In Your Eyes

by Molly McCarthy

She needs health insurance. He needs a wedding date.

Two problems, one solution: she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for legally marrying her.

Rapidly approaching age twenty-six, chronically ill Hannah Reilly doesn’t have a lot of options. She’ll be forced off her parents’ insurance on her birthday, and having Lupus and Sjogren’s means she needs top tier healthcare. While her freelancing job offers flexibility and a creative outlet, it comes at a steep price: no benefits. She’s not sure she can afford an insurance plan that’s not tied to a job on top of the prices of medication, rent, and more.

All hope seems lost until Caleb O’Connor–her old high school friend and the boy next door–returns to town and comes up with a plan that’s so outrageous, it just might work. Having sworn off love and marriage, Caleb has no problem getting married in name only in order to add Hannah to his insurance plan, and he’s willing to do just about anything to get his family off his back about finding a partner–even pretending he has one.

Their convoluted deal ends up working out well…maybe a little too well. Lines are crossed. Edges are blurred. Being forced to act like a couple arouses actual feelings, but figuring out what’s real and what’s not is no simple task. Can Hannah and Caleb detangle the layers of lies and deception that threaten to hurt not only them, but their loved ones as well? Or will it turn out their love is as fake as the rest of their agreement?

This book contains strong language and sexual content. The following topics are mentioned in some capacity: chronic illnesses (specifically Sjogren’s and Lupus), cancer, SIDS, loss of a sibling, loss of a child, infidelity (in the past, not one of the main characters).

Genres: Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Ebooks, Amazon, Fiction

276 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2023

About the author

Molly is an avid romance reader and writer living just outside Boston, MA. She can often be found typing away in a café, drinking a latte, and dreaming of happily ever afters. Keep up with Molly on Instagram @mollymccarthybooks.

Follow me on Bookbub (https://bit.ly/mollybookbub) and subscribe to my newsletter (https://bit.ly/mollynewsletter) for alerts about new releases sales!

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, #ownvoices, dual POV, fake dating, marriage of convenience for health insurance romance that has EXCELLENT chronic disability rep in the form of Lupus and Sjogren's.

I loved Hannah and Reilly and it was so fun seeing them reconnect after years apart, become friends again and pretend to fight their mutual attraction in order to help Hannah with health care and appease Caleb's meddling sister.

Swoony with a side of family drama, this was my first book by Molly McCarthy and I can't wait to read more!! Perfect for fans of books like Would you rather by Allison Ashley or Unlikely match by Laura Bradbury.

🔥Steam level: open door

[M.K. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! It was so good!!

I also have a chronic illness and the rep in this book is on point!

Aside from that aspect, the romance was adorable and the little twists here and there were perfectly timed! Can't wait to read more from this author

[Irum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating : 3.5 stars

P.S. sorry for the long review 🫢

I absolutely adored the genuine friends to lovers trope. The way Caleb love language was acts of service it was truly the little things that made me love him all more. I loved seeing Hannah feel more confident to voice out what she wanted and fought for what she wanted. I love how she wasn’t wishy washy she knew she was in love with him and accepted it. You don’t see that often in a main character and it was quite refreshing. 😭😭😭

One thing that really bugged and bothered me tho was the family dynamic with both Caleb and Hannah. 🙃

With Hannah we got a mother who often asked Hannah for help with practically anything and not once bothering to call her other two children deeming Hannah’s job not as important. She doesn’t say it to her face but Hannah internally feels it but never really confronts her mom about it. In a way I could relate to this issue as I also deal with this as my parent always end up asking for my help rather than ask my siblings. It can be really draining to be the one that everyone depends on and I wish Hannah could have discussed it more. It was kind of brushed to the side as if the author forgot about it

Now with Caleb this was a whole other issue. Caleb’s younger brother passes away due to cancer and it really breaks a part the family. The father leaves right after his death and remarries having now two children. Caleb feels very hurt and betrayed by this thinking it extremely disrespectful divorcing his mother and altogether replacing his family that broke a part after his his younger brothers death. During this time the father really tries hard to still maintain a relationship with him but he ignores his father and practically hates him. His sister on the other hand still communicates with their father and loves him very much even knowing that fact the father left. Come to find out the real reason he left was because of his mom dealing with her sons death by having an affair 😀 What kind of horrible mother let’s her son to believe and hate his father thinking he abandoned them. The father didn’t say anything because he didn’t want Caleb to view his mother as the villain. The father was such a thoughtful, kind , and loving man I felt extremely bad for him so many years wasted all because of the mother. I truly hated the mother and his sister as she know the whole situation and didn’t bother to tell her brother. The sister blurts the truth out when Caleb and his father are arguing. Caleb is extremely hurt by this and ask her why she kept such a big secret to herself knowing the whole situation and she then gets mad and confesses to the whole family about Hannah and Caleb’s secretly marrying. That was not her right to say about their secret marriage especially considering it wasn’t just Caleb’s secret it’s also Hannah’s. That pissed me off so much I was so mad. Caleb is way to forgiving I would have actually cut off both the mother and sister. The mother hiding her affair was the reason for divorce made me livid what kind of mother ruins a father-son relationship all for the sake of keeping her precious image. She’s a horrible woman thank goodness the father left her.

[Ayaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so cute and heartfelt, i was able to connect with the characters and loved how clear their backstories were discussed. It wasn’t too rom-comy which i love because it made it more realistic and easy to connect to.

Loved the relationship of the main characters with the secondary characters and especially enjoyed the growth of the main characters separately and together!!

Definitely recommending it to anyone who will listen.

Thank you molly for the E-arc of the book it was so goood 🤍

[Rebecca Merlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Barely made it to 46%.
Did not care for the writing style. Boring. Not at all believable. Eye rolls galore. Just….no.

[Readersescapism · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Hannah from the very first chapter. I love the thorough insight we got into who she is and her life with her illness.
The FMC was such a good person, even through her own struggles she still has so much compassion for others.
The MMC was a true softie with a huge heart on the inside but looking intimidating on the outside.

I loved Hannah and Caleb so much! loved that you could tell that they really valued and appreciated each other, the connection was breathtakingly beautiful. (the dating app part made me so happy!)

This story touched me in a way that I didn’t expect. There is something so comforting and warm about this book.

It’s a truly beautiful story about struggles, finding a true friend that you can count on in the good times as well as in times of need and unexpected love.

This is easily in my top 3 this year and I feel so so grateful to have been able to read it early since it means I get to enjoy it longer.
I will definitely be purchasing a paperback copy to be able to come back to this story.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book, it was very informative on Hannah’s chronic illness and how she deals with it and also Caleb dealing with his grief. It was a bit emotional but at the same time very uplifting and hopeful. It is a slow burn and it is worth the wait.
The writing was amazing and had great character development. I love when authors add in some fun facts about the city they set their story on. I did Google the cow paths mention and it is a rumor.

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

there is nothing I love more than a friends to lovers SECRET marriage of convenience but also they’re gonna do a little fake dating?! With each book Molly just gets better, and I loved Hannah and Caleb’s story so much! I read it in just a couple of hours. And I know this one is close to her heart, and she wrote both Hannah and Caleb’s individual stories with so much love and care.

Watching Caleb come home and really kind of restart the grief process was so hard. But this time he had someone on the outside to lean on, and I think that helped him so much. Hannah let him sit in it when he needed, offered helpful encouragements when he needed, stood by him literally and figuratively when he needed. She was exactly what he needed in the same way he was for her! She finally had someone to care for her when she needed it. While she was very used to taking care of herself and her entire family, and she liked it, it was what she did. it was nice to be actually cared for. And Caleb did a BEAUTIFUL job.

And the two of them together?! They were perfect. They were kind of a…medium burn?? The first part they were heavy on the friends, then it quickly became clear they had FEELINGS, but what they had going on was way more important! So then the flirting and the tension and the practicing started?! And then the ACTING on the FEELINGS! It was so good!!

I can’t wait for whatever Molly does next! This is exactly what I needed to read today!

[Cameron Grahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book! I felt like it opened my eyes on what it’s like to live with a chronic illness and what challenges come with that which I thought was interesting and really fleshed out our main character Hannah. She was so likable and I rooted for her!
Caleb, the MMC, had a really great back story and seeing his family dynamic was good and I almost wished I had seen more of the resolution with his father. Honestly the family dynamics on both Hannah and Caleb were realistic and interesting.
Overall the book didn’t feel like a rom com which is what I was expecting, mostly because it felt realistic and I feel that a lot of rom coms always have some crazy aspect to them. But getting married for the health insurance seems completely plausible in our world.
I would recommend this book to folks who love romance and who are wanting to explore more topics related to chronic illness because I learned a lot about what it was like to live and navigate romantic relationships!

[Apoorva Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🥵🥵🥵 (& one extra for the lube scene)

One oddly specific trope that I have always loved is friends entering in a marriage of convenience it’s a cherry on cake when it’s because the MMC wants to take care of the FMC 😩

This is my second book by @mollymccarthybooks and if I thought More Beautiful Than Before was cute? This book was the fuzziest warm blanket that was wrapped around my heart.

This book is for you if you like:
✨Friends to Lovers
✨ Legally Married but Fake Dating
✨Chronic Illness Rep
✨Slow Burn
✨Him taking care of her
✨Fun with Caramel Sauce
✨No Lube No Problem

Caleb is back in town because of his new job but when he sees his old friend & neighbor Hannah he feels at peace to be back because of her.

Once they start reconnecting and Hannah tells him that she needs a job thats adjustable for her illness so that she can have a health insurance.

Caleb’s interesting to protect her comes and he wants to get married. What’s for exchange? Have can be his date for his sister’s wedding ✨

I loved how Molly had taken out time and has with grace tackles with so many topics of sensitivity 😭

This book and Caleb is the sweetest and hottest thing🤌🏼🥵

The Slow Burn, Burnt and oh god the scenes are imprinted in my head 😩

I loved this book and @mollymccarthybooks is going to be my auto buy author from now on.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. The representation of what it is like to live with a chronic illness was on par. There was also a lot of depth to this book. Caleb and Hannah are old neighbors from when they were children and meet up again when they are in their mid 20's. Hannah is a blogger and Caleb works for a tech company developing a dating app. They two reconnect and the relationship develops from there. The caretaking in this book was top tier as Caleb steps in to help Hannah before he even knows she has a chronic illness. There is the caretaking, friends to lovers, forced proximity, fake dating, marriage of convenience, and "my wife". It is open door spice as well. I liked the fact there was more depth to the book as well touching on Caleb's family history with the death of his brother and grief. Caleb and Hannah were really good together.

[Amber Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute, easy read. The main characters, Hannah and Caleb, are both the absolute sweetest and I loved their moments together. Their relationship felt very realistic besides the whole fake dating/marriage thing haha

This is only my second time reading a book with a chronic illness and the author did an amazing job at explaining it and allowing us to gain more insight into what it’s like for someone with these illnesses.
Caleb was the sweetest for taking the time to learn and understand her illnesses.

Overall, while reading this book the author was so descriptive that I felt like I was watching it in my head. Also, there were some really fun side characters to make you giggle. If you love feeling like you are immersed in their world, then this is the perfect read.

[Kim Ermer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I didn't really know what to expect going in and this was my first book with the main character dealing with a chronic illness. I loved that aspect of the book - I feel like I learned so much about the struggles to live with being chronically ill - and the caretaker aspect from the MMC.

This book is definitely a slow burn and features one of my favorite tropes - friends to lovers. Throw in the marriage of convenience and fake dating and it was a win for me. The slow burn payoff was worth it, especially since the fact that the two main characters were friends, so that helped with building on their already strong relationship.

I would highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author in the future!

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an incredible book. It has all my favorite romance tropes while dealing with heavier topics in such a sensitive and caring manner. I was so impressed by how the topics were handled.

The romance between the main characters was amazing. They had such a great relationship as they went from friends to spouses to... Anyway, I loved all the challenges they faced and how they supported each other. It felt like a healthy relationship.

I recommend this book to everyone wanting a fun and spicy read with some angst.

[Nicolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book by winning a Goodreads giveaway. Here is my honest review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As someone who has family members who struggle with Lupus, it was such a great representation. I LOVED the characters, the spice was amazing 🌶🌶🌶 and when I tell you, my jaw DROPPED a couple of different times. The characters were flawed in such real ways, and I am so in love with Caleb. He is the sweetest! It was overall a great read, I'm usually an action-packed fantasy/smut girlie, so I was worried I wouldn't finish this, but I'm so glad I did! It's worth the read! Thank you, Molly!

[Jenn Lockwood Editing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page of this book!
Caleb and Hannah have incredible chemistry and connection.
Molly did a perfect job portraying the reality and truths of chronic illness. I was truly fascinated and in awe of Hannah’s strength and resilience.
And oh man, Caleb’s sweetness with how he cares for her is…everything!
This book has so many amazing feels…it’s emotional, heartwarming, and so swoony!
100% a top-rec and must-read book!

[Adrianne Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

emotional and entertaining

First time reading this author and I absolutely loved the characters, the plot and the resolution! I learned so much about chronic illness and was cheering the heroine and hero on through their individual and joint challenges! I will definitely buy another book by this author. Read this through out a single day and enjoyed every moment! Highly recommend.

[Sep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reilly has autoimune diseases and thus fragile health. Caleb has other issues and a big heart. Reilly is about to be dumped off of her mom's insurance, so Caleb who has free insurance offers a marriage of conveninence to get her medical insurance.

Kodos to Ms McCarthy for writing about a woman with severe health issues who does not look sick from the outside. Recommended to everyone who loves someone with these conditions. (Frankly, any age if you cut out some of the sex scenes.)

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The story line was fantastic, I loved that this book also served as an advocate for people with chronic illness. I do not have one my self but I have friends that do and work in healthcare and not enough people are aware of the things they go through.

[Debra King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great romance and really made me invested in the characters. Also, as a disabled person myself (7 years in a wheelchair) I appreciated learning about the autoimmune diseases and how they affect a sufferer's every day life.

[Shelby McCloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.7 stars. Just a cute little romance with not much else. I liked the chronic illness rep and enjoyed myself quite a bit.

[S M Fergenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written romance with lots of info…

I am very impressed with both the romance, spicy parts, and the info about chronic illnesses. I really enjoyed all parts of this novel.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about a chronically ill women who needs health insurance, What she does to get it, and the effect it has on her life.

[Erica (_speedereader_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caleb & Hannah