This was a cute enemies to lovers/brothers best friend romance. Shania and Marks mothers have been planning their wedding to each other since they were babies, but Shania and Mark grew up hating each other. Shania has hearing loss and she always thought Mark was intentionally speaking low so she could not hear him and Mark had no clue that Shania could not hear him so he thought she was intentionally ignoring him. When they are forced to ride to Shania's brothers wedding together and then thrown together in a competition to win a trip they start to learn more about each other and learn that their hatred was just a gross misunderstanding. But will they let their mothers lifelong dream come true?

3.5⭐

I loved the representation in this book. Our main character Shaina is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. I really appreciated this being in the book, and I don't think I've ever come across it like this before! Our main character Mark was demisexual, which is also something I haven't really seen much in romance books.

I enjoyed the fun storyline with big, crazy families and wedding games. I was hoping for half the story to take place on the vacation, but it basically all took place during the weddings and I didn't really like that. It seemed redundant after awhile. I also felt it was a little unrealistic that they were "enemies" for 30 years over a misunderstanding that one of the main characters somehow never realized. Once they got over being "enemies" their romance was very insta love, which isn't my favorite. I love a good slow burn!

Overall, this was a fun book but i struggled to keep my attention on it. The storyline was fun, but the executive fell a little flat for me. However, I think fans of lighthearted romcoms will love this one.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 3/29.

Sadly, this book had a promising premise, but really fell flat for me.

A lot of the plot lines in THE UN-ARRANGED MARRIAGE felt very unlikely. That these two characters and their families have been tight knit for 32 years, including the leads sharing ALL of their childhood birthday parties, and Mark had NO IDEA that Shaina couldn't hear? Ummmm....nope.

I also found both of the leads to be very unlikable.

I DID love the representation of deafness with Shaina. It was handled well. But otherwise I found her incredibly immature. What 32 year old is still mad at her older brother for a wrong answer he gave her for a test when they were kids? Shaina has a degree in psychology and can't get past childhood sibling rivalry?

Again, I really like the representation of Demisexuality with Mark. But, he too, was mostly unlikable. I almost put down this book to DNF at least 10 times. But I ended up trudging through and things never really got better for me.

Besides the main characters every other character in this book is wildly unlikable. Both sets of parents are awful. All of the cousins and family friends are gossipy, petty, and emotionally immature. I don't know any 30-somethings who act like this.

I wanted to like THE UN-ARRANGED MARRIAGE, but the representation of deafness and demisexuality were the only good points for me.

2 1/2 STARS

at sone point it started feeling like more of a miscommunication trop than enemies to lovers. There was no rivalry or something that had happened int he past to lead them into being "enemies". The miscommunication trope is something I try as hard as possible to stay away from but it was so wholesome and sweet that I don't think I truly minded. The charters were all so lovable. I guess everything besides that made it a solid 4 stars! Thank you for the arc.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Entangled Publishing, LLC and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Quirky, funny and cute. This one has a lot of promise.

This was a cute rom-com, though spicier than I expected, but that’s a good thing. I appreciate different representations included, and I really loved all of the consent in the intimate moments. It’s a cute story, but did lag about halfway through. I could have done with a few less chapters with Shaina and Mark trying to convince themselves why a relationship would never work. You both have baggage, I get it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the chemistry between the 2 main characters and the evolution of their relationship. I also enjoyed how spicy this book was! There were some scenes that were seriously hot, so if that is not your thing, then I wouldn't recommend this story. If you do enjoy some spice, then I highly recommend it!

I did think the middle portion of the book got a little repetitive, but then it picked up and I really loved the end.

All in all, this was a cute story and gave me the warm fuzzies.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC to offer my honest opinion.

The male lead in this novel ruined this romance. For 32 years, Mark was unaware of Shaina's hearing loss when their two families are inseparable? How is that possible when everyone else knew! This made his storyline so unbelievable. Mark was also so meager except what he demanded in the sheets. Both of the love interests were incredibly immature considering they were in their 30's. Why can't adults just talk to each other!!!!

I honestly couldn't believe that these opposites would attract in the end. The Un-Arranged Marriage started with a fun premise, but it fell flat for me.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the advance reader copy.

Mark and Shaina have never gotten along, despite being pushed together by their mothers since the moment Mark was born ten days after Shaina. When they’re thrown together in a competition at his younger sister’s wedding, this book becomes the typical “forced to work together they learn so much about it other” narrative. And it works! It’s fun, and the leads are easy to root for separately and as a couple. It quickly becomes obvious if they could just get out of their own way – and ignore their mothers’ meddling – they’d actually be perfect for each other. And Mark is explicitly mentioned on the page to be demisexual, which never happens and it’s so nice to see that representation in fiction.

So why was I left wanting more?

Mark and Shaina haven’t gotten along for 32 years because he thought she was ignoring him and she literally couldn’t understand a word he said because he spoke too quietly for her hearing aids to pick up. THIRTY-TWO YEARS. I am willing to suspend my disbelief for a lot in a rom-com, but I just can’t fathom how they went so long without having someone in one of their very tight families mention this in front of Mark. An entire lifetime of animosity is built up on this, and it just felt too flimsy to me.

I try really hard to not be critical of the writing in my reviews, because I don’t think that’s what anyone wants and I got enough of that in my MFA days. But one of my biggest writing pet peeves is when the construction of the sentences feels somehow off to me, when I have to read something over again to really understand what the author is saying. It pulls me out of a fun story and makes me think about the writing process, which isn’t what I want when I’m trying to get lost in a book. I have to admit that happened to me multiple times during this book. Clearly I liked the story enough to get past that and read to the end, but it definitely kept this fun plot and likable characters from becoming a homerun for me.

Shaina and Mark have hated each other since birth, mainly because of a communication issue. When Mark discovers that Shaina has struggled to hear him due to her hearing loss, he realizes she might not be as annoying as he thought. It will take all of their energy to work together and win a competition, or will the stakes be too high for a romance that will last?

I really enjoyed this book. It introduced me to the definition of demisexual, even though I thought it was forced a bit much. Shaina and Mark had irresistible chemistry, and there was definitely spice throughout the novel. I definitely found myself rooting for them to stay together, especially when they were competing together and separately. I thought that the author's own struggles with hearing loss made Shaina believable, and it was evident she has someone in her life like Mark to help her get through the ups and downs.

The last thirty pages packed in a lot of loose ends, so I feel like the rising action should have been lessened to make room for those necessary conversations. Other than that, I would recommend this to romance readers!

I had such high hopes for this, but in the end it was just ok. There were many aspects I enjoyed like the disability and demisexuality representation and the characters themselves. I thought the plot was good, even if parts of it were *slightly* unbelievable.

What I think did not work for this book was the third person POV. It made it hard to connect with some of the characters in this book. I also feel like there was unnecessary repetition in descriptions and characters use of certain words.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I think some audiences will like.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for an advanced copy!

Well this was an adorable little rom com. I enjoyed the inclusion in this book, for example mark is demisexual and shaina is hearing impaired. I learned a lot about demisexuality from this book which was a nice surprise. Due to some miscommunication they were enemies. While I normally enjoy an enemies to lovers trope there were a few things that i was stuck on. These 2 knew each other for 30+ years and Mark never realized the severity of Shainas hearing loss and she also never spoke up about it? Mark also seemed like kind of a doormat. I did like the competition aspect of it and I always enjoy a steamy scene or two. I will definitely look out for more by this author.

The Un-Arranged Marriage

3.5⭐️

If you’re looking for an enemies to lovers or childhood rivals book, this is a cute one! Shaina and Mark have been competing since they were children and their mothers wanted to arrange their marriage. In this, they have to team up and start competing agains other couples to win a wedding competition.

I enjoyed the banter and surprisingly the slow burn on this one. It’s a longer than normal romcom so expect a lot of pining! The main conflict from their childhood was over pretty quickly, which was a little surprising but I thought it was done well. I didn’t totally believe the final conflict, how it played out felt a little forced.

Nice light good read if you’re looking for dual perspectives! Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC.

This was a classic enemies to lovers rom-com told from the POV of both main characters. Shaina has a hearing impairment and Mark is a demisexual - both have no idea what the other is dealing with. Due to this miscommunication, they have hated each other all of their lives, despite their mothers trying to push them together.

I enjoyed that this story had elements not often depicted in books. I liked learning more about demisexuality as it’s not something that’s often talked about and I appreciated that the main character had a disability. And even though she did have a disability, it’s not something she lets define her. Shaina is just a competitive badass.

Overall this book was a great read - it was funny, cute, and still had some spice!

Thank you to NetGallery and Entangled Publishing for this eARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown is a spicy enemies-to-lovers rom-com featuring nontraditional main characters. The story revolves around Shaina and Mark, who are each unique in their own ways. Shaina wears hearing aids, and Mark is a demisexual. Although they've known each other since childhood, they've never been attracted to each other. Then, they're invited to a wedding where they have to complete games and competitions for an entire week. Will this week push them together like never before?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1 from Mark's point of view:

""Oh hush," his mother scolded. "It's no big deal, and you can always borrow anyone's car if you need to go somewhere while you're here. Besides, I already asked Shaina, so she'll be picking you up soon. I've got to go help Lena now. See you in a few hours." She hung up before he could respond.
A sinking sensation filled in his gut. How could his mother have asked Shaina, if she'd been on the phone with him the entire time? Sometime was definitely up. Worse, he didn't have Shaina's number. No way to warn her off or fix the situation. He'd been turned into a sitting duck, waiting for his arch-nemesis to arrive - by his own mother.
...
WIth any luck, Shaina would play nice as well. Though their thirty-two-year history predicted that outcome to be highly unlikely."

Overall, The Un-Arranged Marriage is a fun, quirky rom-com that goes where no other rom-coms have gone before. One highlight of this book are the two main characters. I am a fan of diversity of all forms, and I applaud the author for being so inclusive when writing this book. I took off 2 stars, because this book was just too spicy for me. The first half was good, but then at the halfway mark, there were suddenly three in-depth back-to-back sex scenes. I had to stop reading after that. I'm sure many readers will enjoy that aspect of this book, but it was just wasn't my cup of tea. If you're intrigued by the excerpt, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

2 Stars!! I really wanted to like this book but I had to force myself to finish reading it. How can 2 people that were raised together and shared birthday parties not have figured this stuff out 25 years earlier? And what the heck is a demisexual?! I still don’t understand this and why it was such a big deal. It was mentioned so many times that it could be made into a drinking game, everyone does a shot when the word is mentioned. Although I wouldn’t because you’d probably end up with alcohol poisoning. This book could have been awesome but fell flat for me.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

I thought this was fun read I liked the whole dynamic of enemies to friends to lovers. They hate each other but are willing to work with each other for a dream vacation was something different I enjoyed reading this books.

A complicated story of a couples path to love. Mark and Shaina have been marked to marry each other by their moms since the day they were born. The story gives both characters unique traits that have kept them single for a long time. The story is fun and most of it takes place at a wedding. Surrounded by happy and nosy family members they struggle to keep their budding relationship secret. The story teaches about differences and acceptance. The ending is a sweet gesture to their love.

The diversity of the main characters in this book was so delightful to read and it’s such a shame there aren’t more books like this. I enjoyed the exploration of Mark’s demisexuality as part of the storyline, showing how he tackled the misunderstanding of his parents as well as the acceptance and awareness of his sister and ‘cousin’. I had such a soft spot for Mark’s character and probably even more so because I sympathise with his awkward, introverted, geeky characteristics and the concerns he had around those. He seemed like such a soft, caring, empathetic character who was bruised by his past but looking for his piece of happiness in the world. I found it a lot harder to connect with Shaina’s character, unfortunately. It was really interesting to have a character with hearing loss and seeing how that impacted her experience of the world and people, and it was clear how past experiences have had a negative impact on her present - and outside of her hearing loss was the family baggage she carried from childhood. Whilst it was great to see a character developing, and addressing their issues, I did find her attitude quite irritating. She seemed very dismissive of Mark (particularly when he tries to explain himself to her so she understands - my heart bled for the man!) and constantly writing him off because after one attempt of trying to communicate with her hearing aids and another without it didn’t go perfectly. But hear me, that man was trying!

The family members were all incredibly irritating and frustrating. The meddling, the gossiping, the disrespect and dismissive attitudes. It seemed like a really toxic environment to be in. Lena, at least, seemed to be a supportive sister/friend - if not just as nosey as the rest of the family.

I did feel there was a good bit of chemistry going on between Mark and Shaina and it was fun seeing how their relationship grew and evolved, and having insight into both of their characters’ thoughts along the way with the dual POV. They had a very playful, flirtatious and steamy relationship and you can completely understand why they were fighting against the awkward position their mothers had put them in since birth. It did really seem to be all about Shaina though and how much she felt Mark did or did not understand her and what she needed, and not a lot of Shaina understanding Mark.

Overview - I love Mark and how Brown showed the obstacles of trying to date with hearing loss and also as a demisexual. It was both a fun and educational romance!

4.5*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for an e-ARC of this book. Wow! This book has so much beautiful representation. There's Jewish rep in both main characters and their families, as well as demisexuality, and hearing loss. There was so much conversation, learning and open mindedness between Mark and Shaina and it was really nice to see them come together. Their relationship also started as enemies to lovers which is superior and I love it so much. This book was also steamy which was a delight and there was so much consent involved there as well. I really enjoyed the honesty between the characters and their own experiences and struggles. The competition background was fun and nice sub plot line and the back to back weddings were nice as well. This was such a good book and I loved reading it!