Can Elena Armas do no wrong???

Characters who wear their entire hearts on their sleeves, who unapologetically love each other even when they don’t quite know how to, who learn and grow and change with each other and look good doing it.

(US Pub Date: August 13th ‘24)

Thank you @atriabooks for this @netgalley ARC!

Josie Moore has been given a lot of labels. Mayor, coffee shop owner, sister, friend, heartbreaker, misstep, flighty.

After four failed engagements - more than one of which ended nearly at the altar, and discovering that her long-lost-father has not in fact been lost but has just been pretending she doesn’t exist - Josie thinks she’s given men enough chances.

But when the woman in charge of cleaning up her father’s messes shows up on Josie’s doorstep ready to write her off as a disaster, Josie panics and reaches for the first safety net in sight.

Enter Matthew Flanagan - Josie’s sister’s best friend, newly minted aimless wanderer, and, with a little luck - also Josie’s new (pretend) husband-to-be.

But with the press breathing down their necks, and their pretend romance sending both of them stumbling, the two find themselves becoming fast friends and partners - and also maybe falling for each other… a little?

But both Matthew and Josie have pasts they’d like to forget, and people who have no interest in letting them do so. And as the very real wedding date for the very fake (or not?) couple approaches, they need to let each other in enough to decide whether they get to keep each other, or if the tangled mess they’ve created will end in another run the wrong way up the aisle.

dnfed @ 30%

after really enjoying the long game, i was so excited to have received an arc of this, but unfortunately i did not enjoy this one. i find that elena is a kind of hit or miss author for me and this one turned out to be a miss. i just felt no connection to the characters or the storyline, and at 30% in i expect to already feel that connection. really bummed about this one, it was definitely an anticipated release this year for me

I was honestly expecting something more but alas, it was an okayish book. The characters could have used a more mature take and better setting. It started off well but then the downhill. Overall, an average book by elena armas.

This was a fun read, but it really took a while to get into, and was somewhat disappointing given how much I absolutely LOVED Spanish Love Deception and the American Roommate Experiment (The Long Game was good, but not loved).
I’d love to read more from Elena Armas, though! Can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Absolutely peak wholesomeness, Matthew Josie are <333 the writing was really pleasant, and I loved that the third act was handled so well.

This book is very "How Did It End?" and "So High School" from TTPD 😭

I only wish we had more of Matthew's pov? But Elena has promised to write a Matthew chapter for the BN exclusive, I can't frickin wait.

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I really wanted to love this book and I think there was potential, but overall the story just wasn’t for me. My biggest issue was the fake engagement and the reason for it. It was super flimsy and far-fetched in my opinion. I think had there been more behind it, it would have worked better. I also felt like this book was super rapid fire and then end scene. Like something would be happening and then boom the chapter ended and we pick back up two days later. Josie was a lot and Matthew had two different personalities in my opinion. I didn’t understand what Matthew was getting out of the arrangement and his weird insta love which I still feel like was never really explained In a way that made sense. It wasn’t a bad book, but it was just lacking and could have been so much better. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

I have been looking forward to Matthew and Josie's story since finishing The Long Game last year. My expectations were high, and, honestly, Elena Armas DOES. NOT. DISAPPOINT.

I was laughing from chapter 1. Josie is a wonderfully hilarious and beautifully written FMC. And Matthew is absolutely everything I look for in an MMC. The book was written so well with so much tension, hilarity, and top-tier spice.

I could not put this book down, and ended up finishing it in one day. It is absolutely amazing, and I will be trying to convince everyone I know to pick up this book in July!

I struggled getting into <i>The Fiancé Dilemma</i> in the beginning. If it had been any other book by any other author, I'm sure I would've dropped it by 15%. It was at around 25-30% that it started getting better.

Josie was a lovable character, but I thought she was too dramatic at times. I understand that people ramble when they're nervous or anxious, because I do that as well, but the length at which she went made me want to switch off my phone multiple times. Every time I thought it couldn't get any worse, it got worse. I wish Ms. Armas had deviated from this kind of plot line because all it evokes are second hand embarrassment and plain irritation. However, once the story began to pick up, it gradually got better and bearable.

I don't have any complaints about Matthew; he was funny, grumpy, sexy, and hot all packed in one. His dedication towards Josie was beautiful, and the length with which he went to protect and keep her safe warmed my heart. He never fucked around when the question of her safety came into play, and I both loved and appreciated that about him.

And that's not to say Josie mistreated Matthew or anything! She defended him, too, and ensured he was being cared for as well. I just really liked the way her anxiety and issues were handled, both in the general story itself as well as by Matthew. And there was no third act breakup, which was BRILLIANT.

Though my favorite parts are definitely the angst and Matthew. The smut in this book was so much better than all the other books, too, so that was a bonus. I have mixed feelings about Bobbi (could the next book be about her? Thoughts, thoughts...), and I still despise Andrew--he deserves none of his daughters.

Honestly, when I was reading, I had a lot more thoughts, both good and bad, but now that I'm here actually writing, nothing is coming to mind anymore. So I will end the review by saying: I think it's a 3.5 for me at best, but I'll give it a 4 because goodreads doesn't do half a rating.

I can't wait to read more books by Elena Armas! <3

I'm going to start with I love Elena Armas, Spanish Love Deception was absolute perfection and I've liked her other books. This one fell flat for me.

I did enjoy being back in the same town as the Long Shot and was so excited to read Josie's story. Especially with such an intriguing back story of being engaged 4 times and running away from 3 weddings. I wish those exes had been fleshed out more and they could have popped in.

I wish we had an alternating POV between Josie and Matthew throughout the book. Instead, the first half of the book Matthew seemed like a stiff, boring mannequin instead of us watching him internally falling in love with her as we determine in the second half when he starts to bring on the affection for Josie. Josie was developed fine, but Grandpa Moe and Bobbi Shark seemed like an afterthought. And I wish we had seen more Adalyn and Cam.

The thing that irked me the most was there were two different scenes in the book that ended really abruptly. The first Matthew is taking Josie for some alone time, instead of describing this alone time, the book jumps to the next scene. The second time is when Josie and Matthew drive to Cam and Adalyn's house, sit in the driveway, knock on the door, get invited in... and the next chapter is the next day. We don't hear about what happens at Cam and Adalyn's and both times it seems very disjointed and it messed with the flow of the book for me. Also, it was made so obvious to the reader what was going on with Adalyn, that by the time it was revealed at the end of the book, I thought, how did Josie not pick up on this sooner?

I loved Matthew in the second half, total book boyfriend. Defending Josie, being there for her, and being an overall great guy. I loved when she was weak and he was strong for her, and his affection really shone through in the second half of the book.

2.5 Not for me. I think I just could not suspend disbelief enough to go with the flow. The FMC is billed as a little eccentric, chronically over-generous and spread thin - a very sweet and sympathetic character with a tiny bit of emotional baggage. The premise of this book being that she's just a silly goofy girl, trying to beat the daddy issues allegations, who just happened to leave four fiancees at the alter! This reaaallly doesn't hit for me, doing that just once is downright cruel, not quirky. I found her to be erratic, immature, and oftentimes just plainly selfish towards the people who care about her and then randomly a huge pushover for those least deserving.

So given I'm a bit put off from the jump I might not be the most objective reviewer, but I found that my opinion of her hardly improved. She was constantly putting her own impulses and whims above others, refusing to communicate, not considering the feelings of others, and making bizarre decisions and getting into even more bizarre situations. If none of this bothers you, and you're able to be a very chill and unfazed reader then you may very well enjoy this book! I know I could be a little more relaxed about this, it just was not fun for me.

To illustrate both what I'm talking about and how crazy (perhaps stick in the mud) I myself am being about this; this is the opening scene:
FMC sticks her entire hand into a jar of jam in an effort to get a ring thats stuck on her finger off. Literally why? why jam?? thats not even like a known effective lubricant when I'm sure soap, oil, butter, etc are also in this kitchen. And why stick your whole hand in it!!??? she shares the house/kitchen/groceries!!! Its communal jam! Then she inevitably ends up getting jam all over the kitchen and breaking the jar, glass everywhere, huge mess. Basically she's just non-stop going out of her way to manufacture problems for herself and those around her at increasingly higher stakes and everyone just goes with it! even frequently acts like she's the victim of those situations! I just cant enjoy it. Prepared to accept that thats a me problem tho.

My final complaint is that we get to nearly halfway through the book before the FMC spends truly significant amounts of time with, and has meaningful conversations with the MMC so it's frankly unclear what he sees in her to start. I don't get it, which kind of in turn makes him feel fairly one dimensional. It is; however, made clear by the author that, for whatever reason, he *is* deeply enchanted by her, which is still exciting to read despite being inexplicable. There are definitely some nice and sweet moments that I have to give the author credit for, they're just constantly being interrupted but absurd behavior, choices, and plot developments.

All and all I'll just say not for me, but maybe for you!!! The writing itself isn't terrible and there are some fun and exciting moments.

Thank you @atriabook and @netgalley for the eARC of The Fiancé Dilemma by @thebibliotheque in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 While The Fiancé Dilemma is a standalone novel, it does continue a series that I would now love to go back and enjoy more of!! Josie More just can’t seem to catch a break in her small town life in Green Oak, North Carolina. From love to a newly introduced father, it’s a lot to handle. Also down on his luck? Matthew Flanagan who is fleeing from his flailing life and gets stuck in the mud…literally on his arrival in Green Oak. And in no time he and Josie are fake engaged because her messy life does not match well with her new dad’s PR campaign. The only thing that spreads faster than gossip in a small town is news of an engagement, even a fake one! The whole crew is a delightfully colorful cast of characters that will have you in stitches. Josie absolutely owns her hot mess express self, complete with daddy issues and fake fiancé needs in a comical and heartwarming relatable manner. Matthew is a truly lovable character and balances Josie out well. Also, I think we all need a Grandpa Moe in our life. Having not read The Long Game, this was a whirlwind of comedy to catch up to speed but overall, a fun read!

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

I must have read this book at the exact right time because I devoured it. The vibes were vibing so hard and I had the best time reading it. This is easily my new Elena Armas favorite.

Fake engagement? Yes, please. I’ll have it with a side of forced proximity and a lot of mutual pining. Delicious. The tension?! Chef’s kiss. The flirting?! I was screaming, kicking my legs, face hurting from smiling so hard.

I don’t really want to say much more because there’s so many layers that might be spoiled if I do.

I loved Matthew and Josie. I loved seeing Adalyn and Cameron again, and the rest of the small town, too. I loved this book!

Thank you so much, Atria, for this ARC!

Quick intro:
Virtual strangers, Josie and Matthew, enter into a fake engagement to help Josie’s recently discovered birth father avoid a PR nightmare.

Quick thoughts:
I want to start off by saying I loved The Long Game so much and have been looking forward to Matthew and Josie’s story since last fall! They really shone as side characters, but unfortunately I didn’t feel like that sparkle was carried into The Fiancé Dilemma.

There were so many issues with this book. First off, omg where was her editor? It was WAY too long, yet at the same time not much happened. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I also felt that the reason for the fake engagement was really flimsy. Like, your father who you’ve only known for a year is having a PR nightmare so you thought you’d be helpful and fake an engagement to a man you don’t really know and who agreed for whatever reason for some positive PR? Nah. I truly did not understand why Matthew did it until the end and even at that point I would have liked some more backstory.

I never felt like I got to know either of the MCs nor did I care for them. I would have liked more character development for Matthew - he felt pretty boring overall. And from boring he went to oddly possessive - my least favorite characteristic of MMCs. And then with Josie we didn’t get much about her other than she had four failed engagements and daddy issues, but I didn’t feel like those issues were ever fully flushed out.

And finally, I know they had their own book, but I wanted more Adalyn and Cam. As the bestfriend of Matthew and sister of Josie, I would have expected more of Adalyn at least. If you’re going to read either of these books, I’d read The Long Game and skip this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Having met Matthew and Josie in "The Long Game", I was very excited to read their story! Considering how big a fan I am of Elena Armas' works, I had high expectations for this one, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

Josie, our FMC, is a sweet, somewhat harebrained individual who has recently learned of her biological father's identity. And with that knowledge, she's had to deal with some added complications to her already somewhat messy life; i.e. the fact that she's been engaged four times in the past.

Matthew, our MMC, is sweet and affectionate and incredibly kind. And he is the real star of this story! He, too, has had to deal with some recent complications in his life, but it doesn't deter him from agreeing to Josie's crazy proposal.

When her father's PR Strategist shows up at her doorstep and misinterprets the presence of an engagement ring on her finger, Josie impulsively lets her believe that Matthew is her fiancé. For some bizarre reason, Matthew decides to go along with it. I will say that if you haven't read The Long Game, their relationship is somewhat plausible as Matthew is Josie's sister's best friend.

From their very first interaction, their chemistry is undeniable. Despite it being their first time meeting in person, there's a sort of ease in their relationship that pulls you right in. Matthew is the epitome of a supportive and sweet fiancé. And without her knowledge, Josie finds herself letting him in. Before they know it, the lines between fake and real are blurred and they find themselves facing an unexpected dilemma. How does their now very real relationship impact their original deal?

"I think I've just met your soulmate."

"You're my reward, Baby Blue."

Okay, but seriously, don't walk, RUN! Meeting Matthew is something that you will never regret! This story just feels like one giant hug and will keep you smiling from ear-to-ear from beginning to end!

4.5 ⭐️

This book captivated me from the first page to the last. As someone who admires the author's storytelling prowess, I'm thrilled to share this literary gem with the patrons of my bookstore. With its compelling characters, rich narrative, and thought-provoking themes, I'm confident that it will resonate with readers of all tastes. I eagerly anticipate the discussions and connections it will spark among our community of book lovers.

I think I’ll always enjoy Elena Armas’ books. They combine cheesy, cute, and bring serious notes throughout. They always make me happy.

I do have to say the beginning got me heated since I instantly didn’t like Bobbi and was ready to cuss her out on behalf of Josie. I had the same view as Matthew that none of this is Josie’s problem- sounds like an Andrew problem and let him dig himself out of the hole he dug. The amount of second hand embarrassment I had in the initial meeting of Matthew, Bobbi, and Josie got to me but the laughs I got out of this book measured more. Moe Poe was probably my favorite character out of the whole book and I honestly wish we got to see more of him.

I don’t know why but this book did seem to move faster that the others which makes sense as they didn’t have a lot of time to plan the wedding but it seemed like they fell really fast, maybe too fast? I feel like I’m explaining that poorly.

I also wanted to point out that the quote at the end of chapter 11– loved it.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is officially my favorite of Elena Armas. To be honestly, Elena's first 3 books have not been enjoyable to me. I felt that there was something missing. To be honest, I still feel there's a missing piece with Josie and Matthew also, but it's the first one were I felt the connection, the chemistry, the longing. Definitely my top pick out of all her books. Hopefully, her next ones meet it as well

Ahhh, this was a really refreshing way to go back to the town of Green Oak.

Josephine is a delight and I love how amazingly positive she is in the face of some real trauma. And Matthew? Well I knew I liked him in The Long Game, so I was really pleased to see him get his moment to shine in this book.

A glasses-wearing, protective, golden retriever? Love it. Add in a little he falls first and I’m a goner.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Josie's father is a very rich man and her messy relationships make him looks bad. Matthew pretends to be her fiance to make her look better.

Josie and Matthew have some terrific chemistry. I love their relationship. Matthew is so sweet. There are of course some sexy scenes because it is a romance. It's a fast-paced romance with a happy ending.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I wanted more from this story. I didn't get swept away and invested in the characters like I hoped I would. The cover is fantastic, so that's a plus! I'll still read what Armas writes next. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.