Chapters and Cravings

Funny, flirty, surprisingly emotional and unapologetically spicy—Faking with Benefits is Lily Gold doing what she does best.

I first flew through this book as a paperback in 2024, and my audiobook reread proved it still has that dangerously addictive “just one more chapter” quality.

And yes…Luke is still my favourite.

Obviously.

Faking with Benefits is a funny, flirty and surprisingly heartfelt why choose romance featuring fake dating lessons that become very real, three genuinely distinct love interests and enough spice to make headphones absolutely essential.

It isn’t the most unpredictable romance I’ve ever read, and the third-act conflict might frustrate some readers, but the humour, chemistry and emotional warmth make it incredibly easy to devour.

Lily Gold somehow makes a relationship involving four people feel comforting rather than overwhelming—and that’s one of the biggest reasons this worked so well for me.

Layla Thompson has built a successful career and created a life she can be proud of.

Her dating life, however?

An absolute disaster.

After one particularly awful date knocks what little romantic confidence she has left, the three men living across the hall offer an unconventional solution. Zack, Josh and Luke host a dating podcast, so who better to teach Layla how to flirt, date and finally recognise what she deserves from a relationship?

They’ll become her practice boyfriends, share their lessons through the podcast and stop the arrangement before anyone develops real feelings.

A perfectly sensible plan.

Apart from the tiny issue that Layla is already attracted to all three of them—and one happens to be the former teacher she never quite stopped crushing on.

As fake dates turn into genuine connection and practical lessons become increasingly intimate, the boundaries between friendship, attraction and love begin disappearing rather quickly.

What was meant to improve Layla’s confidence soon becomes something none of them planned for.

📖 First Read vs Reread

I first read Faking with Benefits as a paperback in 2024 and absolutely flew through it.

For my reread, I decided to combine the ebook with the audiobook—and honestly?

It still slaps.

I finished it in less than 48 hours because Lily Gold has a habit of ending chapters at exactly the right moment to make you think, Okay, just one more…

Then suddenly it’s far too late, you’re several chapters further on and any sensible plans involving sleep have quietly disappeared.

Rereading it also gave me the chance to notice more of the emotional details beneath the funny and spicy surface. I already remembered the overall romance, but Layla’s insecurities and the individual baggage carried by each man stood out more this time.

😂 The Humour Worked for Me

One of Lily Gold’s greatest strengths is her dialogue.

The banter feels natural and genuinely funny without trying too hard to prove that this is a rom-com. I laughed out loud several times, especially during the group scenes where all four personalities bounce off one another.

It’s playful, occasionally chaotic and filled with the sort of teasing that only works because the affection beneath it feels real.

The humour also balances the spice beautifully. Just when a scene becomes intense, someone says something that breaks the tension and makes you grin.

It gives the book a lightness that stops the relationship drama from becoming too heavy, while still allowing the emotional moments to land.

💕 Three Love Interests Who Actually Feel Different

With any why choose romance, there is always a risk that the love interests will begin blending into one attractive blur.

That doesn’t happen here.

Zack, Josh and Luke each have distinct personalities, histories and relationships with Layla. They don’t simply offer different physical appearances—they each connect with a different part of her.

Zack brings playful confidence and plenty of teasing energy. He knows how to make Layla laugh and push her beyond her comfort zone, even if some of his later decisions made me want to shake him.

Josh has a softer, more emotionally vulnerable side beneath his outward confidence. His feelings add genuine tenderness to the group, and there is something particularly lovely about the way he notices Layla.

Then there’s Luke.

Older. Protective. Mature. Her former teacher.

Do we really need to discuss why he became my favourite?

The fact that each relationship develops individually before the four-person dynamic fully settles makes everything feel far more convincing. Layla doesn’t fall for “the group”—she builds a different connection with each man.

🔥 Let’s Talk About Luke

The older teacher trope?

Absolute kryptonite for me.

No notes.

Luke’s relationship with Layla has that delicious combination of authority, softness and vulnerability. He’s protective without treating her as though she is incapable, and the emotional restraint between them creates some of the best tension in the book.

The fact that he initially tries to keep himself separate from the arrangement only makes everything worse.

Or better.

Depending on how much fictional suffering you enjoy.

His history with Layla adds another layer because their connection didn’t begin with the podcast lessons. He remembers the person she was, recognises the woman she has become and notices how much confidence she is still trying to find.

Their quieter moments hit just as strongly as the spicy ones because there is genuine care beneath the attraction.

And when all that restraint finally begins to crack?

Yeah.

I was finished.

🌸 Layla’s Confidence Journey

Although the setup revolves around teaching Layla how to date, her story is about far more than finding a boyfriend—or three.

Layla has achieved so much professionally, yet past experiences have left her convinced that something about her is fundamentally wrong when it comes to romance.

She’s awkward, inexperienced and painfully aware of every date that hasn’t worked out. That insecurity sometimes makes her frustratingly quick to assume the worst, but it also makes her incredibly relatable.

What I appreciated most is that the men don’t magically give her confidence. They help create a space where she can begin recognising her own worth, but the emotional growth still belongs to Layla.

She learns what she enjoys, what she needs and what she should never have to tolerate from someone claiming to care about her.

The dating lessons may begin as a slightly ridiculous podcast experiment, but they gradually become lessons in boundaries, communication and self-respect.

Yes, there is a third-act breakup.

Yes, you know a happily ever after is waiting on the other side.

And yes, several problems could have been avoided if everyone had communicated properly.

But honestly?

The predictability felt comforting rather than completely formulaic. It’s like rewatching a favourite romantic comedy—you know where the story is heading, but enjoying the journey is the entire point.

The third-act conflict does create some understandable frustration, especially because certain characters respond in ways that hit directly at Layla’s deepest insecurities.

That part hurt.

I could understand why the characters reacted as they did based on their individual fears, but understanding them didn’t stop me from wanting to sit everyone down and force them to have one proper conversation.

It’s probably the biggest reason this remained a four-star read rather than reaching five.

Still, the eventual emotional payoff is satisfying enough that I forgave them.

Mostly.

What elevates Faking with Benefits beyond being simply fun and spicy is the vulnerability running through it.

Layla’s fears feel real. The men aren’t perfect fantasy boyfriends without problems of their own—they each bring past experiences, insecurities and emotional baggage into the relationship.

This arrangement doesn’t work because everyone immediately knows how to maintain the perfect unconventional relationship. It works because they care enough to try, make mistakes and eventually become honest about what they want.

There is jealousy and fear, but there is also communication, mutual respect and a genuine desire to make sure Layla feels safe and valued.

The book still delivers fantasy-level romance, of course.

But it has enough emotional depth to make the connection feel earned.

👠 Layla Thompson… Give Yourself Some Credit

Layla is successful, creative and far more capable than she believes herself to be.

Her awkwardness and lack of confidence make sense once you understand what she has experienced, and I loved watching her slowly realise that she doesn’t need to change her entire personality to become worthy of love.

She doesn’t need someone to “fix” her.

She needs people who make her feel safe enough to be herself.

Her journey from disastrous dates to unapologetically claiming the relationship she wants is one of the most satisfying parts of the book.

👨‍🏫 Luke Martins… Sir?

Older teacher love interest.

Protective energy.

Emotional restraint.

A softer side hidden beneath all that maturity and control.

Lily Gold really looked directly at my fictional-man weakness and decided to use every part of it against me.

Luke has his frustrating moments—particularly when fear begins influencing his choices—but his connection with Layla feels tender, intimate and deeply emotional.

Zack and Josh are wonderful in their own ways.

But Luke?

That man never gave the others a fair chance.

💞 The Romance

The romance works because each relationship receives enough space to develop.

Layla’s connection with Zack isn’t interchangeable with her connection to Josh, and neither feels the same as the tension she shares with Luke. Each man brings out a different side of her, and those individual bonds gradually form something that works as a complete relationship.

There is plenty of flirting and physical attraction, but the emotional foundation comes from friendship.

These men already know Layla. They care about her before the lessons begin, which makes the shift from helping their friend to falling hopelessly in love with her feel surprisingly natural.

The situation may be unconventional, but the emotions are warm, sincere and wonderfully comforting.

🌶️ The Spice

Four chillies.

Easily.

This is not a book that gently fades to black and politely asks you to imagine what might have happened.

The spice is explicit, frequent and adventurous, with several scenes involving more than two characters. However, it never feels as though the men are carbon copies waiting for their turn.

Each relationship has its own physical dynamic, just as it has its own emotional one.

The scenes focus heavily on Layla’s comfort and pleasure, with communication and consent remaining important throughout the arrangement. That makes the spice feel connected to her growing confidence rather than existing only for shock value.

Would I recommend casually playing the audiobook through a speaker?

Absolutely not.

Use headphones.

Trust me.

Okay…when I saw Shane East’s name, I was immediately sold.

All four narrators do a strong job bringing the characters to life. The different voices help reinforce how distinct Zack, Josh and Luke are, while Faye Adele captures Layla’s mixture of awkwardness, humour, vulnerability and growing confidence.

The male narrators are particularly effective during the emotional moments. You can hear the tension, longing and uncertainty beneath the dialogue, which adds another layer to relationships I already enjoyed in print.

I do have two tiny gripes.

A few of the accents occasionally sounded slightly forced, which was surprising considering the narrators are genuinely British.

I also think the audiobook would have been even stronger with duet-style narration, allowing each narrator to perform their own character in every chapter rather than one narrator handling all voices within a particular point of view.

That would have made the group conversations feel even more natural and immersive.

But overall?

Still a fantastic listen—and one I’m glad I chose for my reread.

You should add Faking with Benefits to your TBR if you love:

• Why choose romance
• Friends-to-lovers relationships
• Fake dating lessons
• Older love interests
• Former teacher/student tension
• Three genuinely distinct MMCs
• Dating-podcast chaos
• Witty, natural banter
• Found-family energy
• High spice
• A heroine finding her confidence
• Emotional vulnerability beneath the humour
• Standalone romances with a complete ending
• Books you can devour over a weekend

This might not be for you if:

• Why choose relationships aren’t your thing
• You prefer closed-door romance
• Explicit group scenes make you uncomfortable
• Age gaps or former teacher/student dynamics are hard limits
• Third-act breakups frustrate you
• Predictable rom-com plots don’t appeal
• Miscommunication makes you want to launch a book across the room

My verdict: Absolutely recommended for anyone looking for a funny, comforting and seriously spicy why choose romance with genuine emotional depth.

It may be predictable, but it gives you exactly what you came for: chemistry, humour, three very different love interests and a satisfying happily ever after.