Solidly meh. Nothing particularly wrong with the plot other than you sometimes wanted to yell at the characters to communicate better, but usually within a chapter their therapists or someone else did that for you.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 6%

I just don't have the emotional bandwidth for books with heavy current social/political themes.

I really wanted to like this one—it had a fun setup, but it just didn’t click for me. The characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and the chemistry fell a bit flat. There were a few moments I enjoyed, but overall, it just didn’t leave much of an impact.Thank you to NetGalley, Marisa Kanter & Macmillan Audio for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

Rating: 3.5/5
Rounded up to 4 due to audiobook.
I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either. I actually liked it more than I thought I would!

The two main characters marriage of convenience felt real, touching on chronic illness, housing struggles, and complicated situationship. I totally pictured it as a romcom movie the whole time.

I couldn’t help but picture this as a movie the whole time. It has that slow-burn romcom energy that would work so well on screen.

Also, shoutout to Gail Shalon , the audiobook narrator, her performance was honestly one of my favorite parts. She brought humor, warmth, and so much personality to the characters. I think she made the book more enjoyable for me overall.

If you're into friends-to-lovers stories grounded in real-world stakes, this one might just hit the right notes for you.

3.25 Stars
This was my first Marisa Kanter read, and I was immediately hooked by the premise. The book blends so many of my favorite tropes (friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, childhood friends) so I was thrilled to be approved for this ALC.

What I really appreciated was how the story brought attention to chronic illness and the very real struggles people face navigating the healthcare system. It added depth and real-world weight to what could have been a lighter romcom.

I absolutely loved Evie and Theo’s friendship. The flashbacks were such a sweet and emotional touch. They really showed why these two were so bonded. I could definitely see how that friendship could evolve into more, but, the ongoing miscommunication started to wear on me. After a while, it felt like it was dragging and getting in the way of the emotional payoff I was hoping for.

The dual narration made for a super enjoyable experience. I loved seeing things from both perspectives. As for the ending... I liked the HEA, but I didn’t totally feel it. I adored Theo and honestly wanted more for him than I think Evie could give. Still, it was a heartfelt, layered romance with great representation and characters that felt real and flawed in the best ways. I'll definitely be checking out more of Marisa Kanter’s work!

Thank you Celadon Books, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

Friends with Benefits
By: Marisa Kanter

The vibes:
- marriage of convenience
- childhood friends to lovers
- will they won’t they?
- Foley artist (makes sound effects for shows & movies) + teacher/education activist
- danced together competitively
- Crohn’s/chronic illness rep
- Grief & loss rep

This book had some good qualities, like the sweet connection between childhood friends, Theo & Evie, and the marriage of convenience trope! But there were also some less desirable aspects in my opinion, such as the endless miscommunications, misunderstandings, and will they won’t they vibes. It felt a bit repetitive as a result of those things & the book was a bit long due to the miscommunication. If they had just communicated, the book would’ve been half the duration.

The narrators were great and you felt the emotion of the characters throughout!

Trigger warnings: loss of a parent, grief, cancer, chronic illness, difficult family relationships

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

Evie Bloom and Theo Cohen have been best friends since they met as children in dance class. They have always been there to help each other out with no questions asked. Now Evie is losing her place to live and Theo's roommates are buying a condo. In order to stay in the rent controlled apartment Theo and Eveie will have to get married. This works out since Theo filled out an internship for Eveie and she needs to have health insurance since she has a chronic illness. The more that they spend together the more they can't hide their true feelings for each other. All of their friends and family knows that they should be together but why can not see it. This was a cute and funny book with serious undertones of chronic illness, missed chances, loss of a parent. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ~ 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐒 ~ by Marisa Kanter ~ Thanks to Celadon Books, MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for an ALC copy of this book. This book started off well and it was working until… well… it wasn’t. The pacing of this started to drag and was filled with so much repetition of information. Then there were long inner monologues that served as info dumps but didn’t do much for characterization. This is a lifelong friends-to-lovers trope, but sadly, I never really felt the love connection between Evie and Theo. Also, I felt as if the author tried too hard to make this modern or even “woke” in relation to sexuality and politics. I get that a lot of romances are exposing newly defined lifestyles and that is fine, it just felt too “try-hard” in this story and for these characters. My biggest pet peeve in this was the use of triples: words and phrases. I wish I kept specific notes on this because by the end it was making me nuts when Theo's deceased mom is in his head telling him “go,go,go.” Insert eye roll because that was about the 50th time three word(s) were repeated in this book. The third act conflict is played out 3 or 4 times and was so overdone in the miscommunication world that I was yelling at them to just speak. I liked the representation of a chronic health issue which gave the story some depth. However, I didn’t really vibe with Evie herself as she was so immature and self centered. I am surprised Theo didn’t give up after a bit. She did have a cool job though.
To sum up, predictable, cliche, oddly structured, super repetitive, not much character growth, unbelievable love connection…… this wasn’t horrible and I can see why romance lover readers might buy into this, it just wasn’t for me, wasn’t for me, wasn’t for me.
⭐⭐💫 (2.5)
𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐥! 📚♥️

This was a hard pass for me, which was very disappointing. I was excited to read the book, however I was not a fan of either of the narrators. They honestly made the story unbearable for me, and even if they hadn't...I am not sure that I would want to continue with the story.

Who doesn't love a good friends to lovers, marriage of conveniences slow burn romance? This book definitely delivered, it was a great feel good story. Evie and Theo are perfect together. I love how this story flashes back to their past so you get the whole picture of their relationship. It is a slow burn but the spice is worth it. I read the physical copy and also listened to the audio for an immersive experience. The narrators were great! I definitely recommend this book. This was my first book by Marisa Kanter but I will definitely be checking out more of her books! Check out my spoiler free review on Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@creatingwithkat/video/7495814519898393899

This book was a heartwarming cozy read. It's a friends to lovers and marriage of convenience troupe. The writing is engaging and has well developed the characters, making them feel relatable and authentic.

I listened on audio and it is a dual narration which I enjoyed and feel like it enhances the listening experience. The narrators, Gail Shalan and GM Hakim, bring Evie and Theo to life, and capture the characters' personalities.

It was such a satisfying read for romance reads. A good mix of humor, emotion, and a touch of realism, making it a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of #FriendsWithBenefits by Marisa Kanter.

I wanted to love this—truly. As someone who lives with chronic pain, I was excited for a romance that centered chronic illness with care and representation. Unfortunately, Friends With Benefits missed the mark.

Evie is living with Crohn’s disease and dealing with very real medical trauma and grief, which I absolutely understand and respect. But her behavior throughout the book—especially toward Theo—was hard to stomach. She treats him terribly for most of the story: emotionally distant, ungrateful, often outright cruel. And Theo? He just keeps bending over backward for her, no matter how much she pushes him away or takes him for granted.

The imbalance in their relationship made the “romance” feel more like martyrdom on Theo’s part than mutual love or growth. It’s not that Evie couldn’t have been a flawed, complicated character—but the book never really holds her accountable or gives her a believable arc of change. Instead, it felt like her illness became an excuse for her emotional immaturity and the harm she caused. I would argue that Jacob (Theo's basically estranged father) is more emotionally available than Evie...

I appreciated the attempt at chronic illness rep and the discussion of healthcare access, but ultimately, I finished the book feeling frustrated and let down. Illness may shape us, but it doesn’t give us license to treat others poorly—and in a romance, mutual care and respect should be non-negotiable.

This one just wasn’t it for me.

The story was a cute rom com with characters you want to win. The MMC seemed nerdy in the best way and a sensitive soul who cares deeply for those he loves. The FMC struggles with trusting those in her life and has to fight to not push them away after they hurt her. The trajectory of their happy ending is an enjoyable ride. At times the side plots felt a little unnecessary and/or very southern Cali Gen Z. The grand gesture of committing to their feelings for each other was really pretty and made up for any of the mid book slump.

This book was hard for me to get into. It was a
Good book though, just not my cup of tea. Definitely a cheesy romcom

it's a fun title that grabs a person's attention! It's a really sweet story of two best friends from childhood, who end up marrying for convenience, or maybe even survival. Navigating their feelings for each other, with the fear of ruining their friendship, and childhood traumas, this novel brings together a lot of real life difficulties that do come at play in friendships, and relationships. I appreciated that realness, in a feel-good novel format.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Friends with Benefits written by Marisa Kanter and narrated by Gail Shalan & GM Hakim was a relatable romance with fake marriage and lots of yearning. Friends with Benefits honestly demonstrates the struggles of chronic illness/pain, grief, loss of a parent due to both neglect and death. I did a dual listen/read and equally enjoyed both. The narrators were lovely.

Rating: 3 stars for story / 4 stars for performance
Format: Audiobook - Dual narration by Gail Shalan and GM Hakim
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Marriage of Convenience, Lots of mental and physical health representation

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ALC - all opinions are my own.

The storytelling was nice with well placed flashbacks to Evie and Theo's past relationship. It was helpful to get some highlights to explain some of their more bizarre choices/behaviors in the present day. I liked Theo a lot more than Evie because I felt he really loved her and believed his romantic feelings much more that Evie's. They were great friends but I never really felt the hotter chemistry from them. It helped that I listened on audio as it kept me more engaged.

The narrators did a good job projecting their characters emotions. The voices really matched the characters well and the performance helped keep me interested during some of the slower scenes.

I rounded up for this one because omg the main characters’ miscommunication/incessant need to NOT talk to one another was SO annoying.

That being said, I did love how much the MMC yearned for the FMC. We love men who yearn.

What I don’t love, though, is the amount of religion that was woven throughout the book. Though I’m not religious, I wish we, the readers, would have been given a heads up of how much it would be discussed in the book. I’m agnostic, so I didn’t mind, but I have a feeling it could others won’t feel the same.

On the very un-religious side of things, this was unexpectedly spicy!! Definitely didn’t think we get so much 3-3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

(Thank you, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, for the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter.

This was a warm, character-driven romance with emotional depth and a refreshingly grounded take on modern love and friendship. The main characters have a strong bond from the start, and their chemistry evolves naturally in a way that feels both romantic and deeply rooted in trust. Kanter’s writing balances humor and heartache while also highlighting the complexities of adulthood—everything from health care struggles to career shifts.

While some moments could’ve benefited from tighter pacing or deeper emotional exploration, the story overall was sincere, engaging, and easy to root for. A solid pick for readers who love friends-to-lovers stories with emotional stakes and relatable, well-rounded characters.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I loved Evie and Theo together. They were just so cute together. And “friends with benefits”—literal health benefits? Hilarious and painfully accurate. 😭😭😭

This isn’t really a romcom. The story flips between present day and flashbacks of them growing up, and it deals with some raw, emotional topics—like chronic illness, grief, and the loss of a parent. It’s a romance with emotional depth, not something light or fluffy. Still beautiful, just not romcom vibes.

💛 Read if you love:
• Friends to lovers
• Marriage of convenience
• Best friend devotion
• Bi leading lady

💭 Final Thoughts
I really liked this one overall! Evie frustrated me toward the end—she was honestly so harsh to Theo. And I will never love the third act breakup. Despite all that, it really delivered emotionally. It was still a strong 4-star read!
⸻
📖 Final Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75)
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review. All thoughts are my own.