Every single time I read a book from Ashley Winstead, I'm shocked by how talented she is in multiple genres. This was one of the sweetest books I've ever read, while still having a female lead who is smart, independent and full of agency. I absolutely adored going on the journey with Alexis Stone of finding her voice and her own life goals, and her sexy fake-boyfriend Logan made it even more enjoyable. I loved how both Alexis and Logan got to to grow as individual people, not just as a fake couple. And I of course loved getting to spend more time with Lee & Co from Fool Me Once. I will follow Ashley Winstead into whatever genre she tackles next.

The Boyfriend Candidate was just the book my romcom loving heart needed! Winstead’s fake dating, sloooow burn romance was an utter delight, and the banter and competition between Alexis and Logan were top notch. Logan and Alexis made a quite the dynamic team, and I really loved that how they used their competitive nature to spark social change. It was wonderful to see them strong as individuals with a distinct voices and passions, while also being complementary as they used their platforms and experience to champion teachers and unionized workers, fight against book bans, and spark positive social change.

I found myself identifying with Alexis, having always been more of a wallflower and even felt overshadowed by my more effervescent siblings growing up. I loved the quiet strength and loyalty that radiated from Alexis as she learned to stand her ground, advocate for herself and embrace new adventures. I really enjoyed witnessing Alexis’ growth, but I wish we had seen more from Logan. We KNEW he had BIG feelings for Alexis while also wrestling with past hurt and fear, but how I wish he had been honest earlier on, rather than waiting so we could have avoided some unnecessary drama.

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed that Winstead delivered a romcom with meaningful discussions about relevant social change and I hope it cultivates more discussions on how we can all get involved and make positive change in our communities!

This was such a fun fake dating romance. Alexis Stone, introverted school librarian (they get into this, but she doesn't have an MLIS degree but I think that happens in schools so it didn't bug me, though I'm sure there are some librarians who are more die-hard than I am who might be like, what??), goes out on the town one night with the express goal of having a one-night stand to prove to herself that she's not boring in bed like her cheating ex claimed. After a rocky start at the bar, she meets a hot guy with a British accent and spends the whole night regaling him with heavily fictionalized accounts of her life. They're just about to hook up when the hotel fire alarm goes off and he ends up carrying her downstairs while they're both still a bit disheveled, and they get caught on camera. He bolts without an explanation but she finds out the next day that he's actually Logan Arthur, young political hotshot and liberal Texas gubernatorial candidate who has worked hard to rehabilitate a playboy image. To save face, his campaign manager/fixer convinces Alexis and Logan that they need to pretend that they've been dating so that the whole thing looks a lot less salacious. They become friends, and Logan agrees to share his platform with Alexis, who turns out to have leadership abilities she never realized and uses them to advocate for educators in Texas. I really liked both Alexis and Logan and was rooting for them the whole time. This is the first book I've read by Winstead (apparently she has another one that features Alexis's sister Lee, also involved in politics), but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more.

I’ve never read anything by Ashley Winstead, but I was drawn in by the cover and the title. I was pleasantly surprised and will be looking for other titles by this author. The plot started strong and it kept me wondering what was going to happen next. There were a few plot twists, but the characters were so well-developed I felt like I was living in the book. I don’t want to give anything away, but I don’t think you’ll regret picking this book up!

(4.5 stars) This book was such a fun and fascinating read! I laughed, I swooned, I got butterflies. I loved Lex’s wit and her personality overall. I felt seen in a lot of her internal dialogue. Her and Logan’s story had me captivated from their adorable turned hilarious meet cute to the last page. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author.

Alexis, a librarian, who decides she needs some excitement in her life when she stumbles upon Logan, who is running for governor. After being photographed together they enter a fake dating relationship. This story had many cute and funny moments. We also get to see Alexis go through a journey of self-growth which I really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Graydon House books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was very excited for this one as I loved Fool Me Once and it was pretty cute but I just felt like something was missing.

Fake dating, smoldering chemistry, an engaging plot and two very likable characters. Did I mention the chemistry? Loved this book!

Alexis, a librarian, decides to shake up her life after a bad breakup and gets ready to experience a one night stand. But it shakes up her life way more than she wanted as she ends up on the front page news in the arms of Logan, a politician who is also running for governor. From there, there is some amazing chemistry and very cute/funny moments between these two as they do whole fake dating drama for the public.

Alexis also undergoes her own personal growth and finds a voice along with her purpose in life. Alexis and Logan moments were so endearing and beautiful that I felt I missed out not reading the author's previous rom-com. Their chemistry was just so spot on! This was a light and highly entertaining read!!

Ashley winstead will forever be a favorite author!! She writes such effortless stories that has me hooked from page one. I will say, Fool Me Once was not a favorite so my expectations were a bit low for this one, but it did not disappoint!

There were some slow moments and some miscommunication that really had me missing a stronger romance aspect to the story. But the growth Alexis goes through is done so well and felt so realistic I really loved that side of her journey. The ending really made me enjoy the story so much more though. We went through so much with this campaign team it felt like I was part of their little family 🥹.

Definitely don’t miss out on picking this one up!

4.25 stars, rounding up!
Thank you NetGalley for this free book to read and review.
What a cute romance. It’s got likable characters you’ll love rooting for, fake dating, laugh out loud moments, great side characters, some great 🔥, and a romance that kept me turning the pages.
I’ll read anything Ashley writes!

The Boyfriend Candidate was such a fun read! I couldn’t put it down and loved all the humor, personal growth and spice throughout the book. There was a great group of characters featured in this story and I loved them all!

Such a fun, silly, madcap romcom about an elementary school librarian and an upstart Texas gubernatorial candidate. Such a cute story with fake dating, to a true budding romance. I would definitely recommend! Such a cute rom com with feeling!

The more I read the fake dating trope, the more I like it. Here it's done perfectly!

Alexis wants to get out of her comfort zone by having a one night stand. Though it doesn't quite pan out. She's photographed with the super hot Logan, who just so happens to be running for governor. His campaign decides the best approach is to pretend they're in a relationship. So Alexis gets caught up in his campaign and they both develop feelings along the way. It was truly delightful to follow along on their adventure.

I usually wouldn't 5 star a book that doesn't have sex until 93%, but it totally fit with these characters and their story. Plus they're was tons of tension along the way and the two have tons of chemistry.

This book captures everything I love about the romance genre: humor, sexiness, and heaviness. The characters deal with grief and loss in different ways.

I highly recommend this one.

*Note to the publisher, there are some formatting issues that were annoying and distracting. Mostly that every word with fl in it had an unnecessary space - example f lowers

I am a huge fan of Ashley Winstead's writing and will read absolutely anything she writes, and this book is just another reason why I love her! Easy 5 stars for this charming, swoonworthy read.

Alexis is an introvert, a children's librarian, and is ready to shake things up and have a one night stand. She and Logan Arthur have a meet cute, but he is forced to run off after a fire brings news media to the hotel they were about to stay in. Why? Because he is THE Logan Arthur, Democratic candidate for Texas governor and reformed playboy. Pictures of the two leak, and Logan's campaign asks Alexis to pretend to be his girlfriend until the election.

Fake dating is my favorite trope, and it is done so well in this story! The angst, the searching looks, the competition in the form of another man, the conversations, the CHEMISTRY...it all works so so well. Logan is very upfront about everything except for his feelings, and I loved his tell it like it is attitude. At the same time, he has a soft side that he doesn't want anyone to see...but Alexis gets to see it.

I absolutely adored Alexis. She has always felt second best in her life and is trying to find herself and discover what she wants to do with her life, and I loved when she came to the realization that she didn't have to do something to make others happy anymore. Her journey of self-discovery was beautifully written.

Alexis is the younger sister of Lee from Fool Me Once, and Lee definitely makes multiple appearances here as well. A reference to a certain Disney gown from that book had me dying laughing, and I loved checking in with Lee, Ben, and their friends.

I had to save a few favorite lines from this book, and I cannot wait for it to be published so I can own a copy and reread!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Graydon House books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Super cute read! She did a great job of building up the romantic angst that hooked the reader into the story. It dragged on a little bit too long for comfort, and when it finally came to fruition, the story seemed to wrap up in a pretty rushed fashion. The book was well done but did seem to have a huge amount of buildup compared to the wrap up. Some of the political maneuvering seemed a bit far fetched, and as a school librarian, some of the educational elements weren’t quite accurate, but overall, it didn’t largely detract from the story — just a little loose on accuracy. However, if you’re not involved in education or school libraries, it’s unlikely to be noticed.

If you are looking for a rom-com with great dialogue, a little steam and a stellar supporting cast- this checks those boxes. The Boyfriend Candidate (Pub 05.09)- A failed one night stand between a school librarian and a political candidate turns into a fake dating slow burn. Chemistry for days!

I loved the premise of this, especially because "fake relationship" is absolutely my favorite trope. However, this book didn't really hit the mark for me. The characters didn't really feel well developed, the tragic backstories were arch-typical even by genre standards and the chemistry was therefore hard to feel. The supporting role of the older sister is especially fraught in this regard given that she acts in a manner that is 100% out of character for the serious overachiever she is supposed to be. Without giving away spoilers the (entirely predictable) relationship fall-out happens as a direct result of her making a demand that no adult in their right mind would make under these circumstances. Overall, with exception of the mild sex scenes, this felt very YA-ish in that this behavior would make more sense for college students running a model UN, not for adults trying to be senators and governors of Texas. Other reviews indicate that this is a minority opinion, so as always, this might be a great fit for some romance-readers, it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Thoughts

You know when a book comes along and it feels like the writer wrote the book for you? Well this is how I felt about this book. Aside from the fact that she mentioned Matilda, Reese Witherspoon rom-coms, or buying a bar of chocolate with the intention of only eating one square a day but ending up devouring the entire bar. Or that she was an educator, shy, and found herself in books.

But we shared the deep dark fears of never being enough. Of running people off because of that. Of not being loud enough to appease people. And also realizing it isn't that there is anything wrong with us, we just need the right people around us, who can love us the way we need to be loved.

I am not sure I have ever seen my personality so well in a book character before. However, that's not all to love about this book. The tension between Alexis and Logan was agonizing!! Because you just wanted it to happen so bad. It was a great build up.

It had great character development in that you see a slow evolution of Alexis realizing her worth and what SHE wanted out of life. The only thing I wish it had was a perspective from Logan because I would have loved to get the angst of him holding back from Alexis. But I am sure she had good reason not to include it. And I am not mad that we got an entire book from Alexis' POV.

So did I enjoy this book? Yes! Would I recommend it? Absolutely, there aren't enough stories like Alexis' out there and we need to see all types of women's stories.

Alexis Stoner is shaking things up. She is going out alone! She is wearing a sexy dress! She is going to have a one night stand! Or at least thats the plan. She is going to show that jerk of an ex that she is not the meek, boring in bed librarian he said she was. Then she meets Logan, who is tall, dark, and handsome and fits the bill perfectly. However, it is so much more than she bargained for. What was going to be simple night of fun turns into a pretend dating plan during race for the governor of Texas title. Throughout the journey, Alexis learns a lot about her self and her relationships and what she truly wants. Of course, the back and forth of the desire between Alexis and Logan really have you rooting for them and screaming at the book to get together. This book is a continuation of Ashley Winstead's first romance novel, Fool Me Once, which follows Alexis' older sister, Lee's love story. I couldn't put the book down. I need someone to adapt this book into a romcom movie ASAP. Highly recommend this book and anything written by Ashley Winstead.