3.5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️✨)

Oh how I had higher hopes for Josie and Matthew’s story after reading “The Long Game” – which I do recommend you read first, otherwise you might be a little lost in the story with The Fiance Dilemma. The Fiance Dilemma by Elena Armas is fun and a suuppppper slow burn with all the wonderful witty banter I’ve come to expect from her as an author. Josie lives in a small, rural town in North Carolina, is the self-appointed “mayor”, owns a coffee shop, and pretty much does it all for the town. Until recently, she didn’t know who her father was and found out she has a sister all in one fell swoop and gets into a PR nightmare. Josie has a bit of a past with broken engagements – 4 to be exact and when Matthew comes stumbling into town she ropes him into her fake engagement scheme. Uggghhhhh I really wanted to like this one way more — I feel like it would have worked better had it been dual POV — it felt very rushed/you didn’t really get a good sense of what Matthew was thinking or how they truly fell in love. I think we were in Josie’s head a little bit too much and bless her she just was a bit of a mess who I didn’t see much personal growth from. I do love that there was no 3rd act break-up or miscommunication trope!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Elena Armas and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

3.5 stars! This was a really cute story. The main reason I’m not rating this higher is because I wanted more for the female main character in terms of personal growth. I think she grew, but a lot of her issues seemed to magically disappear and I wanted them to be wrapped up with her doing a little more for herself instead of it just being about her relationship. That being said, Matthew was such a sweetheart and I really loved his character. In general this was a really cute fake engagement with real feelings. I also liked the aspect of found family that exists in this book as that is always one of my favorite micro tropes

Romance

This was not a favorite.

Technically, it's not a sequel, but if the reader hasn't first read The Long Game, they will be completely lost. I, read it, and still felt like I was missing part of the story. Josie has a history of leaving her grooms at the altar. She has recently found out that her father is famous, and it has shown a spotlight on her life. Faced with a PR nightmare, she claims that she and her sister's best friend Matthew are engaged, and things go awry from there. This book definitely reminds me of the movie with Julia Roberts - quaint town, goofy events with colorful locals - all the things.

Josie is an interesting main character. Her story just didn't come together. I think in large part due to the lack of development of Matthew's character. We really don't get to understand/know him until the very end of the novel.

Just not a fan of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this novel.

Josie is the mayor of small-town Green Oaks, North Carolina. And also owns a coffee shop, and chairs every committee, and teaches goat yoga, and basically everything. She was the boss-of-all-trades in "The Long Game" and now our girl gets a backstory! Josie has been engaged 4 times before, and in order to avoid.a PR disaster (that really wasn't her problem to begin with if you ask me), she fakes Engagement #5 - to Matthew, Adalyn's best friend (also previously met in "The Long Game"). This book is advertised as a standalone, but I really recommend reading "The Long Game" first. The whole small town comes together to put together a wedding and bring her estranged father back into the fold, and we meet some new characters along the way (the best one being Pedro Pig-scal, a teacup pig). I loved Matthew as our MMC - he was so swoon-worthy, that it sometimes seemed unrealistic, but I'm here for it. If you like fake-dating and loathe a third act breakup, this one's for you.

This book offers a delightful mix of fun and romance. While a few chapters felt a bit redundant and seemed unnecessary, the overall experience was enjoyable.

Matthew, the male main character, really shines. His charm and playful nature make him incredibly swoon-worthy and engaging.

On the other hand, Josie, the female lead, didn't quite win me over. At times, her behavior was a bit off-putting, and I felt Matthew deserved someone a bit more suited to him.

Despite my mixed feelings about Josie, I had a great time reading this book and enjoyed the romance and fun it delivered.

"What if I can't give you any f-cking firsts, so I want to make sure I get a chance at being your last?"

MATTHEW FLANAGAN—THE MAN YOU ARE!!! 🥰

I have a personal vendetta against blonde men but Matthew might be the one to make me get over that. He's a golden retriever MMC with a dirty mouth (🥵) and a heart of gold. He was painfully sweet and kind; I just loved how hard and fast he fell and how protective and possessive he was of Josie. Honestly, he might have elbowed Aaron Blackford out of the way to be my favorite Elena Armas boyfriend.
I know Josie is a little quirky (and polarizing, apparently) but I feel like she was so relatable. She's hilarious, has some daddy issues, and such a big heart; ultimately, she just wants to be loved and I find that so realistic.

I'm a sucker for fake-dating so a fake engagement was right up my alley! I adored Josie's journey in her relationships with Matthew and her dad, I loved how we saw her get stronger and stand up for herself to Bobby, and I LOVED how we saw her and Adalyn's relationship grow as sisters. I'm also just a really big fan of books where we get to see characters from the novel before and really get to know them!
It was fun and heartfelt and the spice was so spicy! Overall, I just really enjoyed the story and can't wait for what comes next from Elena!

Thank you to Atria Books, Elena Armas, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my review! ♥️

Fun slow burn in the Elena Armas style that is banter-y, hot, sweet and with the best MCs. Josie and Matthew were SO good - the PR angle, the ex fiancés, the mundane day to day that Elena does SO well. I ate this up - my new favorite of hers.

Main Tropes:
-Fake Dating
-Small Town
-Sister's Best Friend

This book was absolutely amazing! Although it felt a bit slow at first, I became completely absorbed once I got into it. I loved the tropes and appreciated the book’s originality, as well as the way the author crafted this masterpiece. The story, reminiscent of *Runaway Bride*, featured fantastic banter and chemistry without being overly cheesy. It tackled heavier topics while still maintaining a lighthearted tone. Having loved the first book in the series, I was ecstatic to receive this digital ARC. Thank you, Atria Books and Elena Armas, for providing this copy in exchange for a review.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Going in to this book, I was so giddy because I really enjoyed The Long Game. This second book in the series did not disappoint!! It follows Josie, the town mayor, who is a fierce, determined and hardworking woman who just so happens to have had four prior failed engagements. She convinces Matthew, her sister’s best friend, to pretend they are engaged so she does not disappoint her father and the town with a PR drama.

This fake engagement rom-com was filled with humor, love, and a great showcase of friendship and loyalty. I loved the way Matthew treated Josie, as though she wasn’t damaged or anything but just as she should be. He showed her his care with acts of service and words of affirmation which I loved!! They started out as friends and developed a sweet, sweet romance.

The Adalyn and Cam crumbs were soooo cute!! I loved seeing the cameos of the previous characters as well, with Maria, her dad, and the animals on the farm.

Hope there’s another one! I kind of got some hint of a romance with another two characters but I’m not sure…..hmm…

Side characters make or break a book for me. I loveeeeee when a book has spinoffs about the wonderful side characters. Elena Armas’s books fit that bill perfectly for me.

The Fiance Dilemma is filled with a quirky, lovable cast of small town dwelling characters who all manage to worm their way into your heart by the end. I loved seeing the reappearance of some of my favs from The Long Game!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

Okay maybe I lied a little. I think Matthew may be my favorite. I was lucky enough to get an arc of this and I'm so beyond grateful. Matthew is a golden retriever and I absolutely loved every second of it. He from the start stayed with Josie and never left even when she tried to push him away and that was my favorite thing about him. He always said the funniest things and didn't care which made me love him more. Seeing Josie truly fall in love I think was another favorite part of mine. She didn't want to admit it but seeing her actions change to more loving was everything. Hopefully we get more of them in the future because I adore them. Thank you again to NetGalley for this arc.

Such a cute rom com! Elena Armas does not disappoint! And in true Elena Armas fashion, it has the fake dating troupe- which I love! It's such a fun set up of a "fake engagement' and the slow burn is a SLOW burn which I'm a huge fan.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed my time with The Fiancé Dilemma. The story was fun and quirky; it was easy to read and get lost in. This slow burn romance had me wanting more and made me satisfied when the spice finally came around.

Taking a deeper dive into the plot, there were a few issues I had.

First, Josie’s character development left me puzzled in the story. She was no longer the funny goofy girl from The Long Game, and her character was sometimes unrecognizable to me. Matthew was also a mystery, and I believe the story would have benefitted from a dual POV to get a better understanding of his “grumpiness.” He was quiet and the readers did not get to see a lot from him, which disappointed me.

Next, I was hoping to get more background into Josie and her father’s relationship. It all came together too perfectly in the end and left me confused. Further explanation would have been nice.

Finally, I thought the backstory of multiple finances was okay, but I was looking for… more? They were glossed over and almost did not even feel necessary. They were on the cover, so I was expecting them to play a larger role.

Overall, I had a fun time and on the surface, I would recommend as a light read to my friends.

I really enjoyed this one! Elena Armas is consistently one of my favorite romance authors and this one was no different! Matthew was swoon worthy! Some of those lines had me blushing. Josie was so fun and I loved the character development and watching her come into herself. I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (3)
Spice: 🌶 (1.5)
Tropes: Fake engagement, sister’s best friend

The story begins when Josie meets the PR executive assigned by her estranged father for the first time. This PR executive steamrolls Josie and incorrectly assumes she is engaged (because she’s wearing an ex-fiancé’s ring!), which would be her fifth engagement. In a coincidence that can only happen in a rom-com, Matthew wanders into her backyard at the perfect time and Josie ropes him into the shenanigans.

The events then proceed to be on the quirkiness level of Meghan Quinn, and it borders on unrealistic. (I realize I don’t read contemporary romance for reality, but the stories should still be somewhat plausible and the relationship will typically alleviate any concerns in my mind). However, I think this is one example of when there is a disservice to the story as a single POV. We don’t get Matthew’s motivations or emotions for the majority of the book, and I wasn’t able to be fully immersed in their relationship because it seemed like he was being manipulated by Josie. There were also multiple times this could’ve been resolved earlier when Josie internally questioned whether she should ask Matthew. Um YES of course you should ask and talk about your relationship!

Overall, Matthew was the highlight for me and the reason I finished the book! He was so caring and considerate in both his actions (defending Josie to everyone) and words (loved his podcast interview).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! This was so cute and chaotic in all the best ways. I adored Matthew and Josie, their chemistry was amazing. The story itself was great and I loved the HEA! Awesome read.

I don’t think I’ve loved a book as much as I loved this book in a really long time!! My goodness, the way I basically fell in love for this whole book 🥰

It was everything I want in a romance and so much more, it was so cute, fluffy and funny! I devoured it and was hooked from the very beginning.

Matthew is basically my new book boyfriend, everything he did and said had me swooning and laughing! He’s seriously so funny. Josie is literally so relatable, I loved how positive and cheerful she is. Just everything about them two is perfection 🫶🏻💗

I already know I’m gonna keep thinking about them, about Green Oaks and about the whole book basically forever. Soo so cute and funny, the perfect rom-com, I would love to see this as a movie!

Another great romance book by Elena! I hadn’t read the first one so this sequel can definitely be read as a stand alone. I will need to read the first book.

A perfect summer beach read if you want something light and to take you out of reality. Josie and Matthew are the couple you want to be around - and maybe even want to be.
The spice is there - if you’re looking for that - but not so much if that turns you off from romance. I can’t wait to read more from the author.

A sunshine/sunshine, he-falls-first, small town romance
Elena Armas’ The Fiancé Dilemma follows her successful book, The Long Game, yet stands on its own as a novel. Reading Armas for the first time, I found myself quickly falling for her writing. The story centers on Josie, who juggles her roles as a mayor and coffee shop owner in a small North Carolina town and is the newly discovered daughter of one of the nation’s wealthiest and most prominent businessmen. Striving to maintain a low profile, Josie is thrust into the spotlight when her father’s PR strategist, Bobbi Shark, shows up on her doorstep. Daddy’s reputation isn’t looking great after some podcasters dug up Josie’s history of leaving four separate guys at the altar. But a wedding that finally reunites father and daughter (and addresses her so-called issues with commitment and abandonment) will fix everything, right? Except that Josie doesn’t have a new fiancé. Enter Matthew Flanagan, her sister’s best friend and a fresh arrival from Chicago. What we have next is a fake engagement that is both sweet and swoony.

Elena Armas is a delight to read. Not only are the characters relatable and the setting quaint, but the writing is just funny. I smiled throughout this book and laughed out loud multiple times. Armas writes Josie and Matthew in a quirky and witty manner that is not over-the-top silly.

An image of a baby pig in a barn
Photo credit Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
Based on how my lower belly had perked at the sight, I seemed to be into glasses-wearing men holding tiny farm animals. Which shouldn’t be surprising. I loved tiny farm animals. I’d just never felt this invested in a pair of arms holding them. Much less, arms belonging to a blond man.

I didn’t think I’d ever date a blond. Not that I was dating one now. I —

I was probably ovulating.
Plus, it’s rare to find a character as flirty and charming yet as genuine as this Mr. Sunshine MMC. Matthew might start as Josie’s sister’s best friend, but he soon becomes one of Josie’s dearest friends too. He invests time to understand her, to truly see her, and to show her she’s valued. Initially, his vulnerability and support overwhelm and unsettle Josie, who truly does think she is something broken to be fixed. But — boy — once they connect, the chemistry is undeniable.

But didn’t he understand? How terrifying it was for me to peek my head out? Especially when it was him on the other side. Especially when he saw so much, knew so much, was so deep into the tangle I was.
I give Elena Armas’ The Fiancé Dilemma an easy 5-stars. It was a great summer read or, in general, a great contemporary romance to indulge in at any time.

I absolutely love Elena Armas and will forever remain a diehard fan; however, this one for me can be summed up as: overall enjoyable, but with a few question marks.

And again, I like Elena Armas' writing style in the sense that it flows so smoothly that you’ll be able to continue even if there are a few parts that kind of rub you the wrong way. For example, Bobbi??? She just felt like anxiety personified, and I couldn’t seem to understand how Josie just kept letting her continuously berate her. I love a boss babe any day, but I can recognize the difference between a corporate baddie versus someone who is just plain mean. I also don’t get the overall premise for the fake engagement—it just felt rushed and awkward in the sense that I didn’t understand why she was intent on making this strange, disconnected man happy. 

At first, I also didn’t understand Matthew and Josie’s chemistry—it kind of felt insta-lovey, but their relationship really came to grow on me as the story progressed. I really wish we also got more of their relationship and less of Bobbi and co. I also think delving more into her previous engagements (four is CRAZY) would’ve been interesting as well. It’s honestly such a crazy amount of engagements to me that I think really would’ve helped us understand more about Josie’s growth as opposed to hearing more and more about Andrew. In a way, I sometimes felt that this story was sort of sad and tragic because Josie was literally running ragged for this man she barely knew for barely an ounce of parental love. 

Here’s the thing though: I liked both the main characters, and I grew to like their chemistry as well as their relationship. And honestly, if you just showed me that, I would’ve loved the story way more than having to read about Bobbi and Andrew. Ultimately, I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys the TLG universe, and eagerly await to see what’s next for Elena Armas!