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Review / Blog Tour: The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead




Book Summary:

A laugh-out-loud rom-com about learning to embrace living outside your comfort zone.

As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she’s dumped for being too meek—in bed!—she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis’s opposite—and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly—and shockingly—flees.

Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career—and jeopardize Alexis’s job—until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?


MY REVIEW

After being dumped by her jerk boyfriend, for being "boring and mousy," Alexis decides to find a man to boost her confidence. Wearing a gorgeous, daring dress, she finds a savior who fends off a jerk who won't leave her alone at the bar. But when she and the gorgeous guy are caught in a seemingly compromising position, he runs off! Now she's being hounded by paparazzi when he comes to her with a fake dating proposal. He'll look good to the voting public, and she'll stop being bothered by the press. What could possibly go wrong...


Fake dating combined with light politics = a great combination. I love this pair of opposites. I love that he fell first, even if he did fight it, and I loved most reading as Alexis grew as she gained confidence and strength. Logan and Alexis' chemistry is electric, their banter is witty and funny, and I really couldn't stop reading, rooting them on with each page.



Author Bio:
Ashley Winstead 2021 breakout thriller was In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. Her 2022 romance debut, Fool Me Once, was an Amazon Editor’s Best Romance as well as a USA Today, PopSugar, New York Post, and Goodreads best or most anticipated romance of the year. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and optioned for film/TV.


PRAISE:
“Winstead [] brings both hilarity and heartfelt moments to this rousing rom-com….Readers will cheer Alexis on her path to discovering her inner strength and swoon over idealistic Logan. This is a winner.” -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred Review “This slow-burn, fake-relationship romantic comedy has likable protagonists with instant chemistry….This is a fast-paced, hard-to-put-down novel whose happily-ever-after isn’t what readers will expect; it’s better.” -LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred Review

"Charming....Told in Alexis’ fresh first-person voice, this heartwarming romance has both poignant introspection and a hero who sacrifices his dignity when faced with kittens and gerbils." –BOOKPAGE, STARRED REVIEW

“Mixing political and romantic intrigue, Winstead's novel combines the darker side of politics with the lighter side of life. With a few steamy encounters and a ripped-from-the-headlines feel, The Boyfriend Candidate will appeal to fans of Lianne Moriarty, Ellen Meister, Amy Mason Doan, and anyone looking for a little more escapism in their political diet.” - BOOKLIST

"The Boyfriend Candidate is everything I've ever wanted in a romance. Charming, swoony, and utterly unputdownable. I LOVE this book (and also Logan Arthur)!" -Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number

“THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE is my favorite kind of romance: one where the couple learns to fall in love with themselves as much as they fall for each other. Winstead seamlessly weaves romantic tension and tenderness, with her signature comedic timing and a charming cast of characters. Ashley makes it easy to vote for Logan Arthur as your next book boyfriend.” -Ruby Barrett, author of The Romance Recipe

"The Boyfriend Candidate catches fire, sizzles throughout and then bursts into flames. Highly recommend!" -Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Part of Your World

“An introverted children's librarian and a modern-day reformed rake come together in THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE, a romance that's simultaneously sexy and sensitive, brimming with keen humor, impeccable romantic tension, and a lively supporting cast that leaps off the page. It's a story about breaking rules, reclaiming control of our internal narratives, and having the courage to rewrite expectations for ourselves--and for love. With Alexis and Logan, Ashley Winstead has written my favorite kind of opposites-attract romance: the kind where the leads aren't really opposites at all--they're simply two different halves of the same whole.” -- Jen Devon, author of Bend Toward the Sun

"I devoured THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE in one sitting. Ashley Winstead effortlessly creates an atmosphere that is both grounded and goofy, characters that are both flawed and lovable, and a romance that feels both heightened and real—plotted and paced like the master she is." -Ava WIlder, author of Will They or Won't They

“I am feral for The Boyfriend Candidate. With delightful banter, steamy chemistry, and ridiculously yummy characters, this book is what fake-dating dreams are made of. Ashley Winstead once again proves she’s an absolute force in the rom-com genre, every book becoming a new favorite.” —Mazey Eddings, author of A Brush with Love

"As sexy as it is sincere, The Boyfriend Candidate is an absolute winner. Laugh out loud funny, and full of heart; I adored Alexis and Logan's love story. The Boyfriend Candidate is a romance worth rooting for: sexy and sweet, with characters that stay with you long after the last page. I couldn't put it down." –Kate Spencer, author of In a New York Minute

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