A friends-to-lovers mixed with a modern marriage of convenience? Yes, friggin' please!
This book starts out with a couple of pranks that had me laughing. Noah and Mia's friendship is full of fun, laughter, and love. The love might feel unrequited but, of course, they won't tell each other that. I adored their running game of "would you rather..."
Mia gets an opportunity to pursue school but medically requires insurance. Noah's suggests she quit her job, marry him, and retain her insurance. What's a little fraud between married friends? In order to sell it though, pretending to care shows true feelings on both sides.
I loved how Allison provided levity to offset some of the heavy both deal with individually. Their mutual support of the other was incredibly endearing and I'm ready to pick up another of her books in the near future.
The performance by Courtney Patterson made for a bingeable listen. The audiobook is the way to go (with earbuds if you have little ears around you (wink, wink))!
Thank you to HTP and Netgalley for the advanced copy and Harper Audio for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mia and Noah have been best friends since childhood. Mia has a chronic illness, so when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime to go back to college and finish her degree she’s going to have to turn it down because she relies on the medical insurance her job provides. Noah would do anything for Mia so he offers to marry her (*purely for logistical reasons, of course*) so that she can be on his medical insurance and still follow her dreams. Mia hesitantly agrees. Since they’re taking a big risk, they know they have to convince everyone around them their marriage and romance are real. It shouldn’t be too hard since they’ve been secretly pining for each other for years (ahhhh!!). Mia and Noah’s marriage forces them to finally confront their feelings and determine if they can finally be more than “just friends.”

I absolutely loved the tropes in this book. Marriage of convenience is always one of my favorites to read, but I also really appreciated this instance of friends to lovers. The main thing I usually dislike about friends to lovers is when the main characters string other people along despite knowing they really want to be with each other, but that wasn’t the case here so I was able to whole-heartedly root for Mia and Noah.

This was easy to do because Mia and Noah make a great couple. While Mia is an extrovert and makes friends everywhere she goes, Noah is more reserved and introverted. This difference creates balance between them rather than friction though, and it's so cute to read about how Noah admires Mia's ability to charm everyone because he can't fathom not being charmed by her.

There's also an emotional aspect to WOULD YOU RATHER that involves Noah's brother, Nathan. As heartbreaking as it was to read, I felt that it added a lot of depth to the story and illustrated how fiercely Noah loves those who are important to him.

The only aspect of this book that I didn't love was how stubborn Mia was in refusing to be with Noah because she didn't want to be a "burden" to him. One of my top reading pet peeves is when characters deny themselves what they really want because they think they're doing what's best for someone else. Although I thought Mia's reasoning was well-explained and it didn't impact my enjoyment of this novel too much, it did start to feel a little repetitive and frustrating by the end.

Overall, I thought this was a really adorable, well-written debut novel! I would highly recommend giving WOULD YOU RATHER a read and I will definitely be reading whatever Allison Ashley writes next!

This book was, in a word, delightful. I read it in approximately 3 hours straight and loved every minute of it. If you’re looking for a fun romcom with fake dating, childhood best friends, only one bed, and a rather sophisticated look at some of the trauma that comes from dealing with chronic illness – this one’s for you.

This book had a bunch of my favorite tropes, lovable characters, and an easy-to-read flow that had me enjoying every minute. Thank you to NetGalley and Mira Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Title: Would You Rather
Author: Allison Ashley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Noah and Mia have always been best friends, and their friendship is the most important thing to them. Life is going great for Noah and he’s up for a promotion in a job he loves. But Mia’s life is on hold as she awaits a kidney transplant. She’s stuck in a dead-end job and, never wanting to be a burden, has sworn off all romance. So when the chance of a lifetime comes to go back to school and pursue her dream, it’s especially painful to pass up. She can’t quit her job or she’ll lose the medical insurance she so desperately needs.

To support her, Noah suggests they get married—in name only—so she can study full-time and still keep the insurance. It’s a risk to both of them, with jobs, health and hearts on the line, and they’ll need to convince suspicious coworkers and nosy roommates that they’re the real deal. But if they can let go of all the baggage holding them back, they might realize that they would rather be together forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! The dynamic between Mia and Noah was wonderful, and their banter makes their friendship even more fun to read. I loved how their relationship slowly changes—after they get married—and they both admit to themselves they’ve had feelings for each other for years. It was so much fun to read about their lives and everything they’ve been through together. I highly recommend this!

Allison Ashley works in oncology. Would You Rather is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 (rounded up to a 5)
Genre: RomCom
Tropes: Marriage of convenience, childhood friends to lovers
⚠️ TW: Death of a loved one (brother), kidney disease/chronic illness, difficult family situation

👉🏼 Publishes 8/23/22!

📖 Read if you like 📖
✌🏼 Dual POV
🚪 Steamy closed door romance
🗣 Witty banter
🥐 Cinnamon roll female MC
🛏 Forced proximity/one bed
😍 SO MUCH PINING

💭 My Thoughts:
This was SUCH a sweet book! You will be thinking to yourself, “JUST KISS ALREADY!!” It’s so clear they are in love and pining for each other from the beginning! The marriage of convenience coupled with the forced proximity and childhood friends to lovers was a wonderful combo. The character growth in this book from both Noah and Mia was heartwarming, and I loved watching them blossom after the various traumas they have been through. I highly recommend this sweet book!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited about reading Would You Rather after a friend recommended it to me. I was absolutely blown away by this book. It was such a wonderful friends-to-lovers romance that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Mia and Noah have been friends since they were seven years old. Currently they work together and they are also both harboring feelings for one another that neither has vocalized. Mia has a medical issue that makes it necessary for her to have medical insurance, so when she gets an opportunity to go back to school to finish the degree she never did, she doesn't think it's possible given she can't quit her job.

When Noah suggests that they marry so that she can be on his medical insurance while she goes back to school, she's blown away. He's always been by her side and this would be the most selfless thing he could ever do. What she doesn't realize is it is as much for himself as it is for her. Will these two best friends realize that there is much more to their relationship than either of them has ever admitted?

This book touches on all of the emotions, love, loss, anger, fear and it shows just how powerful love and friendship can be. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Would You Rather by Allison Ashley is a really fun look at a fake marriage.

Tropes: Fake Marriage, Friends to Lovers

Positives: How caring Noah is, Mia’s outgoing personality, the fun banter.

Negatives: NONE!!!

Fast, easy and a perfect way to spend a weekend.

Mia needs a kidney transplant. Her illness has cost her parents everything and Now they’re estranged. Mia has the chance to attend school but she’ll lose her insurance. Her best friend Noah offers marriage so she can use his insurance.
The fake marriage is only for the outside world. Noah has loved Mia for eons and is happy to have captured her. Mia also discovers her true feelings.
I liked the book, but I didn’t like Mia. I thought she was selfish and self centered. She finds out something from her past and freezes her parents out of her life and attempts to do,the same with Noah. He is loving, kind, patient, loyal, and I don’t think Mia deserved him. I understand why she acts the way she dies, but I don’t agree with her reasoning.

I’m gonna keep this brief because I really think this was just a case of poor timing on my part and it’s not the poor books fault. I read this at basically the same time as I was reading Yours Truly and there are some similarities with the plots, fake dating and kidney failure and I was just way more invested in YT than this one. I felt like I was reading a very similar story but one was just giving me everything and the other was just meh. So take this with a grain of salt because the reviews are great and it’s probably just me.

4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
One of the best best friends to lovers/fake marriage books I've read.

Mia and Noah have been best friends since they were seven, now they're in their 30's and neither have settled down. An opportunity comes up for Mia to go back to school full time and she is elated. Problem ~ she can't quit her job that offers medical insurance that she desperately needs for her chronic illness/kidney transplant. Noah has the perfect solution ~ they'll get married, so she can quit her job and concentrate on her dream of being a pediatric dietician. It takes lots of chicken wings to get Mia on board with this plan ~ and yes, I had wings for dinner the day I finished this, not plain though.

Dual 3rd person POV was perfect for this story. I really enjoyed their easy friendship, Noah's protectiveness (well actually this fits for both of them), the jokes they played on each other, and, of course, the would you rather game they've been playing for all these years. It took a bit, but they finally realize their feelings go deeper and they give in to their desires ~ in a clean manner.
I am a believer in YOLO, so I wasn't feeling either of their decisions for certain things, but luckily it all worked out in the end.
Claire and Graham and Natasha and Barbara were great side characters too.

Overall, super cute ~ super fun ~ quick read ~ heartwarming ~ sweet ~ some teary moments ~ lovable characters (except one, there's always gotta be one) ~ an all around delight.

I would absolutely be interested in reading more from this author.

WOULD YOU RATHER – Allison Ashley
Mira
ISBN: 978-0-778-38649-0
August 23, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Denver, Colorado – Present Day

Mia and Noah have been best friends since childhood and are always there for each other. Mia has kidney disease and she’s awaiting a transplant. Both work at the same architectural company but Mia has been dreaming of going back to college to get a dietitian degree. On a whim, she applied for a college scholarship and learns that she has been accepted. The only thing holding her back from quitting her job to get the degree is that she would lose her health insurance. Her medical woes mean that she needs health insurance. Noah is supportive of her dreams to go back to school and offers a suggestion. They should get married—in name only—so that she can get on his health insurance. Mia is stunned at the offer and though apprehensive, accepts his “proposal.” The caveat is that they must keep the real reason why they married a secret so that they won’t be turned in for insurance fraud.

Once married, Mia moves in with Noah. She’s spending the nights in his spare room, and while they have known each other most of their lives, she soon learns more about her best friend. And she discovers that she is now attracted to Noah. Will their marriage become real, and if so, can they make their temporary marriage turn into one that will last forever?

Noah is protective of Mia because of her illness and after losing his only brother in a car accident. He blames himself for the accident because he had begged his brother to take him to Mia after learning that she was in the hospital while he was out of town. As such, Noah hates to leave Mia’s side. She wants to be independent and hates Noah hovering over her. She agreed to marry him but worries that their friendship will be ruined if they have sex. Noah insists that nothing will change between them. Meanwhile, Noah is being blackmailed by a co-worker as the man overheard them discussing their “faux” marriage. Noah is competing with the co-worker for a job advancement. In exchange for Noah sabotaging his own job advancement, the co-worker won’t rat on him to their boss that Noah and Mia married in order to keep her insurance. As an aside, I don’t think there is anything Noah and Mia did wrong as it is not a felony to marry for health insurance as long as the marriage is valid.

Mia is adopted and only learned about it a couple of years ago when the need for a kidney donor came up. Her adoptive parents hadn’t told her that she was adopted, and the shock caused her to shut them out of her life. Deep down, Mia feels guilt about all the sacrifices they made for her, including mortgaging away their home and not doing the things most families do. Part of the plot in WOULD YOU RATHER is a letter from her parents that so far, she has refused to open. Later on, she does read it. Will it make her change her mind about her adoptive parents? I must admit that I couldn’t understand why she was mad at them. They clearly loved her and wanted to do everything in their power to make her well again.

WOULD YOU RATHER is an emotional read as Mia and Noah deal with her illness and the effects a marriage will have on their lifelong friendship. They are both likable characters but cling a lot to each other without really understanding why. Readers will be rooting for Mia to get a new kidney and for them to make their marriage work forever. Grab a copy of this enjoyable tale.

Patti Fischer

This one was adorable! I absolutely loved their chemistry and couldn't put this down! I can't wait to read whatever Allison writes next.

To begin with, when I read the synopsis of Would You Rather, I was sold immediately as it featured my most favorite romance trope of all time, a.k.a. childhood friends to lovers. Gladly, this book didn't disappoint. The pace of the story was meticulously plotted, and much to my surprise, I actually appreciated the entire process of the main characters', Noah and Mia's, relationship from being completely platonic to swoon-worthily romantic. I meant, I wasn't a big fan of fake marriage or fake dating--despite the fact that in Mia's case, Noah and Mia agreed to do so for the sake of her financial situation and medical insurance--but this book was so well-done that I didn't find the faking part too out of place.

Needless to say, this book mainly focused on Noah and Mia's friendship turning into something more intense and complicated. Thankfully, after keeping each other at arm's length for almost a decade, both lovebirds finally found the person they were looking for the whole time...and that moment was literally the most precious.

What I wasn't expecting, though, was how in-depth and thought-provoking this book turned out to be. It wasn't simply a love story with a happy ending; instead, both characters dealt with serious life issues including Mia's medical bills and chronic illness plus Noah's nonexistent love life due to his secret crush on Mia. That being said, this book definitely wasn't just a fluffy, heartfelt love story between two childhood best friends. It had such profound meaning behind the moral of the story that I rarely found in romance novels.

All in all, I'd highly recommend giving this book a shot if you're new to the author like me. Would You Rather was my first read from Allison Ashley and it certainly wouldn't be the last. I look forward to her future works and anything similar to this story. Lastly, go pick this book up! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

***Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers for the review opportunity as a part of the summer blog tour.***

‘Would You Rather’ by Allison Ashley was a heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance with the sweetest friendship at its center and an adorable love story. This story made me all kinds of emotional. Already want to read it again. Highly recommend!

4.5 Stars

There are very few authors who could get me to read one trope I don’t usually like, let alone two in the same book. But Allison Ashley’s first two books (Perfect Distraction and Home Sweet Mess) were amazing and I’ve read them both multiple times, so she’s earned some trust. Still, I had equal amounts of high hopes and trepidation for Would You Rather, a story that has both friends-to-lovers AND marriage of convenience storylines.

And I’m relieved to say my faith in Allison Ashley is not misplaced!

Mia and Noah grew up as best friends but, other than one almost-incident at a party in college, never dared to take things further. Now in their early thirties, they work for the same company and spend their days plotting revenge for the other’s latest office prank. The banter between them is hilarious and their friendship heartwarming.

But Mia is battling a serious illness, so even though she gets the opportunity at a scholarship to finish the degree she abandoned when she got sick, she’s unable to accept it. No job means no insurance, which Mia desperately needs. When Noah finds out about Mia’s chance to go back to school, he offers to marry her so she can still have access to their company’s medical insurance.

What follows are awkward first kisses, close calls trying to keep their secret, and a boatload of sexual frustration for two people who have been in love with each other forever and just won’t admit it - to themselves OR each other.

This story had a lot going on and so many layers. There was so much more than the usual “we can’t get involved because we’ll ruin our friendship” baloney (but it was there…just not in an annoying amount - thank goodness). Both the hero and heroine had understandable, significant causes for the barriers they erected that kept them from taking their relationship into romantic territory. They also were in desperate need of a therapist because good grief ten years is a long time to not deal with trauma. My frustration with them for not just havin a freaking honest conversation kept this from being a five-star read for me.

However, their unconventional reason for getting married actually works for a modern-day marriage of convenience plot. None of this “I have to marry to get an inheritance” or “I need to be married to get this promotion” malarky. I can’t think of any other marriage of convenience book that I’ve enjoyed - at all - let alone as much as I did this one!

I can hardly wait for whatever Allison Ashley will write next. Her writing, her storytelling, the always lovable characters are romance book perfection!

* thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Living with a chronic illness while awaiting a kidney transplant, Mia has put her life on hold. Working full time, getting treatment, pushing away serious relationships. With the opportunity of a lifetime to go back to school to pursue her dream job, her best friend Noah takes the leap of marrying her so she wouldn’t lose her health benefits. Would you rather marry your best friend and shoot for the stars or marry your best friend for real?

Incredibly heartfelt, WOULD YOU RATHER was a ROOMIES x THE CHEAT SHEET mash-up with a side of A WALK TO REMEMBER and CHASING LIFE. The angst, denial of true feelings, hard life choices, and the tenderness between Noah and Mia’s friendship, along with Mia’s relationship with her parents, had me awwing, crying (in frustration sometimes), and swooning. Enjoyed this one!

I really loved this. Friends to lovers and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes and it’s no different when it comes to this book. The combination of the two tropes make it possible for the characters to grow outside of their friendship and move into a romantic relationship.

Something I really loved was the group dynamic between Noah, Mia, Grahame, and Claire. It added elements of humor and relatability to the book. I do think the best part of the book are the two main characters, Noah and Mia, and their ability to grow from a friendship and build upon that. Also the development of their relationship and how they continued to become more and more vulnerable with one another was added to that development.

Outside of Noah and Mia as a couple, I think they were also strong individually with the character progression. They each had hardships to deal with and mentalities that came with those hardships they had to overcome. They encouraged one another to be better, despite their struggles, not only for themselves but to better for each other as well.

This is definitely a book I can see myself picking up a finished copy and rereading in the future.

This book was just--delicious! The swoony, yearning that went on--Whoa. 

Mia is sick. And, unfortunately, she'd also like to go back to school to pursue her dreams. When she gets into a school she applied for (but didn't think she'd actually get in to), Mia is conflicted. Because she needs a kidney transplant, she needs to work to keep her insurance. 

And then her best friend, Noah, offers to save the day. By marrying her so she can have his insurance. This isn't one of those stories where neither love interest has ever looked at the other with anything other than platonic interest. No, Noah is head-over-heels for Mia. She doesn't know it, of course. But his offer of marriage isn't wholly selfless. Noah would really do anything for Mia and his every action indicates this throughout the whole book. 

Mia is also in love with Noah--she just doesn't realize it, to be honest. 

This was a fun book with an awesome love story and amazing characters! I fell in love from page one!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. My review will be live, at the link given, on 8/27/22.

DNF at 27%

I found this wholly unimaginative. I've seen this story before, and this wasn't offering anything new or exciting. Marriage of convenience in contemporary romance are only plausible in a few very specific circumstance: needing healthcare.

So instead I spend all my reading time frustrated, once again, about the US' lack of universal healthcare. Also, the characters are so worried people will find out that they married only for her to have insurance. But honestly, I think most rational people wouldn't judge that harshly. Is it even really insurance fraud? I'm not an expert but these are the questions I find myself pondering while reading instead of enjoying two friends become lovers.

This was an amazing debut friends to lovers, marriage of convenience romance. Noah and Mia were so well developed, and it was nice to see chronic illness representation. Sometimes with friends to lovers, there isn't a great reason for why the characters aren't already in a relationship, but I didn't feel that way about this book. Highly recommend, and will definitely watch for future books from this author.