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Two strangers. Two weddings. One big lie.

Delaney isn’t mad her oldest friend is getting married, quite the opposite in fact. She’s thrilled. But what she’s not so thrilled about is the groom’s choice of Best Man, because now she’s going to have to stand across from her ex-boyfriend in church while he parades his new girlfriend around in front of her.

Miles isn’t actually bothered that his cousin, Julian, is marrying his ex-girlfriend. He’s not entirely sure he ever actually liked her, anyway. But now each one of his family and friends keeps asking him if he’s okay with a look that tells him he really shouldn’t be.

When Delaney and Miles meet at a party, they get along just fine, even if Delaney is convinced he’s a drug dealer. But a second, chance encounter suddenly throws them into a fake-dating relationship that involves two very serious dates and one big lie.

Two Dates is a romantic comedy about Delaney and Miles, two almost strangers, who pretend to be in love with one another on two dates, one summer. It follows the pair as they go from strangers who make each other laugh to close allies as they tackle those two terrible dates.

It is a story of love, friendship, and finding out that you just might be good enough, even if the anxious, crazy woman at the back of your brain keeps telling you that you’re not.

401 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2024

5 people are currently reading
41 people want to read

About the author

Alex E. Ramsden

2 books6 followers
Writer of soft romances.

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5 stars
17 (47%)
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13 (36%)
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6 (16%)
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Yesmina.
635 reviews37 followers
August 26, 2024
Two Dates is supposed to be a fake dating rom-com about two strangers who met in a mutual friends engagement party.

A/They both hate public gathering especially weddings
B/They both have two close weddings to attend with an ex in the picture
C/To avoid people pitying them about that ex that moved on they decide to fake date.

And they have the chemistry. They had fun in and outside of the wedding fake dating scam.
The MMC is the real hero. He was an excellent communicator and behaved like an A class "fake boyfriend" like a boyfriend really.

What fucked the book for me is the FMC. She's so insecure and every chapter we have one of her friends, family member, the MMC telling her
"No you're beautiful. No you're funny. No you're cool. No you deserve love"

I mean wake up girl you're supposed a hardcode feminist. Aren't feminists into self love?????

Also I hate it when they make the MMC super handsome man with rugged physique only to say "She upgraded from a mediocre ex"

A/ Good+ kind men are not supposed to be Kelvin Klein models
B/Your horrible ex cheated on you. He could be The most beautiful man on earth and you still don't regret him OKAY!

And finally I'm so over the fourth wall breaking. The author writes a fake dating romance so she feels compelled to remind us of how fake dating books go (STEP BY FUCKING STEP)
(Here's the one bed trope dear reader. Here's the he always fancied her trope. Here's the how fake are we really? trope)

Two Dates for checking the box: Fake Dating or Marriage of convenience trope in the Bingo Fun Reading Challenge of 2024.

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Profile Image for Phoebe.
13 reviews
October 15, 2024
SO so good! I’ve been in a major reading slump for MONTHS and this is the only book I’ve been able to finish all year basically!
The storyline is fake dating (who doesn’t love a fake dating romcom) and the characters are so well fit for eachother!
As a debut novel for this author, it’s so well rounded and written! The characters are great and I can’t want to read more about them - I’m hoping this is going to be a series?!🤞🏻
Caleb is such a douche bag, am I right?
Anyway, 5 stars all round!
Profile Image for Payten Stockton.
47 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2024
Wow, where do I even begin? First and foremost, a massive congratulations to Alex for writing and publishing her debut novel! I've thoroughly enjoyed her Instagram stories and posts leading up to this moment, so it was no surprise that the book turned out to be an absolute joy to read.

Delaney is a self-critical yet lovable woman navigating life in London alongside her friend after her ex cheated on her. By chance, she meets Miles, who she initially suspects might be a shady character (I felt the same!). They make a pact, and things start to get a bit complicated as genuine feelings begin to surface. But does Miles truly want Delaney? Is she the right fit for him?

The opening to this book was absolutely fantastic, I read the first page and my jaw was on the floor, I didn’t expect such a beautiful intro.

Delaney is incredibly relatable; we’ve all experienced those nagging voices in our heads telling us we’re not good enough or that we don’t belong. This vulnerability made her such a likable FMC.

And then there's Miles… oh my god, SWOON! He’s currently in a fierce competition with Xaden from Fourth Wing for the top spot on my list of fictional husbands. The fact that he’s a florist just makes it even better—please, Lord, let there be more men like Miles!

The descriptions of the locations throughout the book were beautifully crafted. In some scenes, I could imagine myself in London, feeling like I was right there with Delaney, stumbling through life in the city.

One thing I often struggle with in books is the subtle notes of sexism or misogyny, particularly from female authors, or when a male main character borders on abusive yet is portrayed as a hero. Thankfully, that was absolutely not the case in this book. The touches of feminism throughout made reading this book an even better experience and really brought a smile to my face.

Overall, the book was incredibly wholesome. It had me laughing out loud in bed (almost waking up my baby, woops) and definitely left me with tears in my eyes.

Also, I think I spotted a Taylor Swift reference? But wasn’t 100% sure, whether it was intentional or not, I squealed inside and highlighted it straight away.
Profile Image for Alexa Arnold.
125 reviews
November 13, 2024
Two Dates by Alex E. Ramsden 4⭐️

🌸 Strangers to Lovers
🌸 Fake Dating
🌸 Anxiety Rep
🌸 Tattooed MMC
🌸 He falls first

Delaney meets Miles at a mutual friend’s party and they immediately hit it off. Fate brings them together again at a club and they come up with the plan to be each other’s wedding dates to the upcoming weddings they’re both dreading.

I LOVE fake dating and Ramsden knocked it out of the park with this one. Miles is such a sweet and caring man who communicates so clearly it’s obviously fictional. I loved their chemistry and banter. Delaney was so hilarious that I was actually cracking up. The pigeon Insta story will live in my head rent free. I enjoyed watching their love story unfold and the feelings develop naturally. I appreciated the anxiety representation and felt like it was accurate to what it’s like living with anxiety.

Unfortunately, the third act break up could’ve been completely avoided by Delaney with some simple communication. It was frustrating to see such a funny and smart woman not believe in herself and constantly putting herself down especially as a self proclaimed feminist. I also feel like Miles would’ve fought harder for Delaney since he had shown throughout the book that he can read her well.

I’m excited to get into Your Move and see how the Stuart family continues.
30 reviews
January 10, 2026
A solid book.
Things I enjoyed: The meet cute was fun and I like how the characters connected and seemed to fit with one another in a healthy way. The premise for the fake dating was solid with the whole family pity and other dynamics. The built up chemistry was done nice and nothing felt forced. I enjoyed watching the main characters fall for each other.
I also enjoyed how the ending tie back into the beginning scene, showing how the characters grew.

Room to improve: Too much drinking, I feel hungover just from reading about it.
I was not a fan of all the rom-com troupes being announced and then added in, like maybe the author was self-consicous of using them but wrote them in the book anyway. We all love troupes, they exist for a reason and as a reader I don't want them pointed out to me as I'm reading, that's what the story is for.
I was worn thin by Miles' wolfish grin by the tenth mention of it, and by the twentieth time it was a bit grating—I wish the writing was more polished with a human editor, as phrases were used and re-used a sinful amount of times.
Profile Image for Cassidy Cheyenne.
Author 2 books4 followers
September 24, 2024
I came across Two Dates: A Fake-Dating Romance (The Stuart Family Book 1) by Alex E Ramsden on social media. I was looking for work by other indie authors like myself and one of her posts popped up on my Threads feed and sucked me right in. So glad it did because I effin loved this book! I was hooked from the first few pages alone and read it whenever I had free time.

Delaney is a hilarious and relatable female lead and the chemistry between her and Miles is off the charts. I loved Delaney’s sense of humor and thought her anxiety was represented in a very realistic, relatable way. The story kept me hooked from start to finish! If you’re a romance fan definitely check this one out!

Alex - You knocked it out of the park with your debut novel! I adore your sense of humor and cannot wait for Your Move to come out so I can read more of your work!
1,145 reviews
August 11, 2024
3.5 but I rounded up because this was a debut

I really did enjoy the first half with the humor and crazy relatives. Both MCs are good people who have some issues but they seem pretty committed to fake dating to help each other through awkward weddings where there ex will be present.

Where did it all go wrong??? Ummm... FMC had low self esteem and that got old. I wouldn't have minded if she showed any growth but that didn't happen until the epilogue and by then it was too little, too late. I understand anxiety and emotionally abusive parents create this perfect storm but it made her so unlikeable. Her odd feminist an political rants also suuuuucked, especially when she hated herself and hated on the mean girl archetypes while also having a whole victim mentality.

I would definitely read more by this author. The drinking and borderline alcoholic traits ruined a LOT of the story as well.
Profile Image for Ebony Gillan.
87 reviews7 followers
August 14, 2024
"𝚃𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘'𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍, 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑: 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍. 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚛𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎."

I think everyone can relate to this dedication, it felt so raw and real. I feel like dedications are so important because they often set the tone for what the book includes. I do feel like love resonates in both friendships and relationships through this book. I think finding ‘your people’ is something that everyone wants. We all want to feel wanted and loved for exactly who we are. This book does such a good job at reflecting this theme. It is amazing for a debut novel - thank you to Alex E. Ramsden for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC, feeling so grateful!

The start of their fake dating and slowly but surely fall for one another. It is the genuine interest in getting to know one another that makes the beginning of their relationship so special. Delaney and Miles met at a wedding of a mutual friend, and both hid away from everyone else there. They end up hiding away together and hit it off right away.

This review may contain minor spoilers.

I really adored the relationship between Delaney and Miles. The way he makes Delaney feel comfortable for just being her. {"𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚘𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚏𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝"}. It is as if he is healing a part of her without even knowing it. Delaney refers to her past once Miles tells her this, she explains how it was refreshing to hear because her mum would make her feel as if she was more difficult to raise than her sister was.

I also loved the references to each other about them being in a romance story, it was so cute. Also the Taylor Swift reference, we do love that.

They were just so pure and loyal to one another. They always seemed to have each other's backs, especially around their family members. I think there were a few challenges for both Delaney and Miles in terms of one another finding their place within each other's families. It also was refreshing to see one another stick up for their own beliefs and morals even when it went against their families.

One character that really annoyed me was Delaney’s mum. Like let's move on please and allow Delaney to be happy with whoever she wants to be with. I don’t understand her fascination with Delaney’s ex partner, like he CHEATED. Ew.

I really loved that throughout everything Delaney went through that she had a friend like Emme that she could rely on. Emme was there, with some good advice I might add. Their friendship is really special.

If you love fake dating, golden retriever MMC, one bed, anxiety rep, then this book is for you!
Profile Image for Rebecca Chase.
Author 21 books54 followers
March 10, 2025
- Weddings
- Cinnamon roll
- Fake dating

Alex has quickly become one of my favourite authors. This book was so relatable in terms of not feeling enough and how it can damage friendships, relationships and even how you look at others. Alex tackled the pain that someone experiences when managing these feelings perfectly.

Miles was a perfect MMC. He’s a book boyfriend fighting his own issues yet has a massive capacity for love.

This was a brilliant fake dating wedding themed romance. I can't wait for book three now!
Profile Image for ChelsMarie.
196 reviews8 followers
April 11, 2024
Loved it. Loved the main characters.
Delaney is my girl. She is so relatable and doesn’t take anyone’s shit. After such a terrible relationship with her ex she deserved to find someone as kind and caring as Miles.
It was great to see her finally gain some self confidence at the end and learn to trust Miles.
Seeing her friendships blossom with such different women was amazing.
Is something going to happen with Jem and Emme?? I need to know!
Profile Image for Scott.
Author 5 books12 followers
August 11, 2024
It's hard to believe this is Alex's debut, as she's already found a voice which is unique, authentic, quirky and funny. This book grabbed me right from the start, and I couldn't put it down. In Delaney, she's crafted a brilliantly relatable lead whose idiosyncrasies and self-deprecating humour has you rooting for her so hard. And in Miles, a male romantic interest with incredible depth beyond his "Jason Momoa" exterior. I'm so happy there's going to be more from this series, because it's off to a rip roaring start. This is smart, sexy and laugh out loud funny - or should that be snort out loud? (When you read it, you'll get it.)
Profile Image for ChelsMarie.
380 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2024
Loved it. Loved the main characters.
Delaney is my girl. She is so relatable and doesn’t take anyone’s shit. After such a terrible relationship with her ex she deserved to find someone as kind and caring as Miles.
It was great to see her finally gain some self confidence at the end and learn to trust Miles.
Seeing her friendships blossom with such different women was amazing.
Is something going to happen with Jem and Emme?? I need to know!
Profile Image for Jana Kiazyk.
6 reviews
October 8, 2024
I loved this book. Picking up a romcom isn’t normally my go to but I couldn’t put this one down! The characters are likeable and their chemistry is amazing. Go read this one now as her second book “Your Move” is dropping soon!
68 reviews
October 14, 2024
Read it now!

Saw the author’s thread about this book and decided to try it. Loved it! I had a massive grin on my face the whole time. So good. Just the right amount of angst. Some spice. I’ve been in a reading slump and this just made my day.
Profile Image for Rachael Andrews.
48 reviews1 follower
November 22, 2024
I started reading this on a whim from a thread I saw. Boyyyy am I happy I did! I loved this fake dating romance. The FMC is very relatable. I loved the chemistry between Del and Miles and I was giggling throughout.
Profile Image for Rachael.
9 reviews
January 2, 2025
I think I knew after reading the first chapter that this was going to be one of my favourite books. Absolutely hilarious, relatable characters, smooth writing style. Loved it!
Profile Image for Emily.
31 reviews5 followers
August 7, 2024
When Delaney bumps into a tall, handsome, tattooed Miles whilst trying to hide at a party, she’s convinced he must be a drug dealer. Because surely this man couldn’t possibly be a florist? Miles and Delaney soon find out they have something in common, they’re both expected to attend weddings where their old flames will be present, and they don’t yet have dates. Taking eachother makes sense, right? They just need to fake date so convincingly that no one suspects otherwise. A little too convincingly…
A great debut from Alex E. Ramsden. Delaney is a wonderfully flawed and relatable character who I just couldn’t help rooting for. I’m excited to see what the author has planned next!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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