DNF. Unfortunately, I'm just not connecting with this author's writing style. But, I know there are so many people who will enjoy this story!

i wanted to like this so bad. but 20 days have gone by, and i am not having fun reading this. i don't know it armas suffers from the second book effect, but every second book by her, i'm not a fan of.

josie comes off very naive, easily swayed, a huge people pleaser. i enjoyed her character in the long game, but this plot doesn't fit her character? would you get married for a dad you never knew and doesn't talk to you? and matthew is conveniently there???

the plot, the pacing, the characters... felt off and i had no connection. throwing in the towel at 42 percent.

3⭐️I really wanted to love this one but I for some reason just couldn’t get into it. I feel like you have to read the long game to really like the main characters and to me they still weren’t that lovable. The story line was very predictable and just okay.

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until July 30, 2024! But this is my honest review!

Add this book to your to read list, I promise you won’t regret it! & then let me know what you thought!

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Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Elena Armas for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Characters from The Long Game appear in this book but it’s not absolutely necessary to read that first although it was a great book.

Josie and Matthew are just so adorable I loved it. Major Josie won my heart in the last book and every mention of Matthew peaked my interest so I loved more of them in this book. They had me smiling during the entire book and squirming

The premise of the book is wild but with all the social media aspect and PR focus it probably isn’t far off from someone’s reality!

This is a major slow burn which drives me nuts and I absolutely love at the same time.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, I did DNF it. I’m a big fan of the fake dating trope, but I felt like this plot was too quirky and messy for me. It jumps right into the drama at the beginning with barely any backstory to the characters. The book felt rushed from the beginning and I was just not connecting with the characters or the plot and I was not feeling any connections/tension between the main characters while they started up a fake engagement.

I loved The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment when I read them in 2022. I’ve read a LOT of books since then. The Long Game was very meh for me. Now I’m wondering if I actually liked her first two books, or if I was just very new to the romance book world. 

The plot was far-fetched and kind of absurd. Why would Josie say she was engaged to a man she barely knew instead of just telling the PR person no? And Matthew didn’t even want to do it.

Technically, it was her father’s problem. Why did she need to do all of this to help fix his public persona? She barely knew her dad! 

It was trying so hard to be quirky and cute that it was major overkill. It felt chaotic to read. It lacked depth and character development. 

I hate giving low ratings, but this was not for me. I would have DNF if this wasn’t an arc, maybe I should have anyway. 

Reminding myself that not every book is for every person.

I am so incredibly sad this one fell flat for me. I love Elena Armas and her writing is amazing but I fear this book didn't do it for me pacing wise. It felt either too slow or too rushed, the MC and the FMC didnt make me believe they were falling in love and the MC himself was weirding me out with how accepting of everything he was.

*Rating : 3.75, Spice : 1.5*
Having read all of Elena Armas' books, I had high expectations in this book and I'm very happy to say it did not disappoint. Fiance Dilemma is a fake engagement/bestfriend's sister/small town romance/runaway bride tropes. The book is about Matthew and Josie who found themselves in a stickry situation where they had to fake their engagement. I love reading Josie's POVs. I think she is an extremely relatable FMC, she's cute but brave and strong at the same time. Matthew is a walking green flag of a MMC. I love reading his POV (wish there was more) and his love declaration is the best part of this book in my opinion. The book though is such a slow burn so the beginning kind of dragged on. It wasnt until halfway through that I felt the story picked up. I would say the slow burn is worth the wait and the pay off is definitely satisfying. I didnt particularly care about Andrew (Josie's dad) or even Bobbi (the PR person) but love Grandpa Moe and of course, Adalyn and Cameron (from the Long Game).

Overall, I think the Fiance Dilemma is a great book of love, self discovery and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

While I absolutely loved TSLD and TARE, I struggled a bit with The Long Game and wanted to give this one a chance. Unfortunately I found the plot to be inconsistent and choppy -- glossing over ideas and scenes that could have been more fleshed out. A chapter would end in the middle of a scene and then we would resume a few days later on the next page. The humor throughout didn't mesh well with what could have been a potentially deep and endearing story about Josie and her relationships. I really considered dnf-ing, but once I hit the 80% mark, some of those issues subsided, I was more invested in the couple and the addition of a chapter from Matthew's POV was great. Matthew was a down bad loverboy and I wish there were more of his POV throughout the book because reading Josie's POV became a little tedious.

Overall, I think I simply no longer mesh well with this author's style, but definitely think it will find its target audience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me!

I was so excited to read Josie and Matthew's story! I loved that both of these characters were introduced in 'The Long Game.' I would definitely recommend reading 'The Long Game' before reading this book. I read it when it first came out, but I went back to reread it before reading this book. It gave a lot of background on the town and the connection between Josie and Adalyn. At the end of that book, Josie discovers that she is Adalyn's sister, and she finds out the identity of her biological father. This is very important to the plot, and it sets up the entire foundation of 'The Fiance Dilemma.'

Josie is such a fun character, and she is someone who always wants to help other people. Josie has been unlucky in love, and she has been engaged 4 times previously. She has all of her dresses and rings, but she has never walked down the aisle.

The premise of this story is that Josie has to pretend to be engaged, and she convinces Matthew to help her. Matthew is the best friend of her sister, Adalyn. He agrees to go along with the fake engagement and fake wedding.

Their dynamic is a lot of fun, and I liked the slow burn of their relationship. They took things slow, and then, it got super spicy.

I liked seeing updates of Adalyn and Cameron from the first book too.

Thanks to the publisher, Atria, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Small town, sisters best friend, fake dating/fiancé tropes where one of my new all time favorite book boyfriends, Matthew falls first.

Josie has been engaged several times but never fully made it down the aisle for a variety of reasons, she ends up in a situation where she needs to acquire a fake fiancé to appease someone else’s narrative. When I tell you I was silently screaming, kicking my feet and maniacally giggling at how cute and overwhelmed this book made me in the best ways I am not being dramatic. This was such a fun read. I am now in love with Matthew as well. And I had such a great time reading this.

This Armas title wasn’t for me (which is totally fine!) mainly due to a slightly more comedic/unserious tone than I was expecting. It was difficult to feel any depth to the characters/subplots due to overly “silly” language that didn’t allow for substantial enough development needed to keep me locked in.

I’d still recommend this book to those first getting into reading/the romance genre and are just looking for a fun time!

Thank you for the opportunity to read an early copy!

I couldn't put this book down! I devoured it in one sitting because I just had to know what would happen next. If you love a slow burn, this book is perfect for you.

The banter in this book is excellent. While some of it is a bit cheesy and cliché, it's honestly so cute and provides plenty of butterfly moments.

I loved the dynamic between Josie and Matthew. Matthew’s nicknames for Josie were adorable, especially "baby blue." The small town setting, where everyone is in your business, added a charming touch. It was fun to see Josie develop and realize what she truly wants by the end. Also the interruptions every time things were heating up between Matthew and Josie… frustrating… but I loved it.

I did wish we could have seen Matthew's feelings evolve more gradually. His love seemed to come on too quickly, and I wanted to see it develop over time. Josie's quick acceptance of the PR stunt felt a bit off to me; I wished she had resisted it more. While it was nice to see Adalyn and Cam again, their involvement overall felt somewhat unnecessary, as if they were added just to fill space.

Overall, it was a cute read that I really enjoyed. Elena Armas wrote the perfect banter. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good slow burn and the fake dating/fiancé trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this SO much!! Everything about Matthew and Josie’s story is absolutely perfect! I was immediately hooked within the first couple of chapters! I loved their chemistry and the way they openly communicated. I also loved that Matthew wasn’t afraid to show Josie how he felt.

If you loved The Spanish Love Deception, you are going to love this!!

What to expect:
- Small Town Romance
- Fake Relationship
- Engagement of Convenience
- Slow Burn
- Spicy
- No 3rd Act Breakup
- He Falls First

Thank you to Elena Armas and Atria Books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well this is one not to miss (not that I’d ever recommend skipping a romance novel by Elena Armas!)! I absolutely loved Josie and Matthew’s story from the front-porch fake engagement (plus there’s a pig involved) to all the shenanigans, from 100% clean to downright spicy, Armas has pulled out another zinger here. She certainly does fake dating (or engagement) absolutely right - and I LOVED the ending - it wasn’t what I had expected at all. I also may be slightly biased as a longtime fan of Runaway Bride, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities. This novel pokes at a lot of big themes and hard stuff, and Armas handles it all with tack and of course, spice!

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fiancé Dilemma is a must read if you love rom-com vibes, a fake engagement trope, sister’s best friend and a lovable small town!

Josie Moore is a beloved, small town coffee shop owner and has been engaged a total of four times. She recently found out about her famous father and now she is in the media spotlight as his secret child. Under the media scrutiny, she realizes her failed engagements do not cast her family in a good light and she decides to tell the PR specialist she is engaged once again. Enter adorable, handsome Matthew Flanagan, who also happens to be her sister’s best friend. Matthew agrees to be her fake fiancé and help turn the situation around. In a small town, word travels fast and everyone is invested in Josie’s fifth engagement. Will Josie be able to convince the media and her town that the engagement is real to save her reputation? As Matthew and Josie’s connection grows, the lines and rules they set begin to blur and their charade might just turn into something real.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the privilege of reading the ARC copy of The Fiancé Dilemma! Grab your copy when it comes out on July 30, 2024 💜

Not my favorite Elena Armas book but definitely still good. I'm trying to think back to others and I don't remember them being as verbally spicy. More narratively spicy and not dialogue. Either way I think Josie and Matthew are adorable and it was great getting to see characters from the previous book in new situations. Elena Armas will always be a must read for me. I enjoyed this one.

I really enjoyed this book from the start. I thought the characters were delightful from the beginning. I love fake dating, so I was loving their banter and interactions. I did end up loving Matthew a lot more than Josie. I didn't like how Josie dealt with her trauma at the end of the book (dressing room scene). I really thought she was going to overcome and have her happily ever after in a different way. However, I still really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to anyone that likes a fast paced, faking dating romance.

I really enjoyed reading The Fiance Dilemma by Elena Armas. It's my second book of hers and having previously read The Long Game #1, it was a nice tie to see recurring characters again. This is absolutely a standalone book though. You just get some bonus treats if you have read the first too. In this book, we meet Josie and Matthew. Josie is a little like Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride, which is even mentioned in the book. Both her and Matthew have their issues, but a fake engagement and PR craziness make their lives even more complicated. I love fake engagement stories and this one also has second chances and found family. Josie and Matthew have great banter and a lot of steam, making this book a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

Okay, I really really loved this book! Josie and Matthew are fantastic and I'm always a huge fan of the fake dating trope. Honestly Matthew is a dream. I think the premise of this story - including Josie's four failed weddings - was really cute. The end result was a funny, spicy/sexy and beautiful story about finding love and soulmates.

I think this lost the .5 star for me just because it felt loose at points? Almost like not everything was there that I needed and things just jumped quickly at other points. Maybe that was from a lack of reading the first book on my part, but it did feel a little... short? Not fully fleshed out? I'm not sure.

I loved everything with Josie and Matthew. It was the other characters and relationships that didn't feel fully formed.

Overall, a really great romance novel though!! 😍🧡