"The romance is perfection. An absolutely gorgeous book." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
For better or worse is just the beginning.
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 learns that through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, she’s inadvertently squatted her way into owning a marvel of modern architecture.
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 Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent out the place to fellow architecture lovers. Their assets are tied together, but neither can move forward without the other.
Desperate, Elliot proposes an unconventional arrangement: marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Win-win: Lainey will finally have a way out of town, and he’ll own the house designed by his idol. Married in name only and living together while fixing up the property, Lainey and Elliot find themselves unable to keep their hopes, dreams, or bedsheets from getting entwined. And as their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more terrifying: leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
One of Seattle Times's Most Anticipated Books of 2026
"[A] winning small-town romance, with characters who defy typical romance lead stereotypes even while the novel hews closely to the genre’s typical tropes. Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez." —Library Journal
"Every character in this book feels like a real person, and Timber Creek might be my new favorite small town. And the romance! The romance is perfection. An absolutely gorgeous book. Ellie Palmer nailed it." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
"Another knockout hit from Ellie Palmer. Charming, big-hearted, and sexy—this is a must-read for fans of marriage of convenience or forced proximity. I loved this!" —Hannah Bonam-Young, New York Times bestselling author
"Ellie Palmer has a talent for creating fun, unique, and rich stories. Lainey and Elliott feel real and tangible, and Timber Creek is a quirky small town I itched to explore the whole time (and every new detail never disappointed!). Married with Benefits is smart, quippy, and so much fun. This was my first book of Ellie’s and will not be my last." —Julie Olivia, USA Today bestselling author More Praise for Ellie Palmer
"Ellie's voice is fresh and real. . . . I will read anything she ever writes." —Tarah Dewitt, author of Funny Feelings
"An auto-buy author!" —Falon Ballard, USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart
"Ellie Palmer writes romances that are pure magic!" —Naina Kumar, USA Today bestselling author of Flirting with Disaster
"Ellie Palmer is an elite emerging voice and an auto-buy author for me." —Livy Hart, author of The Great Dating Fake Off
Ellie Palmer is the author of Four Weekends and a Funeral and Anywhere With You, and is a prototypical Midwesterner who routinely apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them. When she's not writing romantic comedies featuring delightfully messy characters, she's at home in Minnesota, eating breakfast food, watching too much reality television, and triple texting her husband about their son.
View titles by Ellie Palmer
"The romance is perfection. An absolutely gorgeous book." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author
A trope-filled delight of a rom com about two strangers who enter into a marriage of convenience that becomes anything but convenient.
For better or worse is just the beginning.
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 learns that through the archaic legal doctrine of adverse possession, she’s inadvertently squatted her way into owning a marvel of modern architecture.
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 Elliot Hodges, a D.C. architect who wants to rent out the place to fellow architecture lovers. Their assets are tied together, but neither can move forward without the other.
Desperate, Elliot proposes an unconventional arrangement: marry him for health insurance and in exchange, Lainey will allow him to buy her out. Win-win: Lainey will finally have a way out of town, and he’ll own the house designed by his idol. Married in name only and living together while fixing up the property, Lainey and Elliot find themselves unable to keep their hopes, dreams, or bedsheets from getting entwined. And as their connection grows, Lainey’s no longer sure what’s more terrifying: leaving Elliot behind or letting him in.
Reviews
One of Seattle Times's Most Anticipated Books of 2026
"[A] winning small-town romance, with characters who defy typical romance lead stereotypes even while the novel hews closely to the genre’s typical tropes. Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez." —Library Journal
"Every character in this book feels like a real person, and Timber Creek might be my new favorite small town. And the romance! The romance is perfection. An absolutely gorgeous book. Ellie Palmer nailed it." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
"Another knockout hit from Ellie Palmer. Charming, big-hearted, and sexy—this is a must-read for fans of marriage of convenience or forced proximity. I loved this!" —Hannah Bonam-Young, New York Times bestselling author
"Ellie Palmer has a talent for creating fun, unique, and rich stories. Lainey and Elliott feel real and tangible, and Timber Creek is a quirky small town I itched to explore the whole time (and every new detail never disappointed!). Married with Benefits is smart, quippy, and so much fun. This was my first book of Ellie’s and will not be my last." —Julie Olivia, USA Today bestselling author More Praise for Ellie Palmer
"Ellie's voice is fresh and real. . . . I will read anything she ever writes." —Tarah Dewitt, author of Funny Feelings
"An auto-buy author!" —Falon Ballard, USA Today bestselling author of Change of Heart
"Ellie Palmer writes romances that are pure magic!" —Naina Kumar, USA Today bestselling author of Flirting with Disaster
"Ellie Palmer is an elite emerging voice and an auto-buy author for me." —Livy Hart, author of The Great Dating Fake Off
Ellie Palmer is the author of Four Weekends and a Funeral and Anywhere With You, and is a prototypical Midwesterner who routinely apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them. When she's not writing romantic comedies featuring delightfully messy characters, she's at home in Minnesota, eating breakfast food, watching too much reality television, and triple texting her husband about their son.
View titles by Ellie Palmer
