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greendog95's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
wrinnola's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book is very well written and enjoyable… until it’s not. Worth a read, but the characters’ decisions toward the end made me cringe so hard I stopped reading for a good month. If you like cheesy rom-coms, you’ll like this one. Definitely glad I finished it though. One thing I’ll say that was really refreshing about this book was the lack of homophobia. I don’t think this is a spoiler to say. A lot of queer romance books have a heavy homophobia theme, so having one without that is really nice. Overall, this book is a cute and fun read. It just could’ve done without the intense sobbing and “you’re better off without me” trope. Those couple chapters soured the whole book. Without them, this book would have been like a 4.5/5 for me. Harsh? Maybe. I’m probably biased because I really can’t stand that specific trope. I genuinely really enjoyed the book outside of that though, so it’s hard to not be disappointed at how that was handled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Sexism, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, and Infidelity
maika's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
andykarnik's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cute, light-hearted romcom
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.5
i had SO much fun with this one!! i loved the way gemma would just absolutely fluster tansy & ofc really liked the whole fake relationship/engagement of convenience aspect 😌
⚠️: sexual harassment, bullying, death of parent, emotional abuse, alcohol
⚠️: sexual harassment, bullying, death of parent, emotional abuse, alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Alcohol
lady_valhella's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Misogyny, Death of parent, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
About the SA contentbookish_slagathor's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a bit of a disappointment, not gonna lie. I am a HUGE fan of the fake relationship trope and was looking forward to this book ever since it was announced. But once I started reading it, I quickly lost interest and even put the book down for a few months. It took immense willpower and the looming end of the year with my incomplete reading goal to push through the last 30%.
And I’m not even sure that I’m glad I did.
Anyway, let’s see what this book does well. I enjoyed the writing style and in general the story is alright, nowhere near as good as the premise though. Also the romance is pretty sweet in my opinion, utterly devoid of toxic crap or the much hated “miscommunication” trope. Big fluffy bonus points for that alone.
But where it promised to be a romantic comedy, I felt it totally missed the mark. Sure, there is some witty banter between the characters, but it didn’t even manage to make me nose exhale, let alone laugh. There might be maybe one scene that could be considered funny, if it was written funny in any way.
Also the side cast is a collection of cardboard cutouts/tropes. We have the Gay Friend(TM), the artsy French girl, the fun uncle (funcle?) and so on and so forth. Also the whole thing about the pretend romance should be that the two MCs gradually fall for each other. Instead we pretty much get an instalove scenario.
All in all, it was okay, but my expectations were definitely not met.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Death of parent, and Sexual content
sian's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
Minor: Grief, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Death
battyaboutbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
🦇 The Fiancée Farce Book Review 🦇
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
❝ She was a total fucking goner. Whatever magic Tansy was made of, Gemma wanted to drown in it, revel in the honeyed heat burning her up from the inside out. It was better than the finest bourbon she’d ever had the pleasure of sipping. ❞
❓ #QOTD What was the best sapphic novel you read this year (I need recs!!)? ❓
🦇 After losing her parents and a traumatic romantic experience as a teen, Tansy Adams focuses all her time and energy on her late father's bookstore. To dodge questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a best-selling romance book. She never expected that real-life Gemma would step into her life, play along, and announce they were engaged, imploding that white lie into a full-on farce. Gemma van Dalen, the outcast of her wealthy family, needs a spouse to inherit Van Dalen Publishing; her grandmother's legacy. In exchange for Tansy's hand in marriage, Gemma offers to save Tansy's beloved bookstore before it's sold off. Can their marriage of convenience work, or will Gemma's scheming family get between them?
❝ "As for feeling like you’ve failed, well, failure is an inescapable part of life. But failing doesn’t make you a failure. And I’m sorry your father made you feel like the two were synonymous. You are more than your achievements, Gemma. You are brilliant, and ambitious, and you are good, do you hear me? And what you do or do not achieve in this life has no bearing on your value.” ❞
💜 Oh. My. Goddess. That's right: goddess, because that's exactly what these two cunning, sassy women are. Alexandria Bellefleur has taken the generally predictable "marriage of convenience" trope and turned it into an emotional, powerful story about finding the love you don't realize you deserve. Both Tansy and Gemma are full of so much pain, their family trees full of broken branches (and in Gemma's case, poisonous barbs. For them to find love and family in one another so unexpectedly (for them, at least, because, come on, that's what we're here for), so flawlessly...it's not only swoon-worthy and sweet, but a relief. It's the insane, instant, undeniable chemistry between Tansy and Gemma that empowers their every interaction from the start, but unlike other marriage-of-convenience stories, smut doesn't drive their relationship. What starts off as a business relationship blossoms from a friendship to a true partnership. Gemma is sweet and giving as she navigates her first real relationship, while Tansy comes out of her shell to defend Gemma when no one else has. These goddesses support one another, even when the relationship is only a farce, until it all becomes real. The character development between them both is a flawless example of how empowering love--and having someone by your side--can really be.
🦇 As much as I loved every interaction between Gemma and Tansy, it's difficult to love everything that happens outside of their sweet sapphic bubble. The toxic men--namely Tucker, Gemma's cousin, who manipulated teenage Tansy and shared underage nudes of her--seem unrealistically cruel. Tansy's step-mother goes from a social ladder-climbing step-Bridzilla to suddenly sympathetic. None of the secondary characters have real layers, making them no more than pawns to the story's plot progression. Because of that, none of the conflicts or twists are surprising. The boardroom scene/resolution seemed beyond unrealistic, regardless of how sweet the gesture was. You may need to expand your suspension of disbelief and focus on the sapphic sweetness for this one.
🦇 Recommended for fans of Stars Collide, Cleat Cute, and Love at First Set. This heartwarming sapphic romance is full of feels; a stunning addition to any shelf.
✨ The Vibes ✨
🩷 Fake Dating
🩷 Marriage of Convenience
🩷 Bi MCs (Bi4Bi)
🩷 Sapphic Romance
🩷 Mental Health Rep
🩷 Opposites Attract
⚠️ Content Warnings: Past Sexual Exploitation, Threatening Interactions, Toxic Men, Spice 🌶️
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
❝ She was a total fucking goner. Whatever magic Tansy was made of, Gemma wanted to drown in it, revel in the honeyed heat burning her up from the inside out. It was better than the finest bourbon she’d ever had the pleasure of sipping. ❞
❓ #QOTD What was the best sapphic novel you read this year (I need recs!!)? ❓
🦇 After losing her parents and a traumatic romantic experience as a teen, Tansy Adams focuses all her time and energy on her late father's bookstore. To dodge questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a best-selling romance book. She never expected that real-life Gemma would step into her life, play along, and announce they were engaged, imploding that white lie into a full-on farce. Gemma van Dalen, the outcast of her wealthy family, needs a spouse to inherit Van Dalen Publishing; her grandmother's legacy. In exchange for Tansy's hand in marriage, Gemma offers to save Tansy's beloved bookstore before it's sold off. Can their marriage of convenience work, or will Gemma's scheming family get between them?
❝ "As for feeling like you’ve failed, well, failure is an inescapable part of life. But failing doesn’t make you a failure. And I’m sorry your father made you feel like the two were synonymous. You are more than your achievements, Gemma. You are brilliant, and ambitious, and you are good, do you hear me? And what you do or do not achieve in this life has no bearing on your value.” ❞
💜 Oh. My. Goddess. That's right: goddess, because that's exactly what these two cunning, sassy women are. Alexandria Bellefleur has taken the generally predictable "marriage of convenience" trope and turned it into an emotional, powerful story about finding the love you don't realize you deserve. Both Tansy and Gemma are full of so much pain, their family trees full of broken branches (and in Gemma's case, poisonous barbs. For them to find love and family in one another so unexpectedly (for them, at least, because, come on, that's what we're here for), so flawlessly...it's not only swoon-worthy and sweet, but a relief. It's the insane, instant, undeniable chemistry between Tansy and Gemma that empowers their every interaction from the start, but unlike other marriage-of-convenience stories, smut doesn't drive their relationship. What starts off as a business relationship blossoms from a friendship to a true partnership. Gemma is sweet and giving as she navigates her first real relationship, while Tansy comes out of her shell to defend Gemma when no one else has. These goddesses support one another, even when the relationship is only a farce, until it all becomes real. The character development between them both is a flawless example of how empowering love--and having someone by your side--can really be.
🦇 As much as I loved every interaction between Gemma and Tansy, it's difficult to love everything that happens outside of their sweet sapphic bubble. The toxic men--namely Tucker, Gemma's cousin, who manipulated teenage Tansy and shared underage nudes of her--seem unrealistically cruel. Tansy's step-mother goes from a social ladder-climbing step-Bridzilla to suddenly sympathetic. None of the secondary characters have real layers, making them no more than pawns to the story's plot progression. Because of that, none of the conflicts or twists are surprising. The boardroom scene/resolution seemed beyond unrealistic, regardless of how sweet the gesture was. You may need to expand your suspension of disbelief and focus on the sapphic sweetness for this one.
🦇 Recommended for fans of Stars Collide, Cleat Cute, and Love at First Set. This heartwarming sapphic romance is full of feels; a stunning addition to any shelf.
✨ The Vibes ✨
🩷 Fake Dating
🩷 Marriage of Convenience
🩷 Bi MCs (Bi4Bi)
🩷 Sapphic Romance
🩷 Mental Health Rep
🩷 Opposites Attract
⚠️ Content Warnings: Past Sexual Exploitation, Threatening Interactions, Toxic Men, Spice 🌶️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Death of parent