Thank you for letting me have an early copy to review.
We follow the story of bee and Sebastian.
Sebastian wants to settle down in his own home, until the bank says he may need someone to co-sign the mortgage.
Bee has moved back to finish a book and stop running to prove herself.
Together Bee and Sebastian grow together.
I very much enjoy this wonderful story of believing in yourself that you are on the right track of life

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this eARC.

I found this to be a quick read that I easily lost time in. I gravitate towards the tropes found in this story. Brothers best friend. Age gap romance. Forced proximity. But this story was more of finding yourself and being able to stand up for who you have become. No longer hiding in isolation or being scared to show your true colors. Learning to let go and move on. I was happy for the HEA and no second act breakup. Overall I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my friends once it’s published.

⭐️3.3-3.4

If you like ⬇️
⚜️Dual POV
⚜️Brothers best friend
⚜️No third act break up

The beginning of the book was pretty good, fast paced and straight to the point of the story. It really drew me in and I was liking it quite well,however it got quite boring and weird too at times too. I feel like it was half good because there were things I didn't like.I didn’t feel much of the tension that these tropes usually bring up and thought Bee was being over dramatic at times. Sebastian while having faults of his own was a pleasure to read about.

While this wasn’t my favorite read, I did enjoy aspects of it and could see why others may love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read this book if you like:
Dual POV
Brothers best friend
No third act break up

While this wasn’t my favorite read, I did enjoy aspects of it. I loved Sebastian’s character, I always appreciate an emotional available MMC. He was funny, thoughtful, and genuine and I feel like the author did a good job at portraying his character.
I love how the author, while briefly, touched on female friendships and the importance of knowing when you grow apart, but I wish she had done more with that subplot.
While I liked the two main characters, I didn’t necessarily believe their relationship. I didn’t feel the tension between the two of them. They ultimately end up working, it just took awhile to get there.
The writing style wasn’t for me most of the time, it felt rushed in places, but then unnecessary things seemed to be dragged out.

Read if you like:
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Spicy Romance
- Dual POV

This book had a lot of potential and includes some of my favourite tropes. I loved the idea of the twist on marriage of convenience and I’ve always been a fan of the brother’s best friend trope, but I didn’t feel any of the tension that these tropes usually bring. Bee felt very over dramatic throughout and I didn’t understand the reasons for the decisions she made. I felt like a lot of things came out of nowhere with little to no explanation and it felt like the characters were lacking any depth. Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Set the Mood Publishing and Dani McLean for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. This was a great story with no third act beak up. I ate this up! Enjoyed it very much. This is my first book by this author and I will read more. Seb and Bee are relationship goals. The way they communicated and were so thoughtful of one another just melted my heart. It your looking for a great feel good book this is it. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

First I would like to say thank you to net galley and the publisher of this book for giving me this arc however I sadly had to dnf this book. This book did not work for me but i would still encourage you to give it a chance because you might love it. It has brothers best friend, slow burn, and inner monologue. I really wish I could have enjoyed it more.

"You're allowed to take up space, Bee. I want you to. You don't have to hide from me."

A 2.5-STAR READ edit
im a goner for brother's bestfriend trope so we all know yeah i picked it up. tbh the characters are mature, and exactly you would expect for reading about someone in their 30s. this started out extremely strong like i literally couldn't wait to finish it but then ehh.

bee is a homebody, i love that she is comfortable with her being herself and is truly accepting of her introvert nature, especially how she's so shy to utter things out loud. i think i could thoroughly understand her so much and empathize with her. she's also a very creative, tries to learn new things, go for what she wants, a pro relatable procrastinator and lastly what matters us girls the most hygienic(yeah so what she stress cleans that's a quality everyone would like to have).

sebastian, he has the biggest heart of all of them and seriously so 👏mature 👏 no im not being sarcastic(im surprised too)a man who is confident in his sexuality? a man who respects his mother? a man who listens to you? a man who is positive? a man who is actually good to his bestfriend? a man who can cook? a man who will literally worship you? he's the DEAL. wow

also i'd like to just aiden & sebastian - i love their friendship my honor. i will defend them every single time.

bee and sebastian - [i just dont love the smut like the kinks are so creepy i am obviously judging them for it sorry not sorry (hide spoiler)]

guys hate me if you want to i know bee couldn't be herself with morgan and that she wasn't being a good person with her. but you can't break a friendship this way i mean if you have friends for years i mean dont you think that friendship is being with the person in their shitty times, we could see how morgan was going through smth in her work area. im not making excuses for her but its just you get it right???

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Bee and Sebastian have been separated for five years when she left to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer and one day she returns home, she sees that Sebastian can't pay for her house, so she decided to live with him.

It didn't convince me at all and I feel like it was boring at the same time, but I feel like it was passable. I feel like it was half good because there were things I didn't like.

I feel like I'm missing and I leave a lot to be desired for the synopsis

The beginning of this book, very quickly drew me in. It was fast paced and got right to the premise of their mortgage of convince, which as so charming! The dynamic between the two main characters was so real and believable. I was instantly rooting for them to move in and be forced to bump into each other time and time again in their little house. Once they were forced to interact more, I loved seeing their dynamic continue to blossom. By the time they became intimate, I was 100% ready for that progression! And boy oh boy were those spicy scenes written well!

While I loved the dynamic between the main characters and thought their spice was well done, which is one of my favorite parts. The other parts of the story felt a bit disjointed to me. There were many layers that I felt were not needed as well as quotes that are popular, but did not seem to fit the couple and their time and place.

i am unfortunately dnf-ing this one. i just have no interest in picking it up and the reviews i’ve seen so far have just solidified that fact. i can’t get into the writing style and the plot so far is not my cup of tea.

3.7:
This was definitely a cute read! I loved Sebastian’s character- great bi rep and sex work positive storyline which I appreciate.
I also am a fan of the brother’s best friend trope - especially when the brother doesn’t make it a big deal!
However, there were a lot of subplots - Bee’s relationship with her brother, her confidence being built, writing her book, outgrowing a friendship, building new friendships, etc - that at times it took away time from the main plot of the relationship with Sebastian, which was my favorite part.
Overall I enjoyed the book and am thankful for the arc!

Obsessed might be a word I would use to describe this book! This was such a cute story that had my heart melting at Bee and Sebastian’s story. The story was consistent and I also liked the fact there was a realistic push and pull as the characters figured out their relationship. It wasn’t too much, there wasn’t “insta love.” It was right in the middle, no huge blow up and insane miscommunication trope either, which made it feel more realistic. The world building was solid, and the character development was fantastic. At the end of the book, I felt like the I knew the characters, why they were the way they were, and the paths that brought them together.. they dealt with HARD things, together, navigating friendships ending (Morgan girl, what even was that…? Iykyk), taking control of your fear and trauma, and finding comfort in another person. It was so well thought out and the hard things well articulated. Highly recommend!

I’m buying this for my shelf!

Unfortunately I've decided to DNF this one. I was really looking forward to this one, since it sounded very promising to me.

Everything happened so fast. It felt like I was thrown into the story without any background information or knowledge about the characters. The characters liked each other immediately and I didn't feel any chemistry between them

So I quickly found out I was not enjoying it at all. This book was not meant for me, but I definitely think other readers will like it. Especially if you like dual pov and forced proximity.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When the FMC Bee drunkenly and spontaneously quits her job and moves back to her hometown she doesn’t know what she is going to do with the rest of her life. While staying with her brother she reconnects with his best friend her long time crush Sebastian who is in the middle of trying to buy a house that he can’t afford. Together they decide to help one another out.
The book includes:
• Brothers’ best friend
• Dual Pov
• LQBTQIA+ representation
• No third act breakup

This book also includes potentially triggering topics and content so check trigger warnings before going into reading it.
The book itself was a sweet romance and had some very good spicy scenes however as far as the overall book went I don’t think it was for me.
Some of the aspects I enjoyed was how well handled the more serious topics in the book were discussed and thought-out including childhood abuse, alcoholism and falling out of friendship. I also think Brees character was relatable in how shy she was as a person and how crippling that feeling can be.
On the other hand, the plot moved along at a very strange pace and the writing seemed almost choppy. The way the relationship evolved for the main characters seemed unrealistic and confusing. I didn’t feel particularly invested in the book and it felt more like a chore to read it.
Overall I think the book was okay and maybe better suited to someone else.

Ghostwriter Bee is secretly working on her own novel but has hit a creative block and moved back to her hometown. On an impromptu trip to the bank with her brother’s best friend Sebastian, she offers herself up to him as a co-owner of the house he wants to buy so that he can qualify for the loan. She’s got a long-time crush on him, but can totally handle being a quiet unobtrusive housemate. Except that Sebastian also has a crush on Bee and doesn’t stand for her hiding in her room all day long. He tries very hard to break her out of her comfort zone, including maybe starting a physical relationship, which he wants to be the real deal and she wants to keep secret in case it doesn’t work out. Bee has a lot of growing to do within this book to get to the “settled down” phase that Sebastian is looking for. Flirty, steamy, funny story with Sebastian being the most supportive partner ever.

Dani McLean's novel Mortgage of Convenience is a brother’s best friend romance between Sebastian Wolfe, an ex-stripper, and Bee Montgomery, a ghostwriter.

To be honest, I was confused for the most part of the book. Not because of particular situations, but rather because Sebas and Bee were moving at a very rapid yet slow pace.

But I must say that I am in need of a Sebastian Wolfe in my life. I mean he was the most perfect book boyfriend. He literally had tattoos, long hair, and was a plant daddy. 

Although the cover was adorable and the tropes were fantastic, I didn't find this book to be as enjoyable as I would have hoped.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Set The Mood Publishing, and to the author, Dani McLean, for providng me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was certainly a spicy romance with great themes. It has some mature content, so I am posting the author’s list of content warnings at the bottom if anyone wants to see it, but I loved this mature romance. Some of it might not be your cup of tea. People have pasts that affect their futures and their relationships. And I love romance novels that consider that and take traumas into account, it improves the experience for me.

The main characters are totally fun and relatable. Bee is a woman who is trying. She has pushed for her dreams and challenged herself, but struggles to translate her success to her personal outlook and communicate with others. She is also in a stage of personal transition where she needs support. Sebastian comes into the picture and truly is that support for her. He does not take over her life, rather they blend and grow together. As the summary states, she is now facing how to promote herself and be confident enough to share this personal work. She doesn’t think there is anything wrong with herself or want to become a new person, she simply recognizes that something is holding her back and she asks for help to reach the best version of herself and fully pursue her dreams.

Sebastian certainly has trauma in his past, but he is in therapy and has a support system that loves him. He knows what he wants and how he feels, but he is so good about respecting boundaries and not pushing Bee too fast while still respecting his own needs. He is also trying his best and wants to be his best version, fighting against toxic masculinity and

There are always the elements in a romance novel that make it sing. And in this book, they trill for sure. I liked the little lines and comments in the book that make the vibe clear. The details on the coffee shop the characters visit and Sebastian’s growing adorable love of horticulture and pop culture mentions. All come together to round out the environment surrounding Bee and Sebastian. Plus, McLean put clear effort into trying to avoid onedimensional side characters while keeping most of the focus on Sebastian and Bee. We get background information on all of them and hear conversations that include them. So I’d rank that a solid effort to round out the side characters, though it’s not totally a success. Plus, one of the side characters (I’m really trying not to be spoiler-y) is actually my favorite character in this book and he embodies a personal dream of mine.

There are many types of relationships we have throughout our life. Not all of our relationships are good or lasting. And knowing when to step away from something or someone is challenging. I love that a major theme in this book is being honest about what’s healthy or good for you. The focus is definitely on healthy communication and becoming your best self. The spice is fun and hot, but the healing in this book is definitely what made me really enjoy it.
Content warnings from the author’s website:
Discussion of bisexuality and bi-erasure of a male-identifying character
Multiple explicit sex scenes
CNC (Consensual Non-Consent) in the form of Somnophilia (skip chapters 27 and 28 if you don’t wish to read this scene)
Kink discussion of the above
Semi-public sex (skip the end of chapter 19 if you don’t want to read this)
Swearing (freely and frequently)
References to past childhood trauma, including emotional abuse, and parent w/ alcoholism
Anger management
Sober MC and overconsumption of alcohol (by the non-sober character)
Toxic friendship

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion

Let’s give 3 stars to be kind but really this was a 2.5 star book.

Honestly, I think this had so much potential, the premise was unique and not something I had ever read. I think in romance novels, you tend to suspend your disbelief for some of these things, but this one was kind of out of left field.

Your brother’s best friend gives you a ride home, but you stop at the bank on the way because he has an errand and you join his mortgage meeting and then offer to become a co-owner out of literal nowhere.

I think this book had some really cute moments, but for the most part, it was very disjointed. I would even use the word choppy, since came out of nowhere, and it almost seemed like words were missing at times.

And the steam, it was just a little too cringe for my liking…. I wanted it to be over asap and that’s not a good sign.

Anyway, cute cover, but I don’t think I’ll be diving into this author’s work anytime soon if this is what I’m going to get.

Bee: What an adorable read. I loved Bee’s growth. (Also, was she based on me? I’m Bee w/a widows peak? Hehehe) But really, I loved the dynamic between Bee & Seb and loved how they not only balanced each other out but made each other better. There were some parts of the story that could have been left out but it wasn’t too big of an issue for me. Overall, cute read!

Nik: Well I loved this plot line. Buy a house together and fall in love? Is this not every 30 year olds dream? Love that the MMC is older and knows what he wants. That is exactly what I want to read all the time now. I loved seeing Bee come out of her shell and gain confidence while Seb was with her every step of the way. There was a little confusion with all the characters but I loved the epilogue so much.