Starred review from July 15, 2024
Bestseller Armas (The Long Game) charms with this masterful take on the fake engagement trope. Josie Moore, 29, is known in Green Oak, N.C., as a runaway bride after walking out on four weddings. This poses a PR problem for her estranged father, Andrew Underwood, a powerful businessman who reenters her life on the eve of a magazine cover story about his successes. A daughter he abandoned whose daddy issues have kept her from finding true love won’t play well with the general public, so Andrew’s PR team suggests he salvage his image by paying for Josie’s next wedding, one he expects her to actually go through with. It’s a sweet gesture, but there’s one problem: Josie’s not currently engaged. Enter Matthew Flanagan, who has just been fired from his job with a popular gossip rag when he decides to seek out Josie, the woman his best friend Adalyn believes is his soulmate. He’s willing to fake a relationship if it means getting to know her better—and soon their blistering chemistry has them questioning whether they should try for a real relationship. Josie’s insecurities are entirely plausible, while Matthew is the perfect romantic hero—supportive, sexy, and determined to make Josie feel loved. Snappy prose and steamy love scenes make this a winner.
December 6, 2024
Josie Moore was thrilled to find the father she never knew, but for the affluent Andrew Underwood, his newfound daughter and her four failed engagements are a bit of a PR nightmare. When a fixer turns up to find Josie wearing a ring from a former flame, she panics and claims to be engaged again. Spying her sister's best friend, Matthew, she decides to make him the man of her make-believe dreams, and mercifully, he agrees to play along. Armas (The American Roommate Experiment) presents the follow-up to The Long Game. This cute contemporary romance includes several tried-and-true tropes, from fake-relationship to best-friend's-sibling. Narrator Brittany Pressley gives an engaging, expressive performance of Josie's first-person perspective, as well as the playful podcast asides. Secondary narrator Zachary Webber features only in the final chapter but portrays Matthew's passage with an endearing and authentic passion. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a slow-burn small-town rom-com with a Runaway Bride vibe. Recommended for fans of Olivia Dade, Lynn Painter, and Simone Soltani.--Lauren Hackert
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