and the love between them grew before the reader's eyes. It was beautiful, flawless, quite possibly one of my favorite relationship progressions ever. It felt natural, and even with the third act conflict, it made total sense. And that's when we saw how much Tansy had grown as well. She found her inner lioness and let it roar for Gemma, the woman she loved.

This is definitely not the last review you'll see from me for this author. She is now an auto-buy on my list.

This was such a lovely sapphic romance, I feel as though Alexandria Bellefleur’s writing gets better and better with each book. Every single character was flushed out so well. I’m not really a fan of insta-love and marriage of convenience but this story truly makes you root for the MC’s.

If you’re looking for a marriage of convenience FF, this is IT! Tansy manages her family bookstore which is owned by her stepmother, Gemma is a newspaper heiress who moonlights as a romance novel cover model. Tansy has invented a girlfriend to get out of family dinners, Gemma needs to get married to take over her family’s newspaper empire. It should be a straightforward marriage of convenience, but that’s not how this genre works! This book had just enough corporate intrigue to be interesting and some fun side characters. I started reading it and couldn’t put it down!

I’m so ridiculously sad, but for the first time ever, I’ve read a book by Bellefleur that I didn’t absolutely love…

It was fun at first, the premise is entertaining. I haven’t really read any marriage of convenience romance novels before, but I’ve heard a ton of people saying they love the trope, so I was excited to try it out. There are some moments in this book that I did enjoy, but I think that what was really missing for me, the thing that I always look forward to in Bellefleur’s work, is the pining. I wanted that back and forth, the "will they, won’t they", the moments of “I want her, but I can’t have her”.

And I get that maybe this was a case of wanting the characters to be smart and rational and emotionally mature enough to be able to communicate with one another. But the bottom line is that I got a little… bored. I wanted so much more from the story and the characters, but the second half of this novel didn’t make me feel much of anything really.

I also found some of the dialogue to be a little awkward, and a couple of scenes felt straight out of an “and then everybody clapped” Tumblr post, which gave me enough second-hand embarrassment that I ended up having to skim through the rest of the chapter.

Unlike the rest of Bellefleur’s work, I wouldn’t put this book on my recommendations lists, which is a shame because I was so excited to pick this up and enjoy another great sapphic romance of hers.

This is my first novel by Bellefleur and I enjoyed my time with the characters, but this was just an ok read for me; I did enjoy the writing style though.

Quick Synopsis: Tanzy has an issue where she needs a fake girlfriend and when asked, accidentally blurts out the name of the most recent romance cover novel she’s been obsessed with: Gemma. When Gemma shows up at the same event, the two fall into a situation where Gemma not only chooses to back Tanzy up without knowing her at all, but also proposes to Tanzy. What ensues is a fake-engagement/wedding of convenience to get Gemma what she wants and Tanzy what she needs.

Trigger warnings: bullying, slander

What I liked:
-I loved the beginning: instead of going through each phase of finding out Gemma needs to get married to receive her inheritance, Bellefleur skips over all of that so when we meet Gemma, she already knows what she needs to do.
-I really did like Gemma and Tanzy together
-This is a low stakes, sapphic rom com and it was good! It just wasn’t great.

What I struggled with:
-I didn’t fully understand how this will would require that Tanzy be in a “legitimate” marriage and how that could even be proven or disproven? That’s entirely up to someone’s perspective and doesn't seem like a legality that can be proven. From that, how can Gemma’s family act as a foil to disprove Gemma and Tanzy’s relationship when the only proof they have is that the two lied about how long they’ve known each other? Essentially, the entire foil didn’t make sense to me.

I think this author is one to watch, she's one of the strongest contemporary romance authors currently writing. It's nice to read one that also has some spice to it. I loved both characters in this one because they were messy and complicated, like actual human beings are. I was tearing up by the end of the book and it was very cute.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I read all of the Written in the Stars trilogy by Alexandria Bellefleur, and to me, she is cemented as a great writer of sweet, great banter, queer love stories, and this new book did not disappoint. Tansy and Gemma are very different on paper, but they unite in a marriage or engagement of convenience to save Tansy’s bookstore and Gemma’s family media company. I thought that both Tansy and Gemma were great characters and played off of each other well. I think this book also had a great blend of comedy and seriousness (with both characters overcoming trauma), which is hard to do in contemporary romance. I think that Bellefleur is great at building relationships, banter, and showcasing the little moments in relationships that build to a great foundation. I think my only argument with this book is that it’s a little long, and drags slightly in the middle, but overall I definitely enjoyed this book. I recommend this book for fans of Bellefleur, contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and LGBTQ+ stories.

Refreshing new take on the marriage of convenience trope. I loved the characters and would absolutely read more romances by this author.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5464702209


Sapphic marriage of convenience x romcom? I’m sold.

Loved this book loved this loved this book. Currently ISO of Gemma on Bumble. The banter between the two, the tension, them talking about their feelings 😭😭 I am UNWELL. I hate when characters have to drag pieces out of their partners and these two just enjoyed each other enough to be vulnerable and I gobbled it up.

Also, spoiler alert - the mirror scene???😮‍💨😮‍💨

Only thing I don’t love is that Tansy’s description doesn’t match her on the cover. Because baby who is that.

ANYWAYS, this was great. Will be making this read my personality for the next month, thank you so much 🫶🏾