Book Review: Married With Benefits by Ellie Palmer

Official Synopsis: Lainey Davis can't wait for the day she'll be able to escape her tiny Wisconsin town. But she's not even close to covering her health insurance premiums and pricey migraine medication, let alone saving up enough to start over some place new. That is, until Lainey receives some news that might upend her unlucky streak. Through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, Lainey has inadvertently squatted her way into owning one of the most notorious houses in modern architectural history.

But Lainey owns only the house. The surrounding property, a lakeside money pit the previous owner used as a front to deal illegal reptiles, has been willed to newcomer Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent the place to fellow architecture lovers. Neither can rent or sell without reaching an agreement.

Desperate to rent out the only valuable house on the property, Elliot proposes an unconventional arrangement: marry him for health insurance and in exchange, she’ll allow him to rent the house as part of his resort until he’s saved enough to buy her out. It's a win-win situation: Lainey will finally have a way out of her small town, and he’ll own the house designed by his architectural idol. But when the end date looms and their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more terrifying: leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.

Lainey Davis had big dreams of leaving her super small tourist driven town, but when chronic migraines change her plans, and her life, she is stuck working odd jobs and grifting to get by. The medication that works for her is wildly expensive without insurance, and has no cheaper options, causing Lainey to work as the town's only Uber driver in a car with a broken passenger door and as a repair women for anyone who needs it. When a tourist uses her Uber to get to get to a rundown lakeside resort, Lainey is shocked to find out that he is looking to renovate it... and purchase her house to go along with it.

Lainey isn't going to give up a house that she has lived in her whole life due to some DC architect who thinks he should own the house instead. Upon learning that her and her grandmother have essentially been squatting in the house, hopefully long enough to claim ownership, Lainey is determined to keep the house for herself, even if it means dealing with the only lawyer in town, who happens to hate her. But Elliot Hodges keeps showing up everywhere, trying to convince her to come up with a deal that will benefit both of them. Upon learning about her migraine medication, he offers the wildest option yet, to get married so she can have added to his insurance, and then they can renovate the cottage to rent out for the busy season...only to get divorced by the end of the year and split money.

But a marriage of convenience is anything but convenient for either of them. Elliot seems to be falling harder for Lainey and her schemes to survive, and Lainey can't help but find Elliot attractive. When they finally gross the line into 'marriage with benefits' they start to reach a point where their entire deal might go up in flames.

I have really loved every Ellie Palmer book I have read. I think the writing is really well done and the characters always have a lot of complexities. I enjoyed seeing another book with a female main character who has a chronic condition and is just trying to survive, while also having a male main character who will take care of her on the worst of her days. I also just thought that Elliot was a great MMC, I enjoyed him from the start and liked how he changed throughout the book. Lainey took a little bit longer for me to fall for, but overall I enjoyed her progress through the book, and her ability to learn that someone can take care of her without it being a transaction and how her dreams are also worth it. The background plot lines of having a famous architect build the house and it somehow be a gift for Lainey's gran was definitely quirky and I truly just enjoyed how small town it all felt.

I overall really enjoyed this book, but out of Ellie Palmer's books I think that Anywhere with You remains my favorite. This book is a fun small town romance with a lot of antics and some fun characters.

I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Married with Benefits comes out July 21, 2026!

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