Woah! Get ready for major steam with this one! I didn’t know that going in-I was expecting a cuddly romance and I got major spice. I’m not mad about it but I would have loved a warning 😂
Hazel is a distrusting writer and Beck is her shy and gentle giant co worker. One day Hazel discovers that Beck had lied to their boss about being married so he can get a promotion so she agreed to pretend to be his wife when the company has a writing retreat. However, because they are supposed to be married, they end up sharing a room, and the lines get blurred as their sparks turn into raging flames.
The romance was loaded with banter and they were so kind to each other and genuinely cared for each other and it was about so much more than sex- although there was no doubt about their chemistry there either! They were just completely obsessed with each other so I loved that they got their HEA.
If you want a rom com with loads of chemistry and a cinnamon roll MMC, then look no further.
Thanks to St. Martins Griffin and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review

This book hits some of my favorite tropes....
*Cinnamon Roll MMC
*Fake Dating/Fake Marriage
*Curvy FMC

Connie has no desire for a man in her life, and in fact is pretty untrusting to any man who seems simply 'too nice.'
Beck moves into her apartment building and fast becomes a man who in Connie's eyes is 'too nice'. Beck has zero sense of self worth as far as women go. He's in a job where another co-worker is constantly putting him down and telling him he's no good at the Managerial editor position he has. The book does a fabulous job in telling how good Beck actually is.....in his job, as a friend and as a mentor.

Also the cover of this book says it all! I loved that. I will say it's an adult romance so be aware of the spice level and language before you begin.
Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Stein and Martin's Griffin for this eversion arc.

I will continue to read this author's newest novels!

If you're looking for a book that really takes tropes and runs away with them, this might be for you. It felt over the top for me, but I also recognize that the author was really going for over the top. Connie hates nice guys (I actually don't know that the guys she describes are nice--they seem like it at first, but actually they just are jerks hiding behind nice guy exteriors) so she tries to avoid her nice neighbor Beck. Beck is the epitome of super nice nerd who also happens to look like a hot crossover between Captain America and Clark Kent (I know I know, this is where the book really goes hard into lore and fic and tropes). It turns out that Beck has really struggled to fit in because he's bullied by the bros at his workplace, so he makes up having a fake wife. Of course, Connie, feeling bad for him in the spur of the moment, pretends to be his wife. Hijinks ensue. They end up going on a work retreat together. One bed. Lots of horny longing. It is extremely unbelievable that Beck is as hot as Connie describes him to be, and also still very virginal. I do appreciate that Connie is a fat character and unabashedly sex-driven. If you want spicy, there's definitely plenty of spice in this book. It was just hard for me to get past some of the silliness. But I can imagine that someone who is looking for something super light and jokey, and who isn't afraid of cornballiness, would enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me laughing nearly from the moment it opened, and it really never let up. I mean, the email exchanges between our leading couple had me howling with laughter. However, that’s not to say that Beck and Connie/ Hazel's journey was smooth sailing. My heart broke that neither of these characters seemed to have been treated with common courtesy before. And so, seeing it from one another, it looked instantly suspicious. But I loved, loved, loved, loved, the way they were able to see the parts of one another that they liked least about themselves, (those pain-points of self-confidence,) and lavished attention and affection on them until they were each able to love those things they’d so badly wanted to change. As an extra added bonus, for everyone who loved “When Grumpy Met Sunshine”, Mabel and Alfie make some adorable cameo appearances. This was so much fun, I can’t wait to discover what carnival ride the author will take us on next.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

The first couple of chapters were blowing hot and cold that it was hard to pinpoint the direction the story was headed.

It was slow -way too slow- and the one POV together with the unending and winding internal monologue made this an unenjoyable read for me.

You have to suspend belief to actually enjoy this as the idea of a mid thirties man with the experiences of the main character seem over the top and unbelievable.

Also, I didn’t understand the why of different names by the FMC and I would have wanted to know more about her family background.

The banter between the main characters was confusing and I found myself rereading several times in order to understand.

If you love cinnamon roll characters, fake proximity/wedding then you will enjoy this.

Im so sad to report that I DNF this one at the 30% mark. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I felt the couple lacked depth and couldn’t really see the chemistry. This one was definitely a miss for me.

A beautiful tale about two people who are burnt by people throughout their lives but when they finally start to talk to each other, it’s comfort and homely feeling from the start.

Hazel & Beck work in the same company and are also neighbours. Hazel doesn’t believe anyone can be this good. But Beck? He is a Golden Retriever in human form. Awkward and weird but in a cute way. He has an imaginary wife. But when Hazel sees people bullying him? She just calls herself him wife. Now the problem? They have to act as a couple because they are on a retreat.

I loved how they healed each other in such a pure way. Their connection and oh my god their email exchanges just had me cackling.

What I didnt like was how the book was a single person pov.

Dork-a-licous....

Beck is the burly, moustached, dork next door. He lied and said he had a wife. He does not.
He cons Connie into being his fake wife, plus one at a work thing.
They are faking it until its...real?

It you like fake marriage, one bed and forced proximity this is definitely the book for you. This is a light, fun, easy read!
Their notes back and forth to each other, the little banter and the characters personalities were amazing in this book. You have a 30 something year old man who's never even kissed someone and a tough/confident female.
Overall I loved this story and I definitely recommend.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein
Contemporary romance. Fake relationship troupe.
Connie has had some unfortunate and forgettable relationships in her life and she’s leery of her big, friendly American neighbor. Her experience says there must be something horrible about him, but he’s super nice to her and apologizes with cake. Turns out he does have a secret. He’s told everyone at work that he’s married. Connie ends defending him to his coworkers and now they have to spend time at a retreat together, pretending to be married. And sleeping in the same bed. Henry supplied the pillows to keep them separated on the bed but ….the more time they spend together, the more they are drawn to each other. Pretty soon those kisses aren’t fake anymore and they will have to figure out how they move forward.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook, often reading together. The narration is performed by Imogen Wilde who does a fantastic job with the story and Connie’s emotional ride. The accent is British and enabled me to totally see the characters and follow the funny and slightly inappropriate language of the story.
The audiobook held me enthralled and laughing.
I did sped it up to my usual 1.5 to match reading and conversation speed.
I loved the audiobook version and would highly recommend as long as aware it is a non U.S. accent.

My impressions:
Huge gentle giant
Super sexy
Surprisingly sweet
Cinnamon roll hero that you can’t help falling in love with.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/1fb10004-50d2-42a1-8e03-67538e72ea96

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1352816531

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7384137558

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHAA0QzAYgW/?igsh=cnB6ZmpsbzFmYXpz

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-big-fat-fake-marriage-charlotte-stein/1145317611?ean=9781250867971&bvnotificationId=8119ec28-fe16-11ef-ba48-0affc5fac6bb&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=aol.com#review/339920328

I was laughing out loud ten minutes in and was completely hooked by the end of chapter 2. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was smart, funny, and sexy with amazing and complex characters. If there was a book boyfriend hall of fame, Beck would be in it. He was too good for this world and should be protected at all costs. After I finished I immediately started reading again because I wasn’t ready for it to end.

Have you ever wanted to read what it’s like to fake date the MOST cinnamon roll man possible? If so, this book is for you. Beck is such a sweet and innocent human, and Hazel is volunteering her trusts-no-man self to help him look good in front of his workplace bully. Their fake relationship was cute, and I loved the end of this book!

Sometimes it felt like Beck was way too innocent, like there is no way a six foot five 37 year old man is too embarrassed to use a single innuendo or is constantly putting himself down while he’s talking. It got old after a while. Fortunately this was part of his character arc, I just wish it happened a lot sooner than it did.

Overall a cute love story, very horny, and the note writing scenes were some of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the early copy!

I honestly could not get in board with the MMC. I DNF’d 20% into it and this is only the third or fourth book I couldn’t finish in 3 years.

I thought his mannerisms were a bit childish and his vernacular was very immature as well. And I just could not move past that. Also I thought I was very stereotypical of what a midwestern American would sound like.

Connie was a great character and the writing was not bad by any means. Henry just gave me the ick and I couldn’t finish it

All I could think the whole time was that I should DNF because I keep thinking it'll get better and it just didn't for me. I love a plus size FMC but I felt like no connection to her or the MMC.

I enjoyed this book, despite the fact it took me a little bit to get into it. I had a hard time getting past Connie’s *everyone is terrible and no one can be trusted* mentality. Gave me some anxiety reading it at first because it felt like a never ending mental spiral. And our MMC was a cinnamon roll, which I love, but had to get through the way he talks for the first few chapters. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Courtesy of her best friend, Connie (aka Hazel) has a new male neighbor. who is an editor But given past experiences, Connie isn't very amenable to even a friendly encounter. One thing leads to another and Connie finds out that Beck has told everyone he's married when he isn't. Plot twist #1 is the bully at the publishing house who makes Beck's life miserable. Plot twist #2 is a writing retreat which is organized by Beck. Connie ends up inserting herself as the fake wife. All is fine and good until life gets all too real. Great read that will be hard to put down!

Charlotte Stein’s My Big Fat Fake Marriage is a playful take on the fake relationship trope and adds forced proximity and slow-burn romance. The story follows Connie, a jaded aspiring writer, and Beck, a kind but socially inexperienced editor, as they navigate a fake marriage that quickly becomes more complicated than either expected. When Beck impulsively lies about being married at work, Connie steps in to maintain the illusion, leading them both to a writing retreat where their act is put to the test. One of the novel’s strengths is its humor and lighthearted tone. Beck is a refreshingly earnest male lead, and his unwavering kindness contrasts with Connie’s skepticism, but the book struggles with pacing, particularly in the first half, where Connie’s inner monologue often slows the story’s momentum. While the dialogue and banter are engaging, some sections feel repetitive, and the characters' reluctance to communicate drags out the conflict unnecessarily.

DNF at 44%

I'm really disappointed that I could not get into this book. The beginning had me smiling and laughing so I was really looking forward to reading it. But as I kept reading, the book just felt weird to me. The writing seemed almost disjointed to me. It also felt like I was speed reading and not absorbing where we were going or how we were getting there.

I just had a difficult time with both main characters in this book. Beck is clearly a Ted Lasso-like character, but it seems incredibly disingenuous. Or like a caricature instead of a person. I also had a difficult time with Connie/Hazel. I didn't enjoy how she talked about herself or Beck. Like, there was a moment when she was finding him attractive, but she kept referencing him as a "beast", really amping up their size difference but in a way that seemed very cringe and uncomfortable for me as a reader. I just couldn't keep rooting for her as the FMC. And Beck was a little too "golly gee willikers", "shucks", and "gorsh" for my tastes.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! I really loved this one! I loved the plus size rep and I love the fake dating! You can never go wrong with a fake dating trope! Definitely worth the read!

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein is a sweet, awkward, and completely heart-squishy rom-com that made me feel *all* the things. If you’re into nerdy characters who are just a little bit emotionally constipated but have hearts of absolute gold? Yeah. You’re gonna want this one.

The story follows Connie—sarcastic, cautious, relatable Connie—and Beck, the human equivalent of a golden retriever in bow ties. He’s shy, kind, and the kind of cinnamon roll hero who makes you want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the world. I connected with Connie in a big way. Her reluctance to trust the “nice guy” felt real and honest, and watching her slowly let her guard down as she fake-married her way into Beck’s life? *Chef’s kiss*.

The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites, and Stein nails it here. There’s so much awkward tension, sweet moments, and a slow burn that has you *screaming* at them to just kiss already. And once they do? WHEW. The steam sneaks up on you in the best way. It’s tender, it’s hot, and it’s got that perfect blend of “we shouldn’t” and “but we totally are.”

Now, I won’t lie—some of the side characters and world-building felt a little undercooked. I would’ve loved more depth outside of Connie and Beck’s romance bubble, but honestly? They were so adorable together, I didn’t care. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, funny, fake marriage story with lots of heart and a virgin MMC who will melt your soul, this is it.