2.5⭐️
A friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience romance! Evie and Theo get married so that a) Evie can use Theo's health insurance and b) they qualify for rent in Theo's building. I had high hopes for this, because all of these things sounded right up my alley- but this really did not work for me. I kept pushing myself to finish it, hoping it would get better and it really just got worse

To start us off: the romance. Did not work. The author did a really good job setting up Evie and Theo as friends- they've known each other since they were children. Went to school together, danced together, are close with each other's families. But they were such platonic friends that I didn't believe it when they started to (internally) admit their feelings? I just didn't buy that they've been in love with each other for years, let alone five minutes

So I think the author also pushed too hard to try and make this like, hip? And sex-positive? Like Evie is very open about her sexuality and casual partners, which is great! But the author really kept pushing, to the point of a) making Evie awful and b) just making things weird. Evie brings Theo across the country to NYC as her date to a family bat mitzvah- where she tries to ditch him for the day to go hook up with an old FWB. If a friend EVER did this to me, I would seriously reconsider our friendship. Like again, great! Evie is capable and unashamed of having casual sex. But bailing on her best friend? Not cool. ALSO. Her grandparents send her and Theo a box of sex toys to celebrate their marriage?... Her grandma also took her to a sex shop on her 18th birthday to help pick out her first vibrator. I'm sorry, I don't care what anyone thinks- this is weird.

Then we get to Evie. Honestly I wanted this book to end with Theo running as far as he could in the opposite direction of Evie. She's in therapy and acts like this makes her well-adjusted, but is the most toxic person in this book. On the relationship side, I truly don't believe she loved Theo. She flies to NYC in a flashback to confess her feelings and is devastated when he's with another woman- so she sleeps with his roommate? This is not the behaviour of someone in love. At one point she says she can't be rejected by Theo for a third time- you know what the first two times were?! Prom when they were like 16 and she threw him a casual 'hey want to go together' but he already had a date. And the second time he "rejected" her? AT HIS MOTHER'S FUNERAL. Dear god. They were both drinking and end up making out and Theo stops things because again- it's his mother's funeral and they were both grieving. When he points out that that was CLEARLY not the time for them to get together or talk about their relationship, Evie basically implies that she should have been the priority in that moment.
She just kept continually getting more awful. When she gets made she throws a really low-blow at Theo purposefully to hurt him (to get him to leave her in LA and go to NYC I think? I don't even know) but is absolutely flabbergasted when he throws a low-blow right back at him. Like Evie CONTINUALLY pushed him away, was awful to him on purpose, and for some reason Theo kept coming back for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a huge fan of slow-burns or the friends-to-lovers trope, but this book was super cute!

“Friends with Benefits” by Marisa Kanter is a charming and heartwarming journey that blends romance with deep personal growth. The story follows best friends Evie and Theo, who embark on an unexpected marriage of convenience to overcome their personal struggles. I loved how the author masterfully explores themes like chronic illness, friendship, and mental health, while still delivering plenty of humor and chemistry.

Evie and Theo’s dynamic is incredibly engaging, and I was rooting for them the entire time. The "friends to lovers" trope is executed beautifully, with both characters navigating the complexities of their changing relationship. Their banter and emotional growth felt real and relatable, making their story all the more compelling.

Marisa Kanter’s writing is witty and heartfelt, and she brings depth to the romance without ever losing sight of the importance of self-empowerment and finding strength in vulnerability. The pacing was mostly solid, though there were a few moments that felt a bit drawn out, but overall, the emotional payoff was absolutely worth it.

If you're a fan of sweet, slow-burn romance with strong, relatable characters, this book is a must-read. I couldn’t put it down and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a feel-good romance with real-world stakes.

This book has a very slow start so be warned, but also stick with it because it's worth it. The character growth and conflicts were well written. It is a very cute story and I enjoyed the flashbacks the most.

I appreciate the chance to read this as an ARC. However, this book wasn’t for me. It was a bit slow at the start, and I just could not get into it. Unfortunately I DNF this book.

It has potential to be a really good book, just wasn’t for me.

I LOVE this book!!❤️❤️

That being said, it did start a little slow for me and I was almost 30% in before I truly became invested in the story. I live these characters and their relationship. The flashbacks are wonderful and truly provide understanding to their feelings for each other. I absolutely recommend this book. ❤️

The plot is well-paced, balancing romance with moments of personal growth and conflict. The author does an excellent job of weaving in deeper themes. The dialogue feels natural, and the descriptive writing makes the emotions and settings come alive.

This was an enjoyable slow burn romance with friends to lovers and marriage for convenience tropes.

Evie and Theo are best friends who just learned they both need to figure out new living situations. Evie is an aspiring Foley artist who suffers from Chron’s disease and her grandparents just sold the home she’s been occupying. Theo is an elementary school teacher struggling to afford a place of his own after his roommates decided to move out of their rent controlled apartment. What they thought would be an easy fix turned into much more.

The beginning was a very slow start however I wanted to see it though and I’m so glad I did. The characters dealt with multiple adversities such as family trauma, death and chronic illness. These multiple layers coupled with the storyline made this a solid read for me.

It was a cute story. I felt it was a little long for a rom com though I did like the flashbacks to their teenage years.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

Friends with Benefits presents characters with many barriers to achieve their HEA. Evie Bloom, our FMC, received a catastrophic diagnosis of Chrone's disease after a subsequent ankle break during a pivotal dance competition at 18. She had to face life as a walking wounded and could no long dance (her dream was to dance professionally.) As she begins her professional life in LA, she is an aspiring Foley artist--bringing to life all the little sounds we hear on screen--allowing us to experience the fullness the director envisions.

Our MMC, Theo, is Evie's childhood dance partner and best friend. He is an AMAZING elementary school teacher. When Evie received a competitive internship with a highly respected Foley artist, She wants to turn it down because it doesn't offer health care, and she is dependent on her meds, providers and infusions. After they both have a bit of a housing crisis as well, Theo offers to marry Evie, let her move into his rent controlled apartment (that is only rent controlled because they are married), and take advantage of his low, low deductible and out of pocket maximum.

These two are a hot mess. They've been in love forever and can't fess up to it. Even in marriage, they pretend to be fake dating. This is a fun, fun premise. Their hookup and and relationship is MESSY. I loved the family aspect. There is quite a bit of family trauma for them both to work through.

This is quite a ride for lifelong friends to transition into lovers. It's fun to see them shed the layers, create emotional intimacy and create their own space and traditions.

Thank you, Celadon Books, Marisa Kanter, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I DNF’d this at 6%. I am all for books sharing a political point of view that is personal to oneself, but when that opinion is made abundantly clear in less than two chapters it’s too much for me. The characters just seemed like I would not enjoy them, since much effort went into discussing the root of issues, other than possibly oneself. I don’t like that. I’m not going to take my free time to read that.

However, if you are a politically active individual who shares this authors politics, you’ll probably read this and enjoy it. I just prefer to escape reality with my books, not be inundated with it.

Thank you Marisa Kanter and Celadon books for allowing me the chance to read this book in return for my honest review. I made the hard choice of DNFing this book. I liked the premise, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this arc. My review is based on a pre-published version of this book.

"Friends with Benefits" revolves around a relationship between two very best-friends, a situation that leads to them getting married, and their relationship revolving from friends to friends with benefits (hence the title), to potentially more.

Main characters Evelyn and Theo are well-developed. We are given a good amount of backstory on both characters, especially as the book goes on and flashbacks are featured every few chapters. I liked that the flashbacks were sometimes the same scenario, just from a different character's point of view. I didn't have any issue with the set-up of the plot in this book.

I did have an issue with the main characters and the multitude of things they had going on. I think part of this was due to the over-inclusion of characteristics. Both characters have family struggles (Theo lost his mom to cancer; Evelyn was abandoned by her parents). Both characters have health struggles (Theo is essentially an undiagnosed hypochondriac and Evelyn has Chron's disease). Theo is a vegetarian. Evelyn is bisexual. Some of this absolutely was necessary to contribute to the plot (such as the abandonment, Chron's and Theo's loss of his mother). Some of this just seemed unnecessary in an attempt to make the characters overly unique, and didn't add anything to advance the story. I get that humans are complicated and multi-layered. but including so many unique characteristics just muddied the characters for me. I also felt Theo and Evelyn's relationship was somewhat unhealthy in codependence, and overall just had a hard time liking Evelyn.

Another muddying factor was the inclusion of so many supporting characters. I had a hard time keeping them all straight (and some of them also used nicknames at times, ex: Carolyn was Caro and Imogene was Gen or Genny.

One last critique was the amount of grammatical errors. I typically don't comment on this in arc reviews since I realize it's not the finalized version of the text, but there was a significant amount in my opinion- mostly words that were left out of sentences.

All these (hopefully) constructive criticisms aside, I don't regret reading this book, nor would I avoid other titles from this author. There were things I enjoyed about the book. I appreciated learning more about Chron's (it sounds awful). Bonus points for giving the main female character a unique job as a Foley... something I knew nothing about. I loved Pep and Mo, and was legitimately sad about their bungalow. The history of the main characters as dance partners was really sweet... there was a lot to love about this book! It just didn't hit every high-note for me.

"Friends with Benefits" by Marisa Kanter delivers exactly what you want from a friends-to-lovers romance: heart, humor, and authentic emotional growth. Evie and Theo's journey from platonic best friends to something more begins with a practical solution to an all-too-real problem—they get married for health insurance. What makes this book stand out is how Kanter balances the swoony romantic elements with deeper themes. Both characters confront past traumas that have shaped them—Evie dealing with her chronic illness and lost dance career, Theo working through parental issues—all while navigating the impossible housing market and financial pressures of young adulthood in LA. I particularly appreciated the positive portrayal of therapy and mental health support throughout the story. Kanter's writing style pulls you in with its warmth and authenticity. I especially loved seeing Theo break gender stereotypes as a male dancer and dance teacher. The pacing felt uneven at parts, with some sections moving slowly or covering similar emotional territory multiple times. However, these minor issues didn't impact my overall enjoyment of watching these lifelong friends realize what's been in front of them all along. If you enjoy marriages of convenience tropes, characters who communicate honestly, and romances that acknowledge real-world challenges while still delivering that heartwarming happily ever after, "Friends with Benefits" belongs on your TBR pile. A charming, emotionally satisfying read!!

A super cute book with a friends to lovers theme throughout.

What starts out as a marriage of convenience between two best friends for health insurance, because as Evie says-America right. Turns into a storyline that makes each character come to realization with their feelings, face past traumas & incidents to help them process how they are feeling in the future and coming to a happy ending.

There were parts of the book that I felt moved slow or felt a bit repetitive. But in the end they were all minor parts and didn’t affect the overall feel of it all. After finishing the book, I fully believe I need a spin off featuring Pep and Mo-not taking anything away from Theo and Evie, both of their characters were amazing and I loved their story. But I fully support a book about Pep and Mo and their story!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Marisa Kanter for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored Friends with Benefits, and I've ordered a paperback copy in order to have a trophy for my bookshelf and so I can re-read for many years to come.

This book is the story of Evelyn and Theo, lifelong friends, as they navigate some of the biggest barriers in young adulthood, especially in the LA market - housing costs and health insurance. Former dance partners, these best friends have dealt much in their young lives, including losing parents or alienated parents, chronic illness, and the loss of a promising dance career due to injury. As they work to move forward, other barriers come into play, including the impossible housing costs and demands of landlords in big cities like LA and lack of health insurance during fellowship/internship work. So, they do the obvious thing. They get married - on paper only, of course.

Theo and Evelyn grow so much during the course of the book. Friends with Benefits is such a healthy book - they're both in therapy and dealing with their anxieties and fears through appropriate medical channels, and it is nice to watch them change and stretch themselves throughout the course of the novel. Both main characters and side characters are loveable and memorable and people both on and off the page play a big role in both of their young lives and shaped them into the people they are.

The writing style is easy to read and very engaging. It sucked me in, although I had to read chapter 1 twice, but mostly because I didn't bother to look up or understand what a foley artist was, and I was confused. That's my fault, not the author's.

If you like: childhood friends to lovers, disability/chronic illness rep, marriage of convenience, and males breaking gender stereotypes in traditionally feminine roles (dancer and later, teacher), you'll love this book!

Thank you so much to Marisa Kanter and Celadon Books for the eARC. This is my first read by Kanter, and definitely won't be the last. It was a bit of a slow start but then it's a quick read. Most of the time i'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope but I really liked how it was written for this story.

I really liked this and had a hard time putting it down. I’m kind hit or miss on whether I like the friends to lovers trope but this was a big hit for me. The angst and pinning was so well done, it made my heart hurt. I loved Theo, where do I get my own?! Evie did annoy me by times because she was trying to run so hard but I enjoyed her character development and found it pretty realistic. I also like that it covered some heavier topics so it wasn’t pure fluff and there was a little more substance to it.

The book did start off slow at the beginning but ended up getting really good! I loved the characters and the love story. I loved the chronic illness rep, friends to lovers and friends with benefits. What a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Summary of the plot:
Evie and Theo have been best friends since they were young. They met at a dancing class and were partners for a long time, until Evie suffers from a broken ankle from a fall and subsequently, a long-waited diagnosis of Cronh's. Evie is accepted into a fellowship for foley, but she can't quite accept because they don't offer health benefits, something she requires in order to manage her auto-immune disease. Enter: Theo! Theo is a teacher and has excellent health benefits, so why not get married to your best friend? But Evie doesn't love the idea of marriage due to mommy issues--but that's okay because this is a fake marriage! Right...?

Thoughts on the book:
I thought this book was written out pretty well. Yes, it's a romance, but you get little snippets of real life problems, like how health insurance is way too expensive in America, how teachers are underpaid/schools are under-budgeted, how mothers can be the ones who leave too (not just the fathers). These things add little layers to the book and makes the plot more interesting. Also, Evie's aversion to marriage is understandable (though I still was screaming at her to communicate her feelings and to not be dumb). Theo is also so wholesome. We love Theo. No issues with him. I also love how we got to learn about foley and teaching, the career paths that Evie and Theo take.

Overall, a very good book that I would recommend!