I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

For shy librarian Alexis, she decides to get out of her comfort zone and have a one night stand after her ex dumps her for being too meek in bed. she meets the flirty and gorgeous Logan in a hotel bar and the sparks fly. He's her exact opposite, but seems perfect for her night of fun. But nature has other ideas, and when the hotel catches fire, they are forced to flee, and photos of Logan carrying Alexis out of the hotel in his arms soon take over the internet. Logan is not just a handsome stranger, but none other than Logan Arthur, the candidate for governor in Texas' upcoming election. He can't afford for a scandal to ruin his campaign, or Alexis' job, and so they agree to pretend to be in a relationship for the sake of the campaign. But will they remember it's not real, or not?

I found this book such a quick and fun read. Alexis and Logan were fantastic MCs, and they really hit it off. Thought nothing like each other, their personalities complemented each other perfectly, and brought out the best in each other. Yes their romance was initially transactional, but both of them fell hard, with Logan falling quickest. A great contemporary romance, with a dash of politics thrown in.

When i first found out it was a political romance, i was intrigued. I absolutely loved both of these characters, and the fake dating trope is one of my favourites

3.5/5

Overall I think this was a good read, I just didn't love it

I enjoyed the growth we went on with the FMC and how she stood up for what she wanted and stopped trying to please everyone by the end of the book

I normally love fake dating but I wasn't a huge fan of in this book, just because it didn't feel like they were dating at all

I got annoyed at the miscommunication between the main characters, you could tell the MMC really liked the FMC, however he wasn't saying it and although it lead to a great plot line, it didn't make a great romance

- fake dating
- political spotlight

I really enjoyed this fake-dating romance.

Alexis and Logan were great main characters who showed their vulnerabilities.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy.

Whilst “TikTok made me buy it” does make me cringe, I do love a good fake dating based romance so I just had to give this one a go.

Though it starts off as a failed hookup, things escalate when the two MCs are forced together so as not to damage political reputation. The stakes are high and this makes for an interesting read, for sure.

Politics does form a bit of this book but, for anyone who’s not clued up on stuff like that, it’s not too much to take on. Plus, let’s be honest, we’re all here for the romance.

It takes a while to really get going but, when it does, the romance is gorgeous.

This book made me realise the fake dating trope will never go out of style for me.

Fake dating, slow burn... I'm in!
Really enjoyed this book, highly recommend. The characters were great and the writing was very good!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a light hearted easy read that was easy to immerse myself in. Loveable characters, enjoyable plot! I love Logan!

I recently had the pleasure of delving into this book, and I am beyond impressed with the mesmerizing world that the author has crafted. From start to finish, the intricate plot weaves a tapestry of suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

One of the standout features of this book is undoubtedly its characters. Each one is meticulously developed, breathing life into the narrative with their unique personalities, motivations, and flaws. The protagonists are not just names on paper; they are relatable, complex individuals with whom readers can form a genuine connection. The antagonist, too, is not a mere foil but a multi-dimensional force that adds depth to the story. The author's ability to create such well-rounded characters is a testament to their storytelling prowess.

The plot unfolds seamlessly, drawing the reader into a richly layered narrative that expertly balances tension, drama, and moments of poignant reflection. The pacing is impeccable, maintaining a perfect rhythm that keeps the reader engaged without sacrificing the depth of the story. The author skillfully navigates through various plot arcs, interweaving them with finesse to create a cohesive and satisfying whole.

What sets this book apart is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining an accessible and engaging narrative. The book seamlessly combines suspense and emotional depth, making it a truly immersive experience. The author's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

As I reached the conclusion, I found myself yearning for more from this talented author. Their ability to craft a gripping plot and bring characters to life is truly commendable. I eagerly anticipate future works and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader who appreciates a masterfully told tale. If you're searching for a book that seamlessly blends captivating characters with a compelling plot, this is a shining example. I can't wait to explore more literary worlds crafted by this exceptional storyteller.

I love the story. Found the end could have been more exciting, but still enjoyable. I saw someone saying the story with Will was wrong, but I liked it. She was discovering what (or who) she wanted, and it spiced the storyline a bit. Hopefully Will will get his own book.

This book has such a good fake dating romance and features slow burn as well!
I loved how the slow burn was long, it wasn’t instant love, we watched our characters grow and learn about themselves individually before they end up together. I loved that even though this book was a romance it had a real strong plot outside Logan and Alexis romance! and I was so anxious about which way the election would go.

I loved Alexis' growth and learning to love herself before allowing others to love her! the way she handled the grief of losing her dad was so well written!

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release.

Where to start?! This book is such a good fake dating romance that has this beautiful slow burn element to it that made the stakes feel so much higher and I truly loved it. In all Honesty I devoured it.

We follow our shy main character Alexis, who is found in a local bar trying to get over her ex boyfriend when she decides to push herself out of her comfort zone and become her alter ego Ruby Dangerfield.

Ruby is daring an everything Alexis isn't, and strikes up a conversation with a hot guy in the bar. Little does she know this small interaction and almost one night stand would flip her life upside down, and become the biggest scandal in Texas.

Learning to believe in herself and what she thinks is right, whilst allowing herself to fall for the man that is strictly off limits, with Alexis daring to cross boundaries to reinvent herself in a race to find her own happily ever after.

I loved that this book had a long slow burn, it wasn’t instant love, we had to watch our characters grow and learn about themselves individually before we could see them together. I loved that even though this book was a romance it had a strong plot outside finding out what Logan and Alexis where going to do - and I was on the edge of my seat wondering which way the election would swing (and its not even real!).

I loved the growth of Alexis as a character, learning to love herself before allowing others to love her and seeing how she handled the grief of losing her dad but still staying close to her mum and sister (even if Lee meddled a little too often in Alexis' life).

All in all I highly recommend this book a solid 4.5 stars.

Absolutely adored this book!
Alexis’s attempted one-night-stand, started the hilariously epic journey of her and Logan. Fake dating to ensure the public doesn’t think Logan is the ‘bad boy’ for the next two months until election day…

I loved Ashley Winstead thrillers so was really excited when I received this book to review. This book is such a fun, easy to read romance and I really enjoyed it. I like the whole fake dating component and I really loved Alexis and Logan as main characters, even if Logan does support Spurs. This book features politics and made for a bit of a different romance read but was enjoyable. You are along for the ride as Logan runs for the governor’s seat in Texas. If you like feel good romance books add this one to your list.

I struggled with this one. I thought the writing style was good but there was no frisson between Alexis and Logan which was disappointing because I thought from the description there would be a lot of fun fizzy tension. Ended up skim reading . Others might enjoy but not for me. 2 🌟

This is the first romance that I've read by Ashley Winstead but it certainly won't be the last.
First of all, I liked their chemistry. I also love a fake dating situation and this one was done really well.
The steamy scenes were good too.
It had an interesting story and I liked the insight that it gave me into the world of American politics.
This would definitely be a nice beach read or palette cleanser in between more heavier subject matters.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review of “The Boyfriend Candidate” by Ashley Winstead 💘

3,5 ⭐️

Since I’m a HUGE fan of Ashley Winstead’s thrillers, I really wanted to read this romance novel by her as well, and it surely did not disappoint! Aslhey Winstead writes mature stories, and this one was no exception.

It had great characters, the banter was really nice and there’s a whole new trope to explore in this one-night-stand-to-fake-dating-a-politician-to-lovers situation. I had a great time! Listened to most of this book and read the final chapters because I really wanted to see how this would end 📚

Totally recommend if you like swoon-worthy romance stories (with definitely a slow-burn aspect). I, personally, love Ashley Winstead’s incredible thrillers a bit better, but had a great time reading this nonetheless 🫶🏼

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review! All of these thoughts are my own 🤍

disclaimer: I received an arc from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

╰┈➤ 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫. "𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠." 🎀🍓

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
alexis stone & logan arther are 'forced' to fake a date after being caught in a 'compromising' position that could impact logan's political campaign.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
this was an adorable romance. the meet cute these characters had ?! It was so funny and cute. probably the best one I've read !! I loved logan so so much. alexis I liked but at times she was kind of irritating. still loved seeing her progress throughout the book and watching her go out of her comfort zone to get what she wanted. this book also had some funny banter and I liked the found family that was formed throughout the book with multiple different characters. def a cute read.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
at times the book dragged on. though I loved seeing how passionate the characters were about their work and bettering society, the constant talk of it made it very hard to escape the real world. I also found that the romance was a little limited for my liking. the book was trying to explore so many topics that some of it felt very rushed. the main topic I felt was extremely rushed was alexis's relationship with herself. she has a very low self-esteem throughout the book but when she does suddenly gain confidence it feels unrealistic because she didn't really do much to get there?! and I would have liked to see more alexis and logan scenes, particularly for when they are pretending to date. I also hated alexis's older sister. she gets better but she always acted like she was better than everyone and also had a history of neglecting alexis.

𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
def recommend to anyone looking for a cute fake dating romance <3

𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: 🎧
𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝? 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞.
𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚.

Unfortunately this was archived before downloading but I’ll be returning to review when I’ve purchased + read!

such a beautiful romance!! i loooved that this focused on this grumpy rough guy politician (HELLO grumpy/sunshine trope xxxx) but inside he’s this sweet lil guy who loves animals and grew up on a farm like yes PLEAASE! the storyline was gripping and full of drama, the only kinda negative thing i have to say is i needed more SMUT there was so much potential to make this tuff guy melt UH 😔 “I can’t take this any more. Fuck the rules. Please, please let me kiss you.” 😩

Such a great book! I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.