An Amazon Top-100 Bestseller!My name is Courtney Jane Salinger…and I’m sick of games.Sick of the Friday night bar-scene-cum-meat-market. Sick of the boy-girl, man-woman, mars-venus, flirtation-without-expectation, game-playing nonsense.Sick of awful dates and one-night stands, booty calls and guys who don’t call back, mixed messages or NO messages and—and—and…I’m sick of all of it. I’m done.I … and—and—and…I’m sick of all of it.
I’m done.
I just can’t do it anymore.
It’s too hard, and worse: little by little, it’s making me hard.
It’s breaking my heart.
What DO I want?
That’s easy.
I want a house in suburbia with a white picket fence.
I want babies to buckle into a minivan.
But most of all, I want to be married.
I want a husband.
So I’ve made an important decision: I’m making my escape from the dating world and the single life.
I’ve filled out my application on ArrangeMe.com and I’m putting my fate into the hands of experts.
Is it a little scary?
Sure.
I mean, I have no idea who I’ll end up with. After all, I’m planning to marry a complete stranger.
But between you and me?
I can’t wait.
Being arranged can’t possibly be worse than being single.
Can it?
more
What an interesting concept! Courtney is sick of dating – “one-night stands and booty calls and guys who don’t call back and mixed messages, or no messages” – and she wants to skip it all and just get married. She signs up for a service that will choose the perfect mate for her.
Josh is a bartender with big dreams. He’s been serving drinks to Courtney and her friend Dina for a year, and suddenly when she proclaims her desire to get married ASAP, he begins to see her in a new light. She’s determined to use the service she signed up for, and he’s determined to change her mind.
This is a well-written, funny, sexy book…with a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all turns out in book 2!
This was a great take on the tv show married at first site. This author really took the concept and made it her own and totally unique. I love when an author can bring you to the edge of your set and make you think…. what’s going to happen next. While I found some parts fairly predictable, I also was shocked at others. I laughed, got irritated, and just overall enjoyed the story as a whole. I know my review is vague but with the twists and turns this book makes I don’t want to risk spoilers. Just know that it was an enjoyable read and you will likely read it in one sitting. I know I did and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next for these characters. 4 stars #2OCCJD
4.5 – 5 Stars
This was such a fun and unique read, I loved it! I was intrigued by the idea of this book, a woman tired of the dating world, ready to get out of the game and get married and deciding to go with an arranged marriage, and I have to be honest and say I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I did. Katy Regnery does a fantastic job of bringing these characters and this story to life. I’ve definitely enjoyed many of Katy’s books and I think this is my favorite, although I need book 2 NOW!
I don’t want to spoil anything about this book, it’s all part of the fun. Though I will say that I loved Courtney and really everyone in this book. I fell in love so hard and I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what was going to happen! It is a must read, it made me laugh and swoon and fall in love and everything along the way. I’m so ready for the second part of this story!
I don’t know how many of you have seen Marriage at First Sight, but this book is kind of like that. Courtney is tired of the dating scene. She is tired of wasting her time on men that only want sex and not the marriage. While at her local bar with her friend she decides she is going to find her husband and soon. So Courtney signs up to Arrangeme.com who promises to find her match within a few months. Needless, to say her friend and bartender friend Josh is entirely against it.
Josh and Courtney have always flirted and had an unspoken bond. But neither have ever acted on it; there is just too much riding on Josh keeping his job. But when he finds out that Courtney has signed up for Arrangeme.com, Josh knows he has to make a move, or he will lose her forever.
When I started this book I really didn’t know how it was going to go, but I have to admit I couldn’t put it down. I was a little heartbroken to find out that it ended on a cliffy. I did not know that when I started this book. I enjoyed this book greatly and can’t wait to see what the next book brings us.
I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this book, but knowing that I enjoyed the author’s previous works, I was eager to sit down with it. I have to say, it didn’t disappoint!
Let me get the negative out of the way first: this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I absolutely hate! That being said, this is one of the better ways to have a cliffhanger: we have a happy-for-now ending, and while we know that there are some unresolved issues, we do have hope that things will work out for the best. If you have to do a cliffhanger, this is definitely the way to do it! Kudos to you, Ms. Regnery, for turning a hated plot device into a positive for this story!
Now, on to the positives! I really enjoyed reading this! It was a rather unique premise, and much better than some Contemporary Mail Order Bride stories that I’ve read previously! I love that Courtney knew herself and her mind that well, and wasn’t afraid to go after what she really wanted. I loved how her realization hit Josh like a blow to the head and saw her in a new light because of it. I loved the friendship and love that grew between them, in such a short amount of time! I especially loved Josh’s over the top gesture in order to fulfill Courtney’s dreams! It was such an “AWW!” moment for me!
This book left me both satisfied and eager for more. I can’t wait to read the conclusion!
This is a completely different side of Katy and We are in love with it!
I have never considered an arranged marriage before but thanks to Katy I’m not completely opposed to the idea.
This book could have gone south or became an instant hit. Hello hit worthy book!
I fell in love with Josh from the get go and Courtney is just the icing on the cake.
How far would You be willing to go for the girl You love but doesn’t want you?
We simply can not wait for book 2!
Arrange Me is the first title in the Arranged Duo.
Courtney Jane Salinger is tired of the whole dating scene. She’s ready for a commitment and signs up for an arranged marriage, sight unseen. She’s successful, intelligent, driven, sweet and determined.
Arrange Me is a sweet, and fun heartfelt story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to Arrange Us.
I was smitten with this book as soon as I read the blurb. Married at First Sight is one of my favorite reality shows, and a romance that has a similar premise is totally my jam. Courtney is tired of dating, tired of being let down and being ghosted. She’s really for a full fledged commitment; she wants to get married.
The first book in this duet takes us on the journey of life getting in the way of Courtney’s grand plan of having an arranged marriage. The saying that life happens while we’re busy making plans is too true. This story is packed with a sweet, slow burn, chemistry that makes the pages sizzle and an ending that leaves me dying for more. What will happen to Courtney’s HEA? Is marriage and life as simple as she thinks it will be? Will her marriage be for better and for worse? And will this brand new union stand the test of familial challenges and misunderstandings. I look forward to finding out!!
4 Can Someone Else Find Her HEA for Her?
This book was such a fun read. It’s charming and engaging and different in the world of romance! Courtney is a woman that’s always dreamed of having the perfect house with a white picket fence, husband and children. As she sees her thirtieth butter coming up quickly, and having no real prospects, why not take a leap and let ArrangeMe.com find her “soul mate?”…if only it were that easy.
Just when she’s signed on the dotted line, Josh finally decides to acknowledge he has feelings for her but he can’t give her what she’s looking for so it just may be too late for them…or is it?
Ms. Regnery did a fabulous job of writing a story that takes match making to an entirely new level. I loved the secrecy of the setup in that Courtney won’t see the man she’s marrying until their wedding day. Talk about the ultimate leap in faith! The characters are all so well developed and had me falling in love with them. In some ways I connected with Courtney and wanting what I dreamed about as a little girl…my very own HEA. But life takes us on a different path sometimes and we don’t always get what it is we think we want….is that the case with Courtney and this arranged marriage? Just when I thought the story was going one way, it takes a turn and these two threw a giant wrench some plans…will Courtney and Josh’s actions have a rippling effect on those people around them? This one left me with some questions and there’s sure to be some angst happening in the conclusion of their story!!
What a unique concept and fun book…although this does end on a cliffhanger.
So the whole idea of arranged marriage in the U.S. is a tough concept to grasp. Imagine being so sick of the dating game, the hope that leads to heartbreak, the loser first dates, the non-existent call back, all of it which leads someone to just want to skip it all to have their forever mate chosen for them.
Such is the decision by Courtney. Tough part is that she finally starts to see the hot bartender at her local Friday night bar as someone who could be more. Josh is definitely interested, but marriage is a long way off vs. dating.
“…my thoughts since the moment I saw her tonight haven’t even been in the same area code as ‘friendly'”.
So begins the tug and pull of these two and when Courtney decides to go ahead with her match from the matchmaking website….well things get really interesting.
“Beautiful. Smart. Funny. Kind…and brave. He’s the luckiest guy in the world, Courtney.”
This was a fun read although it is hard to believe someone could be that disillusioned with dating to go to such an extreme. But how she gets there is half the fun and then what happens after is even more fun!
I absolutely can’t wait for Book 2 to see how Courtney’s life turns out and if she really does find a forever mate. Fingers crossed, but I suspect it won’t be easy. Luckily it’s only two months away!
I voluntarily requested and read an uncorrected advance copy.
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~~ 4 HOPELESSLY ROMANTIC STARS! ~~
There you are, my heart whispers.
Katy Regnery captivates once again in ARRANGE ME, which puts a wildly innovative twist on the love and marriage trope! I always look forward to diving into this author’s books because she always manages to satiate my incurable romantic heart by drowning me in those breath-stealing, butterfly inducing feels that I crave so much in my escapist romances. And this refreshingly unique tale is NO exception!
PREMISE:
Courtney Jane Salinger, a 29 year old financial analyst, is very successful in her career but in finding love? Meh, not so much! She is sick to death of the dating merry go round—and she wants off it pronto! But the perpetually single bachelorette still wants a husband, family, the white picket fence. So what’s a marriage minded gal to do? Well, she finds the ideal solution—or so she thinks—when she happens upon a TV commercial for “arrange-me-too.com,” a marriage matchmaking service which promises to match her up with her “perfect mate.”
Cool huh?
Now after filling out the thirty-page application, it’s just a matter of taking a leap of faith, picking out her dress and flowers, and hopefully living happily ever after. But complications arise when her innocent flirtation with Josh Dalton, her favorite hottie bartender at Tidewaters Bar & Grille., morphs from platonic friendship to the possibility of MORE. She always thought the handsome Adonis was out of her league but now the fierce gravitational pull between them catches them both off guard. And truth be told, Josh possesses all the traits she covets in a husband. But the point is moot since he is struggling to make it as a professional playwright and not looking to settle down. Now with her heart suddenly divided, can Courtney still follow through with her plans to marry a complete stranger…or does fate have other plans in store for our blushing bride to be??
MY MUSINGS:
While ARRANGE ME (book one in the Arranged duo) is a departure from Katy Regnery’s previous books–it’s lighter and more whimsical in tone than her usual fare–it still swept me off of my feet and totally delivered threefold on the SWEETNESS and the SWOON and the WHIRLWIND ROMANCE!
I have always been fascinated by the concept of arranged marriage and I really like the author’s modern, unconventional approach to an age old tradition! This story, which is set in the Big Apple, reels you in right away as we are drawn into Courtney’s word. I found the curvy beauty to be sweet, smart, funny, kind… and yes, a tad too idealistic and stubborn for her own good. But honestly? That’s what makes her so endearing. Because she’s got some “quirks” and is NOT perfect…she’s just hoping to secure her own slice of happiness with a good, honest, loving partner who will stand by her through good times and bad, sickness and health. But the perfect man might have been right under her nose all along…
And Josh… Sighhhh. Talk about perfect book husband material! Let me count the ways I FREAKING LOVED “Josh-the-brooding -bartender.” He’s sweet and gruffly charming, movie star handsome, oozes charisma and rugged masculinity, and has a heart of pure chivalrous gold. And I would totally choose this smexy playwright as my forever mate if given the chance!
But even though he secretly has a thing for Courtney, he’s friend zoned her because, well, with his lofty career aspirations his life is busy and complicated and love and marriage are the last things on his mind. But then he catches wind of the extreme measures Courtney’s about to take to ensure marital bliss, and the thought of her following through with her “arranged marriage bs” and getting hitched to another man throws him for a loop. And ticks him off bigtime!!! But her mind is made up.
OR IS IT?
I am not gonna divulge how everything plays out, but I WILL spill that Ms. Regnery excels at sweet, torturous, slow boiling romance and this book sure follows that path! Courtney and Josh are just SO ADORABLE together, share a COMBUSTIBLE CHEMISTRY—and a mutual love for the theater!!! Their steamy sparks, witty banter and wistful longing for each other sure lit my kindle on fire, and the extent that these two hopeless romantics go to try to make all their dreams come true made my heart thud like crazy in my chest!
And eeep… talk about delicious anticipation!! After that prologue, which so brilliantly sets the stage for the wedding drama that’s about to unfold, I was on pins and needles, breathlessly flipping the pages, dying to find out whether Courtney actually makes it down the aisle to say “I do.” Or, alternatively, if she gets cold feet at the last moment and pulls a runaway bride act!
But, alas, this “marriage at first sight” tale ends on an itty bitty cliffy so while we get some answers to those burning questions, we will have to wait for the sequel to find out whether our beloved heroine and her mystery groom actually get to ride off into the sunset together. Or whether the honeymoon is over before it’s even begun! But the good news is that we don’t have to wait long for the sequel. ARRANGE US is coming on May 20…and I can’t flipping wait!
BOTTOM LINE:
ARRANGE ME is a sweet and charming and swooningly romantic confection that’s written in the stars!
I’ve long found arranged marriages fascinating, and when I heard about Arrange Me, I knew I had to read it. Arrange Me was a sweet beginning to what promises to be a captivating love story, and I can’t wait to see how things work out for Courtney and her man in the next book, Arrange Us. I had, for the most part, figured out what was going to happen in this story before the end of chapter one, but I still enjoyed the ride.
While I did like Courtney, I often found her singlemindedness frustrating. She seemed to be so focused on a single outcome she couldn’t see what was going on right in front of her. I know we’re all guilty of it, but, man, there were several times I just wanted to shake her! I will give her credit for going after what she wanted and not settling for anything less, though. Despite how hard she was on herself, she seemed to have an inner strength that served her well as she was going after her goals. I can’t wait to see how she manages all of the unknowns of her new life as her story continues.
I have a couple of wishes for this novel. The first was a scene that I was desperately looking forward to, that was skipped over. I’m hoping there will be a flashback to that scene in the next book, because I felt let down by its exclusion, right now. The second was a single line when one of the narrators breaks the ‘fourth wall,’ I always find that jarring and bizarre, and I wish the line had been changed or just deleted.
Arrange Me is the first book in Katy Regnery’s Arranged Duo. The books are one continuous story written in two volumes and must be read in order. Arrange Me is written in dual first-person perspective.
4.5 Stars -Like with all Katy Regnery books I have read, the writing is fantastic and pulls you in right away. Her characters are fully developed and I enjoy the range of emotions they feel (and in turn I feel). I laughed, I felt sadness, I felt giddy and happy and some parts made me shake my head in wonder at the situation and the fact that she’s applied to be arranged in marriage, however at the same time it feels like she is ready for it. So props to Ms. Regnery for writing Courtney well enough that I didn’t think she was crazy!
I enjoyed the book right up to the non-ending.. yep .. it’s a cliffhanger! I didn’t know this.. But that’s okay, I will just have to read the next book! Which looks like it comes out May 20th .. so not too long to wait!
* I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review *
~Paragraphs and Petticoats~
When I read the blurb for this book I was instantly intrigued and once I started I couldn’t put the book down until I had finished.
Courtney has had enough of dating and after seeing an advert on TV she signs up for an agency that arranges marriages. She thinks this is the perfect way to find the perfect person for her.
Josh is the local bartender who Courtney and her friend chat to every Friday night. The chemistry between him and Courtney is off the charts and hot AF. What starts off as friendship soon turns into more but with Courtney’s impending match and marriage, nothing can go further even though it makes Courtney question her decision and plan.
Oh how I loved Josh, he made me totally swoon. I loved how he went all out for the woman he couldn’t get off his mind.
I can’t wait for the next part of this duet after that cliffhanger.
What a great book! I was not expecting it to be so good, you know when you start a book and realize that the trope was done before, but as you read, the story is just on point. I really liked how they were friends and never acknowledged that they actually ‘saw’ each other. Just a bartender and a customer, but feelings were brewing every Friday night.
Was not expecting the ending, should have looked to see that it was a DUO… the cliffy was a good one! So be prepared. Cannot wait for the next book!
Walking down the aisle to your hubby-to-be, to a man you haven’t seen or talked to before your wedding day. Would you even consider the possibility? I know I wouldn’t… Courtney however sees being arranged as the answer to her ‘problems’. Arrange Me tells her cute and sweet story, I’ve enjoyed reading it and I can’t wait for the conclusion.
“Meet someone nice, get married, and live happily ever after. Why can’t it be that easy? Why the hell does it have to be so hard?”
Courtney has a good life; a great family, friends, a job she likes and her own apartment. But in one area of her life she’s not so successful… Her love life is non-existing, and Courtney is ready for so much more than just the weekend than just dating and hooking up. She dreams of being married and have that special bond with ‘the one’. Modern dating however is messy and tricky thing, and Court is just done with it. Enter a special website where singles are arranged … to be married… What can possibly go wrong?
“You have a plan. A good plan. A plan that sidesteps years of terrible worrying and wondering and heartbreak.” So that’s that.”
Oh Courtney… What shall I say… I get her frustration with dating and all. I’m not familiar with modern dating (no, I’m not that old, hihihi), but it sounds very frustrating and no fun at all. Especially when you’re looking for real love and not just fun between the sheets. Marrying a stranger based upon an analysis from a computer program however is a bit mindboggling for me. How about attraction and chemistry? But this is what Courtney wants, and does. Of course, she has her moments of doubt, but you know she will follow through. Quitting is not in her book.
Like other books by Katy Regnery I have read, Arrange Me is a cute and funny story, with its serious moments. The heroine in this book is a sweetheart who just wants to a happy life like so many other people have. At the end of the book Courtney is married and she and her hubby are a happy couple. But what will happen when they leave their bubble and return to the real world? I can’t wait for the second part of the ‘Arranged Duo’.
“We’re going to have a great life together, baby”. “You’re right.” She smiles bravely and nods. “It’s all going to be okay.”
Arrange Me was an absolutely wonderful story. This isn’t your typical romance story. Courtney Salinger is done with the dating life and is ready to get married. So she has decided to sign up at ArrageMeToo.com to have this matchmaking service find her a husband and marry him at first sight. The only problem is a bartender named Josh, will Courtney go through will this blind marriage?
Katy Regnery just has a way of writing characters that you will fall in love with. This book has one thing her other books don’t have – A Cliffhanger! It’s okay I can’t wait for the next book – Who am I kidding I Need to know what happens next!
Ok, I need a time machine STAT! I can’t wait till May to find out how this Arranged Marriage turns out!!! I forgot it was a duet and when I hit that last page, I was like – Whaattt?!?!?
Courtney is one of those girls that sets her mind to something and nothing can sway her into changing it. Like many women in the real word, she’s sick of the games from the dating world. She just wants to be loved, have a committed relationship and work toward having the family she dreams about. She has a great job, she even comes from a prominent family – she doesn’t need a man to support her, but she does want one to love her. Who can’t relate to that??
And once it’s all said and done? Katy Regnery does an incredible job of putting the reader in her shoes as question upon question invades her mind about the person she’s now committed to yet hardly knows. All those little things that you come to learn from your significant other is unanswered and Courtney finds herself getting overwhelmed at times as she flounders around those items that end up feeling significant. She’s also in a bit of a hurry to grab that picket fenced yard and minivan. She nearly gives the guy a heart attack. In her rush to fulfill the whole dream, she’s forgetting to live in the moment and enjoy this new person in her life. Get to know him. Cherish the time with him.
I’m way more than anxious to find out how this arrangement works out. I NEED to know what happens next!!! How is this all going to end up?!?!?!? It’s obvious they have some MAJOR hurdles coming their way…I don’t know how my nerves are gonna be able to stand it.
Until May 20th…
Arrange Me is the first book in a two part series. In it we meet Courtney, a 29 year old who is sick of dating and just wants to find the love of her life. She ends up signing up for an arranged marriage website hoping that this will help her find the happy ever after she is looking for. Courtney gets matched and then as the book progresses has to deal with the reality of a relationship with someone you really don’t know that well. Since this is book one of a duet, you really are left with loose ends. I found the premise very interesting and the book has a good mix of humor, romance, heat and some angst. I am interested to see what happens in the next book!
ARRANGE ME is the first book in The Arranged Duo so of course, this is a cliffhanger!
Courtney is an independent, hard working woman from a wealthy family. She’s beautiful and smart but she’s had rotten luck with dating and men. One night, while having a drink with her bestie in her favorite bar, she declares that she’s done dating. Courtney wants marriage and forever and she’s determined to skip the dating scene. Her friends have been listening to Courtney lament for the past year but they’re taken by surprise by her rash statement. Is an arranged marriage the way to go?
I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll go with some of my impressions instead. Believe it or not, this is my first arranged marriage read! The concept isn’t new to me, I just really was never too interested in the subject. It seems so archaic! But after meeting Courtney, I can see some of the advantages of having your spouse chosen for you…kind of. I mean, I may not totally agree with her but I can understand her reasons. I actually liked the first half of the book more than the last because the build up between “the intended” and Courtney was so sweet and sexy, it made my heart squeeze.
I was torn between loving Courtney and wanting to smack some sense into her! She was a bit naive, hoping that an arranged marriage would be easy (or easy-ER) than the traditional way. And then there was the groom-to-be. He was more of a realist, which was ironic since he was an aspiring playwright. They actually don’t have too much in common, she comes from money, he’s barely scraping by. She’s determined to make an arranged marriage work, he’s insanely skeptical about it all. But they are 100% attracted to each other.
This is a lighter, slow burn, swexy kind of read! In the end, it seems their marriage will be off to a rocky start. I’m looking forward to finding out how or IF Courtney and her husband will find their happy ever after. Told from dual POVs with a dubious cliffhanger. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.