Marriage of convenience but falling in love! One of my favorite tropes because they’re fun. This book was very well written. It had my attention since the beginning. So much was going down so day then the book slowed down for a bit but want to slow. I love the main characters. I definitely related to Gayle as being the oldest and having the responsibility sense. Sometimes you just need to put yourself first!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

My Fiance Favor is that feel good romance for the masses !!! Joanna Kimber made the characters come alive on page and as a reader who envisions every aspect I thoroughly enjoyed.

A quick, romantic read with just the right amount of tension and a hint of spice. This is a romantic quickie that's perfect for the real lovers! I absolutely loved how realistic the characters felt and how well the author centered romance without raunchiness (there is only one mildly spicy scene). My only critique is that the book was a little too short lol. I would've loved to snuggle up with this book over the long weekend but I finished this up in a day (it's about 205 pages).

ARC Review
Title: The Fiance Favor
Author: Joanna Kimber

Gayle's been through so much—working herself to the bone to keep her family afloat, only to have everything ripped away in a heartbeat. Suddenly she's on the run, landing in a quiet coastal town she’s never even heard of, completely alone.

That’s where she meets Jiraiya—the owner of a struggling B&B that desperately needs her touch. Their deal is simple: she helps fix up the place, and he gives her a place to stay. But what starts as a business arrangement quickly turns into something much deeper. The townspeople are quirky and lovable—but it's the slow burn between Gayle and Jiraiya that really got me. He sees her. Not just the pretty face or the tough exterior—he sees the woman underneath, and it’s everything.

The emotional depth in this story was beautiful—Gayle’s vulnerability, Jiraiya’s complicated family dynamics (can we get more of that in a sequel, please?), and the slow, steady unfolding of trust and love had my heart in knots.

Then just when things feel like they might finally be okay, reality crashes back in. Gayle’s time is running out, and the only way she might be able to stay? A fake marriage to the very man who’s gotten under her skin.

If you’re in the mood for 24 chapters of heartfelt romance that blends found family, cultural richness, and slow-burn magic, add this to your list! This is my first Joanna Kimber book, and it won’t be my last.

📖 Releases July 8 on Amazon – go preorder it!
Thanks @netgalley & Joanna Kimber for this!

As a first generation American in my family I really enjoyed this book. For her character to have kind of a small role in the story, reading Gayle’s mother felt like falling into a warm hug. I cried and laughed and cried laughing! This was definitely a slow ass burn but I believe it was well worth the wait. The chemistry and steam between Gayle and Jiraiya was so good and hot. As someone who religiously binge watches 90-Day Fiance this book actually fed me a little bit. The trials and tribulations Gayle had to go through as an immigrant in migrating to America is a tale as old as time but I like that this was one with a happy ending. Outside of being a first gen American I resonated with Gayle so much as the eldest daughter in my family. I hurt with Gayle for all the sacrifices she had to make for her siblings because I’ve been there. The frustration I had with Jayelle is beyond me but I understand the desperate desire to want to make a way. Esp when you don’t have much. I love that Gayle was able to find family in Crescent Bay. The way Gayle’s new community accepted and assured her is truly the American Dream. I will say, for a book titled The Fiancée Favor I kinda wish there was more time of them being fiancé’s? Like, I enjoyed the way it was written but the idea of having to get married doesn’t even come to her til 50% of the book. I’d love to read a second part to this story on how they navigate having children and the cultural differences between the two and how they love each other through them. This was a great read and a really warming way to wrap up Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Thank you for allowing me to read this!

I admit I had a difficult time getting into this at first. The reason Gayle had to escape from Jamaica seemed kind of convoluted, and the beginnings of her relationship with Jiraiya were clunky at best. I didn’t know if I was going to like this, BUT as the story continued it found its flow and I began to enjoy myself. The novel really picks up and finds its footing once Gayle and Jiraiya get married. That’s when the chemistry between them began to feel natural and easy. Where I didn’t find them convincing as a possible couple before, I started to fall in love with them as they fell in love with each other. I loved how once they got together, they were open and honest with each other. There was no silly third act breakup, no miscommunication trope, it was just two people falling in love and finding strength and family in each other. Despite the slow and at times confusing start, I really came to enjoy this.

I enjoyed reading this book. An eldest daughter from Jamaica having to flee the country for safety? This book comes at a perfect time when the country we currently live in doesn’t care about our immigrants. I wanted more of Jiraiya’s family dynamics and I needed the little sister to get more of a punishment 😂 but Gayle was so selfless for her family and really didn’t know how to accept help. I enjoyed this book and wouldn’t mind even getting some more spicy scenes from them because the build up was great.

Gayle is the definition of an eldest daughter who flees to America from Jamaica. The book is set in a small coastal town where Gayle and Jiraiya meet. The unlikely pair is really cute in how they interact, and I loved the small-town feel of how everyone was so kind to each other. The supporting characters were a great addition to the book. I loved how Jiraiya was a sweet soul and his facial expressions showed it all, but most importantly, how he loved others. There were small details I feel were rushed, and I wish more information were drawn out on those, especially how they affect the characters’ development and storyline.

Oh my word! I ATE this book up; it was so good.

Gayle is an immigrant from Jamaica, hoping to escape a mess that she didn’t make when she finds refuge with Jiraiya, an owner of a bed and breakfast that needs a deeper makeover.

Gayle has a degree in hospitality and Jiraiya has a home and American-born citizenship. They need each other, desperately.

Jiraiya is what book boyfriends are made of: charming, sweet, attentive, observant, patient, and understanding.

Gayle is the most deserving woman of the a man like him. She spent her whole life caring for others and she got to be soft with Jiraiya.

This story was so refreshing and had the perfect amount of drama and romance which kept me hooked in every chapter. I finished it in one day, and I need more 😂 Plus love a good slow burn and this one delivered, plus the “that’s my wife” moments in this marriage of convenience were everything!

I loved the cultural elements that gave someone like me a taste of Jamaican life without overwhelming me and leaving me lost (thank you for the glossary!)

Character development, the romance, the moments of almost spice that lead up to the burn, the found family, were all perfect.

This is definitely a book I will come back to over and over when I’m on the mood for romance. Thank you to netgalley for the ARC and Ms. Kimber for her amazing story.

This book releases on JULY 8th on Amazon. Preorder it today 😁