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!! 😍🧡

I did not finish this book. The plot is pretty ridiculous and unbelievable and found the main character really annoying. I know other readers love Elena Armas writing but I’m beginning to think that her books are just not for me. I do like the cover, though.

Elena Armas again wrote a book that makes me fall in love with all the characters. The Fiancé Dilemma is funny, both of the main characters are so lovable, and I read through it so fast. I loved Josie and Matthew’s interactions and how they played off each other’s wit and banter. Can’t wait for her next book!

At times predictable, at time surprising, yet always enjoyable. Elena’s books are so comfy to read and have the perfect level of spice and always leave you hoping for the HEA for her characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book unfortunately just not for me. I found the FMC to be kind of insufferable. The main issue being that the entire plot of this book was such a self manufactured problem. She let two complete strangers, her dad that she never met and his PR agent, completely steamroll and dictate her life. And she played along and essentially forced Matthew (she literally would not take no for an answer after he said it multiple times) to play along as well.

I also just didn’t understand the logic behind the fake engagement plot. Josie had already been engaged 4 times and that’s caused such a the solution is to get engaged a 5th time and not get married…???

I would like to note that this book is said to be able to be read as a standalone but I definitely disagree. I think you have to read The Long Game to understand the family dynamics between Josie and a few other characters. I felt like I was missing out on a lot of information there.

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for a copy do the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Matthew and Josie might be my favorite Elena couple yet! He was so protective of her and truly saw Josie.

🌸ARC REVIEW🌸
Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for my copy of The Fiancé Dilemma that comes out on July 30!

Wow I absolutely LOVED Matthew as a MMC. Honestly he’s probably in my top 10 of favourite book boyfriends. I loved the banter, I loved the golden retriever vibes from Matthew, and Josie was a super cute FMC!

BUT!I wanted to beat the crap outta Willa and Bobbi but whatever lmao.
My one gripe is wow are these books ever slooooooooooowwwww burn lmao, so if you’re not in to super spicy books, this would be a perfect one for you!

What you’ll find in The Fiancé Dilemma:
🌸found family
💍fake engagement
🌸small town
💍no third act breakup

This is a sequel to The Long Game (Sept 2023). In that book Josie Moore was an unknown sister to the FMC. Josie was an oops child from a one night fling of a wealthy man. She has never met her father, even after her beloved mother passed away.

The story is a bit convoluted as her dad decides he wants to retire and have a positive family image for his own PR. But Josie is caught off guard by his PR hire and claims to be engaged and greets a stranger as her fiance. Matthew Flanagan is actually her half sister’s best friend and was coming to stay in her husband’s house. For his own reasons he decides to play along and act the part.

Josie clearly has daddy issues and it manifests in the fact that she has walked out on four previous fiances. She is quirky and prickly and I don’t think it is as charming as the author intends. Armas’ writes longer books, and if I’m committing to read 432 pages I want a lot of story for my time. There is a nice amount of heat and Matthew is great but I felt like I could have skipped 100 pages and still had the same book. Personally I liked the author's Spanish Love Deception series more. There are still entertaining moments and I like seeing the main characters from the previous book as well.

DNF. I think it’s time Elena Armas and I part ways. I loved the American roommate experiment, but this one I just cannot. These are grown adults using child-like language. It’s a no for me dog. The words canoodle, sweet baby pie and mattsie boo should not be coming out of an adults mouth. It’s just ..yeah it’s not for me
.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Josie Moore has given love a chance and failed, many times. When her estranged father decides to announce his retirement very publicly, she realizes she may cause him a PR nightmare. Matthew Flannagan is out of a job and trying to find himself. When he gets stuck in the mud, literally, he goes in search of his best friend's sister. But he falls into her orbit and gets drawn into a fake fiance scheme. Matthew doesn't mind helping Josie out by becoming her fifth fiance. But neither realize their fake arrangement might very easily turn into something very real.
If you read the first book in this series, The Long Game, you met both Josie and Matthew. It's no wonder Armas wanted to tell their story after introducing them to us!
I enjoy Armas's books. They are cute and fast reads. The romance is always fun with good chemistry and just the right amount of angst. Her pacing keeps me wanting to turn the pages and find out exactly what happens next. And her stories do not rely only on spice, there are emotional aspects that she always hits on that are important to the characters. She also knows how to weave in a good amount of comedy, making me giggle throughout the story. But she also has a knack for giving you realistic drama and characters that are relatable.
Josie is definitely wounded when it comes to love. She's fighting abandonment issues which have lead her to leave a few fiances at the alter in the past. I really enjoyed watching her realize what her needs are when it comes to love. She's also fiercely independent. She's made her way in the world without a father, since he did not acknowledge she existed until recently, and essentially without a mother since she died when Josie was quite young. Matthew is our golden retriever main man. He's the perfect mix of sexy, smart, and protective. He is very tender and yet, underneath his good boy exterior lingers this seductive and spicy side that is brought out when he and Josie are together. And his patience, oh man does he have that when it comes to Josie. So willing to let her take the lead and give her whatever she needs to be comfortable with him.
One thing I will mention is Aramas's writing style. Even though I've read several of her books, I fell like every time I start one I have to get used to it. It comes across as just a bit choppy at times which is hard on a romance for me. I was happy she included a chapter from Matthew's POV at the end. However, I'm not really sure what the point of it was. I wish we had his POV the entire time. I feel like I would have gotten to know him much better if I were inside his head a bit.
The story was a delight to read. It's not my favorite by Armas but I'd would recommend it to anyone who loves a slow burn, quirky romance.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of The Fiancé Dilemma!

I always find Elena Armas to be such an incredible storyteller, and her books are so funny and genuinely so entertaining from page one. I was in love with Matthew literally from his first appearance, and I felt like Josie had so much growth throughout the duration of the story. The finale of The Fiancé Dilemma had me weeping and kicking my feet in pure joy because I felt like Josie and Matthew truly got the conclusion they deserved.

I did struggle with the fake-dating elements of this book because I felt like Josie was incredibly selfish and failed to consider how this situation would impact Matthew, BUT I think her development throughout the story helped me connect with her.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this one and I can’t wait to see what Elena writes next!

The Fiancé Dilemma is the second book in The Long Game series by Elena Armas. It follows frequently engaged Josephine "Josie" Moore and recent Green Oak transplant Matthew Flanagan.

Our small-town heroine Josie is many things to Green Oak, NC. The problem is she also has a bit of a reputation; frequently engaged, but never a bride for reasons. Even from her small hamlet, word has a way of getting out, especially when her absent father is a powerful mogul. Now caught in a PR nightmare, Josie makes a rash decision---a proclamation and a lie, that she is engaged to the first man in her line of sight; one Matthew Flanagan, who also happens to be her sister's best friend. Roped into a fake engagement and upcoming nuptials, Matthew and Josie play the part. Until they both realize that maybe, just maybe, they aren't actually playing at all.

Besides a few odd plot choices that did have me scratching my head, I enjoyed this book. All the characters were fun (Pedro 🐷😂). Josie was vulnerable with a lot of heart. Her backstory really lent to her reasonings behind all her previous engagements and why they ended the way they did. I also appreciated how much, and how deeply, she cares for and loves her sister and her whole town. Her bruised heart was always on display. Speaking of heart, I do love a golden retriever MMC and Matthew was TOP TIER. He was endlessly supportive and a thoughtful, absolute sweetheart. It was so clear that he was all in from the beginning, and who doesn't love that?

The romance. The steamy scenes. The banter and mishaps. The hurt/comfort. Overall, The Fiancé Dilemma is a cute rom-com that does the fake engagement trope right!

Tropes:
👰 Fake Engagement
☘️ Slow Burn
👰 Small town
☘️ He's a glasses-wearing, golden retriever MMC
👰 Sister's best friend