This was absolutely adorable!! I loved the banter. It was so fun to see how much they genuinely liked spending time with each other. I really appreciated how their feelings developed at a realistic pace. I really appreciated how thoughtful they both were about the relationship and whether it made sense for each of them. Abi was so engaging and I totally understood why Declan was charmed by her. If you're looking for a cute, light read this is a great one to pick up.

Lynn Painter does it again, creating a story that pulls you in instantly with its charm, humor, and heartfelt moments. *Maid for Each Other* stands out in the crowded world of romantic comedies by blending classic tropes with hilarious and unexpected twists, making it a true delight for readers.

Abi and Declan’s love story begins with a meet-cute that’s equal parts chaotic and comical. Declan, the classic grumpy, workaholic billionaire, invented a girlfriend named “Abby” to appease his meddling parents and nosy colleagues. What he didn’t plan for was Abi, his maid, unexpectedly crashing at his place while he was out of town due to her apartment becoming uninhabitable. The twist? These two strangers, who’ve never met before, hatch a deal to fake date in exchange for money—and somehow, it all feels comically believable.

Painter masterfully balances the absurdity of the situation with deeply human moments that make Abi and Declan’s relationship feel real and heartwarming. Abi’s quick wit and resilience pair perfectly with Declan’s gruff yet endearing nature. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their interactions—whether laugh-out-loud funny or quietly vulnerable—keep you hooked.

And, of course, all the swoon-worthy moments we adore are here: the one-bed trope, a piggyback ride through a 5k because of asthma, and a full glam team makeover for a fake date—all while the billionaire’s tough exterior gradually melts for the right girl. But what truly sets this story apart are the hilarious, messy, and delightfully imperfect moments that show us just how beautifully chaotic love can be.

If you’re a fan of romantic comedies, fake dating, or just a story that keeps you smiling from beginning to end, *Maid for Each Other* is a must-read. It’s like your favorite rom-com movie, only better—because Lynn Painter knows exactly how to make you laugh, swoon, and root for her characters every step of the way.

3.5/4 stars!

This felt like every rom-com enthusiast's dream on paper!! If you ever want to read book that has a mix of maid in manhattan, pretty women, & the proposal, then this is up your street!!

I love how Lynn Painter writes fast-paced, action-packed, comedic lines in her books! I was completely in shock at how much I laughed during their scolding. I loved how sarcastic Dex was and how Abi didn't care; it's just a perfect balance between them. I was really intrigued with how lynn created such loveable characters!

The 'I love you' moment got me kicking my feet. It's just a Lynn painter trademark, and it always gets me.

What i loved:

1. the banter.
2. the story!! so quick to jump in but i love that about rom coms??
3. the third-act breakup was something that I didn't expect to like. Usually, I'm not a fan, but it made sense due to the circumstances. I mean, I would be pretty pissed off, but I think sometimes we need that break-up.
4. cliche? yes, but I ate it up!!

The only thing that got me was Dec's character arc. I felt like he was just a little too flat. Dec had opportunities to talk about his wealth or privilege, but we never got to that moment.

thank you net galley and berkley publishing group for gifting me this eARC !!

I am a huge fan of Lynn Painter's YA Romance, each one is better than the last. Thus far I have a bit disappointed in her Adult RomComs, I just don't love the pacing. I felt like I never understood or knew the characters very well, but I am happy to say that this Adult Romance definitely has some of the humor, witty banter and the spark that I love in her YA titles.

Maid For Each Other is a fake dating/ working class girl meets rich guy storyline. The MMC Dex comes from CrashPad, which is a furniture store subsitute for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Similarly a family business purchased by Hathaway Holdings (see "Berkshire Hathaway") which is run by billionaire Warren Hathaway (see "Warren Buffett"). So Declan "Dex" Powell has the good heart and hard working nature from the family owned business while having access to and rubbing elbows with the elite private equity people. He is also a workaholic and lies about having a girlfriend named "Abby" -- coincidentally, our FMC, Abi Mariano, is his housecleaner and has been sleeping at his empty apartment since her apartment was being fumigated. All of the cute coincidence that helps Declan and Abi fall into their fake dating/forced proximity trope happens really quickly in the first few chapters.

This is very cute and lower spice level- does have swearing but not a lot of spice- I would call it a "fade to black" romance rather than a "clean" romance- just allowing the reader to use their own imagination, easy to do since there were great sparks and sizzle between Declan and Abi.

If you are looking for a fast paced beach read that will tap into our deepest fantasies, pick up "Maid For Each Other" this summer.

Thanks to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the ARC. Book to be published July 15, 2025.

This is being added to my comfort re-read list for sure. Lynn Painter really shines in the softer moments that create depth in a relationship. My only critique is that it wrapped up a little too neatly. I wish we'd seen his parents' reaction when Declan and Abi revealed their deception. Same with Warren. It skipped ahead to the HEA epilogue a little too fast for me, but otherwise, I loved it.

Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter is faking dating romance perfection!

Nothing like sleeping in the apartment that belongs to one of the clients that you clean for and his parents mistaking you for his girlfriend and to get even with you, he enlists you to pretend to be his girlfriend. It was pure romcom fun! He's the typical grumpy rich man and she's just trying to get by and I am such a sucker for the rich boy x poor girl trope but I loved how sassy she is and their banter was absolutely fun and perfection. it was witty, full of sparing back and forth and a woman that challenges him. I loved that Lynn Painter made this book feel like a romcom that you would watch in film and absolutely swoon for because it's hilarious, swoony, romantic and fun and of course, he has to win the girl after he realizes that he fell hard for her and has to get his girl. There's opposites attract, there's fake dating. Its perfection! I loved this book so much and I cannot wait to reread again. A must read for the summer!

i absolutely adore lynn and her books and this absolutely testaments to her amazing and unique writing skills!

i really loved this book and found it to be her strongest adult novel. it was witty, fun, and heartwarming all together. i will always and forever eat up a fake dating story and this one was executed perfectly.

declanabi are so beautiful and kind to one another and i just enjoyed reading their story. declan was always so kind and patient with abi and it warmed my heart (,:

So... that was a bit disappointing. I didn’t connect with the characters. Declan’s personality, in particular, didn’t work for me. I also felt like their whole personality revolved around the rich-billionaire vs. poor-maid. The writing style also wasn’t my favorite, some parts felt really cringy and pulled me out of the story.

Cinderella spin
Fake-dating
Millionaire/ maid
Force proximity
One bed
Slow burn
Dual pov
Third act break up

Abi, a struggling grad student with an infected apartment and needing somewhere to stay, decides to crash at the penthouse of a rich client she cleans for. When she wakes up in the morning, she has a run in with her parents and is very confused when they seem to know who she is. 

Declan is an evp at his company, he makes up a fake gf named Abby to get a leg up at work and get his parents off his back. 
He has dinner with his parents, who inform him that they met his gf at the penthouse. Leaving Declan very confused 

Declan tracks down Abi and they make a deal. Abi poses as his fake gf and Declan, in return, gives her enough money to pay off her loans. 

I’m not normally a fan of Cinderella stories with a twist, but it was Lynn Painter, so I knew I had to read it. She has very quickly become a one-click author for me. 
This book was fun off the bat. Lynn Painter always does banter so well and had me smiling the whole time. Loved that they built a foundation of friendship before jumping into the romance. This book was fun, cute and had the signature Lynn Painter wit and charm

i am a huge lynn painter fan so i am so grateful to netgalley for this arc. I typically rate her books 4 stars but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. it’s a billionaire/maid story where they end up fake dating for his family. i think it was pretty predictable and also too unrealistic. i know this was the authors first attempt at an adult book, and i could really tell she is best writing YA. the “spicier” scenes never hit and it felt like she didn’t fully commit to them. i would’ve just taken the chapter out and made it YA because her writing only comes across as YA. also when are we gonna stop referencing taylor swift in every romance guys pls 😭

Lynn Painter has a crazy skill of making all her books just absolutely hilarious. At first I thought it was because her characters sometimes seem like there's no way they could possibly be real, but after some reflection I think it's the opposite, I think they are real as hell. People are weird and quirky and this is exactly how I felt about Abi- she was so silly and stubborn and made so many mistakes and weird decisions and I loved every minute of it.
What a silly concept of staying at one of the houses you clean while your apartment is getting fumigated and accidentally being mistaken as the occupants girlfriend!
If you are looking for a laugh and something light (which was 10000% what I needed) this will fill that void! I love to laugh out loud while I am reading and it's always great to get me out of a slump!

Fake dating is absolutely 1000% my thing!! I am obsessed with it.

Was this an all too familiar plot that we’ve read and watched a million times (hello pretty woman?) yes but I always go into Lynn’s books with the expectation that they are just cute and fun romcoms that will absolutely make me laugh and shed a few tears! And I did just that!!

I didn’t mind the rushed timeline and loved the little secret revealed.

I flew this book just like getting lost in a bowl of popcorn!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to check this book out early!

Maid for Each Other - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐
Dislikes:
-Billionaire MC: In the current political climate of our country, it was impossible for me to fully enjoy a romance with a lead character that is a Billionaire. I was constantly reminded of all of the real life billionaires doing horrible things. The theme of Declan being a Billionaire that was actually a good guy was really hard to swallow.
-Lack Of Character Development: These 2 leads were very much cast in their roles of rich guy and Maid. It felt like rich guy and poor girl were the primary traits for these characters. Abi had a little development, as she sought after her professor dreams, but not much. Declan was repeatedly hot and rich, but not much else.
.
Likes:
-Humor and Banter: Lynn Painter's humor hits every time. This is why I requested this book. She is SO funny and her characters always have great banter.

I always love a good fake relationship trope! Lynn Painter is always a go to author for me! Great chemistry leads to great love in this one!

The book gets off to a funny start when Abi decides to stay in an apartment that she's cleaning while her apartment is being fumigated for bugs. The owner, Declan, is out of town so she thinks no one will notice, but his parents show up and it’s funny when they think she is his girlfriend. It’s a cute romcom with lots of laughs but I didn't love it quite as much as I love her other books.

It turns out Declan has been pretending he has a girlfriend named Abby so his parents will quit pressuring him to find a girlfriend. When he sees how happy his parents are about meeting Abi, he asks her if she will go with him to a cocktail party for work and pretend to be his girlfriend. When they are at the party, everyone loves her (and Declan thinks she’s pretty great too) so he asks her if she will pretend a little longer. Declan comes from a wealthy family and is a successful executive at an investment company. He’s got a big weekend event with shareholders coming up and he’s in line for a big promotion at work. He thinks fake dating Abi might help him clinch it.

Abi is struggling to get by, working several jobs and going to school and is not excited about being his fake date. It makes her uncomfortable to be around wealthy people with mansions and sports cars, while she sees so many others struggling to get by. But she has a lot of school loans to pay off so when Declan offers to pay her to be there with him, she decides to go for it.

It's fun when a glam crew shows up to do her hair and clothes. She impresses everyone at the event and has fun teasing Declan by telling fake stories about romantic things she says he’s done - everyone laughed (including me). After their weekend together, they missed each other and made plans to see each other again.

One of the things that was awkward in the second half of the story was Abi’s dislike of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. It felt like this cast a shadow over her and Declan’s romance. But all of the playful banter and funny situations won me over and I ended up enjoying this. Thanks to NetGalley, Lynn Painter and Penguin for the ARC. My full review will be at All About Romance closer to the release date.

One of my fave Lynn painters. A cute funny, modern day flip on maid in manhattan. I genuinely enjoyed the hesitancy the heroine had with the rich. It was understandable in our society!

This story is like a modern retelling of “Pretty Woman” meets “Housesitter”. A maid who has nowhere to sleep for a week ends up crashing at an empty home she cleans only to wake up to find the owners parents there. They think she is their son’s girlfriend (who he made up to get them off his back). When he finds out he offers to pay her to pretend for a weekend to help his job and reinforce his lie. In the mean time he grows feelings for her.
I thought it started strong and I liked it up until he went back to NY. But then his full 180 on his feelings and not acknowledging at any point that he might be making her feel like a prostitute, felt like a pretty big red flag. There were cute moments, but Declan being totally in love with Abi just felt too fast and unrealistic. Even how they were reunited after the 3rd act breakup felt too easy. He’s generous with his money, which she knew, but when she finds out the extent she forgives him and they live happily ever after? Meh. The end missed the mark for me and the first line in the acknowledgments being about God after reading a romance novel felt beyond off. Although this book does have sex scenes, they are not well written. There is no pining, angst, steam, just the actions. It felt kind of robotic l, like “insert smut scene here”. It was not hot.

Lynn Painter’s writing style is such a joy to read!

Abi Mariano, a professional cleaner, never expected to need a temporary home. But when an infestation forces her out of her apartment, the empty penthouse she cleans seems like the perfect solution.

Declan Powell is stunned when his parents rave about meeting his “girlfriend”—who doesn’t exist. Realizing Abi caused the mix-up, he suggests a fake dating arrangement to maintain the lie.

Lynn Painters storytelling is so effortless that it’s easy to get swept up in the world she creates. This book had everything: a hilarious plot, fantastic chemistry between the leads, and laugh-out-loud moments that reminded me of classic romantic comedies.

Abi and Declan’s banter and their connection felt so natural.

This is one of those stories that leaves you grinning from ear to ear and wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this free eARC.

Around a 4.5 stars for me
I did enjoy this book and it had me giggling many times and it had many romantic parts. Overall I wish the tension was a bit higher and there was more enemies to lovers or rivals to lovers sort of tension. It just wasn’t really pushed or really existent and that made me knock off some points.
The premise of this book really captures your attention but it fell slightly flat for me after reading it. Some areas seeming a bit lack luster due to the missing tension in my opinion.
Overall it’s still a fun read and I read it in a day! It’s just it could have had a bit more details and character relations to really hit a home run for me.
I appreciated how there were comparisons with Abi and Declan life with money. I do wish Declan had some more moments or a big moment at the end with a realization of how lucky he was. Sort of like it all finally aligned. Because he did have so many moments where it was just a seemingly shrug off sort of vibe.
I did however, love the climax with the breakup. I usually hate 3rd act breakups but this was entertaining to read and picked up the pace of the book. Was it cliche? Yes. BUT did I eat it up, yup. You bet I did.

A solid Lynn Painter romance. Lots of humor, a slow burn build up.

While I really enjoyed parts of the romance, I felt like the tension just wasn’t there. I kept expecting issues with Abi’s mom to make waves or a shareholder finding something out, but they were pretty straightforward misunderstandings that spoiled the fun.

I think my disbelief of certain elements could not be overcome also (Abi called out of work a TON). I also felt like Declan’s need of Abi at work had no impact on his job. So the whole ruse felt unnecessary in the end?

I just didn’t love this one as much as other books of hers - or as some of the stronger romances out this year