Could have been a great story. The concept was there & some parts were fun, sweet and spicy. However it just didn’t all come together for me. Most of the book was a slog to get through. It felt quite long, full of details that didn’t further the plot. It often felt disjointed and a bunch of the chapters ended in the middle of the scene. The book had some bright moments but not enough to make it work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are mine alone.

Overall it was a fine read, it just didn't grab me the way I was expecting it to. I'm always a fan of the "fake dating/fake relationship" trope, but this one missed the mark a bit for me. I really enjoyed Matthew's character, but Josie rubbed me the wrong way. Which isn't the best thing to feel when they're the MC. The way they fell into the "fake fiancé" situation was a huge stretch for me as well.

The beginning was also very clunky and awkward for me; it took me a while to get through about 70% of this book, and then it kind of sped up from there. The spice in this was... okay. Some of it was also pretty clunky and some lines during the spicy times would pull me out of it.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas was an okay read, overall. While not my favorite, it had its moments that made me smile (and blush!).

I had a hard time getting through this novel. The beginning felt forced and quick, which lead to the pacing of the first half of the book to be completely off. I only started to enjoy it at the 50% mark.

I had high hopes for this one given how much I loved Josie from The Long Game, but, alas, this one is not for me.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. Maybe I read it at the wrong time so I wasn’t in the mood, but unfortunately I didn’t love this book. We have Josie and Matthew who are thrown into a fake engagement as a solution to a press monstrosity. And while I don’t mind the fake dating or fake fiancée trope, this just rubbed me the wrong way. It felt FAKE, which was the problem.

Matthew fell first, and I love him. He wants to make life better for Josie and will do anything to help and protect her. Josie on the other hand…. I found her to be so unlikable. It felt like her failed engagements was the main chunk of her personality. I needed more from her.

I’m not going to lie, I got about 60% through and skimmed the last 40% of the book. I hate to say it, but I got BORED. I absolutely loved the American Roomate Experience, but this book did not do it for me. Also, the ending, in my opinion, was beyond disappointing. There was all this build up, and SPOILER, she calls the wedding off, AGAIN. I kept reading for their happily ever after and it didn’t really happen.

I’ve been reading Elena Armas’s books since she released THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION. My favorite so far is THE LONG GAME — so I was super excited to see that it was going to be a series and couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

THE FIANCÉ DILEMMA was a fun fake dating book, but I wasn’t fully invested in the romance.

What I loved were the cameos from the characters we met in THE LONG GAME. I also loved the small town, everyone knows everyone, meddling neighbors dynamics.

💜 engagement of convenience
💜 small town romance
💜 family dynamics

This was such a fun take on the runaway bride trope. I'm a sucker for a good nineties/noughties rewrite and Elena Armas did not disappoint, Though I enjoyed The Long Game, this book was more my speed. I love Josie's quirkiness and Matthew's protectiveness and sweetness. This was a sweet and spicy book.

I swear her books get better and better each time. Elena Armas is the slow-burn queen. She'll have you on the edge of your seat just waiting for them to get it on already. A slow-burn fake dating trope is what you get in The Fiance Dilemma. To clean up a PR disaster Josie ropes Matthew into being her fake fiance. Let's just say things don't go as planned. I LOVED Matthew. He had big "that’s my wife" energy, and I loved every second of it. I was a sucker for the small-town aspect of this story, I loved all the nosy side characters. All in all, I thought it was a great book, I can't wait for the next one.

When I received an ARC for the Fiance Dilemma, I squealed. I LOVE Elena Armas and I think she’s the bees knees.

I love how in all her books she writes the POV from the FMC and we just get the most fabulous men. Like truly BOOK boyfriends. They’re so sweet and we know they are obsessed from first glance and the way it unfolds is chefs kiss. This was NO exception. Mattsie-Boo is my love ❤️

The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is that I didn’t connect with Josie. I know she’s definitely been through it with all the weddings and I LOVED the take on runaway bride, but she fought sooo hard on this relationship that I kept waiting for her to soften. It’s a slow burn in a good way.

Go pick this book up. Matt will NOT disappoint and I can’t wait to hear all your thoughts! Out July 30! xx

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas.

Once again, I find myself having binge-read another Armas story in a matter of hours.

Josie and Matthew’s story is so sweet and funny and hopeful and I find myself wanting more after reading the last lines.

<spoiler> I appreciate that there is no third-act breakup in this story - it is just two imperfect people realizing that they love each other and finding each other for themselves and no one else.

I did find I spent some time wondering how Matthew could have fallen so quickly when he’d never met Josie in person, but his confession at the rehearsal dinner and on the podcast cleared things up. I understand not everyone believes in fate, destiny or soul mates, but given the relationship he already had with Adalyn, I can see why this makes total sense for their story. </spoiler>

As with her other three stories, this one will hook you from the very beginning and keep you reading until the very last line. Despite all their flaws, you will come to see that Josie and Matthew and two imperfect people who are perfect for one another.

Sadly there were more things about this book that annoyed me than things that I liked. The writing was clunky and I found the plot progression to be unrealistic and oddly timed. The characters were hard to root for, largely in part because we learn so little about some of the main characters. Never learning about her exs ends up taking away from the overall story. It feels almost as though it was accidentally left out.

Matthew: Every time he calls her sweetheart it feels incredibly demeaning because that was his original intent. Why is Matthew putting up with all of this when he literally doesn’t know her at all? It takes so long for them to really start to learn about one another. I was 35% of the way in and I knew nothing about him. Even at the end he still feels like a stranger. I can’t fully root for them being together if I don’t know the MMC.

Josie: To me she feels much more annoying in this than in the Long Game. She has no backbone. It goes further than people pleasing and it makes it incredibly hard to root for her. Andrew has done nothing positive for her, and yet she will literally bend over backwards to do anything and everything for him. There is so much internal dialogue and yet it doesn’t contribute to character growth. I can’t believe she threw herself off of a ladder just to prove a point, that was frustrating. The sex scene in the dressing room is just full on cringe and not sexy.

As for the side characters: The Podcasters are annoying, they do little to progress the story. I can’t stand Bobbi in any capacity. I wish we could have gotten more of Cam and Adelyn.

After absolutely loving the first book in this duology, I guess I had some pretty high expectations for this book. So maybe my rating and thoughts are partially my fault for going in on the wrong foot.

This book takes place in the same world as The Long Game, but follows Adalyn's sister and best friend. Josie was such a good character in The Long Game that I couldn't wait to read about her happily ever after. Josie was a little different in this book than I imagined she'd be. Yes, she was bubbly and charming, but there was something missing there. I needed more from her. I know she was the pov of this book, but I still felt like we weren't digging into her character. Also, why was this book single pov? Book 1 was dual and I think this book really suffered from being single. But I digress.

Even though Matthew was barely introduced in book 1, I absolutely fell in love with him here. He was drool-worthy in every aspect of the word. He pouted when she opted to sit in a chair rather than his lap. Such a simp. I would have loved to have had him share his pov throughout the book with Josie. We got some of his backstory, but it would have been nice to get inside his head. Learn more about what makes him tick.

There wasn't enough Adalyn and Cam in this book, especially for them being in this series. They were out of town the whole time and it was annoying. I fell in love with them in book 1 and then basically didn't see them here. I think they really could have contributed to the humor and fun of the story.

That being said, the plot and humor were weak. The plot was just them being fake engaged and I guess daddy issues, but it didn't fill things well enough. Also, this book was missing the sparkle and small town charm I fell in love with in book 1. Where were all of the small children and deranged animals? Sure we got glimpses of them, but Josie was the voluntary mayor of this place. One would think she'd be fully immersed in the town, but no. I did really enjoy Grandpa Moe and his remarks, but he couldn't carry the whole book.

Overall, this wasn't a sparkling follow up to The Long Game. It kinda felt like a forced sequel upon reflection. Not the worst book I've ever read, but I wasn't mad when it ended.

4.5 Stars

This is my first book by Elena Armas and I loved every bit of it! I was pleasantly surprised by her writing and feel like I just found another auto-buy author. The romance was really well done and I loved the tropes! If you are a fan of small town romances, fake dating and siblings best friend then this is for you! I found myself laughing throughout the book but also had the perfect mix of spice.

This book was full of great characters, a slow burn romance and lots of funny moments. I’m definitely a sucker for the fake dating trope and this book does it well. The plot was sweet with the runaway bride but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the parent drama and the wedding planning. I thought the book was a bit too long as well. A cute small town romance book but it didn’t blow me away.

The Fiance Dilemma was deliciously cute and so much fun at the same time. A true romcom this one.

Elena Armas never fails to deliver!

A solid 3.5 ⭐️😌

I read "The Fiancé Dilemma" almost immediately after reading "The Long Game" (Book 1 of this "new-ish" contempt-romance series by Elena). So most of my immediate post-read thoughts will be with this in mind. I think had I read TLG closer to when it was published, I may have liked or loved this book a bit more. I think it's always a bit jarring to me when authors, like Elena Armas, seemingly don't give a sh*t about things like POV consistency (in books in the same series) 🤣 she did this with The Spanish Love Deception/The American Roommate Experiment so I kinda shouldn't be surprised, but here I am. LOL I think I love Elena enough as an author to not be completely turned off by this. I believe there's a method to the madness (of single POV)- I just still didn't love it in this book.

I loved Josie's character since TLG but didn't really connect with her in this book. :/ The lack of male POV didn't make the romance convincing either. I just wish I had more. What really threw me for a loop was the back half of the book. Maybe around 60% onwards.. Respectfully, I think Miss Elena Armas wrote one of the hottest phone sex AND discreet public sex scenes ever. In the same book!! GIRL, I'm still blushing 🤭

Many thanks to Atria & netgalley for the early copy! 💜

"The Fiance Dilemma" follows the story of Josie and Matthew. Josie finds herself in a bit of a predicament, needing a fake fiancé to impress her family. Matthew steps in, and what starts as a ruse quickly turns into something more complicated. The story is filled with humor, romance, and a touch of drama as both characters navigate their personal dilemmas and their feelings for each other.

The character development in this book is impressive. Josie, who starts off as somewhat frantic and always trying to compensate, evolves into a confident woman sure of herself and her decisions by the end. Matthew's growth is also notable; he begins the story hiding truths from his family to maintain an image of perfection but eventually opens up about losing his job and his genuine relationship with Josie. This honesty brings a refreshing depth to his character.

Elena Armas' writing style is engaging and filled with lively dialogue. While some elements felt clichéd, it was exactly what I was hoping for—a typical rom-com movie in book form. The banter between characters was particularly enjoyable and kept me hooked throughout.

The themes of self-assurance and self-growth are prominent in "The Fiance Dilemma." The story emphasizes forgiving your younger self and growing from that version of you. It's a heartfelt message that resonates well and adds depth to the lighthearted romance.

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Fiance Dilemma." It was a quick, fun read with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. While I don't think I'd read it again, I'm definitely curious to explore more of Elena Armas' work to see if this book's style and voice are consistent with her other novels. If you're in the mood for a feel-good rom-com, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books! Elena Armas has done it again! This is probably my new favorite book of hers, along with the Spanish Love Deception. The Fiance Dilemma was just so sweet (with some deliciously spicy slow burn). I love the small town feel and I really hope there are more books in this series. The town drama is fun and quirky in the best way. Elena Armas has a way of creating loveable characters that stay loveable even when they find themselves in frustrating (and often avoidable) circumstances. Josie may come off as naive to some, but she is such a badass and I love seeing her speak up throughout the book. Matthew is swoon-worthy and I love how he takes charge and is there for Josie at every turn. I wish there was more backstory/context to Josie and Matthew's interactions prior to this book, though it's been a while since I've read The Long Game, so that could be on me. I'm definitely buying a physical copy of this book to annotate. I highly recommend!

The second in a series of standalone books, but would absolutely recommend reading them in order! I loved book 2 way more than book 1, and book 1 was good! The conflict in the Fiance Dilemma was great. “Believable” in terms of it going perfectly with her life situation.

Elena Armas knows how to write book boyfriends because — wow, spicy and swoony! To call a slow burn romance a spicy one is so impressive. Their chemistry was everything and I love that they didn’t constantly say “… but this is fake between us — just for show!” the way that so many fake dating/engagement books do. They were completely in the moment and i loved it.

It was fun seeing Addie from book 1 sprinkled in there, though it definitely wasn’t a ton — which I didn’t mind!

This book came together in a way a small-town vibe book should. Lots of characters involved and we’ve come to know their personalities from book 1, so it was sweet to see this play out. Overall, I couldn’t put it down. Unlike book 1, we don’t get dual pov from FMC and MMC the whole way, it’s Josie! Fun to see this author be able to execute both so well.

Definitely would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Fiancé Dilemma was a heartwarming story of fake engagement! Josie has been engaged 4 times but has never made it to the altar. Matthew was in the right place at the right time to pose as her 5th fiancé in light of a PR scandal. Will the 5th time be the charm in making it all the way down the aisle?

If a book has the fake dating trope, I'm reading it. Add in Elena Armas's signature slow burn, and this was a drop everything and read book for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this one - Josie and Matthew were super cute together - I loved how clearly Matthew started pining for Josie early on. Reading about them trying to keep up their fake engagement ruse while slowly falling for each other was super cute and exactly what I needed from this story. Grandpa Mo and the rest of the small town were also gems - they were a great backdrop for this Runaway Bride inspired story.