Thank you for letting me read this early copy! Lynn Painter is one of my favorite authors and this book was right on par with her others! I will say, I LOVED Fake Skating: 5/5 starts. Maid for Each Other is a 4.5/5 for me. Definitely both worth a read! I fell in love with the story and characters and finished it so quickly. It is now purchased for our library and it already has holds!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've enjoyed every book I've read by Lynn Painter. They always seem to have very fun banter and humor. So I always want to read her books. The setting for this seems to be Omaha Nebraska with a Warren Buffet type character.

Maid for Each Other is a class difference book, not that they really care about that too much. Abi is a maid, who also works in a grocery store and is finishing her graduate degree. She got her undergraduate degree in finance and is now doing her master's in creative writing. She grew up with a single mother who is not quite a competent adult. Her apartment building has an infestation and she can't afford to go anywhere. So she stays in the apartment of a cleaning client who is out of town.

Declan has more wealth than most people can imagine. He works for a well known and successful investor (Warren). His parents end up surprising Abi in his apartment, eating her homemade muffins. Declan has an imaginary girlfriend he named Abby since the company prefers their vice presidents to be settled.

Thus begins my favorite - fake dating. Abi is convinced to "play" his girlfriend at a company dinner and ends up getting to know Declan well. There is some class prejudice in each of them. Neither one is mean about it, but their backgrounds are very different. I felt for Abi enjoying the whirl of expensive clothes, meals, cars and trips, and a handsome guy who she could too easily want more.

I found Declan hard to like even if he was very handsome. He didn't seem to understand how hard it was for her and the need to protect herself, especially when he seemed to question her integrity too much. I didn't find their banter as appealing as some of the other books I have read. Many of the situations didn't feel realistic to me.

Declan turns out to be a decent guy who understood more than he was willing to admit. In the end, he was eager to share how he really felt as was Abi. So it is a happy ending.

Well, this was a cute and easy read.

If you have watched the movie Maid In Manhattan, you will get the premise of this book - except he knows and they create a fake relationship.

Fun and flirtation whilst telling mselves that it is all fake? Yeah, OK Abi and Declan haha. You are the only ones who see it that way, and it was enjoyable watching them come to the realisation.

Great characters around them. It was nice to not have a big baddy in the background causing trouble, just themselves.

Fun summer/beach - or winter, under the covers with a hot chocolate in my part of the world - read.

🧹🧽MAID•for•EACH•OTHER🧹🧽
.
If you liked the movies Maid in Manhattan or Pretty Women, then this just might be book you want to pick up this summer.
.
This was Classic Lynn Painter, funny, full of banter, and a swoony MMC.
🧽millionaire romance
🧹fake dating
🧽insta love
🧹dual POV
.
Thank you Berkeley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It releases July 15th!
.
What’s your favorite romcom movie?
I’m feeling like I need to watch a few favorites!
3.5

this was a cute, cozy romance read! it really gave off big rom-com vibes. it was funny, quirky, and had some really sweet moments that i loved! I am also such a sucker for fake dating, especially when they hate each other in the beginning, but grow to love them after learning more. a truly underrated microtrope.

it's the little things
he buys her a necklace that reminds him of her freckles
he flies her to nyc because she's never been
finds all excuses to be with her or talk to her

tropes
fake dating
forced proximity
grumpy X sunshine

Maid for Each Other is classic Lynn Painter. Painter does a wonderful job of infusing her novels with a pitch perfect blend of romance, comedy, and heart. I had a great time getting to know Abi and Declan over the course of this novel, as the two went from strangers to reluctant allies, to something more. This was my first time reading one of Painter's adult novels, and I was pleased to see that the quirky fun of Painter's YA rom coms was still present here and balanced well with the added maturity of an adult romance.

Abi was never meant to get caught—she was just enjoying the perks of the empty luxury penthouse she cleans. But when the millionaire owner’s parents show up and assume she’s their son’s girlfriend, things spiral fast. Declan did invent a girlfriend… he just didn’t expect her to be real. Or stubborn. Or irresistible.

Before I ever read a Lynn Painter romantic comedy, my friend Chels said, “Guaranteed impeccable banter.” Every time. I’ve come to add on to the list fast-paced and playful—there’s not an ounce of plot/description that shouldn’t be there or a lack of energy 👏🏻

Abi and Declan’s flirting was just what I needed. I don’t even care that it’s such a simple premise of the millionaire fake dating his maid to appease his family—it’s just a *blueberry muffin–filled recipe for cheeky humor and a hot man in a suit (my 4th favorite guaranteer of any Lynn Painter adult romance 🥵). I loved all the irresistible fixation from Declan and bold charm from Abi. Niche—BUT—if you’re a fan of the way Adam Carlson is obsessed with his fake girlfriend Olive in Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, you’re going to be giddy getting to actually know Declan’s captivation of Abi.

(Oh, and it goes without saying- Teddy Hamilton’s sultry voice makes no mistakes. enjoy.)

Perfect for you if you like:
Tall dark and handsome millionaires in suits (can we get a Roman story??)
Low-key desperate need to see her again
Banter that never lets up
MFA/writer FMC

Similar to:
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Beachy Keen by Kasey Stockton

⛔️chapter 34 contains mild open-door romance scene
⚠️explicit language, some loneliness in her family

Abi, an MFA student, is cleaning houses and working at a grocery store to have some sort of income - but when her apartment is being fumigated by the landlord she has nowhere to sleep. She chooses to sneak a few nights at one of the fancier apartments she cleans, knowing the owner, Declan Powell, would be out of town. But when she wakes up, Declan's very fancy parents are there, and since he lied and said he had a girlfriend, they automatically assume that's Abi. Declan angrily confronts Abi about squatting in his apartment but quickly realizes that he needs a date to an important shareholder's weekend and since his parents already assume that he is dating Abi, she is the perfect fake date. I think we all know where this fake dating will lead...


This was actually a fast, light, cute read that I thoroughly enjoyed it like I would a warm chocolate chip cookie, indulgent and fun. The characters' behavior weren't outlandish (as sometimes happens in these types of books) and I ended up finding this quite sweet. The audio was great since it was cast for the dual POV (I have such a strong preference for romances to have both POVs). This is a perfect by the pool read and you'll be done before the sun has set.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Lynn Painter’s latest romcom delivers on the charm, humor, and swoon-worthy moments she’s known for—but this one didn’t quite sweep me off my feet like her previous work. Maid for Each Other is a fun, fast-paced Cinderella-meets-Maid in Manhattan romance, perfect for a summer weekend binge. Abi, a confident and chaotic aspiring writer/maid, and Declan, a surprisingly sweet millionaire, fall into a fake dating situation that quickly blurs into real feelings.

Abi’s quick wit and personality shine, and Declan had his own subtle “he falls first” moments that made me smile. The banter was fun, and I appreciated the dual POV format. If you love the fake dating, forced proximity, or opposites attract tropes, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

That said, the story felt rushed at times. I wanted more emotional depth and a fuller resolution—especially with the “big reveal” that never really landed. The ending skimmed past consequences and left some satisfying threads unexplored. Still, this was a solid, low-angst read that reminded me of fanfic comfort reads (in the best way). Great for getting out of a slump, but not Painter’s most memorable.

📚 Perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, The Hating Game, and romcoms that don’t take themselves too seriously.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.75⭐️ Ridiculously adorable. Unputdownable.

It was a perfect summer read - light, fluffy, HILARIOUS, and the sweetest little romance between Declan and Abi. I couldn’t get enough.

Lynn Painter is a favorite of mine. Her YA and even middle school romance are just about the most ooey gooey, sweet romances around but I wasn’t the biggest fan of her adult romance, until now. Maid For Each Other was sweet, fast paced and utterly addictive. The first page hits the ground running and had me locked in immediately. Abi’s personality is adorable and was very much giving “older version of Liz” vibes. Declan was just adorable. Their two personalities played off each other perfectly and their chemistry/friendship/relationship felt palpable. The banter and ease of their interaction with one another made the story feel that much more lifelike. There were so many moments that Lynn Painter would take me by surprise with Declan. He would do these subtle cute things or say the most amazing lines and I would get goosebumps. They almost always came out of nowhere taking me by surprise in the best way.

Was it insta-love? Yeah… kinda. Did I care? Nope, not even a little. Their interaction and forced proximity makes you start to forget that they have only known each other for two weeks. It’s a rom-com of a maid falling for a millionaire… I don’t think Lynn Painter was aiming for believability when writing this story. It’s fiction, the whole point is to take us OUT of reality.

The only reason I rated lower is because I felt like the ending was rushed. I would have loved to know what the parents had thought or if they had even come to learn the truth at all. Other than that, I loved this book and absolutely recommend it.

*Maid VS Millionaire
*Insta Love
*Forced Proximity
*Hilarious- Laugh Out Loud Funny
*Fast Pace
*Quick Read
*Fake Dating

I'm a longtime fan of Lynn Painter, so it pains me to write this... This book was so incredibly average that I honestly don't know what to say. It wasn't a bad book; it just wasn't anything special. It felt like recycled content and recycled plots. The characters were okay, but not particularly engaging or interesting. Nothing really happened with the story. Any compelling conflict was never developed, leaving things feeling flat.

Again, this wasn't a bad book, but it lacked anything memorable or interesting.

ARC was provided by Berkely Publishing Group through NetGalley

Rating:- ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tropes:-

💸 Millionaire Romance

✨ Fake Dating

💸 Rich guy X Poor girl

I knew I was going to enjoy reading this book because it was written by Lynn Painter, like, there are few authors whose books I would buy without even reading the blurb, like I love their books so much and Lynn Painter is one of those authors. So imagine my surprise when I found out that I received an ARC for Lynn Painter's book!!

So I was in a reading slump before I started reading this book and I thought I had gotten out of the slump, but I hadn't really, but this book ACTUALLY got me out of it because this book had really short chapters and I looove books with short chapters.

Now, the storyline might sound a bit... Unrealistic, but reading this book reminded me of those little girl dreams I used to have of a rich guy falling for me and all.

When I started reading this book, I thought that Declan would be the 'grumpy rich guy' from every Millionaire romance, but no, he was the SWEETEST (like, I adore him sm🥹) and typical Lynn Painter guy that you fall head over heels for.

This book can be described as FanFic type of storyline, but written in a much better and logical manner with better characters, and if you ever had that FanFic phase, you're going to LOVE this book. Another thing, this book is such an easy read that I finished it in a week, even when I was in a reading slump. So yeah, if you're in a reading slump, this book is for you.

DNF. Reading it was fine, but I felt like the plot was sloppily put together in the first few chapters and I wasn't getting emotionally invested in the characters and what might happen because of that.

This one had me hooked from the hilarious opening scene! Lynn Painter does it again with another swoony, laugh-out-loud romcom.

Ali and Declan were total opposites in the best way — sunshine and grump with the perfect he falls first energy. The fake dating trope is always a win for me, and I loved the spin here: millionaire and the maid! Their chemistry was off the charts, and the banter? Chef’s kiss. Especially from Abi — she brought such fun, confident energy to every scene.

This isn’t marked as YA like many of Lynn’s others — it’s shelved under contemporary romance/women’s fiction and definitely has a lot more swearing than usual. So heads-up if you’re used to her cleaner titles!

🎧 Audiobook fans: the dual narration by Saylor Bell Curda and Teddy Hamilton was SO good — the perfect pair to bring this dynamic duo to life.

✨ A fun, flirty, swoon-worthy read that had me smiling the whole way through.

When Abi finds herself in need of a place to stay on short notice, she decides to take advantage of the fact that one of the ritzy penthouses she cleans is unoccupied…or so she thought! She wakes up to find two strangers in the kitchen who think she’s their son Declan’s girlfriend. Turns out, Declan came up with a fake girlfriend to get his parents off his back and to be perceived as more of a family man at work. So, when his parents mention meeting his fictitious girlfriend and expect her to be at Declan’s upcoming work functions, Declan scrambles to find out who the real-life Abi is. When Declan tracks Abi down, she ultimately agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend during the weekend of work functions in exchange for a place to stay and money to pay off her student loans. As a bonus, Abi will get some real-life inspiration for the story she’s writing, and she definitely won’t catch any feelings for Declan…right?

Maid for Each Other is a low-spice adult contemporary romance perfect for fans of authors like Sarah Adams, Christina Lauren, K.L. Walther, and B.K. Borison. This book deals with themes and topics like truth and lies, appearance versus reality, wealth and power, working class struggles, love and heartbreak, family, loss, societal norms, loneliness and isolation, and asthma.

I heard about Maid for Each Other when I was at a Lynn Painter signing event last year and it has been on by TBR list ever since; I loved the concept of a maid being mistaken for a millionaire’s girlfriend and being whisked into a weekend of luxury, it was super fun and very Maid in Manhattan! As always, Painter’s writing style is super easy to follow and flows really nicely, which I appreciate. Maid for Each Other also dove right into the action with almost no preamble at the beginning, which was great as it allowed me to get engaged in the story really quick. There were some super swoony moments, like the bookish gift that Declan buys for Abi, as well as some laugh out loud moments, such as Abi’s hysterical backstories for how her and Declan met. I thought that it was so cool that Abi decided to use the once-in-a-lifetime ritzy experiences that she was having with Declan as inspiration for her writing, plus not to mention the references to Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls throughout!

One downside for me was that there was a lot of miscommunication in Declan and Abi’s story, which can be frustrating. The action and conflict wrapped up really quickly at the end and there was an expectation of a big reveal where Declan’s parents and coworkers inevitably found out about the fake dating ruse. The fact that we didn’t get to see this on-page felt like a missed opportunity.

Overall, Maid for Each Other was a very unique, fast-paced, and entertaining read that I would highly recommend adding it to your summer TBR lists!

LYNN PAINTER .. i simply adore her writing. add in fake dating and im a goner!

what to expect:
- fake dating yess plz
- only one bed
- forced proximity
- slowwww burn
- dual pov

Maid for Each Other is a sweet, charming, and romantic story that had me hooked from page one.

Thanks for the ARC!

This was the cutest story with the most like-able characters you will root for the whole time 🩷 seriously the easiest read I’ve had in a long time. The story captures you from page 1 (literally) I can’t believe I’ve never read her books before. Needless to say I already purchased 3 more since finishing 😂 I love her writing and the banter had me smiling from ear to ear. I haven’t read a book this fast since Lost and Lassoed and that’s saying a lot! The millionaire storyline wasn’t over the top either. I was so happy we got an epilogue. I need this to be made into a movie ASAP!

This was super cute- it all happened a little too quickly for me (insta-love & the whole arrangement in general) but if you just go with it, it’s a cute rom-com with great banter.

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleyromance! #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram. Thank you for the free audiobook, @prhaudio

Loved Main in Manhattan?? This is for you!!!

Two more weeks until you can get this in your hands, friends!!! I love Lynn Painter, she’s one of my autobuy romance authors and so obviously I was so excited when I got a copy of this book!!!

Okay. So we have Abi, she works parttime at a cleaning company. Unfortunately, because of a rat infestation, she had to find a place to stay for the weekend. She knows that a particular apartment in a building she cleans will be vacant that said weekend so that’s where she ended up staying…. Only to be woken up by complete strangers who ended up being the parents of the owner’s apartment.

That is pretty much how the story starts friends.

If the book is about fake dating, I will eat it up 😂 I dont care how many books about fake dating Ive read already but this trope is so fun and good when done right! I love the witty back and forth between the two leads.

I love the progression of their relationship from basically each of them wanting to destroy each other to unconsciously falling in love.

Like any other Lynn Painter book, this was sooo bingeable! I flew through it so quickly and it was just a great romcom read for the summer!!

Abi Mariano knows her job as house cleaner isn’t glamorous, but it does pay the bills. But one perk of her job is getting to clean (and secretly covet) some of the swankiest places. So when her apartment building has an infestation, she decides to stay at one of those very places. She’s knows her decision isn’t exactly orthodox, but she knows the owner is away. Besides, she literally has no other place to go.

So imagine Abi’s surprise when she wakes up in the penthouse she’s been “borrowing” only to find she’s not alone. As it turns out they are the owner’s parents and they are tickled pink at the discovery of the adorable Abi. Thinking fast, Abi leans in to the lie, posting as the girlfriend of the guy she’s never met.

When said owner, Declan Powell, gets wind of what happened, his first instinct is to rage and report. Then he meets Abi and begrudgingly sees the appeal. And so a plan is formed- Abi will pose as Declan’s girlfriend to appease his family and in ex, Declan will pay Abi for her services, a dream come true for a damsel in debt.

Only the more Abi and Declan spend time together, the more they begin to enjoy each other’s company. It doesn’t hurt that Abi cleans up well too, pun intended. But the simple fact remains- Abi and Declan come from different worlds. As their situation gets messier, where do they begin to tidy things up?

Maid For Each Other is a fun, albeit predictable romance from fan favorite, Lynn Painter. I love opposites attract/fake relationships, even if they are frivolous. However, one thing that held me back from loving this one was the lack of lead up. The beginning in particular felt like I too walked in on something that needed more explanation, just like Declan’s parents did.

Besides the rushed intro, the rest was as expected. Abi and Declan had decent banter, but I can’t say Painter completely cleaned up with this one.