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.

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

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Pub date: 2026-07-21

Length: 384 pages