I really wanted to like this more but it felt slow at points and hard to connect to. Bee’s anxiety was incredibly high but didn’t feel sufficiently addressed other than ‘speak positively’. I appreciated the idea of outgrowing a friendship but the idea was also repeated verbatim with no acknowledgment that the female character brought it up first. Sebastian was sweet but definitely not the ‘wolf’ Bee tried to make him seem.

I thought it was a pretty good book and well written. Their chemistry was very good, actually so good you could feel it! Everything was so freaking cute!

I love that the main character is a writer. This book is so cute and just an overall happy read. I really enjoyed this book up until about 50%, and it just got repetitive. The inner dialogue of the FMC got annoying at times too.

When I read the title of this book I thought I was going to read about two characters who pretend to be in a relationship and eventually fall in love, which I totally love ♥️, but what I got was so much more.

This book gives us two main characters who we see grow throughout the book and who learn to trust in themselves and each other.
The most important part of this story are its characters, and it is the characters that keep you reading and loving this book. I loved ♥️♥️ the interactions we were presented with and how everything was centered in the relationships between the characters and how they all try to figure out to be themselves while growing.

The romantic relationship between the main characters was 🧑‍🍳 💋 (chef’s kiss😂), but what really kept my attention and made me enjoy the book was how each of the characters helped the other become more and more themselves; and have the courage to present themselves to the world as they truly are.

I would definitely recommend this book to all the romance lovers ♥️.

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ex-stripper turned homebody helps shy but impulsive heroine with her confidence and secret writing career while she's supporting him by co-signing on the mortgage to buy his dream house together.

Their mutual secret crushes wont remain secret for long though and this turns into a super sexy read.

My first but not last read by Dani McLean.

Mortgage of Convenience

Summary:
Bee Montgomery, a reserved ghostwriter, accidentally commits to her first novel in a drunken moment, waking up to both a hangover and a pressing deadline, haunted by her fear of rejection. After spending five years away, she's back home, armed with nothing but dreams and hidden truths, seeking courage to step into the spotlight. Sebastian Wolfe, a former stripper with aspirations for a stable, homey life, is a friend of Bee's brother who finds himself in need of cash. Bee proposes a deal: she'll cover his financial shortfall if he helps her conquer her stage fright. Their partnership leads to them peeling back layers beyond Bee's fears. Yet, as the deadline draws near, Bee stands at a crossroad between continuing their cozy facade or braving her true reality.

Thoughts:
I felt hooked from the beginning. I loved Bee and Morgan - I thought the friendship was a nice mix, Bee being more shy/reserved and Morgan being more confident/out there. I felt a bit shocked by the turn in friendship between them and thought it was a bit strange. Overall, with the twist… I thought it was an important lessons on how you can outgrow relationships.

As for Bee & Seb… I thought the dynamic between the two was good and surprising. Usually in brother’s best friend romance, the brother isn’t fond of something happening between the two. Though that wasn’t the case and I thought it was refreshing.

You watch Bee go through the struggle of learning to be confident and believe in herself. Which is the main dilemma of the novel. She isn’t one to really put herself out there. I wish there was more between her and Seb when it came to her coming out of her “shell” about pursing her dream.

I thought overall that the story between the two was wholesome. I thought the background of Seb was well rounded. He was a stripper, he’s bi, a player who’s slowed down, and struggles with daddy issues. I thought it was nice to get to know the characters as individuals.

The spice in this book was different - going into a sleep kink? - I think that’s what it would be considered. Bee expressed to Seb that she’s fantasized about being woken up to someone going down on her. I honestly thought this was an interesting twist - this isn’t really something you read about. I think the spice was a little repetitive but that could simply just be a personal opinion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the story of Bee. I felt understood in the sense of having a dream but being the person in your own way is hard. To be able to pull yourself out of your comfort zone and fight for yourself is a tough. I thought the book did a good job at displaying that. I wish Bee and Seb held out a little longer but I was also just excited that they got together. I would definitely recommend this book to others who don’t mind spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

I just wrapped up “Mortgage of Convenience” by Dani McLean, and I’ve got some thoughts for you. The setup involves a brother’s best friend romance with Sebastian Wolfe, a former stripper, and Bee Montgomery, a ghostwriter. It’s an intriguing premise that promised a lot of excitement.

However, I found the pacing a bit challenging to follow. At times, Sebastian and Bee’s relationship progressed quickly, and at other moments, it felt like it hardly moved. It was a bit disorienting, as I struggled to grasp the rhythm of their story.

But, let me just put it out there—I need a Sebastian Wolfe in my life. The man is a masterpiece. Tattoos, long hair, a love for plants… Yes, please. He’s the book boyfriend we’ve all been dreaming of.

The book has an adorable cover and introduces themes and tropes that I typically enjoy, yet it didn’t fully meet my expectations. It’s engaging but left me wanting something more substantial.

I appreciated the inclusion of queer themes, discussions about sobriety, and the importance of mental health. These are significant topics, but the book only skimmed the surface of these issues rather than exploring them in depth.

Now, the part about Bee cutting ties with her longest friendship? That was the content I was here for. It was raw, real, and handled with a grace that made me nod along, thinking, “Yes, this! More of this, please!” It’s such an important conversation to have, and I’m here for the way it was portrayed.

“Mortgage of Convenience” has its highlights, the overall experience felt lacking in depth and clarity. The book navigates through important themes but doesn’t dive deep enough into them to be fully satisfying. This book definitely had moments that shine, especially with a book boyfriend who’s basically a walking, talking dream, but overall, I was left craving a bit more depth and a little less confusion. Still, worth a read for Sebastian alone—just maybe keep your expectations in check and enjoy the ride for what it is!

Thank you NetGalley and Set the Mood Publishing for the eARC!

What a cute and easy read. It involves a more unique situation of friends getting a mortgage for a house together (though I probably this is becoming more common) and when love blooms from innocent cohabitation. I enjoyed the shenanigans and supportive friend circle in this read as well as the way the author had LGBTQ+ represented.

i couldn’t get into it right away and didn’t manage to finish it on time. i can’t really say much about it as i only red about 10% of it.
maybe i’ll get back to it one day.

This was a fun read from Dani McLean. Sweet and spicy, Bee and Sebastian were a soft pair that helped each other overcome their respective traumas and helped each other heal

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc. Unfortunately this just wasn’t the book for me. Bee was just a lot. The writing style didn’t work for me. I’m sure this will be a good fit for others though.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. There was no real connection and the characters seemed pretty boring to me. I'm really sad because the blurb sounded promising and the cover is so cute.

3.5 / 5 stars!

A sweet endearing love story but was just missing something for me!

Really liked the characters, their story and the tropes! Those were done really well!

Thank you to NetGalley and author Dani McLean for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! X

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but sadly I couldn't finish it. This was my first read by Dani McLean and I was looking forward to it, but I didn't love the writing style. I'm not sure if all of their books are written like this, but I'm absolutely willing to give another title a try. For this one I just didn't vibe well with the characters, I couldn't really feel their emotional connection up to the point I read. I'm hoping another title will keep me hooked, because I've only heard good things about this author from fellow fans of indie reads!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions are my own.

Overall: 4
Spice: 3

Tropes
Forced Proximity
Forbidden Love
Brothers Bestfriend
Mental Health Rep

This started out slow and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. Two people agree to live together to prove the people in their lives they are different than what they are known for. During the course of living together to help each other heal from past traumas and understand they are not their past. Towards the end you were rooting for them to get together.

Okay, I liked this but didn’t love it.

I thought the story was cute but it fell short. For one, this cover is GORGEOUS!!! However… the story was slow. There was no chemistry between Sebastian and Bee. It was very insta lust and a lot a spice, again not bad, but I would’ve liked if they actually talked more.

While this one ultimately ended up not being for me, I enjoyed the concept! A brother's best friend romance with lots of forced proximity due to sharing a mortgage. Such a fun spin on the marriage of convenience trope, but I wanted the author to lean into the pining more. Bee and Sebastian both had feelings for each other for years before the start of the story, but we don't really get enough of that history and pining to ramp up the chemistry. The writing style was also a bit choppy and the pacing resulted in some plot lines being too drawn out. However, there were plenty of sweet lines and the author can certainly write a solid spicy scene! Sebastian was also the hugest cinnamon roll sweetheart. Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, but was left wanting more!

If you want to read this book then don’t let my review stop you. This is one of those books that you can either really enjoy or just not get into and there is nothing wrong with that.

Listen this book had some aspects that I really love like forced proximity and dual POVs. I just can’t put my finger on exactly what it was that kept me from getting into the book and that is what brings my review to 3⭐️.

~Thank you to NetGalley and author Dani McLean for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

Really endearing and cute love story with really good representation. Felt like it could've been 100 pages shorter

The plot was super interesting and I was immediately impressed by the tropes and themes in the summary. The writing ending up feeling a little flat and the characters a little underdeveloped, but ultimately, this was a cute read.