DNF @ 30%. A pet peeve of mine in books is when the dialogue is too modern, or there are references to pop-culture, because it dates the book. I liked The Long Game by this author and was looking forward to this one, but I couldn't get into it for that reason. It reads a bit too millenial for my taste unfornuately.

Omg I Loved This Book!! It made me cry so many times. There were a lot of funny moments, heartfelt moments, and moments where you wanted to punch some of the characters in the book lol. I would definitely recommend it. You will absolutely love it if you’re into cute and spicy romance.

ELENA YOU HAVE ME DOWN BAD FOR A BLONDE. HOW?

The Fiance Dilemma was a lotta slow burn and even more mess. Josie's doing damage control - not for her reputation (although it may seem like it is) but for her father's. Josie's been in four failed engagements and it looks like because her father is well known, it is now everyone's business. Everyone's got something to say about her past love life and when Andrew (Josie's dad) PR rep finds herself at Josie's door, Josie finds HERself wanting to be anywhere but there. Unlucky for her she is caught spinning the tale of her most recent engagement that most definitely has not happened and even less so with her sister's best friend, Matthew, who unknowingly stumbles into this lie.

They decide to see this lie through because surely they won't have to do it for that long but when things get bigger than they would've expected - feelings included - they're not too sure how they'll come out on the other side.

Of Elena's work so far, I don't think this one was my favourite all around HOWEVER, I do think that Matthew is one of the best. He was trying to break every narrative Josie had to worry about, including the ones spun in her head. He was just trying to be that guy so she could feel even a little herself. He was so attentive and Josie needed him SO BAD. The people pleaser gene was so real in her and I wanted her FREED FROM THE HELL. It was great. They were great.

I thought the ending was wrapped very nicely. There was no third act breakup (romance readers rejoice!!!!) and the drama was not over the top and unnecessary. Honestly, it was a ticking time bomb until we'd gotten to that point. I do wish she had had more of a moment with her grandpa, who was one of the few she had in her corner. I felt he deserved as much. But that's my biggest issue in this cast of characters.

This book was such a fun read. It was easy to tell from the start that Matthew liked Josie - who wouldn't, she's easy to like. But after seeing all the ways she takes care of the people around her, I knew she needed to be taken care of and I was so happy to see Matthew step up in that way. Andrew and his antics were annoying, of course, and the fake dating did feel very obviously forced, but I still enjoyed seeing these two open up to each other and find their happily ever after.

This book was a great 3.5 stars read. Josie finds herself in her 5th engagement, this time it’s a fake engagement, but no less complicated or stressful. Matthew just got fired and needs a break from it all so he goes to Green Oak and finds himself engaged to his best friend’s sisters.
This was a nice if not a bit too long read. I don’t get why Josie would just allow herself to be used by someone who has not done much for her. She could have easily said no when Bobbi came and said that she had to do this or she would have to move to Miami. There was no actual valid reason to go along with it other than she was told she had two options and she went along with it. After everything she saw her sister go through, why would she allow Andrew back into her life? I wished she had more valid reasons for going through with this.
Mathew was giving some mixed signals in the beginning saying no to having to do anything with her or for her and then calling her sweetheart the next second. Luckily, he quickly went all in and that was a lot more fun. He was great for her, I loved that he defended her, and fought for her. I loved the Twilight reference, I was laughing way too hard, but I found it hilarious. I loved the little futbol references throughout the book.
I received an ARC of this book. Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books eGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

So full disclosure, I go into each of Elena’s books looking for the magic of The Spanish Love Deception. I absolutely loved that book and to be honest they usually fall flat for me. I did struggle to get into this book a bit, but this quickly rised in ranks and I really enjoyed it.

This book had everything you can expect in Elena’s books and then a little more. Matthew’s dirty mouth had my jaw on the floor I was not expecting it. It’s always the quiet ones in glasses. I loved the familiarity of Adalyn and Cameron. I do wish we got a little more of Andrew as he was the main focal point of why everything was going on and at times his presence seemed random? But I loved the small town vibes. Grandpa Moe. The close knit community. It was so incredibly well done.

Maybe it was just be but I also expected there to be more with her ex fiancés with them being on the cover?

Infinite thanks to Net Galley, Atria books and Elena for letting me read early!!

As much as I love Elena Armas and her books, I couldnt fully get into this and had to unfortunately DNF. Thank you so much to Atria Books for providing me with the eARC!

Wow! I must say I loved this book and liked it more than the first! Josie deserves all things love and happiness and I’m so happy she got this here. This book had everything! Romance, comedy, tension, fake dating, etc. The slow burn in this book may be much for some but for me it was perfect. Josie is scatterbrained, quirky, and all over the place (kind of like me) so I completely relate to her in so many ways! Matthew was the perfect guy for her and I’m so glad we got to see their story play out! 💜

Thank you NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria Books for this ARC and allowing me to review this book early! 🥰

This delightful romcom is a worthy addition to the author's novels, and features characters from the previous novel, The Long Game. I found the main characters, Josie and Matthew, immediately engaging, and was soon absorbed in the improbable but fun storyline. Josie's estranged father, Andrew, makes a reappearance here, as does her sister Adalyn, and the tension between Josie and Andrew makes a good plot point in this novel. Andrew's PR person, Bobbi, also provides conflict and tension as the story unwinds. I like how the relationship between Josie and Matthew develops throughout the story (it doesn't seem too 'insta'). The added hurdle of being stalked by social media podcasters as their fake relationship develops into something real also kept me thoroughly interested in the story. Family dysfunction, the destructiveness of small-town gossip, and the pernicious nature of social media contribute to Josie and Matthew's struggles with lies, shame, and the weight of other people's judgment as they work their way towards their HEA. While this isn't my favorite novel by this author, I enjoyed it a lot and found it a great summer read to take on vacation with me.

What can I say, Elena Armas has a way of crafting books that enter deep into your soul and lodge themselves there. This was as amazing as her other novels, an absolute delight and a perfect summer read.

Thank you, Elena Armas, Atria Books, and NetGalley for access to an early copy.

This one could be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading after The Long Game. It's a highly enjoyable sequel.

I really enjoyed reading this sequel to The Long Game. I was very excited to get Josie and Matthew’s book. 🥹 While it says it can be read as a standalone, I would still read The Long Game first because of a couple that’s constantly mentioned and in this book.

Overall, a very enjoyable read but one irk is that it was just too much of a slow burn and too much being left out. If it was this long, the author should have let us see certain events that occurred off page. There seemed to be a bit of rambling and not getting anywhere.

The last 20% of this book was absolutely enjoyable though. It’s the getting they that seemed too much.

Pedro Pigscal takes the MVP award though.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️

This book is a spin-off of The Long Game which wasn’t immediately clear from the jacket copy. I didn’t read The Long Game beforehand, but wished I had as it may have fleshed out the characters more.

Overall, this book was cute with Runaway Bride vibes, but I felt this book would have massively benefited from being a dual POV. We get one chapter from Matthew’s perspective but otherwise the reader is stuck in Josie’s often chaotic brain and I found it difficult to get a read on Matthew until the end.

The fake engage plot felt thin, and the side characters weren’t fleshed out enough. There wasn’t a lot of conflict or tension, other than will she or won’t she walk down the aisle. I would have like to have seen more with Andrew, Adalyn, Grandpa Moe and Matthew’s family and Matthew’s job issues. Bobbi Shark was funny,

This would have been a 3⭐️ read for me but I enjoyed the latter third of the book more than the rest, so I nudged it up.

Thank you NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria for the ARC and the opportunity to read this story early and provide my honest review.

Five stars! We love and adore this book, Elena Armas just know how to write a man and a love story. Nothing is simple when it comes to love and personal relationships. Matt & Josie just make sense and they complimented each other, it just thank you for bringing these two lost souls together as one. WE NEEDED A GOOD MAN WHO FALLS FIRST!

Oh & the slowburn, yes yes please!

This book was a DNF for me at 8% . The summery sounded really great, however, I am having a hard time connecting to the characters and getting into the story.

Elena Armas does a fake dating rom com so well! This book is like a mix of Runaway Bride & The Proposal with all of the 90's/2000's rom com vibes. I loved Josie in The Long Game, so I was really excited to read her story. She is the quirky mayor of her small town and has just discovered that her father is a famous multimillionaire (also Adalyn's dad from The Long Game). Her "runaway bride" past becomes public gossip so her father's PR team comes to clean up both of their public images. Matthew is Adalyn's best friend coming to visit after losing his job, but he quickly becomes Josie's fake fiancé. Josie is a people-pleasing ray of sunshine and puts them in ridiculous situations that will have you laughing out loud. Their relationship was fun & flirty but Matthew also supported her & stood up for her in a very meaningful way. Matthew was the perfect book boyfriend and absolutely made this book worth reading.

These lines had me falling in love with him:

"It was his dream to get married in a place like that."
"His dream should have been getting married to you."

"We handle shit together. I don't care if you can do it on your own. You shouldn't have to."

"If I asked you to meet me somewhere at midnight and bring a big pack of matches with you, what would you do?"
Matthew's answer was quick and serious. "I'd say we better dress in black. Ash stains are a motherfucker to remove."

This book is for those who "believe in magic. Fate. Gut-feelings. Soul mates." Light-hearted. Funny. Slow burn. Love at first sight. Totally unrealistic but in a good way.

A big thanks to Atria Books & NetGalley for letting me read this one early.

Elena did it again! This was by far my favorite book by her, to me I really felt like I could relate to the main character! I will say there were times where I felt it got a little repedative, but over all a great read!

After seeing the small teasers of Matthew and Josie in The Long Game, I just knew I would enjoy their story. And I was not disappointed in the slightest. I always love a fake dating trope, and it was made a thousand times better by leveling up to the fake engagement. Their chemistry and banter were off the charts. And I couldn't help smiling at everything Josie said.

Where do I find myself a Matthew?? Every word that came out of his mouth was somewhere between sweet and hot, and each one made me swoon. I was convinced that Cameron would always be my favourite MMC written by Elena Armas, but Matthew pulled a Flynn Rider and smouldered his way into my heart.

Grandpa Moe was hilarious. His relationship with Josie was incredibly sweet and the way they looked out for each other just made my heart happy. Another side character I enjoyed was Bobbi. To be fair, if I knew her in real life she would probably drive me crazy, and as much as she was so focused on achieving her goal through whatever means necessary, she did seem to care about helping Josie in her own way.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 6%

Probably my fault for not reading the premise of the book + Elena Armas just does not do it for me. But there are very few reasons in which i think miscommunication is done well, and this absolutely was not one of them. Also I feel like fake relationship is quite a fun and easy trope to straddle the line of believable and whimsical, yet the entire opening of this book was just a huge burning fire of cringe and second hand embarrassment. I don't understand the FMC at all, and what would make a person think that sticking their hand in a jar of strawberry jam can loosen a stuck ring????? no common sense here at all, not to mention absolutely disgusting...I suppress a shudder every time i think of that scene.

*fake dating / fake engagement
*he falls first
*slow burn
*Grandpa Moe
**no third act breakup

The story begins with Josie, (like her newly discovered half-sister in the previous book), put in a position to bend over backwards to try to please their utter POS father (which aggravated me immensely).

I wanted to like The Fiancé Dilemma; I really did, after enjoying the author’s The Spanish Love Deception but this was painful to read. I found the FMC to be extremely immature, the premise was flimsy and unbelievable. I struggled through this.

While other readers may love this, I was not the right reader for this.



Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC