Married Without Benefits

by I.I.E.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Slow Burn, Marriage, Rom Com, Marriage Of Convenience, Fake Dating

457 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2026

Reviews

[Ikram]

I can't come here and start lying that the writing isn't beautiful and really great, but I can still acknowledge that the MCs inner monologues were way too freaking long... they just kept coming and never stopped. Sometimes I had to imagine the other characters just looking at her while she zoned out to think about them essays... like damn...

I love how he loved her, I love how her relationship with her mother got resolved.
Did I stay sceptical about her "best friend" being actually a best friend? Yeah, I sure did, but to each their own I guess.


Some of the plot felt like it came out of nowhere... I can't even really judge if it was necessary, but also ok, lol

It was good, but truly too long... would've been way better if it was shorter, but that's also just my opinion🤷‍♀️


Edit: I just remembered a plot point that was EXTREMELY unnecessary. I'm 100% sure it was used just to cause a third act "break-up" -in this case separation- for absolutely no reason, especially after they were happy tgthr. Pissed me off!

[bina]

”Well, that was your first mistake. The part where you assumed that being yourself was ever a problem.”

Sadly not only was it her first mistake but basically her entire arc throughout the book. The constant self-pitying and sad backstory for the FMC felt very tiring and the resolution took centuries to get there.

[Hooria]

literally pulled me from a deep romance slump. Absolutely devoured it. Lily is the anxious avoidant muslim girl representation i deserve!!!!!!!!!!

[Nourmiyy]

If I could give this book 6 stars? I'd give it 10/5. SUCH a good book.

It played with my feelings in the best possible way 😭 One minute I'm crying, the next I'm giggling through my tears. Emotional whiplash in the best sense.

I loved how I.I.E handled the mother-daughter relationship—something we all see but barely anyone actually talks about. It felt real. It hurt. It healed.

And the best part? I never felt like I was reading this book. I understood the characters like I already knew them. Like they were my friends, my family, me.

Just read it. You'll thank me.

[C]

2.75 stars

—- Possible spoilers —-

The book started off so well… I was planning to rate it a 4.5 stars

Then… the 70% mark hit with the absolutely horrible and unnecessary plot twist… I cannot believe how the author messed up a book I was going to rate so high… I wish she had just ended the book before that…

My Lillian did not deserve that and that wasn’t in line with Khalifa’s character… it kept getting progressively worse from that point… I’m devastated

[لمى]

IT'S PERFECTION.
It's everything I was looking for.
And for someone who usually doesn’t read or enjoy romance books that much, I really really really loved this one.
And now I’m praying god every day to give me someone just like Khalifa (I hate men and I don’t want to get married) but now I’m to delusional thanks to you IIE 😭😭😭

[Mac Mckay]

Infuriating MFC and I found her internal dialogue annoying to read (it just felt like she was going in circles until the end with only some resolve due to an epiphany that came way too late and felt rushed). Enjoyed the MMC though (even though he frustrated me too, in contrast to his love interest way more digestible). What I did love was engaging with the characters on a cultural level - from their Lebanese and Muslim perspectives and experiences. Overall it was a good read, even though frustrating most of the time due to each MC’s inability to communicate effectively and do some introspection about how their actions affect their counterpart.

[itsyourfriendlyneighbourhoodreadergianna]

this book was devastatingly good, the build up, the banter, the beautiful slow act of falling in love was so well thought out and delivered that I will probably be thinking about this for a very long time.
I will admit that I was slightly concerned about how the author would weave the religious aspects in throughout the book because it is something that often makes me cringe in books because authors tend to go overboard until it's just not enjoyable anymore BUT this one was done perfectly it was just the right amount and at no point in time did it feel like a bump in the story it flowed so seamlessly and added depth and meaning/relatableness to the story, depth that I didn't think I'd appreciate as much as I did.
STUNNING READ

[Mak]

I loved this so so so much. And I loved that Lilly could be herself. Her messy, loud self, and he loved her so much more for it. I can’t wipe my smile off my face and I’m just very happy I stumbled across this author a while ago because I love their stuff. Ugh. 10/10

[yasmin]

if i didn’t read the last ~100 pages of this book, it would’ve been the easiest 5 stars of my life and would’ve taken the crown for my favourite muslim romance of all time

this is the only book i’ve seen do marriage of convenience well outside of a fantasy setting, the chemistry??? the yearning?? immaculate. and the dialogue was so witty i loved the banter between the characters

the last ~100 pages felt like after credits like it defo should’ve ended before all the craziness, but i don’t want to rate the book based on that because i feel like if this was traditionally published an editor would’ve helped with this and therefore i don’t want to judge too harshly??

[Azra]

got me out of a reading slump

[luluwa ⋆˙⟡]

I binged this book over a day and a half and REALLY liked it. The only issue I had with it is the fact that it did have spice (going into it I didn’t expect a muslim romance book to contain this content and was disappointed with that).

[Doraemon_the_baddest]

Honestly, I enjoyed it. Like it was funny and the banter was so enjoyable to read. The plot was interesting too.

However, there were alot of monologues regarding mommy issues to the point that it just got really repetitive. At the end of few chapters, I just skimmed read everything cuz it was too much, ngl.

But enjoyable overall.

[minnah]

3.5/5 ⭐️

it was so cute and a muslim romance. i genuinly really really REALLY liked it at first. it touched on social issues, had so many cute moments. but honestly this book should’ve ended like 10 chapters ago..
it just dragged on too much towards the end, with pointless plot twists

[Arham Zia]

I adore Khalifa and Lillian so much, the quiet love he was providing her in the beginning all the way to the end and softening a heart that had been broken so long before by someone that was supposed to show you unconditional love. It was relatable in a way because they’re a Muslim couple and I loved that this book shows us that love can exist in these couples physically and emotionally as well. Them praying together made my heart swell 🥹. The scenes where blatant racism is evident and how they handled speaking about it in the book was beautiful. I cried for Lillian, no one should ever go through what she did. I love the representation in this book of a Muslim couple being so beautiful together showing love in every way possible and not afraid to show it. I wanted to BANG their heads and be like just tell each other how you feel PLEASE!! But when it finally happened it was beautiful in every way. Khalifa you have raised my expectations for Muslim men and that bar was low for literally so long 😂😂.

Ugh thank you for this read

[Reader]

a breath of fucking fresh air!!!!!!! es visu laiku esmu uzskatījusi, ka grāmatas pārsfara reprezente to "happy ever after" stāstu. to, kas beidzas ar kāzām.

šis bija tik skaisti, tik svaigi, tik īsti. es ļoti priecājos, ka noticēju anotācijai ar 50+ atsauksmem. šī ir pirmā grāmata, kas man parādīja īstās dzīves problēmas, mazos sīkumus, lielos strīdus, brīžus, kas kliedz "es netiksu šim pari".

no smutt, no bs.

i loved this book.

[Sara]

This book was so beautiful, funny, and relatable in ways i wasn’t expecting. I was anxious after reading Dear Ana.. I wasn’t ready to sob hysterically again but thankfully no tears were shed.

I love reading I.I.E’s books as i get to learn so much about Arab culture and customs. Like Mahr? excellent tradition 🙂‍↕️

I am going to stop putting off reading Dear Maya soon just so i can read more stuff from this amazing author. I will most definitely cry though

[Samia]

big fan of this book.
seeing lilian fall in love with herself and stand up to her mom was nice. i enjoyed that it wasn't all happy endings and that her mom was too much of a coward to get over everything and make up. bc that's life

[Emily]

3.5
I was lowkey invested in these peeps and their relationship.

Intrigued to see how this author further develops their craft.

[Aliyah Ashraf]

😖😖😖🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 my babies both of them, this was the perfect summer book and like i love how lillian lowk goes against every muslim stereotype and i really really appreciate the author making khalifa go down a humanities route bc it lowk healed him bruh, ALSO I LIKE HOW SHE FIRST DIDNT EVEN FIND HIM CUTE and i was suprised too. love love love love this

[g.♡]

6/5 starssss!!!!!!
I dont really write reviews but this book really deserved one i dont even know where to start because this book did not have a single thing i hated or despised my first 5 stars of the year a book that will never leave my mind and always have me aching for this kind of romance the pure,thoughtful,little perfect acts that just made love so beautiful i was holding my heart the whole time scared that anything is gonna happen to the main characters (read her first 2 books to understand) i was so glad they got their beautiful perfect ending they both deserved the writing style is just beautiful whenever i read a line i wanted to highlight it immediately but if i did i will end up highlighting the whole book thats the thing about the author of this book she writes romance books so beautifully and gracefully but could also write topics about grief,sadness,loneliness so vastly and infinite i read her first book dear ana 2 years ago and it never left my mind i kept reading the highlight notes re-reading the book more than once this while the other one was utterly heavy this was as light as a feather romantic and so alluring you just kept going without realizing so for anyone reading this review read this book because the author deserves a raise deserves to be a bestselling author and share her words to everyone who loves to read i think this review is more for the author than the book but i think she deserves it.
I would read anything she writes because im so deeply attached to her writing style.

[Ema]

5 ⭐️
I knew i was a hopeless romantic but the way this book made me feel is INSANE.
For someone who is raised on the same beliefs as Lilian and Khalifa, I really understand both sides.
With all their flaws and cracks they found each other the most kind and beautiful thing they ever seen. In some ways I saw myself in Lilian, (im not tall as her lol) but the 'too much, too loud' was the same. So I stopped talking much or laugh as loud, I bite my tongue so I won't be an interruption to anyone.
But seeing Lilian took all the judgements and turn it into a strength the was so wholesome and powerful.
And for all the girlys out there, I know we all deserve a Khalifa who care, love, cook and be kind for us. (Or at least I want that)😝😚

[Alexine]

I really wanted to give this five stars, but ughh, Khalifa, you are an insufferably messy asshole!

Plucked this out without reading the synopsis. Just really wanted something easy to read after a horrible book slump, and yup, here we are, learning cultures and religions that (at least for me) are hard to decipher. What I liked about this book is the MUSLIM FMC representation- well, both of them are Muslims, the FMC and MMC-but it was so refreshing to see the perspective of Muslim women.

Yeah, me learning how they struggled hard in the workforce without being discriminated against because of their appearance. Or how disgustingly educated they are—the more men from Muslim society are threatened—wow, just wow. And I love our FMC. She is so unapologetic, raw, very real, honest, and knows her value so well that she doesn't waver. And THANK GOD she broke the generational curse towards the end because, yeah, her daughter doesn't deserve how her mother treated her.

And Khalifa, YOU OWE HER BIG TIME. I AM NOT LETTING THIS SLIDE.

[Ghalz]

Would definitely give this a 6 stars if I could. Wow, I absolutely loved this book and I so do not regret reading it. This is the 2nd book I read by this author and it was as good as Dear Ana. Genuinely nothing bad to say 🤍

[janaa]

Omg this book. The perfect representation of an Islamic arranged marriage and a Muslim couple 🥹🥹 my babies.

Lillian and Khalifa, I love you.

[Zylith]

Ya Allah give me a man like khallifaa !!!

AMEEEEEENN

[astr0girl 🔮🪴✨]

The emotional complexity of this book actually took me by surprise which is always refreshing! I loved the dynamic between all the characters and the depth they were written with. Truly a spectacular book <3

[Seline]

This book reminded of what it feels like to read for the very first time😭😭

I miss my old self and this book somehow brought her back.

[AJ]

Umm it was yummy idk what happened

[jou ‎ꫂ᭪݁]

this was beautiful. definitely filled with angst.

“I tried to imagine what it must be like to live this way as an innocent civilian in Lebanon, in Palestine, in so many places across the Middle East, to raise children amid uncertainty, to fall in love under the constant threat of loss, to keep going while the rest of the world watched in distant silence.”

free palestine 🇵🇸❤️

“You’re a helper. You’re the light people see when they’re surrounded by darkness, when they think it’s all over. And I know that because...you’re my light, Lillian.”

they were cute, the banter was so funny. there was so many sad moments but also so many funny ones. the angst was painful and real. i loved it so much.

and there was a happy ending, which i deserved after dear ana devastated me and wrecked my soul thank you very much.