Rating: 4.5 Stars

Abi didn't think it would be a problem to spend the night in her employer's apartment while hers was being fumigated. I mean, he wasn't using it, but when his parents show up and mistaken her for his girlfriend, Abby, things get a bit complicated. Abi and Declan strike a deal to fake date. It's a win-win for everyone until the line between real and fake feelings is blurred.

As soon as I dove into Maid for Each Other, I knew this would be another hit for me. From the meet-cute to the coincidence that Abi and Declan's imaginary girlfriend more or less shared a name, Painter had me hooked. This book was packed with Painter's signature blend of humor and emotion highlighting a delightful story of two people from very different walks of life falling in love.

Declan and Abi were both layered characters who slowly revealed themselves to each other. Declan was more of a mystery, but I really loved when I discovered his hidden pieces. I knew he was a sweetheart from the little things he did, but he was a grumpy sweetheart who held most people at arm's length. It was lovely to see a friendship grow between him and Abi. This was one of those opposites attract type couples who had great chemistry and also balanced each other well.

A fun and funny rom-com, Maid for Each Other was a delightful read which hit the trifecta of making me laugh, smile, and swoon.

4 stars.

This book was like a package of cookies that I couldn't stop eating. Super cute and just a nice little treat. I will never not love the fake dating trope.

I loved Abi's humor and quirkiness. I loved watching Dex slowly fall for her. This book is probably one of the best billionaire romances I've read so far.

I did expect there to be more in the plot about her being a maid - or at least their social differences. Dex and his friends' wealth was brought up a lot, but there was nothing huge or integral to the story regarding her social status. This didn't bother me, it was just different than what I was expecting. I also appreciated that not all wealth people were portrayed as horrible.

Lynn Painter is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me, and this book solidified that even further. Fun, quirky, and a nice little break away from the real world. Would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My review is already posted on Goodreads and will be up on Instagram by release date (July 15).

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lynn Painter’s writing is always so fun. Maid for Each Other releases on July 17th.

I had such an amazing time reading this book. I love a good Rom Com!

You should read this if you like
- Fake Dating ❤️‍🔥
- Forced Proximity 🔥
- Billionaire MMC 💵
- Found Family 🫶🏻
- Dual POV 👥
- Grumpy x Sunshine 🌞

This was such a quick read with so many funny moments. I loved Abi and her sense of humor. I also loved Declan and how sweet he became with Abi throughout the story 🥹 The way their relationship developed was so cute. There was some miscommunication between them, which might bother some readers, but I didn’t mind it too much! The fake dating plot was also really well done.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s super quick, funny, and just really fun to read, look no further! 😋

When I need a good laugh and a fun story there are a few authors I know I can count on, and Lynn Painter is up there with the best of them. Witty banter, loads of sarcasm, great chemistry, dynamic main characters, and messy situations are a frequent staple of her books.

With the bar set so high by the three previous books I’ve read of hers which all got four stars, I know it’s going to look like I’m disappointed by this one and nothing could be further from the truth! This still had all the things I love in Painter’s books … it just didn’t work QUITE as well for me as the others. Having said that, I think I’m in a phase with all rom-coms where I’m getting burnt out on some of the tropes, so it’s likely my issues are a ‘me’ thing and not a book thing.

In this Cinderella/Pretty Woman-adjacent rom-com, Abi Mariano is a maid and part-time grocery clerk taking classes to get her MFA in creative writing. When her dumpy apartment needs to be evacuated temporarily due to an infestation, she sees an opportunity to “borrow” one of the ritzy apartments she cleans. The owner is out of town, so what will it hurt?

Except … oops. She wasn’t counting on the owner’s parents showing up! They assume she’s their son’s girlfriend and find her utterly charming. Multi-millionaire executive Declan Powell who owns the place does NOT, but comes up with a plan that could help both of them: He’ll pay Abi and let her use his penthouse for the week if she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at his company’s shareholder weekend to appease his parents and move up in his family-minded company.

Cue the fake dating, enemies to lovers, miscommunication, forced proximity and third act break-up tropes, among others, and you have this book in a nutshell. It’s charming, the chemistry is sizzling and the ending is everything a rom-com lover's heart could desire.

There’s just one thing that kept this from being another four star book and that’s this:

The FMC. Abi was a challenging character. I ended up really liking her in the end, but it took time. She’s got built-in biases and a huge chip on her shoulder about the wealthy after growing up with a man-chasing mom who struggled to make ends meet for the two of them. She’s understandably guarded, but her hypocrisy and biting sarcasm at times with Declan made me feel bad for him and made her look juvenile. He was far more patient than I would’ve been! In the end, it was his acceptance of Abi and their entertaining chemistry that won me over.

One teeny, tiny other complaint and this applies to the romance/rom-com genre as a whole, not just this book: for the love of everything, can red hair (Abi) and green eyes (Declan) not be the prevailing physical description of a main character in EVERY book? Live a little. Mix it up!

I did enjoy this book a lot, so don’t let the three stars scare you off. It only means in comparison to the others of hers I’ve read, I liked those just a little bit more! I assure you I’ll be waiting for her next book just as eagerly.

★★★ ½

This was such a charming story! As my first Lynn Painter read, it was a wonderful introduction to her work. The characters were instantly likable, and while the setup that brought them into their arrangement was a bit on the silly side, the way they interacted and got to know each other felt natural and genuinely sweet. Their connection grew in an organic way that made the story even more enjoyable. I'm excited to read more from her!

Maid for Each Other was a cute and fun rom-com with one of my favorite tropes—fake dating! Abi is a hardworking student and maid who ends up accidentally pretending to be the girlfriend of Declan, a wealthy businessman. I liked the contrast between Abi’s chaotic, funny energy and Declan’s more serious, calm personality. Their banter made me laugh, and I enjoyed seeing them slowly fall for each other.
The story has Pretty Woman vibes and is great for fans of light, fast-paced romantic comedies. I wish the romance had a little more emotional depth, and sometimes Abi’s attitude toward Declan’s wealth felt repetitive. Still, their chemistry was cute, and I appreciated that it wasn’t insta-love. The dual POV helped show both sides of the story, though I found Abi’s chapters more entertaining.
Overall, this was a light and enjoyable read with laughs, charm, and just enough swoon.
Very grateful to the publisher @berkleyromance for my #gifted copy through @netgalley , opinions are my own

This book was so much fun! If you’re looking for an easy to read funny romance book this is the perfect book for you!

Abi Mariano is a part-time student with two jobs. One of her jobs is being a maid. When an infestation forces Abi to leave her apartment, she figured it wouldn’t be that bad to stay at the penthouse she cleans. It shouldn’t have been hard, knowing that the owner would be gone for a week. Only for Declan’s parents to show up and mistake her for Declan’s fake girlfriend he made up, Abby. Now, she’s pretending to be his fake girlfriend for financial aid. Not long until they find themselves catching feelings.

Lynn Painter is easily in my top 5 favorite authors. This book was so easy to read and I’m looking forward to her other upcoming releases.

3 ⭐️

This one took me a while to get into. Certain parts were just really out there, and I didn't enjoy.

I enjoyed how Declan's parents met Abi. I thought that was a fun scene for the story to build off of.

Abi is a struggling student. Declan is a billionaire who doesn't really seem to act like a billionaire.

I thought they had decent banter, but it fell flat for me. Abi has made some interesting choices, and Declan felt slightly aloof at times... it didn't make for a stellar connection between the two.

Roman felt like he was straight from Pretty Woman without being a complete butthole. I do feel that Declan could have come down harder on him for making Abi feel the way she did.

I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters. Both characters felt a bit childish and not living in the real world.

**thank you to Netgally and Berkley for sharing a copy in exchange for my own thoughts**

This was a great palette cleanser that I would recommend if you are looking for something cute and fast. The FMC did push my buttons a couple times but it was still cute.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5/5

Pub date: July 3

This one started out strong for me but ended a little flat. The characters, dialogue, and scenes had me laughing out loud in the beginning, so I had high hopes. The second half of the book just didn’t quite hold up to the expectations of the first half.

It’s marketed as While-You-Were-Sleeping meets Pretty Woman in a contemporary romcom but maybe felt a bit too similar to these two movies in my opinion.

I’d love to hear your thoughts if you give it a try!

I recently found out that the audiobook will be duet narration and I’m so sad I didn’t wait for that! I recommend trying it in the audiobook format. It will release July 15.

Perfect for you if you like:
Enemies to lovers
Fake dating
Chapters with titles
He takes care of her
Strangers to lovers

Maid for Each Other felt a little incomplete. As someone who has read all of Lynn Painter's books, Maid for Each Other just didn't hit as hard as the others. I had a difficult time connecting to Abi and Declan's relationship. Their relationship progression was very quick and I found myself wishing for more tension and build up. Their fake dating started off fast and as a result, the pacing of the story and their relationship was off. I think one of the reasons I struggled with Abi and Declan's relationship was the way Abi described Declan. Her thoughts about Declan could be harsh and her feelings about wealthy people felt excessive over time. Unfortunately, the whole rich/not rich storyline was overdone. There were several side plots in the story. Some of those plots felt underdeveloped. I thought the big investment secret didn't live up to its hype. I felt like Abi's friend could have been developed more, especially with her involvement in the investment. The mom storyline also wasn't fleshed out. I wish we got to see more development from the side characters. Although I had some issues with this book, I did finish it! I thought Painter's writing was lighthearted and the comedic moments were fun. I also enjoyed the way Lynn described New York. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Four stars. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this eARC!

We follow our FMC, Abi, who is a student and holds two different jobs with one being a maid. Then we have our MMC, Declan, a billionaire businessman (always hot). Best part of the book, fake dating!!!! I thought that Lynn took the time to develop their feelings for one another and it did not rush straight into insta-love. Abi is sarcastic and a bit all over the place, while Declan comes off as serious. I really enjoyed Abi and her POV chapters, her personality is fun and her inner monolgue was so funny to me!

I think I would’ve preferred this book to be YA, even though I usually read spicy books, but I did not see the need for it in this story. The few it did have were very non-graphic (is that a word?) and felt a bit awkward to me compared to their kisses (I enjoyed those more than the actual sex scene going to be honest, which is definitely different for me).

I devoured this book! I thought it was so cute and wholesome. I have never read any of Lynn Painter’s books and I really enjoyed it. I like her writing style and thought the book was a good, short, and sweet romance. Would definitely recommend this!

Perfect for fans of "Maid in Manhattan", "The Proposal", and "Pretty Woman", Maid for Each Other will have you laughing and swooning!
As a culture, we crave a good rom-com that delivers an engaging story with characters who feel relatable, and actual humor, not just cringeworthy, amidst a sweeping romance. And more often than not, rom-coms catch a lot of heat because they do not deliver on all of the components. BUT, Maid for Each Other checks all of these boxes! Seriously, this book is BEGGING to be made into a movie.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for an ARC of this lovely romp. Pub Date: July 15, 2025

Lynn Painter always writes such fun, lighthearted romances with witty banter and endearing characters, and this one was no exception!

When Abi's apartment has an infestation, she decides to crash in one of the apartments she cleans since the owner is out of town. But when his parents show up and mistake her for his (unbeknownst to them) fake girlfriend Abby, it leads to a mutually beneficial fake dating situation.

I loved both Abi and Declan in this! Abi was so smart and hardworking, and always full of sass. But she had so much heart. And Declan wasn't your typical billionaire, although he didn't mind throwing money, diamonds and custom made cars at problems. But he was kind, down-to-earth and truly loved the people in his life.Together the two of them had so much chemistry! The whole time they were fake dating I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to acknowledge their feelings.

This was told in dual POV, which is my absolute favorite. I do wish that the ending hadn't wrapped up quite so quickly though. I would have loved a little bit more of them after the third act conflict and before the epilogue. But that was truly my only complaint about this fun, lighthearted and romantic book that I read in 24 hours.

Whether you're a Lynn Painter fan, or if you're a new reader of her books, I highly recommend this one!

This was a fun, cute rom-com. It gave me Pretty Woman vibes. The fake dating trope was done perfectly between Abi and Declan. They were both likeable characters, even if they weren't relatable to me. Abi is working a couple of jobs to make ends meet while also going to school for her MFA. One of her jobs is as a cleaner, and while at a client's house while he was out of town, she runs into the man's parents introducing herself as Abi, not knowing the Declan has told people he is dating an Abby. His parents naturally assume that she is the girlfriend... and so Declan offers Abi $40,000 (to pay off her student loans) if she will pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

The banter between them was very cute and funny. They had great chemistry, so it was no surprise that they would eventually connect. The relationship had depth, as did both characters. I would like to see a follow-up to this book with Declan's friend because he was a great side-kick.

You can't go wrong with a fake dating romance and a man who's downright obsessed.

I adored Declan and being able to watch him fall in love with the annoying cashier/maid, who knows just how to push his buttons but is also someone he wants to know more about. Does he have his faults? Absolutely! I feel like we could have learned more from his character, but we just never get to that point. I wasn't too keen on Abi either; there was just something about her that drew me away from loving her character, but I enjoyed the banter between the characters, and I love myself a good texting conversation.

This was a super easy bingable read from Lynn Painter, and I can't wait to read more from her.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

This was a very cute romance! The premise was very familiar - Pretty Woman meets Maid in Manhattan - which made it easy to fall into the story. That familiarity also made it an easy read and sometimes you need a book where you can just turn off your brain. This was that book for me. I liked the characters, I liked the story itself, and the writing was solid. I would have loved to have seen more originality though. Romance books thrive on their tropes and I can read the same tropes done different ways over and over but unfortunately this book was the same tropes, the same way, almost down to the minutia. I also found the MMC’s personality unappealing and while I appreciated that his privilege was called out, I just don’t feel like it was done in a way that made me like him any better. I wish he, and frankly the FMC as well, had had more depth to their character. I didn’t really feel invested in either, which made it hard to root for them. But overall, this was a great summer beach read and I can see it appealing to a number of people!

Thank you Penguin Publishing for this opportunity!

This was another wholesome read from Lynn Painter.
I loved how this fake dating trope developed.
Both Declan and Abi were so sweet, and I loved the dual POV.

If Painter is going to write anything, it will be a redhead.

I didn’t love the miscommunications that led to the 3rd act breakup - but I was still cheering at the end.

Lynn Painter is usually an auto read for me. Maid for Each Other gives off with Pretty Woman vibes. The writing is easy to binge and the banter is fun, but that’s where the highlights end. Abi’s character makes it hard to stay invested. Her dislike for wealthy people feels overdone especially since she has no problem relying on Declan’s money while continuing to judge him heavily and be rude to him. Her actions often come across as immature and self-centered with little shown to balance that out. Declan doesn’t fare much better. Even with his point of view included, his character lacks depth. The romance develops quickly without much emotional build-up and his “big secret” of what he’s working is anticlimactic. Although the book is told in dual POV, it read more like a single perspective Billionaire and insta-love tropes don’t always hit the mark and this story leans heavily into both. I struggled to finish and it ended up being a miss.

A fake dating to love rom com! Abi decides to stay at the penthouse she regularly cleans while her own apartment is being fumigated and everything changes. Her client's parents arrive, believe she's the Abby their son told them she was dating and we're off. Dex, our incredibly wealthy hard working guy made Abby up to get his parents off his back so now he's in a corner. What to do but pay Abi to be his girl for a week. Well we all know what happens next but Painter does a nice job of getting this couple to that place. There's lively banter, a fine supporting cast, and good storytelling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fun.