I dnfed this book at 83%!

I find it difficult to imagine that you could know someone for 32 years and still be unaware of their hearing loss seriousness. I couldn't believe Mark didn't notice he was talking too low for Shaina and that she didn't say anything.
And I couldn't care about the main characters. It got really boring towards the end.

Despite not being exactly what I thought it would be, this was a really fun read that got me out of a reading slump. If you are looking for a cute rom-com that is easy to read and will make you smile - this might be the winner.

I really tried to get into this book. I really wanted to love it because I felt that it was such a perfect match. However I could just not read it. I felt like The Un-Arranged Marriage was just too predictable and hard to read at times as well.

This was an amazing romcom, i certainly enjoyed the competition and the games and lived how involved and meddlesome the family were. Like you can't escape from two mothers who want to play matchmaker. I related so much to this book considering i have a huge family and they are certainly always up my business. I would definitely recommend this book!!

The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown was an entertaining and relatable rom-com. Shaina and Mark’s enemies to lovers story is packed full of family drama and miscommunications. If you like a good competition, this story has plenty. I love a good romance that has me laughing out loud and that is what you will get with this book. This author is great and I can't wait to read more from her.

What I loved - a heroine with a disability, adorable pets the lead characters talked to like people, a super funny meddling family. Both Mark and Shaina were quirky yet lovable. Adorable!

This book was provided by Netgally and Entangled Publishing for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well this book took me for a surprise. I knew I was going to like it based on the short description. Between finding the adorablnes that is their banter, getting annoyed at the mothers, her kickass aditude and the demisexual rep (me being one myself) I had fun reading this book. Shaina and Mark going from childhood nemesis to reluctant teammates to friends to lovers and more had me hooked from pace 20.
Soft spoken Mark doesn't know that Shaina isn't a dragon who hates him and is ignoring him but is actually hard of hearing. In the same vein Shaina learns that he didn't jus mumble to spite her but was simply unaware of her condition. And now they need to reevaluate their entire lives and how they interact with each other. They each come with their own personal issues and baggage and find common ground.
Mark for all his quietness is having his own difficulties with relationships as a demisexual who while craving intimacy and relationships needs time to feel actual physical attraction to someone.
The writer took me for a ride of self acceptance and standing up for oneself and someone else as well. The characters all play well together. Family dinamics are fun and real feeling.

I look forward to reading more books by Lauren Brown

This book was so fun! I love a good competition and this book was full of them! 

Starting with two families with children similar ages. Two of them that they had always talked about getting married, then add a huge misunderstanding caused them to dislike eachother their whole lives. Fast forward to now...

Shaina and Mark are forced to ride together to his sister's wedding. That's when she confronts him about some things he seems to not have ever understood after 30 yrs and things change between them. Add in a crazy competition where the prize is the honeymoon to Venice, that another family member couple that's getting married can't take due to work, and things really get interesting.

Loved the rep in this book. I love any and all rep and to have the main couple be one that is demisexual and the other have hearing loss was so great!

The steamy scenes were amazing! And totally appreciate the beard references. I think my husband has more products than I do. His beard is the softest.

Thank you entangled_publishing and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This was a really cute read! Although not so much enemies-to-lovers as marketed, it does utilize a miscommunication trope that isn't dragged out too long which I definitely appreciated. The characters are all relatable and well-developed. I especially loved that Shania had a career that she loved and how much of a go-getter she was. The dynamics among all the siblings and life-long friends due to how close the families were was also a big highlight of the book for me. I also loved the representation in this book, especially the interracial relationship between Noah and Norah.

The competition plot of the characters battling each other for a dream vacation was so much fun to read about. I loved the various mini-competitions that Mark and Shaina participated in and the way it slowly brought them together. Their relationship grew so organically and I loved how they each put effort in to better understanding each other. It was really refreshing to read a book where all the characters actually communicate and say how they feel about tough situations.

I think the middle of the book ran a little slowly. I ended up skipping most of the spice because it got a little too repetitive and felt like it was every other scene in the middle but this is definitely something other readers would enjoy. I also found it a little too farfetched that Mark never realized Shaina had a disability. As a scientist, I'd assume he should've been able to pick up by social cues in the 32 years that Shaina and he were thrown together that everyone spoke exceptionally loudly around her. On Shaina's side however I can definitely believe her resentment toward him since she rightfully assumed he should've known she was hard of hearing. Regardless, this was a really cute read that I can see many romance readers enjoying.

What a fun enemies to lovers contemporary romance
With matchmaking best friends mothers taking a chance
They've wanted them to marry since they were born
But to this pair it was a hated big yawn!

With a family wedding in which both play a part
When Mark's car mysteriously just won't start
His mum sends Shaina to get him there
A three hour journey - they need both beware!

But the journey reveals an astonishing shock
That gives their views of the past one heck of a knock.
Shaina is hard of hearing and could never hear Mark
But he never knew till she makes an angry remark.

This discovery changes things for both the pair
And with change comes attraction of which both are aware.
Get ready for wedding competitions, family drama and fun
With this pair working together to get things done.

The family relationships are at the heart
With dreams and expectations causing folks to part.
A heart warming read where misunderstandings cause pain
But being honest and open can help heal again.

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
An enemies first romance and this is my honest review.

From the beginning I thought this book was adorable. I appreciated the way the author described Shaina because most books have female leads as practically perfect. As someone with a disability watching her thrive and adjust in a relationship with her own disability was great. Mark also gave great insight on how hard it can be when someone's moms are best friends and think that's enough to force a relationship. Overall the book was a fun rom-com and would definitely read more by Laura in the future. It didn't drag on at any part nor did it feel overtly cutesy.

Something I appreciated about this book was that the description is what was executed in the novel. You get what you are expecting. To begin, I really enjoyed reading this story. However, I cannot get over specific plot points that set up character motivation.

First, I know it is tried to be explained that Mark never realized Shaina couldn't hear because he was so engrossed in his own life and Shaina is the type of person to not bother asking someone to repeat themselves. ...but why? These two have known each other from their literally births. I can understand Shaina being over Mark once their older and just "ignoring" him, but I'm suppose to believe little five-year-old Shaina wouldn't be telling Mark over and over to speak up or tell him she is hard of hearing? I'm just not buying it. And it would make sense if everyone just naturally spoke loud around her without doing anything else, but they are occasions even during the wedding events where her hearing is literally mentioned in order to make arrangements for her... For being told that these two families were super close and spent so much time together, it really didn't feel that way at all.

The writing style was nice, but I feel like there just needed to be a little more buildup to them being so attracted to each other. Some conversations such as the "I can't do anything perfect because Noah already has" "Then don't do it perfect, do it your way" moment felt out of place and a little too on the nose to not be a little cringey.

If I put aside my frustrations regarding the central catalyst for the plot and some awkward moments, I thought the book as a whole was enjoyable. Mark's care for Shaina (and her hearing) is super adorable. There were some laugh out loud moments. I loved the family dynamic, especially with the cousins and Mark's sister.

I loved this so much and read it in one day. the story flowed seamlessly with characters I came to really care about. Shaina and Mark are quite adorable and I loved how much they irritated each other in the beginning. Their squabbles and inner musings were quite funny. It wasn't until we learn about Shaina's deafness and Mark's demisexuality do we realise that the source of their animosity is their lack of communication and understanding of each other. Once Mark realises that Shaina can't hear him he makes a huge effort to try harder and they eventually become friends and allies. The challenges they work on together are a lot of fun to read. I did find the mothers on both sides to be a bit annoying with their matchmaking.

The sexual tension and chemistry between Mark and Shaina is palpable all the way through the story. You can really feel how attracted they are to each other. I normally skip past intimate scenes in novels but the writing here was so good and the scenes were short and added meaning to the story. I was rooting for the couple all the way but by the last quarter of the book I was itching for the two to finally talk openly with each other and admit their true feelings. Once they did everything fell into place and the story ended with a lovely heartwarming feeling.

A lovely quick read.

I received a copy of this book from Nwtgalley and Entangled Publiahing voluntarily for my opinion. All thought and opinions are my own.

This does contain spoilers.

This was a quick, entertaining read about a couple who had know each other their whole lives. I really appreciated the representation in this book, of both a disability that isn’t often seen in books and a sexuality that isn’t addressed often.

Why it didn’t rate higher for me is mainly because I had a hard time believing this two had known each other their whole lives and he didn’t know she was HOH to the point that she could never hear him. How was this not brought to his attention BY ANYONE IN THIER FAMILIES BEFORE NOW? That took me out of the story a bit.

Overall there was things I enjoyed in this book and things I didn’t.

Super cute book. Enemies to lovers. Their mother's have been trying to set them up since they were born, but they grew up hating each other. It's not until they are forced together do they learn why they haven't gotten along.
Through competition and challenges they learn to get along and even learn to love each other.

I really enjoyed this book!

I’m a big fan of an enemies to lovers dynamic - and this ended up bringing the romance!!

Though it starts off slow, I couldn't put this book down.

I thought it was going to be an enemies to lovers book, but really it's all about miscommunication. The main characters Mark and Shaina both have interesting character traits that you don't really see too much in books, let along a rom com. Mark is Demisexual and Shaina has hearing impairment, but both don't realize it even though their families have been friends their whole lives. It was hard for me to get how Mark didn't know about Shaina especially since she wears hearing aids, but just go with it.

First off, the representation in this book is *chefs kiss*. Having a male MC that is demisexial, a female MC that is differently abled and them both being Jewish, is something we don't see in a ton of books!

This was the perfect enemies to lovers romance. These two are the perfect example of needing to slow down and look at the cues to realize they were just on two different pages the whole time! Also the spice in this book is great!

Overall, I can't wait to read more from Laura Brown!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review!

Mark and Shaina have never liked each other. With mothers who are best friends, they have spent their entire 32 years on this planet forced to interact, with the latest being Mark's sister's wedding. When they must drive together to the wedding, they finally discover the root of their animosity, and learn neither is what they thought.

Shaina is hearing impaired and has never heard the soft-spoken Mark in her life. Mark, buried in a book and oblivious, thought Shaina simply ignored him. Feeling horrible, Mark is determined to adjust his behavior to meet Shaina's needs. When Shaina finally experiences the kindness Mark is known for, their relationship changes from enemies to lovers under the veil of a competition.

I loved the representation in this book. The main characters are Jewish, the male MC is demisexual, and the female MC is differently abled. With side characters of diverse ethnicities and sexualities, you can tell the author wanted the story to be representative of the world we live in, an effort I always appreciate.

In classic romance fashion do you at first want to shake the main characters and say, "you idiot!" Yes. But they quickly learn and have supportive friends and siblings to help knock some sense into them.

I loved how neither wanted to like the other but were so attracted to each other. And when they finally gave in!!! Multiple, solid spicy scenes :)

Overall a really great romance! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Read for: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, handcuffs, and opposites attract

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an arc in return for an honest review!

5 stars
2.75 spice

I really liked this fun rom-com! It’s not an enemies to lovers trope as much as a lifelong misunderstanding. Their mother’s have been trying to pair them up since they were babies, and they naturally rebelled against it.
As a result, they missed a few pertinent facts about each other. Shania is almost deaf and everyone has to speak loudly for her to hear. Mark is demisexual, even his own parents aren’t sure what that means.
I liked the way the author handles the disabilities, it’s not presented as a giant issue, just something to take into account with the person involved.
This is a little spicy and a good read, 4 stars.

Synopsis:
Their mothers are the worst matchmakers…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.

A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.

When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.