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
4 stars!
Arrange Me gives us a new and unique take on the arranged marriage trope and one I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s sweet, heartwarming, and has really cute characters.
Courtney is lonely and tired of searching for the one. She wants to bypass the dating part of a relationship and jump right into marriage hoping it will heal the heartache of every failed date. Taking out of her hands and putting it into the hands of experts, Courtney has decided to have an arranged marriage, or more specifically, a marriage-at-first-sight.
Though an unusual tactic, I love that Courtney made such a bold decision. I understood her motives even if I wouldn’t do what she did, and it’s a risk but she faces it head on. She has it all planned out and nothing can go wrong… until she starts to fall for a guy who is definitely not part of the plan.
Courtney’s love interest is sweet and swoony, and I totally fell in love with him. I could feel the attraction grow between them and I wanted so much for them to be together. He is someone she can’t be with but longs for none the less. They both know that he isn’t a possible match and even if there could be a future between them, she isn’t going to risk failing once again. He doesn’t agree with her decision and would do anything to change her mind but she is set in her decision to follow through with the arranged marriage even if it will end up hurting them both in the end.
I was so intrigued with the storyline and couldn’t wait to see how things played out. I had ideas and wants and it did not disappoint. It’s fun and fresh and adorable. There’s heart, heat and surprises, and I could keep the smile off my face as the story unfolds. The ending is delightful but still leaves a ton of room for new plot developments. I can’t wait for more, Arrange Us is coming May 2019!!
Dive into Arrange Me today and find out what happens when Courtney lets the experts choose her match instead of her heart.
Arrange Me is the first book in The Arranged Duo duology(?) . Book 2 will feature the same couple and it’s the continuation of their story so keep that in mind before you begin this book. It doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but as expected a lot of things are left unresolved.
I have read and enjoyed some of Katy Regnery’s other books and that’s why I decided to request an early copy for this book. I can’t say that I had the best time while reading this one though. I couldn’t understand what was going on inside Courtney’s head. She was pushing Josh away for the idea of an arranged marriage, which let’s be honest had the potential of being a disaster. Josh is book boyfriend material and I felt sorry for the way she was treating him and after a point, I kept thinking that he deserved more.
There was a mystery behind the man Courtney is going to marry and the prologue did not help at all. I spend almost all the book wondering if Josh was going to be the groom by some miracle or if another man would be the one waiting to marry Courtney. I will let you find the answer to that when you reach that part of the book. I hope that Courtney will be more relax in the second book and I will be able to like her. May is not far away and I am happy about that. With a little hesitation, I would recommend the book.
Arrange Me is the perfect blend of humor and romance! While it’s the first in a book duo, you’re definitely given a happy ending, but with the promise of more to come in the sequel. Katy Regnery is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who’s been through the misery of dating, lol.
Who knew I’d love this as much as I do?? I loved the two characters, Courtney and Josh, and I really became invested in their lives.
Courtney is a single woman tired of dating who becomes disillusioned with the dating scene. She takes a stab at an…. unconventional way to meet someone. I really felt for her character and I applaud her for taking a chance.
Josh is a little more complicated and I worry for him. He’s got the most to lose in this story and really put it all on the line for Courtney. I just hope it works. I loved his distinction between the two of them–she was in it to be with someone while he was in it to be with her.
The ending is a shakeup and now I’m desperately waiting for May! Great read that’s a new direction for this author
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P7D9W4K?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_6H2Sf0nWPYb33
What an unconventional way to write a romance! Loved it! Waiting for the next one!
I loved this book!! I love reality TV shows and so when I read the blurb for this book, I was hooked.
Courtney is a 29-year-old woman who seems to have it all except for someone special to share it with. She is tired of the games that come along with dating and trying to find Mr. Right. She is ready to have her husband, kids, house with a white picket fence and all that without the drama of meeting someone and waiting months, if not years to see if it leads to marriage. After seeing a commercial for a reality show “Arrange Me” one evening, Courtney decides to take the leap and fill out an application to find her own spouse. What could possibly go wrong?
Courtney is a fantastic character and as a woman, I can totally identify with her and her distaste for the dating games. Courtney is putting her future in the hands of “experts” and hoping for a happy and lasting marriage. Her best friend, Dina, thinks she’s a bit crazy but I love how supportive she is. This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and I loved it! I loved that I thought I had things all figured out but Katy Regnery continued to surprise me. I thought this might be a quirky, rom-com but it had a lot more depth to it than I anticipated. This book kept my interest from start to finish and I can’t wait to see how Courtney’s story will end in the next book in this duo!!!
Arrange me is a book that drew my attention to the concept of an arranged marriage I was curious to see where the author would take the story and I am happy to say that I found this a refreshing story! light, sweet, funny, predictable and without much drama is one of those readings I needed after a Dark books.
I really enjoyed all of the characters here and it was a very quick read. This book was a very sweet and fun start to this duet and it made me anxious to know what the author is booking for these characters in the next book
Ok…here’s the deal…I loved this book but it got a little cliche’ towards the end.
So, basically this is the story of Courtney who is tired of the whole dating scene. She’s getting close to 30 and she just wants to settle down, but without all of the blah that comes with dating/breaking up. Courtney decides to apply for an arranged marriage on a popular website. The site claims that through expert matching, they will find your perfect mate. This sounds great to Court until she realizes that she might have feelings for a local bartender, Josh, that she’s known for about a year. Josh is hot, smart, and a playwright in NYC.
Here’s where the book drew me in. I love theatre! I mean LOVE IT! So the fact that they were in NYC AND they were in and out of the theatre scene hooked me right off the bat.
Back to the story…I can’t tell you how it ends but I can tell you that Courtney is determined to make this arranged marriage thing work and Josh is determined to win her favor. But who will she choose? I will say that the book was a little corny towards the end. However, I sped through the cheesy stuff and it turned out to be a really good book.
We meet Courtney Jane Salinger at a bar on Friday with her friend, Dina. She talks to her friend about being set up in an arranged marriage as she talks about how Dina, whose Indian is lucky that her parents will set her up if she wants to be after Courtney discusses watching a commercial for ArrangeMe.com, an arranged marriage website. She talks to Josh, the bartender and he invites her to see his friend’s play at Lincoln Center. Josh gives Courtney a shirt and lets her change in the employee lounge after a drunk guy spills his drink on her. Josh is a playwright from Minnesota living in New York.
This was my first book of Ms. Regnery’s. I absolutely loved it. Can’t wait to read Arrange Us.
I watched Married at First Sight it’s an interesting concept and while it’s not always for everyone it can work. It can also fail spectacularly, especially in the modern times. The arrange marriage trope is always good, I was curious where this would go. Katy Regnery took that MAFS concept and ran away with it, that show has it’sown pitfalls. Courtney has had a long string of bad dates and has had enough. She wants to gets married and signs up for it in a site, more importantly she’s after the whole happy ending. Life can be funny, while Courtney has her plans set up it drops a plot twist in oh so charming, witty and good looking bartender in her path Josh.
Even though she meets a good guy this time Courtney is determined as ever to go through her dream of getting married. If that’s matched stranger so be it. I honestly don’t get that but I can see where she’s coming from. I think she should not have been so rash, her expectations vs reality. She wanted a guaranteed ever after which isn’t always a given in these circumstances, I’ve seen some bad outcomes from this whole thing. I thought she had something nice starting with h Josh, he is actually a good guy even with his looks and they have tons in in common and chemistry. But of course you can’t stop the stubborn and determined, she was a frustrating at that point. It’s so complicated.
I liked Dina too she’s fun and a good balance to Courtney. The Broadway stuff is always good to read about, as a fan of musicals. Who will our heroine choose the easy sure way or the one that makes her heart beat? After all it’s after the I do that counts. This was fun, cute and pretty swoony, though I wasn’t sure on some bits it somehow it all turns out all good. I enjoyed the writing and the plot.
So fun and so sweet!!! I can’t believe we have to wait until May to read the second part!
The plot of this story is so unique, fun, and sweet story! Courtney has had it with dating. She’s been through her final bad date. She’s ready to find a husband. I loved her character; she’s strong, stubborn, and knows exactly what she wants and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about that.
I don’t want to spoil anything about this story beyond what is in the synopsis. I loved it so much and want you to go in with the same eyes I did.
I absolutely can not wait until May 20th, when we get to find out exactly how this arranged marriage turns out. I was so wrapped up in this story, that I forgot that this was a duet until I read, “The End.” For a minute I was upset but that quickly turned to excitement for the conclusion of this story.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
First off, the prologue sucked me in and I had to know. I don’t usually skip to the last chapter, and I was so tempted, but I managed not to. It was so worth it!!
This book was interesting to me because it kept throwing in perceived gender roles in married couples, and those were hardships for some of the characters to deal with.
This was a fantastic read, and I loved all the characters! I can’t wait for the next book!!
4 1/2 “committed” stars!
Courtney is a successful young woman who decides she is tired of the dating scene and is ready to marry and move forward with the rest of her life. So, she decides to take things into her own hands. She analyzes this “problem” like she would a project at work and decides an online matchmaking site is her best solution. Ignoring arguments from a few friends, she pays her money and signs up. She’s committed to the idea of letting the online service coordinate her “arranged marriage.” They’ll match her with a man that they deem most compatible and the couple won’t meet until their wedding day. It sounds logical, right? Of course, we all know that nothing goes as planned and there are some twists to the story that Courtney won’t see coming. It’s those twists that keep things interesting, just like in real life.
With Arrange Me, Ms. Regnery is giving us a different type of love story. We are left to wonder if a couple can still fall in love when they approach the relationship in a non-traditional way? Can they start with marriage first and then work backwards and do all the things that grow a new love? Will it still work that way? Will their love be as strong? Will it be stronger? Are they really compatible? Unfortunately, we have to wait for the second book, Arrange Us, for the answers to these questions. Fortunately, it is coming out in May! To say I’m looking forward to Arrange Us might be an understatement. There isn’t necessarily a cliffhanger at the end of Arrange Me…aw heck, yes there is. Any time you are left wanting the rest of the story NOW, it’s a cliffy. Kudos to Ms. Regnery for a book which could evoke “feelings” while still making it a fun read.
These were some of my favorite little gems from the book:
“…friends don’t shatter each other’s dreams, and if I can’t make hers come true, I have no right to take them away.”
“I turn away from the sparkling water to look at my wife – my wife- and I can’t help the possessiveness that clutches my heart. The intense tenderness that draws every cell in my body to a corresponding cell in hers.”
**** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***
A Breathe of Fresh Air!!
I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I was anticipating the story to be one way and was blown away at every turn of the page. I love Josh and Courtney but I was completely head over heals for Josh. I loved how Josh was completely smitten from the very beginning with Courtney and too see how the simply being in her presence affect him on a very deep level even he didn’t fully understand.
I couldn’t put this book down!
In the first book of “The Arranged Duo,” we get to meet Courtney Salinger and Josh Dalton. Josh is a bartender at the bar where Courtney and her friend Dina go every Friday after work. After knowing each other from seeing each other at the bar almost every Friday for the past year, sparks start to fly between the two. The only problem is that Josh can’t promise Courtney forever–she has already signed up online to be matched by experts from the hit Lifetime show “Arrange Me.” With the clock counting down until the day Courtney will find out her match, her and Josh’s days of toeing the line between friends and something more are numbered.
At first, I wasn’t too sure about accepting this book for review. Not because I didn’t like the premise, but because of the cover. I don’t typically pick up books that feature such a sexy cover, because to me that usually means that the book has more sex than plot in it, which is definitely not what I want. However, I decided to take a chance on this book, partly because the main character and I have the same name, and partly because I had read an ARC of one of Katy’s books under her pen name last year, and I could tell from her writing style that she typically writes adult books, not young adult books, so I wanted to give one a chance.
The book is told from two points of view, Courtney and Josh. When we first meet Josh, I noticed that there was a lot of detail used to describe him. I figured that he would be an important part of the story, but I wasn’t sure until I got to the first chapter written in his POV, since he’s not mentioned in the synopsis.
Courtney does something with finance–I think–and Josh is a struggling playwright who bartends to make money to support his playwriting. I’ve taken playwriting classes before and had two short shows produced at my high school (one when I was a junior, another when I was a senior). It’s not often that I see a main character who is a playwright, so I was excited to read about that. Courtney comes from money and has a good, high paying job, while Josh comes from little money and is living paycheck to paycheck in order to continue to live in New York to work on his plays.
Although I also think that Courtney was absolutely crazy for entrusting matchmaking “experts” with her love life, it was interesting to see her reasoning behind it. The reasoning makes sense, although I don’t think that is ever a path I’ll ever choose for myself.
Courtney and Josh made the cutest couple, even though the “dates” they went on were technically unofficial (and technically official), in part because Courtney was waiting to know who her arranged match was, and Josh wasn’t supposed to date customers at the bar he works at. Flirt, yes. Date, no. Even so, they’re absolutely adorable together, which was only amplified by that fact that we get to see their feelings grow from both of their points of view.
I don’t want to go too much into anything else without spoiling who Courtney ends up with, but the book is a duology, and I’m assuming that the second book will follow Courtney and her new husband, and the repercussions of her family finding out that she’s run off to get married after being matched online.
I’d recommend this book for readers 17+ because of sexual content.
Absolutely entertaining!!!!! Katy Regnery has always wowed me with her writing and her unique stories and this one is no different.
I absolutely loved Courtney!!! She is done with it all, the dating, the one night stands, the promises that never come and let down. She is taking matters into her own hands, she is being set up to marry someone she doesn’t k ow by people that claim they can find her the perfect husband. Courtney wants it all, the house, the kids and the husband but can she have that with Josh, her arranged husband to be!!!! Their chemistry is undeniable and their wit is contagious but is Josh ready for all that Courtney wants?
Very sweet, charming and humorous story that every single girl can relate to. The flow of the book is amazing and once you it’s over before you know it. The kicker is the guy that now wants Courtney because she is engaged but didn’t even go there while single. Ooohhhh the decisions she has to make. Looking forward to find out what happens in book two of this duet!!!! Definitely a one click book!!!
Courtney Jane Salinger is done with dating so she decides to try something completely different. An arranged marriage.
To a stranger.
Everyone from her best friend to her bartender thinks she’s crazy but Courtney Jane is determined and I Loved it!!
I smiled the entire time I read this book. Courtney is unlike any other heroine I have ever read and i adored her. The characters, the plot, the ending (omg! The ending!) made this such a special story. I can not wait for Arrange Us to come out!!
Arrange Me takes a unique spin on a friends to lovers romance.
Courtney is tired of the dating game. At 29 years old, and with a successful career, she is ready for the next step of her life, which for her is marriage. Josh is a bartender and a struggling playwright. He and Courtney have known each other for about a year, when he overhears Courtney talking about signing up with a matchmaker. This prompts Josh into action, once he realizes he has feelings for Courtney.
I love a swoony hero and Josh is certainly that. At one point he says to Courtney:
“You are the sun, the moon, and all my stars.”
Josh is what made me keep reading this book. I think I fell a little bit in love with him.
Courtney seemed a bit naïve and desperate to me for her age. For me, she was way too uncompromising in her need to be married immediately. It seemed a little extreme for a 29 year old successful, single woman in New York City.
Overall, a good read, and there is a cliffhanger, but book two is currently scheduled for a May release. I’m counting down the days until then!!
I just loved this story! Courtney was easy to like and I could understand why she decided to just give up on dating. What could possibly go wrong with wanting to be arranged to be married!?! It was awesome to watch this story unfold and I can’t wait for the next book!!
Arrange Me is the first book in a duet. Arrange Us book 2, will follow in May. Very well written, easily understandable plot. Funny and engaging characters. This book was a different read, it was fresh and it’s a sweet read. Courtney Salinger is tired of dating guys who don’t call the next day. Courtney wants it all, she wants children, marriage and the proverbial white picket fence. She decides to go out on a limb and sign up for a dating service Arrange Me.com. Besides not knowing who you’ll be matched with,one of the stipulations of this dating service is that you won’t see your match until your wedding day when you walk down the isle!!! Who will be at the end of the isle? Who is the man in the penguin suit? Courtney’s going to be in for a huge surprise!!
Loved Katy Regnery’s work. Can’t wait until May to read more of Courtney’s story!