The author set the bar high with Aaron Blackford (The Spanish Love Deception as a Book Boyfriend), but Matthew Flannagan set a different bar on his own. I love how the author writes about these imperfectly perfect men and makes you fall in love with them. I want to say I'm a sucker for fake dating and fake relationships, but I'm also picky. I don't want it rushed and all steamy. This book was just right. I must admit I was getting impatient reading the steamy part or even the first kiss, but I really enjoyed the budding friendship and romance between Matthew and Josie. I love how Matthew was just there for her. Although I had my initial doubts, "Why is he doing it for her?". I also think it might have helped if I read the author's other two books, because I'm pretty sure I'm missing a part of Cam and Adalyn's story to fully know who Matthew and Josie are. I love the small-town set-up, rich dad, podcast, and damage control plot. I love how Josie had the biggest heart, and I love how Matthew was so damn supportive and distracting. I wish Matthew had his POV as well. As sweet and attractive as he sounded, I was missing his growth in the book, and it just felt like he wasn't doing anything else aside from being there for Josie. Overall, this was a fun and sweet read. I love how their HEA ended and the way they wanted it to be.

I just absolutely loved this book, the premise was so unique and was executed absolutely beautifully. This story follows Matthew and Josie as they fake an engagement in order to ease a PR issue currently going viral involving Josie’s romantic history. I felt like Josie’s four previous engagements could have been made really gimmicky but I loved how it was handled and the insight it gave into her character.

Truly I just adored this story it felt like a 2000’s rom com in the best way. Matthew and Josie complimented each other so well and his patience with her is everything. As a certified romance reader I think flirting is one of the hardest feelings to capture in a story, but Elena did it so insanely well with this story. Had me giggling and blushing and just so invested. Also let’s just say my number one annotation was “the mouth on this man” so if that’s your thing PLEASE pick this book up.

Matthew is the type of man I fear may only exist in books and Josie’s joy and selflessness just makes this couple the easiest thing in the world to root for. Overall this book is hopeful, genuinely laugh out loud funny, and so swoon-worthy.

This review will be posted on my instagram page hbs.library on the publication date!

I was really looking forward to this book as it gave The Runaway Bride vibes and I loved that movie. I have read all of Elena Armas’ books and absolutely loved The Spanish Love Deception. There was just something missing for me in this one. Maybe it’s because I have read several fake dating books recently and this one just didn’t hit the same, but I wanted more. I’ll continue to read all of her books though!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. The opinions are all my own.

I loved this book so much. When I was younger, my favorite movie was Runaway Bride (and by favorite, I mean I watched it every single day, sometimes multiple times a day). This story had so many funny and nostalgic nods to the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere classic, and it made it even more fun to read.
Something I think Elena Aramas does very well is character development. I loved this story because the characters were easy to love. Before reading this, I had not read The Long Game, but I still fell in love with the characters and enjoyed this book. I do think reading The Long Game first would have provided some context and answered some questions I had while reading, however, I liked that it wasn't necessary to enjoy this story.
Matt is one of my favorite MMC's I've read by far, and I couldn't put this book down mostly because of him. I was invested in the story and the conflict, watching to see how everything would unfold. The situation Josie and Matt found themselves in was humorous and entertaining in a way that didn't feel forced. The way Aramas writes humor into her rom-coms creates such an enjoyable reading experience. Fake Dating is one of my favorite romance tropes, and this book did it very well in a unique way. I was genuinely invested in how things would unfold, and I was also very satisfied with the ending because it fit the characters as I'd grown to know and love them.

I am a big fan of Elena Armas's writing. I love her characters and have enjoyed all three of her previous books so it was an easy yes when I saw that her upcoming release - "The Fiancé Dilemma" - was out on NetGalley. The Fiancé Dilemma is a follow up book to The Long Game but this time we get Josie's story and a whole fake-engagement fiasco with Adalyn's best friend, Matthew.

Whereas The Long Game was told in dual POV, The Fiancé Dilemma is told in single POV until the last chapter/epilogue and it suffers because of it. I needed Matthew's POV throughout the book. Josie's POV is too muddled and a lot of the fake-engagement plot line reads like a big miscommunication trope.

It was fun to revisit Green Oak and I wanted to LOVE Josie's quirky character and appreciate all of the ways her experiences have led her on the path she's been on. I love the way Matthew SEES her - he is a delightful MMC - and I really really wish we'd had his POV throughout the book instead of only at the end.

Since this is a connected story, I have to say that I had a hard time connecting the dots and placing all of the characters and remembering the relationships. Some authors & editors seem to do that smoothly (reminding the reader of who is who and what the history is from a previous book) and this didn't feel quite so seamless. I also realized with this book especially that Armas's use of the Spanish language in her stories is a big piece of what I loved about The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment. I missed it in these Green Oak stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the egalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Though I was super excited to read an early copy of The Fiancé Dilemma, this book just missed the mark for me overall, but it did have some redeeming qualities.

It *did* make me audibly laugh within the first few chapters as it had a few stellar one-liners. I adored the small town vibes and the fact that there is a mini pig named Pedro Pigscal (are you for real?!). I also loved how dominant Matthew was in the spicy scenes, but that just wasn’t enough to salvage the book as a whole for me.

This book had so much potential to be good, but I just felt like it was lacking. It was almost as if certain chapters would end before completing a thought or a scene, and that was beyond frustrating for me as a reader. It seemed as if the author would write *right up to* the climactic part of the scene and then just abruptly end the chapter and cut to the next day.

Also in several spicy scenes, phrases like “my goodness” and “oh boy” were used, and the word “folds” was used like 4 times. I just truly could not handle that. 🤢🤣

This was a 2.75 star read for me (rounded to 3). I’m sure this would work for some folks, it just wasn’t really working for me.

Eleana Armas does it again! The Fiance Dilemma is equal parts hilarious, steamy, and charming.

Josie Moore is a four-time fiance that has yet to make it down the aisle. She has a big life in a small town. The townspeople are great and add so much to the story. Even though the town has her back, Josie has been lost since her mom passed. Josie never knew her dad and has no siblings. At least she didn’t until recently…

Josie finds out her father’s identity and that she has a half-sister. Her father is extremely wealthy and Josie’s reputation as a runaway bride is making him look bad. A PR specialist is dispatched to her small town. Josie’s solution is to say the first guy she sees is her new fiance. Maybe not the best plan, but at least he is cute!

Turns out the guy is Matthew - her half sister’s best friend. He agrees to Josie’s crazy plan and things get crazier from there!

This book is SO fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a chance to read an advance copy.

Thank you to Elena Armas, Netgalley, and the Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

OhmygoshIlovedthisbooksomuch

No, because what do you mean Matthew Flannagan isn’t real? What do you mean he’s a fictional character?????

Anyways.

I didn’t read The Long Game before starting this book, but I wish I had and highly suggest you do!

This book was amazing. I wanted to read it because I loved The Spanish Love Deception and the American Roommate Experiment and The Fiance Dilemma met every expectation. It has small-town romance, marriage (engagement) of convenience, dirty talk, and grand gesture-esque confessions.

I love the banter, the plot, the characters. They were all mwah 💖

This was the perfect rom-com, I ate it up in a day and if you couldn’t already tell, I loved every word.

Once again Elena Armas delivered a swoon-worthy, spicy, love story.

If you love Love, you’ll love The Fiance Dilemma!

The Fiance Dilemma releases July 30th, 2024!!!


This review will be posted on Instagram and Goodreads within the next week!

I was so happy to get chosen to review this book. I adored " the long game" and could not wait to see how Armas brought to life the character of Josie in this second installment. I was disappointed that the strong willed character she was in the first book became so overwhelmed and anxious in the second book. I feel like this was a real character flaw. I would have liked to have seen Armas make more connections to the previous book in the first half of the book. I feel like it was written as a standalone and then just haphazardly started connecting the two.
I gave this four stars overall because it was deserving of it. Matthew was a remarkably adapted character that plays very well into this scnerio and truly made the book in my opinion. Have already recommended this title to friends.

I loved this book so much! Josie and Matthew were so perfect together. I kept having to remind myself it was supposed to be a fake relationship because the chemistry was off the charts. The romance and spice in this one was top tier. I loved the side characters just as much as the main characters. They brought such fun dynamics to the story. This one had so many adorable and hilarious moments.

This book was absolutely wonderful, I had been a bit skeptical after I wasn’t the biggest fan of the American roommate experiment but this is definitely my favourite title from Elena now. Both main characters were so cute and I loved how much Matthew was a physical touch guy. I can’t wait to grab a physical copy of this one.

This book is hilarious. I love this author’s humor. I read the first of this series as well and I do have to say I laughed out loud while reading both books.

Josie is the secret sister to Adalyn, who was in the first book. They are the daughters of Andrew Underwood, the owner of the Miami Heat soccer team, among other things. Josie is a small-town girl who didn’t know she was the daughter to a well-known multimillionaire. All of a sudden, everyone knows Josie’s business. Social media and the press have gotten ahold of all of Josie’s secrets, including the fact that she has been engaged FOUR times. They call her “the runner” as she has left each fiancé before the wedding or even at the altar. To redeem her reputation, Josie lies about being engaged AGAIN to Matthew, Adalyn’s best friend. It becomes too late to back out of this little white lie, so Matthew has no choice but to go along with the fake engagement.

The Fiance Dilemma is perfect for fans of the fake dating trope! This book has the most irresistible slow-burn romance I’ve read in a long while. It made me laugh out loud and also tear up at times. If you love The Spanish Love Deception (or any other book written by Elena Armas) then this newest story will not disappoint! A 5 out of 5 stars read! I loved this rom-com!

I LOVED this! I have loved all of Elena’s books but I think this might be the current fav! Matthew and Josie are such a fun couple and so playful together! So fun to get all the Cam and Adalyn appearances as well!

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas is an absolute delight! Josie Moore, with her four failed engagements, finds herself in a bind when her dad’s retirement announcement brings too much attention to her love life. Enter Matthew Flanagan, who accidentally stumbles into her life and ends up posing as her fiancé.
Their fake engagement, filled with hilarious misunderstandings and unexpected chemistry, quickly becomes the talk of the town. Josie and Matthew’s banter is witty, their connection is sizzling, and the small-town charm adds a cozy backdrop to this heartwarming romance.
Armas’ writing is engaging and fun, perfectly balancing humor and heartfelt moments. The plot is fresh, keeping you hooked with its twists and turns, while the characters feel real and relatable.
I imagine you’d love this book for its humor, the natural evolution of Josie and Matthew’s relationship, and the perfect blend of romance and fun. It’s a charming, feel-good read that you won’t want to put down.
I’d rate this book 4.5 stars for its engaging storyline and adorable characters. The steamy scenes add just the right amount of spice, earning it 2 chili peppers.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
🌶️🌶️
A must-read for anyone in need of a heartwarming and fun romance!

I had high hopes for this book but had a really hard time connecting to the characters and storyline. At a lot of times, I had a hard time follownig along with what was actually happening and found myself getting a bit confused. I really wanted to love it! But just don't think it was for me unfortunately.

Thank you somuch to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I enjoyed the read greatly. I fell in love with Josie and Matthew and found myself laughing outloud a point throughout the book. So much so that I got pointed looks from people in the doctor's office waiting room!

I read it over the course of a couple days as life events got in the way of my reading.

Loved the slow burn romance.

Recomnend.

First book by this author and i loved the cover.

This book was really good and kept you engaged the whole time. The Characters were likeable and is definitely worth the read.

Matthew and Josie keep you entertained and laughing through the book and the banter is fantastic. Will read more by this author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

After reading The American Roomate Experiment and falling in love with Luca, I saw this book and I was so excited to read it before it came out… and I have to say, it did not disappoint!! On the contrary, Matthew made it to my book boyfriend’s list. And Grandpa Mo is going down as one of my favorite characters too!

I looooooved the slow burn! I loved the teasing back and forth between Josie and Matt, the love-hate feeling for Bobbie made it all so much fun! I loved the backstory of the former fiancés because it validates the fact that you could think you want to marry someone but it’s ok to change your mind. The whole PR drama showed once more how the pressure that exists for women to fit certain “expectations” or it’s “ok” for people to talk about you in a bad way made me root harder for Josie!

And of course… why do we all read romance? For that swooning feeling. And it delivered!!! Matt is that green flag guy that is protective but also believes fiercely in her power and in her voice. She’s his without loosing herself and I LIVED for that!

I had an amazing time reading this book and I’m so grateful I got to read this ARC! Thank you to Atria Books and Elena Armas for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! It was an amazing experience and I’m so happy to share my honest review.

i received this as an ARC, 4.5 stars. Really good and entertaining all throughout the book. past characters are mentioned and appear. definitely worth reading. Matthew and Josie are the most entertaining character i’ve read about by elena armas so far!