Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down and literally read it in less than 12 hours staying up past my bedtime to keep reading. It was so so good!

Well, I loved the author's previous work and was excited when I read about the storyline, which promised two of my favorite tropes: fake dating and enemies to lovers. I expected a great romance with high chemistry.

However, my expectations were not met. Although I appreciated the characterization of Cade Greenley, a sweet, intelligent, and charming man that I rooted for, I didn't like the main female character, Isla Jane. Her many wrong choices rubbed me the wrong way and I had to hold back from shouting at her to "pull herself together."

Despite this, the message of the book was inspiring. It advised young people to find their own path, embrace their mistakes, and keep the faith in order to achieve their dreams. However, the forced romance between the main characters, along with the extra irritating parents of Isla and the forced execution of the fake dating, made me disappointed.

Overall, I had higher expectations for this lighthearted romance. I'm giving it a solid, semi-satisfied three stars. I still plan to read more of the author's works, as I enjoyed her previous work, but I wish I would have loved this book as much.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Love the brother’s best friend trope, who didn’t have a crush on their older brother’s friends growing up!!??? A fun story that also dealt with tricky family dynamics in a light way! Great read! Enjoy the spicy!

Perhaps I am getting jaded in my old age, but I did not like the MC Isla one bit. I thought she was quite crazy, but then it might have been her dysfunctional upbringing. She just graduated with an MBA, but can't find a job that pays well, in a field she didn't want to study in the first place, which might have something to do with it.

This is supposed to be a rom-com, but it wasn't much of a com. It is also supposed to be a fake dating, friends to lovers, but geeze, it jumps to lovers in the first chapter, or at least lusting there, and that is not a slow burn at all.

This book just wasn't for me. I was not happy with the way things wrapped up either. I didn't care what happened to Isla one bit. As for fake dating, she was ready to jump his bones on their first fake date. How much of a slow anticipated fake is that?

As one other reviewer pointed out, she is trying to do a second job of house sitting on the side, while having her regular job, but we never see her going to work. I am assuming she is working remotely, but that is never explained. Also, never explained was why we get so many different houses to housesit. What was the point of the weird house with dolls, other than to say how weird it was. Like Chekov's gun, it was never fired in a later chapter.

Your milage may vary, however, and perhaps this is the sort of quick romance that you enjoy. It just didn't work for me.

<em> Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

I loved this!! It was cute, sweet, and adorable. The cover is so fun; I love cartoon covers. This book was the best.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this pop up on netgalley I obsessively checked to see if I had been granted a copy, ready to have a tantrum if I didn’t. After reading Heartbreak for hire a couple months back… I NEEDED to read this.

Was I disappointed? No! I LOVED this book. I loved that Isla was real, and messy like us all. That sometimes life hands you a plate of crap and you just have to get through it. I loved her personal growth, and her friendship with Neeta. Cade was a dream, a dream with suppressed issues but a dream nevertheless.

It was funny, swoon worthy, messy… real.

I don’t want to give any spoilers away but this is definitely one to add to the TBR pile and makes me all the more excited to see what Hartl has in store for us in the future!

I’m a major rom-com fan, and honestly I’m a little conflicted reviewing this one. On the surface, it really sounds like a cute, light-hearted romance, but it’s not really.

What I liked: 

- The commentary on young adults finding their place in the world. Their place in a big mess of career, love, etc.
- Cade! I enjoyed his character
- Character growth

What I didn’t:

- Honestly I didn’t feel any chemistry between the two MCs. I think this is integral to a romance, and unfortunately it just didn’t do it for me. Furthermore, the fake dating felt like it was taken away too quickly? It’s one of my favorite tropes, but it just wasn’t as well executed here. I just felt the romance aspect was lacking overall.
- I just couldn’t make myself like Isla. I tried. I tried to relate to her as a fellow young adult, but just couldn’t make myself like her which really messed with my enjoyment of this one.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love Rent to Be, it just wasn’t a good fit for me personally!

If you’re looking for a childhood friends to lovers/fake dating, give this one a try!

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Sonia Hartl and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Such a cute Rom-com.

Thank you to Sonia Hartl, the publishers and NetGalley for this Arc. I was so excited when I was approved for this reading.

I am an avid LOVER of romantic-comedy, contemporary romance style books. And this was the PERFECT read for my mood. It had me laughing out loud and obsessing over these two.

Isla has nowhere to live, drawing in school debt, so when her brother offers up his guest room, she jumps at it. Because there is no way that she wants to move back home with her parents. Her brother is out of town, so she has his home to herself for the time being, or so she thinks. Little does she know that her brother's best friend is also staying at her brother's home while he is getting his house renovated. Now she is house-sitting for a boss at her office, just another way to have a roof over her head. Now you'll have to read the book if you want to find out what happens when the brothers-best friend Cade finds out, and they end up striking a deal. A fake-dating type of deal.

Now overall thoughts of this book were that the book was funny, I loved the story line the brothers best friend, the fake dating, the pretense of the story was great. Do I think it was perfect? No. I would of loved a little bit more chemistry, a little more sizzle in the relationship. But I would still recommend it to any and all lovers of funny and cute romance.

Super cute and funny book! I really enjoyed reading this and going on the journey with the two main characters. I think that storyline was paced well and I'm looking forward to reading more work by this author.

Its definitely a weird story to get into because all the characters seem to have little to no chemistry but the story was fun to read and I really enjoyed once it got further in but I wish it was dual pov

3.25 ⭐️ We’re all aboard the struggle-bus express, apparently.

“The chemistry between the MCs is not my favourite so far, but the comment on how it feels to be a young person trying to strike out on your own in this current late-stage-capitalist-bullish*t of a society we live in is so, so accurate.”

That was my update for this book at around the 50% mark, and it held up until the very end. Now, to say this book feels more rooted in reality than most of the stories that I tend to read would be both accurate and kind of a lie. I love reading all kinds of books, fantasy included, and all of those are very much not burdened by the laws of reality and gravity and, you know… all those pesky little details that makes our world go round. And yet, even those usually hold some type of message or situations that connect with our world and how we live in together in society. This book was not fantasy, but sometimes it felt like the FMC was living in a world of her own. She was prideful and immature for the most part, and it made reading this book a bit of a chore.

Poverty is no stranger to most – that’s the thing about the rich being the 1% - we all at some point, in one way or another, have had to swallow or pride (and sometimes wellbeing) and get help. Even when it feels like you’ve failed at the secret test of life (and capitalism) that no one warned you was going to happen every minute of every day the second you became an adult. Financial stability in your early twenties is no longer a reality, and as Cade, the MMC of this book, said: pride is a luxury. One that most people can’t afford, nor they should. Understanding, learning, and growing together is imperative to our survival -it’s always been- but now it feels like needing help means absolute failure.

There are some quotes in this book that I loved, and the FMC’s growth throughout the book was so incredibly necessary… mainly because at the beginning it felt like reading a teenager, but that’s beside the point. The ending was, like the entire book, both realistic and not. And like the majority of the book, I enjoyed it, but also not.

I would read this to comprehend the change of thought process and understanding that young adults have to make to survive and try to thrive in this day and age – old rules don’t apply to us, as much as we wish they did. The romance was cute but lacking, in my opinion. Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 / 5
🌶️🌶️ / 5


I will upload this review to Goodreads closer its publication date ❤️ As always, thank you for the eARC!

Cuteness overload!! One of my favorites is brother best friend. I loved every minute of this book. Now what I want to know is why couldn’t it be a little longer. (That’s the selfish part of me wanting more) I can’t wait to read another book by this Author.

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. On the surface, it sounds like a light, sweet, fake-dating, sort of enemies-to-lovers story about a young woman struggling to find her place in the world post-business school and falling for her older brother's best friend. Unfortunately, a lot of the threads in this book were abruptly picked up and then just as quickly dropped, and ultimately it was a really muddled story that left me feeling confused above anything else.

The pros: I liked Cade, who seemed kind and thoughtful and put together and just all around like a nice, decent guy. I enjoyed Isla's friendship with Neeta. And I thought the events for Cade's company were fun (although I would have preferred them to be more frequent and for them to be more 3D within the story).

The cons: Isla is...a mess. And not even in a charming, relatable way. She makes the wrong choice at so many turns, and I found myself struggling to feel any empathy for her. Her parents are caricatures and I was SO lost on how they had any leg to stand on with the way they treated Isla?? The fake-dating trope also gets dropped like halfway in and then it is just wall-to-wall angst and miscommunication, rinse and repeat, until the end where we get a very heavy confrontation that truly comes out of nowhere.

There's a fair amount of spice, if that's your thing. Overall: a decent beach read, quick and sometimes laugh out loud funny, but a bit too all over the place for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove for the ARC.

If you like Tessa Bailey books you will love this hilarious romance by Sonia Hartl. I spent half my time laughing and the other half banging my head against the wall because Isla and Cade just couldn’t see what was right in front of them! I loved how the characters were built and how the sorry flowed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

rating: 4/5

This book is about Isla Jane, who's been living in a nightmare since she was kicked out of her apartment by her former roommates and had no money to pay rent anywhere else. Going to her parents house is not an option so instead, she decides to crash at her brother's condo while he's out of the country for work. It seems like a perfect idea until she bumps into Cade Greenley, her brother's best friend who's also crashing on her brother's apartment while his condo is finished.

When Isla's perfect plan is ruined she decided to go and sleep under her desk at the office, hoping no one will catch her, but when this turns into her getting a house-sitting job for her boss Isla thinks that luck is finally on her side.

Or that's what she thinks until Cade finds her sunbathing in her boss's home, where she admits to not having enough money to pay rent. The pair strike a deal then, Cade won't tell Isla's parents about her current situation if she agrees to fake date him for a few upcoming events related to his work.

When Isla finds herself falling for Cade, and finding the lines between fake and real blurry she starts to question if the biggest lie is the one she's been telling herself: That she's certainly not in love with Cade Greenley.

I was really excited when I got this arc since the story seemed interesting and like something I would have a fun time reading. And that was exactly what this book was.

I found Isla's character well-developed and likable throughout the story as she tried to navigate her struggles the best she could, even if sometimes the way she did so wasn't the best option. I appreciated the fact that as the story went by she started to realize things about her family that she hadn't noticed before, which changed her perspective on them completely. I feel like the author did a great job working on Isla's self-discovery during this period of her life, as well as fleshing out her relationship with her family members and friends. Her relationship with her friend was amazing, and it seemed realistic enough which I really liked.

Moving on to Cade, as soon as he appeared in the book the author made me care about him which is normally weird for me to do when I don't know anything about the character. His backstory was well-developed and showed the way he thought about certain things in the present. I won't lie, I almost cried a few times when he was talking about his past and his relationship with Isla's family. HE was sweet caring and comprehensive, even if he sometimes could act a little bit stupid (which was realistic, after all not everyone is perfect).

When it comes to Isla and Cade together I like their relationship a lot. The fact that they basically grew up together gave it a nice touch because it was shown how much they cared about each other ever since they were little, as well as showing the struggles that each one of them went through individually that didn't let them be together. They complemented each other quite well, and I actually felt a connection between them. In some scenes, I could feel the tension between them when they bantered, which I always love and eat up.

Honestly? I think this book might have made me a brother's best friend girlie, and I'm not complaining.

Now moving on to the things that I didn't like, but most specifically things that I wish would have done better. First of all, I would have liked for the author to explore Isla's and her brother's relationship, I just feel like that would make the reader understand more their relationship. I also would've liked Cade's relationship with his own family to be explored a little bit deeper, since I found it intriguing and interesting.

And now onto the final thing, the third-act-breakup or conflict as it is mostly known. Sure I get why it happened, but it just felt like a weird back and forth in between them that could've been solved by doing simple: talking. But I kinda get why they didn't at the same time.

At the end of the day, this book is a story about self-discovery, family relationships, and finding the people that truly accept you and love you for the way you are. Which is why I will probably buy it when it comes out.

I felt like the fake dating trope was abandoned too early in the storyline. Although much is made about the FMC struggle with her entry level job ver y little time was given to what she actually did. Perhaps this is because it wasn’t what she wanted to be doing and that was the author’s point.

I thought the chemistry with the characters was evident and I thought the MMCs backstory was well built out.

I half LOVED this book and half felt really confused by it. Let's start with the positive: It's fast-paced and the leads have great (almost too witty) banter. There's a sweetness and optimism to the book that really moved me.

However, so much of it is a suspension of reality that it borders on almost unbelievable. And, yes, I agree with the reviewers who felt like Isla was a bit immature and that her day job completely fell to the wayside. I think the biggest challenge I had was that part of the ending was so heavy that it felt out-of-place in the mostly light-hearted story.

Rent to Be is a childhood friends to lovers/brother's best friend/fake dating romance. It is a quite fun and fast read that also deals with some pretty seriuous themes such as struggling to find a decent job, feeling inadequate, toxic family relationships, and miscommunication.

I liked the chemistry between Isla and Cade a lot. I liked the banter and constant teasing between them as adults. But what I liked the most are the Rainbow Bear moments they shared when they were little kids.

The only thing I didn't fully like about Isla and Cade's story was the absolute lack of communication between them. I know that they both grew up experiencing toxic family dynamics in which the main issue was the aforementioned miscommunication. I get that, because of these toxic family dynamics, Isla became a girl who's embarassed to express her feelings and she is totally unable to ask for help. I also get that, because of his past, Cade thinks he is not worthy of love. And that is absolutely fine. However, as the story progresses, we're supposed to see them grow and become a better versions of themselves. So, towards the end of the book, I think they should be able to communicate a little bit more. I think there's a scene missing in this book. A scene in which, after their pretty bad break-up, Isla and Cade finally TALK about themselves, about their fears, about their insecurities, etc. A scene that truly marks the beginning of a healthier relationship.

Other than that, Rent to Be was a pretty likable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rent to Be is a lighthearted story about childhood friends and facing financial challenges after college. Although it doesn't delve too deeply and has a clear agenda to mostly complain, I found it enjoyable. The drama aspect is a bit shallow, but the overall mood is upbeat and I appreciated the humor. Did I get there a Tim Minchin reference? Or was it a coincidence? Although I liked following Isla with her train wrack of adventures, my favorite character was Neeta from the start, and I was happy to see her remain a part of the journey.
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

I had not heard of this author before reading this book, her debut novel perhaps? The burb seemed promising, but it failed to deliver for me.

PROS
A super quick read, easily finished in under an hour.

CONS
The main character is super irritating and lacks direction.
Plot holes.
Too much telling and not enough showing.
Awkward, almost non-existent chemistry between the main character and her love interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.