Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is a heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance that tackles serious themes like chronic illness, grief, and the broken U.S. healthcare system, all while delivering sweet, slow-burn chemistry. Evie and Theo’s long-standing friendship forms the emotional core of the book, and their fake marriage for health insurance and housing feels both timely and poignant. The dual POV and flashbacks enrich the story, but some readers may find the pacing slow and Evie’s character frustrating. Still, Theo’s patience and warmth shine throughout. While imperfect, this story blends humor and heart in a relatable, modern love story

Thank you to Marisa Kanter, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for this Advanced Reading Copy of Friends with Benefits.

There is so much to like about this book. I like that the characters are well developed and that they evolve as the book progresses. At first you think Theo is the more put together of the two, but you see Evie’s strength the more the book progresses. Both characters have dealt with family trauma, and their family trauma affects their marriage in many ways.

Theo and Evie plan a marriage of convenience. He needs a roommate, she needs a place to stay, and she needs benefits. They have been best friends since they were children and met at Ms. Stella’s Dance Studio. They connected, and that connection formed a friendship that lasted through Chrohn’s diagnosis (Evie), mom's cancer battle and eventual death (Theo), and moves and jobs. They think they will still be able to hook up with others and the marriage with be in name only, for convenience. But…..

Friends with Benefits is predictable, but fun. The spice isn't a lot, but enough to give the plot a fun spin. Friends who have loved each other for a LONG time, trying to think that falling in love while married will not happen, but it does. They just have to decide if it’s worth it.

I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley! I enjoyed this a lot. I really like the best friend trope, because it feels like it would be the best case scenario. Theo and Evie’s relationship spans decades and is so beautifully developed. I loved the inclusion of the medical stuff. It was so real and relatable. The family trauma was so deep and beautiful and heartbreaking. The two main characters found each other in the outlet they had away from pain. The loss of that and the way they found other joys was really poignant and lovely. I liked the evolution of their friendship and relationship and that continued through the story. And I also liked the way they were imperfect in a relatable way; when you’re mad and you say or do things you don’t mean to, regrets you hold onto for years, the emotional manipulations you endure for people you love without really realizing it, and the way you can hold onto the “truths” you know, whether they’re still true or not. Overall I very much enjoyed this book and will recommend it widely!

Lifelong friends Evie and Theo need each other ~ he needs to keep his apartment and she needs health insurance. The obvious solution is to get married and I do usually love a marriage of convenience 😊

Evie is a Foley artist, which is a really cool job I hadn’t heard of before this book, with a chronic illness that dictates so much of her life. Evie’s world has a lot going on, with parental abandonment issues, her career, her relationships. Theo is an elementary school teacher with a genuine heart and maturity. He is steady, supportive, constant and always looks out for Evie.

Such a great premise, such a great balance between the two personalities, seems like it should be an easy win…

The dual timelines showing their history was well done and did a really good job of giving insight into how they came into their current dynamic.

I honestly just didn’t like Evie. She came across as self-centered most of the time and continually pushed Theo away. You’re dating someone? I’ll sleep with your roommate. You’ll come with me across the country to a family event for moral support where I may see my mother who abandoned me? I’m going to spend the day with my F*ck Buddy. Theo deserved better.

The story itself was fine and may be a perfect light, quick read for someone who may have a different take on Evie.

I did enjoy this story but have found myself to be annoyed by the classic miscommunication trope - so much of their story could have been fixed or improved with a little communication. I did really enjoy this story and found the diverse representation to be a nice addition.

Overall I enjoyed reading Friends with Benefits, their friendship and love for each other was so sweet and unconditional. But I really struggled at times to not get frustrated with both of the main characters and the assumptions they made/lack of communication that contributed to YEARS of missed opportunity. The way the author connected each main character's childhood experiences to their philosophy around relationships and their 'baggage' was really well done, but I found myself not connecting with Evie at all and honestly disliking her at times.

I always enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope. A little slower pace than I would have liked but it was made up for by the dual POV of Theo and Evie

She needs health insurance and he needs help paying his rent, so friends Evie and Theo decide to give fake marriage a go. Complicating things are Theo's real feelings for Evie coupled with her desire to never be married. While the fake marriage eases each of their financial burdens, it complicates everything else between them.

I absolutely loved this book! Being in the film and theatre business, I could relate to it on so many levels. Working in this industry can be tough at times, but the way it was captured in this story was just incredible! Kanter has a wonderful way with words, and she really brings the characters to life and shows their growth beautifully. I felt like the characters were so real that I could actually meet them and become friends in real life, which is such a cool feeling!

What I appreciated most is how Kanter showcases our industry—the ups and downs—so honestly. The main character felt so genuine, and I really connected with her struggles. It’s refreshing to see our challenges reflected in a book because sometimes people don’t fully grasp how much we go through. Overall, this book really resonated with me, and I think anyone in the industry would find it just as amazing!

Ah! This book!! The casual chemistry between Theo and Evelyn that bubbles up in this story is delicious. Friends to lovers, fake marriage, and then the forced proximity?? Incredible. The tension between these characters was amazing and I squealed with laughter when that tension finally bubbled over. This book was PEAK kicking my legs and screaming while reading energy!

I loved the slow burn of this story. The flashbacks throughout Theo and Evelyn’s life were a wonderful example of the power of a longtime friendship and that transition into something more. There’s so much trust and love there from the beginning of their lives together. That lived experience is a beautiful way to show the depth of who they are as individuals and as a partnership.

This book was wonderful from start to finish. Friends with Benefits is hilarious and warm, as well as a fantastic example of healthy friendships and how you can choose your family not just through blood. I loved these characters & their stories! It’s also worth noting the powerful stories about their experiences with the American healthcare system. They are not the first to struggle with that and won’t be the last, and it’s so important to bring up those topics and normalize them.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to love this book but its pacing was just too slow at times. Also, the FMC didn’t seem to grow as she worked through her issues. I did enjoy the MMC. He was a sweetheart and really tried. I did appreciate the chronic illness rep and how he was supportive of her through her illness and struggles. This was just lacking the fluffiness I was hoping for.

Friends with Benefits does a good job of balancing romance and real life—including both legitimate trials and silly, tropey angst.

In terms of the legitimate life trials, the author's opening note lists content warnings including medical gaslighting, health anxiety, illness and death of a parent, parental neglect, and the realities of living with chronic pain. These were all critical to the storyline. Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer, along with commentary on the American employer-based healthcare system, also contribute to the heavy framework of the book.

As for the romance, in my opinion, Evie needed to get there faster! I suppose that wouldn't allow all of the storylines enough time to play out. Familial and platonic love are represented in spades, which is delightful. Evie's paternal grandparents, Theo's mom (via flashbacks), Evie's younger sister (to a lesser degree), and a couple of Evie's mentors are main sources of affection and/or support outside of Evie and Theo's friendship. Evie has multiple professional female role models, which is always refreshing, especially in roles that are historically considered nontraditional for women. [I learned interesting things about some of the items Foley artists use to create believable sound effects.]

Humor peppers the book, giving us comic relief from the health and housing anxiety. Humor came from a broad range of characters, including Theo's fourth-grade students, one of whom is named Milo—bonus points!

Theo absolutely comes across as the hero of the book. He shows amazing thoughtfulness, generosity, and patience, starting from young childhood. This goes beyond his relationship with Evie, right through how much he cares about his students. We read about the field trips he tries to secure for his class, his curated classroom library, how he inspires his students through music, and how hard he works to reach students where they are/in ways they find approachable.

3.5⭐

I really wanted to love this book. I appreciate that the female main character had a chronic illness (Chrone’s disease) and I think that part was written really well. However, the rest of the book fell flat. The interactions between the siblings left me wanting for more. I also thought the Survivor mentions were too many.

I think some people will really like this book. But unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

Evie and Theo are lifelong best friends. When she needs medical benefits and a place to live, and his roommates have just moved out, they decide to get married so they can leverage their joint financial situation to keep his apartment.

Fake dating on steroids, this story also included a lot of darker elements that added a layer of emotional complexity, including grief, abandonment, chronic illness and medical gaslighting. While there are always some hijinx where a fake marriage is concerned, this was deeper than others, highlighting the reality of the healthcare system in America and how it plays into every major life decision for a chronically ill person.

I am a sucker for a childhood friends to lovers story, and loved how this wove in flashbacks of Evie's and Theo's past. The way they are so intertwined into each other's lives and each other's families adds to the beauty of this lifelong love story.

A friends to lovers romance. Evie and Theo have been best friends for years, and a few times also more. Take married to benefit them both, will this be their chance?

Thank you to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read Friends with Benefits early.

3.75 Stars for Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter

Evie and Theo have been best friends since childhood, having met through dance. Over the years, they’ve supported each other through life’s ups and downs—quietly harbouring feelings for one another the whole time.

Now adults, Evie is offered a prestigious Foley artist fellowship, a dream opportunity—but one that doesn’t come with health benefits, something she critically needs while managing her chronic illness (Crohn’s). At the same time, she’s also in need of a new place to live. When Theo’s roommates move out, the timing seems perfect for them to move in together. But as they share a space, long-buried feelings begin to resurface, and what started as a practical decision begins to challenge the boundaries of their friendship.

This book was undeniably cute and had some heartfelt moments, especially in how it touched on chronic illness, career ambitions, and the ups and downs of navigating different types of grief. As someone who recently lost a parent to cancer, there were moments that hit home more than I expected—the emotional undertones were relatable and honest in those sections. That said, the beginning was a bit slow for me. Still, it’s a sweet, sincere read that many will connect with—especially those familiar with love that’s rooted in a deep, longstanding friendship.


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Best friends marry for health insurance and housing, what could go wrong? This is a slow burn friends to lovers romance that has great banter and chemistry. I really enjoyed Theos POV. Everyone keeps saying this feels like a mix between Emily Henry and Katherine Center book and while I hate to compare authors I can see it. Its the feeling the book gives, not the writing style. Huge thanks to NetGally for letting me read this book early! I recommend if your looking for a good palette cleanser but also a story that has grit to it. This is a heartfelt ride you wont want to miss.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed learning about the MFC and MMCs relationship over the years and was happy to see them get on the same page eventually. I found the MFCs career to be interesting and something different, and enjoyed learning about this throughout the book. I loved the spotlight chronic illness and health insurance in this book and how this can drive decision making for patients. The aspect of the MFCs chronic illness and how it (and the affects of health insurance) felt so real. Also the rising frequency of colon cancer in young people is something I see at work so I also appreciated this highlight. At times I did feel the book, and relationship, was cycling and recycling the same issue over and over again, which drew the book out and made me loose interest in the book/characters at times. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending an ARC of this book.

I wanted to really like this, but it felt very slow and Evie was very annoying. I was hoping to like her by the end of the book, but that didn’t happen. The saving grace was Theo. I absolutely loved him!! This book also has the lack of communication trope and I hate that. I felt like a lot of things could have been squashed early on if they just had an adult conversation. They are supposed to be best friends and can’t talk about their feelings. It was very frustrating. I enjoyed the story, but the communication could have been better and possibly made Evie more likable.

Evie Bloom is an aspiring Foley artist; however, she is plagued with chronic illness and needs health insurance.

Theo Cohen is Evie's best friend and an elementary school teacher who cannot afford to rent his current apartment without a roommate.

Theo discovers a loophole in his lease document. Married couples do not have to meet the same minimum income threshold as single tenants.

Evie needs insurance. Theo does not want to move. Bingo.

It takes a little persuading from Theo to get Evie on board. What could go wrong, right?

The book travels from the past to the present, providing much detail of their relationship through the years. Both characters have baggage and sometimes, I wanted to reach into the book and shake them. Don't be so stubborn! Wake up! But it is a cute story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Caledon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.