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.

If the name Alexis Stone sounds familiar to you, it's because she was introduced to us in Fool Me Once! Alexis is THE Lee Stone's sister! Being from DC, I'm surrounded by politics so The Boyfriend Candidate was right up my alley!

Alexis Stone wishes she was more like her sister. She's a shy school librarian that needs help in the love / relationship department. After she gets dumped for being boring in bed, she decides enough is enough and vows to change.

Sexy, British / Texan, Logan Arthur, is the complete opposite of Alexis; he's loud, larger than life, and also a Texas gubernatorial candidate. The two of them randomly meet at a hotel bar and Alexis is dead set on having a one-night stand with him and Logan is only happy to oblige.

But just as they are about to do the deed, a freak accident happens at the hotel and Logan is photographed carrying Alexis is his arms. Soon pictures of her and Logan are plastered all over the web. This sensational "scandal" forces Logan's PR team to do damage control. In fact, they come up with a proposal that will hopefully repair Logan's image: Alexis has to pretend to by his gf until election day.

I adored this book! It was funny, the plot was great, and I loved Alexis and Logan - as individual characters and together as a "couple." I loved how they balanced each other out and helped each other shine. It was really gratifying to see Alexis's character evolve into a confident woman, and how she learned to stand up for herself!

The book is a slow burn and does have a bit of spice. It can totally be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading Fool Me Once first first!

Thanks so much, Ashley, HTP Books, and Graydon House, for the generous gifted copy copy of the book! It's out now!

I had only read IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE before starting this book and really loved it, so naturally I’ve added all of Ashley Winstead’s books to my TBR regardless of genre. I love when authors are able to write both excellent romances and excellent thrillers… not much more I could ask for! 😉 Needless to say, I was excited for the opportunity to read THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE!

The story centers around school librarian Alexis and her quest to ditch her boring girl persona for one night… and how she ends up in scandalous paparazzi photos with a young hot-shot Texas gubernatorial candidate Logan. His campaign quickly pivots to let everyone know that that the two are actually together and my beloved fake dating trope begins – just long enough to get Logan through the election.

It was really interesting to get a peek behind the curtain of how politicians have to work on their image, determine their platform, and deal with other politicians, union leaders, and the public. It didn’t go into a ton of detail but just enough to make the book feel realistic. Alexis quickly impacted his campaign to integrate not just stopping the education budget cuts, but increasing the budget throughout the state.

Logan and Alexis had a lot of chemistry and the typical “oh no, they couldn’t possibly be actually into me” vibes were strong. I loved watching them integrate into each other’s lives in a natural way where you could actually see how they’d click beyond the fake dating. They hung out at his favorite dive bar and he helped with her mom’s animal rescue. It was really cute to see how their relationship developed throughout the story and how they pushed each other to be better.

There were definitely some predictable moments in the second half but I found myself unable to put the book down. I was just eager for the two of them to get together and make everything work. I really enjoyed the ending and think it made a lot of sense.

I’m really excited that Winstead’s romance worked for me too so now I can get excited about reading any book from her, regardless of genre! 🙂

Post-breakup, shy librarian Alexis is on the hunt for a one-night stand, and Logan, the handsome, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at the bar, fits the bill. But things get complicated when the pair are photographed together, and Alexis learns that Logan is Texas’ gubernatorial candidate. Fake dating ensues. As a former teacher, I especially loved the teachers’ union subplot. Ashley is a thriller queen, but don’t sleep on her romances!

This was so much fun! I love the premise, the character growth, and especially the research that went into this setting. I binged this in a day and am off to read the author's previous book Fool Me Once.

Sidenote: As a librarian, seeing actual spicy scenes in a library is a major ick for me, but reading spicy scenes in the stacks?! 🔥🔥🔥

Loved, loved, loved The Boyfriend Candidate! If you have the slightest interest in politics and current events like I do, this book will be the perfect read! Highly recommended.

Ashley Winstead - I love you 💙 What a fantastic romance!! She really can do it all👏

This one has:
✨fake dating
✨personal growth x1000
✨an anxious introvert
✨a politician with a swearing problem
✨SWOON-WORTHY moments
✨book lovers
✨sister bonding

So heartwarming, so uplifting, so timely to today’s political scene. Logan is a top-notch boyfriend candidate + book boyfriend 🥹🫶 definitely recommend!

This was my first time reading this author, and I absolutely loved this book. The characters were quirky and fun and there were so many laugh out loud moments. It was easy to relate to Alexis and Logan and so much fun to see the chemistry and connection between them grow throughout the book. It is based loosely around politics, but it did not overpower the story at all. Definitely my favorite rom-com of the year thus far!!
Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good fake dating trope and this one was fun! Great for a summer read.

Sometimes life gets in the way! I just finished reading this wonderful book by Ashley Winstead! It was released May 9th!

I had read Fool Me Twice which is the MC’s sisters story and really enjoyed it but I liked this even more! It is about Alexis a librarian and romance reader (I mean how can you not love her) and this hot politician Logan (who frankly wouldn’t ever really win in Texas but we can hope). It is a fake dating that turns real! I loved the side characters and we better get Will’s story next!

Now the heat only get turned on at the end so you can easily skip if it isn’t your thing (I didn’t skip anything because FINALLY).

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! Sorry I was late with my review!

Another fake dating trope. I really did like it and might recommend it as a beach read, but it didn't give me all the feels that I am looking for in a romance novel. A lot of things were misunderstood and left unsaid, so things moved at a glacial pace. Logan, a contender for governor, is caught in an inappropriate situation with Alexis, a librarian at a local elementary school. They faked a relationship until after the election so that his campaign wouldn't be tarnished. As is natural, feelings evolved, and the story concluded on a happy note. Both parties had valid concerns that made them wary of committing to one another. Even though we didn't receive Logan's point of view, I still found him to be a fully realized and nuanced character. Also, Alexis' character didn't make sense, one minute she is super shy and the next she's speaking in front of tons of people. I did like the book though.

Thanks to Netgalley, for this advanced copy for my honest opinion.

i love ashley’s other books but this one was not for me. i got to about 35% and was not interested in any character or the storyline.

This book was slated as romance/Romantic comedy. Normally people read to escape the real world. I understand one of the characters was a political figure, but talk about politics made me skim read most of this book, I also didn’t find it very comedic.

Unfortunately this book starts off as a super slow burn. Which is not one of my strengths as a reader. Slow burns are ok if there is chemistry and banter. Banter was there, but everything else was too slow for me,

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of The Boyfriend Candidate!

I was so looking forward to this book. I read my first Ashley Winstead book earlier this year (In My Dreams I Hold a Knife), and I loved it. I read my second AW book. Fool Me Once, and I liked it. This book, though (my third) left me with lukewarm feelings.

Did I like it? Yeah, it was fine. The characters were good, and the writing had some witty moments (I do feel like Fool Me Once is wittier, though, if you're comparing). I did not connect with the characters as much in this one, and I honestly just feel like this one was poorly researched re: the female main character's career. That was really disappointing!

If you like romances, I think you'll like this one...but honestly, I feel like there are better romances out there you can pick up, especially if you're leaning towards a new release.

Rating: 3⭐️

I really really liked this one. I connected to the grief, the hope of the election, and the relationship between them. Loved the premise about knowing your worth and finding someone who sees that in you, and the PASSION in this book was hard to put down! Absolutely recommend. More than a rom com.

"Whatever it takes, let me keep her.”

um. I don’t even have the words to describe the way I feel after finishing this book. So instead I will paint you a picture: 24 year old girl, sitting on her couch at midnight, grinning ear to ear, screaming and crying, silently, to avoid waking up her parents.

logan. arthur. the man has just been added to my seemingly never ending list of book boyfriends.

wow. a book about politics (but not really).not a book i ever thought i would read. i am pleasantly surprised with how much i loved this book! It was such a great concept and I will definitely be going back to read Ashley’s other book ‘Fool Me Once’ because I need more of this world and these characters.

This book contains:
- fake dating
- he falls first
- handsome man with slight British accent. (Siri. Play London Boy by Taylor Swift)

read this book asap please!!!!

Fake dating trope will get me everytime. I enjoyed the writing style and how Alexis never fell into the cliche quiet shy girl. She felt fresh. And a Texan with a slight British accent running for governor... I would definitely pay attention to his policies. Fun and had a sweet message for the other little sisters with girl boss older sisters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Graydon House for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
3.5 stars rounded up
4 stars for Logan, 3 stars for Alexis
Logan was a fantastic character. Alexis annoyed me. She kept referring to herself as an introvert yet everything she did screamed the opposite. She knew the rules of the fake dating scenario but thought nothing of breaking them, to the detriment of the campaign. I felt like there was no growth to her character, and Logan was awfully forgiving of her. That said, they did have great chemistry and it was often funny. (Logan was hilarious and I kept picturing a young Hugh Grant.) I had to speed read through some of the political scenes as they got to be too much/too long. Overall, though, I would recommend this one.

Clever, engaging, and sassy!

The Boyfriend Candidate is a flirty, feel-good tale about the hardworking, timid Alexis Stone who, after deciding to embark on a one-night stand after having her confidence shattered by an ex, finds her world turned upside down when her date turns out to be none other than Logan Arthur, the latest candidate for governor of Texas, and for the benefit of both their reputations and the political campaign agrees to fake date him until the election is over.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are focused, amusing, and driven. And the plot is a lighthearted, funny blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, secrets, deception, awkward situations, sweet moments and taking chances.

Overall, The Boyfriend Candidate is another charming, touching, delightful tale by Winstead that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a good romcom that has a whole lot of hope, heart, and humour.