This was such a fun, sadly real marriage of convenience trope for the modern day! The premise was the perfect way to force together these two friends who've been victim to the "right person, wrong time" trope for years, and watching them grow both individually and as a couple was so charming. There were so many scenes that made me laugh or nearly cry, and the exploration of living with chronic illness in America was spot-on.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Thank you for the opportunity for reading this as an ARC. The book was great, phenomenal. However it felt like it was dragging it out alittle too much but overall I did enjoy it very much. Some parts I cried( too emotional!) i liked the teasing bits of their relationship/friendship and liked how they became endgame at the end. It was worth it to read it. I did not see any typo’s. Highly recommend 10/10 rating.

Evie Bloom pays attention to the details. Her very job depends on it―as an aspiring Foley artist, she’s responsible for every crisp footstep, smacking kiss, and distinct sound in film and television. So when she’s selected for a fellowship opportunity that would make all her career dreams come true, she’s quick to spot the catch: there are no health benefits, and for someone with a chronic illness, that’s a non-starter. Theo Cohen is an elementary school teacher who can't afford to live on his own in LA, and is facing eviction after his roommates couple up and move out of their rent-controlled apartment. But there is one loophole in his lease: each tenant must meet an income threshold, unless the tenants are married. For Theo, the answer is obvious. Marry Evie, his best friend since forever. It’s not as if they don’t spend all their free time together anyways. Not only will Theo be able to keep his apartment, but Evie can be added to his insurance plan so she can accept her dream fellowship. It’s such a logical, practical solution. Never mind that Evie doesn’t really want to be married―not to Theo, not to anyone―ever. Or the small, complicating fact that Theo has always been a little bit in love with Evie. But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything. It’s going to change everything.

Thoughts
Was this predictable? Yes. But, was it still adorable? Also yes. I appreciated the complexities of the characters and their background of trauma, both of them. It was still a light read even with heavy topics. Some nice banter that had me grinning.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Celadon Books & NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I know a lot of people don’t love the friends-to-lovers trope, but it happens to be one of my favorite tropes. I thought this novel did the trope in such an excellent way. I thought the story was just very well-rounded. The subplots and supporting characters felt well developed (which is not the case for many romance novels!). I’m also a stickler for pacing/timing, and I thought it was excellent. It is a 3rd person POV, but I loved the writing.

Invisible illness and lgbtq+ rep were strong within this story. Theo and Evie both have past traumas that affected their day to day life and their relationship. Theo was extremely charming and was down bad for Evie - I really adored his character. Evie was a bit annoying at times, but it felt realistic based on her past and her issues with her parents abandonment.

I enjoyed the many themes written through this book and thought they were well thought out and written, but the topic of financial security while navigating our awful health care system really hit home for me.

Also, as a huge Survivor fan from day one, I loved all the Easter eggs. Rupert? The spy shack? The torch? Chefs kiss from one super fan to another.

This is Marisa Kanter’s adult debut and I will be anxiously awaiting further books from her!

okay romance authors need to take notes asap rocky. THIS is how you do swoony. THIS is how you do friends to lovers. these two sweet and steamy fools had me foaming at the mouth and i need new marisa kanter immediately if not sooner…is it too soon to reread?!

Friends to Lovers ❤️Marriage of Convenience 💍

Evie: I really liked how they showed her deal with her invisible illness. They showed how she struggled to get insurance, which I think most people can relate to. Other than that this character really almost made me DNF the book. She was so unwilling to talk to her BEST FRIEND who she had feelings for. I get her past, and why she would be that way. At 28, I felt like she was TOO immature for me to even care about her character.

Theo: I loved that he was a teacher. I loved reading about his interactions with his students. He walks away too easy, which annoyed me.

Overall this was a cute book. I could not rate it higher than a 3 ⭐ because of Evie. I wish they showed more of them growing up and working on their issues.

Friends with (health) benefits. Friends with (co-signer) benefits. Friends with (those kind of) benefits.

What a sweet freakin' book! I loved Theo so so much and I loved the relationship between these too. Evie was a pain in the ass at times, but yeah, I kind of got it. The characters were well drawn and the story was paced out really well. I loved it!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an enjoyable happy book. I love the disability inclusivity. Both main characters were lovable and relatable. Excellent!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I got to read this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the spirit of honesty, I have to say that the beginning of this book almost made me DNF it. The writing felt very Wattpad-ish, but I did already like the characters, so I continued. There was some repetition of a piece of the story that irked me a bit, but I think it was just the author trying to show the other characters perspective? Overall, it was just the former English major in me that struggled in the beginning. That being said, I know that I need to bear in mind that I read an ARC, so I’m not sure how different the final version will be.
I ended up really loving the story and the characters, especially the focus on her invisible illness and insurance struggles. The characters, romance (and spice) were written well and I appreciate the realness of the story.

I really enjoyed so many things about Friends With Benefits, and it was a refreshing read in many ways. Theo was an absolute standout character—what a gem! His personality and charm truly elevated the entire story. The novel also does an excellent job with representation, which felt both authentic and meaningful. I really appreciated the way it tackled some difficult and often overlooked topics, particularly chronic illness and the lack of comprehensive, affordable, and accessible healthcare in America. It was handled with such heart and sensitivity, offering a nuanced perspective without feeling preachy or heavy-handed.

Another aspect I really valued was the portrayal of Evelyn. She was a confident, liberated bi-woman who wasn’t ashamed of her identity. What stood out to me, though, was how the novel never once forced her into an awkward or homophobic interaction. Her bisexuality was simply a part of who she was, and it wasn’t up for debate or discussion. This may seem like a small thing, but it’s incredibly rare to see in fiction, and it made the story feel more authentic and inclusive. It’s so refreshing to see a bi character just living her life without being scrutinized or made to feel uncomfortable about her identity.

Overall, Friends With Benefits is a thoughtful, well-rounded novel that tackles important issues with grace while providing a diverse and inclusive narrative. It’s a book I’ll definitely remember for its warmth, representation, and the depth of its characters.

This is a book about two best friends that marry so that they can share healthcare benefits because she needs them to manage her chronic illness and take the job she wants. This book just felt so real. The characters were so well written and had such depth to them. The romance and relationship between Evie and Theo was sooo good (especially their constant causal touches). It was also great to see two characters who used to dance at such a high level, with Evie being forced out of it because of her chronic illness, but finding her love for it again through Foley. The one thing that really annoyed me was the third act conflict—it was more than simple miscommunication, which definitely makes it more valid, but I was just so annoyed for that portion of the book. Overall, this was a great book, and I cannot wait for Marisa Kanter to write another adult romance.

Thank you to Celadon books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Marisa Kanter. I loved the premise of an arranged marriage with long term besties. The fmc has a chronic health condition and struggles with health insurance literally deciding her whole life. I felt this story beat in my soul. Access to health insurance has shaped my adult life and health. The mmc needs help with his rent so he can afford a place to live. A very real and now story.

I enjoyed the characters a lot. The ancillary family and friends were well written. My only complaint was the will they or won't they felt very contrived by the end. It felt pretty unbelievable that they weren't an actual couple. The third act break up felt forced, or that these characters were super messed up.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Friends With Benefits was a great story that grabbed my interest from the very beginning and held it all the way through. That’s saying something, because normally I struggle with third person present tense, and in this book I barely even noticed it. Although the romance was fun to read, what I enjoyed most about this was how the storyline prioritizes representation. Evie is a bisexual Jewish woman with a chronic illness, attempting to move forward in her career while navigating endless healthcare and insurance obstacles. Theo is a Jewish public school teacher, struggling with grief and anxiety while attempting to create positive changes in the education system. They get married as a way to support each other (Evie is able to get on Theo’s insurance, and Theo is able to meet the income requirement on his apartment lease), but of course they soon realize that their marriage might be out of convenience, but that doesn’t mean the love isn’t real.

I loved reading about both of the main characters’ jobs. I’m also a teacher, and a lot of times it can be frustrating to read about teacher characters because they aren’t portrayed realistically. However, I thought the descriptions of Theo’s teaching, students, and classroom dynamic were really relatable. I laughed so hard when he played 1985 as a classroom management tool - that would work with my students too. I also thought Evie’s job was really interesting! I was unfamiliar with Foley before reading this book, and it was fun to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes in filmmaking.

***This next part may be a slight spoiler, skip this paragraph if you want to avoid!***
My only (tiny) complaint is that it contains a third act you know what, and it’s a frustrating one. I became slightly irritated with Evie, especially when even she realized she was creating a problem where there really wasn’t one, but kept it up anyway. However, I did appreciate that their issues were based on more than just a miscommunication, and I was happy with how it all worked out in the end.

Overall, I thought this was a very well done romance, and I already miss the characters. I’ll definitely be recommending it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for letting me read this arc!

This was my first book by the author and I did not know what to expect going in. All I knew was it was had a marriage of convenience and that is my favorite trope! This book did not disappoint, in fact I fell in love with it. The FMC, Evie, has Crohn's disease and she must have insurance. Her dream internship doesn't offer benefits. In comes Theo, her best friend since childhood, who has fantastic insurance and offers to marry her so that she can be covered. Friends with Benefits...get it, like health insurance packages. Evie never wants to get married but maybe for her dreams, she can fake it and move in with Theo until she can secure her own benefits? This is a complicated story of best friends who always seem to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and both continually deny their feelings for each other. This was very reminiscent of Abby Jimenez books and that just made my heart so happy. It wasn't overly spicy, it had just the right amount. It touches on grief, on complicated parental figures, mental health, and the struggles of having an autoimmune disease. This may possibly be a top romance read for me in 2025! (it's only January, I need to calm down) 😂

Read if you enjoy:
-marriage of convenience
-friends to lovers
-mental health/chronic health rep
-bi main character
-Jewish main characters (although they do admit to not being the most devout)

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first time reading this author, and definitely won’t be my last!

Read if you enjoy:
*** Friends to lovers
*** Marriage of convenience
*** Low steam
*** Cronic illness rep

I was a little thrown off at first cuz I assumed a completely different route with the title, but still found myself enjoying this read. I felt this book greatly represented someone with a cronic illness and the constant worry over healthcare needs. It was very character driven, which I appreciated.

I will look out for future novels by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

I thought this was going to be light and breezy but OOF the emotions this book pulled out of me. I really enjoyed how the emotional relationship was the forefront of the romance

OH. MY. GOSH.

I LOVED this book so much! The cover, the description, and the title really sounded interesting to me but this is easily one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year!!

So so so good!!!

This was a cute read that was both a romance, story about grief and living with chronic illness. The fmc has Crohn's Disease and has to deal with the healthcare and insurance system along with having to put a hold on her dreams because of it. The mmc is the fmc's friend who is a school teacher who is still dealing with the grief of losing his mother. They both agree to become roommates and marry for insurance reasons which leads to the friends with the benefits aspect as mentioned in the title.

This was low steam that focused more on the emotional and character development aspect which I quite liked. I loved the Jewish rep and all the threads that were explored in this book. There are some flashbacks and though I did think the third-act breakup was a bit dramatic I liked this book and would recommend it. Thank you, Celadon for this arc.

Read for:
- Friends to lovers
- Roomated to lovers
- Friends with Benefits
- Jewish mcs
- Crohn's disease rep
- Grief

This book just felt like a non military version of the common military romance trope wherein they get married because he needs something like money and she needs insurance....kind of like that movie Purple Hearts.