i unfortunately dnf this. i could not connect to the characters at all and their dialogue was very questionable.😭 the narrator was very good though.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book for free.

It was a good and quick read. I'm about to check the author's other works because I've enjoyed every bit of this book.

I could not get into this book. It is a mash up of other great books and tropes put together that would make it a good premise, but it just didnt work for me. The main thing is that it felt like two books. IT felt like a nice rom com and then when it came to the steamiest parts it seems like it someone else was writting this book. Like it was different characters and the view changed and Im all about a little steam in my books but when it seems so out of character it felt a bit off

Isla is overeducated and grossly underpaid. When she is kicked out of her apartment for not being able to rent, she hopes to crash at her brother's apartment while he is out of town. However, that plan is quickly dashed when she realizes his best friend is using the guest bedroom while his own condo is being renovated. Refusing to ask her parents for help and with no other options, Isla stumbles into a house sitting gig. Cade's got some work issues of his own and agrees to keep quiet if Isla pretends to be his fake girlfriend at his various work functions.

I started this one off as an audiobook, but quickly transitioned to my kindle because it was just that good and I could not seem to put it down. This is a brother's best friend, forbidden romance with fantastic banter. I always appreciate rom-coms that dive a little deeper and this one did just that. It was both funny and heartfelt with a great message of self-love and setting healthy boundaries.

I really enjoyed this story. The banter between the two main characters was adorable to witness. The narrator for this audio was absolutely phenomenal as well and held my attention the entirety of the story.

I received the audiobook version of this book as an ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

I loved the narrator of this book. This was an easy read that went with the flow, which I really appreciated. I really enjoyed the story line. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I recently enjoyed the Audiobook of Sonia Hartl's book, narrated by Kirsten Leigh. It's a hilarious romantic comedy that has everything you could want in a feel-good story: romantic chemistry, forbidden love, humour, and a relatable heroine. Isla has known Cade her whole life as the boy next door and her brother's best friend. Despite this, she finds herself unable to resist her feelings for him during a difficult time in her life.

One of the things I loved about the book was the flashbacks to Isla and Cade's childhood and their mutual attraction. The nickname "Rainbow Bear" was particularly sweet, and the narrator did an excellent job of conveying the emotion in Cade's voice every time he used it.

Unfortunately, the book's epilogue was a letdown and didn't match the tone of the rest of the story. Despite this, listening to the Audiobook during my commute brightened my day and made traffic less stressful.

Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl is a brother's best friend and fake dating romance novel about Isla and Cade.

Isla just graduated with her MBA except now, she works in an entry-level job, with not enough money to pay her rent and other bills, and just found out that her roommates kicked her out! Instead of going home, Isla decides to squat in her brother's condo while he is out of town and hopefully, save enough money to get a place of her own.

Except, when Isla gets to her brother's place, she finds her brother's best friend, Cade, crashing in the condo while his place gets renovated. Isla then finds herself house-sitting for her boss's boss's boss and decides to use this opportunity as a business. Until... Cade finds her lounging at the house that is not definitely hers.

Cade strikes a deal with Isla that in exchange of keeping her secret from her brother and her family, Isla poses to be his girlfriend to his weekly corporate events.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, to RB Media, and to Sonia Hartl for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook for free in exchange of an honest review.

This book was enjoyable, if not a little predictable. I mean with so many fake dating books out there, there's only so much ways a book can set itself apart from the rest... which, I am pleased to find this book was able to. I found myself relating to Isla very much, in her struggles with adulting, and how much it sucks trying to make our parents proud. I think it was very nice to read a book that points out one of the biggest issues in the country - STUDENT LOAN DEBT/DEBT in general. I think the book addressed this topic so well and it was great to see how the author shed a light into this issue.

Another theme that I sets this book apart is the quirkiness of the houses she was sitting were. Especially the one of her co-workers. I also enjoyed the banter and relationship between Isla and Cade. There were also themes of family dynamics that added more depth into the story, it's not just a romance novel, but also one of growing up, being resilient, of understanding and accepting our feelings, faults, and misconceptions in life.

"Every memory I had included Cade and I loved him in everyone, while we had plenty of ups and down I never took for granted that we had a lifetime ahead of us because through it all one thing always remain true, we never let go of each other.."

Isla Jane, recently graduated with an MBA, finds herself in a challenging situation. Her low-paying job doesn't provide enough income to cover her college loans or rent. Matters take a turn for the worse when her friends kick her out of their apartment. Faced with this predicament, Isla contemplates a desperate solution: sneaking into her brother's condo, as he's currently overseas for work. However, her plan takes an unexpected twist when she encounters her brother's childhood best friend, Cade, who is staying in her brother's apartment while his own undergoes renovation.

Upon noticing her predicament, Cade offers Isla to stay with him. However, instead of confiding in him, she opts to spend the night beneath her office desk, which unexpectedly leads to a stroke of luck. She secures a house-sitting job, believing she has finally found a solution to her financial troubles without involving her family. Little does she realize that Cade will stumble upon her while she's sunbathing at one of the houses she's looking after. Unable to maintain her facade, she eventually shares her difficult situation with him.

In response, Cade proposes a deal: Isla must pretend to be his girlfriend at his office events, and in exchange, he promises not to divulge her circumstances to her family. Reluctant to bring shame upon herself in front of her family, she reluctantly agrees. However, as time passes, she begins to find genuine enjoyment in their pretend relationship and struggles to distinguish between what's real and what's fabricated.

I found the relationship between Cade and Isla quite enjoyable; they were humorous, endearing, and had a strong connection that had developed since their childhood. On the other hand, I didn't particularly like Isla's parents, and I believe the author intended to convey that sentiment. At times, Isla's behavior did get on my nerves, but I still appreciated the characters of Cade, Isla, and her brother, with all their flaws.

This book was a quick and delightful read, filled with humor. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and I derived great pleasure from reading this book. While the ending was satisfying, I couldn't help but wish for more depth in the storyline. The fact that the story was narrated from the female main character's perspective was good, but I would have enjoyed it even more if there were some parts from the male main character's point of view as well.

Overall, my experience with this book was pleasant, and I eagerly anticipate reading more books from @Sonia Hartl in the future. I want to thank Sonia Hartl and RB Media for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) #arc #net-galley #RenttoBe #NetGalley

The chemistry>>> the banter>>> the sexual tension>>

Loved this book!!!


Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Easy to follow story of two people who have known each other for years.

The story follows a women recently out of college trying to make ends meet but getting kicked out of her apartment and having nowhere to go. Struggling with family acceptance, she turns to her brothers best friend and finally admits she is in love.

I enjoyed the story, but felt there were some loose ends that could have been tied up better. Overall would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

This was a cute, quick read/listen. At first I found Isla a little vulgar but then I realized I liked a tough female main character so it no longer irritated me. I think it’s a stretch to call this a friends to enemies story because it seems pretty obvious that Cade has always been in love with her and while they tease each other, they seem to genuinely like each other.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

**This is a review of an eARC of the audiobook version of this book provided by the publisher and Netgalley. This is my honest review.**

Isla and Cade's chemistry leaps off the page right from the start and the tension the author creates between them is impeccable. This book includes many tropes including brother's best friend, childhood friends, fake relationship, hidden relationship, and dysfunctional family.

This is only told from Isla's POV which usually isn't my favorite way to read a romance. Usually I feel like I'm missing out on the other characters development. However, I think it's really well done in this instance. Isla gives us enough of Cade's background that I feel like I know him as well as I know her.
The spice is low and later in the book but is a lot in a short span. The big focus is on the slow build of their romance and the tearing down of the MC's walls on both sides. I loved the larger issues woven throughout the story such as the idea that college is the only way to succeed, and how our words can hurt others. I also love Isla's relationship developments with her parents and her own character growth.

Overall this was a fun romance with amazing tension between the characters and great character development.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

"Rent to be” is a delightful rom-com that had me obsessed from the very first page!

Narrated by the amazing Kirsten Leigh, this audiobook is a delight to listen to. It masterfully combines all of my favorite tropes (brother best friend, fake dating, he falls in love first, friends do lovers…) in one book.

From the moment I hit play, I was mesmerized by Kirsten's voice. The way she artfully narrates Isla's story makes for a very immersive reading experience. She was able to truly bring the characters to life, all of them were very unique with their voices. The way that I could feel the emotion in every sentence is nothing short of an art form.

I believe some of my love for this book comes from the fact that I can relate to Isla's situation. As a millennial stuck in an entry-level position that barely pays her, our girl is struggling. She has nowhere to sleep, almost no money left, and a very annoying (but super hot) brother best friend crashing at her brother's place (also known as her plan B home). After finding out about Isla's secret she and Cade strike a deal (fake dating alert!), she will pretend to be his girlfriend at some of his company events if he keeps her living situation a secret from her family.

When I tell you that these two had some of the most amazing chemistry/bantering that I've ever read. Their first interaction was the funniest ever! It was 2 AM and I was laughing so hard at their dialogues that I dropped my tea. And oh my, the way that boy was bossed with her? For years? PERFECTION🥹

The story itself is a rollercoaster of emotions but in the best possible way. The humor was (literally) laugh-out-loud, and the timing of the comedic moments was impeccable. I would 100% recommend this book to you if you love a good rom-com with a relatable main character and steamy romance.

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This was a super cute, fluffy, 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 rom com that 𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑠 a lot of really deep, relevant millennial topics, keeps you ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 the entire time. 𝐹𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑢𝑛𝑠 🎣, Iykyk 😉 It’s a quick fun read, although Isla definitely made me want to reach into the book and shake her several times. But her struggles are all too relatable for many of us millennials with student loan debts up to our eyeballs and a degree in a field we don’t want to be in anymore. The narrator was great! Isla and Cade’s chemistry was palpable and they seem to be the only two who can’t see it!

Isla has been forced to moved out of the house that she shared with her roommates because of failure to pay rent on time for multiple months. As it turns out, she has a stable job that pays minimum wages so now she has no other option than to move in to her brothers house while he is out traveling.
Her parents have always taught her to do things on her own and never ask for help, she somehow lands a job of house-sitting for one of her co-worker.
When she's moving some of her stuff into her brother's house, she bumps into his best friend Cade, 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.

This was a cute and quick read/listen. I listened to the audio book in a day and was looking forward to house work to get back to listening.

Student loan debt. Crappy first out of college job. Fake boyfriend. Lack of living quarters. Parents who can't be pleased. Feelings for your brother's bestie. This fun book has cute and serious themes, a love story you'll root for and a couple of 🌶️ spicy scenes.

The audio book was easy to listen to and follow.

I got this audio book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Isla has been kicked out of her appartment by her flatmates for not paying rent. Fair, really, but she's been deep in money trouble with student debt kicking in and her job barely paying living expenses. When she tries to crash at her brother's place while he's in London, she runs into his best friend and their childhood neighbour Cade. Since she'd rather drop dead than tell him what's going on, she lies to him. Luckily, her boss hires her to housesit so she at least has a place to sleep for the next week. But who's on the balcony of the house next door when she arrives? Exactly, Cade. In exchange for him keeping her secret from her family, she agrees to play his girlfriend at work functions to get his colleagues to stop trying to set him up.
This was very cute and exactly what I expected from the blurb. I really enjoyed the story and I liked both Isla and Cade as characters. Even though this was a pretty predictable romance novel, Islas hardships were not glossed over by the love story nor was love the solution to all her problems - I greatly appreciated that. I listened to this book on audio; the narrators voice fit the story well. Would love to read another book by this author!

4.25 stars

This was a cute romcom that was (unfortunately!) relatable in more ways than one. I really enjoyed the plot line, and many of the characters were well-rounded enough to feel realistic. The story was angsty and funny in turns, and honestly, it was the (mostly) light and fun summer read that I needed.

How much did I love this book?? It was charming, funny, spicy af, and I couldn’t get enough! I was unfamiliar with Sonia Hartl before reading ‘Rent to Be’, but now I want to ready everything she’s written. For this ARC, I got the audiobook, and the narrator was the perfect choice. Highly recommend!!