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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25 stars)
If you're looking for a delightful friends-to-lovers story that's heartfelt, humorous, and wonderfully relatable, Friends With Benefits by Marisa Kanter definitely delivers. This charming audiobook is perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center, blending romantic comedy with meaningful themes.
Evie and Theo, lifelong best friends, enter into a marriage of convenience purely for practical reasons—health insurance and affordable housing in LA—but, predictably, nothing stays quite that simple. Forced proximity leads them to confront feelings that have always simmered beneath the surface. Theo's quiet but deep-seated love for Evie and Evie's determination not to fall into romance create a delicious tension that's impossible not to enjoy.
One of the highlights for me was learning about Evie’s career as a Foley artist. The details about how sound effects are created for film and television fascinated me—I loved seeing Evie's passion come alive through her unique and artistic job. Kanter does an excellent job bringing this little-known industry vividly to life.
I appreciated the thoughtful representation in the story. Evie’s bisexuality was refreshingly portrayed as a natural part of her character, never serving as a source of conflict. Additionally, Evie's experiences with chronic illness (Crohn’s Disease) were handled sensitively and realistically, especially her struggles with medical gaslighting and anxiety around healthcare. These details added depth and relatability to Evie's character.
Theo was equally compelling, especially as he navigated grief from losing his mother and reconnecting with his estranged father. Evie's backstory of parental abandonment and the emotional pain of being forced to quit dancing due to injury and illness also tugged at my heartstrings, making her journey incredibly moving.
The title cleverly encapsulates the layered meaning of their arrangement—from Theo literally offering Evie medical "benefits," to the evolution of their relationship into a physical, and eventually deeply emotional, connection. It was charmingly clever and perfectly fitting.
The audiobook narration deserves special praise, particularly Gail Shalan, who brought such personality and warmth to each character, especially standout side characters like Evie’s spirited grandmother and her quirky Foley mentor.
My only hesitation was with the heavy reliance on miscommunication as a plot device. While the miscommunication trope can add tension, it felt slightly overused here. I found myself wishing Evie and Theo would just openly talk things out more often instead of continuously misunderstanding each other.
Overall, Friends With Benefits is a sweet, enjoyable, and emotionally rich story with relatable struggles and plenty of swoon-worthy moments. It's definitely worth adding to your TBR pile, especially if you love contemporary romances filled with heart and humor.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Medical trauma, Gaslighting
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Celadon Books) for promotional purposes.
This was a fun rom-com with a lot of depth!
First off, the title is perfect because it sums up the book so well. Two friends, Theo and Evie, get married so Evie (who has a chronic illness) can get good health benefits and together they qualify for Theo’s rent controlled apartment.
Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes and I thought the author executed it skillfully. Their reasons for getting married made sense and the fact that they were life long friends made it very plausible. Marriage of convenience can sometimes feel far-fetched when the two characters don’t know each other well.
Despite being a romantic comedy, I loved that the book touched upon more serious topics. It explored grief, chronic illness (specifically Crohn’s disease), family abandonment, the healthcare system, and the education system. These added a layer of “realness” to the story.
I also liked the inclusion of flashbacks that slowly revealed Theo and Evie’s not-so platonic friendship through the years. They were woven throughout the story and were perfectly placed.
Theo and Evie are not without their faults. Neither one of them is perfect and they both make a ton of mistakes, but that’s what makes them human. They worked well as a couple because of their history and friendship. They really understood each other.
Side note: I thought it was so fun that Theo and Evie were big Survivor fans. As a fan of the show, I enjoyed the Survivor references.
Overall, I really loved this romance! If you like the friends-to-lovers and/or marriage of convenience tropes, be sure to check this one out.
I just don't have the emotional bandwidth for books with heavy current social/political themes.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Evie and Theo have been the best of friends since they met at dance class as kids. Now as adults, Theo is an elementary teacher and Evie is trying to work as. Foley artist, doing sound for tv and film. When Theo needs a roommate to stay in his apartment, and Evie needs heath insurance to be able to take part in a Foley fellowship, they decide to solve both problems by getting married. While they think their arrangement of convenience won’t change anything, it obviously will.
I breezed through this book in a day. It’s pretty apparent from the description how things will end up, and I was interested to know how they would get from point A to point B. It’s a variation on a fake dating trope. Their shared interest of Survivor and how he also used it in his classroom is entertaining. Evie had moments where she annoyed me, because she’s one of those characters who can get in her own way, but I did like how her character was complex and shed a little light on what it could be like having an autoimmune disease to constantly manage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the invitation to read this book.
I breezed through this book in a day. It’s pretty apparent from the description how things will end up, and I was interested to know how they would get from point A to point B. It’s a variation on a fake dating trope. Their shared interest of Survivor and how he also used it in his classroom is entertaining. Evie had moments where she annoyed me, because she’s one of those characters who can get in her own way, but I did like how her character was complex and shed a little light on what it could be like having an autoimmune disease to constantly manage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the invitation to read this book.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a book full of representation and being able to see yourself in the characters - I love that!
Childhood friends to lovers and miscommunication are the strongest tropes. We get alternate POVs with Evelyn and Theo as well as flashbacks to core memories from their past. I personally didn't love Evelyn as the book went on. She pushed people away but wanted them to really stay. I think Theo was my favorite because of how he was as a teacher with his class and his dedication to Survivor (the show). The ending was good when they all got their heads out of their butts to realize what they were missing out on. Thanks to netgalley and Celadon Books for the early copy!
Childhood friends to lovers and miscommunication are the strongest tropes. We get alternate POVs with Evelyn and Theo as well as flashbacks to core memories from their past. I personally didn't love Evelyn as the book went on. She pushed people away but wanted them to really stay. I think Theo was my favorite because of how he was as a teacher with his class and his dedication to Survivor (the show). The ending was good when they all got their heads out of their butts to realize what they were missing out on. Thanks to netgalley and Celadon Books for the early copy!
Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is a deeply emotional, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately touching story about love, friendship, chronic illness, and the ways we show up for the people we care about.
Let’s start with what worked: the representation of chronic illness in this book was both realistic and impactful. Evie’s struggles with her health were portrayed with honesty and sensitivity, adding a weighty, real world urgency to what might otherwise be a lighthearted rom com premise. I really appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing the complexities of navigating a broken healthcare system. I have navigated said system and it can truly be awful, so I appreciated her highlighting this.
Theo was easily the best part of this book for me. His quiet yearning for Evie, the way he supported her, his kind, grounded energy; yes to all of it. We love men who yearn, and Theo delivered. He was the emotional anchor of the story, even when I wanted to shake both characters and scream “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” The miscommunication trope was strong in this one, and it wore on me a bit too much. I love slow burns, but this veered into maddening territory at times.
Evie, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. I wanted to root for her, and I did at times, but her inner monologue often felt chaotic, self-absorbed, and exhausting. She had potential, as her her job as a Foley artist was a fresh, unique angle, but her choices and lack of growth made her tough to connect with emotionally.
The Disneyland setting was a total win for me though! The little references (even if they flubbed the Gatorade vs. Powerade and Mickey’s actual height 😅) added a layer of nostalgia and charm. I especially loved how the park became a symbol of tradition and comfort for Theo and Evie.
That said, the religious themes caught me off guard. As someone who is agnostic, I wasn’t personally bothered, but I do wish there had been some kind of heads up about how much religion would be woven into the narrative. It’s an element that could really impact someone’s reading experience, especially if they’re not expecting it.
Ultimately, this book had a great premise of friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, childhood dance partners turned adults who clearly love each other, but it was weighed down by too many subplots, a heavy dose of miscommunication, and a main character I struggled to root for. I wanted to love it more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter, and Celadon Books for the eARC of this book.
Let’s start with what worked: the representation of chronic illness in this book was both realistic and impactful. Evie’s struggles with her health were portrayed with honesty and sensitivity, adding a weighty, real world urgency to what might otherwise be a lighthearted rom com premise. I really appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing the complexities of navigating a broken healthcare system. I have navigated said system and it can truly be awful, so I appreciated her highlighting this.
Theo was easily the best part of this book for me. His quiet yearning for Evie, the way he supported her, his kind, grounded energy; yes to all of it. We love men who yearn, and Theo delivered. He was the emotional anchor of the story, even when I wanted to shake both characters and scream “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” The miscommunication trope was strong in this one, and it wore on me a bit too much. I love slow burns, but this veered into maddening territory at times.
Evie, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. I wanted to root for her, and I did at times, but her inner monologue often felt chaotic, self-absorbed, and exhausting. She had potential, as her her job as a Foley artist was a fresh, unique angle, but her choices and lack of growth made her tough to connect with emotionally.
The Disneyland setting was a total win for me though! The little references (even if they flubbed the Gatorade vs. Powerade and Mickey’s actual height 😅) added a layer of nostalgia and charm. I especially loved how the park became a symbol of tradition and comfort for Theo and Evie.
That said, the religious themes caught me off guard. As someone who is agnostic, I wasn’t personally bothered, but I do wish there had been some kind of heads up about how much religion would be woven into the narrative. It’s an element that could really impact someone’s reading experience, especially if they’re not expecting it.
Ultimately, this book had a great premise of friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, childhood dance partners turned adults who clearly love each other, but it was weighed down by too many subplots, a heavy dose of miscommunication, and a main character I struggled to root for. I wanted to love it more than I did.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter, and Celadon Books for the eARC of this book.