Evie and Theo meet as kids in a dance class and quickly become inseparable best friends. Evie, raised by her grandparents after her mother abandoned her, struggles with trust, while Theo has been her constant support, especially through her health challenges. Over the years, they dance around their feelings for each other, never quite getting the timing right. When Theo—ever the sweetheart—discovers that a fake marriage will help Evie secure the health benefits she needs for her dream job, he doesn’t hesitate to suggest it.

While the premise had potential, I struggled to connect with Evie as a character. Her fear of being hurt made her blind to the fact that she was constantly hurting Theo in the process. I understand wanting independence, but given her circumstances, her refusal to lean on Theo felt frustrating rather than empowering. Meanwhile, Theo was endlessly patient to the point he was for the most part a push over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this free advanced audio copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

While I deeply appreciate the sentiment that is trying to be conveyed with this book, it unfortunately missed the mark for me. It felt a bit scattered, the dual pov plus flashbacks out of order were a bit confusing. While Theo seemed pretty perfect the entire time, I had a hard time liking Evelyn and her journey felt a little forced. I appreciated the chronic illness rep, and the sweet accommodations Theo made for her without a second thought, with how many other things were going on with the plot it got lost.

This book is not for the faint of heart. This is a story about grief and abandonment and being so afraid of losing that you waste time not letting your self love.

I love the friends to lovers trope and the fact that both friends are in love with each other but each is afraid to make the first move is to be expected. With other books, I might get irritated at the situation and reasonably say out loud to the fictional characters tthat they need to talk to each other, but I know that in the end all will be right in the world and they will be a happy couple. This book had me wondering if I was really listening to a romance or if I had mistakenly picked up a novel which was not going to have a happy ending. The happy ending is why I read and listen to romance books in the first place. This book had me convinced that there was not going to be a happy ending. I had to take breaks from listening to it, because it was effecting me so much. I cried toward the end and that doesn't usually happen. Why? Because I know I am reading a romace novel and a romance novel always, always has a happy ending. This book was beautifully written, beautifully performed and it is a beautiful story. It will rip your heart out, but it's worth it.

Did I love this book? Obviously.

The side plot to this book was so interesting to me. Having family with IBS issues, this book was very eye opening. It was a part of the main character's life and did affect decisions and major life events. It actually made this book original and interesting setting apart from other friends to lovers/right place wrong time romance stories. I enjoyed reading this book and was happy with the ending.

Oh gosh, this was so much more angsty that I anticipated, but so well executed, I was truly gripped. Narrators Gail Shalan and GM Hakim were the perfect voices to capture the essence of Evvie and Theo - their voices felt like they were the characters.

I really appreciated the way we know upfront what's happened in the past, instead of witholding this for endless flashbacks. Instead the flashback chapters served to illustrate how long Evvie and Theo have been in love with each other but they kept missing each other. At times their inability to talk about their mutual feelings for each other was frustrating, but with Evvie's abandonment and health issues, and Theo's grief and estrangement from his father, it was realistic. I like the way Melissa Kanter really delves into the psychology of her characters and that their slow-burn growth would take steps forwards and backwards. With all the loss they've had it was understandable they didn't want to lose their person by voicing they wanted more. It made the ending (and oh boy this is when I really did want to shake Evvie for pushing Theo away again - her therapist did very well to remain calm), oh so sweet.

A beautifully slow-burn and swoony romance with to complex characters.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.

First a huge thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for both the physical arc and audio.

For the audio, I thought the voice actors were very good. I would give their performance a 5/5.

Over all rating for the book is 3.5. First off, I am not a fan of friends to lovers, so I do think that set me up for failure. I also personally found the FMC to be really annoying at times and struggled to embrace her. I do think that if you love friends to lovers, you will enjoy this book! So please take my review as a grain of salt.

Thank you, NetGalley, for approving my ARC of Friends with Benefits!

I really enjoyed this book. As a huge Survivor fan, I loved how much the show played into the characters' lives—it added such a fun and unique element to their relationship. Marisa Kanter did a great job weaving in the strategy, alliances, and social gameplay in a way that felt natural and engaging.

That said, the lack of communication between the main characters was frustrating at times. While I understood where they were coming from, I wished they had just talked things out sooner! Still, the chemistry was great, and the romance had some really sweet moments.

Overall, this was a fun read with a fresh take on the friends-with-benefits trope. Survivor fans, in particular, will love the references and themes throughout!

The romance felt a little forced between these too best friends MCs. I like the plot of a marriage of convenience would help us out with health insurance and housing, but the characters were awkward and better left as friends.

Marriage of convenience
Friends to lovers
Found family

Evie and Theo story would make a great movie.

These two are best friends who through thoughtful conversations and weighing the pros and cons of digging into a different type of relationship find love in a way they couldn’t see before.

Lighthearted and quick listen.

Friends With Benefits Honest ARC Review:

In a novel that’s sure to appeal to fans of Emily Henry and Katherine Center, two lifelong best friends attempt to use marriage as a tool to solve economic difficulties.

Evie and Theo have had unspoken feelings for one another throughout their lives. They have depended on one another in times of need. In a very realistic pattern, the two have never expressed how each truly felt.

Each character is a bit complex and develops further throughout the novel. The two grow together and overcome obstacles with one another.

I really enjoyed this. If you like friends to lovers stories this is a great addition to your TBR!

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me.

If you are a fan of the marriage of convenience and friends to lovers tropes this book is definitely for you! Best friends Evie and Theo get married for their own reasons so oh no what could go wrong?? There is definitely the theme of “we both are attracted to one another but we won’t do anything tonight ruin the friendship” present but it didn’t come across as an “OMG will you just tell each other already?!” moment. The bounce between current time and past Evie and Theo gave great insight to their character development.

Evie is a character who has been put through the wringer! Between neglectful parents and dealing with a chronic illness all I wanted to do was give her a hug. Theo has also been through a lot especially dealing with the loss of his mom. The way he cares so much for Evie and his students is absolutely adorable. I would definitely want a teacher and friend like him!

As someone who deals with chronic illness I really appreciate how sensitive the author was surrounding the topic.

What a fun idea! That's a clever way to manage rent while getting some insurance, too. I really enjoyed this adorable rom-com! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

#FriendswithBenefits #NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. I was intrigued my the book the synopsis and the cover however this did not work for me. I had to dnf it at 23% I found it flat and just not for me.

Suggest skipping.

2.5/5☆

Friends With Benefits is a light-hearted, friends-to-lovers story that i just loved. Such a cute and fun story that had me rooting for Evie and Theo throughout the entire book. I loved how the narrators voiced their characters and brought them to life in the best way.

OUTLIER ALERT:
Although I loved the book's "friends with benefits" title and premise, I was not the right reader for this book.

WHY?

1) NOT FOR KATHERINE CENTER FANS.
The publisher's blurb promised a lighthearted "friends with benefits" rom-com for fans of Katherine Center.

Katherine Center's new 2025 release just received a glowing 5-star review from me.

Even with a vivid imagination, stating that author Marisa Kanter's writing style shared similarities with Katherine Center's style was a HUGE stretch.

2) PACING. At times, the book's pacing was tediously slow.

3) POLITICS. The author's political views were included in this book. (Ouch!!!!!)

I enjoy "no politics, please" rom-coms, and therefore, this book was not lighthearted and had me cringing instead of LOL and commiserating with the protagonists.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Gail Shalan and GM Hakim.

I always enjoy multi-cast narrations.

Gail Shalon's narration was good but not great. GM Hakim's narration was superb.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to Friends with Benefits!

This audiobook was such a delightful experience—equal parts fun, heartfelt, and deeply relatable. The narration was fantastic, bringing the characters to life with warmth and personality, making their chemistry and emotional journeys even more immersive.

One of the standout aspects of this story was its thoughtful representation of health struggles. It’s always refreshing to see characters navigating real-life challenges, especially when it’s done with such care and authenticity. Too often, these perspectives have been absent from romance, and it was wonderful to see them explored here in a way that felt genuine and deeply moving.

That said, the book did feel a little juvenile at times, especially in certain dialogue and character interactions. While the lighthearted tone made for an easy listen, there were moments where the emotional depth could have been explored further.

Beyond that, the romance was swoon-worthy, the banter sharp and engaging, and the emotional beats hit just the right notes. This is the kind of story that makes you laugh, makes you feel, and ultimately leaves you with a full heart.

If you love audiobooks that bring romance to life with humor, depth, and fantastic narration, Friends with Benefits is a must-listen!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC!
Friends with Benefits is going to be released on May 6th. Best friends Evie and Theo hatch a practical plan to marry—Evie needs health insurance to accept her dream Foley artist fellowship, and Theo needs to keep his rent-controlled apartment. It’s supposed to be simple and logical, but complications arise when Theo’s long-standing feelings for Evie threaten to upend their arrangement. As they navigate their new reality, they’re forced to confront what marriage truly means—and whether their friendship can survive it. This one didn’t work out for me, and I’m disappointed because marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes! But the writing was clunky, with too much info-dumping right from the start, which completely distracted me from the love story. I didn’t feel anything for the characters—they were quite annoying, and I just couldn’t get invested in their romance. That said, this was my first time listening to narrators Gail Shalan and GM Hakim, and I absolutely loved their voices! They brought great emotion and depth to the story, making the listening experience much more enjoyable.

🎧 The narrators (Gail Shalan; GM Hakim) were cast well for the characters and did a good job.

It's a childhood friends, angst, lacking in communication (but expects the other to openly communicate), chronic illness rep (🩶) and unresolved trauma type of book. I love when there's inclusion and all kinds of rep in a book without making it seem forced so this was great.

I liked the characters and story in the beginning but felt like it got extremely stagnant and didn't grow. There was so much shown of how much they wanted it to stay the same and change but there wasn't much of either (it almost seemed dragged on). There weren't so much a character arcs but a little hops. More character development in the healing department was needed individually and together. For people in their mid to late twenties, it all still seemed very emotionally teen of them.

**********
Little continuity note: Southern Californian locals call all freeways "the #" like 'the 5', 'the 405', 'the 101', not 'I-5'. If the characters weren't from there it could be overlooked but since they're locals it really jumped out.

If you don't read the epilogue it's definitely a Happy For Now, not a HEA and even after the epilogue it's still not totally certain as most romance books are, it's murky. It almost seems like it was supposed to be a love story but thought it would be more marketable if it was a romance so it met the bare minimum. I didn't really feel good after reading it, it was more 'meh'.

I really enjoyed this childhood friends to lovers, marriage of convenience for health benefits romance that has bisexual dancer Evie and Jewish teacher Theo agreeing to get married so Evie can benefit from Theo's health insurance.

Treating Evie's Crohn's is expensive and on a dancer's wages she often struggles to pay. When Theo offers to marry Evie things start to heat up as they spend more and more time together. I loved the flashbacks to their past, the diversity and disability rep (Evie's Crohn's and chronic pain) and the excellent grief and mental health rep (Theo lost his mother to cancer and has anxiety).

This was also great on audio narrated by Gail Shalan and GM Hakim. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This is perfect for fans of other marriage for health benefits/insurance books like Would you rather by Allison Ashley, In your eyes by Molly McCarthy, Before us by Jewel E. Ann or Our ride to forever by Julie Olivia.