Josie and Matthew’s romance is one of my FAVORITE stories! Matthew’s unwavering support of Josie in any situation is my favorite part of this book- love a man who knows what he wants! Josie undergoes a great character arc and really learns who she is and what she wants, especially after giving up herself to make different exes happy, and I loved watching that develop on the page. Highly recommend this book! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy!

The first book i read from Elena was the cheat sheet on audio and once i found out that this book involved fake dating..i was SET. i loved the banter between the two main characters and how they were with each other and how they were there for each other.

The Fiance Dilemma is the latest novel from author Elena Armas, and unfortunately this one was a miss for me. While I've read and enjoyed all of Armas' work, I have to say this one was my least favorite thus far.

Despite Josie and Matthew having been introduced in The Long Game, I had a hard time connecting to the characters and their story this time around. To me, they lacked chemistry together and there wasn't enough depth in their backgrounds to relate or root for their characters.

The plot, side characters, and writing also fell flat this time around for me. It all felt quirkier and sillier, but yet the jokes and fun didn't quite land with me. I wish I had enjoyed this more, especially since I liked her previous novels. I hope this was a one-off and that her future books will better resonate with me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elena Armas never fails to amaze me, I have followed her writing since the spanish love deception and every book just keeps getting better and better.

I want to thank berkley for the arc, I absolutely enjoyed this

3/5 - Armas has been hit or miss for me lately but I enjoyed this story far more than the first in this series! The premise is a bit over the top - as are some of the characters - and I found the world to be a bit cheesy, but I liked the MMC a lot and was rooting for Josie to find happiness. The ending surprised me a bit, too! Thank you to @netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a great read! I loved Josie she was such a quirky character. Matthew whew I have a new book boyfriend, he was such a great character throughout this book right up to the very last word. Andrew was an awkward dad, but it felt right with his character being who he was.

The scenes were so well developed that I could see the book in my mind. The characters as stated were very well developed as well. I felt like I knew them personally.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me this advanced reader copy and this is my honest review.

I’m sorry to say, but I was pretty disappointed with this one. I really wanted to love it, especially since The Spanish Love Deception is one of my top favorite books. (Elena Armas in general is a great author). Unfortunately, this just didn’t measure up. The plot felt a bit off, and the writing lacked depth. I couldn’t connect with the main character, Josie—she came across as basic and a bit annoying. The whole story felt a little too far-fetched, leaving me confused at times. It aimed for a small-town vibe but missed the mark; compared to other small-town romances, it felt mediocre. The side characters were bland and didn’t add much to the story. On the bright side, the spice was decent, and I did enjoy the male main character.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★☆☆☆
𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠: thank u next by Ariana Grande
𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭/𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 2.5/5
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: fake engagement ~ small town ~ runaway bride ~ her sister's best friend ~ slow burn
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: romance

"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙞𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

OVERVIEW
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IM SORRY BUT I WAS BORDERLINE disappointed. I realllly wanted to like this one because I ADORE the Spanish Love Deception. In fact, it's one of my top 10 favorite books. But this book was NOT on the same level. The plot was a little odd, and the writing kind of hollow. I didn't really like the fmc Josie, and thought she was kind of basic and annoying. I was super confused throughout the book because I just felt like the whole plot was a little far fetched. The book was trying to have a small town vibe but there was no pizzaz . Compared to other small town romance like the Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver, this book and the vibe was mediocre. The side characters were pretty plain and unoriginal. However, the spice was pretty good and I liked the mmc. That's probably the only reason I'm giving this book the two stars.

CHARACTER REVIEW
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As I mentioned above, I thought Josie wasn't the best fmc. She was really annoying and I don't like the whole plot of a "runaway" bride (just my opinion). She has been engaged like, was it 5 times? Also part of the plot is supposed to be that she "found her voice" and "stood up for herself" but it's like girl... you should have done that 10 chapters ago. Then you wouldn't have to force this poor man to pretend to be your fiance to impress people and "fix your reputation". She's A huge pushover, and I get that that's part of the whole character plot but it wasn't for me. Matthew was a good character. He was less quiet and mysterious than Aaron, instead he was a bit more of a golden retriever guy. He was just going with the flow and cracking jokes along the way. But the main part that confused me about him was why was he doing this whole pretend to be engaged thing? I mean it made a little more sense down the line, but still the answer that was given was feeble. I mean he lied to his whole family and played the role of a fake fiance. Give me more of an explanation on why.

PLOT + WRITING REVIEW
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As I mentioned in the overview the book was disappointing. Fake engagement/marriage is my favorite Romance trope but this book didn't do the trope justice. I would rather reread a favorite of mine, King Of Wrath, then read this book. The spicy chemistry was good between the characters but other than that there was not a lot of deeper connection between the two. The book was kind of surface level, almost like playing it safe. Also some parts were a little cringey like the line "I was a messed up girl who was giving trauma." GIVING? I was giving trauma? What? Anyway, the whole engagement piece was so confusing I feel like it was never totally explained why this was Josie's only option. The whole point they did this was to "fix" her and her dad's reputation. But like Josie's reputation wasn't even that bad, people just thought she was a serial bride, which she is. It's hard to explain without reading it but the whole engagement seemed kind of unnecessary. Like why was this their only option?

ENDING THOUGHTS
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I really wanted to like this one but sadly it was not a fave. Still liked Matthew though and the whole goat yoga thing. But then again this is just my take, and unfortunately this book wasn't my cup of tea.

THANKS!
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Special thank you to NetGalley and Atria for letting me read this book ahead of the publishing date in exchange for an honest review.

xoxo ellie

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! I love me a marriage of convenience/fake dating trope!

I found it easy to pick up, it was a very fast paced book and I enjoyed most of it! The characters were fun to follow around and their stories were interesting!

The podcast sections in this book fell flat to me. It was very cringey and not well done (journalism wise). The final section at the end with the MMC gave me major ick. I pretty much skimmed through it.

The spice in the book was another thing that I didn’t necessarily love. Most of the scenes were very unrealistic and awkward. 😬

While the main focus seemed to be the dad and the PR situation, I also felt like it was not as developed as it could be!

This was my first book from this author so I’m didn’t connect much with the writing style, but it seemed pretty easy to follow! However — and take this with a grain of salt — I was reading an unedited edition, so that could factor into this!

I will admit, I did not read the first book of this interconnected series because I didn’t know there was one! I was sent this ARC and only found out after starting reading it!

Overall, it was somewhat an enjoyable fast paced small town romance!

“So you do believe in magic. Fate. Gut-feelings. Soul mates.”

Josie Moore is a 4x fiancée but 0x bride; she has never made it to the altar. When PR strategist Bobbi Shark shows up at her door (on behalf of her non-existent father), Josie has an old engagement ring stuck on her finger, leading Bobbi to believe Josie is once again engaged. And, what better person to pass off as her fiancé than Matthew Flanagan, who just so conveniently happens to be walking up her driveway after he got fired from his job in Chicago and decided to visit his best friend in North Carolina, vehicle breaking down in the process.

Josie could have simply said that Matthew is her sister’s best friend, but instead Matthew becomes her fiancé, a stunt they promised would come to an end once they finish helping Josie’s dad. What happens instead is that the two of them end up falling IN. LOVE. (and also, IN. LUST.). I mean, lusty spicy kind of love. The banter between the two of them made me giggle; Josie is sweet, yet sarcastic, and Matthew is caring, yet mysterious.

What I loved the most about this one was just how smitten Matthew was for Josie. Admittedly, I am a sucker for head over heels in love type of relationship, especially when a man is all, oh honey you are perfect to me. Any time she beat herself up for something, he was right there making her feel better, but also just making her feel incredible about herself overall. Ending this with the final chapter being in Matthew’s POV was chef’s kiss, because dang, every time he called Josie Baby Blue, I died a little inside.

While the concept of Josie being engaged 4x, married 0x, and now “engaged” again but having this one WORK amidst a PR stunt - since Matthew is a perfect human being, duh - seemed a little far fetched, I don’t doubt that somewhere in the world this has happened before. And, truly, the fact that they fall madly in love despite the chaos around them is just a testament that love always wins. If you love steamy love, that at times will make you laugh out loud, this one is for you!

Tropes:
🌶️ Fake dating
🌶️ Marriage (engagement) of convenience
🌶️ He falls first
🌶️ Best friend’s sister
🌶️ FMC nickname

Thank you Net Galley, Atria Books and Elena Armas for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was the first Elena Armas novel that I read after hearing wonderful things, and it certainly won’t be my last!

Rating: 3.5⭐️

I don’t really know what to say about this book. It was messy, kinda funny, awkward at times and a slow, slow burn. I started it and got bored to I set it down it and pick something else to read. I almost DNF it but I soldiered on to finish it. I don’t feel any connection to any of the characters and the love story got good maybe the last 70 pages. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC copy.

The primary female character, Josie, has been engaged four times in her life, and her sudden link to her wealthy and hitherto unknown father has become her father's public relations nightmare. in order to resolve this issue. In a panic, Josie confesses that she is engaged to Matthew, the best friend of her sister.

No doubt, the novel picks up speed from the beginning. And although I liked Matthew, at first I didn't think it made sense that he simply accepted Josie's lies.

But I have to say that Josie and Matthew simply melted my heart. Seeing the relationship develop from fake to real was lovely. Also, I must admit that Josie and Matthew's sexual relationship is rather spicy.

My main issue was the false engagement and the reason for it. I think it would have worked better if there had been more context behind it because it was so unbelievable. And I really wanted to hear Matthew's side of the story because I thought it would provide greater insight into how and why he was agreeing to the engagement.

You'll probably like this book if you like sly male main characters and fake dating!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
I have enjoyed all of Elena Armas books i have read in the past. However, sometimes they can start very slow. I felt this book gave me more to start than others so it was easier to keep reading.
I love the fake fiance trope. Sign me up!! The characters were relatable and i could feel their connection.

I think this is my favorite Elena Armas book to date, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that there's no third act break-up here. Josie and Matthew were really sweet, if not extremely chaotic, and they did a pretty decent job of communicating, minus the initial "this is my fiance please play along Matthew" shenanigans. The set-up for the fake engagement was pretty far fetched, along with the fact that Josie had been engaged 4 times and left her husband-to-be at the altar 4 times, and I think the fake engagement/marriage is a trope that just isn't for me. But even given that, I really enjoyed this book. And again, no third act break-up! More of this please!

Thank you NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Simon and Schuster for the e-arc of The Fiancé Dilemma! I’ve read and enjoyed all of Elena Armas other books, and now I can add this one to the list!

Josie Moore is “Always the Bride” but never the wife - aka she’s been enhanced 4 times but has made it (successfully) down the aisle 0 times. When a PR strategist (Bobbi-with-an-i Shark) shows up at her door somewhat unexpectedly, Josie is in the middle of trying on a past engagement ring, getting it stuck, and then using a jar of jelly of all things to try to get it off. Needless to say, a mess. This mess causes an even bigger mess when Bobbi mistakes the old engagement ring for a new one, the most logical for Josie to do is to say that her fiancé is none other than her sister’s best friend (whom she has never met but is conveniently walking up her drive at the best moment).

Matthew Flanagan just got fired from his job in Chicago, and the only thing that made sense to him was to visit his best friend in Green Oak, North Carolina. What he wasn’t planning on was his car breaking down, walking in a storm, and getting roped into being a fake fiancé to someone he’s only interacted with over text. But, being the sweetheart he is, Matthew goes along with the idea. Both him and Josie think it’ll just be a quick PR stunt to help Josie’s dad and they can quickly put it behind them.

Neither Josie nor Matthew plan on ACTUALLY making plans and having a wedding date chosen so near in the future. Together, they have to convince a whole town (and two invasive podcast hosts) that they are in love and the real deal. Josie and Matthew navigate Josie’s past and her relationship with her estranged father, his future career choices, and whether or not the feelings they have towards each other are still just for show.


Usually I am not a blond MMC girlie, but Matthew was just so funny, caring, and his mouth was *chefs kiss*. He knew the right thing to say and when to say it and it was great. I do wish we had more than just one chapter for his POV (I wanted to know what he was thinking the entire time) and I feel like I could’ve seen better dimension to his character with his POV.
Josie was an adorable, anxious mess and I related to her many times about being a people pleaser and doing things for others but not expecting anything in return. She doesn’t want to settle in love and she overcomes a lot of negative self talk, with the help of her sister and Matthew.

I loved the spice and the funny, heartfelt moments and think this might be my favorite Elena Armas book to date! (And I LOVED grumpy British Cameron in The Long Game)

**I was given an eARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Solid 4 ⭐️

This was cute, fun, and I love a man obsessed! So happy there was no 3rd act breakup 🙌🏻 I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read

I’m a sucker for the fake finance trope so I thought this one was a lot of fun. The banter, the spice, the tension was all *chefs kiss* I’m looking forward to reading more of her books

The Fiancé Dilemma
By: Elena Armas
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

The Fiancé Dilemma was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

In The Fiancé Dilemma, we meet Josie, a woman who has been engaged multiple times, who also happens to be the daughter of a very rich father (whom she didn’t know until recently). He starts to get some heat for her inability to get married, and before she knows it, she has a PR team playing damage control. In a panic, she tells them she is marrying Matthew, the best friend of her sister.

Naturally, chaos ensues as Josie and Matthew get to know each other, all while tackling the press (and a podcast!) who is talking about Josie’s love life, and her estranged father.

This book was a joy to read. I loved following Josie and Matthew’s relationship!

This book is actually the second in a series, but I loved this one so much more!

Definitely check this one out!

She’s done it again!
Elena Armas cannot miss!
I absolutely loved this one. I am the biggest fan of fake dating and absolutely devoured this one. These may be my fav characters of hers yet!

Baby Blue and her Boston Boy

MY FIRST @netgal read! I screamed when I got approved for this on NetGalley cuz I literally had juuust signed up and was just hoping for the best.

Everything I’ve read by @elena so far, I’ve loved. And that didn’t change with The Fiancé Dilemma. Josie and Matthew were adorable and perfectly imperfect for each other.

This gave me the gushy feelings that an enemies to lovers read gives me and STAY WITH ME, I know that it’s not an enemies to lovers book but it’s still definitely had the “if I show you all my imperfections, will you still love me” aspect that we all know in love from those kind of books.

Josie has made it to the altar four times and has left the altar single four times. All of these left a mark on her and she was aware of that but then this tall golden retriever with a dirty mind and an even dirty mouth walked in and looked at all of those marks and still loved her and still wanted to make her smile.

What this was, was a quirky and heart warming sister’s best friend, fake engagement book that had cute side characters and an even cutter small town.

Matthew will go on the blond book boyfriend perfection shelf and I really don’t know I’ll ever get over him and his glasesss …. And that mouth yall looool. So hot. 🤣