DNFed - I chose to DNF this book in the past. I am typing as a review so it doesn't harm my %. I haven't chose to pick the title back up.

Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl was fun it had a bit of things that i was like 'oh okay' but overall it was fun!

This book hit a bit close to home! From the struggling to pay rent and get ahead because of all of the little things stacking against you to the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" parents. We begin with Isla getting kicked to the curb, quite literally, by her former roommates and have to trudge her meager belongings to her brothers place. She has a plan, crash at her brothers place until he is back from his work trip in a month and by then she'll have a better footing on her finances and well life in general. But of course the universe has other plans that involve a very naked and very attractive Cade Greenly, her brothers best friend, who just so happens to also be staying at her brothers place while his own is being renovated.

This forces Isla to decide, does she come clean about being kicked out to her brothers best friend and continue the tradition of being the family let down or does she pretend everything is fine and pray no one finds out. Of course she chooses the latter. This leads to many mishaps, a few free meals and some wonderful time spent with Cade. But Isla has to figure out how to get out of her own way and learn to see herself as she is and accept that you have to do what's best for you, even if it hurts and is uncomfortable.

I really enjoyed this book despite the moments of my own internal struggles. The only thing I did not enjoy was the lack of communication on so many fronts. I also understand that this lack of communication plays into her growth and knowing she can ask for help and need to lean on others and open up, but it was A LOT of "let's just not talk about it" and not just from Isla. It was all parties from Cade, to her brother, to her parents. Aside from that I really enjoyed it and it made me feel very seen and understand how far I myself have come in my own journey.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars. I liked some of the enemies to lovers story, but certain things were big irritants. However, the struggles with finances and education debts were something not often discussed in entertainment fiction.
Steamy love scenes, spicy language; tough family dynamics contributing to seemingly immature behavior with the main character.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I think the pressures and the character development that both leads face felt real and true to life. I think there were a few too many movements and a little too much time passing but as far as a readable, relatable romance goes, it fits the bill.

4 stars.

I had such a blast reading Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl! Isla Jane's journey of navigating millennial struggles, from career setbacks to her complicated living situation, felt so relatable and real. The chemistry between Isla and Cade was off the charts from the start, and I loved watching their fake dating arrangement turn into something much deeper. The book had the perfect balance of humor, romance, and a touch of spice that kept me hooked. While some of Isla's choices frustrated me, her growth throughout the story made it all worth it. If you're into fake dating, friends-to-lovers, and sizzling chemistry, this book is a must-read! ❤️

(Super late review due to an unrecovered account)

Isla’s corporate job barely covers her bills and definitely doesn’t cover her rent. As a way to help her income and her living situation she starts a house-sitting side business.

Rent to be is a stand-alone contemporary romance. There’s a little bit of everything in this trope-wise. Brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and fake dating are the most prominent.

There’s not really a great build of chemistry between the MCs. It’s mostly the FMC dancing around her feelings and the MMC just seems to go along with it until later in the book. Cade does sort of blackmail Isla into their fake relationship, so she has good reason to be more invested.

While this book was not a great fit for me, if you love a trope heavy book with a decent amount of spice, this may be a great choice for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book started off kinda slow and the female main character wasn't super likeable. I felt that she should've been a lot stronger for me to actually get into the plot.

A cute and funny rom com, this book is perfect for fans of lighthearted romance. It's full of laughs and is sweet and spicy!

Thank you NetGalley and Sonia Hartl!

Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl is a delightful and heartwarming rom-com that cleverly intertwines themes of love and real estate. Hartl's charming characters and witty narrative make this a refreshing and enjoyable read for fans of contemporary romance.

I love, love, love Hartl’s books. Her characters are fun, her writing is great, and the story is lovable. I hope she keeps writing more.

unfortunately i couldn’t get around to read this book yet… i’ll write a review when i’m able to read this.

I started this one and the first chapter was not for me! I didn't like the tone or the writing and to top it all off the first chapter ends with our main character flashing the love interest which is not my type of humor at all. And then the character felt entitled to move into her brother's place? Perhaps in a movie both of these things would work for me, but I instantly did not like her perspective (and I really do try to find something I like about all characters, this is an unusual problem for me). Either way I had enough moments that gave me pause that I decided I did not want to force myself through this one.

I am starting to think this author is not for me since I DNF'd a prior book from her, but heard great things about this one. Unfortunately for me I own a few more of her books.

I loved that their relationship progressed at a believable pace. They might have had an instant attraction but didn’t just jump right into the relationship. They flirted, got to know each other, their relationship developed; healthily. Overall , it was really fun to read!

A great weekend read, its the kind of book I enjoy escaping into.

I need to check out her backlist!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC. The cover definitely drew me in and I'm so glad it did because this was a great read! I loved it so much and will definitely be reading more of Hartl in the future!

I really enjoyed Rent to Be. It was a cute romance, with young 20-somethings just trying to figure out what to be in life. Isla was a hot mess, but I loved that about her. Her and Cade's banter was great and I really enjoyed how their relationship progressed. It also touched on some deeper issues, and I appreciated how Hartl showed that you can love your family despite if they hurt you, and ultimately it's OK to let that family go if they aren't good for you.

I'll have to go back and read some of Hartl's past works because I really enjoyed Rent to Be. I also look forward to what she writes next!

Loved this! I’m a bit disappointed that I put off reading this for so long. This was a cute and funny little romance that shined a light on how difficult life can be at times. While I enjoyed the “spicy” parts, some of it seemed over the top at times. I definitely recommend it though!

Brother’s best friend, fake dating, spice and humor? Say less. Isla is struggling to make ends meet but doesn’t want her family to know. She is always the butt of their jokes and doesn’t want to seem like a failure. When she loses housing and can’t afford somewhere new, she doesn’t know what to do. Until her brother says he will be traveling out of town for a month and she realizes his apartment is free.

She gets there and runs into Cade, her brother’s childhood best friend. Cade is having renovations done on his house and decides to use the apartment. No problem, she pivots to house sitting. Free housing and getting paid to be there? Perfect, until Cade sees her at a mansion that cleary isn’t hers and figures out she house sitting/surfing to have places to sleep each week.

She begs him to not tell her family and he makes a compromise-be his fake girlfriend for work events. Done. Except she starts to fall in love with him. And she can’t do that. This book is witty, funny, steam and still deals with some tough topics. The tropes you can expect:

-Fake dating
-Friends to lovers
-Brother’s best friend
-Slow burn

The audio was even better. I just wish it had been dual POV-hearing Cade’s side would have been delightful!

A good adult romance, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher