Publication Date: July 15, 2025
A millionaire and a house cleaner are a match maid in heaven in this sparkling new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happily Never After.
As a professional cleaner, Abi Mariano never thought her apartment would have any sort of infestation, but because of a building-wide outbreak, she now needs somewhere to stay for a week. As a part-time student with two jobs, she doesn’t have many options. Then the solution presents itself: the owner of the penthouse she cleans is out of town for the week. She normally wouldn’t consider it, but he’s literally never around (she hasn’t even met him). It goes great…until one morning she finds two strangers in the kitchen. They’re the parents of the penthouse owner and they seem to think they’ve heard all about Abi—not as their son’s maid, but as his girlfriend.
Declan Powell has always put his career first, working his way up to become an executive at his company, but he still has his sights set on the next level. When his parents mention that they met his girlfriend, “Abby,” he all but chokes on his escargot. As wonderful as it sounds that she was just darling, he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend—he made her up to get everyone off his back. When Dex finds out who Abi really is, he makes her a proposition: pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs during their little arrangement. What harm would it do? It’s purely business, no pleasure…right?
Lynn Painter’s romcoms always have me laughing almost as soon as I start reading one of her books, and Maid For Each Other did not disappoint. Why shouldn’t Abi squat in one of her client’s apartments that she cleans for the company she works for, especially when her apartment is currently off limits and he’s never there?
The story is told from Abi and Declan’s perspectives via alternating chapters, each with a delightful title. Everything centers around Abi and Declan and their fake dating relationship after he gets over his anger of finding her squatting at his apartment. The story is fast-paced and flows nicely. Watching the two figure out their fake relationship and sell it to others was a sight to behold. They run through a gamut of emotions while selling it, but will anger and hurt ultimately win?
Vivid descriptions of the locations and activities help draw the reader into the story. There is some closure in the epilogue that takes place a year later, but I would have liked it to go on a little longer, as there seemed to be a few loose ends. The peek at Painter’s next book already had me laughing, and I can’t wait to read it.
Maid For Each Other is a romcom where opposites attract, and I laughed at their antics throughout. A perfect summer read with delightful characters.
Lynn Painter is the New York Times bestselling author of Better than the Movies and Mr. Wrong Number. She writes romantic comedies for teens and adults, and when she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found binge-watching rom-coms or shotgunning energy drinks.
