4.75 rounded up to 5!

If you love:
→ Slowwwwwww burn romance
→ Plot with a side of open door romance
→ Golden retriever MMC
→ Single POV
→ Small Town
→ Fake Dating

Then this book is for you!

I adored Josie and could relate to her colorful chaos, genuine heart, and kind nature. She’s the mayor of Green Oak, a coffee shop owner, a goat yoga lover, and so much more. Her story details the reality of love with a modern day twist.

Josie Quotes:

“And like my mom always said, normal is what you make of the cards fate hands you.”

“Overhearing was one of my love languages. It wasn’t the best love language to have, but it was the way I was wired.”

Matthew was one of those MMCs that you just couldn’t dislike. He’s sunshine and a protector all in one. I find myself often relating more to the FMC but also was able to relate to him in The Fiancé Dilemma.

Matthew Quotes:
“Beautiful things shouldn’t be boxed. It eventually dims their light”

“You don’t have a reputation. You have a heart that chose to believe in love”

Side Characters:
Almost all of the side characters in this book are lovable and most give you an excellent small town feel that supports the story well. My favorite? Pedro Pigscal, hands down! Adalyn, Cameron, & Grandpa Moe were extremely lovable. I mean especially the grumpiest of the three (I’m looking at you Grandpa Moe). I didn’t even hate the Sharky publicist Bobbi Shark who lives up to her name daily or Otto the meddling neighbor.

Overall:

I would highly recommend picking up The Fiancé Dilemma if you’re looking for a unique and quirky romance filled with the most lovable characters. This books has undertones of finding roots in who you are and family relationships without too much fluff or extreme drama. There’s no third act breakup (thank you for not making me have to be upset about that Elena). This is a beautiful, swoon worthy, and quick read.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading! If this book sounds like your cup of tea then make sure to grab it on its pub day— July 30th, 2024!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest opinions about The Fiancé Dilemma!

Elena's work just keeps getting better! Admittedly, this one might be my favorite because it hits on some of my favorite tropes, but it was still incredibly well executed and well written. Still funny and bright (which I always come back to Elena to find) yet earnest and moving! Can't wait for what's next from her. Definitely will be recommending.

The Fiancé Dilemma tells the story of how small town mayor, Josie Moore, gets thrust into the spotlight after celebrity news outlets learn that her father is a rich business mogul. Never mind that he's been absent for most of her life. Suddenly they have loud opinions about Josie's relationship history and she enlists her sister's best friend, Matthew Flanagan, to help her squash this PR nightmare once and for all.

I'd read Elena Armas's first book of this series, The Long Game, and so I was eagerly anticipating the sequel. It was sweet to see Adalyn and Cameron make their appearances in this book and continue the story. The colorful side characters added some humor and I would've loved to see more of them. I'm hoping the next book is about the super observant and cute kid, María, and her farmer dad.

I enjoyed the chemistry and banter that Josie and Matthew had - it was a solid slow burn build-up. The spice and dirty talk were hot, but I did wish they both had more uniqueness in terms of their looks. It read like everyone agreed they were (conventionally) attractive in a way that took me out of the story a bit. I would've also liked to see more from Matthew's POV, since he came off as a bit too perfect and we only got a snippet of his other interests and struggles. That said, his love for her was fierce and such an enjoyable read.

I do think Josie could have benefitted from some *therapy* to work through her abandonment issues. However, it was great to see her come into her own and start to stand up for herself more. She was a great reminder of how we all are deserving of love and that no one's perfect. In the end, Elena Armas knows how to write a heartfelt and humorous romance, and continues to be a go-to author for me.

Rating: 4.5 stars
CW/TW: panic attacks, death of a parent, pregnancy
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Good for readers who: wish Hallmark movies had more spice or like the movie Runaway Bride
Romance tropes: fake fiancé, slow burn, sibling's best friend, small town

*Thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for providing this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I scooped up the Fiancé Dilemma after devouring The long Game, which I am so glad I got to read first! The second book explored the character of Josie, who readers will root for as she tried to navigate her choices that led her to announcing she has a 5th fiancé. Josie learns a lot about herself, her relationships with others, and life as she deals with the consequences of her rash decision making. She took on a problem that was not hers to own and in doing so really opened herself up. Readers also get to meet Matthew, a character who is introduced in the Long Game as he is Adalyn's best friend. His inner strength and humor while being at serious at time makes him a well-loved character. The Fiancé Dilemma is full of heart and emotion. Thanks Net Galley and Atria Books for an early copy.

I gave The Fiancé Dilemma 3.5 stars rounded up to four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and it was a cute story. I usually prefer some angst or tense moments in a book over 400 pages. This one didn’t really have any of those moments, sadly. It could have easily been 50-75 pages shorter and been a great book. Very little 🔥 until around 80% and just a little after that.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4

Josie's small-town life is turned upside down when her mysterious birthfather turns out to be Andrew Underwood. Suddenly, Josie, and her four failed engagements, are splashed across gossip blogs. Anxious to avoid a PR nightmare, she pulls her half-sister's best friend Matthew into a scheme to pose as her fake fiancé. But as the 'wedding' looms closer, just how fake is their relationship?

Read if you like:
-Fake Engagement
-Small Town Romance
-He Falls First
-'Where is my fiancé?'
-Slow Burn

I ate this book up. How Josie can't tell that Matthew is really, truly into her from the word 'fiancé' is beyond me. He's down bad. From literally running to her rescue (that scene is delicious by the way) to calming her down every time her anxiety spikes, that man is all in. Josie, if you don't want him, I do! It was a little long, which was the only reason I didn't rate it higher. But if you love the fake engagement trope, you will eat this book up.

This was a fun and easy read! Not quite as enjoyable for me as The Long Game, but I still liked it. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy! Publication date July 30, 2024.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did but it just didn't do it for me.

When I originally started to read this book, I did so without reading The Long Game. I felt lost in though and decided to stop and read that book first before continuing. This is said to be an interconnected standalone but I do recommend reading The Long Game first.

I felt everything move really fast in terms of the fake engagement plot so it didn't feel the best to me. The reason behind the engagement, the anchor to the plot was pretty flimsy. I didn't love the characters- they were fine but I didn't really connect to either one of them.

This book has Runaway Bride vibes, so if you enjoyed that movie this may be the book for you.

Not my favorite book but I would recommend to readers that enjoy fake dating with no third act breakup!

This is a slooooow burn. Too slow. I did not like Josie at all. All of her reactions towards the PR/wedding planner and father seemed like the complete opposite of the woman who runs her own business and is mayor of the little town.

I really wished the book was dual perspective, I would have loved to get inside Mathew’s head. He seemed charming but I felt like we got nothing from him until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

When I say I need a lil treat what I mean is actually a book just like this.

How was this book 400 pages because I somehow feel like I just started it and kept turning the pages in the end for more story.

First of all we have Matthew, a hottie with a BAHHHDEEE. The first MMC who is described as blonde that had me feral as a runaway rooster. Enter Josie who runs a business, runs the town (girl boss) and runs away from fiancées like it’s her job. The way Elena Armas described the smirking and smiles made me giddy in a way that has not been seen since the first time I watched the cinematic masterpiece that is A Cinderella Story.

Honorable mentions for this review: Anytime a story mentions Tottenham Hotspur (COYS), a bossy MMC with a foul mouth, backwards baseball hat, hands on the wall.

Elena Armas is back.

Thank you Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I’m a fan of Elena Armas books. I was super excited to read The Fiancé Dilemma, but I was disappointed in the story. I just couldn’t get past why the groom, Matthew, would agree to go along with the fake engagement. I felt like he needed a benefit to jump into the dilemma. I also did not care for Josie. All the lying was too unrealistic for me. The whole book was unrealistic! I’m sorry for the poor review, but Elena usually does so much better.

This book was overly cute and heartwarming. This is the second book in The Long Game series. They could be read as standalones as well. I have officially read everything Elena Armas has written and I have yet to be disappointed. This small town romance hits you right in the feels. The main character, Josie feels destined to always be a bride and never a wife until Matthew comes along. I definitely recommend picking this book up along with The Long Game if you’re looking for a gushing small town romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 ✰’s
“To my readers (yes, you. Hi, babe),
Your expectations are not impossibly high.
Never let anyone make you believe you're asking for too much.”
From dedication, I knew this book was gonna be a good one and it didn’t disappoint.

Ahhhh, this book was the cutest!! I love a small-town romance. Especially ones where you feel at home and you’re laughing out loud while reading it and the fiancé dilemma is one of those books.

This book vibes gave me a modern-day Runaway Bride. Josie has not had luck in the dating scene she’s been engaged 4 times and never made it down the aisle. Which wouldn’t be a problem if she didn’t get put into the public eye resulting in a PR crisis.

Josie’s solution to the crisis was to get fake engaged *enters Matthew. Matthew is Josie’s sister Adalyn's best friend. He recently came into town after quitting his job.

Matthew and Josie began a fake engagement and let me just tell you I can’t get enough of Matthew. Matthew fell hard and fast, he was so understanding and caring towards Josie from the beginning and throughout the whole book. Matthew was my favorite part of the book besides Grandpa Moe! I’m not going to say I dislike Josie's character but some of her actions did deserve a little side-eye. She was going through a lot and publicly at that so it was understandable why she was acting like that. I also love how Matthew was always here to “ground” Josie when she began to overthink things. I was giggling every time he would say “my fiance”. I enjoyed my time while reading this book and all the side characters!! Especially Bobbi Shark she was hilarious.


Thank you so much, NetGalley for the arc!!

i really wanted to love this one - i loved TSLD and hated TARE and thought maybe it was just a one off - sadly not. don’t get me wrong, i liked the small town setting and general plot - but from the beginning i didn’t get the vibe for matthew and josie and sadly it got worse - for me - through the book. matthew started off saying no to what josie proposed and didn’t even recognize her but 30% in he’s all about her? i also didn’t like the whole plot around bobbi and andrew - there was too many little things happening around the actual plot. And don’t get me started about when we found out about Matthew’s previous employment. I did like how Matthew taught Josie to stand up for herself and how he was all about his woman and that was the only saving grace.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Perhaps, I love yous were meant to feel this big. To make you feel this naked. This exposed. So big you were terrified to hurt. So safe no one could touch you. Perhaps to love was to leave a mark. And perhaps I no longer wanted to run from that."

This is my first book from Elena Armas and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was both heartfelt, sometimes hilarious and ridiculous, and overall a fast-paced romance. The protagonist, Josie, reminded me of Jess from New Girl, as she was quirky, used ridiculous pet names, and got herself in sticky situation after sticky situation. I did enjoy her POV as I got used to her though, and I really loved her chemistry with Matthew, whom I really liked. This was definitely a case of instalove, but I really loved watching the passion and hunger come out of this couple, and see how they love each other exactly as they are. Also the bathtub scene??? Perfection.

I loved reading the podcast elements of the book. It was hilarious, and a great way to imbed exposition about our leading character. So entertaining!

I do wish there was more of an exploration into each of Josie's exes, perhaps with flashbacks to really understand how/why she left her fiances. Some, but not all, were explained and I really liked the concept of the novel so I would have liked to see more depth into that. A highlight was definitely Grandpa Moe, whose dialogue was hilarious every time - he simply stole each scene he was in. I also really enjoyed the character Bobbi, who was so blunt it was hilarious. I would love to see her get her own book honestly.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable, steamy, romantic and funny summer read!

Endless thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’m the first to admit I don’t love small town romance but this one had the elements yet wasn’t overwhelming. I think The Long Game had more of a small town romance vibe to it.

That being said, this book was such a delight. I really enjoyed Elena Arms first two books but The Long Game didn’t hit for me. So naturally I was apprehensive about reading this one. I’m so happy to say I enjoyed it though!

Josie was such a likeable main character which made the book incredible. I loved her positivity, confidence, and optimism. Matthew was your stereotypical perfect book boyfriend. I didn’t really understand why he went along with Josie’s insane plan so quickly until the end and even then I was skeptical.

I did love them though. They were a very adorable couple who were just a smidge unrealistic.

Very entertaining though and I think fans of Elena Arms will devour this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This books comes out July 30, 2024.

See link below for posted review!

“ Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC! I ate this book up and immediately got the long game to read after (I know I’m doing it backwards)! I thought this was such a fun and easy romcom. Elena knows how to write and I’m here for all the grandpa moe content. I’m giving it 4.5 stars because of how ch 18 felt a tad unfinished at the end but that’s just me being picky. 👰‍♀️☕️☀️🐷🪻Off to read more Elena!”

The Finance Dilemma has an interesting storyline and great dialogue but something about the story didn't work for me. It felt incredibly rushed, yet really long. The fake engagement to real love came off very one sided though it was explained in the end that wasn't the case. Maybe if there were two POVs we would've understood there was a lot of pining that wasn't shown. It is a book worth picking up though and a lot of people will enjoy it. Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found The Fiancé Dilemma to have cute moments, but overall it was frustrating and it struggled to keep my attention.

It may just be that Ms. Armas' writing style is simply not for me.

This book was cute and I had so much fun reading it! Probably my favorite from Elena Armas so far! I didn’t connect much with the first book in this duology so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this one. I did enjoy seeing Adalyn and Cameron as supporting characters though!

Fake dating (or engagement in this case) isn’t usually my favorite trope, but I feel like it was done well here. Josie and Matthew were both such likable characters and I was excited to see how their story would unfold.

Also, how pretty is this cover?!

Thank you Atria & Net Galley for the advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review 💜