Thank you Marisa Kent and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook ARC of Friends with Benefits.

Friends with Benefits is your typical friends to lovers romance. The story was fairly engaging but I felt like it wasn’t very different from most friends to lovers where everyone seems to see their feelings besides them. Since I’ve read several similar stories I’m giving this a 3 stars.

I did really enjoy the fact that the author did bring up topics that aren’t usually discussed especially within the romance word. As someone who lives with a chronic medical condition, it was refreshing to be able to relate to a character feeling hopeless sometimes even if they already realize chronic means forever. Having a chronic illness in a relationship is a giant make or break factor to some people.

As for the narration, I wasn’t a huge fan. The female and male leads were okay when it came to saying their own part but when they had to change their voice, as if the other person was talking, it was so cringy it almost ruined the book for me at times. The female lead more so than the male, but that is just a personal opinion. I would definitely recommend this book to someone new to the romance world and wants a cute easy read!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this book!
 
I’m a big fan of the friends to lovers trope. This one came with a side of forced proximity/marriage of convenience, which made the premise really interesting. However, I didn’t like the FMC, Evie, from the get-go. I could understand her medical problems and sympathized about her family situation growing up, but didn’t think her trauma validated her treatment of Theo. He, on the other hand, was a delight so I’m sad to say that I didn’t care for the male narrator for this audiobook.
 
I appreciate the chance to read and review this book and wish I could give it a higher rating but I’m going with a 2.75. It’s not one I would recommend.

This was my first book by Marisa and I enjoyed it! Did I need a big glass of wine around 80%, yes, yes I did. This book is angsty, I don’t think it’s just me but if you like fake marriage, friends to lovers and a grand gesture then you will enjoy this book!

Evie and Theo have been friends since they met in dance class as children. There has always been something there but they ignored it and focused on their friendship. Especially as their family lives started to crumble.

When Evie needs health insurance and Theo needs a roommate they decide to get married until Evie can get a job with health benefits. But once married things start to change and those feelings they always had but pushed away start to come back. Now they need to decide how they want to move forward.

The narrators were really great! Loved them!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Evie and Theo's story was so fun! I think my favorite part of this book was the premise, the fact that 'benefits' in 'Friends with Benefits' means health benefits. That's sooo good!

I really enjoyed the beginning of this story Theo and Evie were so cute and I adored Evie's love of foley. Though, as the story went on I think Evie started to get on my nerves a little...

Evie does have character development at the very end of the book, but until then she isn't always the nicest to Theo. She can also be very controlling of others, and a fight between her and Theo really brought the worst out of her. It’s a shame that she ended up being this way since I really loved her in the first chapter.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and the narration was really good! I think they really brought the story to life

Wow, I went into this one blind and loved it! It was much deeper than I expected and I now realize the play on the title. I really enjoyed the characters and learning about the main characters chronic illness.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
🛋️💍🎧

𝗔𝗟𝗖
𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝟲/𝟮𝟱 (𝘁𝗺𝗿!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rapid fire backstory: Evie + Theo = besties. Evie has chronic illness and sees doctors, needs insurance. Theo is a teacher and has insurance. I think we see where this is going considering the very clever title 👌🏼

This is a trope packed romcom but leans more “serious political health care issues” and less “com”.

🛏️ one bed
💕 friends to lovers
💍 marriage of convenience
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ + rep
🏥 chronic/ invisible illness rep

My thoughts:
It has everything to make a great book that I would love, and it was good. I clung to the idea this book would hit me in my feels and I would see myself in the FMC suffering from chronic illness - and I did. It was all super accurate and relatable, and highlighted the ways that it affects all aspects of your life which is great education for those who don’t have to deal with it themselves.
However, it was presented in a way that just felt forced and extremely repetitive. It often felt like an “info dump education session” vs just being authentically part of the FMCs life and woven into the story as such. I feel like I’m personally trying so hard to stay positive, and I feel like it just reminded me of every part of it that sucks. But! I love seeing people chase their dreams regardless of their situations and that did bring me hope!

I do have to say it includes 2 tropes I don’t like and make sure you check your trigger warnings as it touches very serious topics!

In terms of audio - I think the narrators did a good job, and I hate to be nit picky but the male voice just wasn’t my fav.

I’m also not sure if it was the voices lacking emotion, or just the character development, but I didn’t connect with the characters which made it harder to really care about what was happening to them. Theo seemed sweet but Evie just seemed negative and hard to connect with.

There are definitely people who I think will love this book! For me, it had some issues but was good enough to finish.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the ALC 🤍🎧

Audiobook Review 📖🎧🛋️
Thank you so much partner @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio for the gifted arc and audiobook!

Friends with Benefits
by Marisa Kanter
Narrated by Gail Shalan; GM Hakim

About the book 👇🏽

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.


🛋️ My thoughts:

This was 100% an audiobook listen and I flew through it! I love a good marriage of convenience storyline especially when they’re already besties! The narrators did a great job telling this story, and it felt smooth throughout the listen for the most part. My favorite parts of this book were the character development and the representation in this book. For me it wasn’t a light read, as it does touch on some very real and heavy topics but still a good read with the right expectations. My only gripe is that the pacing felt off but that could definitely just be a me problem! I’d read and listen to another Marisa Kanter book in the future! Friends with Benefits is out tomorrow 5/6/25!

Happy reading 📖🛋️🎧

The play on words with the title was great with the book. Friends with Benefits follows two best friends that decided to choose a marriage of convenience in order to be financially stable with benefits for their futures. As this wasn’t my favorite book, It was a good friends to lovers story. I knew from the beginning that they will eventually fall for each other. The character development was a bit slow and I found it hard to connect with the characters. As for the narrators, I thought they did a good job bringing the characters to life and helped moved the story along but it felt more straightforward than actually making the story immersive. They should have put more emotions into their narration. Overall, I enjoyed the how the author addressed the issues of chronic pain and the struggles people might face with it.

This story captures the classic slow burn, will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic between two best friends who gradually realize their deeper feelings for each other. Featuring dual timelines and narrators, it explores their journey from childhood to adulthood, weaving in themes of coming of age, chronic illness, and the heartache of a parent dying from cancer.

While the narrators delivered a competent performance, I found the audio narration felt more like straightforward reading rather than a fully immersive acting experience. I suspect I might have enjoyed the story more if I had read it myself, as the emotional depth seemed somewhat muted in audio form.

The plot centers on two friends who struggle with communication, often letting assumptions and past traumas cloud their interactions. Their childhood wounds profoundly shape their behavior, creating barriers that keep them apart. Despite these challenges, the story offers a hopeful resolution as they finally find understanding and connection by the end.

Overall, it’s a heartfelt exploration of friendship, love, and healing-perfect for readers who appreciate nuanced characters and emotional slow burns.

This was such a sweet read! As someone with her own childhood trauma and parental abandonment issues, there were some tough moments that had eye prickling, but in a therapeutic way.

I loved the theming. Theo was super endearing. I love the journey of self healing they both went on. It was a real roller coaster!

My only complaint is the spice level. Am I selfish in wanting more spice? Yes. Does the story actually need it? Not at all. I’m just a degenerate! lol!

Friends with Benefits was so PACKED my head is spinning—an obvious friends-to-lovers; chronic illness, parental neglect, grief, LGBTQ+ and foley representation; miscommunication; also, make it dual timeline.
Oh, and it’s a marriage of convenience!


Evie and Theo have been best friends since childhood dance classes. Evie suffers from a chronic illness, so she needs health benefits to accept the foley fellowship of her dreams. At the same time, Theo—an elementary school teacher—needs a roommate with a stable financial situation... unless he marries someone. Yeah, so they decide to marry. Why not? It’s a win-win situation, right?


I appreciate a slightly messy, almost unlikable FMC, but they usually bring so much “dust” it makes me nauseous?
Theo was perfect, Evie was just there trying her best…

I had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook early, so I do recommend listening, since it just seems more fun this way? It definitely made my reading experience 20% more enjoyable.


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to the audiobook!

2.5 stars. A huge thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to the advanced audio book. I really enjoyed the premises of the book, however I had a hard time getting into it. I am not sure if it was the story, the narration style or the books POV. I found that Theo was a very likeable character- but I struggled with the character growth for both him and Evie. It felt very rushed at the end. As a film nerd I loved the representation of Foley! There was also a lot of really great pop culture references! Overall- the book had a good premise, I just was not the right reader for it!

"Lifelong best friends say 'I do' to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits."

One of the best tropes in my opinion! I love a marriage of convenience!
Evie and Theo have known each other for what seems like forever. Not only that but they use to be dance partners and are already VERY close and comfortable with each other. Now all grown up, this book hops from the present to flashes of their past and how they seemingly kept missing opportunities and signals to be together. A complicated relationship to say the least, it is easy to see how the lines blur so quickly between this husband & wife.
Narrated by Gail Shalan & GM Hakim, I was not the biggest fan of the audio. This is all relative but I didn't feel that Theo's voice was "manly" enough for what I was envisioning and would sometimes fail to distinguish when it was supposed to be him speaking or thinking. Evie's also wasn't my favorite but I didn't have the same issues for her male counterpart.
All that being said, I always appreciate the convenience of an audiobook for a lighthearted, quick and easy read!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC, all opinions are my own.

I overall enjoyed this book and I enjoyed the friends to lovers trope. There were definitely times I wanted to shake the FMC, but in the end she figured it out lol. There is definitely some politics in this book that really resonates with my generation, which was very relatable, but I can understand why others not appreciate it. I didn’t have any issues with it and still really enjoyed the book, but sometimes it did feel very front and center throughout certain parts of the book. Overall, it was a a fun read and I enjoyed it!

I really wanted to love Friends with Benefits, but wow… this one started so slow, I kept checking if the audiobook was stuck on the same chapter. Evie and Theo have such a sweet setup marriage of convenience, best friends, secret feelings, all the good stuff! But instead of diving into the fun, the story kind of wandered through insurance details, apartment drama, and long stretches of not much happening.

Theo’s little crush on Evie was cute, and there were moments that made me smile, but by the time things warmed up between them, I felt like I’d been waiting in line at the DMV. This had potential to be a lighthearted romcom, but it just took its sweet time getting there.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance listeners copy and audiobook of this book, in exchange for my honest review! I was very excited to receive it and hopeful as the title and the book description really interested me.

While the book and storyline had potential, it ultimately fell flat. The storyline felt predictable, and the characters lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect with them. I found Evie to be kind of insufferable at times and hard to enjoy her inner dialogue. Her character came across much younger than she is and somewhat combative. Theo was more likable as a MMC.

While I appreciate so much when books encourage inclusiveness and real life issues, this one seems to make those feel forced and constantly repetitive. I love when those things seamlessly fit into the story vs over explained, feeling almost performative. It then looses the plot and the story as well. I often too found the story to have an odd pacing and I don’t think I’m a huge fan of third person at least in this one.

That being said I did enjoy the dual narration of the audio and can see where this book may be for others who would may enjoy it! It unfortunately was a miss for me even though I liked the idea of a deep found friendship turning into more.

This book was flirty, fun, and had just the right amount of emotional chaos. Friends with Benefit gives us that classic “we’re just hooking up… until we’re absolutely not” energy—and I ate it up.

The banter? Sharp. The chemistry? Off the charts. I liked how the main characters actually had real conversations (when they weren’t trying to avoid their feelings, of course). There were a few moments where I wanted to shake them both, but honestly? That just means I was invested.

If you’re into friends-to-lovers with angst, tension, and steam, this one delivers. It’s messy in a good way—and I loved how the story didn’t rush the emotional growth.

Thanks to the author for the ARC

This was a quick, friends to lovers romance between Evie and Theo. Even though it was a quick read, it just wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the marriage of convenience trope in this story with Theo wanting to help Evie with her medical bills as well. as the living situation.

Friends With Benefits is an emotional and funny friends-to-lovers romance that balances lighthearted charm with deep character development. Told through dual POVs, it follows childhood best friends Evie and Theo as they navigate love, grief, and trust—complete with tropes like marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and (a lot of) miscommunication.

Evie, a queer protagonist with chronic illness and deep-rooted mommy issues, sometimes comes off as emotionally distant—especially through her repeated use of “take a beat,” which felt a bit manipulative. Theo, a lovable elementary school teacher, brings a ton of heart. The supporting cast is underused until a last-minute intervention, which made Evie feel unintentionally isolated.

Still, the book shines with vivid flashbacks, heartfelt moments (especially their first kiss!), and the warmth of Theo’s “Obviously.” If you love messy characters and emotional slow burns, this one’s worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the Arc of this book! This book had potential but unfortunately didn’t hit the mark for me personally. I love dual narration but I just wanted more from the characters. Also just not a fan of politics in books but to each their own!