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
I haven’t ready Kary Regnery since Unloved (I really loved that book). I’ve totally missed her way of writing. I have read a few of her Modern Fairytales and have enjoyed them as well but really, I’m all about her contemporary romances and seriously adore when goes to the dark side with a darker story. Anyway, I really loved the idea behind this storyline! An arranged marriage via a company and both parties are eagerly tossing themselves into the game! I found this to be an incredibly refreshing plot and pretty unique.
I came down with a sore throat over the weekend and spent two days sleeping only to realize I was totally behind on my reading! I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to read Arrange Me before it was released today, ha! Silly me for worrying, I sat down on Sunday morning and poured through the entire story. I found in really sweet and full of heart. Courtney is just looking for love and she’s tired of finding it in all the wrong places. So she hands the reigns over. Of course when she makes her decision all those long lost men start to come out from hiding and just throw themselves at Courtney… isn’t that life though? Seriously!
Arrange Me was completely adorable! I like characters that know what they want and go after it. Courtney is ready for marriage, she’s ready for a happily ever after with the whole 2.5 kids with the white picket fence. If you enjoy romance… hopeless or hopeful… you’ll love Arrange Me. Yes, we don’t really get the full ending as this is a duet. Arrange Us will be coming on May 20th. The thought of waiting over 2 months is nearly painful! This was just a charming read! Totally captivated me! I can’t wait for the conclusion.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
I absolutely adored this book! It was sweet and amazing and I loved it! Book 2 comes out in may, and I cant wait!
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The premise of it was somewhat unusual but you could see the story progression quite early on, but nonetheless, the journey was pretty good.
“I want to be saved from another minute of living my disappointing, frustrating, soul-killing single life.”
Courtney Salinger is a successful career woman from a wealthy family who is fed up with dating duds. A eureka moment has her announcing that she’s finished with dating and planning to find a man to marry. A TV show has her signing up to Arrange Me Too – a matchmaking service that will find her a husband, who she’ll meet for the very first time on her wedding day.
“It’s like I knew deep inside that you were my kryptonite, and I was trying to protect myself.”
Josh Dalton is a struggling playwright who works as a bartender to make ends meet. He’s living day to day to make his dream come true. He’s nowhere near ready to settle down. He’s known Courtney as a customer and sort-of-friend for about a year. She’s the one customer he never flirts with but he’s fond of her. When the word marriage passes her lips, he’s suddenly seeing her with new eyes.
“I wonder if it’s possible that my attraction to Courtney – my fierce gravitational pull to be near her, to both possess and belong to her – could prove stronger than my dreams.”
What I liked about this story was that Josh and Courtney certainly had more than a frisson of chemistry between them. The more time they spent in each other’s company, the more the tension simmered between them, which I found really exciting. I loved their connection and their shared interests. I liked that she didn’t look down on him considering the difference in their social stations. If anything, she thought he was out of her league in terms of attractiveness. Courtney is down-to-earth but determined and stubborn once her mind is made up, whereas Josh is actually more sensible about their budding relationship. However, he came across as impulsive with his about-turn but I liked his resolution and commitment going forward.
I hadn’t appreciated that this was a duo! LOL. So I was coming to the end of the story and wondering how it was going to end. It ends on something of a cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to seeing how things pan out between them.
Omg this book was so so good. I found myself reading quicker just so I could find out what happened. I thought the storyline was brilliant and so enjoyable. I loved the characters. And I was not prepared for the ending. I’m dying now to read the next book. An absolute pleasure to read.
This was a cute take on an arranged marriage. Courtney has had it with the bar scene and is looking for “happily ever after”. Her bartender friend, Josh, thinks her plan is absurd and her BFF Dina couldn’t agree more.
There’s a love connection a little too late and a surprise ending. The storyline is sweet and the characters well developed. I look forward to book 2 and hope that Dina ends up with her own story.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
Arrange Me is pure perfection! Katy Regnery has arranged a fun, witty new romance that had me smiling through the entire book.
Courtney Salinger is tired of dating. She’s tired of flirting, no call-backs, getting dumped, the witty banter, getting ghosted, the entire scene in general. She is ready to settle down and she is ready to settle down now. The one tiny problem with settling down now is she doesn’t have someone special to settle down with.
Okay, that might be a big problem.
That is until she finds out about Arrange Me.com The idea seems so simple. Enter your information, get matched to your soulmate and meet your soulmate on your wedding day. Easy peasy. No dating, no mess, just wedded bliss.
Everything should be great. Everything should go as planned. That is until Josh-the-charming-bartender-Dalton asks Courtney on a date. Well, not really a date because she isn’t dating and Josh doesn’t date people from the bar where he works so perhaps their friendship could work. Their non-date really isn’t an issue they are just two friends who happen to like plays and occasionally holding hands.
So what’s the harm in asking that same friend, who just so happens to be good looking, like really good looking, especially in a tux, to a wedding where Courtney doesn’t want to be set up by her mother again, because she isn’t dating. Josh makes that decision easy. She is just bringing a friend. A very good looking friend.
Why doesn’t it work that Josh can’t be on the same timeline as Courtney who wants to be married now and even though Josh wants to be married….someday…it isn’t now. Josh wants more, but Courtney wants forever.
What do you do when the person you want wants something else, but the end destination is ultimately the same?
This book is just so sweet!! Courtney is sick of the dating scene and needs to get her Hea. She is tired of the disappointment of trying to find mister right. She decides it’s time to make a plan a new plan!! An arranged marriage trough a service kind of plan!! They finds you your perfect mate. So off to find that dream of the white picket fence and the kids in the mini van. This story is fun and just so sweet. Everything is going well until she realizes the cute bartender who has been serving her drinks for a some time now just might like her!! If You’re looking for a great read this is it!!
OMG! I love this book! One of my favorite books ever! I love Courtney and Josh. The chemistry they have is amazing. I’m just so speechless, I’m not sure what to say because this book was so amazing it deserves a great review. But just wow! Beautiful story and that ending OMG I’m dying. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!
*Magic Beyond The Covers Book Blog*
Courtney is successful in business but her love life stinks to high heaven. She’s tired of all the games and once she sees an ad for a matchmaking service she decides to go for it. Josh is a bartender and he sees Courtney almost every night. He has feelings for her and decides to tell her. This was a good story and I am interested for the next book to see how things work out.
Arrange Me was witty and steamy goodness!!!!!! I can’t wait to read book two!!!!! You have GOT to read this book!!!!!! Katy Ragenery is so talented.
Oh Courtney Courtney Courtney you did not just fill out a dating application and think everything love, life, and marriage including the white picket fence would be that easy, did you?! Laugh out loud fun is what Katy has arranged in this tale of a girl just wanting love and not wanting all the games that come with love and war. Forget that tireless game of dating and waiting, fast track happily everafter now and wait no longer. Arrangeme.com is going to make all that happen or is it?!
Arranged marriage in the US?? I marriage website!! Courtney is ready for marriage, tired of dating and decides this is the way to go for her! Josh is a bartender where Courtney and her friend Dina go every Friday night. They are all friends. Josh is an inspiring playwright. Courtney has a great job in the financial district in Manhattan.
Courtney and Josh hang out a few times, appear to have a connection, Josh knows about Courtney’s thoughts on marriage and the Arrange website.
He wants a chance with Courtney but isn’t ready for marriage. She really likes him too but wants marriage now.
This is a sweet book, fun characters, an interesting concept, and of course a duet. So read this book to see who Courtney gets Arranged with!! and we all wait til May to see how happily ever after goes her way!! Katy Regenry did a great job in this book! Can’t wait to Arrange Us!!
Courtney is beautiful and successful career woman but has had enough of the dating scene. She has gone through the gamut of bad dates and expectations and is just done. While commiserating with her best friend at the local bar, she decides that she doesn’t want to date anymore that her heart can’t take the “what if’s” so she left determined to find a way to get married. At home over a glass of wine, she sees a commercial for a website that could potentially be the answer to all her problems, ArrangeMeToo.com. A team of three experts will find you husband! These experts take her application and scientifically find the perfect match for her. No muss, no fuss. What could go wrong? Right?
What happens when the person at the end of the alter is not who you expected? And maybe what you thought you didn’t need is the thing you need most. But who knows…looks to be bit of a bumpy ride from here. Will our couple make it? Will they prove everyone wrong, including themselves? We’ll see in book two!
What the… Katy, how dare you?! OMG, this book is just so simply fabulous, I can’t even deal with it. Holy guacamole, Katy Regnery is a magician. Wow, I’ve never seen this book coming. Let Miss Regnery bring contemporary romance on a very new level. The success is guaranteed.
I’m a hardcore fan of Katy Regnery. I think it’s not a secret. And after reading this book, she’s never getting rid of me. I’m a package deal with my craziness, so deal with it.
Arrange Me is pure pleasure.
Dude, I don’t even know what to say. It’s like I’m still under the spell of this book.
I adore Courtney so much! And Josh, yummy and sweet and sometimes stone-headed Josh. My love for them is undying.
Where is the next book? Huh? Or should I just chop off my left arm to get it now? It can be ARRANGED (dude, worst joke ever). I can’t wait to read the conclusion of Court and Josh’s romance!
This book was a great twist on the current reality shows like Married at First Sight. I was sucked in the story from the very beginning. The characters were well developed in the book. I wanted to give them a quick shake a time or two and yell ‘wake up! Don’t miss this chance!’ Ican’t wait to see what comes next for these two in the next book!
This was such a fun, sweet, flirty and swoony read! Courtney is tired of dating and tired of the dating scene. She just wants her happily ever after. She also doesn’t realize what a catch she is. I liked how Katy revealed Courtney’s groom and the rush of the process of marriage/honeymoon. Now, these two people have to figure out how to make it happen in the real world because they’ve been in their Arrange Me bubble. Looking forward to seeing what’s next in Arrange Us! Be sure not to miss this cute story!
What do you do when the person you’ve crushed on wants forever, and they want it now, but you’re not ready?
I thought this was an interesting story, with Courtney fed up with the dating scene and ready to get married yesterday, and the unconventional path she chose. I do wish we could have seen some of the previous dates via flashback to help us understand how Courtney arrived at the decision she did. I could understand her confusion about Josh, since he always seemed to flirt with her best friend, but apparently the best friend is not the one on Josh’s radar, it’s always been Courtney.
There’s a lot of push and pull between Josh and Courtney, yet at the same time a sense of urgency between them because of the impending match deadline that’s approaching. Some things work out in their favor, but there’s a whole slew of new problems that they’ll have to contend with, and I can’t wait to see how they manage to deal with all of the issues in the conclusion of their unconventional love story.
This was a extremely interesting read for me. As you can tell from the blurb this is about so much more than a dating site. This is a marriage site. When I first started reading I thought wow this girl is willing to take such a gamble but when I really thought about it, I could see her point. This author took a very common issue today for girls and guys ( but really I think more so girls, just my opinion) and made us all stop and think. I know I couldn’t do it. I am not that brave or that much of a risk taker even with science involved. However, don’t we all just get tired of the rat race. That being said there is so much more to this book than just one issue. I don’t do spoilers so you have to read the book to see what I’m referring. Let’s say Courtney’s decision is well thought out, or so she thinks, but yes, there are doubts and roadblocks in her physical, mental and emotional world. You can guess others are not as supportive of her decisions. It’s the old saying expect the unexpected. Here’s the rub, are you strong enough to go through with your plan? Are you easily influenced? Can you stick by your principles? How sure are you that your principals are the right ones? Are others willingly to support you even when they think you’re wrong? Will others go out on a limb for you and how far to help you attain your goal? Then the big question, is it all worth it? These are just some of the things in this book. It seems like a unique, cute read but there is a lot going on.
Of course this is part of a duo so you don’t get all the answers but I’m sure it will be worth the read. I can’t wait for the next installment. If you’re wondering if it’s all heavy, the answer is no, not at all. There’s smiles, romance, some melancholy, great banter, sweetness, and heat. It brings all the elements you’re looking for in a good story. The other characters in this book are the flip side of the coin so to speak. There’s always at least two sides, sometimes three.
I guess you can tell I really enjoyed this book.
I originally thought that the whole arranged marriage thing was similar to a reality show I’ve seen on television once, Married at First Sight, but the setup that financial analyst Courtney actually goes through isn’t filmed. I think that her being so close to hitting thirty and still not finding “the one” had her frustrated and looking for an alternative, and hey, sometimes, it’s those perceived failures in life that have us pushing for something different, and different can oftentimes lead to the greatest of adventures. Now, the timing of Courtney’s decision is what proves to be really interesting because it’s when she finally pays closer attention to what’s been in front of her this whole time—aspiring playwright and bartender Josh Dalton—and he’s definitely noticed Courtney.
Now, this book is just the first a new duet, so yes, it does end in a cliffhanger of sorts. Don’t worry, it’s nothing that I would label “evil” but Courtney doesn’t necessarily get the happy ending that she’s been hoping for here. To call her situation “complicated” would be an understatement, but the second books is already scheduled for release in May 20th. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything gets resolved: Courtney’s plan for an arranged marriage, whether there’s something more to her thing with Josh, and if reality trumps fantasy or vice-versa. 4.5 stars for Arrange Me.
***4 Stars***
This is one of those books that is all kinds of sweet and hopeful and yet frustrating as all get out all at the same time, at least it was for me, and it kept me turning the pages to see what would happen with Courtney and would she find her perfect match.
Does she??
Well, as you can see this is a duo/duet/duology…however you want to look at, we are getting more of Courtney and her journey, so I cannot confirm nor deny anything…at all. But what I will say is that I honestly like Courtney. I really do. She is a sweet and caring person who is just a good person down to her very core. But she also drove me a little batshitcrazy after awhile…the words (paradox) “Immovable force vs unstoppable object” popped into my head and they are a pretty accurate description of her as well. And I know they aren’t supposed to work in concert with each other, but when you meet her you’ll understand (hopefully).
As for that ending. That ending definitely has me wanting to find out what will happen next. The possibilities are endless and I’m not even going to attempt to figure out what is coming for us in Arrange Us. I am simply going to wait patiently for the next one and roll with the punches.
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~