I love Elena's writing! This book follows side characters from The Long Game, but it can be read as a standalone! A small town romance with a fake engagement, slow burn, & he falls first & HARD? SIGN ME UP! It was spicy, but not overly spicy so I enjoyed this. Josie & Matthew might be my new favorite Elena Armas couple!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The only dilemma I have with this book is that it ended! If you haven’t already, pick up a copy of The Long Game before jumping into this one. The Fiancé Dilemma focuses on the supporting characters from that book- Josie and Matthew.

Although I’m sad we didn’t get to fully jump into the brain of Matthew with his POV, I still loved his grumpy to sunshine vibe. And my goodness, ladies, he might just be your new favorite book boyfriend. Don’t let his quiet demeanor or glasses fool you-this man knows what he wants. His patience paired with his protectiveness of Josie had me blushing more than just once. Overall, he ran through the pages with nothing but green flags and I absolutely adored him!

Josie. Sweet Josie. I mean, who doesn’t love a small town girl like Josie? She shined in the FMC role of this story and I am so glad she got her own book. Josie is just so easy to relate to and after leaving you wanting to be best friends by the end of The Long Game, she continues to draw you in with her quirkiness and charm in this story. She truly is a ray of sunshine and you can’t help but smile whenever she’s around.

The fake engagement, slow burn, he falls first tropes were so much fun to read and made the journey to Josie and Matthew’s HEA such a sweet treat. And don’t even get me started on their chemistry, the spice and overall love story. It truly was swoon worthy and why I simply just didn’t want it to end-do you see the dilemma now? 🙃

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the storyline was unique. I did not realize that this was second in a series, however that wasn't necessary to get the backstory of the characters. I would aslo say that this was a very steamy book, but not in a cheesy way that some romance novels can be.

This is a sequel but it's standalone. Love the small town feel! Love the 'he falls first' trope. I felt like she was in her head so much, but that is exactly how Elena was writing Josie's character: flawed, anxious, overanalyzing. I was not a fan of the podcast and celebrity aspect-I just wanted them together and happy! I do wish there was an epilogue of Josie meeting Matthew's family!

The Fiance Dilemma: A Novel by Elena Armas is a delightful fit for readers who adore lighthearted, humorous romance stories with a touch of small-town charm, friends-to-lovers tropes, and a dash of mistaken identity, as they'll be swept away by the witty banter and heartwarming journey of Josie and Matthew as they navigate their unconventional engagement of convenience.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC! Where do I even begin? AH - I LOVED this book. The obsession with Matthew is real. The build up of this relationship was so worth the read. It was frustrating at times waiting for things to happen but that only enticed me more to keep reading. The tension and relationship between Josie and Matthew was die for and it kept me wanting more, he is absolutely perfect for Josie. This is the type of book I could read over and over again and still fall in love with the characters and the storyline. I was not expecting this to turn out the way it did - I'm used to something major happening and they break up then come back together but reading their love story had me rooting for them the entire time and praying there were no twists. This had the PERFECT ending and it made me emotional to finish it. This is a book that will be in my mind for a little while and replaying their story over and over. Fantastic read.

Elena Armas is a new to me author, but I have seen her books everywhere and I am soo happy Atria Books and Elena Armas picked me to read an ARC for the Fiance Dilemma.

This book is nothing like I thought it was going to be. I expected a rom-com, which it was, cute, which it was, romance story. This book checked all the boxes for me.

It had characters that I absolutely adored. Josie is this quirky girl living in small-town America, who recently found her father and is now in the public eye due to who he is. Matthew Flanagan. In the beginning of the story, he was down on his luck, and was adamant of not being part of the "Josie Show". He changed his tune to help her out and the way he protects her and makes her feel like she is the only woman on the planet, is soo swooony. He is the perfect book husband!

The writing. I really enjoyed her writing style, the banter, even the single POV! I can't wait to read her backlist. This a slow burn, but WHOA does it ignite!

The feels. The way the author wrote, and connected me to the characters just gave me all the feels. I can't stop thinking about this book.

If you love a fake-engagement of convenience, rom-com, small town, then READ THIS BOOK. This is book 2 of the Long Game, but I had no problem with reading it as I did not read the first book.

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

While reading The Long Game, the first book in this series, I was hoping for a Josie and Matthew story. They are both such heartwarming characters. Josie is the sweet, girl next door, who is full of kindness and is always putting others first. Matthew was so loving, super charming, supportive, brutally honest/blunt and was always putting her first and helping her see it was okay if she put herself first too sometimes. I love the fake engagement, small towns, farmers markets, and the side characters.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC!

This! I'm so glad I gave Miss Armas another chance. I loved both the Spanish love deception and the American Roommate Experiment--however her last release did not hit the mark for me. I'm glad to say that this one was much more enjoyable! I loved the banter, the tension, and (of course) the writing. If you're a fan of Elena's other works, definitely give this one a go! Perfect start to the summer.

4.5/5
I love me a fake dating trope plot, don't know what it is about it when characters get themselves in this crazy situations that makes for an entertaining read. With The Fiancé Dilemma we get Josie who has literally ran from 4 weddings and is trying not to hurt her image or her dad's any more than it is. Enter Mathew who is trying to get away for a while after being fired and needs a break. She ropes him into a PR engagement.

I think this might be one of my favorite couples from Elena Arma's repertoire. I think because Mathew felt less like the typical grumpy and standoffish MMC, he wanted to help Josie right away. He still had a bit of a possessive trait but it was not overbearing, he felt more caring and lovable. They had great chemistry, that first kiss was the slowest of burns. My only critique would be that a lot of their relationship was focused on Josie, I know this is her story but I don't know how to word it. He was always asking what she wanted and the conversations geared towards her, like he did not share as much about himself and we didn't get to know his a much, I wished we had gotten some chapters from his POV. I do like that there was no third breakup act. I gotta say the podcasters were insufferable, I get why they were there but doesn't make me hate them any less. Also loved the cameos from Adalyn and Cam.

Thank You to NetGalley, Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

The Fiance Dilemma is another adorable rom-com from Elena Armas. Josie has been engaged 4 times but has never actually made it down the aisle. To prove to the gossip magazines that she does not have daddy issues she tells them that she is in fact engaged again to her sister's best friend, Matthew. Matthew just might be my favorite book boyfriend written by Armas. Their banter is hilarious, he never gives up, and he is literally the sweetest man. A wonderful swoon-worthy romance.

Elena Armas has done it again with another amazing book. This book had me blushing, giggling, and kicking my feet. Matthew is easily my new favorite bachelor of all Armas' men she has written.
Josie is the mayor of a small town in North Carolina, whose world got turned upside down when her half-sister showed up and told her that her father is the famous Andrew Reyes. The problem for her is that her entire personal life got thrown into the spotlight, including her 4 ex-fiances, two of which she left at the altar. This normally would not cause a media stir, but since she is Andrew's daughter, he sends a PR rep to get this mess swept under the rug. That's when Josie stumbles into a lie she cannot take back, claiming she has a 5th fiance, her sister's best friend, Matthew. Josie and Matthew decide to fake an engagement to try to clean up the PR mess, all while truly falling for one another. Will Matthew be left at the altar? Or will he finally be The One?
The one beautiful thing I found in this book is that Josie is not completely healed of her trauma by the end of the book. I feel like most books rush to have the character be healed of all past mistakes and it never feels real. But here, Josie is not over her abandonment/daddy issues, but Matthew still loves her in spite of that. Josie is still working towards growth/healing and it never feels rushed. My only issue with the book was that some jumps between scenes felt a smidge choppy in the first half. Overall, I highly recommend this book and I will be preordering it to add to my bookshelf!

Josie Moore has given the opposite sex—and love—plenty of chances. Four exactly, if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include her no-longer-absentee father. Nonetheless, when the influential man decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece and Josie learns that her romantic history isn’t great PR for the family, she jumps at the chance to offer a solution.

Matthew Flanagan is in the mud. Literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but after taking a wrong turn on his way to Green Oak, North Carolina, his car is stuck. So, he grabs a duffel bag with his essentials and goes in search of a place to crash until he gets his life (and vehicle) back on track. But instead, he stumbles upon his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé.

What starts as a big misunderstanding quickly turns into a fake engagement, with Matthew playing the role of the doting fiancé as he and Josie are swept into a PR whirlwind. The ring on Josie’s finger makes her stomach turn, but she knows this is only temporary. They have rules in place, and one of them is that no matter what, there will be no exchange of “I dos.” But that’s easier said than done, as lines soon start to blur, and the rest of the small town comes to believe the fifth fiancé is truly The One.

Oh, Elena Armas does it again! It was so much fun to revisit this universe and visit old friends. What a treat to get to know Josie and Matthew better. While I would have liked some Matthew POV to round this out, I definitely enjoyed this as much as The Long Game. Definite winner for me!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Josie Moore has always been the bride, but never the wife, having been engaged 4 separate times but never walking down the aisle.  No one has ever really had a problem with this, not even Josie, that is until her recently discovered and very rich father, and his team deem her a PR problem because of it.  To ‘fix it’ a strategist is brought in, but there is a big misunderstand…they think Josie is engaged again!  To save face, she goes along with it and pulls Matthew in along for the ride.  But it is all just temporary, until Josie can figure a way out of the mess…or is the fifth time the charm?

When reading The Long Game, I was wishfully hoping for a Josie and Matthew story and I am so glad we got one!  These two had my heart from the very beginning!  Josie is the sweet, girl next door, who is full of kindness and is always putting others first…sometimes to her own detriment.  Matthew (swoon)…He was so loving, super charming, supportive, brutally honest/blunt and was always putting her first and helping her see it was okay if she put herself first too sometimes.

I loved the fake engagement troupe used and that Matthew was so willing to help from the very beginning.  I loved the small-town setting and getting to see more of Green Oaks, like the midnight farmer’s market.  I liked the fact that while Josie wished to have a relationship with her father, she finally realized that he was the one that needed to put in the effort to make it work.  I loved the nicknames and terms of endearment that were used throughout for each other, trying to find the perfect fit and the spice.  And Grandpa Mo was a fun side character who also was looking out for Josie too.  This book is perfect for those like me who are hopeless romantics who believe in the magic of love.

The only thing that good have made this book even better would have been more than one chapter from Matthew’s POV.  I loved him so much and felt he was such a perfect book boyfriend; I just wish we could have gotten to know him and his thoughts even more through his perspective.

“I did believe that sometimes love was enough. And some other times it conquered the world. It depended on how much magic was in the air that day.”

To fall in love with this book yourself, make sure to pick it up starting July 30th

Thank you Elena Armas, Atria Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

This is a nice follow up to The Long Game, following Josie and Matthew as they try to deal with a media mess started by Josie's absentee father. Making it through means faking an engagement.

This is a good fake dating, slow burn story, and I absolutely fell in love with Matthew right along with Josie. The story is a good mix of sweet and spicy, and I loved it.

I would recommend to anyone looking for a good read, complete with fake dating mishaps, humor, heart, and cute farm animals (and one angry rooster).

I received a free copy from Atria Books through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the sequel to The Long Game and while you could follow along, I would highly recommend reading The Long Game first. My favorite thing about this was the character development of the FMC. I loved how she found herself and stood up for herself in the story. I look forward to more of the author’s books.

Elena Armas never disappoints.
The story got me hooked from the beginning starting with that Star Wars reference. It started so crazy right off the bat, just like good romcom used to back in the day. Matthew fainting for the blood and the whole confusion was hilarious, along side the way Josie can't really function under pressure, it is very relatable and you could feel how overwhelmed she was while reading the book.
The banter and jokes between Matthew and Josie was so cute and heartwarming, also with how effortlessly he fell in the nickname calling, mainly with sweetheart and sweet cheeks, so freaking cute. He was clearly obsessed with her since the beginning and when he gave her that ring? my heart gave out for a second. Matthew is the perfect man for the girlies who like golden retrievers, horny golden retrievers, that are pretty much a goofball but protective at the same time.
The scene where he starts humming and then singing the song and they dance, it made me so giddy. This whole book made me giddy and blush as if I was in the story.
My favorite quote that I really hope stays for the release edition is "What if I can't give you any fucking first, so I want to make sure I get a chance at being your last?"
That quote destroyed me emotionally.
Now I need some justice for Robby !!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Elena's writing style, and this book was no exception. I laughed, teared up, and felt all the feels through Josie and Matthew's adventure.

*Spoilers from here on*

Matthew was easy to love and reminded me of a more fun version of Aaron from The Spanish Love Deception in the way they approach their love interest - that quiet, 'I won't outright say that I am interested in you but expect you to figure it out yourself even though it's taking forever' kind of way. The slow burn was too slow for me, but it was sweet and had me hooked even if I was getting frustrated. I don't know how two single adults who are so interested in and falling in love with each other could have so many near-kiss moments without taking the leap. I would have lost my mind.

Josie I had a much more difficult time connecting with. She's unlike anyone I've known in person so I found her to be a lot, but in a mostly endearing way. I like that Matthew's personality is practical to her impulsive and he balanced her out in a way that didn't change or manipulate, but worked alongside to support her.

The way the situation got started seemed entirely unplausable - her throwing out a fake engagement to cover for a father she didn't know the minute her past was brought up as a problem while dragging in a man she hadn't officially met. Who actually went along with it... it didn't make sense to me at all, but then Josie's character didn't either so maybe it's something I'm missing. - so the thoughts on magic and fate bringing people together later in the book helped an unbelievable chain of events make a bit more sense.

I also have to say that I love the he falls first (and hard) trope combined with a lack of third act breakup. I think it's my new favourite combination. The romance is sweet, the spice is perfect, and the banter is everything. I would recommend this book and will be waiting for Elena's next! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Unfortunately this one didn’t do it for me.

I’m a big Elena Armas fan and was very excited when I got this arc, but I quickly (like first chapter quickly) found I didn’t mesh with the book.

The main issue that’s introduced early in the book, simply put, frustrated me. Immediately I thought “this isn’t her problem”. Who are they to come in and tell her she’s an embarrassment and should live a certain way? I felt because this issue could be easily resolved by just saying “I don’t know you and this is my life, bye!” it wasn’t a very strong plot device. However it does push the story forward as Josie goes along with it and finds herself with a fake fiancé. Which brings me to the characters. I personally found them to be not very realistic and sort of flat. They are quirky but didn’t have a lot of deeper substance to fill them out. Overall I really had to push myself through this one. It just felt flimsy and surface level and lacked the usual 5 star writing found in Elena’s books.

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas is a delightful read perfect for fans of romcoms. This is about second chances, family drama, and the power of love to bring people together, making it a great fit for anyone seeking a feel-good, uplifting tale with a touch of wit and whimsy.. 4.25/5⭐️

If anyone ever asks you for a slow burn romance recommendation you better tell them they need to read an Elena Armas book. She found the right recipe with writing a slow burn romance book cause man it’s tough waiting for the main characters to finally kiss but the way her stories play out you don’t realize that the book is almost over!

Josie and Matthew knew about it each but had never actually met in person until Matthew walked up onto her porch in the middle of the night soaking wet and pretended to be Josie’s fiancé because she panicked. Josie recently learned who her father was and discovered she has a sister in Adalyn (from The Long Game) so when a publicist working for her father tells her her past romantic history is a liability she panics and says that she’s engaged and it’s to Matthew, her sister’s best friend.

Matthew is so so so good for Josie! He truly saw Josie and understood what she needed and really listened to her which was something none of Josie’s ex-fiancés ever did. Josie found confidence being in a relationship by being in a relationship with Matthew because it was Matthew and nothing else and even though it took her a bit longer to realize what she was feeling their relationship was never fake.



Thank you @atriabooks @thebibliotheque and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.