this was such a cute book! i’m not usually a fan of the misunderstanding trope but i didn’t mind it in this book.
the fact that shaina had a hearing loss disability made it more "real" and i learned a lot. it’s not that usual in romcoms and i feel like its a great way to educate people abt it!
the smut was good too!!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for this e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review! I thought this was such a delightful romance. I'm always looking for more representation in literature and to find that here with a hearing impaired MC and a demi-sexual MC was great to see. There were some great laugh out loud moments mixed in with the sweet and overall this was a great read. I will definitely be diving into more books from this author in the near future.

Mark Goldman and Shaina Fogel have disliked each other from childhood. Though their mothers are best friends and hoped they would marry someday. Shaina has always resented Mark for not acknowledging that she is hard of hearing. When they are thrown together at a family wedding she discovers that he never knew she had a hearing problem. Now that they both are aware of that, the relationship changes. As they are matched together in all of the wedding activities, will they find more than friendship?


Thanks to Laura Brown and Entangled Publishing LLC.

3.5 stars --- I absolutely loved the representation in this book. With one main character with hearing loss and another who is demisexual, it was so wonderful to watch how they came to understand and adjust to be there for one another.

But GOD their parents were the absolute worst. Not overbearing in an endearing and lovable way just truly the worst. So good to see both Shaina and Mark get loud about who they are and what they wanted in life and in love.

This was a really cute book. Overall I found the characters super lovable. I really liked how mark was awkward that just made me really connect with him. Because I am also a little awkward. Love cute Shaina was and how her disability did not define her. overall really cute read.

I always love a good enemies to lovers story, and this one was enemies to lovers with a good mix of representations I don’t often see!

Mark and Shaina were an unlikely couple, Mark being down to earth (and slightly aloof) and Shaina an extrovert frustrated with the lack of understanding that comes from her hearing disability.

First off, we have a miscommunication trope that has lasted for YEARS because Shaina is hard of hearing, wears hearing aids, and yet Mark has known her since they were children and had no idea. None. Zilch. This was hard for me to believe, but if you can get past that major miscommunication the story is cute and the wedding setting was cute and enjoyable.

I would call it more miscommunication to lovers than straight enemies, but nevertheless it worked!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy I’m exchange for a review. Full review to come on GR.

Shaina and Mark were born just ten days apart to two best friends, so their mothers have always wanted them to end up together, but between that pressure and Mark misunderstanding Shaina's disability they've always been enemies, until a competition to win a vacation forces them to work together.

I loved the hard of hearing and demisexual rep in the book. And I loved the we have to compete with each other to be around each other trope. I did think the enemies part of the enemies to lovers was a miscommunication that should have been sorted out before the characters were 33.

This book had a great premise, but unfortunately really wasn't an enjoyable read. I found lots of typos and confusing sentences. I loved the representation of disability and demi-sexuality in a romance, so big props to Laura Brown for including diverse stories.

I was really intrigued by the premise and I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, so I was hopeful about the book. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. The fact that Mark supposedly didn't know for almost thirty years that Shaina was hard of hearing is a little bit... Unbelievable. Even if the families weren't as close as they are, I have a hard time imagining that both families knew of the issues between Shaina and Mark (especially because Mark insists that Shaina is ignoring him) and no one took him aside to remind him that she's hard of hearing. Also Shaina is very vocal about reminding people and standing up for herself, so to think she just never read Mark the root act before? To me it felt like the ultimate plot hole and because the whole story is based on this supposed misunderstanding, it soured the book for me. I was wondering if I was being a bit to critical, but when I explained the storyline to some friends they were equally confused.
The other thing that made this book difficult for me was Shaina. While I also didn't quite get Mark, Shaina's POV was exhausting. I completely understand her being angry that people often forget her disability and wanting them to accommodate her more, but for most of the story she was just so angry at the world and so bitter, I had to put the book down a few times because it was actually taking a toll on my mental health. She's absolutely in the right to feel this way and I'm not critiquing that, it's just very hard to stay in her mind for so long.
So all in all I wasn't a big fan of this one, which I was super disappointed by because the writing is really good and I think the story had a lot more potential, if the premise of the enemies storyline had been thought out a bit more.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

One thing i hatethe most is the trope of misscomunication. So, i wont say i hated this book but it was hard for me to read it.
Dude, if she "ignored" you since you where a child maybe MAYBE there's a reason. Comunicate, please. She has the right to be angry at you because you do speak so quietly so, yeah, you're the problem gosh.

I always loooveee a forced proximity, enemies attract, opposites type of book. The un-arranged marriage was a fun rom-com that kept me engaged throughout. I loved both Mark and Shaina and it was fun to see them both soften for eachother. Overall this was a light and sweet read.

Rating : 3.5

Wow! The story was so cute and swoon worthy! I really loved the representation of hearing impairment as it is not very much commonly seen in books! I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope and the character were very well written. Shaina and Mark had very good chemistry and I really really enjoyed reading about them! The only problem I had was the miscommunication trope , and I'm not a big fan of that trope. I sometimes wanted to smack characters for the all the drama caused by this miscommunication. And it was bit unrealistic and unreasonable considering the closeness between Shaina and Mark's family.
Overall it was fast paced fun read for me!
Thank you netgalley, author and the publisher for the e ARC

I tried and tried, but could not get into this book and finally DNFed it. I'm not sure why I couldn't click with it, but I wasn't interested in the main characters and wasn't excited by their romance.

Shaina and Mark have known each other throughout their lives. Since birth their Mothers have dreamed of them getting together and getting married. Both are completely against it but when sparks fly during a weeklong competition for a dream vacation things begin to change.

This is a cute rom-com book with some fresh takes within the storyline. I liked the diverse characters with the OwnVoices depiction of hearing loss and representations. This book has a mix of humor and heart. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute and light read.

I want to thank NetGalley, Lauren Brown and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Amara for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

The foundation of the book’s premise was promising but there were too many small annoyances (for me) that soured the experience. I loved the representation and diversity of backgrounds of the characters, where there is discussions about hearing impaired individuals and sexuality, the way it played into the story was a tad derivative, with not much to be taken from these narratives when incorporated into the story.

The romance itself was a bit irksome as some of the hang ups and drivers for animosity were surface level or could have been discussed (they are in their thirties!)

It was ok. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

The Un-Arranged Marriage
Author: Laura Brown

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What I Liked:
🎂 This book was an utter joy from start to finish. Yes there were moments that were serious and a little heavy but overall it was just a fun and sweet little book with a dash of spice 🌶 added in!

🎂The main characters had some unique characteristics about them which make them stand out from other books. Totally loved the representation and when authors try something new!

🎂Both MC seemed to be quite self-reflective and aware of their value by the end of the book. I appreciate that a lot since it’s something I always try to do myself. Their growth was fantastic!

What I Didn’t Like:
🎂The mothers. I mean I get that they are VERY stereotypical but they were a touch annoying. Also Noah. No one needs an older brother who knows it all.

Final Thoughts:
🎂I would also like to compete for a trip to Venice so if you know of any, fill me in!

🎂I would love to see Olivia get her own book. I enjoyed the relationship between her and Shaina and would love to see of continue as Olivia finds love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, for the ARC of this book. Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Too many holes in the story and too many characters that I couldn't relate to.

I was really excited to start this book. The FMC and MMC were lifelong friends that the mothers have dreamed of getting married ever since they were in diapers, but they don't get along. It is evidenced right at the beginning. Its like an enemies to lovers romance but it is very unbelievable and neither character willed me into finishing this book.

Mark is a smart guy(epidemiologist), but he doesn't realize that she can't hear him. She isn't ignoring him. She just can't hear him. This really really bothered me.

They do seem to get along, but even the relationship with the siblings is not loving/humorous. It lacked a redeeming quality for me to want to continue to read. It was a DNF for me.

I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I came ~so~ close to enjoying this book. It's a competitive enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy where Shaina and Mark are forced to team up if they want to defeat their family members and win a trip to Venice. Their lifelong enmity is based on the fact that their mothers have been trying to matchmake them since diapers and Mark doesn't speak loud enough for Shaina to hear, even with her hearing aids in. Unaware of her needs, he perceives her as aloof when she doesn't respond. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, they start to learn they may really be a great match if they can overcome a lifetime of baggage.

So let's start with the positives. I loved the ownvoices depiction of hearing loss and the Jewish representation in both main characters. There's great plot around Mark improving to meet Shaina's hearing needs, and she holds him to a high standard. Shaina and Mark also have great on-page chemistry, and the emotional connection that follows the physical sparks is really sweet.

My first major hangup was that I never got over the premise. The fact that A) no one in thirty years told Mark to get his head out of his ass and speak louder to Shaina or B) Mark didn't have even an iota of observational skills to notice she wears hearing aids is mind-boggling. Furthermore, the author tries to have it both ways with the characters' shared history. It comes up a lot that it's not creepy for them to be attracted to each other even though they view each other's siblings as siblings. It's written off as a result of their enmity, preventing an honorary sibling bond from ever forming between them. Although they've apparently never had a conversation, they have all these shared memories and communal bonds from growing up in a quasi-family network together, and the tension between these different things wasn't fully resolved for me, especially since I kept being reminded of that incongruity. I don't think their relationship is inappropriate or gross by any means; their background just didn't add up to the present situation very well in my head.

On a more serious note, I really really struggled as an ace person with Mark being demisexual. Initial reaction: YES GOOD THE MORE REPRESENTATION THE MERRIER. However, as things progressed, I was worn down by the way Mark's sexuality is discussed. Whether in his head or conversation with family and friends, it is unconsciously (I assume) depicted as a deficit, a challenge, a hardship. While I was at first pleased to see an explicit conversation about how dating norms don't exactly embrace ace people, it ended up detracting from my own mental battle to view asexuality as a way to exist with its own benefits and inherent awesomeness. The kiss of death for me was that a miscommunication about Mark's demisexuality fuels the final act drama between the characters. There are deeper underlying issues they need to address, but a game of telephone including an outside party who doesn't understand what it is to be demi results in an unnecessary communication meltdown. And I ultimately found that disheartening, which I'm sure was not the intent.

Ultimately, I am grappling with if/how to recommend this. It definitely has strengths. Even as a narrative about an ace person finding love and joy with no consideration for the other great components, it has merit. But we can do better. Being ace comes with hurdles, but only because of society and not inherent worth.

This book follows the story of Shaina and Mark, whose bestie moms have wanted them to get married since they were born! Although they are completely against this, sparks fly when they participate in a week-long competition for a dream vacation!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - Although this is certainly a romance book, I liked how the story didn’t always revolve around that. The overall plot was unique and interesting! I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. Last, I enjoyed how the author highlighted the fact that flaws and baggage make us who we are!

DISLIKES - The book started a bit slow for me (but picked up in the second half).

Read if you like:
*enemies-to-lovers
*slow burn
*dual POV
*family drama