Truly enjoyed this read, it was jam packed with a great plot and romance. Also featured one of my favourite tropes…. Fake dating!

I really enjoyed the balance of relationships within this story. Focusing on Alexis and her sister Lee’s past and current relationship, the struggles of her sister being in the public eye and Alexis being seen as the ‘quiet’ and ‘weaker’ sibling all her life, it was a great take on their relationship and I didn’t expect this dynamic within this type of book.

I loved the relationship between Logan (MMC) and Alexis (FMC), although I’m not a big fan of miss communication within books, I really feel it was executed well. It didn’t feel random or forced and it made their relationship interesting. I really did feel like Logan needed to open up more sooner though.

This book was heavily political as the MMC is running a campaign throughout and the plot focuses on multiple issues that effect our world currently, but it was explained extremely well and was easy to follow.

I loved Logan’s campaign team, they were great side characters which helped not only push the political plot along but also the main characters romance along too.

The romance between Alexis and Logan is a slow burn and slightly steamy with a lot of tension.

My favourite thing overall in this story was the relationship Alexis had with herself and her character development throughout was great to read. Her insecurities and always seeming small was a hard and relatable read. It was nice to read along and notice how she was slowly tackling those insecurities and gaining confidence within her character.

Overall a great 4 star read for me. I would recommend to anyone who loves a romantic comedy with a bit of drama.

This is my first Political Romance and Read by Ashley Winstead, and I loved it! The Boyfriend Candidate is an opposites attract, fake dating, slow burn romance.

I have to say that the characters were my favourite part, they were well developed throughout. Even though there were oodles of them; they were integrated so well that it never become overwhelming for the reader. Alexi’s Character growth was exceptional (the timid assistant librarian who finally finds her voice and passion). Logan is quite chaotic at times, and I would compare him to Marmite (You either Love him or hate him). There were times when he really did grate on me, but he did win me over with his selfless actions towards the end of the book.

The romance was just so sweet and flawlessness. Definitely going to go back and read Lee’s (Alexi’s sister) story, Fool Me Once.


Read if you enjoy:

•He Falls First

•Opposites Attract

•Fake Dating

•Political Romance

Book Review: "The Boyfriend Candidate" by Ashley Winstead - A Rom-Com with a Dash of Politics

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

"The Boyfriend Candidate" by Ashley Winstead is a delightful rom-com that will leave you laughing out loud and rooting for the relatable protagonist, Alexis Stone.

As a shy school librarian, Alexis is content with staying out of the spotlight. But after a humiliating breakup, she decides to step out of her comfort zone and embark on a one-night stand. Enter Logan, a gorgeous and audacious stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Sparks fly between them, but their budding romance takes an unexpected turn when they are caught in a compromising situation during a freak lightning storm.

What follows is a hilarious and unconventional proposition: Logan, a hotshot politician running for governor, and Alexis must pretend to be in a relationship to save his career and her job. As they navigate the world of politics and media scrutiny, they find themselves drawn to each other more than they anticipated.

One of the strongest aspects of the book is Alexis's character development. Watching her grow and learn to put herself first is incredibly empowering and relatable. However, some readers may find the romance aspect lacking. The relationship between Alexis and Logan felt rushed, with time jumps and moments of telling instead of showing their connection. The focus on politics and the campaign occasionally overshadowed the development of their romance, leaving readers wanting more intimate moments between the couple.

"The Boyfriend Candidate" is recommended for fans of literary fiction with a subplot of romance and rom-com lovers who enjoy a mix of humor and political intrigue.

In conclusion, "The Boyfriend Candidate" is a fun and engaging read with a relatable protagonist. While the romance may take a back seat to the political plot at times, the book still delivers an entertaining and heartfelt story that will keep readers entertained until the end.

4.75/5 stars

Alexis' boyfriend breaks up with her for not being interesting enough in bed, so she is determined to be more interesting and plans to have a one night stand. She has her sights set on very attractive stranger Logan, but a fire alarm at their hotel stops them and Logan ends up carrying Alexis outside, to the interest of some papparazi. What Logan hasn't told her is that he is running for Governor of Texas and a one night stand would really ruin his image. He asks Alexis to fake date him to help save his campaign - but will it end up turning into more?

I LOVED THIS. Ashley is such a good writer, the book is compelling but also fleshed out. Not only was I routing for Alexis and Logan but I genuinely cared about Logan getting into the seat, especially in Texas as it's so true to life that he would struggle to get left wing politics to land there. Both MCs have fleshed out support networks around them and I learnt so much about all of the characters through this story.

Alexis is basically me in book form, so I was probably always going to feel an affinity towards her. I loved her journey throughout this story as she learns to love herself more for who she is, and also finds her voice through her relationship with Logan. Logan is infinitely likeable - he is absolutely not a typical "bad boy" romance MC which I am infinitely grateful for. I was a bit wary when the love triangle got introduced but I felt it was handled well and didn't portray Will as a boring Doctor who was just not interesting enough for Alexis, which I am so grateful for as someone marrying a real life Will.

The third act drama makes total sense to me in this - fake dating always allows for a bit more will they/won't they and I can overlook the lack of communication because they agree to not catch feelings when they first start dating so you understand why they don't talk about it.

Would have maybe liked a bit more steam as we wait a while for it, which is surprising given how much sexual tension there is throughout the book. It's a little bit too perfect a steamy scene for me as well given Alexis doesn't have a varied sexual history, but it's not enough to put off my enjoyment.

It was also so refreshing to come away from this book not really knowing what Alexis looked like. Yes we still get a lot of appearance comments about Logan, and yes he's totally ripped (despite I swear having no time to go to the gym), and yes he is particularly ... large but I felt his personality was different enough to a typical romance MC that I could overlook this, especially given Alexis' body etc weren't really referred to so I could imagine her how I wanted to.

It dawned on me at about 70% that this was maybe not the first in the series and I have just realised that is correct - there is a story about Alexis' sister Lee that comes before this. We get some more character development for Lee in this story, but I don't think you need to have read the first one to enjoy this - we were just missing a little bit of Lee and Ben's relationship background (or rather it was referenced heavily and that is maybe odd until you realise there is a whole book about them so the author really knows them!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, It was very sweet and funny, and I found the characters very likeable and engaging.

The thing I most enjoyed in this book was Alexis's character development throughout. It was lovely watching her journey of self-discovery. I also enjoyed how the author played with some classic romance tropes and the subplot of Alexis' relationship with her sister. The extra layers of attention to broader relationships and themes really paid off in giving this book heart.

Set in a political campaign the book had a lot of political talk and politics in it. Which I appreciated. Sometimes romance novels set with a political backdrop tend to be a bit vague and handwavy when it comes to the political views and/or platforms of their characters. I think political vagueness is intended to give the characters a broader appeal to a range of political viewpoints but can feel hollow and shallow. I'm glad this book doesn't shy away from giving the characters strong opinions and platforms we know exactly what Logan's platforms are and, it feels very genuine to his character. It wouldn't make sense for a man who is described as saying what he thinks, even when there is a risk of offending if he only stuck to vague issues that had no teeth. I see no problem with having politics in romance, the personal is political after all. However, there are those who may be turned off by this element of the book.

There were a few things I did not love about this book, though I feel a lot of them are personal preference-based and aren't inherent flaws in the book. Firstly, The insta-love aspect of the romance didn't sit with me. But im not a big fan of love at first sight and this book had elements of that. I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the feelings developed more on the page as they got to know each other. it always feels a bit shallow when it seems to start the moment they feel an instant attraction. I can see the miscommunication trope being an issue for some reads. I found it a little frustrating, combined with the insta-love it really cheapened the characters connection, because we saw all the ways they physically clicked but the miscommunication got in the way of seeing them click emotionally. I was also not a fan of the sex scenes in this book, I'm sure most people will be fine, but it was kind of boring and didn't sound fun at all. I ended up skimming, them. The way the weather was used to drive the plot forward kind of was a little over the Top. I love whimsy but for me, it didn't land at all it made me strongly aware of the hand of the author, making weather events to move the plot along.

Overall though I did enjoy this book, and I think it will appeal to people who like strong character growth, interesting engaging characters, tropes like fake relationships, forced proximity and deep themes about love and family and identity.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher Aria or Aries for the ARC.

This was a cute and kinda cozy read!! I didn’t know it would dwell that much into politics but i still enjoy it! Logan was soooooo cute and supportive of her. I loved him! Rudy (lol) i liked her. The journey she took to now herself and what she wanted was really nice and captive!

I adored this book so much. Although it is a romance, it brings so much attention to important issues, like the underfunding of education, book censorship and corporate lobbying. I liked the political setting, the campaigning process, how much work goes into achieving change in a state like Texas when it seems impossible. I liked the duo of Alexis and Logan, they worked really well together and the chemistry between them was amazing. It was great that Alexis found herself and figured out what she wanted to do. I never thought bluntness could be attractive, but Logan’s was quite that. The end was not what I expected, but it mirrored reality and still left open a door for possibilities.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

Read if you like politics and fake dating tropes! Alexis meets Logan in a hotel bar ready to have her first one night stand but after a freak storm and a fire alarm they are caught by the media in a compromising position and it turns out Logan is running for the Governor of Texas. They begin to have a fake public relationship to try and save his campaigns from rumors. I liked this book enjoyed the short chapters and found it easy to read. It may have a little too much talk of politics for some people which could take away from the story. I liked both main characters and thought they were pretty well developed along with most of the side characters. I didn't really love the character of Alexis's sister thought she pushed her too much to be someone she really wasn't. All in all I would give this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
Ashley has done it again. An addictive romance that got me sucked in from start to finish. I was instantly invested and adored both Alexis and Logan. Their characters were built up so well I felt like I was inside this story. I loved how this book showed that sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone will give you so much reward in the end. That with the right person, your life will fall into place. It’s a light and quick read that will be perfect for a summer beach day!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short chapters
Fake Dating
Good Character built
Addictive read
Quick & light read

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘬—𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘥!—𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦-𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦-𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥?

𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘭-𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘳. 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴’𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦! 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮, 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴. 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘴.

𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴: 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘳’𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥: 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭, 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘺…𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴.

This was a very slow burn romance, full of misunderstandings.

The character of Logan was well fleshed out, Alexis on the other hand, was not. Her character was not at all believable or likeable.

The writing was fine, but for a romantic comedy, there was a lot of details bogged down in political talk.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

The Boyfriend Candidate is a fantastic read with various romance tropes throughout, such as meet-cute, second chance, miscommunication, chemistry tensions and friends to lovers. I was highly engrossed throughout the entire read, the plot was written perfectly with great detail included throughout, it was a completely captivating read, that I just wanted to end perfectly!

This book is told from the perspective of the main character Alexis, who is an introverted and shy part time librarian, who has recently separated from her ex who had cheated on her and attacked her self esteem, as a goal for herself to behaviour out of character she tries to find someone in a bar to have a one night stand with to prove she isn't the "bore" her ex deemed her to be, this leads to her meeting Logan, a gorgeous, power hungry, Texan/British character who is well known for not having a filter. As the night unfolds a future PR nightmare for Logan rears its head, leading Alexis and Logan down an interesting partnership

I absolutely devoured every word of this book and found myself feeling super proud of how far Alexis character had come throughout the book, the character building and writing throughout is fantastic and honestly I would of loved to have met one of Texas' most amazing power couples, the way that each of the characters dealt with the various curveballs thrown their way was interesting, but did leave me frustrated on a few occasions, just wishing they would communicate better, but I feel that these were included within the plot to built the angst and stress and make the final a-ha moment one of great joy!

"The Boyfriend Candidate" is a rom-com written by Ashley Winstead.

The story follows 27-year-old Alexis Stone, a shy and introverted school library assistant whose ideal evening consists of sitting at home, quiet and comfortable, watching a romantic comedy or reading a romance. Away from the spotlight and unwanted attention. However, when she is dumped by her boyfriend, under the guise of being boring in bed, she slowly comes to the decision that she needs to change and become more adventurous. Exactly one year later, on the first anniversary of the separation, Alexis opts for what she thinks is the ideal solution: a one-night stand. Convinced of her idea, she goes to the bar of an exclusive hotel, only to be targeted by a pushy stranger and fall prey to doubts. It is at this point that Logan, a stranger as attractive as he is prone to swearing, intervenes and saves her from the situation. The two end up having drinks together, and Alexis soon realizes that Logan, with his bold and unfiltered personality, is exactly her opposite. Attracted and swayed by the man's brazen personality, Alexis instinctively proposes that they spend the night together, as was her plan. Just as she is about to have the desired one-night stand, however, the hotel is struck by sudden lightning and catches fire, forcing everyone to evacuate. In her haste to escape Alexis is injured and Logan picks her up, carrying her down the street to the rescuers, where people are waiting with cameras ready to take pictures. And it is at this point, surprisingly, that Logan flees, leaving her alone. Alexis is bewildered and tries not to think about the incident, until suddenly photos of her and Logan appear everywhere on the Internet. That is how she discovers that Logan is actually Logan Arthur, the stubborn Democratic candidate running for governor of Texas. The compromising photos could ruin Logan's reputation and candidacy, as well as jeopardize Alexis's job, but here's the solution: he and Alexis will have to pretend to be engaged in a relationship until election day, two months from now. I mean what could go wrong, right?

I loved this book so much! Funny, captivating and fast-paced, it won me over and entertained me from beginning to end, making me laugh and relaxing a lot.

I found the author's style to be compelling, sizzling and full of joy, with descriptions, situations and dialogues really effervescent and effective. The fast and brisk pace, combined with the presence of short chapters, kept me glued to the pages, with no dull moments. I really had fun while reading, feeling lighter and not thinking about anything else.

I loved Alexis, the protagonist and only first-person pov. Alexis is a 27-year-old shy and introverted school librarian's assistant. She prefers to stay at home, alternating between watching romantic comedies and reading romance, rather than going outside and interacting with people. She struggles to open up; in fact, she has very few friends, for whom she would do anything. She is a sweet and kind person, fixated on good manners, always inclined to behave appropriately, even with those who do not deserve it. She tries to be good, wants to be good, doing her best for everything and everyone. This is a character I enjoyed so much, rich in depth, with beautiful development. Alexis lives with the uncomfortable thought of never being enough, of having something less, and by now she has resigned and accepted the idea. I really enjoyed the analysis of this aspect and felt connected to her. Alexis makes a fantastic journey of discovery, realization, and healing, which I loved a lot. Also I loved the complicated relationship with the family, the way it is shown.

Logan, by contrast, is the exact opposite of Alexis. A 33-year-old Texan of British descent, he is the Democratic candidate running for governor of Texas. A bold and outspoken man, reckless and impudent, prone to speak his mind without filter. And to swear a lot. However, under this insolent armor, he too has his frailties and wounds, he too needs to heal. Logan is a character who has gripped me since his first appearance and who made me freak out a lot. My only "pain" was the lack of his pov because yes, he is great and I wanted him a lot. But okay, removed this personal whim of mine that doesn't affect the overall rating, I enjoyed it too much.

The romance that develops between these two is something fantastic, which made me freak out a lot! The dynamic of fake dating, with Alexis and Logan pretending to date in order to save her job and his campaign, is a trope that I absolutely love and was handled beautifully here. In addition there is a slow burn that made me sweat a lot. The two get to know each other throughout the book, to really talk, leading to a fantastic development of their relationship. The chemistry between Alexis and Logan is explosive, the banter is brilliant and the spicy very tasty.

I found very interesting the attention given to the school system and the figures of educators, as well as the reflections on the irresponsible censorship of certain books.

All in all, I found it a very funny, light and bright romance and can't help but recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A heartwarming rom-com that's so easily bingeable, featuring favourite tropes of fake dating and slow burn romance.

'I'm in love with someone I can never have'.

Synopsis
Alexis is a librarian at her school, she's a shy 'mouse' - until she decides she wants to change that. A one night stand is her solution, as she scouts the bar for a man who could be it, she meets Logan. But before anything further can happen, a lightning strike hits the hotel and everyone is evacuated. Logan runs off after, leaving Alexis baffled.

The next morning, the news stories hit - turns out that Logan is a local politician, running in a campaign to be Governor. To avoid backlash for Logan and his campaign, Alexis agrees to become his fake girlfriend: covering up the news stories and putting on a show for Texas.

Can they play the show of fake dating without real feelings getting involved?

Thoughts
I absolutely devoured this, the story had such a good, interesting plot, I loved the characters and the slow burn romance between Logan and Alexis. Seeing Alexis come out of her shell from the mousy librarian to someone who advocates for educators, no matter how nervous it made her feel, was such lovely character development.

Of course, with fake dating tropes, there are series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, and this included that - but it made it so much sweeter at the end. Seeing Logan, his grumpy self, turn into a cinnamon roll for Alexis was adorable.

'One night stands - even unfinished ones - were a hell of a drug'.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this copy. This review is voluntary.

Single POV, first person, opposites attract, slow burn, open door.

When school librarian Alexis Stone decides to step out of her comfort zone and embark on a one night stand, she meets Logan, a political candidate running for Governor. Just as they make it to their room for the night, the hotel catches fire in a freak storm, and photos of Logan carrying her out of the hotel go viral. Logan's team propose that they fake date, to avoid rumours of Logan's playboy ways.

I really enjoyed this story, and seeing Alexis grow as a person and really find herself throughout her story. Whilst I normally prefer dual pov, I really loved seeing how Logan felt about Alexis through his actions, rather than his own monologue. There was some interesting side characters that I would love to see more of in future books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.

More like a 2.5 stars!

The Boyfriend Candidate is a fake-dating, political romance. Alexis is a shy, introverted school librarian who feels like she has spent her whole life in her sister's footsteps. Meet Logan - a straight talking politician. The two meet on a proposed one-night stand, which ends in risqué pictures of them strewn all over the internet - putting both Lexi's job and Logan's position. The only way out seems to be by convincing the world that they are the real deal.

I'm actually still not quite sure how I feel about this book, definitely a bit of a mixed opinion.
On the one hand I liked Lexi's character development. She came into herself by the end, a lot more confident and found what she wanted in her life, which was nice to see. I also liked the side character a lot and their own stories going one. However, I just was not sold on their romance. She seemed very conflicted when a new love interest was introduced (who I sort of preferred in a way). He also was sold on being brazen and unapologetically himself yet seemed to lack backbone when it came to telling Lexi he liked her.

There were definitely times which I really liked them together but I think overall, I just wasn't overly obsessed with their relationship.

I so enjoyed reading this book, completely sold on the unlikely relationship between Logan and Alexis. Often this type of scenario lacks realism but the way their relationship started helped me to envisage them as a couple and invest in them. I can see it as a film, which doesn't often happen for me. The twists and turns were well constructed and although the romance was a little more detailed and steamy than I usually go for, they were still tasteful and I didn't switch off. A great read.

// thank you so much to the publishers and the people at net galley for giving me a copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review!!

it took me a long time to write this review because I couldn't figure out how to put my love for this book into words. if i had to compare it to anything, i would say this book is the closest to the magic of 'red, white and royal blue'—but it's such an underrated an unique read. I absolutely loved the characters, especially the main girl. the emotional arc she goes on, discovering what matters to her, that she can demand things and make changes, but doesn't always have to, was genuinely heartwarming. i absolutely loved the romance too, i read this entire book in one go and I was screamin and gigglin all the way through. there was no contrived drama and the love interest got his own satisfying character development—what more could I ask for?

honestly, I think this book sells itself short. especially the synopsis and cover make this book seem hallmark-y and contrived when it's the complete opposite. this is one of those romance books where the story is about more than just two people. it's a story about optimism, about hope and change. it's a story about politics being a space for everyone, about inserting yourself into conversations that you may not initially be a part of. and that was really beautiful to read about. I'm still not sure if I agree with the ending to this book (plot-wise, the romance was amazing), but honestly, it was unexpected and i respect the author for taking a more unconventional route.

i hope to see everyone reading this book soon, i can't recommend it enough!

Whilst this isn’t my usual genre I found myself really enjoying this one. The plot was good, the characters were well written and I just couldn’t stop reading. It was a brilliant, slow burn fake dating to dating romance.

I wanted to like this - I had high hopes for it but it was so boring. I couldn’t feel any chemistry between Alexis & Logan, so I didn’t care about either of them. There’s also so much politics in here that the romance runs a distant third to politics and miscommunication.

I found Alexis to be almost completely lacking in personality and spine, and just pretty clueless overall. Logan was a more developed character, but while his passion of politics was established, his passion for Alexis never felt real. I would have loved to have seen things from his POV as well, as he did come across as pretty stand-offish at times.

Alexis & Logan’s one-night stand couldn’t have been any worse, until he asks her to fake date and help him in his campaign running for governor! They are faced with a few hurdles along the way and they just might find the answer is closer than they expected! Such an enjoyable light-hearted book. Alexis and Logan are both super relatable and I loved reading their story!