DNF at 15%, not enough to keep me hooked. I had so many high hopes for this one but it didn't do for me.

I think this book had potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The FMC felt too immature for my taste. I also found the timeline a bit confusing throughout the book though to be fair, that might be because I started skimming a little toward the end

I love a good fake dating trope, but this was more than that! It was a fake marriage, and honestly, it was on a thin line of actually being fake!! Love it! Miz and Cal really give each other a run for each other's money between trying to figure out if they were going to go to the next level and then finding the balance of the next level. Whew! And to add all the family drama on top of their confusing relationship. AHHH! I love all the characters, main and supporting! And the growth Miz and Cal experience is just right. Fun, easy, and great read!

This book is very a cute, quick read.

I have not read another story about friends to well, more than friends, in this way. I loved that. However, I do wished more time was spent on parts of the story. The end felt somewhat rushed and the Daniel issue didn't seem to matter as much as it did in the beginning.

ARC REVIEW, thank you so much to Rebecca Fisseha, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley for this ARC. My review is not influenced by receiving an ARC. This is an honest review!

2.75 stars

This book follows Miz, who is not the marrying type, and Kal, who is a massive romantic. Kal is about to lose his visa, so Miz makes a decision that goes against everything she stands for, a marriage, a marriage of convenience. I loved the setting of Canada and Ethiopia. 

This book had a lot of potential, but it unfortunately didn’t hit the mark for me. I never really connected with most of the characters, they all felt a little flat. Miz and Kal didn’t have chemistry either. I feel like if both characters were fleshed out more then I would think they had more chemistry. 

I think the situationship, engagement ring, and miscommunication that came from the previous things were too dragged out, it was honestly a little annoying. The plot transitions were not smooth. Honestly, the plot just jumped around sometimes, making it harder to stay engaged.

DNF at 25%. I could tell exactly where this story was heading- a marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers romance that I’m sure would have been absolutely delightful! But something in me was just saying now’s not the time… the woes of being a mood reader persist. I definitely plan to keep this one on my radar and will likely return to the audiobook when I’m craving a light, charming romance, especially since I was loving the beautiful elements of Ethiopian culture woven throughout!

a friends to lovers book following our two main character who have basically been friend their whole lives. but now one of them is threatened with having to leave the country. but this cant happen can it? so of course one will offer marriage is a stopper. it guarantees and easy stay right? errm not when you suddenly realize you care a whole lot more for this person.
not only do they have to navigate the often heartbreaking immigration system but also when other lines closer to home start to blur.
i think this book followed the subject matters well. im not quite sure i was as invested in the pair as i should be though so im not coming on here full of dizzy fizzy heights of this trope that can usually go so well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. I am not a huge romance reader but I do like this trope. Unfortunately the book didn’t do it for me and I was unable to connect with the characters or this story.

I always thought that friends-to-lovers was the perfect trope but in this book, it failed me, once again. What I usually like about it is that since they've known each other for years, there's already some kind of chemistry. But here, I couldn't see it, I just saw a sister/brother kind of friendship with the FMC being the annoying little sister while the MMC just want to be left alone to do adult stuff (like, I don't know, focus on his job).

I don't really like how they went from friends with no romantic thoughts of each other to fake married with sudden want of each other. It wasn't smooth at all.

I didn't like both MCs, I couldn't believe they were both in their 30s or something. It felt very immature.

I did not finish this one. It is my style but it may be for others.
Thank you to netgalley & the publisher for the ARC.

The book has a decent premise but this reads like a first draft. There are so many time jumps after significant events and started to piss me off. Why is there a time jump after the first time they have sex and after they get back together right after a massive argument. Also they really didn't have chemistry but that's besides the point. At the end of the book everything that went wrong was her fault and yet somehow she was mad at him? There is also a whole side plot about a ring that I guess only exists to cause more problems in their relationship when were having them already so it was unnecessary.

I received an arc through netgalley.

So, so boring

This book made me realize that I really don’t like friends to lovers, especially when there’s no history of pining and no chemistry as friends or as lovers. This was bland but I liked the references to Toronto and the Ethiopian cultural aspects. Unfortunately the plot was barely there, the conflict zilch and I didn’t care about either character. Not that I didn’t like them, I just honestly, could have cared less if they got together.

And the pacing of this book is atrocious. They have no attraction whatsoever until suddenly they jump into bed. Where’s the build up? And what was even the point of the engagement ring subplot? None that I could see. And of course, because it’s a romcom, they have to put up stupid artificial barriers to why they can’t be together that disappear just because they decide to ignore them. I would have been frustrated if I cared at all for them getting together.

This book was a boring offering of the same recycled and banal fiends to lovers tropes that ankready exist in millions of other books and couldn’t interest me even with the Canadian/Ethiopian elements.

Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy. This is book seven in my reading Canadian challenge.

What do you get when a commitment-phobe agrees to a fake marriage with her best friend? A spicy, heartfelt ride with just the right amount of chaos.

Miz is all vibes, no strings. Kal is her charming BFF with a deportation problem. So naturally, fake marriage is the totally reasonable solution. (What could possibly go wrong?) Set between Toronto and Addis Ababa, this story gives us friendship on the edge, slow-burn feelings, and enough emotional baggage to charge for checked luggage.

Expect laughs, heart-squeezes, and a few “oh no they didn’t” moments. It’s about love—the messy, real kind—and figuring out who you are when your heart finally calls your bluff.

I really wanted to like this book. It's got a cute cover, there's marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, Ethiopian immigrants (to Canada)! Unfortunately, I really disliked this book.

Miz and Kal are longtime friends, both originally from Ethiopia, though Miz grew up in Canada and is a citizen. Kal moved to Toronto for school and to become an actor, and that's where he is reunited with Miz. Unfortunately, Kal's work visa is almost up, and his job isn't willing to renew. Miz and Kal have been friends for over twenty years, but have never thought about each other like that, but Miz desperately wants Kal to stay, so they agree to get married.

Despite never having romantic/sexual feelings for each other before, as soon as they agree to get married, Kal is down bad. It's like a light switch flipped and he is in love. In his mind, this is a real marriage. Miz is not all in on real marriage, but she is ready to very abruptly hop into bed with Kal (seriously, there's almost zero build-up). These characters both feel very immature, despite being in their mid 30s. Kal goes from being a moony teenage boy to a sulky teenage boy. Miz has a lot of wacky antics throughout, theoretically to prevent her from various embarrassments, but which end up being way more embarrassing every time than if she'd been straightforward. There is a whole subplot about a ring that Miz took and needs to give back, and it is SO annoying.

Altogether, I did not vibe with the writing style. Everything felt very scattered, abrupt, and not fully formed. I didn't really like or connect with any of the characters.

I was really excited about multicultural aspects of this book, but the writing style didn’t appeal to me. I prefer books that are less introspective with a stronger external plot. I’m sure others will enjoy the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

When her life long best friend's citizenship status is in jeopardy, Miz puts her no strings attached lifestyle to the side to become his spousal sponsor. A friends to lovers, fake dating, marriage of convenience love story that discusses topical issues and navigating life as a twenty something.

Such a fun, flirty read with incredible depth. The exploration of immigration law was interesting and well fleshed out, I appreciate that it wasn't just a cutesy plot point thrown in for fun but a real complication and stressor. I also feel it's important to note that this is set in Canada, not the US.

I loved our two main characters, Miz and Kal! Their banter was everything- super witty and authentic. Kal's Ethiopian heritage being such a big part of the story was so beautiful, I really enjoyed learning about his culture.

There was a minor part of the plot that I felt was dragged out and became super cringe after awhile, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment of this book.

Overall, a super fun read with great depth and authentic, charming characters!

A huge thank you to Rebecca Fisseha, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this ARC <3333

𐙚 Friends to Lovers
𐙚 Marriage of Convenience
𐙚 Dual POVs

A bit of humor, a bit of real (enjoyed the mix). Enjoyed the cultural rep. You get to see both perspectives as Miz and Kal navigate friendship, family, and life. Overall enjoyed this read.

Thanks for the egalley!

I love this book and it's going to be a cute spring read for all bookclubs. This friends to lovers read, is set in Canada but Miz and Kal are from Ethiopia. We're introduced to them and learn about their friendship, families and life as adults. When Kal's citizenship is threatened, Miz has to find a way to help him. I enjoyed the character development, the splash of culture throughout the book. Thanks Rebecca Fisseha, netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Taylor song: Snow on the Beach

“And to hide, that would be so dishonest”

Wow! I was very impressed with this book. Such a fantastic friends-to-lovers arc with a marriage of convenience too. A win-win of tropes for me!

Both MCs were very witty, and the banter between them was top notch. I felt like I really got to know both characters and found them very lovable and relatable. I loved the Ethiopian cultural details the author weaved in throughout the story and the study on immigration and spousal sponsorship. The only part I really wasn’t a huge fan of was the subplot with the engagement ring - it was a little cringey in my opinion.

Overall though, this book was a big win for me, and I look forward to rereading it as well as reading more from Rebecca Fisseha in the future!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

Dnf’d.
I couldn’t connect with the FMC she was very immature and I the friends to lovers transition happened out of nowhere.
I loved the cultural aspects though