The Fiancee Farce

A Novel

By: Alexandria Bellefleur

Narrated by: Lauren Sweet

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage of convenience...

Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.

Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.

Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…

©2023 Alexandria Bellefleur (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Another hit from Bellefleur

I’ve listened to Bellefleur’s three previous books and this is another hit.

The fake fiancée trope gets a bit of a fresh take here, but let’s be honest, it’s a trope.

Smartly written with good pacing, this is a fun queer romcom with just enough heat.

The characters are well built and diverse. Foreshadowing is used wisely but leaving some surprises, and of course, we get the HEA.

Having lived in the Seattle area, I love reliving fond memories, and the mention of one of our favorite restaurants, Purple Cafe, made me smile and laugh. However, readers unfamiliar with Seattle won’t have a hard time picturing the landscape and lifestyle.

The use of the same narrator for all four books, who has a distinctive vocal styling that sets her apart from the pack, makes these books feel like being with an old friend, comforting and relaxing me into the story. At the same time, she is able to create distinct voices for a wide variety of characters, and voices them well.

Most definitely worth spending my credit on!

Lovely

Charming, laugh out loud funny at times. Really enjoyed the book and the performance. Highly recommend.

I'm telling everyone that this book is wonderful.

I only wish that I had known about the wonderful authors and narrators sooner. You people make my life easier since my partner of 31 years died last year. Thank you.

Lovely narrator

Great narrator. The relationship went by a little too fast for me, I would have loved to see their relationship unfold in more detail and over a longer period of time.

Overall great book! Amazing narrator.

Tugged at my heart strings

I really enjoyed this book. Just goes to show you never know how things will finally work out. Narrator was great.

Read this book!!

If I had gone by the cover or the description of the book I would not have read this because the cover does not do it justice and I've read so many fake fiance/wife stories. However I bought this book based on who the author is, because I love her other books, and I'm so glad I did because this book is so good! Honestly I could listen to it again right after having finished it! Use а credit, you won't regret it!!

Smart story

Another hit from the author. What I liked most about this book? 1) The main characters were smart, and 2) they stayed smart all through the book. Too many books in this category rely on miscommunication, misinterpretation, bone-headed decisions. and mind numbing stupidity to create "conflict" and drive the narrative. While there was plenty of opportunity for those thi ga to occur, the MCs here started smart, and stayed smart. The result? A refreshingly believable - albeit improbable - story, with a plot that never felt contrived or forced, and characters that stayed true to who they were. Great job.

I Was So Invested

I have never listened to a book where I was emotionally invested as I was. I felt that I was transported into the life of Tansy Adams. I have never felt the emotional highs and lows as I felt listening.

AMAZING

Absolutely LOVED IT!!!! Alexandria's books never disappoint me. I resonated so much with tansi especially over these past few weeks I've had and it was great to have this book help me through it. amazing job!

Very enjoyable

Great short line and an enjoyable book to listen to. I couldn’t put it down