⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The first chapter of this book really pulled me in, but then ultimately the rest of the story just didn’t live up to my expectations. It fell a little flat for me. First, the scene in the bank which lead to the whole premise of the book, was just too much of a reach for me to buy into lol. Second, I didn’t love the FMC. She was SUPER insecure and made things out to be a huge deal that really weren’t, like hiding how much she likes to clean. The conflict with the best friend threw me off as well — honestly I think her best friend needed help and instead the focus was on the FMC’s journey to accepting herself even if that meant she would be judged by others for not liking to drink. What? Someone get her friend to AA!!

The sexual chemistry at parts was really good. This wasn’t erotica but definitely spicy! I wish there had been more tension between the MCs, this was a bit too much insta-love for my liking, but it might appeal to another reader!

Thank you NetGalley, Dani McLean, and Set The Mood Publishing for a free copy of Mortgage of Convenience (coming out February 27th) in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I want to say that I absolutely love the author. Her magic movie novellas are my favourite.

This book just didn’t work out for me. The love story was not very cohesive in my opinion.
The writing style felt a little bit different from what I’m used to from the author. Idk how to describe it, it just felt weird. The storytelling was not smooth and I couldn’t understand the jumps from one thought process to the other, that didn’t make sense and happened way too much. Some of the dialogues seemed absolutely redundant too.

Bee and Sebastian buy a house together and move in. They’ve had crushes on each other for years now. it seemed like a cute premise and it was. Bee is an author, she needs help with confidence and asks Sebastian to help her which honestly seems a little ridiculous but ok. In return, Sebastian is grateful for her helping him get the house.

I loved the queer representation, sobriety talk, and the importance of mental health being mentioned. But, unfortunately, the book has never ventured more deeply into these topics. They were kind of just brushed over and that’s it.

I think if you love slow burn, brother’s best friend, a lot of inner monologue, cozy vibes, and dealing with a lot of self doubt and insecurities, then you will like this book. Just don’t expect it to have a strong plot or a lot of romance development.

Also, Bee ending the longest friendship she has ever had was really enjoyable to read about. It’s a very important conversation to have and I love how it was handled.

I really hoped this book could have been stronger and I would have enjoyed it much more. For each their own though.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc <3

Meet Bee, a 28-year-old ghostwriter yearning to publish her own book but struggling with self-doubt. To conquer her insecurities, she enters a pact with Sebastian, her brother's best friend – she'll contribute half of his mortgage, and in return, he'll help her navigate the obstacles holding her back from achieving her dreams.

The personal stories and challenges faced by both characters were incredibly relatable, adding a layer of authenticity to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing their journeys as they navigated and overcame their respective fears. While the romantic aspect had its moments, the exploration of their individual struggles made the narrative a compelling and relatable read.

Their romantic relationship left me wanting more depth, occasionally feeling centered around physical intimacy and a little “insta-lovey”. However, the book offers a refreshing take on the classic Marriage of Convenience trope, injecting a delightful twist that kept the narrative engaging.

3,5/5

loved this book! i really enjoyed the pacing and the pining in it. The characters were well rounded and i loved that sebastian had a non-traditional job. My favorite thing was how sebastian saw everything in bee and how he was her number one fan.

THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE! I loved it.
A wonderful read that portrayed a beautiful and loving relationship. Bee is back in her hometown, her safe space to try to pursue her dreams of publishing her own book. Sebastian is ready to start his future and find his forever home with the one he loves and that includes Bee. I am obsessed with Bee and Sebastian. They are couple goals! They are both so supportive of each other and i love reading books with fantastic couples. I loved all of the different relationships and watching them play out, some for the better and some for the worst, but thats life right?

Thank you to Dani McLean and Netgalley for giving me an eARC to this book!
Full review can be found on at www.instagram.com/bookswithhalie on 02/07/2024

The relationship between Bee and Sebastian is sweet, loving and delightful. She sees him as someone doing what he wants without falling into the stress of other people’s expectations. And she sees it as some5ing she wants for herself. When she sees that that’s not the case, she helps and supports him.

The journey and growth they go on together as as individuals is beautiful, and just something I think we can all relate to.

Yes, there’s romance, yes there’s spicy spice but for me, the real gem of this book is the depth of character growth, done in a relatable way.

Mortgage Of Convenience by Dani McLean
☀️☀️☀️

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I think this is a case of a romance book that simply isn't my style. There's nothing objectively wrong with it but the simplicity of the story, the instant gratification of the romance and the perfect HEA didn't appeal enough to me to make this book something special.

I think my biggest gripe is the setup: I just simply don't find the joint house venture believable with zero conversation beforehand, nor did it make sense to me that Bee did it in exchange for... confidence lessons? I'm still unclear honestly. It's a fun setup and probably would have appealed to me with more development but in this context I was more confused than amused.

The humour was good and helped carry through the plot at a quick pace. The fact that the MCs had past history did help immensely with the chemistry, and I enjoyed the sex scenes more for this, but ultimately I felt like everything ran too smoothly (or if it didn't, the roadblock felt convenient rather than a legitimate hurdle to overcome)


"I need words. The kind that go in a row. Or a sentence, because I'm a good writer who remembers words well and isn't thinking about how full I felt with Sebastian's fingers inside me."

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It's touting bisexual rep, a queer community, a decent length book, and a lot of spice. I went in knowing this was more of a traditional romance in the sense that disbelief should be suspended to get with the theme, and it was a great set up and title, 'Mortgage of Convenience'. It's just... once a romance has the trope in place everything else should develop and require a lot less suspension of disbelief.

While there is spice, it's spice without the fully emotional grounding I like with my spice. There were lots of repetitions of how perfect one MC was, and a lot of lifting and thigh touching.

The MMC does work in a queer bar, and have queer friends, and is bisexual, but unfortunately there's some choices the author made that just feel confusing. The MMC is, not "interested in dating men", which is all fine and I'm not one to gatekeep someone's sexuality... but I'd question why the author made that choice. Because, unlike real life people, this was a choice for the author. There's a line in the book about the MMC seeing women feeling relieved when they discover that he's not interested in dating men. And that... that's kinda what the choice feels like. "Here is a hot MC, feel free to imagine him with men, but don't worry they don't threaten you." Which just all seemed such a weird and binary choice from a NB author.

The whole book just feels like it's caught up in its own head, there's far too much exposition and just... not enough story to really justify the length.

There's definitely an audience for this book, I just don't think that audience is me.

If you're interest M/F spice and characters who think a lot, check this one out.

3.5★ (round up)
Tropes: brother's best friend, age gap, forced proximity (they live together), no third act breakup
TW/CW: childhood trauma (emotional abuse by a parent)

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC!

Bee is a 28 year old ghostwriter looking to publish her own book, but lacking the confidence to put herself out there. She makes a deal with her brother's best friend Sebastian: she'll pay half of his mortgage and he'll help her fight the insecurities holding her back.

As a 26yo completely lost in life, I identified quite well with Bee and her struggles. Seeing her growth throughtout the book was inspiring. Her relationship with Sebastian was heartwarming and the way they supported each other was a great representation of a healthy dynamic.

This was my first book by the author and I would pick up more of her books in the future.

- Fav quote:
Smiling, I bite back the words I so badly want to say. You’re precious to me. Stay here. Stay forever. Be mine..

read if you like
- brothers best friend
- age gap (8 years)
- exstripper MMC
- bookish FMC
- bi mmc
- cinnamon roll mmc
- forced proximity
- plant daddy

🌶️spice: 3/5
characters:
- Bee 3⭐️ (very insecure for my liking)
- Sebastian 5⭐️
- Aiden 5⭐️
- Morgan 0⭐️
- Cassie LOVED HER 5⭐️

4.5 stars rounded up. I really enjoyed this romance, it has brother's best friend, forced proximity, and was spicy. I loved the relationship between Bee and Sebastian and how much they each helped each other grow. They were both such relatable characters but man did I feel a connection with Bee. It has some heavy topics but they were done very well. I also loved the small nod to the authors' previous series. The "mortgage of convenience" was a fun spin on one of my favorite tropes, marriage of convenience. I love Dani and can't wait to see what they write next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. And I loved the cover. I was sitting there the whole time thinking can’t they just see what’s right in front of them? Will definitely be buying a copy when it’s released.

Mortgage of Convenience was not what I expected when I first saw the cover and read the description; however, it was much better! The book includes the tropes of forced proximity and the older brother's best friend and, ultimately, is a moving story about growth, unconditional love, and acceptance. The FMC and MMC were realistic and engaging characters that created an exciting and healthy relationship dynamic. They both had their own individual arcs outside of their relationship that allowed them not only to grow and develop themselves but also to support each other in their growth. This was my first book by Dani McLean, and I really enjoyed it! I will be checking out her other books after this one. Overall, I would rate the book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mortgage of Convenience is a fun, swoony, and quite spicy brother's best friend / forced proximity romance.
I loved the mutual pining, the teasing, the strong chemistry, and the harmony between Bee and Sebastian. I think all of these "ingredients" made the spicy scenes in this book really good. (I mean... Sebastian definitely is the perfect book boyfriend, in and out of bed! Seriously, this man is a dream!)
Mortgage Of Convenience is also a moving story about unconditional love and acceptance. As a matter of fact, above all, I loved the way the two protagonists "forced" each othet to always show their truest selves and the sweet way they accepted and loved each other unconditionally.

4.5 stars!!

This book has everything: healthy communication and self reflection, a coloring book on the walls, a pothos plant that has friends athos aramis and d'artagnan, friends who share in your passions, a tattooed brother's best friend, private dances and fun surprises, and just such a pure love it hurt my teeth it was so sweet!!

Ghostwriter Bee moves back home to her small town to try and write her own novel, and ends up agreeing to buy a house with her older brother's best friend and former stripper/now bartender Sebastian (who she just so happens to have been crushing on for ten years) if he agrees to help her work on her confidence. Their love story is both so full of tension and so grounded in healthy, open communication. Bee needs to work on her own self-confidence, and Sebastian needs to continue working on getting past a toxic parental relationship. The two of them are able to be there for one another in a way that feels fun and realistic, and honestly this was just so good of a read!!

Thank you so much to Dani McLean and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!! Mortgage of Convenience comes out on February 27!

Dani McLean's 'Mortgage of Convenience' is a fresh take on forced proximity with compelling characters that deals with heavy issues with a sensitive touch.
Ghostwriter Bee Montgomery temporarily returns to her hometown to finally achieve her dream of writing her own novel, and impulsively becomes a home co-owner to help Sebastian Wolfe, her brother's best friend and longtime crush, secure a home loan.

Dani McLean effortlessly balances between Bee and Sebastian's personal journeys along with their slow-burn romance.

People pleasing Bee needs Sebastian's help to find her courage to take risks and life life on her terms because she's afraid of being imperfect. After a chaotic 20s exploring his sexuality and working through childhood trauma from an abusive father, Sebastian has now reached his mid-30s wanting a home and family. I loved both characters and how they're just supportive of each other. Sebastian is endlessly patient, knowing Bee is home, but that she has to work through her own issues and make the decision to stay.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It's touching, tender and their longing and sizzling chemistry is beautifully captured.

Thanks to Set the Mood Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and complex. I found Bee and Sebastian to be both relatable and likable. I liked the amount of representation in this book. It was refreshing to see a male character so confident and honest with his sexuality; it was nice that it never appeared to be a big deal to anyone. Bee and Sebastian’s relationship felt so healthy. Even when they were struggling with their personal conflicts, their communication was fantastic. I love a first person dual pov and I always find a lack of a third act break-up to be so refreshing; it’s great that the story didn’t need one to move the plot along. I really enjoyed watching the characters grow individually, and, of course, their romantic development was fantastic. The pacing was great; I was so invested in the story I finished in one sitting!

I received a copy of this for my honest review.

I felt this book in my soul. I loved the characters, the situations they found themselves in and how it was ok to be them and grow. Trying to navigate sexuality, friendships both old and new, and what they enjoy or don't in social settings.

Our FMC is a ghostwriter who moves back home after she drunkenly emails her publish the concept of her novel. She ends up at the bank with our MMC, her brothers best friend who she's had a crush on for years, and learns he needs extra money inorder for the bank to give him the loan to buy his dream house. So decides then and there, this is perfect. She will help him with the house and he can help her build her confidence in order to step out of the shadows and in to the limelight. Will they remain friends or go for more? Will she be able to submit her book or will she continue to hide.

4.5 🌟

A wholesome read that portrayed a healthy relationship in the warmest of ways. Sebastian knew exactly what he wanted for his future and that included Bee. The way that he quickly became a safe space for her to always come to had my heart melting. In all of his patience and admiration, he also managed to help her pull out the parts of herself she tried to hide. I didn’t expect to connect so deeply with him and Bee, but here I am, in love with the both of them!!

— Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars

I adored this book... you know that feeling you have when you feel like a book is speaking to you. Like it's comforting you and telling you everything is going to be okay? Well, this book was that for me.
I have so many notes and highlights of things that I felt so much , some made me cry, other made me laugh others made me hopeful but overall it comforted me and I love it for it.
Sebastian is book boyfriend material through and through. That man is the greenest flag ever. His struggles, I felt so deep. His relationship with dad was... how Dani approached it. I'd love her forever.
Bee... my sweet Bee. I related to her so much. The limbo feeling of not knowing where you are or worse WHO you are. It touched me. There is a bit with her childhood best friend... I felt that. I've been there. And it hurt, but I felt validated.
I said this was to date Dani's steamiest book, and I stand by it. Every scene was amazing.
The romance was wonderful, and the other types of relationships were beautifully done as well.
Overall, this is without a doubt my favorite Dani McLean book to date, and I can't wait for everyone to read it.


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