I’m very thankful for the opportunity to have read this ARC.

This book was a decent, cosy fantasy with a little bit of spice.

The MCs, Luna and Vincent, were both likeable but Vincent’s wind power was the star of the show! I loved how much personality his wind power had and thought it was a really fun take on magical powers.

The plot was a little predictable or cheesy at times, but it was great to wind down with a fairly low-stakes fantasy book at the end of a long day and I had some genuine laughs.

Bargains With Benefits was my first ever ARC read, and I'm so glad it was! This story wrapped me up like a warm blanket with its cozy atmosphere, playful flirtation, a dash of mystery, and just the right amount of spice. I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely swooned over Vincent (and his wind—it has a personality of its own!). New book boyfriend alert!

Luna and Vincent's chemistry was magnetic from their very first meeting. Their connection had me smiling and kicking my feet. Add in some found family, magical whimsy, and open-door moments that hit just right, and this book became an instant favorite.

If you're looking for a low-stakes romantic escape with charm, magic, and heart—Bargains With Benefits is it. Jillian Witt is now on my auto-read list. I can't wait to check out the Compass Points books.

This story was so fun and inviting but also heartwarming. I loved how Luna was slowly gaining confidence and felt the strength and power of female friendhip.
The romance is swoony and sweet.

3.75/5*

Bargains with Benefits is a cozy, low-stakes romantasy with a dash of spice, but more than that it's the journey of the two main characters railing against what they've been taught and told to be, and making different choices in order to be better.

Eclectic half-fae Luna and reserved old fae Vincent aren't a pair who should match, by their society's standards, and yet their chemistry was undeniable. I loved the way that they complimented each other and broadened the other's horizons, both about their feelings for each other and their preconceptions at large. Once things got going, the dual-POV format had me hooked as we got to peer inside their heads and experience attraction bloom into something deeper.

My only problem was getting there: whilst I enjoyed the story and the world building, for the first third of the book I just wasn't gripped enough by it, and had to somewhat forge on. I wish the build up had been edited down just a little more, because once it reached a certain point, I was fully invested and loving the story, and devoured a big chunk of it in one evening. That being said, this isn't a long read, so even the small period that didn't fully grip me wasn't very long, and I was drawn in enough to make the pay-off definitely worth it.

This felt like a blend between the cozy, Shire-like setting of Lila Appleton's books and the modern-but-magical tech enabled world of Cora Crane's, and I'm super excited to read more of Jillian's work.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC***

This was a really sweet novel in a fantasy world that wasn't "too fantasy". Our two main characters both have parental issues and an instant attraction to each other. The stakes are perhaps different than the characters think they are at the beginning, but at no point did you ever think one would do anything to betray the other. The tension comes from what the other characters do or did in the past to get to this point. There is obviously magic in this story, but even if you aren't interested in the current magic trend, you could enjoy this sweet story. And while I can't tell if therapy is something the fae do in this world, I hope it is. There is some serious family trauma all around. This would be a great summer just vibing read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC! I am so elated to have been able to get early access to such a charming book! I was drawn to this book as soon as I saw the cover.

Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️ . 5 / 5

This book was such a good palate cleanser after all the dark books I’ve been reading lately! This is a cozy romantasy with a ✨dabble or two✨ of spice 🌶️ (quality over quantity, people!). The plot is also *chefs kiss* for a cozy romantasy. It isn’t a life or death storyline, but it’s still important for the character development and story outcome. I LOVED this story and I can’t wait for more!

This book felt like a warm cup of tea that I couldn’t stop sipping even if it would have my cheeks blushing. 🤭

The slow burn, the spice, the stolen glances, the characters AND their growth? I loved it ALL.

If you are looking for a cozy romance book that consists of magic, slow burn, quality spice, and forearms(wink), I highly recommend this! ✨


**disclaimer: I received this eARC from NetGalley and am leaving this review of my own accord. All thoughts are my own.**

First, I wanted to say thank you for having the opportunity to read an ARC copy.

I just finished this book and feel like I could gush about it forever. If you are looking for a sweet read that feels like a hug or being snuggled under the beat blanket this is it. The FMC is strong and sassy. The MMC is the perfect golden retriever book boyfriend. There are fun magical elements, family drama and a sense of belonging throughout. The characters never lose faith in each other and we get the perfect ending. If you’re looking for sometime to feel realistic in your romance this probably isn’t it. But if you want to escape for a few hours to a beautiful world with the coziest, happiest feelings read this today. I hope book 2 isn’t to far behind!

Thank you so much Jillian Witt and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC of this book. This was a perfect Cozy Romantasy read! The characters were perfectly written and I cannot wait to read more from Jillian Witt! I really was intrigued by the cover and it did not disappoint!

I absolutely loved this cozy romantsy!
It gives the perfect blend of fae, half fae and humans. The story follows Luna half fae, bar tender maybe cozy inn owner and Vincent, fae, journalist. There story begins before they even realize it when she’s throwing a drink in his face without thinking twice about it. This story brings the perfect blend of being proud to be your own unique self, learning family dynamic, and togetherness.

In the beginning I was hoping to learn more about the magic here but it was given at the right time. I haven’t read the series before this one that takes place in the same world but I am very excited to read the next in this series.

Got it for the title. So intriguing

And no regrets. Soooo good

I was hooked from the start.

Can’t wait for everyone else to read this.

Tqtqtq for this opportunity

Premise:
The reader joins Luna, a half-fae, right as she is getting what she’s always wanted: to manage the Cliff House Inn. The problem is, there hasn’t been a visitor in months, and the owner, her estranged father, is threatening to sell if she doesn’t fill the inn by Long Night. She pairs up with Vincent, a fae writer with a recommendation column. Vincent puts products and places on the map with his column, but dreams of working on more impactful stories for the paper. The impactful story just so happens to be about Luna’s father potentially bribing the city’s mayor. Luna and Vincent strike a bargain that if Luna can help uncover her estranged father’s actions, Vincent will write a glowing recommendation for the inn. Mutual attraction has them questioning the bargain and their true intentions with their goals.

Review:
I enjoyed the book. The story was cute and cozy, the author’s voice and the tone of the novel was great. It was a fantasy but easy to settle into the town/ world she built.

I felt emotionally invested in Luna and Vincent. Their dialogue felt natural and the hesitancy in getting together was believable. The slow-burn was timed well in my opinion! The role their past trauma’s played in their current relationship and professional life was clear. For me, Vincent’s story arc was more fleshed out. I felt a direct connection from how his past influenced his current personality. His want was clear and the stakes were known. He wanted a job and without the job would be forced to move back with his parents, further he wanted a promotion writing more serious journalism pieces so he would feel less used for his recommendations column. Once he was able to accept that Luna cared for him beyond his recommendation and despite his family name, he was able to fully accept himself and stand against the system. The addition of his wind as a sentient side character, was fantastic. I enjoyed its ‘personality’ and how it helped to paint a picture of Vincent’s feelings changing throughout the story.

For Luna, I could piece it together in retrospect, but I wished her story was fleshed out a little more. She wanted to keep the inn because she liked it and it was a connection to her mother, but what were the stakes of losing the inn? We never heard much about the mother/daughter relationship so it was difficult to get invested in why it was so special to Luna. Further, it sounded like she didn’t enjoy working at the inn with the grumpy manager never letting her do anything or accept ideas; I do wish he had appeared again to explain or repent. Compared to the tavern which she seemed to love and have friends and people around and she had a definite job no matter what happened to the inn. Once she found out the secrets her mother kept from her, she was able to fulfill her goals. But again we never heard much about the relationship between her parents, the rise nor the fall. Learning more about that would have made Luna’s conclusion feel more satisfying. Though it was interesting to compare Luna’s mom to Vincent’s parents - two sides of the same coin in terms of blind prejudice.

Overall, I liked the story and how it highlighted the stories of a mixed human-fae and a full fae who didn’t play by society’s rules. I also enjoyed the hints of society changing as well and not defining themselves in one camp or another but rather embracing the melting pot. The mystery of the locked door and the truth of the bribe scandal kept me interested in the plot.

I recommend if you want a cozy, low-stakes romance with a touch of magic and loveable characters!

~~ arc review✨
bargains and benefits is about a half fae named luna who want to revive her inn by making a bargain with a fae journalist called vincent. while their bargain leads them to unravel some old fae family mysteries, it also makes them face some emotions bigger than what they counted on.
°°°
first things first; i absolutely devoured this cute and cozy fantasy!!! the vibes of the town and characters were so heart warming that i just needed more detail about them, and i hope we get to see different aspects of the city in the coming books. this book is also interconnected to the authors other series, while it is not necessary for you to read them before, i must say that bargains with benefits got me curious to learn more about the history of this fae, half fae, and human filled universe.
the worldbuilding was interesting. i loved reading about the different fae families and their elements. those aspects gave the book an almost regency based environment which i always enjoy. i feel like i needed more information but there's a high chance all of that was established in the former series.
the writing of the book was very easy to get into and fast paced. while i prefer a much slower pacing, this didn't bother me much and i think for the times where we need a quick, fun, light book to cure our reading slump, bargains with benefits will come in hand!!! the little mystery we had going on was also very entertaining and it had me interested throughout the whole book.
i loved our characters. while vincent was a little bit too grumpy at the beginning, he didn't have any difficulties making me like him soon after starting to read. and luna with her sunshine personality, was an absolute delight to follow through!! the whole theme of not knowing where to fit among society, and eventually finding your own people with whom you are a hundred percent yourself warmed my heart. while it shows the importance of every relationship in our lives, it also shows that the people around you should be one's that stand with you while you shine in your own unique way, rather than trying to dim your light and try to complete you in areas where you're not lacking but only different.
overall, this book felt like a warm hug and i cannot wait for the world to meet luna and vincent, and even the cliff house inn!!!!
mark your calendars, this book will be out
june 3rd, 2025
thank you so much to netgalley and the author jillian witt for granting me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review🤍

love love love!!!


This book was cozy magical perfection and a warm hug. I adored the characters and their development, and cliff house inn sounds so idyllic, I would love to stay.
I don’t know why this was giving Gilmore girls and Chesapeake shores but solely based on aesthetic, but I’m glad it did. I was immediately enchanted by Luna and her story, and could not stop coming back to this even when I was supposed to be doing other things !

No notes for this one. Just a solid 10/10 recommend if you’re looking for the coziest new fantasy read <3

Huge thank you to Jillian Witt and NetGalley for this advance copy prior to release date 🤍


4.5/5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

This follows Luna Pierce - a half-fae who has been given the task by her estranged Fae Father than she needs to bring customer back to the Inn where she lives and grew up , or he will sell it.

In comes Vincent Andiveron , who is the columnist for a thriving recommendation column, that has made every business he has written about a huge success. However he wants to be writing more serious pieces, after being given a tip that Darius Piece could be bribing the local mayor to stop a half-fae school he goes to investigate. As this story could be the big break his career needed.

This investigation leads him to Luna-Darius' daughter- the two of them make a bargain together. Luna helps Vincent with his story and Vincent helps Luna by writing about her Inn in his column.

But there is so much more to the story than either of them knew.

This was a really cool story , set in a magical world of fae. I loved the slow-burn of Luna and Vincent's attraction while working together to find the truth.

Oh Jillian….
You must forgive me for being slightly oblivious, and not realizing that this book was interconnected with Compass Points.
That being said, I absolutely loved Compass Points and now I love this book too 😂
So the squeal I let loose on the first page when I realized it was within the same universe was pretty damn loud! 😅
I know everybody’s talking about how cozy this book is but this feels a lot more nuanced than that to me.
I find a quiet strength in this book, both MCs are living their lives as best they can with what they have, who they are and what they can do without making a fuss.
They may not be struggling, starving, or in a world crumbling with war, but instead they are trapped in a social, economical and species caste system.
The same type of systems we see all over the world right now. And though both characters come from different sides, they have no idea how deep the other side feels these prejudices until they come together, both with their own self serving goals to accomplish.
What starts off as needing to use one another, very quickly turns into a shared understanding that neither are happy with the status quo.
They joined forces in the hopes of not only accomplishing their goals, but by the end, changing their world.

After the death of her mother, half-fae Luna’s estranged dad resurfaces with an interest in her. After all this time, he’s offering her the opportunity to take charge at Cliff House Inn… that is, if she can fill it by Long Night.

Vincent is a columnist at the paper in town writing local recommendations but he’s looking for a more serious role. He’s also part of one of the oldest Fae families around…

Luna needs a recommendation for her inn and Vincent needs access to Luna’s father whom is allegedly dispensing bribes to keep a new magical school for all from being built.

Together they go from enemies to lovers and help each other embrace their sense of self and individuality. Along the way we all get to know the friends and coworkers in town and explore a grand theme of friendship.

I think this was a wonderful, low stakes romantic fantasy. I do think parts of the writing were very repetitive but not enough to put me off from enjoying this delightful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this eARC in review for an honest review

Bargains with Benefits was exactly the kind of book my heart needed. From the very first chapter, I was hooked on Luna’s world—her charming little inn, her hidden half-fae heritage, and that perfect balance of magic and everyday warmth. The writing made me feel like I’d stepped into a magical coastal town I never wanted to leave.

Luna and Vincent’s dynamic was adorable—awkward at first but filled with chemistry and genuine connection. I loved how their relationship unfolded naturally, full of banter, respect, and just the right amount of sizzle. It gave me major comfort-read vibes, but with enough intrigue and tension to keep me turning pages late into the night.

This book felt like a hug in story form. Wholesome friendships, a cozy setting, a bit of fae mischief, and a slow-burn romance with heart—what more could I ask for? I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in the Fae by the Bay series!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

What a cute, cosy romantascy read! Having not read the previous series I went in to this a little unsure of whether I’d understand the background but Jillian Witt does a fantastic job of covering the basics at the beginning and slowly embedding the facts along the way.

Luna Pierce is a half-fae working at her fathers inn and her best friends tavern when she finally gets the chance she’s been waiting for all her life - the opportunity to run the inn herself. Vincent Andiveron is from an old fae family and trying to make his own way in the world. What starts as a business bargain between the two, quickly leads to more in this enchanting read.

My only nitpick is I feel the insta-love trope is getting a bit overdone, I’d rather an insta-like situation especially when we know we’re going to see these characters in further books.

I’m looking forward to picking up the next book in the series and I’ve already added the previous series to my TBR!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

What a fun, cozy, low-stakes read! Sometimes I need to get away from the high fantasy worlds and tension filled romances and this hit the spot. The friendships are wholesome, the cardinal magic is interesting, and the family dynamics were realistic when you get beyond the magic. After I got through the info dumping at the beginning of the book, pretty much necessary in a fantasy world within a shorter novel, the story made me want to check out all the recommendations in Vincent’s articles and visit Sandrin (staying at Cliff House Inn of course).

This is the first book I have read by Jillian Witt and it has me wanting to check out her previously published books in addition to anticipating the next in the Fae by the Bay series.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Such a fun, low stake enemies to lovers!! From the get go I was obsessed with the relationship of Luna and Vincent and the writing style. It was SO captivating, fast and fun to read! Definitely a good cozy read & will be reading more from this author! I really loved the use of dual pov as well and that we got to see their journey from each of theirs experiences and got to know their personality!! It was done so uniquely!! This also really reminded me of my love for divine rivals!!!
Thank you so much net galley for the opportunity to read this book early!!
Review will be posted on TikTok later in the week to keep my posting schedule!