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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Publishers and Macmillan audio for granting me access to an early copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I give this book a solid ⭐⭐⭐. I love a great friends-to-lovers and marriage of convenience story, however I didn't love this book as much as I was hoping. With this novel being Marisa Kanter's first adult novel, I found the character development a little flat. The FMC (Evie) seemed overly juvenile and self-centered. Her internal struggle and thought process reminded me of an emotionally unstable teenager and many of the relationship struggles she experienced were a direct result of her selfish words and choices. I found it very difficult to connect with and root for her. The MMC (Theo) was very sweet and his love for Evie felt sincere, however, the author could have developed his character a little more. I found myself wanting him to write Evie off and move on to someone more deserving of his love.
I appreciate how the author addressed the issue of chronic pain/illness and the various struggles that come along with that reality. Having loved ones who suffer from chronic pain, I liked that she touched on how someone can truly be sick/ill even if they may not LOOK sick. Also, having been born and raised in Anaheim, it was fun to hear how much of the story took place in and around my old stomping grounds.
Overall, the story was good, but I found myself wanting a little more depth and emotional maturity.
Overall, I give this book a solid ⭐⭐⭐. I love a great friends-to-lovers and marriage of convenience story, however I didn't love this book as much as I was hoping. With this novel being Marisa Kanter's first adult novel, I found the character development a little flat. The FMC (Evie) seemed overly juvenile and self-centered. Her internal struggle and thought process reminded me of an emotionally unstable teenager and many of the relationship struggles she experienced were a direct result of her selfish words and choices. I found it very difficult to connect with and root for her. The MMC (Theo) was very sweet and his love for Evie felt sincere, however, the author could have developed his character a little more. I found myself wanting him to write Evie off and move on to someone more deserving of his love.
I appreciate how the author addressed the issue of chronic pain/illness and the various struggles that come along with that reality. Having loved ones who suffer from chronic pain, I liked that she touched on how someone can truly be sick/ill even if they may not LOOK sick. Also, having been born and raised in Anaheim, it was fun to hear how much of the story took place in and around my old stomping grounds.
Overall, the story was good, but I found myself wanting a little more depth and emotional maturity.
Wow thank you, Marisa Kanter, for writing such a beautiful piece! The title immediately grabbed my attention, and the synopsis completely hooked me. Evie and Theo will forever hold a piece of my heart. They’re both incredibly likable and feel so real.
I especially appreciated the honest and thoughtful representation of mental health. It didn’t feel performative or forced. While reading, I felt like the best friend they would both come to when they needed to vent, which speaks volumes about how immersive the writing is.
This review is spoiler-free, but if you’re looking for a true friends-to-lovers story that will tug at your heartstrings in all the right ways, this is it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I especially appreciated the honest and thoughtful representation of mental health. It didn’t feel performative or forced. While reading, I felt like the best friend they would both come to when they needed to vent, which speaks volumes about how immersive the writing is.
This review is spoiler-free, but if you’re looking for a true friends-to-lovers story that will tug at your heartstrings in all the right ways, this is it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Friends with Benefits is the story of Theo and Evie, who have known each other since childhood and end up getting married for practical reasons. The premise of this book, and the character’s lives had a lot of potential interest, but their relationship didn’t work for me. The more I read about Evie, the less I liked her.
When this book starts, the focus is on Evie and Theo’s backgrounds and current struggles. There was no mention of attraction or anything other than a platonic relationship between them. As the book progresses, all of a sudden the characters describe chemistry and longing between each other. While I enjoyed their connection, I had a hard time transitioning into thinking of them as a couple in love. The steamy scenes seemed excessive to me. Overall, this book didn’t work for me as a romance.
I found the main characters’ stories compelling in some ways. Both had been through difficult situations with their families, which brought a lot of sadness to this book. Theo and Evie both had interesting careers and I enjoyed reading about their day-to-day work experiences. These characters had great potential, but I found their personalities lacking in many ways. I was really annoyed with Evie in multiple situations when she didn’t treat Theo well. The author describes Theo’s love and concern for Evie’s health and well-being, but Evie’s character was much more self-centered and focused on herself.
I appreciated the author’s representation of health issues in this book. This is not common in romance books, and I think it is important to acknowledge the pain and challenges of chronic health issues that many people face, particularly with the financial burden of health insurance with high premiums and low coverage.
This book had an interesting premise, and the character’s careers and health issues made them stand out from other characters in romance novels. Their story had a lot of potential, but their lack of chemistry and unbalanced relationship was not appealing to me.
Thank you to Marisa Kanter, Celadon Books and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
There’s nothing wrong with this story, but it wasn’t unique enough to be memorable. It’s a typical “friends to lovers” plot, with the FMC’s chronic illness bringing the only originality to the trope. I cranked up the speed about half way through because it felt like there was way too much time left on the audiobook for the amount of story that should have been left. I didn’t hate it but I think your time would be better spent on a different romance.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
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
Would you marry your best friend to get medical benefits for your chronic illness? And move in so he can keep his apartment? Evie & Theo do and you’ll want to know more on May 6th! #bestfriends #chronicillness #fakemarriage
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
I (kind of) love the reason for Evie needing a marriage of convenience because of her Chron's Disease and needing health insurance. Theo is the most fun 4th grade teacher. His students had me laughing when they were on the page. The "days since Bowling For Soup 1985 has played" sign was genius.
I really don't like the "my parent was this way and I'm afraid to turn into them so I'll run from a good thing" mentality though! Be your own person! I love the moment they just so naturally became/acted the way married people do... it was flawless and effortless.
I really don't like the "my parent was this way and I'm afraid to turn into them so I'll run from a good thing" mentality though! Be your own person! I love the moment they just so naturally became/acted the way married people do... it was flawless and effortless.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an audiobook for an honest review!
I so desperately wanted to like this book. It sounds right up my alley and hits so many of the tropes I normally love: friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, he takes care of her, and chronic illness representation. However, I found Evie to be a rather unlikeable character, and Theo wasn't much better. I wasn't really rooting for them.
The Bad:
There were so many current pop culture references, which I hate in a book. This is 100% just personal preference, but pop culture references often pull me out of the story and frustrate me. It makes books less rereadable for me.
Evie's constant request of Theo to respect her boundaries while pushing his boundaries with his abusive father hit me so wrong, and it was never truly addressed. Evie also takes a victim stance in almost every relationship, and while both characters talk a lot about seeing therapists, neither seems willing or able to clearly communicate feelings, boundaries, or expectations, while also getting mad at the other person for those miscommunications.
Theo isn't much better. He also tends to only see himself as a victim—usually a victim of loving Evie when she doesn't love him back (at least he doesn't think she does). This is furthered by a lack of clear boundaries and a constant overuse of miscommunication as their default.
The Good:
I loved reading about Evie's job! It was such a refreshing new role for a female main character. I also really loved Theo's passion and care for his students! I know teachers like him, and it's beautiful to see them represented in books.
The side characters are all colorful and fun, and I really appreciated that there was a lot of representation in this book without forcing it to be the entire identity of the characters.
I also really enjoyed both narrators. Sometimes I struggle with audiobooks with dual narrators, but I think both Gail and GM did a fantastic job meeting the vocal needs for each character without pulling us too far out of the story with each POV switch.
It's not the worst book ever. Again, I love most of the tropes, and the narrators did a great job with the material! But it wasn't my favorite, and I don't know that I would read anything else by this author. But I know there are people out there who would love this book, and I will be recommending it to friends who I think will vibe with it. But it's just not for me.
I so desperately wanted to like this book. It sounds right up my alley and hits so many of the tropes I normally love: friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, he takes care of her, and chronic illness representation. However, I found Evie to be a rather unlikeable character, and Theo wasn't much better. I wasn't really rooting for them.
The Bad:
There were so many current pop culture references, which I hate in a book. This is 100% just personal preference, but pop culture references often pull me out of the story and frustrate me. It makes books less rereadable for me.
Evie's constant request of Theo to respect her boundaries while pushing his boundaries with his abusive father hit me so wrong, and it was never truly addressed. Evie also takes a victim stance in almost every relationship, and while both characters talk a lot about seeing therapists, neither seems willing or able to clearly communicate feelings, boundaries, or expectations, while also getting mad at the other person for those miscommunications.
Theo isn't much better. He also tends to only see himself as a victim—usually a victim of loving Evie when she doesn't love him back (at least he doesn't think she does). This is furthered by a lack of clear boundaries and a constant overuse of miscommunication as their default.
The Good:
I loved reading about Evie's job! It was such a refreshing new role for a female main character. I also really loved Theo's passion and care for his students! I know teachers like him, and it's beautiful to see them represented in books.
The side characters are all colorful and fun, and I really appreciated that there was a lot of representation in this book without forcing it to be the entire identity of the characters.
I also really enjoyed both narrators. Sometimes I struggle with audiobooks with dual narrators, but I think both Gail and GM did a fantastic job meeting the vocal needs for each character without pulling us too far out of the story with each POV switch.
It's not the worst book ever. Again, I love most of the tropes, and the narrators did a great job with the material! But it wasn't my favorite, and I don't know that I would read anything else by this author. But I know there are people out there who would love this book, and I will be recommending it to friends who I think will vibe with it. But it's just not for me.
inspiring
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