Mortgage of Convenience is one of those books where I had to take a few days to write this review so that it was more than just incoherent screeching.

MoC follows themes of self-discovery and self-acceptance with a beautiful love story intertwined. As this is a romance novel there's lots of pining and tension, but the main focus of the book is learning to love yourself before you love someone else. It's learning to trust other people, to accept that things might not always go how you hoped, but that doesn't mean you need to stop trying. Reading MoC was a healing journey for me and a lot of the lessons that Sebastian and Bee are trying to learn are things a lot of us need to learn too.

Seb and Bee are adorable and I loved them together both as friends and as a couple. I think they bring out the best in each other and balance each other beautifully. I love how chill Aiden was about them being together, the overreacting brother is a trope I hate and it was nice to see something healthier be represented.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the sobriety journey that was founded in choice . I find this type of experience to be underrepresented in media and an inherent expectation that we need to be centering our social experiences around drinking. As a fellow sober person by choice, this book was a type of representation I've been needing, but haven't been able to find. Choosing this experience can be very isolating when you're surrounding yourself with the wrong people and watching Bee come to terms with this was incredibly emotional.

I truly have no notes for Dani on Mortgage of Convenience. This is their best work, in my opinion, and I am so thankful for the ARC. I truly loved this book and the journey it brought me on.

This book is delightful. Bee and Sebastian are couple goals. One of my favorite tropes is brother's best friend and I think this one is done really well. I will admit that Bee agreeing to helping Sebastian with the mortgage was completely unbelievable for me but I'm willing to suspend reality here because they are just too cute and perfect together. Also considering he is a tall, hunky, ex-stripper you know his bedroom moves are going to be on point.

There are several relationships going on in this book aside from Bee & Sebastian that needed to be delved into and the author does a great job with each one. Bee's brother, Sebastian's dad and Bee's friend Morgan for instance all have their own complicated story that we see come to fruition and I think each one resolves just as they should.

This book is a perfect mix of sweet and sexy with just enough soul searching to keep the plot interesting. This was my first time reading this author and I devoured this book. It's a perfect rom-com that will give you all the feels. 4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley, Set the Mood Publishing and Dani McLean for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me first say that I fell in love with both Bee and Sebastian immediately. Their characters were supportive of each other and kind and their story was beautifully written. I was rooting for them the entire time! Bee’s journey of self confidence felt honest and raw. I loved seeing her growth throughout the book. Sebastian was steadfast and true. You just could feel the love between them!

This book also has so many of my favorite tropes -- brother’s best friend, he falls first, you’re my home and lots of spice. I enjoyed reading it very much!

View my full review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3FZmlQrqWH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️

🏠 Brother best friend
🏠 Age Gap
🏠 Forced proximity

Okay so what drew me in first place as the cover!! I really liked the premise of this, and would recommend it to people who like cute and cozy romances with a slowly building relationship.

We follow Sebastian and Bee as they navigate their way through co-owning a house and the start of their relationship. I really liked how supportive Sebastian was of Bee, who could be very insecure at times.

I felt like personally it was easy to relate to parts of Bee and Sebastian’s story and what they were going through. Especially, the friendship breakups that can happen when people grow apart. Including, the positive talk about sobriety and how you don’t have to have an ‘office job’ to succeed. There was also bi and queer representation.

This book was very descriptive and monologue heavy and I was just hoping to feel a little more depth and stability between the main characters relationship.

Thank you to the publisher, Set the Mood Publishing for the ARC through NetGalley. My review is my honest opinion on this book ✨

'Mortgage of Convenience' is a cosy, slow-burn romance, with a new spin on the forced-proximity trope... what happens when two people (with huge crushes on each other) just happen to buy a house together? It's a little unrealistic, but I kinda loved the idea.

Unfortunately though, this book fell flat for me for two main reasons - I found Bee, the main female character, annoying and inconsistent, and I just didn't feel the chemistry between Bee and Seb. They're both obsessed with each other right from the beginning, and there's a lot of gushing about how amazing they think each other are... but when they finally get together, it's a bit meh. Bee is shy and insecure, but does spontaneous things (like buying a house!) with no warning, and that made her character hard to relate to. I wish I'd loved it more, but it just didn't work for me.

I did enjoy the focus on Bee figuring out who she was, especially as she stopped drinking and had to end toxic friendships and create a life more true to herself. Also their domestic bliss (nature docos, collecting houseplants, and colouring in their walls) was pretty cute!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Do you ever read a book and there’s just too much going on? I feel like Mortgage of Convenience just bit off more than it could chew. There were so many quirks and tropes thrown in that I just found myself bored and uninterested. Plus, there was so much random info thrown in about the house and I just didn’t need all of that to picture it.

Bee and Sebastian’s relationship was wholesome & the spicy scenes were decent. It just got so repetitive. Yes, she’s scared, but it just got frustrating hearing it over and over again.

I’m sure there are a lot of people that would enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Read if you enjoy:
- Age Gap
- Brother’s Best Friend
- Forced Proximity

Thank you NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The first chapter of this book really pulled me in, but then ultimately the rest of the story just didn’t live up to my expectations. It fell a little flat for me. First, the scene in the bank which lead to the whole premise of the book, was just too much of a reach for me to buy into lol. Second, I didn’t love the FMC. She was SUPER insecure and made things out to be a huge deal that really weren’t, like hiding how much she likes to clean. The conflict with the best friend threw me off as well — honestly I think her best friend needed help and instead the focus was on the FMC’s journey to accepting herself even if that meant she would be judged by others for not liking to drink. What? Someone get her friend to AA!!

The sexual chemistry at parts was really good. This wasn’t erotica but definitely spicy! I wish there had been more tension between the MCs, this was a bit too much insta-love for my liking, but it might appeal to another reader!

Thank you NetGalley, Dani McLean, and Set The Mood Publishing for a free copy of Mortgage of Convenience (coming out February 27th) in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I want to say that I absolutely love the author. Her magic movie novellas are my favourite.

This book just didn’t work out for me. The love story was not very cohesive in my opinion.
The writing style felt a little bit different from what I’m used to from the author. Idk how to describe it, it just felt weird. The storytelling was not smooth and I couldn’t understand the jumps from one thought process to the other, that didn’t make sense and happened way too much. Some of the dialogues seemed absolutely redundant too.

Bee and Sebastian buy a house together and move in. They’ve had crushes on each other for years now. it seemed like a cute premise and it was. Bee is an author, she needs help with confidence and asks Sebastian to help her which honestly seems a little ridiculous but ok. In return, Sebastian is grateful for her helping him get the house.

I loved the queer representation, sobriety talk, and the importance of mental health being mentioned. But, unfortunately, the book has never ventured more deeply into these topics. They were kind of just brushed over and that’s it.

I think if you love slow burn, brother’s best friend, a lot of inner monologue, cozy vibes, and dealing with a lot of self doubt and insecurities, then you will like this book. Just don’t expect it to have a strong plot or a lot of romance development.

Also, Bee ending the longest friendship she has ever had was really enjoyable to read about. It’s a very important conversation to have and I love how it was handled.

I really hoped this book could have been stronger and I would have enjoyed it much more. For each their own though.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc <3

Meet Bee, a 28-year-old ghostwriter yearning to publish her own book but struggling with self-doubt. To conquer her insecurities, she enters a pact with Sebastian, her brother's best friend – she'll contribute half of his mortgage, and in return, he'll help her navigate the obstacles holding her back from achieving her dreams.

The personal stories and challenges faced by both characters were incredibly relatable, adding a layer of authenticity to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing their journeys as they navigated and overcame their respective fears. While the romantic aspect had its moments, the exploration of their individual struggles made the narrative a compelling and relatable read.

Their romantic relationship left me wanting more depth, occasionally feeling centered around physical intimacy and a little “insta-lovey”. However, the book offers a refreshing take on the classic Marriage of Convenience trope, injecting a delightful twist that kept the narrative engaging.

3,5/5

loved this book! i really enjoyed the pacing and the pining in it. The characters were well rounded and i loved that sebastian had a non-traditional job. My favorite thing was how sebastian saw everything in bee and how he was her number one fan.

THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE! I loved it.
A wonderful read that portrayed a beautiful and loving relationship. Bee is back in her hometown, her safe space to try to pursue her dreams of publishing her own book. Sebastian is ready to start his future and find his forever home with the one he loves and that includes Bee. I am obsessed with Bee and Sebastian. They are couple goals! They are both so supportive of each other and i love reading books with fantastic couples. I loved all of the different relationships and watching them play out, some for the better and some for the worst, but thats life right?

Thank you to Dani McLean and Netgalley for giving me an eARC to this book!
Full review can be found on at www.instagram.com/bookswithhalie on 02/07/2024

The relationship between Bee and Sebastian is sweet, loving and delightful. She sees him as someone doing what he wants without falling into the stress of other people’s expectations. And she sees it as some5ing she wants for herself. When she sees that that’s not the case, she helps and supports him.

The journey and growth they go on together as as individuals is beautiful, and just something I think we can all relate to.

Yes, there’s romance, yes there’s spicy spice but for me, the real gem of this book is the depth of character growth, done in a relatable way.

Mortgage Of Convenience by Dani McLean
☀️☀️☀️

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I think this is a case of a romance book that simply isn't my style. There's nothing objectively wrong with it but the simplicity of the story, the instant gratification of the romance and the perfect HEA didn't appeal enough to me to make this book something special.

I think my biggest gripe is the setup: I just simply don't find the joint house venture believable with zero conversation beforehand, nor did it make sense to me that Bee did it in exchange for... confidence lessons? I'm still unclear honestly. It's a fun setup and probably would have appealed to me with more development but in this context I was more confused than amused.

The humour was good and helped carry through the plot at a quick pace. The fact that the MCs had past history did help immensely with the chemistry, and I enjoyed the sex scenes more for this, but ultimately I felt like everything ran too smoothly (or if it didn't, the roadblock felt convenient rather than a legitimate hurdle to overcome)


"I need words. The kind that go in a row. Or a sentence, because I'm a good writer who remembers words well and isn't thinking about how full I felt with Sebastian's fingers inside me."

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It's touting bisexual rep, a queer community, a decent length book, and a lot of spice. I went in knowing this was more of a traditional romance in the sense that disbelief should be suspended to get with the theme, and it was a great set up and title, 'Mortgage of Convenience'. It's just... once a romance has the trope in place everything else should develop and require a lot less suspension of disbelief.

While there is spice, it's spice without the fully emotional grounding I like with my spice. There were lots of repetitions of how perfect one MC was, and a lot of lifting and thigh touching.

The MMC does work in a queer bar, and have queer friends, and is bisexual, but unfortunately there's some choices the author made that just feel confusing. The MMC is, not "interested in dating men", which is all fine and I'm not one to gatekeep someone's sexuality... but I'd question why the author made that choice. Because, unlike real life people, this was a choice for the author. There's a line in the book about the MMC seeing women feeling relieved when they discover that he's not interested in dating men. And that... that's kinda what the choice feels like. "Here is a hot MC, feel free to imagine him with men, but don't worry they don't threaten you." Which just all seemed such a weird and binary choice from a NB author.

The whole book just feels like it's caught up in its own head, there's far too much exposition and just... not enough story to really justify the length.

There's definitely an audience for this book, I just don't think that audience is me.

If you're interest M/F spice and characters who think a lot, check this one out.

3.5★ (round up)
Tropes: brother's best friend, age gap, forced proximity (they live together), no third act breakup
TW/CW: childhood trauma (emotional abuse by a parent)

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC!

Bee is a 28 year old ghostwriter looking to publish her own book, but lacking the confidence to put herself out there. She makes a deal with her brother's best friend Sebastian: she'll pay half of his mortgage and he'll help her fight the insecurities holding her back.

As a 26yo completely lost in life, I identified quite well with Bee and her struggles. Seeing her growth throughtout the book was inspiring. Her relationship with Sebastian was heartwarming and the way they supported each other was a great representation of a healthy dynamic.

This was my first book by the author and I would pick up more of her books in the future.

- Fav quote:
Smiling, I bite back the words I so badly want to say. You’re precious to me. Stay here. Stay forever. Be mine..

read if you like
- brothers best friend
- age gap (8 years)
- exstripper MMC
- bookish FMC
- bi mmc
- cinnamon roll mmc
- forced proximity
- plant daddy

🌶️spice: 3/5
characters:
- Bee 3⭐️ (very insecure for my liking)
- Sebastian 5⭐️
- Aiden 5⭐️
- Morgan 0⭐️
- Cassie LOVED HER 5⭐️

4.5 stars rounded up. I really enjoyed this romance, it has brother's best friend, forced proximity, and was spicy. I loved the relationship between Bee and Sebastian and how much they each helped each other grow. They were both such relatable characters but man did I feel a connection with Bee. It has some heavy topics but they were done very well. I also loved the small nod to the authors' previous series. The "mortgage of convenience" was a fun spin on one of my favorite tropes, marriage of convenience. I love Dani and can't wait to see what they write next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. And I loved the cover. I was sitting there the whole time thinking can’t they just see what’s right in front of them? Will definitely be buying a copy when it’s released.

Mortgage of Convenience was not what I expected when I first saw the cover and read the description; however, it was much better! The book includes the tropes of forced proximity and the older brother's best friend and, ultimately, is a moving story about growth, unconditional love, and acceptance. The FMC and MMC were realistic and engaging characters that created an exciting and healthy relationship dynamic. They both had their own individual arcs outside of their relationship that allowed them not only to grow and develop themselves but also to support each other in their growth. This was my first book by Dani McLean, and I really enjoyed it! I will be checking out her other books after this one. Overall, I would rate the book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mortgage of Convenience is a fun, swoony, and quite spicy brother's best friend / forced proximity romance.
I loved the mutual pining, the teasing, the strong chemistry, and the harmony between Bee and Sebastian. I think all of these "ingredients" made the spicy scenes in this book really good. (I mean... Sebastian definitely is the perfect book boyfriend, in and out of bed! Seriously, this man is a dream!)
Mortgage Of Convenience is also a moving story about unconditional love and acceptance. As a matter of fact, above all, I loved the way the two protagonists "forced" each othet to always show their truest selves and the sweet way they accepted and loved each other unconditionally.