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Married with Benefits
"The romance is perfection. An absolutely gorgeous book." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
For better or worse is just the beginning.
Lainey Davis can't wait for the day she'll be able to escape her tiny Wisconsin town. But she’s not even close to covering her health insurance premiums and pricey migraine medication, let alone saving up enough to start over some place new. That is, until Lainey learns that through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, she’s inadvertently squatted her way into owning a marvel of modern architecture.
But Lainey owns only the house. The surrounding property, a lakeside money pit the previous owner used as a front to deal illegal reptiles, has been willed to Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent out the place to fellow architecture lovers. Their assets are tied together, but neither can move forward without the other.
Desperate, Elliot proposes an unconventional marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Lainey will finally have a way out of town, and he’ll own the house designed by his idol. Married in name only and living together while fixing up the property, Lainey and Elliot find themselves unable to keep their hopes, dreams, or bedsheets from getting entwined. And as their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
For better or worse is just the beginning.
Lainey Davis can't wait for the day she'll be able to escape her tiny Wisconsin town. But she’s not even close to covering her health insurance premiums and pricey migraine medication, let alone saving up enough to start over some place new. That is, until Lainey learns that through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, she’s inadvertently squatted her way into owning a marvel of modern architecture.
But Lainey owns only the house. The surrounding property, a lakeside money pit the previous owner used as a front to deal illegal reptiles, has been willed to Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent out the place to fellow architecture lovers. Their assets are tied together, but neither can move forward without the other.
Desperate, Elliot proposes an unconventional marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Lainey will finally have a way out of town, and he’ll own the house designed by his idol. Married in name only and living together while fixing up the property, Lainey and Elliot find themselves unable to keep their hopes, dreams, or bedsheets from getting entwined. And as their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
Audible Audio
First published July 21, 2026
About the author
Ellie Palmer
4 books1,010 followersEllie Palmer is a lifelong lover of love stories, a carrier of the BRCA1 mutation, and a prototypical Midwesterner who routinely apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them. When she’s not writing romantic comedies featuring delightfully messy characters, she’s at home in Minnesota, eating breakfast food, watching too much reality television, and triple texting her husband about their son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 949 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
4.75 ★— The hard-to-nail art of a marriage of convenience story is taking the tension born from forced proximity and turning it into banter and chemistry so good you want to shove the leads' heads together and make them kiss like barbie dolls, which this book absolutely delivers on.
Right away, you’re introduced to a heroine who feels like the antithesis of so many contemporary romance leads: Lainey Davis is fully competent, extremely capable, and genuinely good at everything. She’s the slightly unhinged, wildly determined, calculating, ultimate jack of all trades, and watching her bully the prim, proper, sweater-wearing owner of her land, Elliot Hodges, so hard that he ends up marrying her was such a pleasure!
She’s surrounded by a supporting cast that’s just as charming, including a perfectly kooky grandmother and her best friend Bree, who really grew on me as the story went on. The small-town setting worked for me in a way I didn’t expect, and the whole cast contributed to this book’s cozy, slightly offbeat charm.
Elliot Hodges, our MMC and second POV, is the perfect counterbalance to Lainey. Described as looking like Clark Kent in glasses (yes, I am absolutely headcanoning him as David Corenswet!), he’s nerdy, competent, hot, and deeply, deeply unprepared for Lainey’s particular brand of chaos and their dynamic is sizzling!
From their first meeting, she has him completely off-balance, negging him, playing him, challenging him, and that man is so into it even though he very much does not want to be. He falls first. He pines. He is utterly entranced by her, especially by how frighteningly competent she is.
Their buildup and tension were done to perfection, and we get so many scenes of them actually living their “married” life together, getting to see them share a space, learn each other’s rhythms, and quietly build that real intimacy you feel radiate from the pages.
I also found Lainey’s childhood trauma and complicated relationship with her mother well handled. It was present and clearly influential without completely overtaking the story, which I appreciated.
If I had one small gripe, it’s the fade to black sex scene, and even that comes down to personal preference. I’m not normally someone who cares about explicit sex scenes, but after that level of yearning, chemistry, and buildup we get to see between Elliot and Lainey, I did kind of wish we’d gotten a more detailed payoff. (Or maybe I’m just greedy.)
The ending, with it feeling a bit abrupt in how it was executed after a third-act breakup I didn’t love, did slightly bamboozle me at first, but still left me ultimately feeling like everything came together well.
Bottom line: I loved this. I was fully engrossed, and it’s been a long time since a contemporary romance grabbed me like this.
_________________
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!
Right away, you’re introduced to a heroine who feels like the antithesis of so many contemporary romance leads: Lainey Davis is fully competent, extremely capable, and genuinely good at everything. She’s the slightly unhinged, wildly determined, calculating, ultimate jack of all trades, and watching her bully the prim, proper, sweater-wearing owner of her land, Elliot Hodges, so hard that he ends up marrying her was such a pleasure!
She’s surrounded by a supporting cast that’s just as charming, including a perfectly kooky grandmother and her best friend Bree, who really grew on me as the story went on. The small-town setting worked for me in a way I didn’t expect, and the whole cast contributed to this book’s cozy, slightly offbeat charm.
Elliot Hodges, our MMC and second POV, is the perfect counterbalance to Lainey. Described as looking like Clark Kent in glasses (yes, I am absolutely headcanoning him as David Corenswet!), he’s nerdy, competent, hot, and deeply, deeply unprepared for Lainey’s particular brand of chaos and their dynamic is sizzling!
From their first meeting, she has him completely off-balance, negging him, playing him, challenging him, and that man is so into it even though he very much does not want to be. He falls first. He pines. He is utterly entranced by her, especially by how frighteningly competent she is.
Their buildup and tension were done to perfection, and we get so many scenes of them actually living their “married” life together, getting to see them share a space, learn each other’s rhythms, and quietly build that real intimacy you feel radiate from the pages.
I also found Lainey’s childhood trauma and complicated relationship with her mother well handled. It was present and clearly influential without completely overtaking the story, which I appreciated.
If I had one small gripe, it’s the fade to black sex scene, and even that comes down to personal preference. I’m not normally someone who cares about explicit sex scenes, but after that level of yearning, chemistry, and buildup we get to see between Elliot and Lainey, I did kind of wish we’d gotten a more detailed payoff. (Or maybe I’m just greedy.)
The ending, with it feeling a bit abrupt in how it was executed after a third-act breakup I didn’t love, did slightly bamboozle me at first, but still left me ultimately feeling like everything came together well.
Bottom line: I loved this. I was fully engrossed, and it’s been a long time since a contemporary romance grabbed me like this.
_________________
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!
November 12, 2025
I LOVE a marriage of convenience!
I am Lainey, she is me. Girl I see you. I love you & I wish I could reach into the pages to give you a massive hug. Elliot is swoony af. I love a man in slutty little glasses. The Chronic migraine rep was so RELATABLE. Honestly this whole book was just 10/10
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I am Lainey, she is me. Girl I see you. I love you & I wish I could reach into the pages to give you a massive hug. Elliot is swoony af. I love a man in slutty little glasses. The Chronic migraine rep was so RELATABLE. Honestly this whole book was just 10/10
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
August 12, 2026
“It wasn’t like I knew her, but… I knew I was supposed to know her. And I wondered if maybe that was the point of this whole mess I’d gotten myself into. That it was all to meet her.”
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ” x ᴋᴏᴅᴀʟɪɴᴇ
0:12 ─♥──────── 3:52
Lainey and Elliot end up in a very unconventional marriage of convenience, forcing two people with completely different plans for their lives to live and work alongside each other. Of course, what starts as a practical arrangement slowly turns into something neither of them quite expected.
Lainey was SUCH a great FMC. She’s basically a human Jack of all trades, and I loved how capable, determined, and stubbornly independent she was. She knows how to figure things out and get things done, even when life is throwing absolutely everything at her. Watching her navigate chronic pain while still pushing forward made me admire her so much. I didn’t always agree with her morals or the way she justified some of her choices... 😭🤚🏼 but I still respected her character immensely.
And Elliot!!! Their meet-cute was SO cute because they genuinely liked each other right away, which made their second meeting and the realization that Lainey had something Elliot needed so much more interesting. They went from hitting it off to being on opposite sides of a situation neither of them expected, and I loved watching them slowly work through those assumptions and find their way back to that initial connection. Seeing them become friends again while working together was honestly one of my favorite parts
Also, Elliot being an actual listener??? One of the most attractive things a man can do honestly. 🙂↕️ I loved how intentional he was about hearing Lainey out and respecting her instead of constantly trying to take over or tell her what to do. He gave her the space and respect she deserved, and I ate that UPPPP 👏🏼
One of the things I appreciated most was the way the book handled trust. Lainey has every reason to be guarded, but there’s a difference between being careful with your heart and letting past experiences decide what every future relationship is going to look like. You don’t have to trust someone immediately, and you’re allowed to take your time, but eventually you have to decide whether you’re going to let fear keep making your choices for you.
I will say, as i mentioned earlier, I wasn’t always a fan of Lainey’s morals throughout the book. There were times when she justified things I didn’t agree with, even when they seemed small, and that did bother me a lot 🤷🏼♀️ it didn’t take away too much from the overall reading experience but i still didn't like it LOL
Overall, this was such a sweet, easy to read palette cleanser. Funny, romantic, cozy, and full of characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. I had such a good time with this one 🙂↕️
favorite quotes ↓
“Elliot had a way of listening to her that she’d found hard to resist. The intensity in his eyes as he watched her, like every word she said carried weight. She’d never felt heard like this before.”
“What’s the point of living in general if you don’t have any hope that the mess you’re making is going to turn out in the end?”
“That’s all marriage is, I think: trusting someone with the tiny things. The insignificant things. Those unlovable parts of yourself. You can’t love someone you don’t trust.”
“Sometimes when you look at me, it feels like no one’s ever looked at me before. Like I didn’t exist before I met you”
“It’s okay to want more than what you have. To need people. To ask them to be good to you and to be angry when they’re not. You’re worth so much more than what you’ve learned to accept.”
things to know about the book ↓
🧡 marriage of convenience
🧡 forced proximity
🧡 chronic pain rep
🧡 renovation project
🧡 learning to trust
🧡 3rd-act breakup
🧡 written in 3rd person
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️
→ chapters: 14, 17
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
august 12th- ive seen so many genuinely great reviews for this... im so excited for some strong fmc energy 🙂↕️🙂↕️
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ” x ᴋᴏᴅᴀʟɪɴᴇ
0:12 ─♥──────── 3:52
Lainey and Elliot end up in a very unconventional marriage of convenience, forcing two people with completely different plans for their lives to live and work alongside each other. Of course, what starts as a practical arrangement slowly turns into something neither of them quite expected.
Lainey was SUCH a great FMC. She’s basically a human Jack of all trades, and I loved how capable, determined, and stubbornly independent she was. She knows how to figure things out and get things done, even when life is throwing absolutely everything at her. Watching her navigate chronic pain while still pushing forward made me admire her so much. I didn’t always agree with her morals or the way she justified some of her choices... 😭🤚🏼 but I still respected her character immensely.
And Elliot!!! Their meet-cute was SO cute because they genuinely liked each other right away, which made their second meeting and the realization that Lainey had something Elliot needed so much more interesting. They went from hitting it off to being on opposite sides of a situation neither of them expected, and I loved watching them slowly work through those assumptions and find their way back to that initial connection. Seeing them become friends again while working together was honestly one of my favorite parts
Also, Elliot being an actual listener??? One of the most attractive things a man can do honestly. 🙂↕️ I loved how intentional he was about hearing Lainey out and respecting her instead of constantly trying to take over or tell her what to do. He gave her the space and respect she deserved, and I ate that UPPPP 👏🏼
One of the things I appreciated most was the way the book handled trust. Lainey has every reason to be guarded, but there’s a difference between being careful with your heart and letting past experiences decide what every future relationship is going to look like. You don’t have to trust someone immediately, and you’re allowed to take your time, but eventually you have to decide whether you’re going to let fear keep making your choices for you.
I will say, as i mentioned earlier, I wasn’t always a fan of Lainey’s morals throughout the book. There were times when she justified things I didn’t agree with, even when they seemed small, and that did bother me a lot 🤷🏼♀️ it didn’t take away too much from the overall reading experience but i still didn't like it LOL
Overall, this was such a sweet, easy to read palette cleanser. Funny, romantic, cozy, and full of characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. I had such a good time with this one 🙂↕️
favorite quotes ↓
“Elliot had a way of listening to her that she’d found hard to resist. The intensity in his eyes as he watched her, like every word she said carried weight. She’d never felt heard like this before.”
“What’s the point of living in general if you don’t have any hope that the mess you’re making is going to turn out in the end?”
“That’s all marriage is, I think: trusting someone with the tiny things. The insignificant things. Those unlovable parts of yourself. You can’t love someone you don’t trust.”
“Sometimes when you look at me, it feels like no one’s ever looked at me before. Like I didn’t exist before I met you”
“It’s okay to want more than what you have. To need people. To ask them to be good to you and to be angry when they’re not. You’re worth so much more than what you’ve learned to accept.”
things to know about the book ↓
🧡 marriage of convenience
🧡 forced proximity
🧡 chronic pain rep
🧡 renovation project
🧡 learning to trust
🧡 3rd-act breakup
🧡 written in 3rd person
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️
→ chapters: 14, 17
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
august 12th- ive seen so many genuinely great reviews for this... im so excited for some strong fmc energy 🙂↕️🙂↕️
August 20, 2026
4.5/5
started out quirky, then killed me with sincerity
after three books, its officially time to say, i adore ellie palmer!!! obviously there are so many authors currently writing contemporary romances, but palmer has such a wonderful authorial voice that just opening her books makes feel me like i'm starting a new favorite. you just know her main characters, especially lainey, are going to feel unknowable on page one but by the time you close the book you realize they're basically your best friends and you've shared your deepest secrets with each other.
this story is all about lainey and her interesting life in small town wisconsin. she's an art student (almost), a jack of trades (one hundred percent), and an uber driver (with one working door). soon she finds out that she's somehow squatted her way into owning a house, a shock to all, minus grandma of course. so when the new "owner" shows up to sell it, things get iffy. these two decide the only way to fix things so they both get what they want (lainey: medication, elliot: architecture) is to get married! duh. from the start, elliot and lainey were attracted to each other but you can't really be friends with benefits with you husband... thankfully they are new dog parents and b&b owners so their relationship gets serious fast, no reason to worry about labels. they're married!!
no but in all seriousness, these two are the only married couple EVER!! ellie palmer really sucks you in with the insane small town hijinks, like turtle racing and secret poker games and larry, so when you reach the third act, and each line of dialogue is the most romantic thing ever said, it's like a gut punch in the best way. i flew through the last seventy pages, needing to see what lainey was doing with her future, and what elliot wouldn't do to follow her. if you haven't read anything by miss ellie, get to it NOW!! four weekends and a funeral welcomes you into her world of odd (positive) romances and if you're anything like me, you'll never want to leave!!
*thank you to the publisher for an early copy!!*
started out quirky, then killed me with sincerity
after three books, its officially time to say, i adore ellie palmer!!! obviously there are so many authors currently writing contemporary romances, but palmer has such a wonderful authorial voice that just opening her books makes feel me like i'm starting a new favorite. you just know her main characters, especially lainey, are going to feel unknowable on page one but by the time you close the book you realize they're basically your best friends and you've shared your deepest secrets with each other.
this story is all about lainey and her interesting life in small town wisconsin. she's an art student (almost), a jack of trades (one hundred percent), and an uber driver (with one working door). soon she finds out that she's somehow squatted her way into owning a house, a shock to all, minus grandma of course. so when the new "owner" shows up to sell it, things get iffy. these two decide the only way to fix things so they both get what they want (lainey: medication, elliot: architecture) is to get married! duh. from the start, elliot and lainey were attracted to each other but you can't really be friends with benefits with you husband... thankfully they are new dog parents and b&b owners so their relationship gets serious fast, no reason to worry about labels. they're married!!
no but in all seriousness, these two are the only married couple EVER!! ellie palmer really sucks you in with the insane small town hijinks, like turtle racing and secret poker games and larry, so when you reach the third act, and each line of dialogue is the most romantic thing ever said, it's like a gut punch in the best way. i flew through the last seventy pages, needing to see what lainey was doing with her future, and what elliot wouldn't do to follow her. if you haven't read anything by miss ellie, get to it NOW!! four weekends and a funeral welcomes you into her world of odd (positive) romances and if you're anything like me, you'll never want to leave!!
*thank you to the publisher for an early copy!!*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I've been trying to finish this book for at least a month. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad but it's not good either. It's just insignificant. It's a disappointment. I love the marriage of convenience -as one should- but this one did not deliver
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
So thankful for Netgalley and Putnam for this eARC copy🤎💜
P. S I couldn't remember what chapters are 🌶️
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
So thankful for Netgalley and Putnam for this eARC copy🤎💜
P. S I couldn't remember what chapters are 🌶️
June 14, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
I think this book finally convinced me that it might be time for an Ellie Palmer break.
This is the fourth ARC I've received from her, and at this point Four Weekends and a Funeral remains the only one that's really worked for me. I keep picking them up because the premises sound right up my alley, but the execution never seems to land the way I hope it will.
The biggest issue here was Lainey. I understand that she's supposed to be chaotic, struggling, and doing whatever she can to survive, but there were too many moments where she came across less as quirky and more as someone I simply couldn't root for. The book treats some of her behavior, and the behavior of people around her, as endearing when I found it frustrating.
The marriage-of-convenience setup also required a lot of suspension of disbelief. I can usually roll with a ridiculous romance premise if the chemistry is there, but I never fully bought into Lainey and Elliot as a couple. By the time their relationship started developing, I had already checked out emotionally.
The small-town humor didn't help either. Every side character seemed to have their own eccentric gimmick, and after a while it felt like the book was trying too hard to be quirky.
Ironically, the part I enjoyed most had very little to do with the romance. I found myself more interested in Bree and her storyline than in the main couple.
This wasn't a terrible read, but it felt much longer than it needed to be, and by the end I just didn't care enough about the central relationship for the emotional moments to land. Unfortunately, this one was another miss for me.
Read
June 2, 2026so retrying this with the audio started off strong for the first 40% but i fell off sometime after that and turned it up to 3x to power through.
~~~
unfortunately i think this is one of those books where i need to wait for the audiobook to finish it… hard as i try i cannot seem to immerse myself in the story, i think lainey and elliot are absolutely adorable as people and really funny but this book reads very confusing and scatterbrained to me (possibly because of 3rd person pov?) and this is a book i really wanted to love so soft dnf for now.
~~~
unfortunately i think this is one of those books where i need to wait for the audiobook to finish it… hard as i try i cannot seem to immerse myself in the story, i think lainey and elliot are absolutely adorable as people and really funny but this book reads very confusing and scatterbrained to me (possibly because of 3rd person pov?) and this is a book i really wanted to love so soft dnf for now.
July 23, 2026
I picked up the audiobook of Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer on Libro.fm the day it was released because I’ve loved both of Palmer’s previous novels—and once again, she absolutely delivered.
Laney has lived in the same Wisconsin house her entire life, only to discover that it was never actually her family’s home. After her longtime neighbor passes away, ownership transfers to his nephew, Elliott, who initially feels more like an adversary than an ally… even if the attraction between them is impossible to ignore. When Laney faces losing the health insurance she depends on to manage her chronic migraines, the two strike an unconventional bargain: a marriage of convenience that benefits them both.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was its thoughtful portrayal of living with a chronic illness. Laney’s migraines are never treated as a plot device or personality trait—they genuinely shape her daily life, her decisions, and her fears. The anxiety she feels about losing access to the medication she relies on is portrayed with compassion and realism, adding real emotional weight to the romance.
If you enjoy adversaries-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, he falls first, and an Upper Midwest setting, this one checks every box. I especially loved that Elliott falls for Laney long before she realizes how deeply she cares for him.
But what continues to set Ellie Palmer apart for me is her writing. Her dialogue sparkles, the humor lands naturally, and her voice always feels fresh. She writes emotionally complex characters without becoming cynical or overly sentimental, and every subplot serves a purpose. Laney felt like a fully realized person—someone I genuinely wished I could be friends with—and the supporting cast added even more heart to the story.
The pacing was excellent, the romance was deeply satisfying, and I found myself smiling through so much of this audiobook. While Four Weekends and a Funeral is still my favorite of Palmer’s books, Married with Benefits only reinforced that she has become an auto-read author for me. I’ll happily pick up whatever she writes next.
Laney has lived in the same Wisconsin house her entire life, only to discover that it was never actually her family’s home. After her longtime neighbor passes away, ownership transfers to his nephew, Elliott, who initially feels more like an adversary than an ally… even if the attraction between them is impossible to ignore. When Laney faces losing the health insurance she depends on to manage her chronic migraines, the two strike an unconventional bargain: a marriage of convenience that benefits them both.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was its thoughtful portrayal of living with a chronic illness. Laney’s migraines are never treated as a plot device or personality trait—they genuinely shape her daily life, her decisions, and her fears. The anxiety she feels about losing access to the medication she relies on is portrayed with compassion and realism, adding real emotional weight to the romance.
If you enjoy adversaries-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, he falls first, and an Upper Midwest setting, this one checks every box. I especially loved that Elliott falls for Laney long before she realizes how deeply she cares for him.
But what continues to set Ellie Palmer apart for me is her writing. Her dialogue sparkles, the humor lands naturally, and her voice always feels fresh. She writes emotionally complex characters without becoming cynical or overly sentimental, and every subplot serves a purpose. Laney felt like a fully realized person—someone I genuinely wished I could be friends with—and the supporting cast added even more heart to the story.
The pacing was excellent, the romance was deeply satisfying, and I found myself smiling through so much of this audiobook. While Four Weekends and a Funeral is still my favorite of Palmer’s books, Married with Benefits only reinforced that she has become an auto-read author for me. I’ll happily pick up whatever she writes next.
July 22, 2026
“You can’t love someone you don’t trust”
This book truly has it all! From the charming Midwest touches (so many of them!) to the humor, thoughtful chronic illness representation, and Ellie's signature writing style, every page was a delight.
Warm, heartfelt, and full of charm, this is the perfect book to add to your summer reading list.
This book truly has it all! From the charming Midwest touches (so many of them!) to the humor, thoughtful chronic illness representation, and Ellie's signature writing style, every page was a delight.
Warm, heartfelt, and full of charm, this is the perfect book to add to your summer reading list.
March 28, 2026
4.5 stars!!!
Thank you to Putnam & NetGalley for the ARC!
Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer is a quick-witted, addictive, and endearing marriage-of-convenience story. It follows Lainey Davis and Elliot Hodges, strangers turned (sort of) enemies turned friends to lovers. When Elliot comes into town laying claim to property Lainey owns, he offers up an unconventional deal: marry him for his health insurance in exchange for the ability to rent the property. Number one rule? Friends only, no falling in love.
Lainey is not your average female lead and I loved that about her. She’s a little rough around the edges, quirky, and pretty chaotic. But more than that, she’s intelligent, driven, and highly independent. Her depth & backstory surrounding her childhood, her lacking relationship with her mother, & her past romantic relationships made my heart hurt for her. I also really appreciated the incorporation of chronic migraine representation with her character! She deserves so much good!!! I loved her character growth! Elliot is the quintessential hot architect nerd. He’s quick-witted, caring, and the calm that balances out Lainey’s chaos. He’s passionate and determined, just all around charmingly sweet. I loved getting to discover pieces of his backstory throughout the book!!!
Lainey & Elliot’s love story is filled with banter, chemistry, and longing. I swear I wanted to climb inside the book and yell at them to get over it & kiss already. These two are opposites in the best ways, balancing each other out perfectly. I absolutely adored the way they both provided a safe space for each other. The tension that builds through constant banter & forced proximity is absolutely delectable. It gives their romance just that extra oomph we’re all looking for. In short: I love them!!!
I am a big fan of Ellie Palmer’s writing and her addictive love stories. I definitely recommend adding this one to your tbr!!!
Thank you to Putnam & NetGalley for the ARC!
Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer is a quick-witted, addictive, and endearing marriage-of-convenience story. It follows Lainey Davis and Elliot Hodges, strangers turned (sort of) enemies turned friends to lovers. When Elliot comes into town laying claim to property Lainey owns, he offers up an unconventional deal: marry him for his health insurance in exchange for the ability to rent the property. Number one rule? Friends only, no falling in love.
Lainey is not your average female lead and I loved that about her. She’s a little rough around the edges, quirky, and pretty chaotic. But more than that, she’s intelligent, driven, and highly independent. Her depth & backstory surrounding her childhood, her lacking relationship with her mother, & her past romantic relationships made my heart hurt for her. I also really appreciated the incorporation of chronic migraine representation with her character! She deserves so much good!!! I loved her character growth! Elliot is the quintessential hot architect nerd. He’s quick-witted, caring, and the calm that balances out Lainey’s chaos. He’s passionate and determined, just all around charmingly sweet. I loved getting to discover pieces of his backstory throughout the book!!!
Lainey & Elliot’s love story is filled with banter, chemistry, and longing. I swear I wanted to climb inside the book and yell at them to get over it & kiss already. These two are opposites in the best ways, balancing each other out perfectly. I absolutely adored the way they both provided a safe space for each other. The tension that builds through constant banter & forced proximity is absolutely delectable. It gives their romance just that extra oomph we’re all looking for. In short: I love them!!!
I am a big fan of Ellie Palmer’s writing and her addictive love stories. I definitely recommend adding this one to your tbr!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
DNF. Reading Married with Benefits is like chewing on stale candy. What does that mean to you, reader? Probably, absolutely nothing. Lainey took after her grandmother with her compulsion for lavish storytelling, which meant they both had a whole lot of nothing to say. I wanted to be engaged, not just entertained. From body-actions to dialogues (inner and direct), the story could have benefited from "plain" language rather than a jargon of quirky one-liners. Not every page needed to have a forced tone of humor just because the genre is rom-com. So, because I couldn’t take any more of this, I read up to Chapter 12 only, then jumped to Chapter 22 to confirm if I had guessed the twist, the conflict that would pull our couple apart. While the journey towards love should matter, I was not invested.
There were some things I could appreciate. Lainey was an interesting FMC. She knew that the world laughed at her, and not with her, so of course, the self-deprecating humor worked for me. And the wedding scene was a unique touch and good for building tension.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There were some things I could appreciate. Lainey was an interesting FMC. She knew that the world laughed at her, and not with her, so of course, the self-deprecating humor worked for me. And the wedding scene was a unique touch and good for building tension.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2026
Ellie Palmer has done it again. After loving Four Weekends and a Funeral last year, I knew she was an author to watch, and Married with Benefits cemented that whatever she writes, I'll read. It was surprisingly funny, tender, and vulnerable. I loved the instant electricity between Lainey and Elliot, and how opposites attract the were. Lainey and her grandma were zany, and despite his trepidation Elliot slotted his way in. Watching this unfurl had me laughing and swooning in equal measure. I also loved that as the story progressed, we got to see each of them yearn in equal measure. I thought this was actually very, very sweet, and left me feeling the happiness, sadness, etc. each of them were going through more heavily. Also, I was so impressed with Palmer's representation of chronic illness, and the financial toxicity of healthcare. As a pharmacist, and one who's worked with migraine patients before, I thought she captured that reality truthfully and beautifully.
Married with Benefits has become one of my favorite romance novels, and I can't wait to grab a copy (I mean - hellllooo beautiful cover!) for my bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.
Married with Benefits has become one of my favorite romance novels, and I can't wait to grab a copy (I mean - hellllooo beautiful cover!) for my bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own.
July 27, 2026
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the e-arc!
I will always have fun when a marriage of convenience is involved. Ellie Palmer adds a laugh-out loud component alongside an emotionally vulnerable layer to this romance.
Lainey has been living life one day at a time, stuck in her hometown filled with complex people and emotions. Lainey is burn out fincially, emotionally, and physically (due to migiranes). Enters Elliot, who claims Lainey has been living on his property. His appreance knocks her life back into chaos as Lainey now has to scramble to find a way to keep her home. Until Elliot strikes up an offer that may include benefits for them both, marry him for his health insurance so she can have regular access to her migirane medication and in turn, he's allowed to rent out the property as a inn.
What was meant to be a marriage with no emotional benefits takes a turn as Elliot and Lainey spend more time together. Making both of them reassess the emotional walls they have built around their ownselves posing the greater question that maybe their marriage isn't just for convenience afterall.
Elliot and Lainey are a chaotic duo that compliments one another. There's a famous saying about chaotic couples that says each person needs their "calm" in their "chaos" and Elliot and Lainey are exactly that for one another. Both characters are so used to fending for themselves, and living life knowing the only person impacted by their actions is themselves. In their realtionship, both Elliot and Lainey are taught to lean on one another for support and drop down the defenses that they've spent their entire lives building.
Lainey is someone I resonated a lot with, having to adovcate for yourself is easier when there's no other person relying on you. But at the same time, there's a lot of emotional cost to that. I really love how she was challenged to be vulnerable with her loved ones including Elliot. I also loved the consistent representation of chronic migraines. Her use of medication didn't miracously cure her migraines but were a cruch she used to manage the pain of them.
Elliot is a leading man who isn't perfect but knows how to love someone openly. He isn't stuck up about his emotions or even in denial. He is someone who although may feel hesistant embraces his emotions regardless of his fears. His love for Lainey really spoke and showed for itself through his actions (yes, even his stupid ones). I truly admire him for the way he consistently showed up for Lainey!
Married with Benefits is such a heart-warming romance that you do not want to miss out on reading!
I will always have fun when a marriage of convenience is involved. Ellie Palmer adds a laugh-out loud component alongside an emotionally vulnerable layer to this romance.
Lainey has been living life one day at a time, stuck in her hometown filled with complex people and emotions. Lainey is burn out fincially, emotionally, and physically (due to migiranes). Enters Elliot, who claims Lainey has been living on his property. His appreance knocks her life back into chaos as Lainey now has to scramble to find a way to keep her home. Until Elliot strikes up an offer that may include benefits for them both, marry him for his health insurance so she can have regular access to her migirane medication and in turn, he's allowed to rent out the property as a inn.
What was meant to be a marriage with no emotional benefits takes a turn as Elliot and Lainey spend more time together. Making both of them reassess the emotional walls they have built around their ownselves posing the greater question that maybe their marriage isn't just for convenience afterall.
Elliot and Lainey are a chaotic duo that compliments one another. There's a famous saying about chaotic couples that says each person needs their "calm" in their "chaos" and Elliot and Lainey are exactly that for one another. Both characters are so used to fending for themselves, and living life knowing the only person impacted by their actions is themselves. In their realtionship, both Elliot and Lainey are taught to lean on one another for support and drop down the defenses that they've spent their entire lives building.
Lainey is someone I resonated a lot with, having to adovcate for yourself is easier when there's no other person relying on you. But at the same time, there's a lot of emotional cost to that. I really love how she was challenged to be vulnerable with her loved ones including Elliot. I also loved the consistent representation of chronic migraines. Her use of medication didn't miracously cure her migraines but were a cruch she used to manage the pain of them.
Elliot is a leading man who isn't perfect but knows how to love someone openly. He isn't stuck up about his emotions or even in denial. He is someone who although may feel hesistant embraces his emotions regardless of his fears. His love for Lainey really spoke and showed for itself through his actions (yes, even his stupid ones). I truly admire him for the way he consistently showed up for Lainey!
Married with Benefits is such a heart-warming romance that you do not want to miss out on reading!
February 17, 2026
TL;DR: A quirky, small-town marriage-of-convenience romance with turtle races, squatters’ rights chaos, slow-burn tension, and surprisingly tender explorations of childhood trauma. Slight mid-book lull, but overall charming, heartfelt, and fun.
Full Review: After meeting a mysterious stranger in the rain, Lainey is shocked when he shows up at her house — even more shocked when she learns he owns the property (including the house she’s living in). Unaware of her grandmother’s scheming and unable to afford losing her home, Lainey finds herself in a bind. Enter Elliot’s surprisingly practical proposal: a marriage of convenience for health insurance, and in exchange, he can rent out her famously quirky house until he can eventually buy her out. What could possibly go wrong?
I’ve been an Ellie Palmer fan since her debut novel — which, sorry, is still my favorite — but this one? So fun. From squatters’ rights drama to turtle racing, this book is packed with offbeat, laugh-out-loud moments. The premise alone hooks you immediately (squatters’ rights? In this economy??), and the quirky small-town chaos delivers.
The middle drags slightly, but the ending picks up with the same weird, charming energy that makes the beginning shine. If this isn’t what the Midwest is actually like, I don’t want to know. Ellie balances the humor with overlapping childhood trauma between Elliot and Lainey in a way that feels genuine and grounded. I especially appreciated how seamlessly she wove those threads into the story, showing how trauma resurfaces in unexpected, often illogical ways — because it rarely makes neat narrative sense in real life.
The romance is sweet and slow-burn in the best way. I was internally screaming “just kiss already!” more than once — but the wait absolutely paid off. There are heartfelt confessions, tender moments, and yes, plenty of forehead kisses. It’s soft, satisfying, and emotionally rewarding.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Full Review: After meeting a mysterious stranger in the rain, Lainey is shocked when he shows up at her house — even more shocked when she learns he owns the property (including the house she’s living in). Unaware of her grandmother’s scheming and unable to afford losing her home, Lainey finds herself in a bind. Enter Elliot’s surprisingly practical proposal: a marriage of convenience for health insurance, and in exchange, he can rent out her famously quirky house until he can eventually buy her out. What could possibly go wrong?
I’ve been an Ellie Palmer fan since her debut novel — which, sorry, is still my favorite — but this one? So fun. From squatters’ rights drama to turtle racing, this book is packed with offbeat, laugh-out-loud moments. The premise alone hooks you immediately (squatters’ rights? In this economy??), and the quirky small-town chaos delivers.
The middle drags slightly, but the ending picks up with the same weird, charming energy that makes the beginning shine. If this isn’t what the Midwest is actually like, I don’t want to know. Ellie balances the humor with overlapping childhood trauma between Elliot and Lainey in a way that feels genuine and grounded. I especially appreciated how seamlessly she wove those threads into the story, showing how trauma resurfaces in unexpected, often illogical ways — because it rarely makes neat narrative sense in real life.
The romance is sweet and slow-burn in the best way. I was internally screaming “just kiss already!” more than once — but the wait absolutely paid off. There are heartfelt confessions, tender moments, and yes, plenty of forehead kisses. It’s soft, satisfying, and emotionally rewarding.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2026
I've been an Ellie Palmer fan since before she even had an agent. Her writing style is so charming and clever, and I just love reading her stories! I'm not sure anything can top Four Weekends and Funeral in my eyes, but I absolutely adored Married with Benefits. The romance between Lainey and Elliot was so well-developed and while it was funny as heck, it was also full of depth. This third book also demonstrates Palmer's ability to write addictive, delicious books in both first person and third person POVs! I'm so excited for the zombie book coming next! I know it's going to be a treat.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 21, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Putnam Books for the free eARC.
Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer
Lainey lives in the house she grew up in and sustains herself and her grandmother in odd jobs around town. Lainey has a chronic condition that doesn't allow for her to keep a steady job and her medication is too expensive to take it properly for her to be able to do more. She finds out that the home she's been living in doesn’t actually belong to her, it belongs to Elliot Hodges, but she has squatters rights. Elliot and Lainey strike up a deal, they get married so Lainey can have his insurance, and he gets to use her house as an air b&b. He'll save up enough money to buy the house from Lainey and they can then get divorced. Easy peasy right?
I love a marriage of convenience romance, but this one fell a little flat for me. The reasons behind the sham marriage felt flimsy at best. And Lainey's plans for insurance and living after the divorce didn't make much logical sense either. I wanted to shake Lainey so many times in this book! Like girl! You can't just move to Paris and get your meds no problem. That's not how the world works. And why could you not tell your grandmother to stop buying so much stuff on QVC. Have difficult conversations with loved ones! I expected more growth from her character than I got. I liked a lot of the humor in the book. It was the best part in my opinion, especially Lainey's best friend. She was hilarious.
Married with Benefits by Ellie Palmer
Lainey lives in the house she grew up in and sustains herself and her grandmother in odd jobs around town. Lainey has a chronic condition that doesn't allow for her to keep a steady job and her medication is too expensive to take it properly for her to be able to do more. She finds out that the home she's been living in doesn’t actually belong to her, it belongs to Elliot Hodges, but she has squatters rights. Elliot and Lainey strike up a deal, they get married so Lainey can have his insurance, and he gets to use her house as an air b&b. He'll save up enough money to buy the house from Lainey and they can then get divorced. Easy peasy right?
I love a marriage of convenience romance, but this one fell a little flat for me. The reasons behind the sham marriage felt flimsy at best. And Lainey's plans for insurance and living after the divorce didn't make much logical sense either. I wanted to shake Lainey so many times in this book! Like girl! You can't just move to Paris and get your meds no problem. That's not how the world works. And why could you not tell your grandmother to stop buying so much stuff on QVC. Have difficult conversations with loved ones! I expected more growth from her character than I got. I liked a lot of the humor in the book. It was the best part in my opinion, especially Lainey's best friend. She was hilarious.
August 22, 2026
THE COMIC CIRCUMSTANCE OF READING THIS DURING A THREE DAY MIGRAINE *sobs*
so i can actually understand marrying someone for insurance to cover migraine meds in this hellscape that is the american medical system- if you can set aside how depressing that reality is you'll have fun with this!
thanks so much to putnam for the eARC!
so i can actually understand marrying someone for insurance to cover migraine meds in this hellscape that is the american medical system- if you can set aside how depressing that reality is you'll have fun with this!
thanks so much to putnam for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed my time with this one. It was such a fun, slightly chaotic setup, and honestly? The legal doctrine of adverse possession being the meet-cute catalyst was iconic.
Lainey is stuck in her tiny Wisconsin town, drowning in medical bills and migraine meds, and just trying to survive. When she accidentally ends up owning a stunning modern house (but not the land around it… because of course), things get complicated fast. Enter Elliot: a D.C. architect with big plans, a soft spot for design, and a very practical solution, marriage for health insurance.
Fake marriage + forced proximity + renovation vibes? Say less.
What I especially love about this author is her sarcastic tone. The writing has this dry, slightly chaotic humor that makes even stressful situations feel entertaining. Lainey’s internal monologue had me smiling more than once, and Elliot’s earnest-but-quietly-pining energy balanced her so well.
I also appreciated that beneath the banter and absurdity (illegal reptiles as a subplot? Sure!), there’s something tender about two people who feel stuck in different ways finding hope in each other. The emotional development felt natural, and the shift from “this is purely practical” to “oh no, I have real feelings” was very satisfying.
Overall, I had such a good time with it. Funny, heartfelt, and just the right amount of messy.
Thank you NetGalley & Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!
Lainey is stuck in her tiny Wisconsin town, drowning in medical bills and migraine meds, and just trying to survive. When she accidentally ends up owning a stunning modern house (but not the land around it… because of course), things get complicated fast. Enter Elliot: a D.C. architect with big plans, a soft spot for design, and a very practical solution, marriage for health insurance.
Fake marriage + forced proximity + renovation vibes? Say less.
What I especially love about this author is her sarcastic tone. The writing has this dry, slightly chaotic humor that makes even stressful situations feel entertaining. Lainey’s internal monologue had me smiling more than once, and Elliot’s earnest-but-quietly-pining energy balanced her so well.
I also appreciated that beneath the banter and absurdity (illegal reptiles as a subplot? Sure!), there’s something tender about two people who feel stuck in different ways finding hope in each other. The emotional development felt natural, and the shift from “this is purely practical” to “oh no, I have real feelings” was very satisfying.
Overall, I had such a good time with it. Funny, heartfelt, and just the right amount of messy.
Thank you NetGalley & Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC!
August 31, 2026
It was fine. Just fine. I don’t even know what to tell you guys…
July 9, 2026
MARRIED WITH BENEFITS is the funniest book I’ve read in a while 👏 I was hooked from the first chapter and was laughing out loud the whole time!
The story is set in a small Wisconsin town, so I read this one to read at my WI lake cabin for peak vibes 🌲
Lainey was so quick-witted and I loved how Elliot tried to keep up with her. Their banter cracked me up and made the story so fun!
I loved the chapter titles and reading to see what they were referring to 😂
💚 marriage of convenience
💚 chronic migraine rep
💚 forced proximity
💚 small town hijinks
Ellie did an amazing job writing about a character with chronic migraines. It was challenging to see all that Lainey had to endure, and I think a lot of readers with chronic illnesses will feel seen. It was so sweet how Elliot took such great care of Lainey.
Ellie Palmer has been one of my auto-buy authors ever since her debut, FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL. I’ve had the chance to meet her and she’s so lovely! I can’t wait to see what she writes next 💚
The story is set in a small Wisconsin town, so I read this one to read at my WI lake cabin for peak vibes 🌲
Lainey was so quick-witted and I loved how Elliot tried to keep up with her. Their banter cracked me up and made the story so fun!
I loved the chapter titles and reading to see what they were referring to 😂
💚 marriage of convenience
💚 chronic migraine rep
💚 forced proximity
💚 small town hijinks
Ellie did an amazing job writing about a character with chronic migraines. It was challenging to see all that Lainey had to endure, and I think a lot of readers with chronic illnesses will feel seen. It was so sweet how Elliot took such great care of Lainey.
Ellie Palmer has been one of my auto-buy authors ever since her debut, FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL. I’ve had the chance to meet her and she’s so lovely! I can’t wait to see what she writes next 💚
March 4, 2026
I went into Married with Benefits expecting a fun, tropey romance—and it absolutely delivered, but with more heart than I anticipated.
The marriage-of-convenience setup is always a favorite of mine, and this one leaned into the tension so well. Watching the relationship shift from something practical and almost transactional into something real (and a little messy) was easily the highlight. There’s this slow unraveling of feelings that felt genuine, even when the characters were clearly in denial about it.
The chemistry? Definitely there. It had that push-pull energy that keeps you turning pages, and the emotional beats landed just enough to balance out the lighter, more playful moments.
That said, it didn’t fully wreck me in the way a five-star romance does. Some parts felt a bit predictable, and I found myself wanting just a little more depth in certain emotional moments to really push it over the edge.
But overall, it was such an enjoyable read—comforting, engaging, and exactly the kind of romance you reach for when you want something swoony with a touch of angst.
If you love:
-marriage of convenience
-forced proximity
-slow-burn feelings
-emotional tension with a lighter tone
…this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to @Putnam Books and @NetGalley for providing this ARC
The marriage-of-convenience setup is always a favorite of mine, and this one leaned into the tension so well. Watching the relationship shift from something practical and almost transactional into something real (and a little messy) was easily the highlight. There’s this slow unraveling of feelings that felt genuine, even when the characters were clearly in denial about it.
The chemistry? Definitely there. It had that push-pull energy that keeps you turning pages, and the emotional beats landed just enough to balance out the lighter, more playful moments.
That said, it didn’t fully wreck me in the way a five-star romance does. Some parts felt a bit predictable, and I found myself wanting just a little more depth in certain emotional moments to really push it over the edge.
But overall, it was such an enjoyable read—comforting, engaging, and exactly the kind of romance you reach for when you want something swoony with a touch of angst.
If you love:
-marriage of convenience
-forced proximity
-slow-burn feelings
-emotional tension with a lighter tone
…this is definitely worth picking up.
Thank you to @Putnam Books and @NetGalley for providing this ARC
September 13, 2026
I really enjoyed Four Weekends and a Funeral and Anywhere With You, so I was really excited for this one. Lainey becomes the owner of a home through squatter’s rights, while Elliot, a D.C. architect, inherits the surrounding property with sights set on the house. Striking a flimsy marriage-of-convenience deal, Elliot can work toward buying her out, while Lainey gets health insurance and finally a way out of town.
I really enjoyed the chronic migraine representation, but the romance itself felt a little formulaic. And some of the odd humour just wasn't for me. Like, the unusual setting of their wedding and the illegal turtle subplot. I also had mixed feelings about Lainey’s quirky money-making schemes. I know it was meant to be funny, but I couldn’t help feeling a little judgy towards her.
(spice level: 2 open-door scenes, fade-to-black / mild details)
I really enjoyed the chronic migraine representation, but the romance itself felt a little formulaic. And some of the odd humour just wasn't for me. Like, the unusual setting of their wedding and the illegal turtle subplot. I also had mixed feelings about Lainey’s quirky money-making schemes. I know it was meant to be funny, but I couldn’t help feeling a little judgy towards her.
(spice level: 2 open-door scenes, fade-to-black / mild details)
September 4, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
swearing included
🌶️/5 -> Ch. 14,17
about the book: 📖
•marriage of convenience
•chronic illness
•forced proximity
•written in 3rd person
I thought this sounded like something I was going to love, but unfortunately, it was a miss!
I went into this book with a less serious take. I could tell from the beginning that I needed to have a more open mind, or else the characters would have annoyed me even more. I felt like the more serious moments of the book were still met with the quirky tones, which made it harder for me to really care about or connect with the characters.
The romance was just okay. I appreciated that there wasn’t a ton of spice, and the spice that was in the book was very minimal. I feel like we didn’t get as much of them falling in love throughout the book as I would have liked. It was them hating each other and then suddenly they were kissing?? 😭 I just feel like we didn’t have much of an emotional buildup between them, which is something I would have enjoyed seeing more of.
I am curious to see if this will turn into a series and if we’ll start to see romances between some of the other characters in the book.
Thank you, Netgalley, for a copy of the ebook in exchanged for a honest review.
swearing included
🌶️/5 -> Ch. 14,17
about the book: 📖
•marriage of convenience
•chronic illness
•forced proximity
•written in 3rd person
I thought this sounded like something I was going to love, but unfortunately, it was a miss!
I went into this book with a less serious take. I could tell from the beginning that I needed to have a more open mind, or else the characters would have annoyed me even more. I felt like the more serious moments of the book were still met with the quirky tones, which made it harder for me to really care about or connect with the characters.
The romance was just okay. I appreciated that there wasn’t a ton of spice, and the spice that was in the book was very minimal. I feel like we didn’t get as much of them falling in love throughout the book as I would have liked. It was them hating each other and then suddenly they were kissing?? 😭 I just feel like we didn’t have much of an emotional buildup between them, which is something I would have enjoyed seeing more of.
I am curious to see if this will turn into a series and if we’ll start to see romances between some of the other characters in the book.
Thank you, Netgalley, for a copy of the ebook in exchanged for a honest review.
August 28, 2026
Actual rating: 2,75
I don't think it was bad, it just wasn't interesting to me. I wasn't invested in the story, I didn't feel their chemistry, and there were just so many things happening at the same time...
I don't think it was bad, it just wasn't interesting to me. I wasn't invested in the story, I didn't feel their chemistry, and there were just so many things happening at the same time...
July 19, 2026
4.5/5
This is the third of Ellie’s books that I’ve read, and they’ve just continued to delight in different ways. Married with Benefits felt properly thought out and developed, which led to a romance that felt full and lush. The way they grew and learned to trust each other throughout their relationship was lovely and realistic. Elliot and Lainey are delightful characters and the town itself felt delightfully whimsical and small town. Very Wisconsin.
This is the third of Ellie’s books that I’ve read, and they’ve just continued to delight in different ways. Married with Benefits felt properly thought out and developed, which led to a romance that felt full and lush. The way they grew and learned to trust each other throughout their relationship was lovely and realistic. Elliot and Lainey are delightful characters and the town itself felt delightfully whimsical and small town. Very Wisconsin.
August 3, 2026
I’m torn on this one. The third person narration threw me off. Rom-coms aren’t typically third person so it was a little odd. There were several moments that I found genuinely funny and I thought would make up for the third person narration but then the author would make jabs at different communities and it just felt icky. Whenever she did that it instantly made the book lose any charm it had gained from the witty banter and silly scenarios. I appreciated the plot and thought it was entertaining but the story did start to drag on after a while and by the time it was over I was very ready to be finished with it.
July 17, 2026
A marriage of convenience between Lainey and Elliot. Lainey has gained ownership of a house because she ended up having squatters rights. Elliot...well he inherited you see. And how they first meet well she ends up giving him a ride when he gets to town through a ride share service. In the end they make a deal. Elliot and Lainey will get married. She gets health insurance to help pay for her expensive migraine medications, and trust me migraine meds are expensive! He ends up getting to buy her out.
The banter was fantastic. I loved the chronic migraine representation as a sufferer myself. I find that lately I have seen more of it through a few books which has been nice. As I have tried a lot of different meds I liked to see the one that works for her is one that insurance won't cover because I have had my insurance made me try something else first because they didn't want to cover it too so it felt authentic to an experience I have gone through with my chronic migraines. I liked Lainey and Elliot separately and I loved them together. I think they had great chemistry. But this was a closed door romance, I don't knock it but It is the one thing I wish was different about it.
Overall a fun read.
Thank you to Putnam for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The banter was fantastic. I loved the chronic migraine representation as a sufferer myself. I find that lately I have seen more of it through a few books which has been nice. As I have tried a lot of different meds I liked to see the one that works for her is one that insurance won't cover because I have had my insurance made me try something else first because they didn't want to cover it too so it felt authentic to an experience I have gone through with my chronic migraines. I liked Lainey and Elliot separately and I loved them together. I think they had great chemistry. But this was a closed door romance, I don't knock it but It is the one thing I wish was different about it.
Overall a fun read.
Thank you to Putnam for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 16, 2026
I went into this expecting a fun marriage-of-convenience romcom and came out an emotional wreck in the best possible way. I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud, and then it turned around and made me cry, and somewhere in between I full-on swooned. This book has range.
The humor is sharp from literally the first line: “Lainey Davis had never considered herself a particularly principled person, but one belief she’d always held firm to was that she was much too smart to pay for parking.” And it only escalates from there.
And then there’s the swoon: “It wasn’t one moment; it was hundreds of moments that all led up to me looking at you in the sunset and wondering how I was going to cope now that I’d fallen for my wife.” (And again, that is only ONE quote that made me swoon.)
Using health insurance and chronic illness as the actual practical reason for the marriage of convenience felt so much more realistic to me than the usual “we need this for an inheritance” excuse, and it gave the whole book an extra layer of heart. It also meant there was one of the best caretaker microtrope scenes I’ve read in a while.
Thank you to Putnam through NetGalley for the ARC.
The humor is sharp from literally the first line: “Lainey Davis had never considered herself a particularly principled person, but one belief she’d always held firm to was that she was much too smart to pay for parking.” And it only escalates from there.
And then there’s the swoon: “It wasn’t one moment; it was hundreds of moments that all led up to me looking at you in the sunset and wondering how I was going to cope now that I’d fallen for my wife.” (And again, that is only ONE quote that made me swoon.)
Using health insurance and chronic illness as the actual practical reason for the marriage of convenience felt so much more realistic to me than the usual “we need this for an inheritance” excuse, and it gave the whole book an extra layer of heart. It also meant there was one of the best caretaker microtrope scenes I’ve read in a while.
Thank you to Putnam through NetGalley for the ARC.
September 4, 2026
4.5 🌟
I really really loved this book. I loved the way it was written, the story of the main characters, their individual personalities, problems and thoughts. Even the side characters had an interesting approach that i enjoyed, they were there the necessary way they needed to be, not less or more.
I’m so in love with Elliot, I wasn’t even at half percent of the book and he was already added to my book boyfriend’s list 🙂↕️. And by the end, he just went up on my rating hehe, i LOVE HIM.
Lainey it’s such a relatable girl, she’s also so funny and i loved how real she is when it comes to crisis, the fear of letting someone in, i think the author perfectly describes it with Lainey.
I really really loved this book. I loved the way it was written, the story of the main characters, their individual personalities, problems and thoughts. Even the side characters had an interesting approach that i enjoyed, they were there the necessary way they needed to be, not less or more.
I’m so in love with Elliot, I wasn’t even at half percent of the book and he was already added to my book boyfriend’s list 🙂↕️. And by the end, he just went up on my rating hehe, i LOVE HIM.
Lainey it’s such a relatable girl, she’s also so funny and i loved how real she is when it comes to crisis, the fear of letting someone in, i think the author perfectly describes it with Lainey.
July 26, 2026
3.5⭐️ This was really cute! I’m a sucker for anything set in the Midwest so I loved the northern WI small town setting. I could easily picture the town, the cabins & resorts, and settings like the local bar felt absolutely on point for the area. 🤣
I’m a fan of the marriage of convenience trope, and as someone who personally once paid over $1k for an Rx this premise actually made sense. I just wish there was more time put in at the beginning before the marriage was proposed, it felt so fast that the first part of the book almost felt ridiculous, but it recovered for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I’ll add that I listened to part of the book on audio and loved the narration!
I’m a fan of the marriage of convenience trope, and as someone who personally once paid over $1k for an Rx this premise actually made sense. I just wish there was more time put in at the beginning before the marriage was proposed, it felt so fast that the first part of the book almost felt ridiculous, but it recovered for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I’ll add that I listened to part of the book on audio and loved the narration!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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