My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

Narrated by Imogen Wilde

Standalone Fake Marriage RomCom

Thank you Macmillan Audio for an early copy of this for review

I didn’t read My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein that long ago, but my menopause brain strikes again because I forgot I even read it. Once I saw the blurb and skimmed a few reviews, it all came back—this was the one with the painfully shy virgin hero who says “golly” and “oh fudge” but also has a surprisingly filthy mind once things heat up.

Beck is a cardigan-wearing, bow-tie-rocking sweetheart with no self-esteem and zero experience. He panics during a workplace confrontation and lies about being married, so Connie, his curvy, confident neighbor, steps in and insists on pretending to be his wife at an out-of-town writers’ retreat. They barely know each other, and now they’re sharing a room and faking forever.

“Life is too short to live it based on someone else’s idea of cool.”

The book is told in first person, present tense, which isn’t my usual preference, and I definitely noticed it early on. It added a raw, introspective feel that worked for the story, though it took a bit to get used to. I also noted some word repetition, but I honestly can’t say if it was in the writing or just the way it was narrated.

There’s not a lot of plot here. The focus is on the characters, the slow burn, and the emotional development. Beck might not be your typical swoony book boyfriend, but the way his filthy thoughts contrast with his sweet, nerdy awkwardness really worked for me. It was weird, hot, and endearing all at once. But I will say, once they started doing the deed, the book veered into more sex than story territory.

The Narration:

Imogen Wilde’s performance was pleasant, especially for Connie’s dry humor, but Beck’s intense awkwardness didn’t always come through the way I imagined. I had to rewind more than normal because I spaced out. It wasn’t bad—it just didn’t elevate the story the way I’d hoped.

Likes:

Nerdy virgin hero who surprises you.
Curvy, body-positive heroine.
Fake marriage with forced proximity.
Slow burn with lots of sexual tension.
Quirky, tender, and steamy.
Opposites attract.
They both had good character growth.
It was really a fun read.

Dislikes:

Despite it being unique in that he’s the nerdy shy one, I still really struggle to remember it 2 weeks later.
His nerdiness was over-exaggerated.
First-person present tense might not be for everyone.
Some word repetition.
I would have liked to hear his POV.

The Down & Dirty:

A slow-burning, spicy, fake marriage romance featuring a nerdy virgin hero with a dirty mind and a confident, curvy heroine who takes charge. It’s awkward and steamy in equal parts, and somehow, that combo worked for me while reading it, but I forgot the story as soon as I finished..