Unfortunately, I was super disappointed by this book. I have LOVED Elena in the past but this new series just hasn't been it for me so far. I gave The Long Game 3.5 stars and I was surprised that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but it wasn't horrible. The Fiancé Dilemma was just plain bad. I felt like I was reading a Hallmark movie. The premise of the book made no sense to me. Why should Josie care that her absentee father is going to have a bad image because of what he did to her? He WAS awful to her, so why should she help him? And don't get me wrong, I understand she has daddy issues (although Josie tried to deny this), but c'mon! I wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip! The fact that Josie just went along with everything her dad's PR said was so annoying too. She could never say no or set any boundaries. She also basically forced this "fake engagement" thing on Matthew and didn't take no for an answer, which didn't sit right with me. Additionally, she didn't seem to understand why FAKING AN ENGAGEMENT was a big deal when Matthew originally refused. Josie was honestly so selfish and kind of a pathological liar. She roped everyone into her mess (that wasn't even her mess in the beginning), plus she has so many daddy issues it's insane and if there's one thing I hate, it's characters who are in denial of their mental health issues and refuse to get help.

I am giving 2 stars because I felt like Josie and Matthew did have good chemistry, Matthew was sweet, and the book was quite funny at times. There was also decent spice and the slow-burn was delicious. Unfortunately, everything else was so confusing to me because I have LOVED Elena's books in the past, but the Fiancé Dilemma literally felt like it was written by someone else.

TROPES:
- Fake Engagement
- Small town
- Slow burn
- He falls first
- Single POV

Thank you to Elena Armas, Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Congrats on the upcoming release!

📚💍 Okay, book fam, buckle up because this book is a ride you do NOT want to miss! ✨

Josie Moore has had more failed engagements than a rom-com heroine, but when her dad's retirement announcement threatens the family's image, she needs a plan—and fast. Enter Matthew Flanagan, freshly fired, and literally stuck in the mud. Their first “fiancé” meeting? Priceless! 😂

The fake engagement trope gets a fresh, sassy twist with Josie and Matthew. Their chemistry is SPICY, their banter is SHARP, and the tension is off the charts!! 🔥

Seriously, go grab a copy on release day, July 30, 2024, and thank me later! 😍

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just okay for me. I liked the characters and the trope, but I feel like we need a little bit more substance from our romance novels these days.

Elena Armas is known for being a slow burn queen and she continues her streak with this book! Overall, I liked it. Like all her books (I’ve read every one but The Long Game), I do believe it could be 150 pages shorter. I’m on the train that contemporary/NA romances should not be more than 400 pages MAX.
Josie and Matthew are cute, but I felt the story fell flat? Now, I read purely for enjoyment and the butterflies, so I’m not an overly critical person when it comes to romances. I read through the whole book and didn’t really feel much for the characters. I wanted them to have their happy ending, I just wasn’t so invested. The Green Oak citizens were adorable, their love story was cute, and it's easy to digest.

Book: 3
Spice: 3
adult contemporary romance, fake dating/engagement

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC!! I always appreciate it.

I loved The Spanish Love Deception but The Long Game and The Fiancé Dilemma just didn’t hit with me. But thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to dig in early!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute but predictable fake fiancée romance. I was not as invested in Josie and Matthew as much as I was in Adalyn and Cam but the small town setting is charming and overall vibe remains.

I’m so thankful to have been approved for an eARC of this book! And even more thankful that I’ve been able to get my hands of ARCs of both of Elena Armas’ last two books!! I absolutely loved reading The Fiancé Dilemma!! It took me a few days to finish reading because of work, but this was one of those books that I really just couldn’t set down and when I did I was constantly thinking about getting back to reading it. The story was easy to follow and I absolutely ADORE Josie. It was so nice to see all the different characters from The Long Game come back and be a part of Josie’s story as well. A part of me wishes that this book had been longer and that I got more of Josie and Matthew because the ending was just not enough for me 😭 This book had its moments, was an easy to follow read all while being cute and heartfelt. I absolutely loved this book, much more than The Long Game if I’m being honest, and I’d absolutely recommend reading it upon release on July 30th!

I love this author and this books was great! I really enjoyed the tropes, as well as the character development! Her characters are so realistic and lovable, and I didn’t want to put it down!

I really enjoyed The Long Game, and when I realized this book was about Josie, I had REALLY high hopes. I couldn’t wait to see her get her happy ending. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me.

In the first half of the book, Matthew’s character (MMC) felt really two dimensional. I really wanted more of getting to know him as a person, which we don’t see until much later into the book. It also felt like his situation was an afterthought until the end. Like if he is faking an engagement and EVERYONE in his life believes it is real, I feel like we should have seen him telling his family and having Josie talk to them much sooner. The beginning of their relationship felt forced and it was a bit of a drag to get through.

However, the second half of the book was phenomenal. The chemistry and cute dynamic was finally there. I am glad that I stuck it out because we finally see Josie stick up for herself with regards to her family situation (especially with a very nice man backing her up). Overall, not a big fan of how this book started, but I love how it ended.

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

Josie is known as somewhat as a PR nightmare, at least to her father, whom she just met after being absent her entire life. Her father, Andrew, is a a wealthy and well known business man. So when his PR strategist shows up on her porch letting her know they have to work on her “image” also known as her 4 failed engagements. When the PR strategist mistakes the ring on Josie’s finger as her 5th engagement, Josie enlists the help of her sister’s friend, Matthew, as her fake fiancé. As Matthew and Josie try to convince family and friends of their love for one another, real feelings start to develop. But is that enough to finally get Josie to say “I do?”

The really enjoyed The Fiancé Dilemma. I had read the first book in the series so I understood the connections made in book 2. I did feel like the story was really rushed but I think that worked well with this story of a “rushed wedding.” The only thing I took issue with was the beginning when Josie meets Matthew for the first time with Bobbi. I don’t think it was very realistic. I think if Josie and Matthew had met once before and then she had him intercede as her “fiancé” it would have worked better. Overall loved the story! Great writing and detail.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will read anything Elena Armas writes. Josie and Matthew’s love for eachother and the journey it took them to get there was great to read. I loved seeing more of Adalyn and Cam as well. A great rom com with depth, a little spice, and a lot of love!!

While I enjoyed being back in Green Oak and seeing all these quirky townspeople again, I felt that this book fell a bit flat and missed opportunities to make the characters feel real and relatable. However, let's start with what I liked.
I liked the energy/chemistry between Matthew and Josie and how it expanded from the little bit we saw at the end of The Long Game. I wish we got some of Matthew's POV to give some context to the feelings he developed for Josie but loved how he encouraged her confidence throughout. I enjoyed the moments where he warned her he was about to be blunt. As someone who likes honesty but is also sensitive, it made me laugh.
I do love how absolutely delulu Josie was for thinking she *wouldn't* be having a wedding in two months. And I enjoyed the conclusion of Josie's relationship with weddings and love. I think it could have been flushed out a bit more, but I think it landed well. And Matthew was a real sweetheart about it.

On the flip side, I wanted so much more from the relationship between Josie and Adalyn. The Long Game ends with them finding out they are sisters and I wanted to see the inner workings of that relationship and the emotions surrounding that in this book and Elena barely even touched on it. Overall, I wish we had gotten more depth in relationships with secondary characters. I think the love stories always land pretty well in Elena's books but I want just a little bit more from everyone else to make it feel more well-rounded.
I was confused by the publicist's insistence on blindsiding Josie after she reacted poorly the first time. Like, the girl obviously doesn't do well with surprises and cannot hide her feelings to save her life. Surely you could have come up with another strategy for goodness' sake.
I thought the pacing was a little too fast at times. I would have liked some emotional beats to drag out a bit longer.

Thank you Atria Books + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

The Fiancé Dilemma
•
“Roots grow anywhere there’s ground.” This quote, the cover, the dedication, Matthew 😍 I was excited to read this one, I’ve seen some great reviews and this was my first by Elena Armas and overall I really liked it! I had a little difficulty in the beginning. The circumstances felt a little too ✨perfect✨ and a bit rushed. It almost felt like we missed a few chapters in the beginning, things did come together in the end, but the big plot of the story seemed a little far fetched for me and I had a hard time feeling the chemistry right away. I did feel like things started to smooth out and build about half way. Not to say the first half was bad, just rushed I guess!
🌼
We jumped right into a chaotic situation so the beginning felt a little all over and Josie almost felt animated if that makes sense, she did grow on me by the end though. Matthew brought a calm into our lives so I wish we would have heard from him (we get single POV-Josie’s) I think it would have helped balance out the emotions and book a bit better. I also wish we would have gotten Josie’s character development a bit sooner, but I am proud of her in those last couple chapters sticking up to her father! There are a few things I wish were a little different, but overall I had fun with this one! I was smiling, laughing, we get spice, I’ll definitely be reading more Elena! I have The Spanish Love Deception on my August stack and looking forward to it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
Thank you NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria Books for this e-arc. The Fiancé Dilemma comes out July 30th! 🌼

Thank you so NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC!

This novel follows mayor/business owner Josie Moore, as she finds herself in the public eye thanks to her famous father and her four past broken engagements (and her new, fake engagement to her sister’s best friend Matthew).

I want to start by saying that I generally really enjoy Elena Armas’ books. She has a very engaging writing style and can often be laugh-out-loud funny! But I really struggled with this book. Josie’s motivations tend to be very muddled and unclear…. To be honest I re-read the beginning twice and I still can’t figured out why she decided to started (and continue) a fake engagement. And Matthew…. I liked him as a bit character on the previous book but found him to be demanding, overly intense, and a little cringy. All together, I continue to give the author kudos or an engaging writing style, but struggle with the plot and characters. 3.5 (rounded to a 4)

The Fiancé Dilemma (ARC)
By: @thebibliotheque
4.5/5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

In the last year Josie’s life has really changed, she went from not knowing who her father was to finding out her new best friend was half her sister. Now her dad wants to be a part of her life. Now Josie finds herself in her own PR mess thanks to her colorful line of ex fiancés (4 to be exact). When she find Ms. Shark the new PR manager at her doorstep Josie finds herself in a very awkward situation! Thankfully Matthew (her sister’s best friend) happens to appear in her front yard at the right moment to become her fiancé!
Matthew Flanagan not only had to uproot his whole life after being fired from his job, but now finds himself in a dilemma. A woman he realizes is his best friends sister, is shouting that they’re engaged and after saving her from the aggressive looking woman who wouldn’t leave Josie’s porch he can’t seem to get out of this “engagement.”

And just like that this is my FAVORITE Elena Armas book!!! I was lucky enough to get an ARC and I’m so glad I did!! This book is a mix of the Spanish love deception and The American Roommate Experiment.
It’s funny, sweet, emotional, and sexy!

“That’s a dangerous green light you’re giving me”- MF
“Talk to me baby blue. Please?” -MF

Matthew Flanagan immediately became my book boyfriend of the Armas men! He was funny, witty, blunt, and had a filthy mouth! Watching his support with Josie through the whole fiasco that was the fake engagement and trying to “fix” her reputation because of something Andrew Underwood did was giving all the green flags!!! His view on love was so romantic, not only that but the amount of respect that he gave Josie instead of taking advantage of the whole fiancé situation!

I struggled with Josie not because she wasn’t funny or sweet but because NO MEANS NO! I hated how she pushed this whole agenda on Matthew regardless of how he said no 17483929x and didn’t want to be part of the mess that was created! She STEAM ROLLED HIM!!

It almost felt like Josie felt that Matthew owed her something for being his best friend’s sister!
But as i got further into the book I started to feel bad for Josie the once bright silly woman was starting to have so much self doubt because of everything that was being said about her through news outlets all because her father decided to do an interview and talk about it. They called her a mishap! While my view on Josie started as an annoyed and dislike I started to love her and feel bad for her! I wanted to just hug her! While she was a push over and a people pleaser I loved that after Matthew really started being involved with her she grew a back bone!

I found myself crying (yes I’m a crier I know) mainly at stuff that Matthew said 😭

I loved that while María doesn’t really pop up to much in this book when she does I got all happy!
Even when Adalyn and Cameron make appearances I loved that they weren’t overshadowing Matt or Josie! I liked that regardless of it being over a year since finding out they were sisters they were still trying to figure out how to navigate that relationship!

And grandpa Moe oh my god I love that man! He’s so funny and sweet and protective of his Josie! He was the comic relief I needed

The drama that unfolded was interesting because while I expected part of it, it unfolded very differently. There was multiple types of drama throughout the book but it was all executed perfectly and it fit the scenes

And boy those spicy scenes were HOT!

I just freaking loved this book! And no it’s not because it’s an ARC I loved it because it had EVERYTHING I look for in a romance novel ! 😍

This “stand-alone” but probably-should-read-the-other-book-first novel by Elena Armas was a sweet, spicy romance, that felt very middle of the road.

Josie, who we met in The Long Game, has gone a bit viral when the press finds out about her previous 4 engagements. In order to handle the PR firestorm, she enlists the help of a fake fiancé, Matthew, who we remember as the best friend of Adalyn in TLG.

I wanted to give this more stars, but I just couldn’t. I really struggled with not getting anything in Matthew’s POV until the last chapter. We got hints of his feelings for Josie, but never got any details as to why they existed. Her overly kookie personality was too frantic to be endearing or for me to understand how he fell for her. What was she giving him that screamed “here is a stable, lovely woman that I should give up everything for”?

When he shared about the text from Adalyn or the story of his grandma, it felt like a too-convenient plot point, as opposed to an organic for-real element of their story, and I think his POV could have helped with that. I really loved Matthew and would have liked to see Josie from his eyes, because I couldn’t fall in love with her in the same way.

I will say that the spice in this book was spicing, for sure! It was a slow burn, but I didn’t hate it. At. All.

Side note—I cannot stand the cutesie nicknames in some romance books, like Baby Blue in this one, I cannot be the only one right? Who is reading these and being like “you know what this book is missing? A weird, childish nickname that gets repeated entirely too often!”

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for my opinions!

In case nobody else has done so, I hereby declare Elena Armas Queen of the slow-burn romance! And here’s the thing—-it was worth every excruciating second that I waited for that first kiss, for that declaration of love! Josie and Matthew were not perfect—in fact they had many many things to work through—but that’s what made them real. Every emotion, every touch, every smile, was authentic, and it all made my heart swoop and leap! What I found intriguing, and maybe why this slow-burn was so perfect for them, was that we knew who Josie was right away. Her personality and even her transgressions were right out in front of us. Matthew, however, was a bit of a mystery, albeit a VERY swoony mystery, and uncovering all of those layers took time, as both Josie and readers of this book find out. I loved everything about this book. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC of The Fiance Dilemma. Overall this was a cute story. I really enjoyed Matthew’s main character although I felt like he was much more subdued in his book bs his side character in The Long Game. Josie was fun and kind of a mess and I enjoyed how Matthew balanced her out but I did find her character got a bit old. If you really enjoyed The Long Game you will like this follow up!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I know everyone loves her stories but no matter how many tries I give it, I don't like the characters and plots for Armas' books. The characters feel like such big caricatures of absolutely unreal people, and I just didn't enjoy the plot of this one and how unbelievable it was.

Josie Moore has given the opposite sex—and love—plenty of chances. Four exactly, if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include her no-longer-absentee father. Nonetheless, when the influential man decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece and Josie learns that her romantic history isn’t great PR for the family, she jumps at the chance to offer a solution.
Matthew Flanagan is in the mud. Literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but after taking a wrong turn on his way to Green Oak, North Carolina, his car is stuck. So, he grabs a duffel bag with his essentials and goes in search of a place to crash until he gets his life (and vehicle) back on track. But instead, he stumbles upon his best friend’s sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiancé.
What starts as a big misunderstanding quickly turns into a fake engagement, with Matthew playing the role of the doting fiancé as he and Josie are swept into a PR whirlwind. The ring on Josie’s finger makes her stomach turn, but she knows this is only temporary. They have rules in place, and one of them is that no matter what, there will be no exchange of “I dos.” But that’s easier said than done, as lines soon start to blur, and the rest of the small town comes to believe the fifth fiancé is truly The One.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me this ARC!
This was my first book by Elena Armas and i can’t wait to go back and read her other ones! It was funny, witty, and easily digestible. I couldn’t put it down!!!