Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter

Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Celadon Books (via NetGalley) for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Lifelong best friends say 'I do' to a marriage of convenience, trading vows for a financial safety net and benefits.

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.

But it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Marriage. It will just give them space to breathe, and much-needed relief from the daily financial stress. It won’t change anything.

It’s . . . going to change everything.
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The description of this book tells you up front what tropes you can expect in the story, so if you are not a fan of friends-to-lovers and fake marriage, then this is one you will want to pass by. However, I happen to LOVE both of those, so this was perfect for me. I always joke that for someone who is happily single and plans to spend the rest of her life that way, I am a sucker for a good romcom, and I am happy to report that this book delivers. Evie and Theo are both likable characters, and it's easy to root for them, but there is depth to their story. The author lists some content warnings at the beginning of the book, which I always appreciate, as there are some serious themes included. However, what I most got from my reading of this book is that it made me feel good...within the first chapter, I was enjoying myself, and that enjoyment continued all the way through the end. Were some parts predictable? Sure. But did that take away from my experience reading it? Absolutely not. I will definitely look forward to reading more adult offerings from Marisa Kanter.

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