Book Review: My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

 

Title: My Big Fate Fake Marriage
Author: Charlotte Stein
Genre: Romance
Publication Date: March 25th, 2025
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Something has to give... Could it be her heart?

Connie has always distrusted nice guys. In her experience, they’re just waiting to reveal some horrible secret. And then she meets big, adorable, Henry Samuel Beckett—editor extraordinaire, lover of bow ties, sweet and so cheery she struggles to believe he’s real.

Until Henry Samuel Beckett—or Beck, as he’s known to most—tells her the secret underneath his sunny surface: He’s been single all his life. But in a moment of panic, he’s told everyone at his publishing house that he’s married. And when Connie, an aspiring writer herself, can’t help defending him, she ends up being the fake wife he doesn’t actually have.

When they head off on a writing retreat, surrounded by people convinced this must be a ruse, both of them can't help but agree. Until they share their first kiss, their first touch, their first time in only one bed. Side by side, every night, as the simmering tension builds…Connie starts to wonder if this might be real after all.

 Rating

*I received this book digitally for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily*

Hello Fellow Readers,

This is my first read of 2025, and it's a five-star? How delightful. I hope this sets the reading tone for this year because I am ready for more great reads. The main female character, Hazel, was amazing. At a glance, you may think she is self-confident, but it becomes fairly obvious that her self-confidence needs a pick-me-up. From an overly critical mother to very, very, very awful ex-boyfriends, Hazel needs someone to love her and understand that she can be successful and loved.

In comes Beck, the nerdy, inexperienced teddy bear of a man, who has made up a wife because he didn't want Doug (screw you Doug) to tease him. Hazel steps up thinking she could put Doug (screw you Doug) in his place, not realizing that this will unlock exactly what she needs. Beck and Hazel's chemistry is off the charts and the spice is *Chef's Kiss*. Beck may just be the fake book husband of my dreams and I feel sorry for any book MMC love interest that has to compare. 

Overall, a delightfully hot read in my favorite trope.