Friends with Benefits Review

Hello, all!

If you're looking for one last rom-com to squeeze in before the end of the summer, look no further than Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter.

Pub Date: 5-6-25
Adult - Contemporary

Evie Bloom has dreamed of being a Foley artist, so she's thrilled when she gets the opportunity to become a fellow in a prestigious program. However, there's one little problem: there are no health benefits. Being chronically ill, Evie can't go without insurance, so she has resigned herself to giving up the fellowship, but there may be a way to save her dream.

Theo Cohen has been Evie's best friend since they were kids. He's also an elementary school teacher who's about to lose his rent-controlled apartment unless he can find a roommate. There's a loophole in Theo's lease stating that each roommate must meet an income threshold unless the tenants are married. So the obvious choice? Theo and Evie have to get married. The pair spends all their time together anyway, so what's the big deal? Not only will Theo keep his apartment, but Evie will be added to his health insurance, leaving her free to join the fellowship. It's a logical solution if you overlook the fact that Evie has been opposed to marriage since she was young, and Theo has been a little bit in love with her for years. What could go wrong?

I ate this book up. Kanter's writing was so bingeable that I was over halfway through the book before even realizing. Evie and Theo felt like real people with real problems that everyone nowadays can relate to. I liked the chronic illness representation, and could sympathize with Evie's frustrations. I thought the friends-to-lovers trope was super well done, and loved seeing Evie and Theo's relationship develop into something more after they both spent years pining after each other. There were moments where Evie's attitude towards relationships/marriage became exasperating, and I just wanted her to stop getting in her way, but I understood where she was coming from. Overall, I enjoyed this, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rating: 4/5