This is a book follows an aspiring foley artist trying to get her break and her childhood best friend , an elementary school teacher when their lives get unexpectedly shook up they enter in a marriage of convenience

This is such a great book and so well written I love the concept and I love the little add touch of survivor
The audiobook book is also really well done!!

I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley and exchange for an honest review and this in no way affects my

This was cute and fun to listen to, but my biggest complaint was that they miscommunicated so much half of the problem could’ve been solved if they just kinda talked and I get that that’s part of the book resolution and stuff, but I just hate this trope so much and I wish there was a better job doing that so I would’ve known that coming in. Evelyn was annoying with how unwilling she was willing to communicate with Theo. I do wish I would’ve seen more growth from her. I feel like Theo had a lot of character growth from the beginning to the end. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it. And I would read other things by the author as well.

This was not your typical romantic comedy. There is serious subject matter woven in dealing with death or abandonment of a parent, heath issues and the challenges of medical insurance in America, and pursuing career aspirations. I appreciated those parts of the novel. About three quarters of the way through, it delves into the romantic side and gives very explicit descriptions of the encounters.

I did like the characters, Theodore in particular, I thought was a catch. He was the cool teacher that all the fourth graders wanted to have because he made learning for fun. I thought it was hilarious that he used the Bowling for Soup song, 1985, to punish his class. He is sensitive and thoughtful and makes special meals to accommodate Evelyn's sensitivities due to her Crohn's disease.

Overall, I think this book is well written and multi-layered and not just a superficial romance.

There's some rep going on here that might appeal to some readers- bisexual fmc and chronic illness

This book also has:
A bit of childhood trauma (absent parents)
Best friends to lovers
Marriage of convenience

Overall, I'm glad I don't have to hear the phrase "I need a beat" ever again. I cannot imagine saying that to my kids and then literally leaving them 🥺
I normally love the best friends to lovers trope, but this just felt like too many missed opportunities.
I do think fans of Katherine Center will like this one, I could definitely see similarities.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

Evie Bloom wanted to be a dancer. She worked hard and trained, despite being in pain much of the time. Her grandmother had taken her to doctor after doctor, and none of them found anything wrong. They told her that she was okay, that she just had a low tolerance for pain, that there was nothing they could do for her. So she kept on. It was during a performance with her best friend Theo Cohen that she fell and hurt her ankle. After that hospital visit, a doctor took her seriously and ran more tests. That’s when she found out she had Chron’s disease. And that’s how she knew her dreams of being a dancer on Broadway were over.

She had planned on moving to New York to chase her dreams, and Theo was going there to chase his. He got into college in New York, and even though Evie’s dreams were crushed, she wanted to make sure that Theo still went after his. She had watched him as his mother had battled cancer, and now that she was better, Evie wanted him to follow his dreams, even if that meant he was moving across the country to study education.

Evie stayed in California and eventually found another dream job, being a Foley artist. She loved the idea of adding the sound effects to movies and television shows, and her dance training helped a lot. It had taught her precision and timing, key traits of a Foley artist. But it was a difficult career to break into, especially since she needed a job with health insurance. So Evie worked as an editor for podcasters, a job that offered her the health insurance she needed, while trying to chase after freelance Foley jobs.

Evie and Theo had grown up together, and even during Theo’s years of college in New York, they stayed in touch. They watched Survivor together every week. And when his mother’s cancer came back, Evie was there for him. After college, Theo moved back to California and got a job teaching at the same elementary school where his mother taught. But when his roommates told him they were moving out, he needed a new roommate fast. And then he learned that the lease had a rider, that each person living in the apartment had to make three times the rent payment. But that was only for singles.

Theo comes up with the perfect solution: he and Evie can get married. He has excellent health insurance, and if they’re married, it’s her insurance too. That will free her up to take a fellowship with an established Foley artist and make the connections she needs to move ahead with her dreams. And he can stay in his apartment. It’s a perfect solution. Except for one tiny problem. He’s a little in love with her and always has been. And Evie is a little in love with Theo and always has been. But if they agree to keep it casual, then it will all work out in the end. I mean, what could go wrong?

Friends with Benefits is a rom com where the benefits in the relationship are literally health insurance. This romance deals with a lot of serious issues, like chronic illness, cancer, the death of a parent, and the abandonment of a parent. Evie and Theo both have had to deal with heavy problems when they were teenagers, and that has repercussions in their friendship and in their marriage. There is a lot of laughter and joy in these pages, but there is darkness also.

I listened to the audio book of Friends with Benefits, narrated in alternating chapters by Gail Shalan and GM. Hakim. I thought they both did a really good job with the humor and with the challenging issues these characters faced. I liked that some of the chapters overlapped, with the end of one giving one character’s perspective on the scene with the opening of the next chapter telling the other character’s perspective on the same situation, and the narrators handled those transitions perfectly. I really enjoyed Friend with Benefits. I appreciated how the Chron’s disease was handled with gentleness, and the childhood trauma was talked about with grace.

Egalleys for Friends with Benefits were provided by Celadon Books and an early copy of the audio was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

Lifelong friends Evie and Theo decide to get married because Evie needs health insurance and a place to live while she does a non-paid internship in Hollywood.

Theo, an elementary school teacher, would do anything for Evie. He has been in love with her since high school. I think you can see where this predictable book is going.

I actually enjoyed most of this story and would have given it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars if it were not for the open door sex and the F-bomb being dropped constantly throughout the book. I personally don’t care for it while reading, however if you do you may enjoy this book. TW: chronic illness, language

Thank you @marisakanter @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook of Friends with Benefits which will be published May 6, 2025.

Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen have been best friends for most of their lives. When Evie, a Foley artist, is offered a prestigious fellowship that could be a turning point in her career, she’s forced to make a difficult decision. The opportunity comes without health insurance, and living with Crohn’s disease means going without coverage isn’t an option.
Theo, a public school teacher with excellent benefits and rent he can no longer afford, proposes a solution: they get married. It’s a practical arrangement—nothing more. But there’s a complication neither of them wants to admit out loud: they’ve been in love with each other for years.
Now, sharing a home and a legal commitment forces them to confront what they’ve been avoiding.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
What I loved:
Theo was so charming! He was cute, dependable, and the way he kept showing up for Evie was incredibly endearing. Basically, the perfect book boyfriend—total swoon material. Who wouldn't want to marry a former dancer and current elementary school teacher? I also really enjoyed the flashbacks to the early days of their friendship- from both POVs. There were lot's of missed opportunities that felt realistic when they were young. They added a nice emotional layer and made the progression of their relationship feel more grounded. I also appreciate that the author included a realistic representation of chronic illness. The depiction of life with Crohn’s, and the impossible choices people face under the broken U.S. healthcare system, felt honest and important. Not to mention the medical gaslighting that is especially so prevalent for women. So many people can relate—or know someone who can.

What didn’t quite land:
Evie was a bit of a struggle for me, especially in the last third of the book. Her choices during the third-act breakup felt more like forced drama than something rooted in reality. The choices she made didn't seem age appropriate at all. I had a hard time relating to her concerns, and honestly, even the other characters in the book seemed confused by her actions—and I was right there with them. I wanted to shake her by the end! It pulled me out of the story a bit and weakened the emotional impact of the ending.

As far as the voice actors go, I enjoyed the production although sometimes when they tried to do an old person accent or NYC accent it felt a little silly but overall I think they did a great job.

Still, there’s a lot to appreciate here, especially if you enjoy friends-to-lovers, fake marriage tropes, and heartfelt stories with a dose of real-world issues.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the idea of this book and was so excited to receive the ARC but it just fell flat.

I’m not a fan of unlikable main characters and that’s exactly what Evie was.
Theo deserved better.

I LOVE audiobooks with dual narrations, especially in romance novels, but I just did not like the narrators chosen for this story. I really struggled through it.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review ♥️

Friends with Benefits

When the “benefits” in friends with benefits is actually about health insurance 🤣 but ends up being a sweet friends to lovers story arc.

Happy Pub week to Friends with Benefits! This is Marisa Kanter’s adult romance debut and it was a really cute and sweet read.

The premise was really interesting - boy with longtime crush on best friend offers to marry her so she can take her dream job and still get the health insurance needed for her chronic illness. What could go wrong?!

I thought the author did a good job exploring the layers of the characters while they dealt with heavier aspects of life - living with a chronic illness, failures of the US healthcare system, grief after loss of parent, abandonment, anxiety and mental health, etc.

Theo was such a lovable character all the way through. I loved his banter with his students and how he’d go out of his way to take care of Evie. I struggled with Evie throughout the book and while I recognized the internal battles she was facing, more often it felt frustrating rather than relatable and left me wondering if maybe they really should just be friends?

One of my struggles was the 3rd person perspective made me feel less engaged in the story and so it felt slow at times and overall less romantic than I wanted. But it was still a sweet story that I’m glad I took the time to listen to.

Worth the read if you like:
- Friends to lovers
- Teenage crushes
- Marriage of convenience
- Shared apartment
- Bisexual FMC
- Chronic Illness & Mental Health Reps
- Dual POV & Narration

Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the NetGalley ARC. :)

Macmillan Audio ALC
This was such a fresh take on this beloved trope, and I liked the realistic view, but I am also so sad that this is so realistic - getting married for financial and health benefits. I liked how both Evie and Theo had experienced some hardships in life, but they always relied on each other to help them through it all, so of course when he needed a roommate and she needed health insurance they worked together to make a pretend marriage work. Their friendship was my favorite thing about this story. It was so unconditionally supportive. There was such an easy intimacy and camaraderie that made the eventual relationship feel so easy. I also liked the glimpse into Evie's life with a chronic illness. I think the author balanced this part of the story and their backstory so well. She also balanced all of this with a thread of grief from Theo losing his mom too early in life. This book was so fun, even though it had such seriousness in it. I think the author just nailed pacing and balance here.
I love a dual narration for a romance, and these two here really captured the deep emotions expressed between these two characters in their past and present timelines. Both were excellent.

ALC Review: Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter
Pub date: May 6, 2025
Narrators: Gail Shalan; GM Hakim

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this contemporary marriage of convenience! Both characters have a lot of growth to do throughout the book and a lot of trauma to unpack but ultimately they both know and care for each other so well that their love really shines through. I loved Evie and Theo together.

Evie did frustrate me just a tad during the third act conflict but I knew that her reactions were just due to her past and the growth that she needed to go through.

I loved the narration by Gail Shalan! She really brought Evie to life for me. The male narrator didn’t quite fit the character of Theo for me though.

I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. I loved Theo and I loved the angst and depth of this book. It tackles tough topics and conversations in a mindful way. The weak link in this book was Evie. She started being so unlikable. The only reason I didn’t completely dislike her and the romance was because of their ages. I would normally say she needed therapy but she was in therapy.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the #gifted ALC.

What to Expect:
-Friends to Lovers
-Marriage of Convenience
-It’s always been you
-Teacher humor
-Sound Tech in Hollywood Behind the Scenes
-Chronic illness (Crohn’s) & authentic grief representation (parent loss to cancer)
-Open Door (moderately descriptive)

The best way I can describe this book is the heartfelt coziness of Would you Rather by Alison Ashley (marriage of convenience for health coverage) meets the yearning and emotions of People We Meet on Vacation (my OG fave by EmHen, hence the background for the picture - forever friends to lovers with all the ups and downs that come with it). I really, really loved this book – so much so that I broke my own rules and listened to the audiobook during my normal “eye reading” time because I had to know how the story would unfold. Was Evie messy? Yep. Did Theo need to have his internal wake up call about putting himself first years earlier than he did? You betcha. But I fell in love with these flawed characters despite their shortcomings and their rocky, super relatable friendship roller coaster.

Friends with Benefits is out today and seriously, do yourself a favor and listen on audio - Gail Shalam and GM Hakin were incredible narrators. Gail reminded me a bit of Julia Whelan in her performance (which probably also accounts for the EmHem comparison), and GM Hakin really brought all of Theo’s quirky loveable self to life.

3.75 Stars

This was an unexpectedly sweet romance, which I really enjoyed. I've never read anything else by this author but I'm looking forward to digging into her backlist for more comfort reads.

This story tells the story of two lifelong friends who get married for logistical reasons and fall in love/realize they've always been in love etc. They met through dance as kids. The FMC had to stop dancing due to a chronic disease and has discovered her love of foley sound recording, which was a side plot I thought was very fun. Kanter tells their backstory through flashbacks, which are sweet, though they do include some misunderstandings which I know can be controversial.

Overall this story was sweet and quirky I really rooted for the characters. I listened to it on audio and enjoyed the way the narration switched between male and female narrators depending whose chapter it was.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance review copy for an unbiased review.

So much thrown at you without anything really happening. This book’s pacing is way off and it was difficult to get into it because the FMC was so unlikeable and so immature. I wanted to enjoy this but eventually gave up about halfway through when it just failed to hold my interest. This one was not for me.

Narration was well done, no issues

"I know it’s invisible, so sometimes it’s easy to forget that I’m sick..."

"Loving Evelyn Bloom has always been as effortless, as necessary, as breathing. But if he loses her...How will Theo breathe?"

“I never said don’t follow your dreams...” “But, Theo...Is she not a part of that dream?”

I was in tears by the 3rd paragraph of the very real, emotional Friends With Benefits, by the thought-provoking and tender hearted writing of debut adult romance author, Marisa Kanter.

If you follow my page you may know I have Crohn's Disease. Opening with Evie, missing part of an important event to rush to the bathroom, had my life passing in front of me.

Fortunately, for Evie, she has had her best friend since childhood, Theo, understanding she often has to cancel when her Crohn's flares up. Theo doesn't mind. He's quietly loved Evie forever.

When he might lose his condo, and she needs health insurance, they get married to help each other. It's just best friends watching Survivor and rooming together...until it's not.

Voice actress Gail Shalan deserves awards.
The breaks in her voice during Evie's pain, physical and emotional, broke me. I was blown away by the voice actor GM Hakim and his ability to convey so much hurt just with the tenderness in his voice.

It's a slow burn friends to lovers romance balancing on the pain of lost dreams and grief. It's a reality check on how the chronically ill can't afford to be sick. It's also a beam of hope in redirecting your path and overcoming your fears. Thank you Marisa for showing that we are not our disease. It's a part of us; but not the most important part, that would be our heart and the benefits of the friends we love.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Evie and Theo. Their romance left me wanting more. I wanted to love this book so much, unfortunately it left me a little disappointed. I am all for romance with some substance, but this felt a lot like real life which is not the reason I read. Dead parents, neglectful parents, medical and emotional problems, medical insurance fights and not being able to get over past traumas; make it feel too much like real life that I forgot at times I was reading a romance. There is so much going on in their lives that the romance gets lost. It is also an extremely slow burn and when they do get together it’s short lived by everything going on in their lives. The ending I would say is what can qualify it as a romance, as it’s as expected cute and sappy. Overall Its a well written story that can speak to a certain audience.

As far as the audio part of it, both narrators do a great job. If it had not been in an audiobook I think I would have just stopped reading it. I did like the double POV and also the chapters that had flashbacks. There is a lot of repetition though and I think it could have been shorter. For a hopeless romantic such as me, there was just not enough of the romance part. However, If you want your romance to be entangled with a touch of real life and real problems then this is the read for you.

I really enjoyed this book. I tend to really enjoy the friends to lovers trope and this was a really fun story. I listened to the whole book in one sitting and overall I really enjoyed evie and theo’s story.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When Evie’s dream career comes without health insurance and Theo’s about to lose his apartment, these lifelong best friends decide a marriage of convenience is the practical solution. But as logistics turn into late-night heart-to-hearts and hidden feelings surface, their plan might just change everything.

I loved the thoughtful chronic illness rep and commentary on the U.S. healthcare system—it felt timely and honest. The friends-to-lovers arc had some warm, nostalgic moments (especially in the flashbacks), but the pacing dragged in places, and the political elements sometimes overshadowed the romance. I listened via audiobook and enjoyed the multi-cast narration!

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.

I liked both narrators: Gail Shalan and GM Hakim. In the relatively short amount of time since I added narrators to my personal reading spreadsheet, I've only had one other experience with Shalan . . . as part of a full cast. This was my first experience with Hakim's rich, deep voice.

3.5⭐