Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this book, but If you want your romance books to be escapist from the political hellfire that is the united states right now, if you hate miscommunication in your romances, and/or if you hate other man/woman drama then this is NOT the book for you -- I know those are controversial in romancelandia so be forewarned. However, if you are looking for a hero who is clearly a Roy Kent fan-fic then this is definitely the book for you.

The Boyfriend Candidate, follows Alexis Stone and Logan Arthur who get caught up in a whirlwind political fauxmance. The chemistry in this book is off the charts, so much so that I am willing to overlook Logan's poorly misguided Tottenham Hotspurs fandom (fuck spurs, Arsenal forever!!!!!!!). I also deeply loved Alexis, and the side plot with her sister made me cry.

Fun read, probably not for everyone!

"𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬. 𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘶𝘴."

Happy Tuesday, friends! (definitely almost wrote Monday there, because holiday weekends)

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book initially, because honestly, politics gives me a headache.... but guys... I couldn't put this down!

I can't tell you how many times I sat there while reading, just say "oh no no no no no" - because our female main character absolutely has luck equivalent to mine 😅

There are a lot of feelings to relate to in this book - especially the lesson of learning to love yourself before you can effectively love someone else.

And, of course, Cary's obsession with Matt Bomer and the waiter from Apex that was DEFINITELY based off the butler from Mr. Deeds only adds to the charm on this grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, opposites attract love story!

Thank you to @harlequinbooks, @graydonhousebooks and @netgalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for this review!
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #theboyfriendcandidate #ashleywinstead #book34of2023 #whatsnikkireading #fakedating #localpolitics #oppositesattract #grumpysunshine #austintexas #literarymaincharacter #harlequintradepress #graydonhouse #netgalley

THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE by Ashley Winstead is an absolute treat of a fake romance/rom-com contemporary romance featuring a shy, book loving school librarian and a foul-mouthed, audacious politician running for office. Opposites attract in this slow burn fake romance.

Alexis Stone has always preferred books over people and has a job she loves as a school librarian. When her boyfriend cheats on her for a second time and blames her, she is determined to change her life. She gets dressed up and goes out looking for a one-night stand. When she is hit on by an obnoxious drunk, the gorgeous man next to her at the bar rescues her.

Logan Arthur just wants some down time and stops for a drink after work in the bar by his office. He stands up to the obnoxious man hitting on the woman next him at the bar and finds he loves listening to her stories. As they go to leave, both find they want each other. But when a lightening strike starts a fire in the hotel, they find themselves outside, half dressed, and Logan takes off, leaving Alexis when the photographers start taking pictures.

Logan is single and running for Governor and the scandal of coming out of a hotel with a woman brings up his playboy history, so his campaign finds Alexis and proposes a fake relationship just until the election in two months.

I really loved the opposites attract dynamic between Alexis and Logan. They both learned from each other how to be bold and when to hold back, while both were trying to get beyond being hurt by others in the past. While there is plenty of romance, it is a slow burn with a love triangle thrown in three quarters of the way through the story. I felt the entire romance plot moved at a believable pace with no sex scenes until almost the end of the story, but plenty of chemistry between the H/h. The election and campaign issues added interest to the overall story, also. All the characters are fully fleshed and believable. This is an overall enjoyable read with fun characters, dialogue, and plot.

For those of us obsessed with the fake dating romance trope (courtesy of BookTok), this is a must-read! Alexis and Logan are relationship goals! I love how he encourages her to be herself but to try new things as well. It was so refreshing to read about a shy female protagonist who didn't have to necessarily "change," either physically or emotionally for her love interest. Even though Alexis wants to change her life, she doesn't go on this journey in order to impress a specific guy. Her journey is all about becoming the best version of herself and I loved how full of conviction and focused her voice was in this book.

This companion/sequel novel to Winstead's romance debut, Fool Me Once, exceeded my high expectations! The Boyfriend Candidate is a story of believing in yourself, fake dating, sisters, going outside your comfort zone, finding where you belong and opening your eyes to see it. We follow Lee’s sister, Alexis, a shy school librarian daring herself to have her first one-night stand that turns into a fake dating, political partner situation. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as well as steam and scandal. Highly recommend this delicious read!



Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun read! Absolutely loved the characters, loved the miscommunication trope (done well!), loved the dialogue. I’d definitely seek out more titles from this author

This was a really cute romcom that had me laughing, smiling, yelling, just all the feels! If you like fake dating or relationships of convenience, bookish characters, and common themes of finding yourself then this is absolutely for you!

4 stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Boyfriend Candidate" by Ashley Winstead. I found the writing clever, sexy, full of witty banter, charming, and otherwise adorable. In fact, it made me laugh on several occasions. I loved Logan as the main male protagonist. He's gruff, grumpy, idealistic, and has terrific politics. Unfortunately, he has a bit of a playboy past, so he needs to save his reputation since he's running for governor of Texas. He's the polar opposite of the main female protagonist, Alexis, a reserved, shy, introverted school librarian. Alexis has spent her life pushing down her deepest desires because she fears disappointing people by telling them what she really wants. She's well-read, caring, and doesn't know her own power. When they get caught in a paparazzi scandal, Logan asks Alexis to lie and say they are dating so he can save face with the general public. Alexis has often been treated like a doormat, so when Logan comes crashing into her life and actually cares about her wants and needs, a real romance begins to blossom despite their fake-dating appearance. I like reading books about politics and don't understand why some reviewers are so picky about this.

While I enjoyed the writing and the characters, I feel like "The Boyfriend Candidate" moves way too slowly. Trust me, I LOOOOOOOOVE a good slow-burning romance, but it feels like the payoff isn't necessarily worth it in this book. It's way, way, way too sluggish in the romance department. There is some tension and there are some swoon-worthy moments between Alexis and Logan, but by the book's end, we know how it's going to end even before they get there themselves. There are also far too many miscommunications for my liking. Instead of asking for clarification on his thoughts or asking what he feels, Alexis assumes what Logan wants! It drove me mad! Some readers may find Alexis's lack of confidence a turn-off, but I think it played well into her overall character arc. There are a few moments that feel a bit muddled and/or glossed over. I think there could have been a way to make Alexis's characteristics a little more clear-cut (she adopts a successful speaking-in-public persona very quickly despite being frightened of speaking in public... trust me, it's not that easy!). Still, I had a great time reading this book despite my concerns and critiques.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

Charming and fun, nice set up and who doesn’t live a librarian . Fun for fans of good meet cutes.
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Enjoyable rom-com with a lot of witty banter, which I enjoy. I particularly enjoyed viewing how each of the characters grew past their fears, learned from their mistakes, and ultimately supported one another in every area (except the election, but that's to be expected).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝-𝙤𝙪𝙩-𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙢-𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙚.

📍 Read if you like:
• Forced Proximity
• Fake Dating
• Political Talk
• Slow Burns

This is my first romance by Ashley Winstead and I was honestly nervous going into it. I knew it had political talk and that’s something I’m not too interested in. However, it wasn’t super heavy and I actually found myself enjoying this book.

I loved the fake dating and forced proximity tropes. The characters, Alexis and Logan, were both entertaining and had a swoony relationship.

I loved how Alexis is a librarian and Logan is a politician. As I mentioned, the political talk was on the lighter side so it didn’t bother me too much.

Also, Logan was the absolute sweetest. I loved the way he treated Alexis. He was so protective. Also, the plot itself was so interesting.

The only thing I didn’t love too much was the single pov. I think the story would’ve worked better if we got both perspectives.

I really want to go back and read Fool Me Once. This was such a wonderful romcom and I loved the characters so much. The banter was also lovely, and this book just felt like a heartwarming romance.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Graydon House for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Cursing, sexual content, grief, death of parent

I loved this advanced copy of the boyfriend candidate. It is my first book from this author. I loved the slow burn and how the characters developed! 4.5☆

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and net galley for this ARC. I am a huge fan of Ashley Winstead’s thrillers but this was my first romance by her and I just could not get into it. Main character and school librarian Alexis, looking to stick it to her cheating ex, set out on a mission to have a wild, one night stand. That one night stand ends up being one of the Texas gubernatorial candidates, Logan. After being caught by the paparazzi on their one night together, Logan’s team begs Alexis to be his fake boyfriend throughout the campaign. She signs on and the rest is history. Logan definitely fits the role of broody feminist which I love in a male MC. Maybe it’s because I’m the child of a school librarian but it felt like Ashley didn’t properly research what that job is for this role. I’m still eager to read Ashley’s next thriller out later this year! This one unfortunately just couldn’t pull me in.

A refreshing and smart romance! I loved the setting in a democratic gubernatorial campaign office. Winstead delivers another great romance. I loved Alexis and Logan together.

This lovely lady can truly write any genre and make that book another best seller. I fell in love with her writing when I read her first thriller. Little did I know that she can write killer romcoms as well. Once again she delivered! I loved this book so much. She writes from the heart and you can see it in the characters she creates. I was laughing out loud majority of the time and nodding my head, because the characters and the situations were SO relatable lol! I cannot wait to purchase a copy for my library!

This book was so cute. Logan was such a lovable hero and the dynamic between him and Alexis was electric. I usually don't look for politics in my hobbies due to me being force fed the news these days, but I liked the politician plot with Logan and Alexis' activism with school library. This romance was so addicting, I finished it in one sitting (which is a lot for my ADHD brain LOL).

Ashley Winstead has officially become an auto-buy author for me! I really enjoyed this romance book from her and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Big thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this fake dating political romance!! I felt that Ashley Winstead created a wonderful balance of plot and character development, allowing me to feel like the characters were whole people jumping off the page. I genuinely had so much fun with this one and loved how strong yet relatable the main character was. I am also a sucker for a main character who cherishes reading and books, which was a great added bonus. I will definitely recommend this book as it is one of my favorite romance novels I have read this year so far!

Alexis Stone, a librarian, enters a bar one night looking for the perfect man to help her get over her ex and out of her comfort zone. Logan Arthur is running to be the next governor of Texas, and goes to a bar one night to blow off some steam. At the bar, Alexis and Logan hit it off and decide to get a hotel room. However, a lightning storm and a fire prevent them from going any further than kissing. Once they make it out of the hotel, Logan abruptly leaves Alexis and Alexis thinks she'll never see him again. That is until Logan and her make the front page of a gossip website and have to start a fake relationship so Logan can save face.
If you enjoy fake dating romances, slow burns, and laughing out loud, this book is for you! Ashley Winstead is becoming one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading more of her books!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

LOVED!

Alexis is a part time librarian who hasn’t had the best of luck with love. She feels like she’s constantly living in her politician sisters shadow.
Logan is a good looking farm boy with a temper, and he’s also running for democratic party as Governor of Texas.
On Alexis’s first night out to jump start her dating life, she has a one night stand that turns into so much more! Alexis and Logan are caught by the paparazzi, which now could jeopardize Logan’s political campaign. They decide to fake a relationship so he doesn’t look bad in the press.

These two had such great chemistry! This was a slow burn and I loved every minute of it. The character development was perfect and I just loved the feelings they had for each other.

Ashley Winstead is a very talented writer and this book really shows her range.
I look forward to reading more from her!
This was such a sweet, fun, and overall wonderful book!



📘: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead
🗓️: May 9, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Winstead, and Harlequin for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Politics plus romance? Count me in. Despite not agreeing with most of the politics in the book, I enjoyed the story, chemistry between characters, flirty banter, support for teachers, and gaining another perspective on a different political aisle. It was so much more than what I expected and dove deep into perfectionism and performing for others to gain love, something that I and many other people relate to. Absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down.

Probably the only caveat I had was I felt like there didn’t need to be any open door sex scenes, the chemistry and love between the characters was felt between the pages. The second sex scene takes you out of the story a bit I felt.

Overall, I still give it a 5-star rating because it was a great break from reality, while also giving me a nice dose of politics and attractive candidates.

Can we have Will’s story next?