I wanted so badly to like this. There were some really great elements but overall I was disappointed. I think if you're looking for an easy read with good spice to mentally check out with, then you might enjoy this book. It just didn't really land for me. Which is sad because there were some elements that made me hopeful (not a spoiler) i.e. one of the main characters being bisexual.
Not bad. Just not for me.

I don’t even know where to start with this one

Honestly, I’m giving this book two stars because the smut was good, BUT (I’ve never said this and is sounds so weird to now) there was too much of it???? For being a sweet contemporary romance there was just TOO MUCH SEX. Half the book was them banging and the other half was them on their own personal journeys.

Don’t even get me started with the fact that it took 7 chapters to discover why the FMC was panicking over moving back home and “making a dumb decision” which wasn’t even a dumb decision. If it had been 7 chapter of the reader knowing but the characters not knowing then it would have been *fine* but to have the big reveal be that she asked her editor if she could write her own book??????? After being a successful ghostwriter for years?????? It’s not even like her confidence was in the toilet. She was out getting tattoos and skydiving while she lived away but then suddenly she’s afraid to do something that basically comes natural to her.

There was zero conflict. Nothing happened this whole book.

She moves back home to write her book, buys a house with her brothers best friend, become friends with benefits, overcomes her fear of disappointing HERSELF and learns to let go (anti-anxiety meds could have definitely helped before this all started), breaks up with her best friend who was a bitch, admits her feelings for the brothers best friend, end of book (plus an epilogue that takes place five years later where they’re married, she’s pregnant with twins, and her books get picked up for a movie).

He buys a house with his best friends little sister, cares for houseplants, goes for runs, dreams of owning his own business, makes up with his abusive father, admits his feelings for the FMC and they live happily ever after ever after.

The biggest conflict was if she was going to leave if her book didn’t get approved but we all knew neither of those things were good to happen.

What else… there was so much inner monologue that someone would say something then it would take PAGES of thoughts before another person responded???? And the thoughts were mainly the idiots being in love with each other but not wanting to admit it.

I feel like there’s more but I can’t think of it right now so I’ll just end it here. This book was just not it.

I was interested in this book, but unfortunately, it fell a bit flat. I feel like the tension was there at first and then fell kind of flat. I also feel like her attitude towards him was all over the place, sometimes she was all about him but others she ignored him. I think it's a very good concept but maybe wasn't executed how I thought it was going to be. Plus the ending was a bit rushed.

Thank you, Dani McLean, Set the Mood Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Mortgage of Convivence is out and ready to read.

1.75 stars
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Thank you NetGalley for the e-book arc in exchange for an honest review!
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This book just fell flat for me in so many ways, i expected to see more of Bee and her tackling her writing honestly since it was made to be the main focus point of the plot and the reason she's back home. Like yes it's a romance but there should have been more discussion surrounding her book being written.
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Character break-down:
I was not a fan of either character if I'm being honest, Bee seemed too timid and too infantized for my liking, Sebastian is constantly reassuring her over the same things and although Bee doesn't want to be seen as someone who wants help or someone to be babied she doesn't do anything to really prove otherwise.

Sebastian just felt like one of those guys who tries to be super deep and insightful but it just came off as kind of annoying at some points because he made almost everything deep and kind of just ended up repeating himself multiple times.

Honestly, I wasn't really rooting for them to get together. By this I just mean that it felt like they didn't really have much of a connection outside of them hooking up, it just didn't feel like they had actual feelings for each other. They had feelings for each other in the past but by living together I was expecting something sweeter and not just lust 24/7, if you were to take away the smut scenes, there was nothing else defining their relationship, that being said the smut scenes also happened way too often like unnecessarily so. There were also some questionable scenes (iykyk)
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It felt like a lot of the book was wrapped up super quickly at the end, Seb meeting his dad, Bee finally submitting her book and getting feedback on changed, like these were key plot points that kind of just got wrapped up in the end with little attention throughout the book.

I LOVED this book! I love the protectiveness of Seb and I really enjoyed the forced proximity of them sharing a mortgage and that Bee helps Seb make his dream a reality and in return Seb does the same for Bee. He also helps to bring the 'real' Bee to the surface and shows her that she doesn't have to hide from the world. The only thing I didn't enjoy is the character of Morgan and i don't understand her role it played in the plot of the book, I feel like if she wasn't in the book the book would have had a similar ending. However!!! - I love Aiden and hope he gets his own story!

The cover is cute and made me want to read this book. But the content was not interesting enough for me to continue beyond 50%. . I felt there was lack of chemistry and the plot was not captivating enough. Maybe other readers will love it, but it was not for me..

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Set the Mood Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting spin on forced proximity due to convenience and I loved how unserious this book took the mortgage of convenience part. This book is a fun time that still covers some important topics and does have a bisexual mmc. I wouldn’t go into this thinking it is going to be serious because then you may be disappointed but I had an amazing time reading this and I can’t wait to read other stuff from Dani McLean.

Bee Montgomery has always had a crush on her brother’s best friend but she never thought he returned her feelings. She left her home 5 years ago to be a ghostwriter but now she is ready to take a chance on her writing and wants to try to write a book her own name can go on. Her confidence though is a mess and she just has a hope and her suitcase to support her dream. When she learns Sebastian, her brother’s best friend, is trying to buy a house but can’t quite qualify for a loan she decides to help him and buy a house with him. He wants a place to eventually have a family and sees that this is a way to also see if Bee maybe has feelings for him and agrees.

I loved Bee and Sebastian and I loved how Sebastian helps Bee realize her potential and shows her what it is like not to have to do everything herself even if she can. The tension was there and the resulting spice was fun. Overall not my favorite spice I’ve read but it was spicier than I expected. I liked the age gap between them and it didn’t feel like it made it weird. I also loved how supportive Bee’s brother was of the relationship, that man was their biggest supporter.

I do recommend this book but I know it isn’t for everyone. If you want a fun take on forced proximity, age gap romance, brothers best friend, and a bisexual mmc maybe try this out.

I didn’t love this one honestly - the chemistry of the main characters lacked for me. I found the book to be really repetitive and lackluster. This just wasn’t for me.

This was a really cute read and can be used as a refreshing read! I do wish their romance was stretched out a little bit more but their chemistry and pining were AMAZING! I need ot read more of this author!

ohwowthiswasspicy (although I also find radishes spicy, so take that as you will). I didn't really connect with either of the main characters. The non-relationship plot points felt pretty weak and random to me (more often than not).

tropes:
-brother's best friend
-age gap
-roommates

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just reviewed Mortgage of Convenience by Dani McLean. #MortgageofConvenience #NetGalley #ARCReader

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Tropes:
no third act break up
brother’s best friend
forced proximity
roomates
dual pov
age gap
FMC is a shy writer
MMC is an ex-stripper

Review:
This marks my first read by Dani Mclean, and I have to say that even though, it won't be making my top reads of 2024, I would definitely want to read more of their work!

I have to say that it took me a while to get through this book. Nothing about it really had me scrambling to flip to the next page. I kept zoning out and going on my phone.

I completely understand when a character has insecurities, but it really overpowered Bee's character, it kinda shadows everything else. Also it felt like her character was a little hollow. I wish I could say that she grew throughout the book, but I didn't feel like she did. I feel like she overcame things, not because of the way she overcame things, but just because Sebastian said so. The romance was very much rushed. I always opt for a slow burn romance, and this was not that at all. I felt like I didn't really see the romance develop, it just kinda happened. They always had feelings for each other, but I feel like it could've been developed a little better, I would've liked to see them go from a concrete freindship to a romantic relationship; instead of flat line friendship to suddenly kissing and zooming through it.

Now for the whole buying a house together thing....why??? Why would she offer to buy HALF A HOUSE for someone she's in no way involved with? Why would he accept? Why did he want that house specifically? just why all of it?? I didn't feel like my questions were answered. It felt like the whole buying a house together plot was just to make it a forced proximity romance, but it wasn't a well planned plot.

Finally, like I said it's not my favorite, but I wouldn't avoid reading more by this author, as it was my first read by them. Hopefully the next read will go better!

Thank you, Dani McLean, Set the Mood Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Mortgage of Convivence is out and ready to read.

In the name of honestly, I was very excited for this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I was expecting in terms of romance. I feel like the tension was there at first and then fell kind of flat. I also feel like her attitude towards him was also all over the place. I think it's a very good concept but maybe wasn't executed how I thought it was going to be.

I find it absolutely strange and perplexing. She gives off the impression of being bashful and unconfident one moment, then when she talks about her past, she radiates confidence. The tension between the two was there in the first few chapters, but after it was just weird with her ignoring him and then not ignoring him. The interactions between them at times felt forced and soon got to be boring.

I really loved this book! Bee reminds me so much of myself in the sense of being the younger sister and having the overprotective older brother. Sebastian is amazing! The way he was so scared to turn out like his father but we got to see the opposite of that. He was so kind and tender with Bee and honestly, to everyone around him.

maybe a 2.5 ⭐️?

this book had so much potential to be great but just fell flat in so many ways.

first of all it felt like Bee and Sebastian were together from the first chapter and I felt like the intention was for there to be a buildup to the romance and that just didn’t happen or wasn’t believable at least.

there was also so many sub plots happening and different character struggles that it was hard to keep up and remember things that were happening.

also not sure why a 36 year old man kept referring to himself as old or ancient?? lol

there was a lot of this book that I liked or saw so much potential in but too much of it was a miss to give the payout of a great romance read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I was surprised to like this book more than I did. Other than the romance between Bee and Sebastian, we have themes like friendships, self-discovery, confidence, and unstable family figures. We also have bi representation which I, as a bi woman, love!!!!
I loved the writing and it was addictive. It was my first time reading the brother's best friend trope, and I enjoyed that too. I wasn't expecting that much smut (but that's something I'm discovering that I don't like as much as I did, depending on the days ahah). The characters grow so much and it's so beautiful to see them face the problems and grow because of them.
The theme of friendships and family is something that I always look forward to in my books, but after reading the acknowledgments I felt a little close to home and understood even more what the book said.
My rating was a 4 star and I will look forward to more books by the author.

Mortgage of Convenience has a very good premise and promising characters but it perhaps misses some charm which would've made this a "classic". Sebastian is an extremely well-rounded character and it is great to see a bisexual man as the main love interest in a fm romance. Bee however is missing a spark and in all honesty I couldn't tell you much about her other than she is writing a book and is anxious about it. I would say this is a good romp that you can spend an afternoon with but it isn't earth-shattering in any way.

Mortgage of Convenience is a great fit for readers looking for a heartwarming story about an LGBTQIA+ shy ghostwriter finding confidence and love with her brother's charming best friend, while navigating themes of forced proximity, age gap, and spicy romance.

Reading this was an absolute joy! The growth in these characters. And the love that blossoms between them through all the obstacles life throws there way, is extremely heartwarming.

oh my gosh this book had me absolutely giggling and kicking my feet in the area from start to finish! sebastian is the perfect man, no seriously he was perfect. so wholesome and sweet, his character was everything. bee was such an amazing character and they really complimented each other so well and were perfect for each other. it was lovely to read the progress of their relationship i loved it so much!!

there was something about this book that really touched me and made my heart warm up in the best possible way. it was so sweet, heartwarming and a book full of love 🤍

read this if you love:
🪴 brother’s best friend
🪴 no 3rd act breakup
🪴 lgbtqa+ rep
🪴 mutual pining
🪴 found family