I really loved this book! The best friends to lovers theme is something I always find so endearing. The writing felt very engaging, and I appreciated the thoughtful character development. It was wonderful how we got to dive into the lives of both characters individually and watch them grow to love each other as best friends and romantic partners. It truly created such a beautiful and heartwarming story overall!

This heartfelt story revolves around childhood friends Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen, who have been unwavering pillars of support for each other through life's ups and downs. Their deep bond weaves a rich tapestry of friendship, yet over time, they encounter various challenges that complicate their feelings for one another. Both Evie and Theo grapple with the desire to chase their dreams, careful not to become a hindrance to each other's aspirations. However, as the years pass, they realize that in trying to protect one another, they have inadvertently caused pain for themselves, all while remaining unaware. The profound love and care they harbor for each other shine brightly throughout the narrative, ultimately becoming the emotional core of the story.

I genuinely recommend this book to anyone who loves the heartwarming journey of childhood friends evolving into something more. The dual points of view beautifully capture their emotions, making for a story that's not only touching but also deeply relatable. It’s a heartfelt read that many will find resonates with their own experiences.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the amazing opportunity to listen to this captivating book for free! I’m truly grateful to Marisa Kanter for crafting such a brilliantly written story that kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly wanting more from start to finish! What an exhilarating experience!

Theo and Evie's story was unconventional but so well-developed with their shared memories and mutual respect. Their backstories were poignant, surviving childhood trauma and the end of adult relationships. The LGBTQ+ representation, as well as the Jewish representation, was interesting as both were outside of my normal reading experience. I loved Theo's teacher moments! I can't imagine the book ending any other way!

In Friends with Benefits, Author Marisa Kanter introduces readers to Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen. Evie is offered an internship, but it does not have health insurance. Theo’s roommates move out for one reason or another. They end up married for convenience. Theo can put Evie on his insurance. Theo has a spouse for the lease.
I wanted to like this tale, but it didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t like Evie. The pacing is inconsistent. This was supposed to be a Rom-Com but to me it wasn’t funny.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is a heartfelt romance that will leave you feeling all kinds of emotions. The chemistry between the couple is undeniable, and it’s clear they’re perfect for each other, yet they always seem to be just a step apart. While the tension of the "will they/won’t they" dynamic is charming, I found it a bit drawn out at times. Still, the story is undeniably sweet and full of heart.

This book had a lot of good things going for it. The characters were sweet, it brought light to chronic illnesses, and the audio narration was great.

Parts of the story definitely dragged out for me, though. Both of the main characters had a lot going on (especially Evie). The relationship also just felt like one big miscommunication, which is a trope I have trouble getting into.

Overall, I appreciate a friends to lovers romance, and this was pretty cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

2.5

Evie has Crohn's and it has determined her life path. She wants to be a Foley artist, but she can't do without health insurance while interning. And you need to intern to get a foot in the door. Her best friend, Theo, also desperately needs a roommate. His solution- they get married. Their combined income will allow him to stay in his apartment and his health insurance will help Evie quit her job. Problem is- they have been in love with each other since childhood.

This started off good, then it slowed way down. The story didn't really move forward for a good while. My interest definitely waned.

I was also frustrated that the pronouns they/them was used for nearly everyone. I am fine with inclusivity and including a gender fluid character. However, not everyone uses they/them. It also makes it super hard when following an audiobook- he/she, him/her, etc... is helpful to know who they are referring to. I also feel like it cheapened the whole thing by making (nearly) everyone use they/them.

Gail Shalan and GM Hakim narrate the audiobook. I always appreciate multiple narrators for multiple POVs. GM Hakim's narration is good. Gail Shalan's is not as good. Especially when in dialogue for someone other than Evie. It sound like her mouth was full of marbles.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the relationship dynamic between Theo and Evie. The friends to lovers trope always gets me. I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom over the years.

I loved the duet narration of this one and found both narrators really easy to listen to.

I really liked this story for about the first-half. I love a marriage of convenience and I really liked both Evie and Theo as separate people.

However, as the story went on, I brace frustrated. The trope didn’t quite make sense because they weren’t really lying to anyone about why they got married. They weren’t forced to fake it. And then, these characters just couldn’t get their act together. It was one long miscommunication trope. One long failure to explain and/or share their feelings. It was…frustrating to listen to.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t quite work for me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise is sweet and grounded in real-world struggles like financial insecurity and healthcare challenges, which added some depth to the story. Their friendship felt real, the story was filled with shared history we get to hear about and the easy banter made their connection believable. Watching them navigate their current feelings while trying to maintain their friendship was both adorable and frustrating. Like just talk to each other already! 

While the story had potential, the execution lacked originality for me. The friends-to-lovers trope is one I enjoy as you probably know if you read some of my past posts, but this story didn’t bring anything new to the table. I felt like I’d read variations of this same story many times before, and there wasn’t enough to make it stand out from the others.

I absolutely adore the friendship between Evie and Theo. We've all been there... The mutual "crush" but you're both in denial that the other person might actually like you. Friends with Benefits is a cute, easy read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, RomCom.

When lifelong friends Theo and Evie decide to get married for practical reasons—health benefits and the freedom for Evie to chase her dream job—they think they’ve got it all figured out. It’s just paperwork and pretending when necessary. Easy.

But when the lines between their fake marriage and real emotions begin to blur, they’re forced to ask themselves: What happens when the pretending doesn’t stop once the doors close?

As feelings they both feared to recognize, Theo and Evie must decide if their convenient arrangement has the potential to become something truly lasting—or if love was never part of the deal.

Friendly Marriage of Convenience

I loved this story. Marisa Kanter took friends to lovers and marriage of convenience and mashed it social justice in a way that was fresh and relatable. I really appreciated the inside look into chronic illness and the difficulties it places on that persons life, and how it affects the people around them.

I loved these two characters and their history together. I thought their friendship was so sweet. As I always do in friends to lovers, there were times where I just thought a little honesty could move us forward a little faster, but people are complicated and this story captures that.

Thank you Net Galley, MacMillan Audio, and Marisa Kanter for an ARC audiobook of this story.

I listened to the audiobook version. The female narrator was good, but the male narrator was a bit monotone and unemotional.
The story itself had the usual will they/won’t they subplot and had deep emotional character arcs. The female character comes off whiny, clueless, and demeaning to females, which is in dark contrast to her character’s statements about feminism. The end wrapped up nicely and gave the novel some redemptive qualities. Overall, I gave the story 3 out of 5 stars. It was worth reading, but it’s not one I would reread.

This book was adorable! Friends to lovers is slowly becoming one of my favorite tropes. This book was an easy read and super entertaining.

I've only just now started getting into the friends to lovers trope, and this book seemed like the perfect fit to branch out; unfortunately the love interests just gave me major bestie vibes. And that's usually my biggest bone to pick with this trope: the romantic feelings feel like they come out of nowhere.

But I gotta give my boy Theo his flowers. What a darling, bless his heart. We love a teacher who engages and cares deeply about his students.

Ooof. DNF @ 20%

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audiobook, but man I just cannot continue on.

I wanted to DNF around 6% but also knew I needed to at least give this a true try.

But the political agenda this book was serving up in a silver platter — no thank you. Why can’t we just write book for everyone to enjoy without shoving your opinions on politics down the readers throat?

I cannot go on. There are too many good books out there to read, that I will not waste my time with this one. Tried to try a new author and will be scratching this one off my list for good.

The author's passion shines through in this book. I absolutely loved that the MMC was a teacher and used Survivor to help engage his students. I also loved that the FMC had a chronic illness and helped show life with her condition. It was well written and explored many intriguing themes like the ones previously mentioned. I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

This was easy listening with strong voicey writing. Very inclusive with smartly observed social issues woven throughout. I felt one of the two narrators was doing a bit much, a little too melodramatic for my taste.

“Friends With Benefits” is a romcom that offers a familiar, feel-good storyline of lifelong friends falling in love. Evie and Theo, both carrying their own emotional baggage from past trauma, have been secretly in love with each other since their preteen years. Their close friendship has always been the foundation of their lives, and it’s clear that the bond between them is special. When Evie finds herself in financial and medical distress, she and Theo come up with a practical solution: they marry so she can benefit from his insurance.

As with most romcoms, we know where this story is headed, and that’s part of the charm. It’s the journey to the happily-ever-after that keeps readers engaged. Unfortunately, I found that this journey felt a little more tedious than I’d hoped.

The long-time friends-to-lovers trope is always tricky, and I think the author does a solid job explaining why these two haven’t acted on their feelings sooner. Their past is filled with miscommunication and emotional immaturity, making it plausible that they didn’t confess their feelings when they were teens. As adults, their reluctance to risk their friendship for the unknown of romance is also believable and relatable.

However, once Evie and Theo finally acknowledge their feelings and insist that they can have a “casual” sexual relationship, the story lost me. The obstacles they face after this turning point felt a bit forced and repetitive. Rather than communicating openly, both characters seem to throw up emotional roadblocks that stem from their inability to have a straightforward conversation—something that feels out of place for two people who share such a deep connection. This repetition started to weigh the story down and pulled me out of the experience.

Overall, while *Friends With Benefits* certainly has its moments of warmth, it didn’t quite delivery for me. The foundation of a great story was there, but the pacing and some of the character choices made it harder for me to stay fully invested. That said, fans of lighthearted romcoms may enjoy Evie and Theo’s story.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, 4 stars, this book gave me Abby Jimenez vibes. It was really close to 4.5 stars BUT I strongly dislike third person POV books (personal option). I love the friends to lovers trope and the story between Theo and Evie was so sweet. The friendship between Theo and Evie grew so organically and I loved their mutual respect and care for each other. What I really enjoyed about the book were the character development, the side characters, Theo and Evie's backstories, the humor (especially Theo's students <3), and how caring and observant Theo was.

If you liked Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, you will probably like this one. It gave me similar vibes.

Format: audiobook

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook!

*Dual POV - third person
*Friends to lovers
*Childhood trauma
*Marriage of convenience
*Chronic illness