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mindfullibrarian's review
3.0
(free review copy) It was cute. It was readable. It was fine and I’d definitely read more in the series because I like the world it’s set in and the family vineyard. The writing just seemed pretty clunky.
hannas_heas47's review
4.0
Love the cover and blurb! I have always been a fan of this author and this was a cute read.
What did I like? The narration was fun and light hearted. Brenna was a hard to like main character with her childish whims and ways but the narrator nailed it!
I’m glad I got the narration but I felt like Finn was beating his head against the wall that was Brenna. The book started off with the characters already knowing each other from the first book which felt awkward since I hadn’t read it. So read the first if you can!
Would I recommend or buy? Yes, this was a fun but light hearted read with a slow burn romance. The audiobook was 8 hours and great for an ideal work day! Four stars!
I received a complimentary copy to listen to and voluntarily left a review!
What did I like? The narration was fun and light hearted. Brenna was a hard to like main character with her childish whims and ways but the narrator nailed it!
I’m glad I got the narration but I felt like Finn was beating his head against the wall that was Brenna. The book started off with the characters already knowing each other from the first book which felt awkward since I hadn’t read it. So read the first if you can!
Would I recommend or buy? Yes, this was a fun but light hearted read with a slow burn romance. The audiobook was 8 hours and great for an ideal work day! Four stars!
I received a complimentary copy to listen to and voluntarily left a review!
jaggededgereviews's review
5.0
Title: The Engagement Arrangement
Author: Jaci Burton
Publication date: June 29, 2021
Summary: Brenna Bellini will never get married again. She plans to live out her days as a happy, successful, single woman. When she's chosen to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding at the Bellini family vineyard, she's thrilled. That is, until she realizes who else is in the wedding party. Brenna's going to have to spend four days in the company of not only her ex-husband, but also her high school nemesis. She just knows the fact that she's single and alone is going to be rubbed in her face all weekend long. Well, not if Brenna can help it. She's going to find herself a fake fiancé.
Finn Nolan is thrilled to be offered the job. He's had it bad for Brenna ever since he came over from Ireland to live at the vineyard. After falling for Brenna from afar for years, this Irish cowboy is determined to show the woman of his dreams that he is her Mr. Right.Â
So what does a confirmed never-getting-married-again woman do when the man of her dreams unexpectedly lands right in front of her? Because for the first time, she might not be able to walk away. This time it might be forever.
Review: I absolutely love how the story starts out. I also love how stubbornly independent Brenna is. I really expected this book to be a quick read as I thoroughly enjoyed it. However it did take me a full day to read it. I really want to read the first book in the series as well as whatever follows. The family is fantastic and reminds me of mine if it was all boys (obviously not including me) instead of all girls. I also love that Finn just adopted/immediately took in a stray. This story is so sweet I highly recommend it
Author: Jaci Burton
Publication date: June 29, 2021
Summary: Brenna Bellini will never get married again. She plans to live out her days as a happy, successful, single woman. When she's chosen to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding at the Bellini family vineyard, she's thrilled. That is, until she realizes who else is in the wedding party. Brenna's going to have to spend four days in the company of not only her ex-husband, but also her high school nemesis. She just knows the fact that she's single and alone is going to be rubbed in her face all weekend long. Well, not if Brenna can help it. She's going to find herself a fake fiancé.
Finn Nolan is thrilled to be offered the job. He's had it bad for Brenna ever since he came over from Ireland to live at the vineyard. After falling for Brenna from afar for years, this Irish cowboy is determined to show the woman of his dreams that he is her Mr. Right.Â
So what does a confirmed never-getting-married-again woman do when the man of her dreams unexpectedly lands right in front of her? Because for the first time, she might not be able to walk away. This time it might be forever.
Review: I absolutely love how the story starts out. I also love how stubbornly independent Brenna is. I really expected this book to be a quick read as I thoroughly enjoyed it. However it did take me a full day to read it. I really want to read the first book in the series as well as whatever follows. The family is fantastic and reminds me of mine if it was all boys (obviously not including me) instead of all girls. I also love that Finn just adopted/immediately took in a stray. This story is so sweet I highly recommend it
robinlovesreading's review
4.0
I have been reading Jaci Burton's books for years and, whenever possible, I read what she has coming up, and that is the case with The Engagement Arrangement. Although it is the second book in a series, it read perfectly well as a standalone. However, I will be putting the first book in my TBR. Although I received the ebook for this title, I also received the audiobook, which was expertly narrated by Holly Chandler., especially when she used an Irish accent with Finn's dialogue.
Brenna and Finn are best friends who are both rather in love with each other. However, their friendship is precious to the both of them and so neither has addressed their feelings. When Brenna is invited to be a part of her friend's wedding party, she knows her ex will be there with his wife. In order to hold her head up high, Brenna feels that if she attends the wedding as an engaged woman, her ex and her friends won't make her feel so bad. So, she asks Finn to be her plus one, and to also act as her fiancé.
Although Brenna has feelings for Finn, she is determined never to marry again. However, the more they spend time together, especially having to act as if they are in love, they both begin to feel unable to resist their strong feelings. I enjoyed the chemistry between Brenna and Finn, especially with Finn's attempts to make Brenna to see him more as a friend. This story flowed smoothly and had a wonderful ending. I hope this series will continue and if it does, I will definitely be picking up the next book.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Brenna and Finn are best friends who are both rather in love with each other. However, their friendship is precious to the both of them and so neither has addressed their feelings. When Brenna is invited to be a part of her friend's wedding party, she knows her ex will be there with his wife. In order to hold her head up high, Brenna feels that if she attends the wedding as an engaged woman, her ex and her friends won't make her feel so bad. So, she asks Finn to be her plus one, and to also act as her fiancé.
Although Brenna has feelings for Finn, she is determined never to marry again. However, the more they spend time together, especially having to act as if they are in love, they both begin to feel unable to resist their strong feelings. I enjoyed the chemistry between Brenna and Finn, especially with Finn's attempts to make Brenna to see him more as a friend. This story flowed smoothly and had a wonderful ending. I hope this series will continue and if it does, I will definitely be picking up the next book.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
maryanne19's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Some books are like a gourmet meal - unforgettable.
Some are like fast food - tasty and filling but not memorable. The Engagement Arrangement is the latter.. A fun, spicy read about a fake engagement. Enjoyable but not memorable. I don't mean any disrespect to the author - sometimes we all need a little fast food in our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
Some books are like a gourmet meal - unforgettable.
Some are like fast food - tasty and filling but not memorable. The Engagement Arrangement is the latter.. A fun, spicy read about a fake engagement. Enjoyable but not memorable. I don't mean any disrespect to the author - sometimes we all need a little fast food in our lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
bananatricky's review against another edition
3.0
Brenna Bellini's family own a vineyard and wedding event business. She and her father run the vineyard while one of her sisters is a wedding planner and the other manages the finances. When one of Brenna's friends organises her wedding at the vineyard and asks Brenna to be a bridesmaid, she is thrilled, until that is she discovers that her ex-husband Mitchell with his new wife and Brenna's arch-nemesis Allison are not only attending the wedding, but Allison is the matron of honour.
In order to head off Allison's insults and pity at still being single (and living with her parents), Brenna persuades Finn Nolan, a cowboy who works for her father, to be her pretend fiancé for the long weekend of the wedding.
Finn has been in love with Brenna for ever, so he jumps at the chance to show Brenna how could they could be together, and he'd do anything to protect her from Allison's spiteful barbs.
So the book I requested from NetGalley had a modern, pastel-coloured, drawing on the front. It gave off a modern, humorous, kooky vibe. However, the cover of the book on Goodreads reveals its true personality much better, and, TBH, I would not have requested a book with such an old-fashioned vibe from the cover.
I must confess I have no idea what an Irish cowboy could possibly do in a vineyard but I let that slide. Finn and Brenna gave off a very old-fashioned vibe and I didn't really feel a connection to either character. I persevered with reading this but TBH I could easily and happily have given up after 20%.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
In order to head off Allison's insults and pity at still being single (and living with her parents), Brenna persuades Finn Nolan, a cowboy who works for her father, to be her pretend fiancé for the long weekend of the wedding.
Finn has been in love with Brenna for ever, so he jumps at the chance to show Brenna how could they could be together, and he'd do anything to protect her from Allison's spiteful barbs.
So the book I requested from NetGalley had a modern, pastel-coloured, drawing on the front. It gave off a modern, humorous, kooky vibe. However, the cover of the book on Goodreads reveals its true personality much better, and, TBH, I would not have requested a book with such an old-fashioned vibe from the cover.
I must confess I have no idea what an Irish cowboy could possibly do in a vineyard but I let that slide. Finn and Brenna gave off a very old-fashioned vibe and I didn't really feel a connection to either character. I persevered with reading this but TBH I could easily and happily have given up after 20%.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
jaimereadsromance's review against another edition
3.0
This was the second book in the series and a good friends to lovers romance but nothing about the story really stood out to make it great. Brenna was kind of unlikeable as a character but Finn made the book.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
ssejig's review
3.0
I had enjoyed the first book in this series and thought that the second looked like it might be fun as well and friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Fake relationship is a trope that I don't mind (not catnip; not something I avoid) but it was interesting to me that so little of the book was actually spent with Brenna and Finn actually having to pretend to be in a relationship when it is literally in the title of the book. There are a few chapters where Brenna needs Finn to pretend to be her fiance so that her ex-husband and his new wife (Brenna's high school BFF turned worst enemy) can't gloat. Then there is a larger part where they are moving toward a real relationship with a couple of chapters thrown in for faking the relationship again though that seemed to be mostly for Brenna mending fences.
Finn Nolan has loved Brenna Bellini ever since he arrived at her family's vineyard after his parents died. Now that she needs a buffer for an upcoming wedding, he's ready to make her see that he can be more than just part of the family.
Finn Nolan has loved Brenna Bellini ever since he arrived at her family's vineyard after his parents died. Now that she needs a buffer for an upcoming wedding, he's ready to make her see that he can be more than just part of the family.
addieyoder's review
4.0
This is my first book by Jaci Burton and her twist on a cowboy romance definitely worked for me. I loved the winery setting and the wedding business. It gave me big nostalgia for Nora Roberts wedding trilogy from several years ago. I like a series with connecting characters, so the sisters and friends of these books is right up my alley. Brenna and Finn's fake engagement provided all of the tension and steam and fun that a good fake relationship story is known for and placing that in a situation with loveable characters, cute dogs and lots of outdoor fun created a story that definitely kept me reading after a run of just ok books. I am definitely keeping my eyes out for Honor's book!
mollysreadingadventure's review
3.0
- This is book 2 in The Boots and Bouquets series by Jaci Burton. I loved the first one (Best Man Plan) but this one just was not as good.
- This is a workplace/fake dating romance story. Brenna has to be a bridesmaid in a wedding with her ex-husbands new wife so she wants to pretend that she is happily engaged. So she picks the man who helps run her parents vineyard with her.
- The saving grace of this book was the puppies that they adopted and the wine. I’m a sucker for cute puppies and wine.
- Finn, the hero, was just okay. He was an Irish cowboy with so much potential but it just didn’t work for me.
- This is a workplace/fake dating romance story. Brenna has to be a bridesmaid in a wedding with her ex-husbands new wife so she wants to pretend that she is happily engaged. So she picks the man who helps run her parents vineyard with her.
- The saving grace of this book was the puppies that they adopted and the wine. I’m a sucker for cute puppies and wine.
- Finn, the hero, was just okay. He was an Irish cowboy with so much potential but it just didn’t work for me.