Though it starts off slow, I couldn't put this book down.

I thought it was going to be an enemies to lovers book, but really it's all about miscommunication. The main characters Mark and Shaina both have interesting character traits that you don't really see too much in books, let along a rom com. Mark is Demisexual and Shaina has hearing impairment, but both don't realize it even though their families have been friends their whole lives. It was hard for me to get how Mark didn't know about Shaina especially since she wears hearing aids, but just go with it.

First off, the representation in this book is *chefs kiss*. Having a male MC that is demisexial, a female MC that is differently abled and them both being Jewish, is something we don't see in a ton of books!

This was the perfect enemies to lovers romance. These two are the perfect example of needing to slow down and look at the cues to realize they were just on two different pages the whole time! Also the spice in this book is great!

Overall, I can't wait to read more from Laura Brown!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review!

Mark and Shaina have never liked each other. With mothers who are best friends, they have spent their entire 32 years on this planet forced to interact, with the latest being Mark's sister's wedding. When they must drive together to the wedding, they finally discover the root of their animosity, and learn neither is what they thought.

Shaina is hearing impaired and has never heard the soft-spoken Mark in her life. Mark, buried in a book and oblivious, thought Shaina simply ignored him. Feeling horrible, Mark is determined to adjust his behavior to meet Shaina's needs. When Shaina finally experiences the kindness Mark is known for, their relationship changes from enemies to lovers under the veil of a competition.

I loved the representation in this book. The main characters are Jewish, the male MC is demisexual, and the female MC is differently abled. With side characters of diverse ethnicities and sexualities, you can tell the author wanted the story to be representative of the world we live in, an effort I always appreciate.

In classic romance fashion do you at first want to shake the main characters and say, "you idiot!" Yes. But they quickly learn and have supportive friends and siblings to help knock some sense into them.

I loved how neither wanted to like the other but were so attracted to each other. And when they finally gave in!!! Multiple, solid spicy scenes :)

Overall a really great romance! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Read for: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, handcuffs, and opposites attract

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an arc in return for an honest review!

5 stars
2.75 spice

I really liked this fun rom-com! It’s not an enemies to lovers trope as much as a lifelong misunderstanding. Their mother’s have been trying to pair them up since they were babies, and they naturally rebelled against it.
As a result, they missed a few pertinent facts about each other. Shania is almost deaf and everyone has to speak loudly for her to hear. Mark is demisexual, even his own parents aren’t sure what that means.
I liked the way the author handles the disabilities, it’s not presented as a giant issue, just something to take into account with the person involved.
This is a little spicy and a good read, 4 stars.

Synopsis:
Their mothers are the worst matchmakers…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.

A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.

When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF’d at 10%. This was just not fun to read. I stopped right as the competition for the trip to Venice was announced. At that point, I should be excited to find out that the two love interests are going to be forced to compete together, but I was just dreading it. Shaina was just so unlikeable! She was so bitter, which I can kind of understand considering how she feels she’s treated, but then it says she’s a LIFE COACH?!?! What? How could she be a successful life coach with such a terrible attitude?
Shaina, after 32 years finally tells Mark she can’t hear him? This seems strange to me. I actually feel bad for HIM because he seems like a nice person who just wasn’t informed something was wrong.
The texting dialogue was awkward and stilted- not very realistic.
When Shaina firsts sees her father, it refers to him as dad, but then the book suddenly starts referring to him by his first name, it’s a bit disjointed and confusing.
One thing I did like was that it says Shaina doesn’t want kids. That’s refreshing to read (although I didn’t read far enough to find out if she changes her mind)
Overall, the writing is just not great and could use more editing. I very rarely DNF books, but this one was just not worth spending hours of my life finishing when I have better books waiting.

What happens when you mix enemies (since childhood) with meddling mothers (families, even)? A tale of crazy weddings shenanigans and awkwardness. The two main characters are likeable, witty and relatable so add in some fun competitions and spic moments and you’re all set!

This was such a great story, and my first book from Laura Brown. Each character brought something that helped build the story. Mark and Shaina had alot of missed time growing up simply because she couldn't hear what he was saying. Mark was completely oblivious to just how bad Shiana's hearing loss is. Their families, while having best intentions, always tried to push them together. This was something that needed to be built on it's own organically. Shiana had alot of built up hurt and animosity, because her parents always compared her to her brother, Noah. I was glad to see Mark and Shiana come together. This was one of those feel good stories.

This is my first time reading something by this author and I really enjoyed it. It's a cute enemies to lovers relationship that story caught my attention from the beginning and held it all the way through. This was a quick and easy read, but left quite an impression. The characters had some unique and characteristics which made them seem more realistic and relatable. Shaina and Mark knew each other since they were kids and their moms were friends. They both wanted for the kids to get together, and because of that, Shaina and Mark always did what they could to not let that happen as a means to rebel. Their rivalry was intense but fun with plenty of laugh out loud moments throughout. The book definitely left me with a smile on my face and a happy feeling afterwards. The characters were interesting and well-developed with realistic qualities that gave them an authentic personality and were easily relatable. The story was delightfully cute with quite a bit of steam. If you're looking for a fun, quick and cute read, then you definitely will want to pick this one up.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

She has hearing loss.

I loved that this book featured a heroine with hearing impairment. Shaina is great. You can feel her frustration yet her determination to live her life. Mark is absolutely clueless (and he's an epidemiologist!). If he's supposed to be so smart and they have known each other for 32 years, how can this idiot not know she has hearing loss? Clueless. That was what was so frustrating to me and that he never bothered to figure it out, that part was really hard to swallow. Aside from that, the book moves at a good pace and Shaina is awesome.

3.5 stars

Despite their mothers being best friends, Mark and Shaina don't like each other. When they decide to work together during a week of competition/wedding events, they start to see maybe there is more to the other than they thought.

Laura did a nice job creating interesting characters in Mark and Shaina. They had lots of chemistry, and I was curious from the beginning how they would overcome their years of dislike to get to an HEA. There was a good dose of humor/fun but also some more emotional moments, too, as their relationship changed.

Overall, an enjoyable and fun read.

Shaina and Mark grew up together but hated one another, despite the fact that their mothers wanted them to get together and their siblings are getting married. They are now thrown together and being to learn that they have a lot to learn about one another and that they may have more in common that they thought, which may lead to love.

This book tackled a lot of issues/topics, such as demisexuality, hard of hearing, communication issues, family issues, etc. I think the author did a great job tackling these issues. Both characters were closed off due to their own reasons and slowly had to let each other in.

Overall, I think this was a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This story had the beloved feel-good romcom vibe, with the added depth of characters outside the “norm.” I loved the representation shown through Mark’s demi-sexuality and Shaina’s disability.

I will say I found it a bit unbelievable that it took Mark almost 30 years to realize that Shaina couldn’t hear him. Originally I thought it was ridiculously immature that the main characters would deny themselves a relationship, when they both wanted it, just because they were pressured by their mothers. After further consideration, I realized that is actually pretty believable. I probably would have acted the same way.

It took me a little while longer to really feel connected with Shaina, but by the end you have to love her. I loved Mark from his first POV! He reminded me of Adam Carlsen in Ali Hazlewood’s, The Love Hypothesis. (In the best possible way!)

This was a great book. I would definitely read this again, and I predict it being a major hit! Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Laura Brown for the ARC!

3.5 stars

This was fun... But... i have to say though that this was more miscommunication than enemies to lovers and part of that is why although I had a lot of fun reading this book, I'm not giving it a higher rating, because that's one of my least favorite tropes.
I did enjoyed Mark and Shaina's dynamic and I also LOVED the disability representation of hearing impairment and how it was handled; and the demisexual rep that I almost never see in adult romance.
My main issue with the story was that some parts felt a bit unrealistic like for real Mark never noticed Shaina's hearing problems? Like for 30+ years he never thought once maybe she has hearing issues? Thats why i think this was more miscommunication than enemies because it felt too far fetch. Still i enjoyed them finally realizing how much they didn't hate each other.

Overall, this was a fun book and if you like lighthearted romcoms then you'll probably like this one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I have to say Laura Brown’s The Un-Arranged Marriage surprised me. From reading the blurb I went in expecting this to be a rom-com, which don’t get me wrong it most definitely is, just not the type of rom-com I’m used to. The setup is that Mark and Shania have known each other from birth. Their mothers are best friends and always dreamed of the two of them getting together. The problem? They’ve pretty much despised each other their entire lives. This is mainly due to a hearing issue that Shania suffers from but that Mark apparently never knew about. Given the livelong friendship of the families and the time they spent together growing up, Mark not understanding or ever having been explained about Shaina’s hearing issues does seem rather implausible, but that being said I was more than willing to overlook that.

As I said the setup works, Mark’s car breaks down on the way to his sister’s wedding and Shaina is forced to give him a lift. Then the two of them end up teaming up together to compete for a massive prize (the planned honeymoon that Mark’s sister and her husband to be are unable to take) Mark and Shania play off each other well and there are plenty of laughs to be had as the two enemies become friends. Sounds pretty good, right? Well it is. So why did I say it was unlike most rom-coms I’ve read before? Well, because frankly most rom-coms I’ve read over the years tend to be ‘clean’ romances. The first time someone dropped an F-bomb I knew this one might be different. So first there was the language, then there was the sex. Yeah, there is sex, quite a bit in fact…some quite graphic. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with either the language or the sex, but from my experience with rom-coms it just felt out of place. I honestly don’t think it was needed or particularly added anything to the story, but it also didn’t really bother me. And if Ms. Brown felt it showed the growing connection between our two main characters then as the author that’s her decision. I’m just pointing it out because it seemed a bit out of place to me and it might offend those who are looking more for a PG-rated story.

Overall I enjoyed the story quite a bit as I’ve always enjoyed a good enemies to lovers story. Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an eARC of The Un-Arranged Marriage.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R36P5NJDC8RGY3/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Great quick fun read for anyone that loves romance. Read it in one day would highly recommend. I loved the banter between each character. The whole setting of this book was so fun and enjoyable to read

I really enjoyed Shaina and Mark’s unexpected romance in The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown. Imagine having your bff mothers un-officially arrange your marriage immediately after you are born ten-days apart. This is what happens to Shaina and Mark. Growing up, Shaina and Mark grew to hate each other. It took riding together to his sister’s wedding preparations for Mark to realize that Shaina has a hearing loss and cannot hear him. After asking for help, Mark impresses Shaina once he starts speaking loud enough for her to hear him; causing her walls of hatred for him to start falling. After all, Mark is quite hot, has a great sense of humor, and they share many similar interests. For Mark, being demisexual means attraction isn’t easy; but getting to know Shaina for really the first time, he finds himself paying more and more attention to her. When a major competition for a paid dream trip to Italy is offered, Shaina and Mark, the only singles, team up together. As they work together to win the competition, they soon realize their hate is over-rated, soon replaced by an unexpected sizzling chemistry. That childhood competiveness did come in handy as they worked through the clues. No matter how strong their feelings grow, they refuse to give in to their parent’s wishes; or do they?

Ms. Brown wrote a story that is inclusive of people with a hearing impairment or who are open about being demisexual, as well as wonderful and heartwarming that is definitely not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Shaina and Mark an unexpected chance at a future together. I highly recommend The Un-Arranged Marriage to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Mark and Shaina have grown up together. Their mothers have been best friends since their births and have been planning the couple's wedding since they were babies. But Mark and Shaina have never gotten along. When the two are forced to play nice at a family wedding and get to know each other, they find they DO actually get along. But do they let the mother's win? Or can they hide their relationship for as long as possible?⁣
⁣
I'm going to be honest here, I was worried about this book when I first started it. How could two people who have grown up together not know crucial facts about the other? I got to the 40% mark before the book really kicked into gear for me and things made a bit more sense. If you read this one, do persevere as the second half is worth it! This was a cute romance which made me smile.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book is so adorable and wholesome. I cannot even begin to express how much.
I was hooked from the first page and being a slow reader, the fact that I gobbled this book up in 24 hours is saying a lot.

I ditched everything. I forgot the other books I was reading. I stayed up till 3:45 am finishing it. I read while I was working. I was hooked.

And I don't even regret my sleep deprivation or my pending office work. This book is that good.

This book is hate-to-competing-together-to-lovers. It's not enemies to lovers rather archnemesis-to-lovers, with some well-done miscommunication.

Both MCs represent something, Shaina represents a hearing loss disability, while Mark represents Demisexuality. You don't see combinations like these in rom-com books and this makes the book all the more unique.

Shaina is the competitive extrovert and Mark is the watching-while-leaning-on-the-wall introvert. They are so, so cute together.

Shaina's mother and Mark's mother are BFFs so both of them grew up together. And even their mothers always wanted both, Shaina and Mark, to be together, from the moment they were born. So because of that they also didn't create a bond, not wanting to give their mothers the satisfaction of them getting together.

Their animosity started when they were kids. The miscommunication about Shaina's disability and Mark's sexuality were a part of it. But mostly it was Mark not knowing about Shaina's disability. The way Mark set out to be more conscious about it and made the effort to be loud enough to be heard is just so freaking amazing. I have heart eyes.

I can relate to Shaina on a few levels. She has a family who has high expectations from their children and doesn't settle for anything but perfect. Then there's being compared to her sibling all the time. The pressure to cross the bar that they have set is something that led to her having a competitive nature.

The wedding competition was a brilliant way to centre the book around. The tasks, the hunts, the escape room challenge, the childhood memories. It all became the reason for their bonding, the friendship they slowly formed and in the end, fell for each other.

The whole book is the perfect mix of fun, love, family, weddings with a little spice... Ok... It was a bit more than a little but it doesn't feel too much… it's the perfect amount. I never thought that I would be intrigued by beards. I'm not a big fan of beards. Also, I haven't read any books where the guy has a beard. I was quite fascinated by it.

I loved The Un-Arranged Marriage. The book had me laughing, swooning and making goo-goo eyes the whole time… oh and did I mention that in the book the guy falls first. HARD. Well, that's another reason this book just takes the cake.

I thought this book was incredibly good and very clever. The author has skillfully crafted a very cute rom-com and breathed a wonderful air of freshness it to it. I found it impossible not to fall for Mark and Shaina. I thought this book was a delightful blend of humorous and heartfelt and I really enjoyed reading it.

I really enjoyed this book! The cast is very diverse, with the main two characters being hard or hearing and demisexual. The romance was also very believable since the characters already had feelings towards the beginning. The only reason my rating is low is because the plot was a tad dry. It was a little predictable and sometimes the just the romance wasn’t enough to keep me turning the pages. All in all this is a cute and light read especially for spring break or summer!