Dear Charlotte Stein,

My Big Fat Fake Marriage is the follow up novel to last year’s When Grumpy Met Sunshine, which made my best of 2024 list so my hopes were high for this one. Readers first met Connie in the earlier book – she’s the friend who tolerates the epithet “bestie” from Mabel. Connie writes marketing copy for a living but secretly dreams of being a romance author.

Henry Samuel Beckett (“Beck”), is an American editor who came across the Atlantic to work in London and edit Mabel’s book. Mabel knew there was a vacancy in Connie’s building and let Henry know, so he ended up renting the apartment across the hall from Connie.

Just like Alfie Harding was inspired by Roy Kent, Beck is inspired by Ted Lasso himself. He’s not Ted but it’s not hard to see the similarities either. For one thing, Beck is 6’5″ and a beefy guy. He has dark hair and a large straight mustache and a very hairy chest. And he’s kind. He is the kindest man Connie has ever met. She doesn’t trust it at all of course. Her experience of men is that they are mostly rubbish. Alfie is one of the few exceptions she’s met in real life.

Connie’s dating history is pretty tragic.

I am the sort of woman who’d have a fucking nightmare like that for a husband. In fact I can almost see him now, in my mind’s eye. He’s wearing a jacket he claims he got off David Bowie’s corpse but really it came from a shop like Fatface, and two cigarettes are dangling from his lips for reasons he never explains, and every time we go out he tells everyone terrible things, like how only he knows the moon isn’t real.

She’s used to men being critical of her body, her personality and not caring if she experiences pleasure – in sex or anything else. She’s had plenty of experience of being treated badly by men and the “Nice Guys” are the worst. They’re the ones who immediately turn on her if she says or does something they don’t like. So yeah, she’s super suspicious of Beck.

And he’s not the only one I remember suffering through a date with, or having to work alongside, or accidentally ending up stuck with at a party. One “nice guy” brought me a can of Pringles at my sister’s birthday, and then tried to lock me in a random bedroom. Another felt that praising me in a meeting meant I should return the favor with a blow job in the supply cupboard.

And it made zero difference that this man had told me he was married.

A lot of the time, married Nice Guys are even worse than single ones. They harbor secret seething hatred for their wives under a veneer of jovial sweetness and hollow laughter. Like the laughter he aimed at me the other day, when we passed each other in the hall and I asked how his wife was doing without him, over there in America, and he did this big ha, ha, ha.

Beck bakes her pies and cakes and leaves them outside her door with lovely little notes. He’s unfailingly polite and cheery. Connie is baffled by the attention. And then she accidentally sees the inside of Beck’s apartment and it gets so much worse. I’ll let readers discover why Connie believes (with good reason) for a few hours that Beck is actually a serial killer.

Except… poor Beck has become trapped in a lie and things in his apartment are all in aid of that lie. He’s not married. His wife is entirely fictional. A (shitty) work colleague by the name of Doug (who “has a Tesla” so that tells you all you need to know – bang on descriptive work right there. A+. No notes) has been bullying Beck and needling him about everything. Mostly Beck can shrug it off but his sore spot is being single. Like all bullies, Doug has honed in on it and all of a sudden Beck finds himself with an invented (albeit absent) wife. Beck does not like to lie – it makes him nauseous. As a result he’s been living on motion sickness pills for months.

Connie has a lot of baggage from her childhood. Her parents always wanted her to be someone she was not. Her mum would make fun of her for liking anything nerdy and encouraged her to hide her big brain and focus on being attractive to men. It’s had an impact. Connie has been largely hiding herself ever since. In fact, Connie is not even her real name. She just adopted it because she thought it was cooler than her actual given name – Hazel.

Whereas Hazel is not always great at advocating for herself, she finds herself entirely outraged on Beck’s behalf. This Doug guy needs to be taken down a peg or a hundred. Before you know it, Hazel has told Doug she’s Beck’s wife. Oops.

The massive problem with that is that Beck is just about to host a writer’s retreat. Doug is going too and they are both staying in the same two bedroom cabin on the property. Hazel was going as well but now she has to stay with Beck in the same cabin as Doug and there’s only one bed.

Beck and Hazel do a crash “getting to know you 101” course and freak out about how to make it look believable that they’re married. If Doug finds out he lied, his Beck’s boss finds out he lied, well, Beck won’t have a job anymore.

The plan is for them to attend the retreat together and then, over time, Beck can indicate there’s trouble in their (fake) marriage and they can quietly (fake) divorce. It’s not real of course. Hazel knows that Beck could never want anyone like her, not really. And Beck knows that Hazel would never truly want him. We readers know that’s not the case at all but it takes them a while to work it out.

Beck thinks he’s a dull dork. Not without some reason. People have told him. To his face. He has an even worse dating history than Hazel does.

Just like with When Grumpy Met Sunshine, I highlighted large portions of the book and laughed out loud at the humour and the banter. I also loved how fierce Hazel was for Beck. He’s so used to being treated poorly it barely registers. When others around him are treated badly, that’s when he’ll say something. He won’t stand for that. But for himself? He’s not important enough to defend it seems. And then Hazel comes along and just defends him all over the place.

“You’re not going to die alone. Or at least, not unless you want to die alone. Which is a perfectly valid choice, and not something anyone should be an asshole to you about,” I say, and now his astonishment at how hard I’m going about this is starting to settle into something else. Delighted bemusement, I think it is. Actually no—I know it is. Because he has that big face, and his emotions are equally enormous, and so it’s just easy with him. He’s like a complicated adult story, told via the medium of a beautiful pop-up book.

And for some reason, I think I like reading it.

Beck, for his part, starts doing sneaky things like encouraging Hazel to wear whatever she’s comfortable in and be open about her love of Quantum Leap and to believe in herself that she really can be a romance writer. At first she thinks it’s because she’s fitting into the mold of the wife Beck invented. It turns out that mold looks an awful lot like Hazel.

“I don’t want you to have to fit me. I don’t want you to contort yourself for this silly thing. And anyway, my ideal woman is just someone I can get along with. Someone I can talk to, and not worry about what I’m saying. Someone I can confide in. Someone who gives great advice. None of which are things you really seem to struggle with. I mean, you’re considerate and gracious enough with me that I doubt anyone would think, whoa, she really loathes every word he says,” he tells me.

And though I wait for him to seem queasy, it never happens.

He’s telling the truth. He really does see me as what sounds like a good person.

All of which sinks through me, like warm syrup. It sticks…

All that proximity at the retreat, especially after kinda sort dancing around one another for months before then, has the expected effect. Of course, Beck and Hazel have to show affection in public to make sure their fake marriage is believable to the suspicious Doug. Their first public kiss is such a disaster they have to practice privately – which leads to them finding out they are very sexually compatible.

Hazel and Beck have some delightfully frank conversations about what they want, sexually and otherwise. Other times they’re painfully shy with each other and resort to sending each emails or texts while they’re doing separate things at the retreat. Hazel is the more forthright of the pair though and, over time, Beck opens up even more. He’s never not kind but he does reveal an enjoyment of and for dirty talk and fucking. I loved watching Beck open up to Hazel’s encouragement, to speak aloud what he wanted and what he liked. Beck being baffled by Hazel’s desire for all of him was one of the many delights of the book.

Beck is inexperienced from a sexual perspective (not ignorant, just inexperienced). Hazel has lots of experience. But as they explore their attraction it seems to Hazel that she’s the real virgin. Beck introduces her to feelings – both the pants kind and the heart kind – she’s not ever had before. It’s heady stuff.

Beyond the banter and the humour and the kindness of the main characters, the book also contains some lovely turns of phrase and word pictures.

That flummoxes him, quite clearly. He looks at me like I just trapped him in a maze of complete accuracy, and he has no idea how to get back out.

I mean, are these not just wonderful?

I joke salute on the end. Mostly to disguise the fact that everything he’s said just makes me want to throw myself at him like a bug against an extremely kind and protective windshield.

My criticism of When Grumpy Met Sunshine was that I thought it took too long for Mabel and Alfie to work out they were wrong to think the other didn’t love them. My Big Fat Fake Marriage does not have that same delay, something I was so very pleased about I can’t even tell you. The story did not lack in tension because of it. It’s clear that Hazel and Beck had the benefit of learning from Mabel and Alfie’s mistakes.

Both books are fake relationship stories but both are very different. My Big Fat Fake Marriage has a much shorter timeline for one thing. It’s testament that a skilled author can take a similar premise and write an entirely unique story and I am so here for it.

Grade: A


Regards,
Kaetrin

Did you ever wish all those virgin FMC were actually about a virgin MMC who still knows what he wants? This book is for you!

This book is HILARIOUS. If you love quick witted characters, this is the book for you. I loved the growth we see from the FMC and how she opens up after getting to know our MMC.

It did take me a little time to get fully invested but now I want to read the authors debut about characters in this book.

I devoured this book in one sitting, no breaks! It was funny, spicy, and packed with everything you’d want from a fake relationship romance. While there were a few plot holes, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily read anything Charlotte Stein writes! If you love a swoony, laugh-out-loud rom-com with plenty of heat, this one’s for you.
Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC!

Connie doesn’t trust nice guys—they always have a secret. So when she meets Beck, a cheerful, bow tie-loving editor, she’s skeptical. Then she learns his truth: he’s lied to his entire publishing house about being married. In a moment of impulse, Connie backs him up, becoming his fake wife.

A writing retreat forces them into close quarters, and what starts as a harmless deception soon ignites something real. Late nights, shared spaces, and an undeniable spark leave Connie questioning everything.

Such a enjoyable read I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an incredibly fun read. Beck reminded me of Ted Lasso with a dad bod, and Connie was a character who was easy to root for. They had a lovely chemistry, and I enjoyed their banter and how much he was clearly smitten by her. The steam factor in this book was an unexpected surprise, and Charlotte Stein knows how to write tension AND release.

There were a few elements that felt a touch cartoony. Beck's coworker was almost comic villain mean to him, and I lost the thread on Connie's job and career a few times. I ultimately felt her character was a bit one-dimensional - but even in that dimension, I wanted her to find love with Beck. This was an enjoyable read and I would definitely check out the next in the series. I'd call this 3.5 stars bumped up to 4.

I don’t know how to describe my feelings on this book other than to say it was a soft read. I don’t mean that in any sort of bad way at all. I greatly enjoyed the story of Connie aka Hazel and Beck. They are tiptoeing their way around each other because, quite frankly, they have both had the worst luck when it comes to the opposite sex. So when they find that they click and get along so well, neither trust what is right in front of their faces.

Charlotte Stein is a master at writing a single POV story where you never doubt what that other character is feeling. You would think that would mean it is obvious to the character whose POV is seen, but somehow the author always makes it make sense that that isn’t the case. Hazel is so clueless when it comes to how gaga Beck is over her. That, on top of her waiting for him to do a 180 on her and act in some horrible manner, had her always pushing Beck away just as they were opening up. Poor Beck, what is he supposed to think other than he is not the man for Hazel?

I absolutely adore Beck. He is the biggest cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls. He doesn’t hide it, he doesn’t even seem to know the extent of his kindness. It’s just who he is, and it’s marvelous. That also means he can be a bit of a doormat, and I hated that for him. I love how quickly Hazel comes to his defense and puts herself between Beck and those who treat him poorly. Even before she barely knew the guy! Hazel may think she’s rough and tough, but she’s also a big softy at heart.

While there are will they or won’t they moments, some past hurts that inform their actions, and a deadline to their fake arrangement that neither wants to stick to, there isn’t a lot of angst or drama in this book. That’s what I meant by soft. It’s so sweet, even when Hazel is getting in her own way.

I actually loved this book. Beck and Connie are both these little sweetie pies and clearly so interested in each other from the jump, which was just sooo nice to enjoy from start to finish. They had so many crossed wires that you just wanted to yell at them to get together the whole time, but in the best way. I didn’t read the first book, but it’s not quite a series, just featuring same characters. Oh also there’s quite a lot of spice! 🌶️

Relatable characters + quippy banter + amazing set up = lots of fun and sweet romance.

Connie is a poster girl for emotional trauma, but she masks it by showing a confident, take-charge persona to the world. It makes her rush to confrontations in the defense of others, which lands her in a pickle when she claims to be her dorky teddy-bear neighbor Beck's made-up wife. Now, they'll have to convince everyone at a writing retreat that they're the real thing, even as they both try to deny how perfect they are for each other. Can a series of steamy first times and forced proximity convince them that there's more reality to the fake marriage than they're willing to accept?

I wanted to like this one, I really did. I loved the couple in the first book and was really looking forward to more of that vibe. It just wasn't possible with how ridiculous I found poor Henry Samuel Beckett and Connie's constant self-putdowns. It's one thing for a guy to be nice and shy and another to make him into what I found to be a caricature. There are sweet moments, but he's mostly just too much for me. And Connie also has some powerful moments, and I loved her character arc of accepting that she can be herself and not listen to the awful voices her mom planted in her as a kid. But again, there's only so much negativity I can take before I check out with a romance.

In the end, this just wasn't the type of romance I could get into. I think there are elements to it that other readers will love, and I can kind of see them, but it's just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read.

I received an ARC via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5/5 stars.

The entire book is written from Hazel's perspective. I found the pacing bogged down by all the chatter-y dialogue. She calls herself Connie at the very beginning, but quickly tells the MMC her real name is Hazel, and she's referenced as that for the remainder of the book.

Hazel's description of the MMC, her neighbour Samuel, is almost cartoon-ish. He's huge, with a bushy black mustache, always wears a bow tie - except for when he's wearing tiny shorts, and has a host of other over the top quirks. And the way Samuel talks!! It's like a 1950s Ned Flanders type thing. (Think gosh darn minute, oh my stars, and more along that line). Hazel is initially concerned with his over the top niceties believing that they are hiding something. As she spends more time with him, these odd quirks become endearing, and she soon realizes that Samuel is a great person.

When a work nemesis taunts Samuel, Hazel finds herself announcing that they are married. Together as a faux married couple they attend a writers retreat Samuel is hosting. Shenanigans ensue and the whole situation quickly becomes messy and entangled.

This was a quick, sweet romance that was equal parts steamy and equal parts reflective. The FMC, Connie, is cynical. She has never met a man that is genuinely nice and finds her neighbor to be of any men masquerading as truly "nice." The story begins with this and there is a cute back and forth between neighbors as we get to know the characters. The MMC, Beck, is a sweet cinnamon roll who is very innocent and loveable. He is at times too innocent and kind of leans into the naive American stereotype but I'm not sure if that was potentially a mask in the beginning. Driven by justice, the FMC finds herself in the middle of a fake marriage with Beck. Slowly, she starts to realize that much to her surprise, she's into the sweet, innocent type. She's actually more into it than she thought she would be. It's a light and subtle reflection on how society sometimes encourages women to seek more toxic male behaviors and encourage women to embrace them under the guise of masculinity. Connie, but actually Hazel starts to realize she has to undo years of trauma to finally accept who she truly is and the man before her. Through his encouragement, she is able to really show who she is. What I didn't expect was how steamy this book was as Hazel and Beck get more involved. At times, I found it a bit surprising that Beck hadn't experienced a lot in his late 30s. There is a bit of miscommunication between both characters as they figure out how they truly feel. Overall, it was a sweet love story and I rate it 3.5 stars.

Rounding up from 3.5.

This book is ridiculous and charming and outlandish in all the best ways. The fake marriage plot is always a fun one, especially in a modern setting. This isn’t a perfect book, but after reading something heavier, this was exactly what I needed and I found myself smiling throughout.

Beck is just the biggest cinnamon roll to ever cinnamon roll, and even when it was over the top, it was a refreshing change from brooding heroes where you have to wonder how they feel. And Hazel really deserves his brand of earnest, sweet honesty, even if she doesn’t realize it. And it’s so much fun watching her realize she DOES deserve better

Laughs, Love, and a Little Pretending: A Must-Read Romance

Thank you NetGallary for an early review copy of My Big Fat Fake Marriage!

This book is a delightful and steamy rom-com that delivers an irresistible blend of humor, heart, and undeniable chemistry. With her signature wit and engaging storytelling, Charlotte Stein crafts a fake-marriage trope that feels both fresh and emotionally compelling.

The story follows Hazel who finds herself in a whirlwind of unexpected circumstances that lead to a sham marriage with Beck. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something much more complicated as sparks fly and real feelings get tangled in the mix. Charlotte’s ability to balance laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotional depth makes the novel stand out in the crowded fake-relationship genre.

One of the highlights of the book is Charlotte’s knack for crafting lovable, flawed characters. The banter between the Hazel and Beck is sharp, sizzling, and full of tension, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The supporting cast adds charm and comedic relief, making the world of the novel feel vibrant and immersive.

Beyond the humor and romance, My Big Fat Fake Marriage explores themes of vulnerability, self-discovery, and the courage to embrace love even when it seems inconvenient. The pacing is spot on, with a satisfying build-up to a heartwarming and swoon-worthy conclusion.

Overall, My Big Fat Fake Marriage is a fun, feel-good read that romance lovers will devour. Whether you’re a fan of fake dating, witty banter, or steamy slow burns, this book has something for you. Charlotte Stein once again proves why she’s a master of contemporary romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

I always love a Charlotte Stein book and this one was no different! Only one bed, cinnamon roll hero, with a one bed trope with never not be a fantastic read. Charlotte did such a fantastic job with these characters and this story and I would absolutely recommend to anyone.

✨𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧✨

Connie had so many bad experiences with dating that she distrusts any guy who seems “nice.” She’s always on alert, trying to decipher their true intentions, convinced that there’s always a hidden agenda—usually a bad one. Even when it comes to her adorable and cheerful neighbor, Beck.

She’s certain there must be something wrong with him. But after an awkward encounter, a homemade dessert as an apology, and a misunderstanding, Beck decides to reveal his deepest secret—a lie he’s been carrying for a while: he’s told everyone at his job that he’s married.

In an attempt to defend him, Connie finds herself caught in a fake marriage ruse at a writing retreat, where they must convince everyone that they’re madly in love.

Everyone knows how much I adoreeee the fake dating trope, and this book was no exception. The story grabbed me from the start and had me laughing out loud. THISSS is the rom-com everyone needs to read! I loved the characters, their humor, and their playful flirting. Beck, being the ultimate green flag, was so refreshing and cute.

I can’t wait for all of you to read and enjoy this book! 

I rate this book 4/5 ⭐️

Huge thanks to netgalley and the author for the ARC.

Loved It (rounded up)

Okay the first book, (When Grumpy Met Sunshine) Alfie was fashioned after Roy Kent (and perfectly so). I was so happy to see him and Mabel back in this one. Nice to catch up.

However, in this one, the MMC Beck is 100% Ted Lasso and I.Am.Here.For.It. Holy hell was this just freaking adorable! Beck was so sweet and genuine and I would say proof that good guys still exist, but, you know...he's fictional. haha

Connie has been beaten down by men (emotionally) and doesn't believe that there are any good men out there anymore: 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓋𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒩𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝒢𝓊𝓎𝓈-𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝒹𝑒𝒶 𝑜𝒻 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓃𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓇𝑒𝓃𝒸𝓎.

They're across the hall neighbors and Beck knows Mabel. They have a pretty hilarious run in (I wouldn't call it a meet cute since they'd met a lot of times before) and they start to open up to eachother a little. Connie feeling protective over Beck a little. When yet another chance encounter with Beck's work bully has Connie seeing red and blurting out that she's Beck's wife.

Beck was just a surprise. I mean, that sweet, caring, soft, genuine man on the surface and a freaking stallion in the sheets! (Get it, Connie!) They end up growing closer and becoming friends and just watching it blossom between the two of them was so sweet.

The book is also riddled with little funny quips that made me snort because of either nostalgia or they're inside jokes with some friends (you bet your booty I texted them screen shots). Charlotte has a way of writing that just is easy, breezy, and feels warm.

𝐼'𝓂 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝑒𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓁. 𝒪𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝒪𝓃𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝒹 𝟤: 𝐸𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉𝓇𝒾𝒸 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑔𝒶𝓁𝑜𝑜.

𝐼 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝓉𝓁𝑒, 𝒷𝑒𝓎𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃 𝒸𝒾𝓉𝓎.

Disclaimer: I received this as an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars— I love me cheese in a rom-com. Those “that would never happen IRL” moments are what make it fun, right? But this story just had too many things that were not making sense… 😩

There was just a LOT of internal monologue, even for being a first-person POV. It was kind of hard to follow at times and by the time Connie/Hazel had finished her thoughts, I had forgotten who had done what to make her spiral.

The MMC… oh man. It just didn’t do it for me. He’s inexperienced but had noooo issues pleasing. He’s naive when it comes to reading people but clocked her from the beginning. I didn’t dislike his character completely but felt his personality was just forced to be stuck in this weird, be-completely-opposite-than-her kind of box.

I don’t know… If you want a light hearted story featuring a quirky, super sweet cinnamon roll MMC, this mayyyy be the book for you?

Quick Summary: A cinnamon roll romance

My Review: My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein is a 2025 release. It's being released today.

About the Book: "A fake marriage at a writer's retreat goes awry when two people fall in love for real..."

In My Own Words: Close proximity and shared spaces take a fake situationship into a slow burn, hot and heavy relationship

My Final Say: This novel was certainly an easy read. It proved to be very entertaining, albeit incredibly fluffy. The pacing was up and down, but it eventually leveled out.

Other: Readers who enjoy witty rom-coms, forced proximity stories, and cinnamon sweet MMCs should like this book.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 👍
Note: I think the audiobook version of this novel will capture readers attention even more. I would definitely be interested in the listening experience.

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. I appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you net galley for the arc. so this is 2nd book from this author. and this was just a cute but ridiculous rom com about a writer Hazel and her neighbor Beck . if you like a nerdy MC ,slow burn and lots of horniness. this is for you

The premise to My Big Fat Fake Marriage sounded very good, it had a lot of potential and I was looking forward to picking this read up. Unfortunately, the execution was not what I was expecting. I really wanted to like this one, I really did, but I had such a hard time connecting with the characters. There wasn’t much depth to either of our main characters. Connie/Hazel and Beckett both have major insecurities, which the author never goes into detail as to why they do, just that they do. So we have these two insecure people who apparently “see each other” past these insecurities, however, they each don’t feel worthy enough for the other, but they never actually talk it out… so then there’s misunderstanding… it was a mess. But honestly this wasn’t what had me pulling away from the story multiple times. Nope. It was the way Beckett talked. Who talks like that? And then you take that and add some really cringey interactions between these two - conversations were cringey, the spicy scenes were cringey, and it was all too much cringe for me. Sadly this was not my cup of tea.


*Thank you St. Martin’s Press / St Martin’s Griffin for providing me with an eARC for review via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.*

Aspiring writer Connie doesn’t trust nice men, and in general she’s been right. In fact, all the men she’s dealt with have turned out to be pretty expectedly terrible. So when sweet American editor Henry Samuel Beckett—named for the Quantum Leap character, not the playwright—moves into her building, she doesn’t quite know what to make of him. She discovers that he’s lied to a bully of a co-worker about being married (when he in fact has no experience with women), and then when she meets that bully of a co-worker, Connie is so outraged by his awfulness she claims to be Beck’s pretend wife. Which means they have to act like a married couple at a writer’s retreat they’re both scheduled to attend. As with any just-one-bed trope, sparks fly, but Connie can’t believe a man as nice as Beck would ever really want a woman like her.

The first half of this book had me laughing out loud. The characters are so delightfully over the top and their banter and notes to each other were hysterical. It was also very sweet to see the way the two characters took care of each other. Once the steam started, it didn’t stop. It’s most of the second half of the book, and while I don’t mind steam, the story started to feel more like a short story in terms of story arc.

Connie is friends with Mabel from Stein’s past release When Grumpy Met Sunshine and it was fun to see Connie turning to her friend for advice about having a fake relationship since it was also the premise in that book. Ultimately I enjoyed this one. There’s something about Charlotte Stein’s writing that just tickles me. I love her voice and books, but if her previous books have not been your thing, I don’t think this one will change your mind.