This one was a fun, trope-filled romcom that hit a lot of the right beats, even if it leaned a bit too chaotic at times. The fake marriage game some entertaining tension and banter.

Carter had that emotionally unavailable-but-soft-on-the-inside energy, while Olivia brought ambition and sass, though her inner spirals got repetitive. The chemistry was solid, the banter worked, and the romance was a slow burn, which I appreciated.

Some moments felt a bit over-the-top and dramatic just for the sake of it, and the pacing dragged a bit near the end. But overall, if you like your rom-coms packed with snark, forced proximity, and fake dating chaos, this one’s worth a shot.

unfortunately, this was an absolute mess for me. the time of past and present was often hard to follow but definitely not the biggest problem. Elizabeth was unbearable and yet the worst thing for me was how many side characters there were... who the fuck was Oliver? Literally what did he have to do with anything? So many unnecessary side plots that either never came up again or added nothing. I think there were twenty side characters I counted - the ending, or last quarter rather, was a mess of a story and the relationship was way too back and forth, none of it even slightly believable. It wasn't written badly and I really liked Josh's character, but this was not it for me.

Terms and conditions by Jensen Parker

When one bad choice lands you in deep trouble your willing to make a deal with whoever to get you out of it and that's exact what Josh Davis did.

Elizabeth Cain trajically lost her parents before her 16th birthday. In order to get her full Inheritance which would enable her to go to the school of her dreams she has to get married.

An arranged marriage is made between Elizabeth and Josh, each for their own reasons and benefits. But their lives together are much different then either of them had imagined.

Their marriage contract has an expiration date, so although they had to fake it and trick everyone in believing their madly in love, they don't have to keep it up forever. With that date looming they have to figure out if they want togo their seperate ways or stay together.

Thank you Jensen for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I have not read the previous books in this series but really enjoyed this one and would like to go back to read the others now! I loved the male pov. As someone who hadn’t read the other books, I did struggle a bit with all of the characters but eventually figured them all out.

Marriage of convenience is generally my trope of choice so I was very happy to receive this arc! However, the book fell flat for me as I just didn't like either of the main characters and miscommunication isn't my favorite thing to read. The writing itself was fine but the book itself just wasn't for me.

✨ ARC Review ✨
Terms & Conditions by Jensen Parker
Release Date: 2/14/2025

This was hands down my favorite of the series so far—but let’s be real, I think I say that every time. They just keep getting better and better!

Josh and Elizabeth’s marriage is one that everyone admires, but behind closed doors, it’s not what it seems. This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions—I just wanted them to open their eyes and say what they meant! The writing was absolutely beautiful, and I loved how it balanced thrill, sadness, compassion, and so much love.

One of my favorite aspects was the timelines that gave us insight into the previous stories from Josh’s perspective. It added so much depth, and honestly, I couldn’t get enough. And that last chapter?! It completely threw me for a loop—I need the next ARC immediately!

This was an easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me. I’m beyond grateful to have read it early! If you haven’t started this series yet, the first two books, Strictly Business and Until Now, are on Kindle Unlimited—go grab them!

I thought this was a great love story that wove past and present storylines EXPERTLY - it was a journey watching Josh and Liz’s journey, how it unfolded into their present, and how their characters grew over the years. And Josh Davis really won me over with that golden retriever energy 🥹

This is the next installment in the Strangers Series, and although it’s Book 3, it can be read as a standalone. I read the first book, Until Now, but not the second, and I did have some mild fomo in some parts hence the rating.

You know, this book was pretty good and it had some things I didn't like, but it being in HIS perspective?? A whole star up!

I really didn't feel one way or the other about this book, which is my very nice way of saying that I enjoyed reading it, but I will not be changing my personality again to become a character in this book. The timeline was a little long (10 years), and while I know a lot of authors do this, I wanted to see more with these two!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc!

I just finished Terms and Conditions by Jensen Parker, and I am obsessed! This book had everything—sizzling chemistry, witty banter, and the kind of slow-burn romance that keeps you flipping pages late into the night. The tension between the characters was perfection, and watching them navigate their arrangement-turned-something-more had my heart doing somersaults.

The emotional depth mixed with the playful moments made this story feel so real, and don’t even get me started on the swoon-worthy grand gesture—absolute chef’s kiss! If you love a romance that delivers on both heart and heat, this one is a must-read. Jensen Parker just earned a spot on my auto-buy list!

Marriage of convenience romance books are one of my favorites. And I was so happy to read this book. The romance was so good!

when a marriage of convenience becomes complicated with real feelings what happens? this happens lol.

the feelings they have for each other are raw and real and complex. and the fact that they were never supposed to be "real" just adds a layer of complication to this. there were definitely times i wanted to throttle the both of them but in the end it made it all that much sweeter when they finally got there.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC 🤍

Not often the only POV is from the MMC of the book! It was a different perspective than I’m used to but it was a good change from the usual!!

The past or “then” just says December 2015” but in chapter 8 it says that alone with it’s “been a week since Halloween” so I’m not really sure of what the timeline here is supposed to be? Unless these are editing errors? Many back and forths between the past and the present. Usually it was easily picked up on if I didn’t pay attention to the chapter heading, but there were a couple times even with that I was thinking “wait are we in the past again”

Very weird tragic violent background for Elizabeth that I was not expecting. His past wasn’t as bad as I assumed based on how they were talking about how much he “fcked up” but that was also kinda violent. Just felt odd given the rest of the book. I expected her past to come back because of how it was introduced, but it never really did.

I was not a fan of Elizabeth. The constant back and forth with being normal and then shutting him out over something she refused to listen to the truth about was so incredibly annoying. She can’t get mad at anything when she’s been adamant the whole time it was all just for the contract. Josh was just okay; he honestly should’ve grown a pair though jfc. Many times of “I need to apologize” “I need to fix this” when he clearly was not at fault and she was the one who needed to apologize. All of the side characters were meh. There were l wayyyyyy too many to keep track of and remember who was who, but I do know they all sucked

I figured it would get even more stupid when confessions and things were happening about halfway through it but holy hell am I flabbergasted at the amount of predictably stupid we got. And the ending?! What in the off the wall out of nowhere fricken crap are we doing here?!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the chance to read this book. This was my first Jensen Parker book and I really loved it - I can't wait to go back and read the first two books!

Jensen… you truly outdid yourself with this one! Phew, what a ride! 4.5/5 ⭐️’s for this one.

this isn’t my first book of hers that I’ve read, I’m already familiar with the Strangers series but this is by far my favourite book in the series so far. I love an arranged marriage turned true romance and Josh and Elizabeth’s relationship didn’t disappoint.

Initially I thought all of the characters in the book would get confusing, but it was easy to catch on after a few chapters and I found all the characters loveable. I loved the back & forth in the timelines from when the agreement first happened and why, to jumping ahead to the future and where J&E were at in their relationship in the present moment. The author had us rooting for this couple the entire time.

Also that ending ?! What are you doing to us?!
I finished this book, now impatiently waiting to find out what happens in the next book. Thank you for keeping us on our toes 🤭

Also thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of the book.

*Spoilers*

I am an absolute sucker for second chance romances. Something about them makes my heart just HURT, and this story was no different. Typically I am not a fan of the miscommunication/poor communicator tropes. But when we get some insight into how our two main characters were raised and the personalities that raised them, it makes total sense for the book. The last hurrah situation was also giving big time “Happy Place” Emily Henry vibes and I was LIVING for it. I also really enjoyed that the whole book (sans epilogue) was in the MMC POV- something I do not feel we get a lot in books and made it a little bit unique!

Reasons why I downrated to 4 stars: the pacing between then and now felt off… It would have helped if the “now” portions of the book had a date attached, because the whole time I thought it was taking place now (2025), but then the timelines did not match for this and I realized I think it was taking place in 2026? Still uncertain but maybe thats just me. Also downrated to 4 stars as I felt like there were just TOO MANY side characters! I know im partially to blame for this because I havent read the first two books, but at points they just kept adding more and more side characters, it was hard to keep up.

Tropes:
- Second chance romance
- Miscommunications
- Marriage of Convince
- Kind of OW drama

2.5 ⭐️. I received this as an arc and enjoyed it but it definitely had a lot of miscommunication. I also felt confused at some points between the now and then of the book. I felt like the author was packing a lot into it at the end of the book with a new character showing up as Elizabeth and Josh are reconnecting. I felt like it was unnecessary to add a daughter he never knew about at the end after all the couple worked through. I did enjoy the book being in Josh’s perspective which is different than a lot of other romance books. Overall a good read! Thank you Victory Editing for the ARC!

Terms & Conditions by Jensen Parker is a fast-paced and engaging read, perfect for fans of the marriage of convenience trope. While it can technically be read as a standalone, it is part of The Strangers series, and I highly recommend reading the first two books beforehand. Doing so will enhance the overall experience, making it easier to connect with the side characters, who play a significant role in the story.

One of my biggest critiques is that the supporting cast often felt like they took center stage, overshadowing the main couple in several key moments. While I understand the author’s intention to weave their story into the larger series, the heavy focus on side characters sometimes detracted from Josh and Elizabeth’s development. I would have loved to see more depth in their relationship, exploring their emotional growth rather than shifting attention to the wider social circle.

That said, the book still kept me engaged. The family drama, personal struggles, and emotional highs and lows made it an entertaining read. Even though I had mixed feelings about certain aspects, the story held my attention, and I’m now curious to read the first two books and see where the series goes next.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy, I’m looking forward to what’s next!

I love love love a marriage in trouble book, it gives all the angst of a non-married romance novel, but like on steroids and I eat it up every time. This one was so interesting as it’s an arranged marriage, turned real, turned into trouble as the deadline comes up and neither Elizabeth or Josh want to discuss their feelings or emotions surrounding the divorce or each other. I love the last hurrah clause and the trip, it forced them to face their issues some what head on but also gave them the opportunity to speak up.

These two really loved each other, but also were both so afraid of the other not loving them back they almost lost it all. There was a lot of twists, this book felt just slightly exaggerated of a friend group’s love struggles but also could be real just unlucky as one could get with all that happened and I think that’s why I rated it 4 stars instead of five. However I did really like this book and the general relationship between Elizabeth and Josh that I couldn’t out it down!

2.5!

Honestly, I really liked the first 65% of this book. It had some back-and-forth, but it was a good kind. It was frustrating at times, but it was still enjoyable for me because the emotions were portrayed in a way that I was able to understand the reason behind it and why they act the way they did.

However, the last 35% had too much going on for me to be able to wrap my head around it all. Yes, the events made sense given the direction the story was going in, but there was just something that I couldn't pinpoint. Honestly, it could just be a me problem and I didn't get it.

This is the first book that I read which was all in the male perspective <spoiler> except the last chapter </spoiler> and I can say I liked it. I genuinely thought it was a refreshing change.

This is the third book in the series and I haven't read the first two, but I will consider it.

Thank you to Jensen Parker, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for this arc! 💕

This is such a raw and realistic story of two idiots hopelessly in love with each other. If follows Josh and Elizabeth as they navigate their arranged marriage coming to an end. I really loved that it shows that relationships aren't perfect and neither are people. The miscommunication in this felt almost too real as when they were fighting, they were puttting up defenses and tryinh to protect their hearts, instead of being fully vulnerable. Both characters were flawed but they did the work to improve themselves and their communication. The characters were well-developed and complemented each other really well. I was living for the drama that happens on the weekend trip. I also really enjoyed the dual timeline as we got to see them fall in love twice. This was a beautiful story of love and growth.