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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Two childhood best friends, one opportunity of a lifetime, and health insurance!
Evie has a fellowship offer, chronic illness and suddenly needs a place to live. Theo has a great job with all the benefits, but these are times when good is just not enough to live in suburban California. When his roommates make plans without him, he needs a roommate and a wife, if he wants to meet the income requirements. Best friends with perfectly aligned puzzle pieces sounds like the perfect solution. Because nothing has to change, right?
I’m a sucker for marriage of convenience and this did not disappoint. There was pining, and moments of clarity, and so much of the general coziness that comes with being known deeply and loved, regardless. I loved the local familiarity as a SoCal suburbanite, and the pages captured the real-life elements that many others have coated in glitter. There is comfort in the air conditioner that doesn’t keep up and the hodge-podge of furniture in shared spaces. I love a lived-in love, and shout out to the family and friends who see the truth before we see for ourselves.
5/5 stars!
Big thanks to Celadon Books, NetGalley and Marisa Kanter for the ARC for review!
I wanted to enjoy this one, but the writing style just wasn't doing it for me. It was very slow and the voices also just weren't working for me.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Friends With Benefits was not what I expected based on the cover. The cover lead me to believe that this would be a light rom com. This turned out to be a much deeper dive into a friends to lovers troupe. The FMC and the MMC were well developed through the plot. There was an emphasis on the challenges of living with a chronic illness that made the story a bit heavier and complicated the plot and gave it depth. I did find the middle a little long but I was happy I saw the book through to the end.
The audio was a dual narration which delineated the perspective that the story was being told in very well. Although, some parts of the book were told twice but from each main character's perspective. The production was well done with extra details that made it even more realistic.
Thank you Net Galley, Marisa Kanter, Caledon Books and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
Friends with Benefits is now available.
I gave a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
The audio was a dual narration which delineated the perspective that the story was being told in very well. Although, some parts of the book were told twice but from each main character's perspective. The production was well done with extra details that made it even more realistic.
Thank you Net Galley, Marisa Kanter, Caledon Books and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
Friends with Benefits is now available.
I gave a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Marisa Kanter, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This is my second marriage of convenience ARC in a row and I’m not mad about it. I overall enjoyed this book and the plot, though I did kind of want to shake Evie and ask her why she was being the way she was. I appreciate the vulnerability of both characters and Theo learning to stand up for himself to someone he loves deeply, I just wish it had happened sooner for both their sakes!
POV: dual third person
You can expect: marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, roomance, flashbacks, forced proximity, he falls first (a long time ago)
Rep: queer FMC, lesbian side character, bisexual side characters, Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, anxiety, grief, Jewish MMC/FMC, panic attack, medication - Lexapro, past broken ankle.
Spice: 2.5/5
CW: death of a parent (past), sports injury, absent parent, misogyny (by a side character), parental abandonment
This is my second marriage of convenience ARC in a row and I’m not mad about it. I overall enjoyed this book and the plot, though I did kind of want to shake Evie and ask her why she was being the way she was. I appreciate the vulnerability of both characters and Theo learning to stand up for himself to someone he loves deeply, I just wish it had happened sooner for both their sakes!
POV: dual third person
You can expect: marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, roomance, flashbacks, forced proximity, he falls first (a long time ago)
Rep: queer FMC, lesbian side character, bisexual side characters, Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, anxiety, grief, Jewish MMC/FMC, panic attack, medication - Lexapro, past broken ankle.
Spice: 2.5/5
CW: death of a parent (past), sports injury, absent parent, misogyny (by a side character), parental abandonment
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen have been best friends for most of their lives. When Evie, a Foley artist, is offered a prestigious fellowship that could be a turning point in her career, she’s forced to make a difficult decision. The opportunity comes without health insurance, and living with Crohn’s disease means going without coverage isn’t an option.
Theo, a public school teacher with excellent benefits and rent he can no longer afford, proposes a solution: they get married. It’s a practical arrangement—nothing more. But there’s a complication neither of them wants to admit out loud: they’ve been in love with each other for years.
Now, sharing a home and a legal commitment forces them to confront what they’ve been avoiding.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
What I loved:
Theo was so charming! He was cute, dependable, and the way he kept showing up for Evie was incredibly endearing. Basically, the perfect book boyfriend—total swoon material. Who wouldn't want to marry a former dancer and current elementary school teacher? I also really enjoyed the flashbacks to the early days of their friendship- from both POVs. There were lot's of missed opportunities that felt realistic when they were young. They added a nice emotional layer and made the progression of their relationship feel more grounded. I also appreciate that the author included a realistic representation of chronic illness. The depiction of life with Crohn’s, and the impossible choices people face under the broken U.S. healthcare system, felt honest and important. Not to mention the medical gaslighting that is especially so prevalent for women. So many people can relate—or know someone who can.
What didn’t quite land:
Evie was a bit of a struggle for me, especially in the last third of the book. Her choices during the third-act breakup felt more like forced drama than something rooted in reality. The choices she made didn't seem age appropriate at all. I had a hard time relating to her concerns, and honestly, even the other characters in the book seemed confused by her actions—and I was right there with them. I wanted to shake her by the end! It pulled me out of the story a bit and weakened the emotional impact of the ending.
As far as the voice actors go, I enjoyed the production although sometimes when they tried to do an old person accent or NYC accent it felt a little silly but overall I think they did a great job.
Still, there’s a lot to appreciate here, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers, fake marriage tropes, and heartfelt stories with a dose of real-world issues.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Theo, a public school teacher with excellent benefits and rent he can no longer afford, proposes a solution: they get married. It’s a practical arrangement—nothing more. But there’s a complication neither of them wants to admit out loud: they’ve been in love with each other for years.
Now, sharing a home and a legal commitment forces them to confront what they’ve been avoiding.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
What I loved:
Theo was so charming! He was cute, dependable, and the way he kept showing up for Evie was incredibly endearing. Basically, the perfect book boyfriend—total swoon material. Who wouldn't want to marry a former dancer and current elementary school teacher? I also really enjoyed the flashbacks to the early days of their friendship- from both POVs. There were lot's of missed opportunities that felt realistic when they were young. They added a nice emotional layer and made the progression of their relationship feel more grounded. I also appreciate that the author included a realistic representation of chronic illness. The depiction of life with Crohn’s, and the impossible choices people face under the broken U.S. healthcare system, felt honest and important. Not to mention the medical gaslighting that is especially so prevalent for women. So many people can relate—or know someone who can.
What didn’t quite land:
Evie was a bit of a struggle for me, especially in the last third of the book. Her choices during the third-act breakup felt more like forced drama than something rooted in reality. The choices she made didn't seem age appropriate at all. I had a hard time relating to her concerns, and honestly, even the other characters in the book seemed confused by her actions—and I was right there with them. I wanted to shake her by the end! It pulled me out of the story a bit and weakened the emotional impact of the ending.
As far as the voice actors go, I enjoyed the production although sometimes when they tried to do an old person accent or NYC accent it felt a little silly but overall I think they did a great job.
Still, there’s a lot to appreciate here, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers, fake marriage tropes, and heartfelt stories with a dose of real-world issues.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is about two friends trying to survive the housing market in LA and health care costs, which I found cute (get it? Benefits!). This one was hard for me to get through. For instance, there were plot points like the non-union FMC working on a Union film as a Foley Artist and then, as the Foley Artist, being invited to the premier of the movie. There was also a weird moment when they went to Disneyland (a real place), rode (real) rides and then the author made up a Dr. Strange x Winnie the Pooh crossover ride/musical, stating that this was the next phase in the MCU. It was very out of left field, like an inside joke the readers are not in on.
This book often felt overwritten and slow. I think a lot of the problem was Kanter telling instead of showing. Kanter also frequently uses one word sentences for emphasis or repeats a word three times but when you do it as much as she does, the words lose all importance. She does the three word thing so much that I started counting it - finding it happing twice on one page several times and four times alone in chapter 23.
Additionally I found the characters unlikeable. Kanter shows their relationship through flashbacks and asserts that they’ve been in love with each other for a long time, but you don’t really get that from either character. At no point, before the final blowup, do they fight for each other or try to fix misunderstandings. Lastly, the final quarter of the book felt drawn out with the FMC needing at least three seperate characters, three seperate times, to tell her that her excuses to push away the MMC were absolutely surmountable.
I think the people who like this book will love it, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC!
This book often felt overwritten and slow. I think a lot of the problem was Kanter telling instead of showing. Kanter also frequently uses one word sentences for emphasis or repeats a word three times but when you do it as much as she does, the words lose all importance. She does the three word thing so much that I started counting it - finding it happing twice on one page several times and four times alone in chapter 23.
Additionally I found the characters unlikeable. Kanter shows their relationship through flashbacks and asserts that they’ve been in love with each other for a long time, but you don’t really get that from either character. At no point, before the final blowup, do they fight for each other or try to fix misunderstandings. Lastly, the final quarter of the book felt drawn out with the FMC needing at least three seperate characters, three seperate times, to tell her that her excuses to push away the MMC were absolutely surmountable.
I think the people who like this book will love it, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
awh, that was pretty cuteeee.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes