Charlotte Stein has written another clever and entertaining story. At times laugh out loud funny and at times very touching, reading how this wonderfully imperfect couple finally realize that they are perfect for each other was really fun. Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

This book was a real mixed bag for me! I loved the MCs and the sex scenes were HOT. But I almost DNFed it in the first third because the setup and initial conflict between the MCs didn't quite make sense to me and so many side characters were one-dimensional and only there to move the plot forward. Once we got to the forced proximity, fake marriage tropes it grew on me, but not enough to get past the initial wavering.

I picked this book up not only because the cover is cute but because the blurb seems fun and different. As I got to reading, however, I wasn't sure how I felt about this book. I felt like there were too many cringe moments and was so close to putting it down, however, I am so glad I didn't! This book made a complete turn-around (or maybe I just had to get used to the characters and the traits/ characteristics that make them)! This book is fun, sweet, and filled with cute banter. By the end of the book, I actually loved Hazel/Connie and Beck! Beck is such a sweetheart, and Connie is that confident girl we all love! The way they balanced each other out by the end was simply beautiful! Absolutely loved! 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Charlotte Stein for this amazing read!

this one was so fun!!! i loved charlottes last book a lot so i was absolutely ecstatic when i could read this one. It was super cute and fummy, just the type of book I needed.

Thank you for the ARC!

I’m obsessed with Charlotte Stein’s portrayal of both MMC and FMC and that big-bodied people of both genders can be great at communication, relationships, and sex. She does an amazing job making sure her characters don’t need to change to fall in love and are in fact embraced for who they are. She’s one of my favs for steamy realness.

What could go wrong we two writers have to pretend to be married? A lot and it makes for an interesting rom com.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

This was fast-paced, steamy and sweet. If you like an epistolary novel with lots of steam, this is for you. If you love Ted Lasso fanfiction, this is for you.
(I just want to know who is going to get the treatment next... Jamie? Beard? Let me know Charlotte.) Hazel and Beck find themselves in a fake marriage on a writing retreat for his job. They quickly fall in love through messages under the door, emails and other activities. Other key words/tropes include: inexperienced hero, plus-size heroine, writers/editors/publishing, single POV, mutual masturbation scenes, "just for the trip," fake married and awful boss (Beck's co-worker/boss sucks). Also, Hazel has some things to work through in terms of her confidence due to how her family treated her growing up and how her relationships with men have been in the past (nothing bad, but nothing very good).

I'll continue to read these! Charlotte Stein is a fun find for me.

Connie doesn't believe good guys exist because.....well....have you met men?
Beck is a literary Ted Lasso. A complete golden retriever and he knows it (a man that reads romance novels, swoon).

Connie and Beck have great chemistry, the banter is quippy and the burn is slow. Beck's accidental virginity is not something I was particularly interested in but it was also surprisingly not a big part of their story. Actually, not much of the plot was necessary to the story which didn't change how much I really enjoyed this book. You're going to pick this book up for the cute cover, you're going to stay for the sweet characters and despite it's flaws you won't regret the read.

I decided to give Stein another shot since the first book I read had me DNF’ing so hard. But I’m so glad I did because this one? WAY better! Sure, the beginning was still a little chaotic—but once it settled, it was warm, adorable, and gave me all the cozy feels.

Maybe it’s because Beck is the PERFECT man (seriously, where is his real-life counterpart), or maybe it’s because Hazel’s dating struggles hit a little too close to home. Either way, this book had me nodding aggressively while whispering, “same, girl, same.”

And the STEAM? HOLY MOLY. 🔥🔥🔥 Stein did not skimp on the sexy scenes!!

If you're in the mood for something quick, hot, and lighthearted but with a surprising amount of emotional depth (healing, growth, all that jazz), this one delivers! Round 2 was a win—3 stars! ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's and CHARLOTTE STEIN FOR SENDING ME THIS ARC! *SCREAMS* Ahem, all thoughts and opinions are my own.









So, about 2 years ago, I reviewed Stein's When Grumpy Met Sunshine and had an absolute blast with it. I'm pretty sure I annoyed friends and family with my enthusiasm for it. I actually didn't know she was planning a sequel until she announced it on twitter. So imagine my surprise when Stein sent me the ARC for it. Yes, this is me humble bragging but it's also letting you know how serious I am about this book. This was my light at the end of the tunnel that was 2025. It's that real.



I'm sorry it's taken so long but long story short, the past 6 months stole my lunch money and stuffed me in a locker but I'M HERE NOW!





Synopsis according to GJ: Connie has a problem. A very large, mustachioed, way-too- nice-to-be-true problem named Henry Samuel Beckett. Initially skittish of the cheery American, she soon discover Beck's secret: His coworkers think that he's married and he's been lying this whole time. Connie soon finds herself protective and fascinated by this shockingly sincere man and when confronted with his workplace bully, Connie introduces herself as Beck's wife.


Now, on their way to a 2-week long writer's retreat, Connie and Beck have to pretend to be a happy married couple. But despite her cool exterior, Connie feels drawn out by Beck's sincerity and feel the desire for something new? Maybe it's the desire to stop being the person people expect her to be. To finally embrace her authentic self and to allow herself to want something more?...To keep staring at Beck's fantastic thighs? Seriously, were those there this whole time?????



Review:

I'm going to try my hardest not to compare this book to its predecessor, "When Grumpy Met Sunshine" too much in this review. Yes, the two book have similar fake dating plots (Which our girl, Connie lampshades by calling it "Just One Bed 2: Electric Boogaloo"). It also have the rapid-fire quips and the quick discovery of a kindred spirit between our leads. Something that I love about Stein's work is how deftly she shows that to be loved is to be seen. I've only read two of her books but both have had me giggling and clutching my e-reader with breath-taking paragraphs.


Digging deeper though, My Big Fat Fake Wedding has such a different vibe to me. When I read WGMS, I literally screamed "Madam, there's only so far 'Such a good friend' can go! You both are killing me!". Alfie and Mabel so quickly drop the mask they've worn for most of their lives and easily fall in sync with each other. This book, on the other hand, gave me similar feelings to watching animal rescue videos? HEAR ME OUT!


You know what videos I'm talking about. Where people rescue a dog or cat that's clearly been neglected and is all dingy, maybe even has babies they're protecting. You're filled with a John Wick level rage as you watch them go to their foster home and hide under a bed for the first week there. Then you see them come out their shells and bloom into the adorable little goober they were always supposed to be in their adorable pajamas. Yeah, that's how I feel when I see Beck and Connie. Beck's just a tall cinnamon roll of a man and I want to give him the softest sweaters while I decimate everyone who's wronged him.


Ditto with Connie. As a plus sized nerd, I fully remember the toxic advice of hiding everything remotely nerdy or even interesting about yourself. "No one likes a book worm, don't blabber on about yourself. Conceal, don't feel". It's honestly to the point where she's even been hiding her real name! So much of this book is just them slowly allowing themselves to be seen, to be proud of themselves, and even to be their true selves. Both of them are hiding from other people's cruelty and just coaxing the other one They believe so wholly into the other one and know how brave they are and MY PRECIOUS BABIES!!!


(P.S. I don't think Stein is an F1 fan but the bully in here reminds me so much of a team principle, it's scary. I won't say who but if you ask me nicely, I'll tell you.)



Another thing I want to talk about is that the spicy elements.(Not like that, you dirty birds). Beck literally says things like "Golly" and "Jeepers" and gives big "Too pure for this evil world" energy. Meanwhile Connie is actively trying not to climb this man like he's the Matterhorn. There are moments where it's like watching a Victorian man burst into flames looking at a sexy, exposed ankle. I had a blast watching Beck worrying overstepping boundaries at every turn while reading Connie lament about how thin the walls are. It's been a while time since I've read a book where the FMC is the more experienced one and honestly? It slaps. Give me more of this, please.

(Also, I don't really have a spot to put this in my review but chapter 25? Put it directly in my veins, please and thank you)


Overall, I give this book 5 stars. I'm almost glad I finished it so late because I want you all to run out and get this right now.



TW: Mentions of bullying, gross men behavior, sexual content

I was able to read "My Big Fat Fake Marriage" by Charlotte Stein on NetGalley. I started out slowly just because of other issues in my life, but towards the end of the book I couldn't put it down! I adored the story of Beck and Hazel (aka Connie). Beck was the sweetest man and Hazel deserved all that he gave her...and there are some raunchy scenes where he gives her more!

Wait. What did I just read? Where do I start? Where do I even go from here?! I don't remember what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but how I got to this point of having literally cried in the last 10%? I ...I do not even know.

I'm not going to lie, it took me a bit to get settled into the flow and hyperactive brain of our FMC. Hence the four stars instead of five. However...well, lets just dive in. Connie, well, Hazel, and her inner monologue are sometimes a cacophony of run on sentences moving so fast I might have whiplash. However, it is so much like how my own brain works that I felt both overwhelmed, and perfectly at home within her high speed chase toward love.

Speaking of, Beck must absolutely be the most cinnamony, cinnafilled, cinnamon roll hero I have ever read, with drippy, finger licking good frosting drizzled right across the top. Oh, where was I... This man is the epitome of 'Nice Guys Finish Last' and his quiet demeanor left others assuming he was out of touch with how to handle a relationship. So much so that he ended up creating, and I mean creating, a wife to get one of his co-workers off his back!

Could Hazel fit into the mold he formed the perfect wife into? Will Beck ever be able to help her with her vision of herself to realize the mold isn't perfect, but she undoubtably is? By the time the tear inducing final last chunk of this book came around, I was so in tune with exactly what Hazel was feeling (as a plus sized woman who felt so much of it at the beginning of my own relationship) that I had to stop and take a few deep breaths. I didn't sign up for crying with Charlotte Stein last night, but I certainly appreciate the journey, the humor (the laugh out loud moments got me some odd looks) and the growth of each MC. Mix in the delicious finger licking good frosting on that cinnamon roll of a man and...ahem, don't get me started again!

A huge, big fat thank you to Charlotte Stein, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the eArc of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and freely given.

Woman who swears off "nice" men meets neighbor who talks like he's off the set of Gomer Pyle.

I really tried to like this novel, but the whole premise and the MMC was just ridiculous. Add to that pages of teenage "everything but" sex, and I had enough. It was certainly not my kind of romance, but I am sure it would appeal to some.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity. This was such a feel good, heartwarming romance! I’m going to admit the book cover and the title was what drew my attention to the book and I’m so glad it did. Beck our MMC was the perfect golden retriever! The fake marriage, the slow romance and the tension were all chefs kiss.

Connie’s new neighbor Beckseems way too nice to be real. She suspects he’s hiding a deep dark secret. She finds out he made up having a wife to save face at work. Connie comes to his rescue and pretends to be his wife when his bully at work it making fun of him. Then they all end up on a two week writing retreat together.

I loved how Beck’s character was huge but he’s legitimately the nicest guy ever and is so perceptive of the people around him. I loved how he encouraged Connie (Hazel) to not be afraid to be her true self and how awesome she is. I also loved when he finally cut loose a little and had some spicy fun.

Read this in a day, the story is great for a binge read. Easy to get sucked in to the story and relate to the main characters.

Connie is fairly convinced that all men are terrible, including the nice ones. Maybe, especially the nice ones. And her neighbor is the nicest of all the men she's ever met, so he clearly has something dangerous about him. Except it turns out that the only really dangerous thing about Henry is that he's genuinely a good man who accidentally lied about having a wife. And when Connie meets the man who caused Henry to come up with this lie, she finds herself protectively pretending to be Henry's wife.

I listened to this on my six hour drive from my parent's house to my house and I loved it so much. I had the absolute best time, giggling and laughing along with the audiobook. I was stressed and giddy and joyful and so excited for Connie to manage to rid herself of her mother's toxic voice in her head that kept her from really enjoying living her own life. This book was an absolute delight, but I enjoyed it so much, I actually don't have a ton to say? It just... It was a really fun fake romance that became not fake so fast, but the two of them are so silly and stuck in their own heads that it took them FOREVER to realize it wasn't fake. If you're looking for a fun time, I'd recommend picking this one up.

My Big Fat Fake Marriage follows Hazel, a struggling writer and her adorable editor neighbor Beck as they try to pull off a fake marriage. After their first real conversation Beck blurts out to Hazel that in a moment of panic he'd told all of his coworkers that he was married. Hazel understands his plight and since they will both be at a writer's retreat, she can help him put more "truth" into his story. But can they really pull it off when the whole retreat already thinks there's something off about them?
I found this romcom to be so freaking cute and sweet that once the spice hit, whoo! The obvious lusting that Hazel and Beck had for each other was really slow burn but so good! I did appreciate that Beck blurted that he had a wife due to a snide douche of a coworker, which is very relatable. Hazel's spiraling thoughts got to be a bit wild, but as an anxious lady myself, I related more than I would like to admit. Overall a sweet and spicy romcom with just the most marshmallow of a MMC. Sometimes a nice guy is just a really nice guy...who also bakes cakes.

Format - E-ARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- Fake Marriage, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Virgin Hero, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Sex lessons

Representation- Body Positivity

So if you are like me and you’ve read Stein’s last book and you wanted more of that. She defiantly delivered. This book is a rom com, it’s not taking it’s self to seriously. Not to say there aren’t some important subjects cause there are but it also is a fun romp of a romance.

Connie/Hazel is a girl after my own heart. She’d fat and fun and also tired of it all. Beck does not excite in the real world. And if he does please clone him and make him the blueprint for every male moving forward, I just wanted to put him in my pocket and pull him out when I am sad.

The chemistry it sizzling and honestly I will never tire of sex lessons for the MMC. Especially one who reads romance and has done his homework! Cause 🥵that man had just been waiting to try some things out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love to fall into a good Stein romcom, the real world melts away.

Thank you Charlotte Stein, St Martins Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy all opinions are my own.

This book had all the tropes i needed. The perfect FMC who looks kinda like me. The MMC who’s just so infatuated. And he’s so infatuated with love too!!! PLEASE!!! Just so cute.