Reviews

The Dating Dilemma by Mariah Ankenman

faunasam2018's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

allthebookssheloved's review

Not vibing now. Maybe another day. 

mags_louise's review

4.0

The Dating Dilemma is a fun and charming story with a hilarious meet-cute in which main character Lexi mistakes firefighter Dyson for a stripper when he arrives to do a fire inspection at the youth centre she runs. And when the two start to spend time together thanks to various bets and to appease Dyson's sisters the laughs keep on coming, as does the chemistry this pair create, and with little drama a whole host of interesting secondary characters and a slow burn romance that easily made me smile. This was a fun way to spend a Sunday morning and it's a story I would happily recommend to others.

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**

aliciasplendeur's review

5.0

Loved this so much. It started off with that funny scene where she mistook him for a stripper gram. And the fun continued as they embarked on a fake relationship. Of course, they did have some obstacles to overcome. And I loved their chemistry during their steamy scenes.

When Dyson O'Neil shows up to inspect the Denver Youth Center, he never expected to be mistaken for a Strip-O-Gram. Lexi Martin, assistant director at the youth center was so sure her roommate had sent this for her birthday. Embarrassed by her mistake, it only gets worse when the center fails their inspection But he offers to come in during his free time to help repair the things he can around the center.

After another attempt by his sisters to set him up on a blind date, He blurts out that he's dating someone. When his sisters press for more info, the last name he expected to say was Lexi. Now, he has to ask her if she'll do him a favor.

Lexi agrees but only after they put together a list of ground rules for themselves to follow. Until they decide to bend one of their rules.

Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

kaenderson's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

syndi3's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 I am so behind my reading target. It has been busy, confusing days lately for me. The weather has been very humid so it nakes my mood not on reading. 

Anyway, The Dating Dilemma is OK read. Not really good but not really bad either. I am always confuse wha to write for mediocre book. 
The chemistry is there but not sizzling hot. The banter is standard. Miss Ankenman attempting for humor but it fells flat. 

And the cat allergy? Come on, you can get ur cat injected so it does not cause allergy reaction to human. 

Anyway.... 

stephsromancebooktalk's review against another edition

5.0

4.5 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

Featured Review

Lexi mistakes Dyson for a strip-o-gram when he is there to complete a fire inspection on the youth club that she manages. Both Lexi and Dyson have traumas that they are dealing with, and together they become friends to lovers. Fake dating to satisfy a bet and face your fears with fun, sexy, and sweet story additives that Mariah Ankenman knocked out of the park.

Video review available in Week 11: Mar 13 – Mar 19, 2022, total weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

beccareading's review

4.0

How can you turn down a sexy male firefighter and a girl who gives her all for her community?

This story was so fun! It had fake dating. It had so much caretaking by each of the main characters. It had family dynamics and supportive friendships. Basically this book was all I wanted it to be.

The one con that I had with this book was the main female character, Lexi, had a tendency to accidentally speak her thoughts out loud. Though cute in some moments, it occasionally had me confused on who was hearing what she was saying.

This is only the second book by Mariah Ankenman that I've read and I can see a lot more in my future.

I received an advance copy via Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

romancebookinreview's review

4.0

Lexi and Dyson meet when he comes to the community center where she works to do the annual fire inspection. After she mistakes him for a birthday strippergram, the two become fast friends and enter in to a fake relationship to show that they’ve moved past their disastrous past relationships. This book is a true romcom because it can be borderline cheesy at times, but always super sweet. I loved that they had to learn to overcome their fears.

hollielovesromance's review

emotional 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

3.5

This was a fun read but man I knew where this story was going within the first 3 chapters. It was cute, fast, and utterly predictable.