Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The FIANCE DILEMMA by Elena Armas.
The slow burn romance between Mathew and Josie is so good.
Mathew fell for Josie first and so hard. I love how supportive he is to Josie.
Josie's deserves all the love.

Unfortunately, I could not get through this. I had to DNF at 50%. I really wanted to enjoy this especially since I loved the Long Game. I did love seeing cameos from Cameron and Adalyn.

Matthew and Josie were compelling, and I loved returning to Green Oak. Josie’s story had heart, but I felt the end was a little rushed.

I donʻt think I'll ever get over Elena's writing! This was just so cute and fluffy. It really gave me the butterflies feeling that I felt reading The Spanish Love Deception!

This one didn't wow me, but to be fair I don't love the fake dating trope to begin with, not to mention I didn't realize this was the second book in a series. It had some funny rom-com moments, but I just didn't connect with any of the characters unfortunately.

first of all, THAT DEDICATION! i just knew i was going to love this one.
this book felt like a rom com, i’m so happy there wasn’t any third act breakup.
it definitely exceeded my expectations for this one, it had the vibe of 27 dresses but bridal style and i loved it! this slow burn was slow burning! and oh myyyy god with the spice!
he falls first and harder? amazing give me 14!

“Go on, Baby Blue. It’s me you’re running to”

our mmc… Matthew the freaking man that you are! he really is perfection! so honest and vulnerable, happy to help others, such a big hearted man. i do believe in love at first sight because from the moment i met him i fell in love. he’s a mix of a golden retriever and a husky! i totally didn’t expect that someone who looked so innocent could be so filthy mouthed, it caught me off guard but i love that for our Josie.

everyone should get someone who can name your smiles, iykyk.

“And Josie had always been Technicolor in my head. Not white.”

our fmc Josie is a resilient, independent and strong woman, who loves love and believes in magic, manifestations, fate, gut feelings and soulmates. she’s caring and loving to all people. she a hopeless romantic wants to be loved and i totally get that.

“beautiful things shouldn’t be boxed. It eventually dims their light.”

overall i loved the plot, the characters and the ending, i know it’s a slow burn but sometimes it did felt slow in some parts and i wished we got to see Josie with Matthew’s parents.
i was left indeed needing more.


Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity of receiving this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was hilarious! It may be controversial but i actually liked Bobbie, i think she could have a redemption. Matthew and Josie are such a sweet and cute couple. The side characters of this book/small town are so well developed and add a great amount of comedy to the book. I was pleased they didnt get married, happy endings dont need to include a marriage and baby, sometimes its finding your person and looking forward to the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

Elena Armas is one of my comfort authors and I've loved all of her previous books, so I was elated to get an advance copy of The Fiance DIlemma! This one had some of my favorite tropes- fake dating/engagement, small town romance, and slow burn. So why wasn't I obsessed with it??

One year ago, Josie Moore discovered who her biological father was after being raised by only her mother her whole life. The man (I would call him her Dad but she's in her 30's and he has been where...??) is a mega-famous public figure and is now trying to become a part of her life. She has a bit of baggage that's causing him some PR issues - she's been engaged four times but never married. It's giving Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride, right? People are saying she's never said the "I Do" part because of her daddy/abandonment issues. And maybe they're onto something??? Josie lives in a small town in North Carolina, runs a coffee shop, and acts as the town's mayor. Her life is very small compared to her father's, and the last thing she expects is his nightmare PR woman showing up on her doorstep trying to fix this whole mess.

SO here comes Matthew Flanagan, Josie's sister's best friend who happens to be in town for the summer after leaving his job in the big city. The day he gets into town also happens to be the day Josie meets this PR woman who is trying to take control of her life. What's Josie's quick fix to this situation? She tells the bad lady that she is happily engaged (for the fifth time) to Matthew and everyone can bugger off now. She doesn't expect this woman to try and spin this whole story into a dream wedding paid for by her loving Dad. And so what comes next is a few weeks of absolute chaos trying to plan a wedding with a man she doesn't really know, and fool everyone into thinking their relationship is real. What could go wrong??

---

Okay so my first red flag was when she and Matthew were discussing the fake engagement. He says no to the agreement not once but TWICE and he's not getting anything out of the agreement. That's not how the trope works!! They both have to be invested to make the fake dating work. And it just made Josie seem really desperate and I hated that! Like please just save yourself from your deadbeat dad honey and don't entrap this golden retriever of a man into helping you??!!!!

We also only heard from Josie's POV throughout the book. We desperately needed to hear from him to make this storyline more believable. All I am seeing is him rejecting her multiple times. It's just not giving the romcom vibes. I want this man obsessed and feral over her. Lastly, the reveal at the end with Matthew having loved her the whole time was just so out of the blue. It felt very insta-lovey to me and a bit cringey if I'm honest.

The worst thing in this book though was the weird relationship with her dad. He was awful and she was such a door mat people pleaser. Come on BABE this man hasn't been in your life for 3 decades and suddenly you're bending over backwards to meet his every need?? Blink twice if you need help!!!

Needless to say, this wasn't the book for me. Will I still read her next book? Absolutely. I love her and love her writing, but this one didn't hit the mark for me.

The Fiancé Dilema is book two of The Long Game series and I am in love! This story is fake dating with a twist of engagement of convenience. We follow Josie and Mathew this time as they entangle their lies and misinformation, with a sprinkle of a micro pig. For me, I loved this one far more than book one and that is saying a lot.

Not only did he fall first, but this book did not have a third act breakup which was so refreshing! I truly hope there will be a book three.

Elena Armas and fake relationship will always be the best combo
This was such a fun and lovely small town romance read. The characters were delighftul and easy to root for. The chemistry between our main characters was off the charts and really everything was great.

Another ARC thanks to @atriabooks !!!
Elena Armas is an author that l've read since getting back into reading & her stories always leave you invested in the characters and the real life predicaments they find themselves in. I LOVED The Long Game when I read is last year and was so excited to be able to read The Fiance Dilemma ahead of its release!
Returning to the small town of Green Oak and seeing what went on in the fake engagement of Matthew & Josie was definitely a fun read. With Sebastian Stan the rooster & Pedro Pigscal (a little piglet), we get to explore more of the town and its characters as well as see exactly how far a PR nightmare will go.
Release date: July 30, 2024
Rating: 3.5/5

I would first like to thank Atria Books and Elena Armas for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! I think Elena Armas is great at writing a slow burn. Her books really allow for the characters to develop their relationship and it makes me very invested in the couple by the end of the book. I was sad to leave them. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a perfect romantic comedy book for the summer. At some moments it did feel like it dragged on a bit. After you get through that then it started getting a little more fast paced! Overall it is a good read!

Thank you to Atria Books, as this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of The Fiance Dilemma. As much as I’ve loved Armas’s previous books, this one felt less heart-hitting. A new take on the fake engagement, yet it lacked the plot to really excel. Some plot points I wished we saw more of and felt like some scenes got cut too soon. I liked Josie and Matthew together, but it was a little hard to follow their relationship between all the confusion of real or not real, timelines, and everything else. The smut was enjoyable, however.

I really truly wanted to love this one (as much as I loved all her other books) but this one just could not hold my attention. I found the characters hard to enjoy, and while I loved Josie in the long game - her and Matthew were insufferable in this one and Matthew lacked serious substance.

Thank you to atria books and Netgalley for the chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't a huge fan of this. It definitely wasn't as good as the first book. Josie was very annoying and Matthew was fine. I thought Matthew was Adalyn's gay best friend in the first book so i was a tad confused at first lol. I tried to read this arc but kept quitting half way through a page because it didn't hold my attention. I ended up listening to it when it was released and it was still fine. I really only enjoyed near the end where their relationship finally turned into a real relationship. I also loved Matthew's pov at the last chapter. I wish there was more of his pov because Josie was a hot mess all the time. I wish there was more of Adalyn and Cam since they're sisters/best friends and live by each other. Not very good world building there.

This was my first book by Elena Armas, I didn’t realize this one was part of a series when I requested it! However, I was able to read as a standalone and don’t feel like I missed out on anything! After being immersed into the world of small town Green Oaks, I need to read the first book soon! I loved the fake-dating plot line, and while you know what is going to happen from the beginning, it is still refreshing and enjoyable. Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

For me Elena Armas is hit and miss, and this was a hit for me. I felt connected to the characters and OMG Matthew… whata man! Slow burn and smut scenes were chefs kiss! I also enjoyed the plot and podcast scenes. Overall his was a solid romance done by Ms. Armas. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry, i couldn't get past the 20%.
It wasn't for me. In my opinion, every character has the same tone as The long game's characters. Especially Josie, who is exactly as Adalyn was.
Also, the whole situation didn't feel right to me. They make it look like it was Josie's fault being engaged 4th times. I mean, i know she left her fiancés at the altar for no reason (apparently), but that doesn't mean is like some kind of crime or she is the worst person in the entire world.

I really appreciate the opportunity Netgalley and the publisher gave me so i could access to this ARC. Thank you so much!

DANG IT I’m swooning over a fictional man that doesn’t exist…again.😅

I smiled and kicked my feet through every last second of this delightful book, and let me just say that it was SO. MUCH. FUN. This was my first Elena Armas book, and I loved the heck out of it.

Josie was just the most precious, relatable, and fun protagonist. She was someone that I could see so much of myself in (and not just because I'm a barista...), and I really appreciated her humor and compassion as she encountered the world. And then there was Matthew... I was giving alllll the heart eyes for this man. He was strong and kind and funny and dreamy and protective and basically everything I want in a swoon worthy book boyfriend! He had a warmth and lovingness to him that just resonated with me beyond the pages.

The setting of this book was also such a highlight for me. I really appreciated and enjoyed the town of Green Oak and how it really was a character of its own. It was the perfect amount of silly without being ridiculous, and it added levity and heart to the story, while also giving Josie and Matthew the perfect playground on which to play and fall in love. There was so much joy to be found in the details and nuances of this setting and story, and every last character was so beyond lovable.

Speaking of love, this book was just chock full of it, as was so much joy and heart. It found me at the perfect time, and I cannot wait for the entire world to fall in love with it as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elena Armas for the opportunity to read and love this book!