Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm an Elena Armas stan through and through and this book did not disappoint. I will read anything she likes and it will always be a slow-burn adventure. I loved the fake-relationship aspect, as it's one of my favorite tropes. Highly enjoyed.

The Fiancé Dilemma was an easy read and a quirky romance. Josie, the female main character, is very down to earth and relatable. She has had four prior engagements before the one in the book takes place. Her "fake" fiancé, Matthew, is very charming, sweet and always there for Josie. While I do like the dynamics of the main characters, I felt that they lacked chemistry at times. Especially, when the beginning of the book has them falling for each other very rapidly.

However, I found the "Fiancé Dilemma" to be a lighthearted and cute read. Perfect for summer reading or any other time when you need a pick me up. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE FIANCÉ DILEMMA was a cute book with great characters and some laugh out loud moments. Really enjoyed the fake engagement plot and how it evolved the stories over time. Wish it was a bit shorter though, as it took way too long to wrap up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review THE FIANCÉ DILEMMA.

4.5 ⭐️ I had read and absolutely loved The long game so I went into this with high expectations. I was expecting Josie to be quirky but even knowing that, it took me a moment to get use to her never ending internal dialogue. She is hilarious but can be a lot.

Matthew on the other hand swept me right off my feet! I am now obsessed with him. I feel like I need a Matthew on my side from whenever I need to be talked off the ledge or I need to be distracted. 🥰 IYKYK

You can expect a slow burn but in the most delicious way. The tension building between these two is almost unbearable. That bath tub scene before they get interrupted. 🔥🫠 The fact that he likes to take charge almost did me in.

Read if you love quirky, charming small towns & slow burn.

I was given an ARC of this book and my opinions are my own.

Ohhh this was such a fun book to read. I was so happy to be transported back to the small town of Green Oaks. This is the second book in the series (but could be read as a standalone) and I enjoyed catching up with a few of the characters from The Long Game. The story is told almost entirely from Josie’s POV. She is 29 years old and she’s been engaged four times. To avoid another PR nightmare, Josie fakes being engaged to Matthew. Matthew was recently fired from his job and after taking a wrong turn and car issues he finds himself stuck in Green Oaks. He basically has no choice and goes along with the fake engagement. Elena’s writing is witty and I enjoyed seeing how Josie and Matthew’s relationship progressed. I loved the way they supported and care for one another.
Read if you like:
💒Small town vibes
💒Fake engagement
💒Sister’s best friend
💒He falls first
💒Slow burn romance

5⭐️ | 2.5🌶

What to expect:
~ Fake engagement
~ Sister’s best friend
~ Small town
~ Slow burn
~ He falls first
~ Her 5th chance at love
~ Spicy!!!

Review:
I’ve been a fan of Elena Armas’ work for a while now and I was so thrilled when I got approved for this arc!

‘The Fiancé Dilemma’ by is a delightful romance and perfect for hopeless romantics who love a slow burn. Even though it's the second in a series, this one could be read as a standalone.

We follow Josie, who finds herself in a tricky situation when her estranged, high-profile father reenters her life. Josie's history of multiple engagements becomes a PR problem, especially when gossip sites start digging into her past. A misunderstanding leads her father's PR strategist to believe she's engaged again, so Josie asks her sister's best friend, Matthew, to pretend to be her fiancé…HER FAKE FIANCÉ!

Josie and Matthew's chemistry is electric, and their journey from fake dating to something real is heartwarming. I loved how they were vulnerable with each other, navigating their situation with care and understanding. The slow burn builds beautifully, and the lack of miscommunication or third act break-up makes it one of my favourites till date. While the setup for the fake engagement felt a bit forced initially, the story truly shines once the romance kicks in!

I really enjoyed that the story was told solely from Josie's perspective, leaving us to figure out Matthew's feelings on our own. He's a wonderful character—an absolute flirt who genuinely enjoyed spending time with Josie. I've never found a blonde man with glasses so appealing before, and he is definitely taking one of the top spots on my fictional boyfriends list!

Overall, this book is sweet and full of heart, making it a must-read for those looking for a wholesome love story.

Well, this absolutely worked for me, but Elena's book usually do. To me, the perfect dose of schmedium burn that I can deal with since slow burn (which this wasn't) don't usually work for me. There was just so much to love in The Fianceé Dilemma and it delivers in spades.

Matthew was an absolute win for me and really sets the bar for book boyfriends. An absolute romantic and truly the sweetest. Loved him for Josie.

While Josie hasn't had the best run of things, I loved following along with her personal story and just seeing her growth. Her father truly can go suck an egg, I'm sure he meant well, but the damage kept coming it felt like. A little too late, if I might say. Matthew was the ultimate support, fake relationship or not, he was always in her corner. I loved that.

Wins all around for me, I think I'll go back and re-read!

4.25/5

To say i loved it, is an understatement. I'm actually adding adalyn & cams book to my tbr right now because i loved their chemistry. plus, i love grumpy men.
This book had me laughing, i'm not even going to lie. I'm quite upset we didn't get more of moes insults! they had me dying of laughter in the middle of the night. and it also had me crying, near the end of the book i was in tears. i was so captivated i didn't know what was going on around me.
the spice was refreshing, it wasn't too much and it was built up amazingly, i like how it wasn't just there, how the tension built up. and my god do i need more protective matthew.

The Fiancé Dilemma is the much-anticipated sequel to Elena Armas’ The Long Game steamy sports romantic comedy. The author shot to fame with her books The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Deception. The heroine in The Fiancé Dilemma will remind readers of the Julia Roberts character in The Runaway Bride movie.

Josie Moore was introduced in The Long Game as Adalyn’s friend and newfound half-sister. She owns a coffee shop and is the Mayor of Green Oak, North Carolina. She has been engaged four times and even gone to the altar but has never actually gotten married. Her biological absentee father, Andrew, is writing his memoir and refers to her as “his misstep”. Josie wants to head off a public relations nightmare about her colorful romantic history before the media tags her as the Runaway Bride. When her father’s PR assistant, Bobbi, appears on her doorstep, Josie impulsively informs her that she’s engaged.

Matthew Flanagan was introduced in The Long Game as Adalyn’s best friend. Now he’s unemployed after being fired from his job, and his car is stuck in the mud outside of Green Oak, North Carolina. He grabs a duffel bag and hikes to town to get help. Then he encounters his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé. Matthew plays along, and soon the whole town believes that he is The One for Josie.

When Bobbi schedules the wedding for a date one month out, Josie assures Matthew that he really doesn’t have to marry her. But things keep snowballing and the couple get more and more committed to this fake relationship. They are attracted to each other, and there are steamy romantic scenes. Matthew has his reasons for helping Josie out. It’s unfortunate that while she’s a strong, successful businesswoman, she still acts like a doormat around her father, Andrew. Readers are held in suspense as the wedding day approaches and true love is on the horizon.

The Fiancé Dilemma should absolutely be read after The Long Game for optimum understanding of the characters and storyline. Readers will enjoy this well-written story about love, family, and loyalty. It’s longer and steamier than I prefer but will appeal to most readers.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Atria Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What!!! This was absolutely breathtaking !!! The gradual burn, the witty banter, the drama, the lies, the secrets, and then the explosion of truths & love.

Josie's anxiety truly got the best of her! Her people pleasing nature, her desire to *not be a problem*, and of course the fiancé dilemma.
4 Fiancé's, 0 Husbands
She's the epitome of a runaway bride, and it's made the gossip rags. I loved her tenacity & ability to look on the bright side.

Matthew was truly a Clark Kent. I loved how he could be so sweet & unassuming one moment, but then flip the script & be a naughty tease the next. He's confident without being truly cocky. He is self-assured in a good way. He's romantic as hell!!

I absolutely loved the idea that he wouldn't kiss her until she didn't question his reason behind the kiss. He knew he loved her, and he wanted HER to know that the kiss meant that he loved her. That is my absolute favorite microtrope.
Never knew that I needed that one in my life.

11 y/o Maria was such a good support character. I loved her advice to Matthew. How she broke down how Josie must be feeling at the loss of her mom. It was such a simple thought process that no one thought of.

Grandpa Moe was great. I really liked his grumpy old man persona and how he imposed himself into situations he thought would be difficult for Josie, just to support her & be there to stand up for her if she needed him too.

This was such a good story!!!

Started off slow.

I didn't really feel a good connection to the characters until about 40% in.

After that, it flowed well.
I LOVE Matthew 🫶🏼
He is so perfect.

At some parts I felt the story was dragging,
But good ole Matthew brough it back with his on air speech!

And that "just met your future wife" text!!!
I'm mother freaking swoon.

4 stars!

This was not my favorite Elena Armas book. I loved the Spanish Love Deception, but I haven't loved anything since. I enjoyed this, but it wasn't a favorite. I wanted to love this, and it just fell flat for me. I normally love the fake relationship trope, but the fact that she's trying to impress her father she just met with a relationship to help out this stragner's personal PR nightmare just seemed off. I wanted this independent woman to stand on her own and stand up for herself more.

Such a fun, funny, and delightful read! While I did think the pacing of the first half was a bit slow, once the story picked up, I really enjoyed it! Elena never ceases to deliver humor and heart in her stories.

A little too cheesy and convenient for me. It was all very rushed and yet followed the formulaic rom com / lifetime pitch. The female MC was a little too much and male MC fell Ch 1, literally.

In general a cute story, and it was a quick read I was able to see through. I wasn’t a fan of the Long Game so I’m not sure what I was expecting with this one. I’m assuming if there is a book 3 it’ll be Robbie and Bobbi Shark. Although this may be my last of Elena’s for a good while.

I liked "The Fiancé Dilemma" for its fun characters and the small-town feel. Josie and Matthew’s fake engagement provided some funny and sweet moments.

However, the slow burn romance was a bit too slow for my me, making some parts drag. Josie’s people-pleasing nature was frustrating, especially with her dad. Mathew was okay. I wish there had been more depth to their backstories and more chapters from Matthew’s perspective to better understand his motivations. Despite some pacing issues and an underwhelming ending, it's a cute, fun read. If you're into slow burns and small-town rom-coms, you might enjoy this one.

I loved absolutely everything about this book. I loved the main male character. I loved the female main character. I loved their story and how it progressed and the drama that you felt with her dad. I was so invested in this book and I could not stop screaming over everything this man said. My annotations are through the roof. And Matthew’s glasses Lord have mercy!!

Single POV, Spicy, Fake Engagement, Small Town, Golden Retriever MMC, People Pleaser FMC

The way Matthew goes to every length to prove to Josie her happiness has worth makes this one of the most heart felt romcoms I've read this year. Josie, a habitual people pleaser, is completely taken off guard by the Matthew focuses his attention on her and her feelings. Similarly Matthew is shocked when Josie comes to his aid and offers to help him with his job search. Emotional, familiar, and tender The Fiancé Dilemma is a romcom for all the people who find their match who makes them realize it's okay not to be perfect.

I struggled to compose this review. I liked the story, but it was not written well at all. Large pieces of information are missing that would help make the story make better sense. The writing is choppy and the dialogue is based on relationship that we don’t really see being built. There is a lot of build up in a scene and then the chapter ends and the scene fades to black and our next interaction is a day or two later.

It felt very disjointed, and not one that I would recommend or even think or rereading.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Read this if you like:
•fake engagement
•he falls first
•small town romance
•slow burn

Matthew ended up being such a great swoony boyfriend!!! The audiobook was done well too, thank you Simon & Schuster audio & NetGalley

Elana Armas does it again! I love all her books. The Spanish Love Deception was actually what got me back into reading. Ever since that book I’ve read all her releases. This was also on of my favorite reads of the month. Matthew is a top book boyfriend for me. I loved getting a little update on the characters from The Long Game. All the characters are so sweet. I also love reading about all the farm animals. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Elena!