I absolutely loved this book.
I found the female main character so relatable and her post college struggles to be very relatable. I also found her all over the place and at times very comical inner monolog moments to be cute and funny. I’m a sucker for a good romcom! Who doesn’t love the childhood friends, brothers best friend trope!! I also enjoyed the flash back moments to the characters childhoods and getting a glimpse into all the times their connections were growing as the characters were all growing up. I felt like this story had so many topics that aren’t normally touched on that some people in the working world face day in and day out!! The narrator of the audiobook did an amazing job at bringing this story to life!


Thank you netgally for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio eARC.

This was a pretty cute romance, though I had a couple of issues with it. Mainly, the FMC is very whiny and immature. There are constant complaints about her job, her student loan debt, and always feeling like she’s letting her family down…yet she makes no moves to change those things until the very end.

That said, I really enjoyed the banter, most of the dialogue, and the spicy scenes. It was nice to see Isla’s character develop toward the end, though it felt a bit rushed. Overall it was an enjoyable listen.

Grateful for the opportunity to get my hands on this one book early. I truly enjoyed this whole book. It was the perfect mix of light and emotional moments. The characters, especially Isla, were easy to relate to, which isn’t always the case. It was an easy listen and I finished in less than 24 hours!

I will definitely be recommending this one to my book loving friends!
*4.5 stars rounded up

Rent to Be is a typical rom-com that had a couple of decisions I didn’t understand but ultimately I enjoyed the ride.

The story follows Isla who is the black sheep of her family. Everyone expects the worst from her which leads her to spin a web of lies. The only person who knows all the lies is Isla’s brother's best friend, Cade. Cade uses this to his advantage and has Isla join him at work functions to pose as his fake girlfriend. Fake dating to real dating typically gets messy but in Rent to Be, I didn’t fully understand why they made it as messy as they did.

I don’t mind explicit content in my books but I was caught off guard with Rent to Be. It was a cute and fun book but then when it got to some sex scenes, it was no longer a cute and fun book. It felt a little awkward and out of place in a book like this. These scenes just didn’t match the overall tone of the book in my opinion.

Both Isla and Cade were great well-developed characters. I wanted them together and the book didn’t give too good of a reason why they shouldn’t be. I can understand some of the problems Cade may have had but the chemistry they had together made me as a reader not care, I wish he would have not cared either.

Overall this was a fun book that had some issues for me, but I definitely recommend this one.

You can't help but relate to Isla- broke, hates her job, questioning everything about her past and future. I've been there and it is awful. It makes the book very relatable. If only I had a Cade to help get me through it!

This book was cute, funny, and at times, steamy. Both Isla and Cade have a lot of baggage but also a lot of personal growth. I really liked their relationship, which goes all the way back to childhood.

The audiobook is narrated by Kirsten Leigh, who does a good job.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Isla's roommates kick her out for not paying rent, she goes to stay at her brother's condo while he's out of town. Except his best friend Cade is already staying there. He agrees to keep her secret if she'll attend some work parties as his date. Will their teenage attraction come back to life?

This novel has a strong voice that hooked me from the beginning. The chemistry between Isla and Cade is delicious. The tone is light but there's a deeper meaning beneath. This book is exactly what I look for in romantic comedy. The narration works well with the story.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

thank you to netgalley, alcove press, and rb media for providing me with both the e-arc and the alc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

*** 4.5 stars

isla jane is going through it like most millennials are these days. she did everything she was “supposed” to: went to college, got a job, and moved out on her own. unfortunately, like many of us she’s barely making it by at a dead end entry level job that barely covers her student loan debt. she’s kicked out of her apartment and has nowhere to go except her brother’s condo while he’s out of town for work. only problem is… her brother’s best friend Cade Greenley is already staying there while his condo is getting remodeled. when a desperate attempt at finding a place to stay ends with her sleeping under her desk at work and unintentionally scoring a housesitting job, things start looking up. but when cade spots her lounging in a bikini in a home she doesn’t own, they strike a deal. he won’t tell her brother about her struggles and in return she will pose as his girlfriend at upcoming corporate events. the line between what’s real and fake is blurry at best and housesitting isn’t going to last forever.

listen here folx: i freaking loved this book!! from the first page i was cracking up. sonia hartl has such a talent for weaving comedy, romance, and tough times into a seriously heartfelt story!! i absolutely loved isla from the start, because she felt so real (and let’s be honest here the post grad struggle hit a little too close to home in this one) because she was a mess and afraid of what her family would have to say if they found out she was struggling. cade was a swoon worthy love interest and i wish so badly that he was real because he was a SNACK!! all that being said i had such a fun time reading this and will definitely be picking up more by sonia hartl in the future <3 <3 kirsten leigh’s voice was hypnotic as she narrated this wonderful story.

Rent To Be is your typical romance novel, it’s exactly what I wanted when reading this genre. Isla’s struggles help you to connect with wether you have had them or not. She’s got problems and who doesn’t! Then throw in Cade the older brothers best friend who clearly has had his eye on Isla for awhile and well that’s rom-com gold really. Some of Islas antics, laying on the library floor in sections she has random questions about) had be laughing out loud a few times while listening. The only part I didn’t truly enjoy was the stances on social issues that were discussed several times. I tune my own husband out when he starts talking politics, so I definitely don’t need to hear about it in the book I’m reading. Rants included, I still give Rent To Be ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it made me smile and laugh and that is really what I was after in this genre!

This book was very cute, I am a sucker for a brothers best friend romance. I will say the main character did slightly annoy me towards the end a little bit over all the storyline was great.

This is sure to be a hit with readers who love the fake dating or enemies to lover trope. The bond between Isla and Cade, while at times chaotic, was very sweet. I loved that the two have known each other a long time and had such a good base of companionship before they even saw each other as romantic prospects. There were times where I wanted to yell at both because they just couldn't get out of their own heads causing more issues than there needed to be. The commentary on how sometimes a degree doesn't help was spot on. Especially now.
Kirsten Leigh did a great job with the narration. My favorite part, suprisingly, was the friendship that grew between Isla and the librarian (who I would love to read a book from her perspective).

This story could have been really cute without the way the social commentary was written. How are you going to have Isla blame Cade’s mother for struggling to provide for Cade because of poverty yet have struggle with Isla poverty? And her parents and their pick yourself up by their bootstraps part 🤢

I want to tell you about this new author I discovered recently. Their book had this really neat idea where two people pretend to date each other. It made me feel so good and I couldn't stop myself from listening to the story. What I liked the most was how the author showed the characters' feelings changing from being just friends to something deeper.

You know, it's like when you start off as friends with someone, and then over time, you start to feel something more. That's exactly what happened in the story. The author didn't rush things. They took their time to let the characters become closer and let their emotions grow.

What really got me excited was how the characters were always there for each other. They gave each other what they needed, like a shoulder to lean on or someone to make them smile. But even though they were happy with that, they wanted even more. It's like they had this craving for something stronger and more special.

I found myself really curious about what was going to happen next. Every time the characters looked at each other in a certain way or had a quiet moment together, I couldn't help but wonder if they were going to finally admit their true feelings. The story had this way of keeping me interested, like a puzzle I wanted to solve.

The best part was how the characters took their time to figure things out. It wasn't like they suddenly realized they were in love. No, it was like a fire slowly getting hotter. They had moments of uncertainty and doubts, but that just made the ending even more satisfying.

If you're into stories where friendships become something more, where the emotions take their time to develop, and where you can't help but cheer for the characters, this book is definitely for you. It's like a warm and fuzzy feeling wrapped up in words. Give it a read, and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the journey just as much as I did!

Rent to Be had its bright moments, though it didn't totally hit the target as I had hoped. Cade was a gem, and Isla had her moments, but she was a bit overwhelming at times. Their fake-dating chemistry was like fireworks, but I craved more of their romance story. Isla's struggles to find her path and deal with her job hit close to home, though they sometimes overshadowed the easygoing vibe I was after. The ending was a bit sudden along with the epilogue.

Overall, I enjoyed Rent to Be. If you're up for a mix of laughs, steam, and seeing someone go from chaos to finding their path, give it a go. I listened to the audio version, narrated by Kristen Lee, and thoroughly appreciated her narration style.

A promise of two of my favorite tropes: fake dating and enemies to lovers. An enjoyable light hearted romance with nice touches on some tough subjects. Can't wait to read some more of Sonia Hartl's work.

Isla Jane is living the millennial nightmare. She’s got a shiny new MBA and no way to pay for it, thanks to her dead-end entry-level job, and nowhere to live, thanks to her miserable salary. Going home to her parents is not possible, but for once Isla’s brother may be her saving grace. He’s out of town on business for a month, meaning the guest room in his condo is blissfully empty.

Or so Isla thinks, until she runs into Cade Greenley, her brother’s best friend—who’s crashing there while his own condo is undergoing renovations. When a desperate plan to sleep under her desk miraculously turns into a house-sitting job for one of the big bosses at her office, Isla is certain her luck has turned—with no one, Cade included, the wiser. It’s a perfect solution—until Cade catches her sunbathing at a mansion that is definitely not hers, and she admits she’s house-sitting because she can’t afford rent.

The pair strike a deal—Cade will keep Isla’s secret from her overbearing parents if she agrees to pose as his girlfriend at a few upcoming corporate events. The fun and friendly vibe of his office is a surprise compared to hers, but the biggest shock is that each “date” with Cade feels less and less fake. Suddenly she’s looking forward to every minute they spend together while the chemistry between them sizzles. As Isla’s house-sitting scheme begins to unravel, she'll have to face the fact that her biggest lie of all is the one she's telling herself: that she's not falling in love with Cade.
Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a cute listen. Pays off the plot didn't feel completely original, but I think the author did a good job making it her own. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

2.5 rounded up

This book cover looks cute and fluffy. Is that reflective of the book? Nope.

What this book details well:
* The crushing weight of student loan debt
* How many professional Millennials, even those with advanced degrees, need some sort of gig work in addition to their day jobs to make ends meet
* The affordable housing crisis
* Complicated and toxic familial relationships
* Boundary setting as an act of self care
* Lack of career trajectory for many Millennials
* Harm of anti-welfare systems thinking
* Corporate demands for unpaid labor in the name of being a "team player."
* Wealth disconnect

Sounding light and fluffy yet?

What this book doesn't do well is creating a likeable main character, a compelling relationship, or non-cringeworthy dialogue. Plus, the author had a tendency to skew things to being crass, when the goal was probably to be edgy or youthful. It was definitely crass.

What saved it from being a straight 2-star book is that I could see what this novel could have been through the forest of what it actually was.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced manuscript copy.

Isla has a new MBA and no way to pay for it thanks to her dead-end job. Also, thanks to the dead-end job, she doesn't have a place to live after being kicked out of her apartment for not being able to pay rent. There is no way she can go to her parents, so she'll have to go to her brother's place while she figures out what to do next. Luckily her brother is out of town for work for a month and his condo should be empty. But when she shows up, his best friend and family friend Cade is staying there while his place gets renovated. Desperate with nowhere to go, Isla sleeps in her work cubicle and overhears a conversation that opens up an opportunity to house sit. She believes her luck is turning around with no one the wiser until Cade sees her sunbathing in the mansion she's sitting, and he knows something is up. The two make a deal, he'll keep her secret if she agrees to play his girlfriend at his corporate events.

Rent to Be is such a lovable story. It is full of life drama that anyone can relate to and the romance that most people hope for. In this day and age, a lot of people worked so hard for degrees only to be met with a dea/d-end or entry level jobs that make it difficult for them to live the life they want or just a life where they are not pinching pennies to eat, have shelter, and enjoy themselves. Isla had basically been taught her whole life from her parents not to ask for help and if you need to, you are less than. When she tries to have an honest conversation with her parents about her feelings, they end up seeing it as an attack instead of taking the conversation at face value. So many of us are trying to break generational "curses" or just habits now that this story will resonate with people. Cade has his own set of family drama wherein his own mother wasn't much of a mother growing up and he was thankfully taken in by Isla's parents but even that did not come without its own difficulties. Again, something I think people can resonate with as we are all just here trying to heal from our pasts nowadays. This story was such a delight, and it is going to be such a hit when it hits the shelves on 8/15/23!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC and giving me the chance to listen and review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Isla is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis when she gets kicked out of her apartment and continues to get passed over for a promotion. She has her MBA and everyone else says that will open door, but so far, it hasn't for her. She tries to stay in her brothers condo since he is away traveling but when she gets there and finds his best friend, Cade there, she knows she can't stay. Not to mention that she has had the biggest crush on Cade since they were kids. In a desperate attempt to cover up the fact that she got kicked out, Isla goes to house sitting for her boss at work with the hope that her name gets passed around. Cade finds out and helps her keep the secret in exchange for being his fake girlfriend, from her brother and parents who always find something wrong with what she is doing and always seem to be disappointed in her, Will she be able to just stay friends with Cade or will all this time they spend together "fake dating" ruin everything?

This was a cute "best friends brother" romance and you could tell from the start that Cade and Isla had unfinished business. Their banter and how they both defended each other was sweet. Isla put up with her parents always picking at her failures as a kid and I think that drastically impacted how she felt about herself as an adult. I loved how Cade stood up for her in numerous situations.

This was a super fun, coming of age, fake-dating, brother's best friend roommance, spicy love story. I enjoyed how relatable recent college grad Isla is as she struggles to find an affordable place to live and a well-paying job she doesn't despise! The chemistry between Isla and her brother's best friend Cade is OFF THE CHARTS and it doesn't take long for them to give into their romantic feelings thanks to lots of forced proximity, fake dating foreplay. Good on audio narrated by Kirsten Leigh and definitely recommended for fans of authors like Falon Ballard. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!