Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of The Arrangement by Robyn Harding. This novel starts out in what you may think to be very cliche: a young student , low on finances, attempts to bring in extra cash via the “sugar baby” route. You immediately know that this tale will not turn out well! Natalie is young, foolish, naive, jealous and irrational...see where this is going? The Arrangement has elements of romance, heartbreak, jealously, and definitely “fatal attraction-ness”.

The story itself is good and kept me turning the pages. However, I found the ending to be unbelievable and at times just silly, which is why the three-star rating. Someone was murdered...someone was found guilty...and the aftermath of the situation just seemed to be lacking. All is well in the land of the living?? Or at least that was the impression which I was left with. I felt drawn to the development of the plot but was disappointed in the resolution. Perhaps a bit too “resolved” after restitution was paid.

Seductive, alluring, and wickedly entertaining!

A modern day and sinister version of Pretty Woman right here folks! I didn’t even realize that this was a thing, what’s a Sugar Baby & Sugar Daddy? Well I know now and I definitely fell for this hook, line, and sinker.

THE ARRANGEMENT by ROBYN HARDING is a fascinating, dark, twisted, and gritty tale that was such an irresistible, entertaining and fun book to read. I was immediately pulled into the story, totally intrigued by the premise, and fully absorbed in this suspenseful page-turner.

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Arresting, intriguing, eye-catching, electrifying, and a fitting representation to storyline. I definitely love the cover art and find it aesthetically pleasing.
Title: A perfectly perfect, suspenseful, intriguing and fitting representation to storyline. I absolutely love how the title played so perfectly into storyline.
Writing/Prose: Compulsively readable, well-written, entertaining, engaging, and suspenseful.
Plot: Fascinating, suspenseful, gritty, unique, riveting, brisk, engrossing, dark, thrilling, seductive, sinister, captivating, twisty, and entertaining.
Ending: Well that was an extremely satisfying end that I absolutely loved! So good!! A neat ending that wraps things up smoothly & perfectly.
Overall: I absolutely loved this one and devoured every single page of this dark, sexy, sinister, and thrilling tale! Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Robyn Harding for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of this book.

3.25 stars

The Arrangement was creepy — in a good and a bad way. The idea is interesting but I wasn’t always very happy with the delivery. Nat is a struggling art student in New York, and she gets the idea of finding a sugar daddy to help support her. Nat then finds Gabe, and the story focuses on the dynamic between the two of them. With hands over my eyes, I wanted to yell “no” at Nat many times, but things between them got creepier and creepier. I understand that the author did research on the increase in sugar baby/sugar daddy relationships and that this inspired her book. I appreciate that this is somewhat of a cautionary tale for young women. But Nat’s personality and the creepy factor were at times a bit too much for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding is seriously the best kind of summer read. It’s a page turning wonder, packed full with seduction, obsession, betrayal, lies and murder.
It will have you turning one page after another, to see what’s to happen next. I was 30 pages from the end, when a ah-ha moment chimed in, and 25 when it all clicked into place. I sat back after turning the last page with admiration on the author ability to take me This thriller of a read is a definite book recommendation and a chip munching, wine sipping 5 star read.

I don't read many books in this genre, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Harding quickly pulled me into the story with her easy writing style and relatable situations. The book was a bit predictable for the first half, but then it took a turn that I was not expecting. The ending was also surprising but felt incomplete to me. Overall, a good and enjoyable read. I know I will be reading future books of Harding as her writing was quite enjoyable.

›In The Arrangement prologue, we meet Natalie, an NYC art student in her 20's, who's calling her father from prison.

"I killed someone."

Natalie must have been desperate to call her father for help considering he left when she was ten-years-old and they don't have much of a relationship. In high school Nat's ex-boyfriend, Cole, broke into her house after she ended their relationship, claiming he just wanted to watch her sleep. This traumatic event has caused her to not want to have a serious relationship with anyone.

Nat's classmate, Ava, invites her to study together. They go to Ava's apartment - a penthouse. Nat assumes Ava must have rich parents, but then Ava explains she works as a "sugar baby". She gets paid a lot of money to spend time with men she meets on a "sugar daddy" website. The men are upfront with what they're looking for, some just want a companion for supper, others want sex.

When Nat's roommates Mara and Toni threaten to kick Nat out unless she pays them for the bills, Nat decides to join the "sugar daddy" website, telling herself she'll go on a few dates to make enough money to pay her bills. This is how she meets Gabe, a lawyer thirty-years older than her.

Gabe's wife and daughter don't look at him with admiration the way Nat does. For awhile their arrangement works well, until Nat's mom calls to say Cole is in NY and is looking for her. Gabe protects her, Nat misunderstands this protection for love and is heart-broken when Gabe breaks their arrangement. Everything falls apart, and someone ends up dead.

› Likes 😻
• The ending wasn't surprising, but I can see how others will enjoy the twist.
• Very quick-read. Great summer book.
• It was eye-opening to get a glimpse into the sugar daddy/sugar baby lifestyle.

› Dislikes
• The cover doesn't match the story.
• Nat is extremely superficial, selfish, annoying, naïve, and makes dumb decisions.
• I wanted to know more about the side characters.
• Too many unlikeable characters: Gabe is absolutely VILE.
• A lot of telling instead of showing.

› Final Thoughts
• If you like cheesy mystery/thriller movies with lots of clichés, then I think you'll like The Arrangement. I really, really wanted to like this one and although it fell short I AM still willing to give Harding one more try. What is your favourite Robyn Harding book?

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

I wanted so badly to give this book the 5 stars that are sparkling all around Bookstagram right now. And up until about 52% I was ready for it! Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me and I wasn’t able to find anything to redeem it for me.
The book started off fast paced, intriguing, and emotional for me. I was mad at the roommates. I was rooting for Nat. I was kind of falling in love with Gabe myself. It had all the makings of a heart pumping thriller, and then, Nat and Gabe broke up and she took the biggest, fastest and weirdest 180 degree turn and I was checked out because everything became unbelievable for me.
I really tried to buy back into the story line and connect somehow but sadly I could not.

I'm a big fan of Robyn Harding's earlier books (especially Her Pretty Face) and The Arrangement did not disappoint!

The Arrangement is a fast-past, engaging thriller filled with lust, love, revenge, lies and ultimately murder, al set in the context of a Sugar Daddy/Baby relationship It makes you ask where you draw your own ethical lines and how far a person can get pushed when love and betrayal are in the picture.

Harding is a master at creating narcissistic sociopaths that you love and hate at the same time and she's done
that again with Natalie and Gabe. The family dynamic created with the introduction of daughter Violet into Natalie and Gabe's world was especially interesting for me and added a level of complexity to the book.

This is a great read for people who liked The Anonymous Girl, My Lovely Wife and The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you love keep you on your toes, domestic thrillers such as Anonymous Girl or My Lovely Wife, then this book is for you!
In this book we meet Natalie, a strughling art student. We were all there once right? Trying to keep afloat and just barely getting by? What if someone showed you a world where you can be wined and dined, and make money doing it? Enter Gabe, a handsome, successful, lawyer. In his late 50's. Who is married. And has a daughter 3 years Natalie's junior.
The twists and turns, the drama, the love, the hate, the murder. This was an amazing adventure that would make the perfect movie! 4.5 stars from me, a must read for the summer !

I really enjoyed this book, it was suspenseful and very entertaining. The characters were gripping and I could not wait to see what happened next. I think it had the potential to be a 5 star read but the ending & a few plot twists left me wanting more. Overall it was still great read and I highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Robyn Harding and it will definitely not be my last. I will probably binge read the other two novels by her now.

The Arrangement sucks you right in and you can not get enough. You really get into the knowledge or Sugar daddies / sugar babies and it was a really quick read. This one will also keep you on your toes and flipping through the pages.

I highly recommend this one to everyone who loves to read thrillers and those who don't typically read this genre.

You got me Robyn Harding.

The Arrangement was an addictive read that kept me turning the pages well into the night. It is the first book that I have read by Robyn Harding, and I enjoyed her writing style and would happily read another thriller by her in the future.

The first two thirds of the story focused around plot and character development and then the last third of the book was where we got the real sense of mystery and suspense.
Main characters Natalie and Gabe were not completely likable, but that didn't alter my enjoyment of the story. The arrangement of their sugar daddy/sugar baby "relationship" was interesting, and the author had me on edge just waiting to witness the breakdown I knew was coming.

When the fallout came, each character began to spiral in their own way. It was known based on the plot description that someone would end up murdered, but the question was who, and by whom? It was at this point that a few twists and surprises finally came into play, and the suspense was steadily building. The final twist reveal for me was predictable, so it lacked shock value, but I was still satisfied with the conclusion overall and how everything played out.

All-in-all this was an intriguing plot and a quick read. If you are interested in a sugar baby vs. sugar daddy story of lust, obsession, and deception, add The Arrangement to your reading list today.



**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon & Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**

Natalie Murphy is a struggling art student living in New York City. Her classmate Ava suggests that Nat go online and find a sugar daddy, a wealthy, older man who will pay her for dates and even give her a monthly allowance. Nat reluctantly does so and hooks up with Gabe, a handsome corporate finance attorney. Within a month, they have made an arrangement and Nat has left her shared apartment to live in Chelsea. But when Gabe abruptly ends their relationship, Nat refuses to accept this and starts stalking Gabe and his family. But Gabe is not about to let his latest sugar baby destroy his perfect life. A murder occurs and Nat's life is turned upside down.

This was an enthralling read about obsessive love and deception.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I read Robyn Harding's Her Pretty Face last summer and loved it so when I saw she had wrote another i knew i had to read it.

This was one crazy fast paced twisty thriller. Filled with seduction, betrayal, revenge, lies and murder. The characters were a little dark between the obessive, nacarisstic and sociopath that Harding has created. Harding is definitely a master at writing a page turner that blows your mind. This is one book I recommend you add to your summer reading list immediately.

Nat, a new York city art student struggling to pay her rent, tuition and bills with her part time job. When she's suddenly fired and is even deeper in financial trouble. Nat confides her struggles to her friend that seems to have it all, the penthouse apartment, the designer clothes everything Nat wishes for. That's when stuff gets interesting because it so happens her friend is a sugar baby. It sounds easy enough that Nat thinks she can do a few no strings attached dates, just enough until she catches up on her bills and has a little extra money in the bank. Nat found what seemed to be the perfect sugar daddy, Gabe, who she thought was the real deal. Nat and Gabe ended up making an areangement. Nat viewed this as real and was falling for this wealthy older man who was hiding secrets about his real life. Then things start sprialing out of control he breaks up with Nat. Nat is distraught and turns to alcohol becoming a bit of a crazed stalker, she has to get Gabe back but at what costs. She befriends his daughter, even going to a party at her house where Nat convinces Gabe to take her back, they are in love after all. The night they meet to reconnect Gabe is found dead. Nat can't remember anything and is arrested for his murder. Did she really murder the man she loved?

A big thank you to Simon & Schuster canada, Gallery/ Scout press and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review cam also be found in my goodreads and Instagram Instagram www.instagram.com/teatime_with_a_book

The Arrangement was an exciting, heart racing type of book with a satisfying twist in the end. I read this one very quickly as it grabbed my attention and left me wanting to know all the answers! Nat a young art student who is struggling to stay afloat in NYC needs to find some money fast. Her friend introduces her to the sugar bowl and a website where she can be matched with a sugar daddy and get paid to date rich older men. Nat hesiitant at first signs up and meets Gabe. She is surprised when she meets him, how handsome and kind he is. Nat quickly falls for Gabe and is convinced their relationship is more then just an arrangement. Gabe however has a wife and a daughter who need him. When he ends things with Nat she becomes obsessed with him and will do whatever it takes to prove their relationship was real. The ending was so fast paced I was just gobbling up the pages as I watched Nat fall more and more obsessed over Gabe. Great twists and turns right until the end. This would make a great summer read! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free review copy. I loved Robyn Harding's book Her Pretty Face and look forward to reading all her future releases.

I had been hearing so much about The Arrangement through social media that I just knew I had to request it through NetGalley. Having never read a book by the author I had no idea what to expect.

Let me tell you this book kept me up late into the night to finish it. I was absolutely hooked on this story that details the life of a sugar baby and her sugar daddy.

Nat is a young art student trying to make it in New York. With ever mounting bills and tuition she needs money and she needs it fast. When she asks her college friend Ava how she can afford where she lives and all the beautiful things she has Nat is suddenly introduced to the Sugar Bowl. This is not something she feels comfortable doing but if she can just stick it out through a few "dates" to get caught up on rent and bills then she can quit it. But things take major turn when she meets Gabe. She feels a connection to him despite the 30 plus age difference and although she feels bad whenever he pays her after a date she just can't pull herself away from him. Soon she is far too submerged in all things Gabe and cannot seem to see the dark path she is traveling down. Can she see their relationship for what it truly is or is she bound to pass boundaries and lines that she may not be able to return from.

Wow, I thought I had figured out so much in this story but I was so far off. If any author can take me on a wild ride like this and keep me guessing all the way through then it definitely deserves all the stars!!!

**Received an ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for a copy of The Arrangement by Robyn Harding for review. Available July 30, this must read should be on top of everyone's summer thriller list!

No shock given the author, but I LOVED The Arrangement. It is everything I love in a book, relatable characters, multiple POVs, and a fast paced plot that keeps you guessing. I thought I knew where this story was going when I started but I was wrong.

Natalie needs a little help keeping up with her bills and her friend suggestions she join her in the sugar bowl. Becoming a sugar baby was never in Natalie's life goals but she figures it can't hurt to go on a few dates to help her make ends meet. Then she meets Gabe, and she is soon in deeper than she ever imagined.

The world of dating for money is such a fascinating topic for a thriller. I loved the idea of it and it was very well executed. Once I started, I could not put this book down. Robyn Harding is phenomenal at building relatable characters quickly so you can really get into the plot. I won't get into much more, this one needs to be read without too much knowledge going in. Just trust me when I say it's a great summer thriller and definitely worth picking up!!

The Arrangement gets all the stars from me! This was a fast paced read I couldn't put down. It kept me guessing all the way through and I did NOT see that ending coming at all!

Natalie (Nat) Murphy is a broke 21 year old art student living in NYC. Struggling to pay rent and living with roommates that want her out, she needs something to change and fast. When Nat learns of the sugar baby/sugar daddy lifestyle from a friend she's curious, but it's the loss of her waitressing job that gives that extra push to really lose herself in it. That and a 55 year old sugar daddy named Gabe. A very much married man with a daughter not much younger than Nat. What could possibly go wrong with this arrangement?

If you're looking for a unique storyline that will completely draw you in and have you quickly flipping pages then you NEED this book! This was my first Robyn Harding novel and I'm hooked.

Huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for my gifted copy!

3.5 stars (rounded up)

This was Pretty Woman meets Fatal Attraction.

I really enjoyed Her Pretty Face, so naturally, I was looking forward to reading The Arrangement. Unfortunately, it didn't quite have the same effect on me, and was off to a rocky start .

What didn't work for me:

The writing was a bit underwhelming. It didn't always feel like storytelling and was lacking a certain quality. I think it may have worked better if it had been told in first person.

The story was slow building. A little too slow in my opinion. I nearly gave up, but really wanted to know how things would go down.

What I did enjoy:

The last 80% of the book was like a rollercoaster ride and the best part. I like the twist Harding threw in there! That wasn't the person I had my finger pointed at, but I was extremely close!

Overall, it wasn't a bad read and was a bit of a guilty pleasure..like reading a tacky gossip magazine full of sex and sugar daddies.

The concept seems straightforward and I did guess the ending before the big reveal. The book was engaging and kept me reading so I give it 4 stars. The characters were entertaining and the plot intriguing.