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Married with Benefits

384 pages Publisher Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date Jul 21 2026

ABOUT THE BOOK

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 arrangement: marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Win-win: 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 terrifying: leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.

MY THOUGHTS

A cute summer read perfect for getting into lounging by the pool with your cool drink.
You’ve heard of fake dating well this is a marriage of convenience or a fake marriage with benefits.
They can’t stay away from each other as it’s a mutual reciprocation and they are both benefitting greatly from this marriage. But when it becomes more than what they need and their lives, hopes and dreams are intertwined it becomes magical. Fun and witty banter and a cute relaxation read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Website

https://www.elliepalmerwrites.com

Ellie 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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A Wager with the Matchmaker: An Arranged Marriage American Historical Romance Novel Set in 1800s St. Louis (A Shanahan Match)

352 pages Publisher Bethany House Publishers Publication date May 6, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

After her brother’s entanglement with an Irish gang threatens their family’s safety, Alannah Darragh flees St. Louis and her troubled past, seeking refuge as a maid for the affluent Shanahan family. Alannah’s resolve to avoid romance is tested by the undeniable attraction she feels for Kiernan Shanahan. Determined to maintain her position and the safety it provides, she vows to resist the pull of her heart despite the growing bond between them and their undeniable chemistry.

In the wake of a devastating fire, Kiernan Shanahan sees a shrewd opportunity to invest in a clay mine and brickyard to aid the city’s rebuilding. To secure his venture, he seeks a wealthy bride with a substantial dowry. However, the matchmaker he consults has different plans. As danger looms and Alannah fights to keep her brother safe, Kiernan’s protective instincts draw them closer, but a future together seems too far out of reach. It will take a miracle–or a wager with the wily matchmaker–to form a match between the unlikely couple.

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoy the author’s writing, and this series is a prime example of that.
This is a special series, and I love how it’s Irish based with so many of the characters and the dialogue.
Each book in the series reintroduces us to characters from previous books we’ve met, and the stories closely follow each other.
Irish matchmaking series with closed door romance and marriage of convenience themes. I now have the last book in the series to finish.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.


MEET THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet, clean romances with plenty of sizzle (but without the spice).

Thank you for stopping in.

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A Wife for the Rancher: A Sweet Historical Romance (High Country Ranch Book 3)

226 pages October 1, 2024 publish date Northern Lights Press publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the high country of Colorado, hardships are a given, but love has a way of overcoming all the losses.

Millionaire heiress, Genevieve Hollis, has everything she wants except one thing, freedom, because her guardian stepmother insists on overseeing every move she makes. When Genevieve sees a newspaper advertisement from a rancher seeking a mother for his baby, she jumps at the chance to escape, even if that means hiding her true identity.

Ryder Oakley has suffered the repeated misfortune of losing the people he loves most, so now that he’s a single father with a newborn baby, he’s determined not to lose his son. When a woman shows up in answer to his advertisement, he quickly forms a marriage of convenience—one without all the entanglements of a real relationship.

Attraction starts to grow between the newly married couple, but the secrets of their pasts threaten to catch up to them. Ryder finds himself in a custody battle over his baby, and Genevieve struggles to outwit her stepmother. Will they be able to overcome the odds and find a way to be together before it’s too late?

  • Wealthy heiress
  • Single dad
  • Mail-order bride
  • Marriage of convenience
  • Hidden identity
  • Forced proximity
  • Opposites attract

*All of the books in the High Country Ranch series are sweet, closed-door romances with plenty of sizzle. The inspirational themes are light, and the romance is the main focus of the books.

MY THOUGHTS

Marriage of convenience stories are so much fun. In this one a millionaire heiress is on the run from a fairytale like wicked stepmother. Genevive, and I love her name knows her stepmother does not have her best interest at heart after her loving papa dies.

She must get away and to make things even more complicated she’s hiding a few secrets from her husband to be.
He’s looking for a mother for his baby, his wife didn’t want the responsibility of a child, and he knows his son will be better off having both parents raise him. He’s not looking for romance just a helpmate and to have his son taken care of with a woman’s influence.


This rancher and his brother had been adopted as young children and they really don’t remember their early childhood. It was interesting seeing the research they are doing to try to dive into their past. They just want answers and to feel like they belong.


Sweet, romantic and the strength of existing and newfound family. I loved everything about this book

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over fifty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet, clean historical romances with plenty of sizzle (but without the spice).