This book was SO cute! I loved the romance aspect and thought the main characters had a lot of chemistry that was well-developed through the course of the novel. I also enjoyed both main characters' individual storylines and personal growth. The political aspect was prevalent, but did not take over the entire book, which I appreciated. The book also managed to capture "fake dating," without leaning too hard into the trope or over-exploiting it.

I loved the banter in this story and the political plot was engrossing. Enjoyed how both characters had strong ideas of what is needed to make a difference in their lives and the lives of those they serve.

A fake-dating romcom with tons of humor and heart—what's not to like? THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE follows shy, quiet elementary school librarian Alexis Stone, who is determined to start taking more risks and getting out of her comfort zone. A chance encounter at a hotel bar with the dashing, daring Logan Arthur could be just what she needs...until the hotel catches fire. As the duo races to escape, they're caught by paparazzi, and Alexis soon finds out that her mystery man is actually the hotshot gubernatorial candidate who's taking the Texas political scene by storm. This scandal could put both of their reputations and careers at risk, so Logan's PR team comes up with a plan: Logan and Alexis will pretend to date. Their fake relationship could never turn into something real...or could it?

I absolutely loved this book! The opposites-attract dynamic is always a fun one to read about, and not only did they have undeniable chemistry, Alexis and Logan also truly brought out the best in each other. I was rooting for them from start to finish! Beyond the swoon-worthy romance, the character development for both leads was so well-done. Alexis was such a relatable character, and it was heartwarming to watch her find her voice not only in the political arena, but also in her personal life. I also appreciated that the book balanced the sweet, lighthearted relationships (loved all the different friendship/family/workplace dynamics!) with some deep, complex themes (like learning to stand up for what you believe in, coping with grief, and developing a sense of self). This is my first Ashley Winstead book, and I'm so excited to read some of her others, especially FOOL ME ONCE—I can't wait to return to the world of Alexis, Lee, and their friends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thanks @netgalley @harlequinbooks and @ashleywinsteadbooks for a copy of her sophomore romance, The Boyfriend Candidate.

Spoiler: I loved it!!! Ashley Winstead has become an auto-purchase author for me ❤️

On the two-year anniversary of discovering her long-term ex was cheating on her, Alexis Stone is determined to have a one-night stand, proving that she’s not the meek mouse he said she was in bed. A chance encounter with a beautiful, foul-mouthed stranger named Logan seems like it’s going to end with them tangled in bed until a freak lighting storm makes them flee the hotel. Once outside, Logan abruptly leaves when he notices photographers. It turns out he’s Logan Arthur, the up-start progressive challenger to the conservative Texas governor. When pictures of the two of them leak, they decide to fake date for the remainder of the two month campaign. Despite their chemistry, they keep things professional leading to some serious pining. When their secret comes out, Logan must decide whether to save his career or Alexis’ reputation.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥(the last few chapters are 🌶️)
Tropes: fake dating, politics, secret identity, meddling siblings

One night stand, fake dating and him falling first and all combined! I am so here for it! This book literally had it all and in the best way! Opposites attract and grumpy hero as well. This book had me in a chokehold! Ashley take my money I want more!!

ASHLEY WINSTEAD is back with a classic romcom & it slayed. I know I say it often but Ashley truly has some RANGE on her. The way she can write a thriller & a romantic comedy and just put out some of the best work is admirable. I binged this gem in 2 days. The best parts? The cameos we see from FOOL ME ONCE. I absolutely adored the moments we get to see the characters from that book. There was banter, there was a bit of spice, there was emotion. I freakin' LOVED Logan. The way Ashley touches on important topics while also keeping it light and funny is a chef's kiss.

what to expect
- laughter
- touches on grief
- a bit of politics
- fake dating
- highly suggest reading FOOL ME ONCE first to get the full affect but this can be read as a standalone.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This one night stand/fake dating trope was so unique. Right when you think you know how something is about to go, Ashley Winstead comes in and goes a different direction. I loved being kept on my toes for this romantic comedy with all the heart. FOOL ME ONCE was one of my favorite romantic comedies of 2022. This one might be up in my 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book was so much more than I expected! Bookish, shy Alexis decides to step out of her normal self for a night to prove she is more than her cheating ex accused her to be. Talk about a meet-cute! She meets a dashing, brash stranger, Logan, who rescues her from a creep in the bar. They have a connection even though Logan doesn't know Alexis' real name and she tells him elaborate stories of a made-up life she can only dream of. They have so much chemistry and both throw caution to the wind for a potential night together until there is a fire at the hotel! A picture is snapped of Logan carrying Alexis because she twists her ankle leaving the hotel. And that is where their one night soon changes course ...because Logan is a politician running for office and the narrative of the truth needs to be plotted into something more.

This book was so much fun! I loved all the characters and their growth over the pages. I adored the romance even if there is a slight love triangle for a while. And there were so many great side characters and relationships beyond our main couple. The ending was perfect! I am still smiling...

I look forward to reading more from this author!

4 stars

I absolutely loved this book! If you're looking for a fun take on a romance, I highly suggest this one!

It's been two years since Alexis went through a bad breakup and she's looking for a one night stand. She goes to a bar dressed to the nines and gets hit on by and older man who can't take a hint. A handsome young man steps in to her rescue and they begin chatting throughout the night. They end up in the hotel attached to the bar to make good on their one night stand when the hotel catches on fire! Outside, the duo is photographed together and the man quickly leaves. Alexis thinks that she's done something wrong and that she won't see her mystery man again. Little does she know, he's an up and coming politician running for governor of Texas! The photograph has the potential to cause a news ruckus so his PR team arranges for Alexis to be his fake girlfriend. And it's on from there....

This book is lighthearted, fun, and definitely worth the read! Pick it up while you can! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

I immediately fell in love with the characters and the story telling. This romance was so cute and fun, I could not put it down. Its really refreshing to read a romance novel where the characters are so vivid and thought through!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣. 𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣… 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣.”

This book had no business being this good. I requested an arc of The Boyfriend Candidate because I love a fake dating trope, but I had no idea the level of depth that was lurking behind this adorable cartoon cover. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. The initial fake dating set up was nothing short of a masterpiece and I never imagined the amount of wholesome moments from a book centered around a political campaign. Every character was beautifully developed and played an important part in the story (I loved the diversity included in the cast). I’m desperately hoping that Ashley gives us a spin off in this same universe because I am starving for more. Five of the brightest stars for the boyfriend candidate. 📖✨

The story follows Alexis, an introverted elementary school librarian. When she’s dumped by her long term boyfriend because she was “boring in bed”, she vows to be more adventurous and break out of her shell - starting with her first one night stand. She dons her most daring dress and heads to the bar at the Fleur de Lis hotel, where Austin’s who’s who go to see and be seen. It’s there that she meets Logan, a handsome stranger who defends her honor from an entitled sleaze ball. As the bar closes, they realize they’re not ready for the night to end so they get a room at the hotel. They promptly start to devour one another as they head to their room. No sooner than they shut the door (and clothes start flying) they're interrupted by the screech of the fire alarm. They quickly realize the gravity of the situation when Logan pops his head into the hallway and is greeted by a frantic man screaming, “It’s not a drill!” As they rush down the stairs, Alexis twists her ankle and has to be carried out wedding style by Logan in his still unbuttoned shirt. Cameras flash as Logan puts her into the back of an ambulance. Before Alexis can register what’s happening, Logan bolts, running from the cameras. The next morning, Alexis is mortified to see photos of herself in the headlines as she’s carried out of the burning hotel, disheveled from their tryst, by none other than the hot shot gubernatorial candidate that's been shaking up the Texas political scene.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I absolutely love fake dating and even better if there’s forced proximity so this one had me by its clutches. I’m not a fan of politics in my books usually but it worked good here.

Ashley Winstead can do it all! From writing some of my favorite dark thrillers to fun and charming romantic comedies without missing a beat. The Boyfriend Candidate introduces us to shy librarian Alexis who is trying to take things out of her comfort zone and decides the best way to do this would be to have a one night stand. In true Alexis fashion, the man she chooses, Logan, is a politician who is in the middle of a gubernatorial campaign. When paparazzi end up taking pictures of the two, Alexis must pose as Logan's girlfriend so as not to ruin his campaign. I loved both Alexis and Logan so much, the character development was excellent and both the humor and romance were just perfect!

Alexis Stone wants to shake up her life so she decides to buy a hot red dress and hit up a fancy bar. What she doesn’t expect is for the universe to drop so much excitement into her lap. She meets Logan Arthur and they hit it off so she’s ready to have her first one-night stand. Only, a freak lightning fire cuts their night short and the next thing she knows, she on the cover of a political magazine being carried out of the hotel in his arms. No big deal right? Unless…he’s an alleged playboy running for Texas governor and can’t afford the negative publicity.

A romance between a librarian and a politician…say less. This book is a RIOT right from the start!! The banter and quick wit is a skill that Ashley has PERFECTED with her rom-coms. 👏🏽 I don’t dabble in politics 🤣 but when I tell you I was screaming LAUGHING! The chemistry between Alexis and Logan was off the charts.

The Boyfriend Candidate is a RomCom MASTERPIECE! 🤌🏽👌🏽 If you read and loved Fool Me Once as much as I did, you HAVE to add this to your list!

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

How I LOVED this!! Ashley Winstead is an incredible writer. I loved everything about The Boyfriend Candidate. The characters, the romance, the leads, the banter, even the politely stuff. Gosh I’m going to be screaming about this for some time!

I've loved Ashley Winstead's other books but this one was not for me. The Romance was meant to be slow burn but felt non-existant to me. I much preferred the previous book in this series, Fool Me Once. 2 stars

An absolute gem of a rom-com with dramatic flair from Winstead! I love the Texas setting and how it connected to her book Fool Me Once!

#TheBoyfriendCandidate:⁣
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“Everything about you makes me very nervous and very happy at the same time.” ⁣
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Thank you @graydonhousebooks & @kayepublicity for my gifted copy! ⁣
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Ashley Winstead. You know, I am not a “tag an author” person because I’m always so worried my opinion will hurt their feelings. But, dang it, I would really like to know how AW can write such amazing dark thrillers, then flip to this amazing romcom. Like HOW?! She’s got ✨range✨ and I’m so impressed.⁣
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Ok, first and foremost, Logan and Alexis. A literal swoon. They were adorable. They brought out the best in each other. I loved that they were learning to love themselves in the journey. Of course we get Ben and Lee back (hooray!) but honestly, I was so happy to see Zoey really shine. She really moved from reoccurring cast to full cast in this book and it was so well worth it. ⁣
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This book gripped me from the beginning and definitely did not stop. I loved the little surprises along the way, and how the ending truly wrapped in a perfect bow. I’d like to announce The Boyfriend candidate as another perfect summer read.

Highly recommend reading fool me once first! While I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary, I can see it being a little confusing. I wish that was advertised more. But that’s my only complaint for this book! I loved it. Loved the characters and the romance, I felt like it was believable. Ashley Winstead can truly do no wrong. I love that she can write these fun fluffy romance books, then turn around and write dark heavy thrillers. It’s incredible!

I am absolutely GUSHING over this book, I did not want it to end. With a strong start that leads into a slow burn (with a few thankful slip ups), this book served as a reminder as to why I love the fake dating trope. It’s just so well done. I want to see this book as a movie. I imagined Hugh Dancy — Confessions of a Shopaholic era- the whole time. I need the physical copy of this so I can put it on my rereads shelf. I just loved it so much and was much needed after the slump I’ve been in.

Alexis Stone just got dumped by her boyfriend, who told her essentially she’s bad in bed. To prove she has an adventurous side, Alexis attempts a one-night stand and is saved from an undesirable situation, by the much more preferred option of Logan, who steps in and has the guy back off. In her continuation of having a one-night stand, she is about to seal the deal when— of course— the hotel catches fire. This leads to Alexis and Logan being caught in a rather compromising position outside of the hotel. Which would be all fine and dandy— if Logan wasn’t someone followed by paparazzi. Turns out Logan is in the governor’s race, and being portrayed as a playboy can really hurt his chances. Alexis is roped into playing his girlfriend and ends up creating her own education platform, since as a librarian herself she understands the issues and is affected deeply. They have a rule to not cross any lines and be friends. But can they ever really be just friends, especially after such a steamy start?
This book is perfect for lovers of fake dating, he falls first, and just some good simmering chemistry in this slow burn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead is a win for me! An interesting mix of political strategizing, fake dating, pining (so much), and self discovery - these characters had me hooked. Alexis Stone is the second child and younger sibling of a state Senator. She loves her job but is a bit stuck personally as she tries to overcome passed heart breaks and insecurities. Logan Arthur is a brash politician who is trying to temper his public image as a playboy and a hot head. These two are both compelling characters and my favorite aspect of the story was how their worlds melded with Alexis’s involvement in Logan’s campaign in regards to education funding. We recommend this one if you enjoy a good fake dating moment, brusque characters who are soft for rescue pets, and a whirlwind political adventure.