“If only I thought about you half as often as you think about me.”“If only.”

Isla has been forced to moved out of the house that she shared with her roommates because of failure to pay rent on time. As it turns out, she has a stable job but they pay minimum wages so now she has no other option than to move in to her brothers house while he is out traveling. But problem is that, Ilsa has some mommy and daddy issues so she thinks she has to survive on her own and not ask for help so she somehow lands a job of house-sitting for her co-worker. When she's moving some of her stuff into her brother's condo, she bumps into his bestfriend who also happens to be living there because his house has an ongoing renovation. Isla & Cade share some past history being childhood friends and while Cade is loyal to her brother, he puts forth a deal so that he would hold on from letting her brother know of her situation if she becomes his fake girlfriend so that his bosses stop trying to set him up with someone. They start to fake date and while spending some time together, old feelings resurface. The plot is all about that. The blurb made it seem like Ilsa & Cade would be living together but that wasn't the case, instead there was a fake dating situation thrown in but I would hardly call it that because there were very few scenes where Cade & Ilsa had to appear to be in a relationship. While I liked the writing style and the characters, some of their actions were immature and self-sabotaging tbh. Overall, I enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting and while the ending was cute, I expected something more wholesome from the epilogue ngl.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and Sonia Hartl for this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

It wasn't what I expected. Even though I like the trope of brother's best friend and fake dating, it fell kind of flat for me. I felt that the book was a bit too short and had no depth. However, I do appreciate the representation of financial struggle in this book and the relationship between the main characters.

Thank you once again!

A delightful love story between two long time friends. Isla is down on her luck. Riddled with student debt, no savings, stuck in a job she hates and out of an apartment. Her solution, crash at her brother's place while he's out of the country. Only, she didn't anticipate the presence of Cade Greenly, her brother's best friend. When Cade discovers what Isla is hiding he offers her a proposition, pretend to be his girlfriend at work events and he'll keep her troubles a secret from her family.

Friends to lovers is a new favorite trope of mine and this book delivers. Cade is so wonderfully attentive, you could tell he was down bad for Isla from the get go. I loved the build up of tension between them, when they finally gave in it was downright delicious.

My one complaint is that the book felt slightly unfinished due to some loose ends that weren't tied up. That aside it's a fun romance that I read out in one sitting. Fully recommend.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with a ARC of this book.

When Isla scrambles to prevent her life from imploding, she runs into Cade, her brother’s long-time best friend. We follow both characters through several weeks of fake dating, a friends to lovers journey, and plenty of steamy tension! The story highlights Isla’s journey of independence and self-assuredness, despite the problems with her life and her fear of letting others down. Overall, I enjoyed this story and found the childhood friends to lovers plot compelling.

I tend to go hot and cold with “brother’s best friend” stories, but I’m glad to say I enjoyed Rent to Be quite a bit. This is a story with plenty of heart, heat, and real commentary about struggle. A fun and quick read!

Wow. This story is so authentic and real, it feels like you're catching up with someone in real life. Some of your favorite tropes are here, but this is a very real-life look at millenial/Gen Z life these days. Tropes include: brother's best friend; fake dating; stuck together; friends to lovers.

Twenty-something Isla Jane is having the worst time of it. Every category of her life is going south when she washes up on the doorstep of her brother's condo. He's traveling for a month and she can at least crash there as she's in between apartments. Her brother's best friend, hottie nice guy Cade Greeley is also crashing at the condo while his home is being renovated. Cade has been around since all three of them were kids, so why is it so hard to be at peace near him?

As Isla tries to pull her life together, she and Cade explore the possibility of something more than friendship when he needs a fake girlfriend to accompany him to his company's social events over the summer. It's a lot: Isla's house sitting business is mostly a positive experience, and being Cade's pretend girlfriend is definitely enjoyable. But it's an illusion, really: pretending to life in these other people's homes, pretending to be with Cade. Isla's family doesn't have high hopes for her either, and the constant digs about her life and career really sting.

There's nothing fantastical or dreamy about the people or the story. Isla and Cade's struggles with imposter syndrome are all too relatable, as is Isla's frustration with her stalled career. Isla's challenges with her family are incredibly realistic, and the personal growth that she realizes throughout the story is interesting.

What I liked about this book was how honest and real it was about what it's like to be a young person these days. To have dreams that are put on the shelf in favor of a more solid career path, or a career path that doesn't exactly turn out the way you wanted. Dealing with parents who are difficult and not as understanding as you might want. Lots of real-life elements contributed to how believable this story was.



Thank you to Sonia Hartl and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is my second book by Sonia Hartl, the first being Heartbreak for Hire. I feel like if you liked that one, then you will like this one. At least that was my experience.

Isla is a millennial without a plan who thought she was doing the responsibile thing by getting a MBA, but is having trouble with finances. This book struck a little close to home because like many millennials, I had issues figuring out my life. Isla was enjoyable to read in that she didn't have it together, knew it and just kept on making mistakes while trying to grow. I love a messy heroine.

Meanwhile, Cade is the lead male character who is doing well and trying to prove he isn't his parents. I liked them together and I liked how much Cade cared for her.

Overall, this is an enjoyable read with some laughs to be had. The pacing did feel a little haphazard in places and the third act breakup was a little weird. However, I would still recommend this to anyone who must wants a lighthearted romance about people you would encounter in real life just trying to figure it out.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC!

This book was so much fun! It was a quick, easy, and cute read. Rent to Be is perfect for anyone that loves childhood friends to lovers, brother's best friend, and fake dating!

We follow Isla Jane, who is living the millennial nightmare. She has an entry-level job after graduating with her MBA, but is drowning in student loans and behind on her rent payments. When she gets kicked out of her apartment, she goes to her brother's condo knowing he is out of town on business for a month. However, when she arrives, her brother's best friend, Cade Greenley, is using the condo while his own is under renovation. Trying to find another place to crash, she desperately chooses to sleep at her desk and figures that her luck is about to change when one of the big bosses at her office needs someone to house-sit while she goes on vacation. Isla thinks her plan to take house-sitting jobs is the perfect for-now solution while saving up for a new place...that is until Cade catches her by the pool in a mansion that's obviously not hers.

So, Cade and Isla strike a deal. He will keep Isla's secret from her overbearing parents and brother if she agrees to pose as his girlfriend at his company's corporate events. The secrets and lies Isla keeps accumulating starts to be a little too much, but the one that is front and center is how she truly feels about Cade.

I related to some situations Isla was going through. The fact that a graduate degree can't guarantee you a well-paying job after graduation is terrifying. With student loans and rent to pay for almost everyone in their 20s and 30s, it's extremely hard to get by. I just can't imagine what that's like if you also have a family to take care of. So, I appreciated how Sonia Hartl created a character as relatable as Isla. Even though Isla was struggling, she still kept going, and I truly admire that.

Overall, Rent to Be was so freaking cute AND STEAMY!! Cade Greenly definitely made it on the book boyfriend list early on as I was reading; he's just too charming and lovable! Both characters are also really funny and both slightly idiotic, which makes for hilarious situations and banter. I have not come across many brother's best friend books, but after reading this one, it's one of the tropes I will definitely be looking out for!

Rent to Be comes out August 15, 2023, so mark your calendars! Happy Reading!

1.75/5 stars! This was my first book by author Sonia Hartl. The premise sounded cute and I was excited to hear this was for fans of Tessa Bailey. This story never came together for me. Cade and Isla were an interesting match, but I didn't even like Isla. She makes stupid decisions and then leaves Cade to like find solutions for her. The book had potential but it didn't pay off. Not sure if I would read anything else by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I loved this book! It was a nice fun read. Some parts of it hit close to home and made me really step back and think. I love the relationships that were built throughout and I was rooting for them all the way. I really enjoyed this read.

So fun to pick up this book and find a local connection. A few “open door” scenes, along with a storyline involving childhood friends reconnecting as adults. Enjoyable!

This was a good book, but not great. I enjoyed the romance of Cade and Isla because they were already good friends who fell in love. So many romance books are enemies turn lovers, so this book was a nice change. I was stressed out by Isla’s troubles though. That poor girl could not get it together and it annoyed me. I do think student loan debt is a major problem, but she was such a wreck. I guess all those messes distracted me from the parts I liked. Thank you for giving me a chance to preview this book!

4/5 ⭐️
This is my first read by Sonia Hartl (Heartbreak for Hire has been on my TBR for far too long now) and it was a really fun read. There were some moments where Isla really frustrated me, but overall she is witty and strong. I love the brothers best friend trope ESPECIALLY when they have grown up together and have history. That’s a huge plus for this story!!! But the lack of communication again made me so frustrated, especially towards the end. I was still so happy with how Isla and Cade came together and really enjoyed reading their story.

This book made me laugh out loud and I thought it was so perfect. I loved this so much.
I just reviewed Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl. #RenttoBe #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

What a lovely book!
When you start reading, you immediately discover that Isla has problems. She has her MBA but also rent arrears and her two roommates are evicting her. She has a lousy job, and barely earns enough to get by, but when she gets the opportunity to take a job as a house sitter, she grabs it with both hands. Cade is her brother's best friend and practically grew up with her parents because his mother didn't look after him. So she's known him all her life. So they get along very easily, know each other very well, but even from Cade, Isla wants to keep it a secret that her life is falling apart. This is because Isla's parents have always told her that you should be able to support yourself and have made her feel like a loser. Cade, in turn, needs a date for his work outings, so Isla becomes his pretend girlfriend, but gradually Isla discovers what it is to have people around you who love and appreciate you, and find it normal to be respectful with each other. Cade also feels like he always had to prove himself, which is why he tries to act and dress professionally even on company outings. Gradually, their attraction becomes harder and harder to ignore, but when they finally give in, it turns out there's more between them than just the idea that they can't date because of Seb, Isla's brother and Cade's best friend.
I really liked that the story didn't end the moment they got into a relationship, but that the writer tackled the issues you bring into your relationship from your childhood and how a relationship can be a mirror for your own behavior. The relationship between Cade and Isla is also built beautifully; there's not one moment when Isla suddenly fell in love, but a lot of little, beautiful things that made them grow closer and make you fall in love with him. Rainbow bear, I loved it! There's a lot of focus on Isla and Cade's first meeting at Seb's apartment, it's often referenced and I found that scene unnecessary, but that's a minor detail in the whole story.
Isla is a real person; sweet, vulnerable, with little self-esteem but with a heart of gold. She is treated horribly by her roommates but, despite being broke, she keeps going back to shove money for rent under the door.
As the story progresses, you really see Isla grow as a person, trying to break old patterns. That also applies to Cade, although that was less obvious.
Neeta was perfect as a best friend! What a nice person. She tells it like it is, and I love her strong personality.
Seb and Isla’s parents aren’t the cuddly perfect parents you might expect, but that is kind of refreshing in a book. Unfortunately, in life not everyone is nice and loving, but how do you deal with that? This book is a funny read but describes serious topics, makes you think about them but without getting heavy. It's the perfect mix between being lighthearted and seriously good and I highly recommend it!
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks so much to Alcove Press, Sonia Hartl and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Isla Jane is unlucky in life, kicked out of her apartment after failing to pay rent, she retreats to her brother’s condo to find it already occupied by his best friend, Cade. Whilst hiding her lack of shelter, Isla creates a brief house sitting career whilst also entangled in a fake relationship with Cade.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, I found it easy to read and very well paced. The book covers the best tropes and provides a great tale on the foundations of friendship - I loved how Isla found comfort in Neeta and the way she naturally found herself in Cade’s sphere. I truly enjoyed Cade’s backstory and how their past is intertwined from childhood. Similarly, Hartl creates a great dynamic in Isla’s parents, showcasing their toxic behaviour and how the couple overcome their thinly veiled insults.

Whilst I enjoyed the style of writing and the main characters, I felt that they fell flat, the tension started off great, but the chemistry seemed to be lacking as the story developed.

Whilst the story didn’t land well in my case, I would definitely read other works by this author!

Rent To Be stole a piece of my heart♡
And I officially think Cade can he added into book boyfriend status for me! He was the sweetest!
I rooted for these 2 from the beginning! Isla is relatable, funny, cute and I loved her! Cade was everything you'd want a guy to be...enough said! Lol
These two are so cute as they fake-date and have fun together, navigating a friends-to-lovers relationship!
I want to read this book all over again...loved, loved, loved it!

'Rent to Be' is about a common struggle of millenials- having an advanced degree and massive student loan debt, but being unable to find a good job that pays enough. This is the case for Isla. She has an MBA, but she is working at a dead end job. When she is months behind on her rent, Isla's friends pack up her stuff and kick her out of their place. When Isla has nowhere else to live, she goes to her brother, Seb's, house. Seb is working in London for a month, so she thinks she can stay at his place, but she runs into a problem- her brother's best friend, Cade, is staying there.

Cade, Seb, and Isla grew up together. Cade will keep Isla's secret, if she will fake date him at his company work functions. As they fake date each other, Cade and Isla start to feel sparks. (The fake dating angle was dropped pretty quickly, and I wish that there was more to it. I liked all of their interactions at Cade's company events.)

To make ends meet, Isla starts house sitting. This also helps her find a place to live. Things go wrong for her as she is house sitting. I was very confused about how she was house sitting and working her full time job. It seemed like she couldn't do both at the same time.

Cade and Isla spend more time together, and their feelings start to change. Cade has reservations about it because she is the sister of his best friend. Growing up, Cade spent a lot of time with Isla and Seb's family, but he always felt like they looked down on him or he wasn't good enough for her. This adds more complication to their changing dynamic.

Overall, I liked the chemistry between Cade and Isla. Cade seemed like a sweet guy, and Isla got on my nerves at times. Even though I am a millennial, I feel like millennials get a bad reputation. Isla is the stereotypical millennial, and other than that, I didn't know much about her character. I liked the way that the story wrapped up though.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an ARC of 'Rent to Be', which will be published on August 15, 2023.

In "Rent to Be," we follow Isla Jane as she works an entry-level job while drowning in debt. In this novel, the author highlights some realities of being a young person struggling with your finances while discovering yourself and navigating friendship, family, and love.

Isla, who was evicted from an apartment she shared with her friends because she couldn't afford the rent, transports her belongings to her brother's condo, who was on a work vacation, but to her surprise, she discovers her brother's best friend in his apartment.

Too ashamed to admit to her brother’s best friend, Cade, what had happened, she decides to spend the night under her work desk. Fortunately for her, this overnight stay under her work desk becomes a blessing in disguise. I was so invested in Isabel's journey, her banter with Cade, and her friendship with Neeta. I would have loved it if the author had explored her relationship with her brother a bit more.

Although it was easy, fast-paced, and light, I really wished we could have gotten Cade’s point of view and his relationship with his parents, but as this book was more centered around Isla, I appreciated her views and perspective. This book was warm and such a delight.

Thank you to Alcove Press and Net Galley for this arc.

This book had a lot of potential. I was interested in the characters and the storyline from the beginning, but I was not at all satisfied with the way things wrapped up. I just don't think this one was for me.