A brothers bestfriend fake dating trope read. I enjoyed this book. Isla struggles to pay her rent and soon kicked out. Her solution was crashing to his brothers place where he falls for his brothers friend. Family problems, flaws and emotional baggage. Good character development.

Such a gripping book, I loved it from the very beginning, couldn't put it down. Full of romance, fun and spice! It was everything I expected, and everything I could have wanted.

I absolutely loved this book! I even read it in one sitting. It was the perfect downtime book for me! I would definitely recommend this book!

Another good read
Perfect book to curl up with and to get lost in
Will have you hooked from the first page
Thanks NetGalley

This story left a huge, goofy smile on my face and I consider it to be one of my top reads of the year. Undoubtedly, it was a full 5 stars read!

This was an enjoyable, quick read. I liked the romance, though occasionally the characters did get on my nerves a bit, but overall it felt believable and sweet. I like that the book had the characters dealing with relatable, real-world problems.

Adorable rom-com story that's full of laugh out loud moments.

Isla has a brand new MBA that she never wanted, thousands of dollars in student loans, and a data entry job with a salary that she can barely live on. When her roommates throw her out for being late on her rent, she decides to crash in her brother's guest room while he's in London for work. Unfortunately, Cade, his best friend, happens to be staying there while he's having his own condo renovated. So Isla decides to sleep at the office under her desk.

That's when she hears a conversation that her boss' house sitter canceled on her the day that she's about to go on her vacation. Isla volunteers, claiming to have done it before, and gets paid $500 for the week. She sees this as a win. But when Cade sees her sitting in a bikini at a house that doesn't belong to her, she has to come clean or her brother will find out. So in exchange for his silence, she has to be his pretend girlfriend at his company events for the summer.

Isla finds herself enjoying the time she spends with Cade. But when they start to blur the lines, Isla realizes that she's in love with Cade. But she's not sure that he will pick her over her brother.

A must read!

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Publication Date: August 15th

Author: Sonia Hartl

Review: This book hit me as in it was wrote to me (I felt) broke, student loans up the butt and just struggling in general . Cade was perfect and loved everything about him and he was a true good character, Isla had her moments of kind of sucking BUT this didn’t really deter me it had to moments of having me very intrigued and other times I couldn’t wait to put the book down. BUT it does have a lot of good points most younger people will go through

Thank you to the publisher the eARC in exchange for an honest review #NetGalley #bookstagram #kindle #kindleedition #eread

I don’t know if millennials will love this one or hate it for how real it was haha the struggle of trying to live with a crappy job, student loan debt piling up, problematic parents, and just barely getting by. But I was rooting for Isla the whole time, even during her messy moments. The romance between her and Cade, her brother’s best friend, was sweet and the story overall kept me engaged. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a really quick read for me. There were so many laugh out loud moments in this book. I though Cade and Isla were really good characters. There are times when you want to ask Isla what are you thinking in life but hey it's life. This was the first book I have read by Sonia Hartl but it definitely won't be the last. I highly recommend the audiobook as well!!


Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I really tried to like the book. But the main characters weren't likable in the slightest and I tried so hard. It just didn't work for me and that's okay.

Overall, I thought this was just okay.

Isla is kicked out of her apartment and her backup plan of staying at her brother’s place doesn’t pan out when she realizes her brother’s best friend is staying there. Rather than tell anybody what is going on she starts a house sitting business. Her brother’s friend also needs her to pose as his girlfriend for work functions, which she goes along with.

This has two tropes that I tend to love- fake dating and apparently an enemies-to-lovers thing going on? This was definitely not enemies-to-lovers in any way.

I don’t know, I just felt like the whole fake dating plot line was unnecessary. There were two, maybe three, scenes where they had to appear to be a couple and it was all for the sole purpose of trying to get his bosses to stop setting him up with people?

I also had a hard time connecting to Isla. I felt that she made a ton of choices that didn’t necessarily help her situation.

I also struggle a little with a brother’s best friend being a forbidden romance because at this point they are adults and can make their own decisions.

Cade though, Cade was a solid love interest! He was sweet and charming and smart. I just wish he was maybe a bit better at communicating and being assertive.

“Rent To Be” presents a familiar struggle that many millennials face today. Isla Jane, armed with a fresh MBA, finds herself in the all-too-common predicament of a low-paying entry-level job and the inability to afford rent. With her brother conveniently away on business, she sees an opportunity to stay at his condo. However, her plan takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that Cade Greenley, her brother’s best friend, is also temporarily residing there due to renovations at his own place. Desperate to keep her housing situation under wraps, Isla strikes a deal with Cade: she’ll pose as his girlfriend at corporate events in exchange for his silence about her predicament. The premise of “Rent To Be” has all the elements of a promising romance, combining the fake dating trope with the potential for an enemies-to-lovers relationship. However, the book falls short in some aspects. Isla, the main character, can be exasperating at times due to her immature decisions and prideful nature. Nevertheless, her character does experience growth throughout the story, which adds depth to her arc.

What truly shines in the book is the chemistry between Isla and Cade. Their interactions are filled with tension and sparks, making for an engaging and captivating read. The supporting characters, including Isla’s co-workers and her brother’s friends, contribute to the story’s depth and provide moments of humor and camaraderie. “Rent To Be” delves into themes of financial struggle, the importance of pride, and the challenges that young adults face in today’s world. It underscores the idea that seeking help is not synonymous with failure but rather a crucial step in navigating the complexities of adulthood.

The writing style is engaging and accessible, with a pacing that keeps the story flowing smoothly. Nevertheless, some readers might find the third-act conflict and the back-and-forth between the main characters somewhat repetitive. In conclusion, “Rent To Be” offers a relatable portrayal of the financial and personal challenges that many millennials encounter. While the romance has its captivating moments, the book’s strength lies in its exploration of character development and growth. It’s a story that resonates with the evolving mindset and struggles of today’s young adults, making it a relevant read for those transitioning into adulthood.

I'm not going to lie the cover was cute and the premise was good. This rom com is a little on the steamy side I didn't mind that, but some readers might. However what got me was the heroine wasn't likeable in the least and the hero wasn't much better. And the heroine who's a millennial gave millennial's a bad name. And as a millennial I feel like I can make that call.

This book maybe hit a little to close to home, as Isla's struggles with money and student loans and making enough after earning advance degrees is all too real. The banter between Isla and Cade, her brother's best friend, as he begins to figure out that she needs help is absolutely fantastic and some fake dating ensues. Soon their fake dating starts to become something more, but will Isla's brothers or overbearing parents ever except that the two of them are meant to be together? As Isla works to figure out where she is going with her life, the added pressure is the last thing she needs and the two of them have to figure out their own baggage before they can be together, as this story balances out the fun and goofy with the real and serious.

This was such a funny, sweet & spicy read. It was so much fun and had me laughing out loud multiple times. It was a bit of a slow burn, which usually I don't like, but I found it worked well in this book.

The characters were relatable facing a lot of millennial issues, which were totally realistic. Their issues were all super believable and I found myself super invested in their outcome. I really enjoyed Cade and Isla together and apart, they were just a great set of characters. Isla was a bit more on the extreme side of things, she refused to ask for any help at all, which I would've taken all the help offered.

I really enjoyed the storyline and the way it unfolded. The spice was good and hot but not overbearing to stir you away from the plot which is what I love.

I really enjoyed the narrators on the audiobook, I could easily feel the emotions, they also made it super funny where I found myself chuckling a few times. I really enjoyed listening to them.

If you're looking for a brother's best friend romance with great characters and a relatable storyline pick this one up!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @alcovepress, RBmedia & @soniahartl for my free ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.

It is interesting when the plot of a romantic story uses realistic hurdles which are contemporary and make sense, even under the circumstances depicted in the book.
Isla Jane got an MBA, not because she felt like it was the best thing to do but because she did not think her parents would appreciate any lower ambitions. Her brother has a high-flying job and is the golden child in their eyes, and her wish to just probably write for a living would not match up to their hopes and dreams. Her roommates throw her out, and she ends up with all her boxes at her brother's place. The beginning is a little bit of a cliche with the whole dropped towel bit, but once the story gets going, we see how someone who is struggling for money and does not have the time and energy to find another basic job manages to make more money on the side.
Although there are only a few house-sitting jobs by the end of the book, Isla runs the gamut between normal and weird. In the meantime, she agrees to fake-date her oldest crush to improve his standing at the latter's workplace. Only when she starts to work for a company with a good work ethic and, more importantly, a respectful balance amongst most of the employees/employers does she start to understand the toxic environment she spends her days in.
I ended up reading the book in a few sittings and liked the overall changes that happen in the family balance. I would recommend this to fans of the genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I didn't realize that I didn't leave a review for this, even though I finished it at the beginning of August. URGH.

I enjoyed the first half of Rent to Be, but things went downhill after that. I was waiting for the female MC, Isla's character to grow, but she annoyed be immensely. The story was pretty slow as well, and many events repetitive events kept happening which took away from my enjoyment of reading Rent to Be. The romance had so, so much potential - but the lack of chemistry ruined it. The representation about financial struggles was the only thing that I loved about the story.

Really disappointed tbh, but keep an eye out for the author's other romances as people seem to really love her earlier releases!

I liked the book but i wasn't enamored with the female character, the story felt actual, relatable and the characters have a familiar situation than the rest of the world. So it's a modern love story

Read if you like: brother's best friend, fake dating.
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Isla's life is falling apart. She is kicked out of her apartment and she hates her job. She starts house-sitting for some extra cash. She also reconnects with Cade, her brother's best friend. They start fake dating, which brings up some feelings between the two.
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Overall, I liked the book but didn't love it. The tension between Isla and Cade was well done but Isla did a lot of questionable things and I struggled with the development of her character.