Thank you to Celadon Books (via NetGalley) for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
----------
Lifelong best friends say 'I do' to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits.

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.
----------
The description of this book tells you up front what tropes you can expect in the story, so if you are not a fan of friends-to-lovers and fake marriage, then this is one you will want to pass by. However, I happen to LOVE both of those, so this was perfect for me. I always joke that for someone who is happily single and plans to spend the rest of her life that way, I am a sucker for a good romcom, and I am happy to report that this book delivers. Evie and Theo are both likable characters, and it's easy to root for them, but there is depth to their story. The author lists some content warnings at the beginning of the book, which I always appreciate, as there are some serious themes included. However, what I most got from my reading of this book is that it made me feel good...within the first chapter, I was enjoying myself, and that enjoyment continued all the way through the end. Were some parts predictable? Sure. But did that take away from my experience reading it? Absolutely not. I will definitely look forward to reading more adult offerings from Marisa Kanter.

Things I liked:
-the acknowledgments section
-Theo's classroom management style and students
-learning about "Foley" work
-Evie's tattoos
-Theo finally stood up for what he wanted (but then almost gave in)
-Evie finally growing although it was cutting it close and why did she take advice from basically strangers and not family
-The spicy bits

Things I did not enjoy:
-Evelyn being Evie and then complaining that no one said/spelled it correctly
-the lack of Evie's character development until the end
-I read for escape from the hellscape that is the medical system and family trauma so I did not enjoy these plotlines. I appreciated that they were mentioned and discussed but it was so much of the book. We get it. The medical system is awful. Your parents left you. Life is hard.

“You. Always you.”

4 ⭐️

Evie & Theo have been best friends since they met in dance class as young kids.

Through relationships, health issues, family deaths & everything in between, they’ve been there for each other.

So when Evie needs a place to stay - & better health insurance - her & Theo create the perfect arrangement. They fake a marriage.

But they’ve never lived together & they quickly realize they’ve gotten into an all-too-comfortable situation that was supposed to be temporary.

Sorting through years worth of feelings, job changes, & relationships the two must decide what is best for them & if going separate ways is the answer.

What to expect:
👨‍🏫 Chronic illness representation
💃🏼 Fake marriage
👨‍🏫 Childhood best friends to lovers
💃🏼 Dual POV / timeline
👨‍🏫 Golden retriever MMC

Thoughts:
This was such a beautiful story. It had many hard topics but addressed them respectfully. Theo is every girl’s dream bestie & husband with major golden retriever energy.

I was given Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter in exchange for an honest review by the publisher and NetGalley.

Evie Bloom is a Foley artist who is looking for a break - her sister has moved away, her grandparents are selling her home, and her chronic health problems require financial stability that she can’t maintain.

Theo Cohen is Evie’s best friend. He’s a school teacher that the kids find cool, but his co-workers backstab and his boss overlooks. And to make matters worse, he’s being evicted. Unless he gets married…

This marriage of convenience was actually believable as opposed to other books because the marriage is based on financial necessity. You have to be insured in order to deal with doctors visits and medicine when you have a chronic illness. And finding housing that fits a budget is incredibly challenging across the US.

I liked this book and the realistic premise of the marriage of convenience, but the chemistry felt a little off at times. Evie is not my favorite character, but Theo’s a sweetheart that did make up for Evie’s overthinking and poor decision making. Overall, an enjoyable read.

✨ARC✨ releasing May 6th!

It has been a WHILE since I read a romance that I would consider 5-star worthy… this one absolutely took the cake. This is a new favorite for me, and will absolutely be a comfort read I come back to and recommend to everyone!

Some books in this genre get a little lofty with their foundation and just don’t feel REAL. This book feels so natural and believable. The characters are layered and well-developed with flaws and doubts and struggles and trauma. Their dynamics and past so carefully curated. I could not put this story down. The tension was built and pressurized to perfection, the humor and snark were on point.

I love Evie and Theodore, obviously. (IYKYK)

Thank you to the author and Celadon books for the opportunity to read this wonderful work! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I love a marriage-of-convenience trope. I think this book had an interesting premise for the fake marriage - keep a rent-stabilized apartment + health insurance for a great internship opportunity. The one thing I didn't like about this was that I felt during a fight, Evie dropped a VERY LOW BLOW on Theo. Unfortunately, it made me lose a little respect for Evie. However, I have not had any life experiences close to what she had gone through, but as I have gone through life, I've noticed that I find statements to just hurt someone inexcusable. Now, if I ignore that line, I'm pretty happy overall with how the relationship between the characters developed. I understand that there needed to be some fight and tension, I just wish that wasn't how that fight developed? It just felt like Evie took a massive step back, but shoutout to Theo for being a pretty solid human (for the most part).

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC!

This novel is much more than a rom com--the plot tackles deeper layers and the characters deal with real world issues that impact their lives. Evie and Theo are life-long friends and former competitive dance partners. The flashbacks into their past provided insights into how each one made decisions to get where they are currently. Evie deals with chronic illness and her pain and challenges felt authentic. Theo was more than understanding as he was always there to take care of Evie and anticipate her needs.

While I loved Theo, Evie was more difficult to like as I read. She seemed too selfish and inwardly focused and didn't seem to reciprocate with helping Theo with his needs. I was told about Evie's reasons for her choices, but needed more growth from her throughout the novel because I didn't have enough emotional connection.

This novel brought out all the emotions and at times I thought this was one of the most romantic books I'd ever read. Parts of the plot seemed to drag or be redundant and I wished for more twists to keep the pace moving. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel and will seek out future books by this author. Thank you to Netgalley for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Friends with Benefits is a best friends to lovers story that is perfect for fans of Carley Fortune. The catalysts for Evie and Theo to finally figure out what they are to each other are Evie needing Theo's health insurance (she has Crohn's Disease) and him needing a place to live (of course there are benefits for married renters). These real-life complications lead to a marriage of convenience that is only one more moment in their unfolding, decades-long love story. The third-person POV, deeply drawn characters, and emotive writing distinguish this rom-com as a must-read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I enjoy a marriage of convenience and friends to lovers romance! This was a sweet and emotional story. Sometimes I wanted to shake them to communicate with each other, but overall enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

3 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up
Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and I love a marriage of convenience, but this didn’t grab me the way I hoped it would. The depiction of grief and living with a chronic illness were so well done, and I really liked the MMC Theo, but there were times I struggled with the FMC Evie. It’s not that what she goes through is not relatable, it just felt like she didn’t make much progress throughout most of the book. That being said, I did enjoy the book, I loved the scenes in Theo’s classroom and learning about some of the tricks for Foley work.

4.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook and read the digital version of this book. The audio was narrated by Gail Shalan and G. M. Hakim. They both did a fantastic job. I loved the voices and I think it added to the overall experience.

I thought this was a really cute best friends to lovers, forced proximity romance. Both Evie and Theo are Jewish, so they have similar backgrounds and beliefs. They have literally been best friends forever, each secretly wishing for more. They both say repeatedly that they are just friends and it needs to stay that way. Their journey to becoming more was frustrating at times, but equally adorable when they finally got with it!

Thanks to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the copies. All thoughts are my own.

Friends with Benefits is the story of Theo and Evie, who have known each other since childhood and end up getting married for practical reasons. The premise of this book, and the character’s lives had a lot of potential interest, but their relationship didn’t work for me. The more I read about Evie, the less I liked her.

When this book starts, the focus is on Evie and Theo’s backgrounds and current struggles. There was no mention of attraction or anything other than a platonic relationship between them. As the book progresses, all of a sudden the characters describe chemistry and longing between each other. While I enjoyed their connection, I had a hard time transitioning into thinking of them as a couple in love. The steamy scenes seemed excessive to me. Overall, this book didn’t work for me as a romance.

I found the main characters’ stories compelling in some ways. Both had been through difficult situations with their families, which brought a lot of sadness to this book. Theo and Evie both had interesting careers and I enjoyed reading about their day-to-day work experiences. These characters had great potential, but I found their personalities lacking in many ways. I was really annoyed with Evie in multiple situations when she didn’t treat Theo well. The author describes Theo’s love and concern for Evie’s health and well-being, but Evie’s character was much more self-centered and focused on herself.

I appreciated the author’s representation of health issues in this book. This is not common in romance books, and I think it is important to acknowledge the pain and challenges of chronic health issues that many people face, particularly with the financial burden of health insurance with high premiums and low coverage.

This book had an interesting premise, and the character’s careers and health issues made them stand out from other characters in romance novels. Their story had a lot of potential, but their lack of chemistry and unbalanced relationship was not appealing to me.

Thank you to Marisa Kanter, Celadon Books and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Marisa Kanter's Friends with Benefits book is a slow-burn romance that takes its time unfolding but has a heartfelt, emotional grounded story. The pacing felt a bit sluggish at first, but eventually dived into the relationship of Evie and Theo that feels honest, tender and powerful. One of the most touching aspects of the novel is the deep-rooted friendship between Evie and Theo. Theo's character drew me into the book as he was someone who thought of the little details and these everyday gestures make their relationship feel real. Kanter also weaves in subtle but sharp commentary on the American healthcare system. This does not overshadow the narrative, the moments that touched on the healthcare-related frustrations raised valid, and timely questions.

First and foremost I received an e-arc from NetGalley.

Friends with Benefits is not exactly what you expect it to be. Get rid of that thought process and then start reading. I found this story to be somewhat typical in a romantic novel but from a different angle. It truly is a cute story if you stick through it from start to finish.

I received this book as an early reader ARC. I have to say I was super excited because I love the Friends to lovers' tropes but this one fell a bit for me.

It reminded me a bit of that Netflix movie where she needs insurance for her chronic illness but also wants to pursue her dreams. Her world falls apart when her family wants to sell the home she grew up in she isn’t sure how to continue. Her bestie Theo offers to welcome her as a Roommate since his friends are moving out. They talk about their future and being able to afford living and insurance and decide they should get married for the benefits.

I liked the premise of this book, but the plot just wasn’t there for me. It was a bit chaotic. This was also written in like third person where you weren’t getting the first-person perspective which I feel may have been better for this story. I really loved the friendship that Theo and Evie grew up having. Throughout the book you can see that they have had feelings for one another for a while but didn’t announce it.

This was just ok for me. I do have to thank the author and Celadon books for the early ARC opportunity!

Oh my gosh this book made me so anxious! I was so invested in Evie and Theo! This book is great for fans of Would You Rather by Alison Ashley or Roomies by Christina Lauren! Told in multiple timelines, this book if full of missed opportunities and misunderstandings between two best friends. Evie has crohn's disease and needs insurance so she marries her best friend Theo. Both are grieving and scared, so neither notices that they are both in love with each other. Argh- what a frustrating, slow burn. I just wanted them to figure it out! As a therapist, these characters were so realistic and well developed, both hurting from the loss of their mothers. Theo's anxiety was done exactly right. Evie's frustration with the gaps in the Healthcare system was integral to the plot and not at all preachy. Some side characters, esp. Caro, could've been better developed. But, I loved Theo's classroom. (Side note he reminded me of @samuelsleeves.) 4 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Celedon Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

ends with Benefits was Marisa Kanter was unfortunately a miss for me.

This book releases on May 6, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The essential premise of this book is that lifelong best friends say "I do" in exchange for financial safety and benefits.

I'm told that her other work is fabulous so I'm not sure if this just didn't do it for me, but I'm definitely willing to check her other books! I thought this book was just too slow for me and I didn't love the political views thrown into a rom-com that promises being a lighthearted read.

I don't know that Katherine Center fans will enjoy this one as promised. I couldn't get invested and didn't really like Evie, which didn't help. I think maybe with a stronger opening to pull you in and want to invest in the characters may help, but I just didn't feel any sort of connection to want to know what happened. It was predictable, which is FINE, especially in a rom-com, but I have to want to at least go along for the ride.

First, thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Marisa Kanter for this Advanced Reading Copy of Friends with Benefits in exchange for my honest review.

Friend With Benefits tells the story of Evelyn and Theo, best friends who need to get married due to financial and health insurance issues. The premise makes a lot of sense and doesn't seem forced. They both have issues with parents who have left them damaged in different ways. It was very interesting to see how Theo and Evelyn grow and try to mature throughout this book.

I was a HUGE fan of Theo and loved his character. He's a teacher who's just trying to make the education system better for the children he teaches. I would describe him as a golden retriever main male character.

Evelyn was an ok character, but I really struggled to love her once I saw a major flaw in her character (it gets addressed and they talk about how toxic it is). She also has a lot on her plate because she suffers from a chronic illness, Crohn's Disease. Lastly, I really enjoyed learning about her job, Foley sound, and her past as a dancer.

The side characters were diverse and (mostly) supportive of their decisions. Evelyn's mother will make you want to punch her, but that's the point of a toxic parent. Evelyn's sister and grandparents will keep you laughing throughout the book. I loved reading when they were all together.

Lastly, I think this book is great for anyone who wants to read a sweet romance of best friends forever who FINALLY admit their feelings and trust each other enough to say they love each other.

Evie and Theo have been best friends forever and are both struggling to make ends meet in LA. When Theo's roommates move out, leaving him on the hook for his rent-controlled apartment with strict income requirements, he decides that marrying Evie might help them both out, he with his living situation, she with her insurance. Evie is less than thrilled but she does need the insurance so she goes along with it.

I love friends to lovers stories but marriage of convenience isn't my favorite trope. I think Kanter does both well but the third act breakup was a bit much and the story does focus quite a bit on Evie's illness. Many readers will enjoy the representation of chronic illness in a love story but some may find it a bit sad. Altogether, I liked Evie and Theo together and this was a sweet story.

i love a good friends to lovers and this one was definitely a great friends to lovers. 4 stars. tysm for the arc. would definitely recommend.