ARC Book Review: The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

📝 What is The Fiancé Dilemma about?:

Josie Moore, with four failed engagements and a complicated family history, jumps at the chance to fix her family’s PR problem by proposing a fake engagement. When Matthew Flanagan, fired and lost in Green Oak, North Carolina, stumbles upon Josie, he becomes her pretend fiancé, diving into a whirlwind of deception. Despite rules to keep it temporary, lines blur, and the small town begins to believe this engagement might be real.

📚 Genre: ROMANCE

🎧 Format: ARC E-bOOK

💞 Feels: ⭐⭐⭐

Note: I read the books out of order; so you’ll see a lot of guesses on my part relating to The Long Game (the companion to this book).

I like that the author created a really amazing book boyfriend. Butterfly-inducing and all. But could Josie be just a bit less of a basket case? This is my first impression and this is a single POV story, so I’m guessing he’s also messed up but in ways that compliment her nonsense. I’m only privy to her issues, though, and she’s making Matthew seem perfect from her vantage point. Except that, with all fake dating/engagement schemes the main character never thinks their partner is actually expressing themselves honestly. It must be part of the game of pretend they’re playing; and I’m over it. Does this count as a miscommunication trope? I’m not sure, but it’s dangerously close.

And there’s a bad dad in the mix. I’m not a fan of bad parents in these books. They either take up too much space in the story (Just for the Summer) or they’re blissfully referenced and only get a scene or two (Seven Days in June). This dad seems to be in the latter camp, so far, I’m only halfway through. He’s been talked about, not well, and his proxy (his publicist) is not comporting herself in a way that makes me like Josie’s dad. As of now he’s clueless and rather selfish…and now he’s moved to Josie’s town! Please don’t let him suck up anymore oxygen from the romance story. I want to see Matthew and Josie, not a bad dad or his diabolical publicist.

On the note of the dad and the publicist, another stretch of the imagination is that Josie would go this far to impress either of them. But a people pleaser seems to know no bounds in this world. I’m waiting for the moment when Josie either rebels or gets burnt out. Maybe we’ll get both!

75% of the way through and it seems like we might actually be breaking against type. It seems like Josie actually believes that Matthew likes her. But she also seems to think their arrangement has messed up any future they may have had, so maybe it’s just a slightly different version of the miscommunication twist.

This is a slow burn and I’m okay with that. I like that we’re finding out more about him, it doesn’t really feel like enough, though. With not much left to go in the book…I am wondering what is going to cause the third act breakup.

I wish I could see the sisters together more. But maybe I’d see them together more in the other book in this series, The Long Game, which I haven’t read yet. I am learning a bit about her sister, Adalyn, and her boyfriend, Cameron. So I look forward to reading their book.

My intrusive thoughts while reading

Why does Josie still have the rings from all of her engagements? She is the one who broke the engagements…hmm seems like Duncan left her. Wonder if we’ll hear about the other 3. It seems like she kind of took on their personalities and didn’t really show herself in those relationships. Matthew’s not letting her get away with that, and I love him for that.

Getting technical

The start was a bit rocky for me. I found the setup too outlandish. Josie’s problem-solving and lying skills are bonkers. Also, don’t make a romance fan scratch their head in disbelief that the male lead just happened to be boop right outside of her home, lost and, conveniently, she kind of knows him. Now I told myself okay she’s the mayor, he’s a local, but NO this man didn’t even live in her town! She knows him through a text group and occasionally overhearing his FaceTime conversations with her sister?! Now I’m a fantasy girlie, but this isn’t a fantasy book. If I have to stretch my imagination and tell myself it’s just a coincidence for a romance book….

Okay Matthew has explained the particulars of the “coincidence”…but I’m still a little skeptical. [Future Alecia: I’ve now read The Long Game; and I really wish The Fiancé Dilemma had been a dual POV like The Long Game. Definitely got the short end of the stick with this book].

You’ll like this book, if…

You’ll like this book if you like slow burn romances, and I mean slow – that I think technically doesn’t have a third act break up. Huzzah!

✅ Spinoff novella nomination:

I want to learn more about Bobbi. I feel like she got a raw deal in this story. She might’ve been a good friend and advocate…if she weren’t being paid to be there.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments.

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