It took me a minute to get in to the story initially, but I grew to love and grow emotional with the main characters. Matthew and Josie were adorable and I felt all the things. That being said, it was definitely too domineering for my taste. Certain scenes took me out because I didn’t feel like it fit with the Matthew we knew out of the bedroom. But that’s all subjective. It wasn’t bad, those scenes just weren’t for me.

3.5/5

This book wasn’t perfect, but I did really like it. Honestly, I usually always like Elena Armas books! I also did like this a little more than The Long Game. Not to say I didn’t like the first book! However, this gave me MORE somehow than book one.

I think the beginning was great. The way Josie and Matthew first officially meet is just hilarious and I loved it. I really liked Josie’s character. She was so kind, down to earth, and hilarious. It was great seeing her work through her abandonment issues, but I also would have liked to have known more about what turned her into a Runaway Bride. I also liked seeing her work through finding out about her father. I feel like we got more of that with her than we did with Adalyn in the first book. I liked that we had more of the feelings fleshed out in this book.

Matthew was also so great. I liked him in the first book, but loved him in this. He was so supportive and protective of Josie. I loved that when no one else was putting Josie first he did. I also really loved the banter between him and Josie, and I felt like there was more chemistry between the main characters that I was really looking for in this book that I didn’t get as much of in the first book.

My main complaint was I really wanted more of Matthew’s POV. I kept expecting to get his POV since the first book was dual POV. I would have loved to know about what he was thinking and feeling.

Overall, this book was a really cute story and a quick fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this, but it fell short.

Armas is a gifted writer, but this is missing the spark that her books usually have. It felt a bit shallow.

This was only my second book by Elena Armas and I was excited from the moment she said it would be fake fiancé as it is one of my favorite tropes. I have not read the Long Game (although I definitely will now) so it took me a few chapters into the book to fully feel engaged. I didn’t realize they were connected so if you want to read them in order I suggest you read that first. However if you are new to her books and just want to dive into this one you will be fine.

Once I got the lay the land I absolutely fell in love with Josie and Matthew! Even though I prefer dual pov, I thoroughly enjoyed their banter and the way they grew into communicating with each other. I absolutely adore Matthew and how devoted to her he is throughout the book but once I got to the end and his story was revealed, I loved it even more. He is the perfect “cinnamon roll” MMC but boy is domineering in the bedroom which made this very slow burn completely worth the wait!

I also loved the podcast element and how that played into the plot. I haven’t seen that before in a book and it was fun to watch that play out.

Last but not least and without giving too much away, my absolute favorite part was that this book shows that not all Happily Ever Afters look the same.

I am so excited for everyone to read this one! Thank you @thebibliotheque and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fun love story! I can’t wait for more!

I had hopes that Josie and Matthew would get a book at the end of The Long Game and here we are! Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books. This book is feel of back and forth, real issues, and working through them (somewhat). My only complaint is that communication wasn’t good; however, I loved the characters and story enough to get through those moments. I love how the author chose to wrap up the book in their own way, without giving away too much.

4.5 Stars

I loved the Fiancé Dilemma! I’ve been in such a reading rut lately and this had me feeling excited about it for the first time in a bit.

We’ve all read this trope (one of my faves no hate) before but this storyline still felt fresh to me and like something new! I really enjoyed it and even felt some butterflies a few times which is just the best feeling.

The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because it took me a little bit to get into and towards the end I got a little bored. I also really wish I would have read the previous book in the series, The Long Game, first because I felt like I was missing some context.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC of The Fiancé Dilemma in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

This wasn't my favorite by Elena Armas; I did enjoy the slow burn though.

I dont know what Elena Armas put in this book but yall are not ready for Matthew. I got legit butterflies reading this book. Im a sucker for relationship of convenience and a man who falls hard and isnt afraid to show it even if the girl is in denial. I enjoyed The Long Game but this is on a whole different level. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the earc.

I adored Josie’s character in the Long Game and had no idea I wanted more! This sweet story of Josie and Matthew is steamy at times, while not perfect, gave me what I needed in the end to make their relationship believable. However, it was a little rocky getting there. It was a bit difficult to understand Josie’s commitment issues along the way as those were not fully developed- perhaps that could be an entirely different book? Also, the beginning was a tad bit abrupt. It took me a bit to truly understand why Matthew said yes to the scheme in the first place. All in all, I enjoyed the book. Perhaps I just love a happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Elana Armas for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Well.

I LOVED at his book. Matthew. He was perfection. For her 😭

Also. It was slow burn. In. The. Best. Way. And once they were together they communicated. What? Who does that? Perfection.

Grandpa Moe! And Gabriel. And Otto. And some Adalyn and Cam ☺️ I love this town. And Pedro Pigscal 🥹

Bobbi. I don’t love. And Duncan. And Andrew.

BUT the ending was exactly how it should be.

Oh and my Matthew cast choice, as I know all are wondering, Glen Powell. I mean. Perfect Blondie who is capable of telling everyone they can shove it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

First book i read about this author, i must say, i really really loved it. The tropes are just perfect, small town, he falls first (of course he does, Josie is adorable), no break up, just lots of fun, love, and a little bit of spice!

Elena Armas is one of my must buy authors, despite the plot, everything she write, i have to read it, even her grocery list.
I loved and devoured the author's first and third books in a short time, I liked the second a little, but this book, however outclassed the other two.
Not to mention that the cover is beautiful.
It is set in a small town, Green Oak, North Carolina, the story takes off when Josie decides she needs the help of the charming Matthew,
and so the two pretend to be engaged. We already met the MMC in the other book, it was nice to read more about him.
Apparently all eyes are on Josie, and not for the right reasons, she has a few (read 4) engagements under her belt, and when Matthew
shows up, the whole little community is there to watch and hope that this time, Matthew is the one.
Spoiler alert, of course he is, i mean, he is adorable.
Will the small community of Green Oak be able to understand the fake engagement? And will the couple be able to pretend without falling in love first?
The tropes are:
- Fake engagement (one of my favourite)
- Small town
- No silly 3rd act breakup
Thanks to the author, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in adv, in exchange of my honest review.

"The Fiance Dilemma" by Elena Armas is a delightful and heartwarming small-town romance that beautifully executes my favorite trope—fake dating (ok, fake engagement but close enough). Josie Moore's complicated romantic history and Matthew Flanagan's unexpected arrival create the perfect setup for this “engaging” and swoon-worthy story. Think “Runaway Bride” meets “The Proposal.”

Josie's multiple failed engagements and a family PR nightmare lead to a brilliant scheme: a fake engagement with Matthew, her sister’s best friend. The dynamic between Josie and Matthew is hilarious and entertaining from the start. Armas skillfully navigates their transition from a fabricated relationship to something more genuine, blurring the lines between pretense and reality.

Elena Armas has crafted another romantic gem with "The Fiance Dilemma." I finished it in one weekend and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a feel-good romance.

Read if you like:
🌸 Small Town
🌸 Fake Engagement
🌸 He Falls First
🌸 Sister’s Best Friend
🌸 No 3rd Act Breakup

I loved Matthew in the first book and so I was so excited to read this one! This was a huge slow burn so it took me awhile to get into. I wasn’t a huge fan of the podcast aspect. I caught myself zoning out while reading those parts.

Josie and Matthew were so funny. I caught myself laughing out loud multiple times. Matthew was so sweet and caring. I loved Josie’s quirky personality. They were adorable together.

The ending was perfect and no third act breakup?!? yes please!!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it was such a fun read. I liked this one better than the first book!

Thank you netgalley, the author, and the publisher for letting me read this arc🫶🏻

Loved this book! It was a super fun & light hearted read. My one note was the relationship felt more one sided. I feel like Josie really went on a journey but we did not learn as much about Matthew. Overall, would recommend!

"Maybe we don't need to be whole to function, you know? Maybe we just need to learn to love who we are and let people around us love us for that, too."

Big thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was SOOOOO CUTE!! I literally could not stop giggling the whole time I was reading. Ms Armas, please deliver me my own Matthew Flanagan, thank you VERY much.

THE PLOT

Our FMC Josie Moore has been engaged. 4 times over. When her absent father suddenly becomes <i> not </i> absent, Josie realizes her romantic history could possibly destroy his reputation. A chance run in with Matthew Flanagan, her sister's best friend, has Josie panicking and announcing her fifth engagement in an attempt to appear happy and normal for the press and her father.

Give me anything fake, and I'll eat it up every time. Fake dating? Delicious. Fake engagement is even yummier. Armas delivered the sweetest, swooniest, fluffiest fake engagement story I've ever read. The tension and chemistry between the two MCs was so different than any other story about fake dating/engagement I've ever read, but I loved how soft these two were.

THE WRITING

Beautiful. Swoony. Sweet. I absolutely ADORED the writing here. The way love is expressed through Matthew's physical touch and Josie's gestures was so beautifully displayed. This was a super cute and easy read, and I love Armas's writing style.

THE CHARACTERS

Josie

I would go to WARRRRRRRRR for Josie. Call me Matthew Flanagan because I would grapple to death with ANYONE who speaks a bad word about the sweetest girl in the whole world. I loved watching Josie slowly start coming out of her shell and start standing up for herself. There are so many layers to Josie, from her choice to be independent and people please to her daddy issues. Josie, I see you and you see me. I think Josie's doing better than most people would be if they were in her shoes. I'm not sure how calm I could be if two dudes were talking about me on their podcast.

Matthew

MATTHEW FLANAGAN THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!!!

This man can do no wrong. Absolutely none. It's like Elena opened my brain, rummaged around, picked out everything I think is hot about a guy, and then plonked Matthew down in front of me and said "Ta-da!"

I love a good golden retriever love interest, and Matthew did NOT disappoint. I loved all the little touches he gave Josie to show affection, and it was soooo obvious he was whipped from the start. I couldn't get enough of their scenes together!

Also. That last chapter? Matthew ate ALL the girlies up with that one.

Grandpa Moe

An absolute icon. I loved all his scenes, but his introduction scene in the very beginning with Bobbi on the porch is by far my favorite. I would like my own Grandpa Moe as well.

Bobbi

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Bobbi. I don't dislike her, but I can't say I like her either. I really don't like the role she played in adding to Josie's stress. I do think I would hate her if I knew a Bobbi Shark in real life.

Andrew

Now THIS MAN, I can say with my full chest I don't like. No quote for him because he said nothing memorable. The rehearsal dinner made me so mad, I can't even properly explain it. Nothing makes me more upset than absentee parents, or just parents that their children can't depend on. Andrew can go jump off a plane for all I care.

CONCLUSION

All in all, this was a lovely book!! I can't recommend it enough :)

I was so excited to head back to Green Oaks to get Matthew & Josie’s story. Matthew is Adalyn’s best friend. Josie is Adalyn’s half sister. We met both of these characters in The Long Game. Matthew & Josie fake an engagement as her father faces some bad PR. The only issue is that this is her fifth engagement. Because of who her dad is, it catches wind in the press and on podcasts. Matthew goes along with it. As you might suspect, they fall for each other, but will Josie’s fears of abandonment and commitment to marriage get the best of them?

For me, this started a little slow. It took a minute for me to grab onto Matthew & Josie’s story, but once it did…oh my my my. Their connection was so palpable & emotional. I found myself teary eyed multiple times over the way Matthew showed his commitment to Josie. He saw past her struggles and insecurities and met her where she was, while also pushing her to grow more comfortable & confident in knowing who she was was enough. Matthew was sincere, steadfast, and reliable, which is exactly what Josie needed. Ugh, I just loved them. My recommendation when reading this book is to make sure you have nothing else planned once you hit the halfway mark because you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Be sure to pick this up when it releases at the end of July. And if you haven’t read The Long Game yet, be sure to do so because you get a lot of Adalyn & Cameron cameos…maybe even Maria a time or two! 😉

2.5 stars for me on this book. I'm not sure why I just didn't LOVE this book like I normally do with the author's other works. I found myself skimming through the chapters. I felt that the chemistry was a bit forced with the two main characters. I would still read other works the author publishes after this book. I'm sure many other people would like/love this book, sadly it just didn't do it for me.

I thought his book was adorable. Any romance without a third act break up is a winner in my book. I’m also a huge fan of the fake dating trope. It’s hard to go wrong there and Elena sure did deliver. Don’t even get me started with Matthew. I had so many annotations of quotes of his. Swoooooon.

Elena Armas does it again! I absolutely adored this book! She writes so beautifully and her story telling is engaging!