This story was really fun, super cute and charming and just an overall enjoyable read. I'm thrilled to be able to read it as I spent an entire in the sun with these lovable characters. The writing is full great wit and banter, infused with humor and showcases excellent chemistry. The writing of Armas is engaging and her story telling is thoughtful and well structured. Josie and Matthews story is one you don't want to miss.

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

Elena Armas never disappoints. Truly can’t get over Josie and Matthew’s story! I devoured this book in one day. All of the invisible strings had me blushing and kicking my feet while I read.

Definitely my favorite from Elena Armas so far! I love the fake dating/engagement trope, and this book also dives into the developing friendship between the two so well, resulting in a fake engagement to friends to lovers (which I LOVE)! Josie and Matthew are both such loveable characters and I love revisiting the other townies from The Long Game. I thought that Josie's backstory (4 previous engagements) was a little too unrealistic at first, but it provided the perfect foundation for a funny rom-com. Overall, I loved it!

I love Elena Armas writing style, and I love how much you can see her growing with an author with each new book! The Fiancé Dilemma was the perfect example of that. I loved getting to see more of Matthew and Josie after being introduced to them in The Long Game! I think the humor in this book was definitely a stand out and made the story something special!

This was my first Elena Armas book, but it definitely won’t be my last. This book was beautiful and magical and oh so perfect. I can’t wait to attend the book event in Nashville and to read more books by Armas!

Slow burn, small town, rom-com
Another series where the second book is better than the first? Yes.

Matthew and his mouth HOT. He watched Bridgerton Hotter👓
Josie and Matthew meet in person = Fake fiancé
Funny awkward/nicknames
Love language? Physical touch
When you know you know

The Long Game was not my favorite but I was so happy to have gotten this ARC. Enjoyed this one a lot more. Will read anything Elena Arma’s writes.

-fake engagement, small town, best friend’s sister
-Josie Moore needs to help clean up her father’s pr image. In walks Matthew Flanagan who becomes the perfect candidate as her fake fiancé
-this story had so many layers and it developed and flowed so well 🐷🌅☕️
-their chemistry was so adorable and the instant attraction and compatibility!! I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR 🥹💕
-Matthew had me kicking my feet!! The bar is up in outer space I tell you 😮‍💨 when he calls her sweetheart >>>>
-thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this heart warming ARC 🩷

5⭐️

I haven’t enjoyed all of Elena Armas’ books, so I was pleasantly surprised by The Fiancé Dilemma. The two MCs had great chemistry. They were both likable characters, and I was rooting for them the whole time. The plot was a little silly at times. But if you go into it just for an enjoyable read, it’s a good time.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Loved getting to be back in Green Oak with some of my favorite characters for Josie and Matthew’s story! They were both so sweet and loved their connection with each other. (I will say though, i thought from the first book Matthew was the GBF lol so what an interesting turn of events for me.)

I’m sure by the title you can guess that this is a fake fiancé trope. Basically this whole book I kept thinking how unrealistic and wild Matthew was for going along with the hoax, only to find out that he is the sweetest cutest man ever and i could scream eeeeeeep - that’s how I feel about him lol

I have no notes!!

Thank you for the electronic arc -eeeeeeep 🫶🏻

☕️Book Review ☕️
|| The Fiancé Dilemma ||
|| Author: Elena Armas ||
Format: ARC NetGalley ebook
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Read from: May 26, 2024 to May 29, 2024
2024 RG: 70/100

MCs: Josie Moore and Matthew Flanagan

Josie Moore has recently found out that she is the daughter of a multimillionaire. When her father’s PR lady shows up on her doorstep and sees an old engagement ring on her finger, she calls the first man she sees (quite literally) her fiancé. She realizes that she knows the man- her sister’s best friend. But will he decide to help her and go along with it?

Matthew Flanagan has just returned to Green Oak after having been fired from his job. His truck broke down in the mud during a rainstorm so he gets to walking. He was just going along when, at the end of someone’s driveway, some girl with a face mask and a dirty robe calls out to him acting like he’s her significant other. Only later does he realize that he knows her- his best friend’s sister. Will he decide to become her fifth fiancé to help her out of this PR mess?

Side note: Grandpa Moe >>>>

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

“It’s fine for life to bruise you and leave a mark. That only means you’re living, you know? It means you’re trying.”

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

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-fake engagement
-small town romance
-runaway bride vibes
-man in glasses
-slow burn
-phone sex

This was sweet and soft and filled with accepting the love you deserve, and also recognizing that you deserve to be loved for who you are. The sweetest slow burn, with small town hiking. This was giving 90's romcom vibes in the best way. I just adore Elena's writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Josie lives in a small, quaint town when suddenly one day, her life gets turned on its head and she’s finding herself claiming an (almost) stranger as her husband-to-be to try and avoid a PR strategist.

It gave me 27 Dresses vibes except it was ‘always a bride, never a bridesmaid.’ And honestly, I could see Josie being very similar to Kathrine Heigl’s character. Matthew reminds me of who I imagine a grownup Logan Huntzberger to be. You know, once he semi-has his shit together.

It was quirky and spicy and I loved watching Matthew and Josie slowly (but also not so slowly) figure things out together.

This book was said to be okay as a stand alone if you hadn’t read The Long Game (which I have not) but I may have to disagree. I wish that I would have had more of Matthew’s back story prior to reading this. Also if there had been any previous interaction between he and Josie. I think it took me a little bit longer to get invested in the two of them because of not having that information (my own doing, I’m certain).

All in all, this was a solid read for me. A beach read, if you will.

This was such a cute rom-com that had me rooting for the main characters from the beginning. I loved the story line and the characters but did find it to be a little long for this type of story.

The Fiancé Dilemma is the second book of a series from the first book called The Long Game. I really liked that a lot of the main characters from the first book make an appearance. This story follows Josie and Matthew who are pretend dating and engaged to get rid of an assistant who works with Josie’s Father. This assistant want to make Andrew’s reputation look better so in order to quiet down the noise she tells Josie that she’s going to stick around Green Oaks to prepare and handle Josie and Matthew’s Wedding Day. Matthew got fired from his job and is now in Green Oaks to figure out his next move so that’s how he got roped into this fake dating/engagement. After some time they grow feelings and Josie needs to figure out whether she will walk down the aisle or not for the fifth time in her life. Very cute book, I really liked the characters and it’s an all around 4 stars for me. Thank You NetGalley, Atria Books for an early copy of this book for my honest review! Publishing date of July 30, 2024. My honest review is also included in my Goodreads, under Abby Holloway.

I’ll start with the things I did like about “The Fiancé Dilemma: Matthew’s character was not what I expected after reading about him in “The Long Game”, the first book in this series. Honestly, I thought he might be gay. Spoiler alert: HE’S NOT! He’s nerdy and sweet…but also spicy!!!

I also liked that this romance was predictable in ways, but not necessarily in a cheesy way!

Now, the thing I didn’t like: After reading both books in this series, I am realizing that the author’s style of writing might not be my favorite. She writes in sort of a stream-of-consciousness style…which is relatable to real life for sure, but can also make the book a little hard to follow sometimes. Or maybe that’s just me?

Despite some mixed feelings about this book, I liked it overall…actually better than “The Long Game” which isn’t often the case in sequels!

(Thanks Net Galley and publishers for the advanced copy of this book!)

Ugh this was such a fun and romantic read!! It was giving 27 Dresses meets Runaway Bride and as a true romcom lover I was totally here for it.

Josie and Matthew had my heart from the very first chapter. If you haven’t already, please read the Long Game because that’s where I started to fall in love with Josie. She is such a relatable character and I wanted to be her bff by the end of this book. And Matthew?! He might just be everyone’s new book boyfriend because OMG!! From the glasses, to his protectiveness of Josie, to his demeanor the man was just a walking green flag and I’m in love with him!! My only complaint is that we didn’t get to read his POV.

If you love small town romances with quirky characters, fake engagements, slow burns, or the he falls first trope then do yourself a favor and run to get this book!

I’m hoping and praying Elena continues writing interconnected stand-alones set in Green Oak because I just love the town and these characters so so much!

Thank you so so much to Elena Armas, Atria Books and NetGalley for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 ⭐️📖 This was probably my least favorite Armas book to date. I enjoyed reading the story, but the plot was so incredibly far-fetched for me that it did take away some of the fun of reading it.

In no way, shape or form do I feel like Josie would’ve realistically made up a fake fiance scenario in order to help her “dad” save face; a man she has zero relationship with.

Also, I couldn’t reconcile that a social media site was all over her about 4 failed engagements so she entered into another engagement (albeit under false pretenses) knowing it’d never pan out…?

Regardless, I did like to Josie and Matthew and I enjoyed the Green Oak setting once again. Reader beware: there is SERIOUS spice!!

While this wasn’t my favorite book, I will read anything Elena Armas puts out. She’s still an auto-read author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

When a fake engagement becomes a long love story that truly will swoon you and melt you away, wanting more of Matthew Flanagan...

How do I start this review? By saying how OBSSESED I am with Matthew Flanagan? And by ending it by saying that I am ADDICTED with Matthew Flanagan? Yup! That's what's going to happen. Because this man... **sighs** he knows. HE KNOWS how to make a girl feel special. He knows how to love, how to adore, how to protect, and most of all; how to be present for Josie. Matthew is the epitome of the perfect man that will emotionally understand you and know when you are needed, even when you think you don't need him. Which is why his persona is such a beautiful balance to Josie's chaotic, yet minimal life.

The sweet next door, small town girl that is a coffee shop owner, and the town mayor comes to life in this sequel. She was already a staple in The Long Game, but as the main character of her own book, she knows how to shine. Even when she doesn't think she is the main character and deserves all that the world can give her, Matthew comes along and makes her flutter and fly;
"Beautiful things shouldn't be boxed. It eventually dims their light..."

Matthew comes along like a force to be reckoned with to save the day for Josie when she is in a time of need and desperation. And what a swoon way does he swoop in. With all his charm and... **glasses** and his smirks, and his **glasses**... OH! And how can I forget his lovable presence, and his **glasses**. Have I gotten by point across? If not then just know that as much as Josie literally becomes speechless at the presence of Mathew wearing his glasses, my eyes spark heart emojis at his fictional presence. Matthew has known from the very first knowledge of Josie, that there was something about her that was going to end him;
"Josie had always been technicolor in my head. Not white..."

Elena has written some incredible, drool worthy romances that's for sure. But this story... it hits it you right in the feels. It punches right in the gut. It knocks you right in the head. All body parts are far gone with how much magic and true love there is between Josie & Matthew. And the more beautiful part about this angst of a novel, is how breath taking each and every interaction Josie has with Matthew, how she is vulnerable about many things but at the same time is head strong and determined to fix things for other people and their reputations with no repercussion as to how it might affect her heart. And after having four engagements that truly, both on paper and off paper did not suit her, this fake engagement with Matthew draws a fine line of what is real and what is not. But no matter what happens, Josie learns that her emotions are true about Mathew;
"I knew in that moment. I simply knew. I'd never wanted a smile—a man— more than I did him. I'd never loved like I did him..."

My new found love for Matthew is one that will forever be engraved into my heart. He is the type of character that truly knows how to make a reader's heart flutter. And Elena has truly done the reader's justice because Matthew and Josie have this palpable chemistry that makes the heat curl from your toes to your head. With every scorching glance and minimal touch, with every smile and every heated commotion; Josie & Matthew are the it couple that truly defines the real meaning of "romance".

Elena, you already know that I am proud of you, my darling. Y ese orgullo nunca se disminuirá. Your writing will forever embark into being part of my life as much as our friendship. And I am not going anymore young lady, so be ready to be stuck with me for a long time. And be prepared to keep writing these fantastic and magical stories of yours that will never stop shining through every word and every page ♡

Josie already had four weddings before she met Matthew. Well, sort of. Every time Josie gets close to walking down the aisle, she bolts. And when her long-lost father suddenly faces a PR firestorm, Josie needs a way out and quickly. Enter Matthew (literally) who gets roped up in pretending to be Josie’s fiance. But as the wedding day approaches, feelings start to get a little too real.

Nobody does fake dating quite as well as Elena Armas. From the banter to the situations to the side characters, everything is done to perfection. I loved the hilarious situations Matthew and Josie managed to find themselves in and how the rest of the town reacted to them. Matthew and Josie have incredible chemistry and consent was always clear. Matthew understood Josie in a way no one else seemed to, and I adored watching their connection blossom.

The major issue with this novel is the lack of real conflict. Josie has to reason to help her father since he’s never interacted with her. Matthew doesn’t have a reason to agree to be Josie’s fake fiance. They had no reason to lie to Cam and Adalyn. The whole story could’ve been solved in the first ten pages if Josie simply told her father no, though I am rather glad that she didn’t since I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the novel.

What the story lacked in conflict, it made up for in heart. Like every Elena Armas book, <i>The Fiance Dilemma</i> will have you squealing and turning red within the span of a few pages. I laughed constantly, cried a little, and fell in love with the characters each time I picked up the novel. Armas captures the perfect combination of swoon-worthy and serious, creating romances that feel grounded in the real world and yet effortlessly dreamy. Matthew and Josie have sizzling chemistry that is sure to draw readers in until the very last page.

Josie has recently discovered she is the daughter of an american soccer mogul, and like all of us, she has her past. She has been engaged 4 times - and ran from the altar every time. When the press finds out about her very public engagements, it becomes a PR crisis to be dealt with by her father’s team. The solution? Enters sweet dreamy steamy Matthew. On a roundabout way, she pretends to be engaged to her sister’s best friend to make the crisis go away.

Now onto my opinions on yet another Armas soon-to-be favorite: The Fiancé Dilemma is on the same universe as Armas’ last novel, The Long Game. Though I loved the characters on this new universe (Josie, Grampa Moe and Matthew are the sweetest!), I’m not sure it was the version I got, but from mid-end the development of the story and relationship felt a bit rushed. I don’t love this new universe as much as I loved TSLD and TARE, her previous characters. The steam in this second “series” is not for me. Overall liked it very much - it is still Elena de Armas and very worth the end of summer read - I’d give this one a 4/5 stars. If you’re a fan, definitely pick it up!