Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an early e-arc for review. Unfortunately, this book is a DNF for me. Often times I DNF romances because I didn't connect to the characters/ the story, which is the case for Rent to Be. I've read 22% but I didn't find myself enjoying the main character's narration or outlook on life (particularly in terms of how her university degree she should immediately land her a high paying job, and also her sort of antagonistic/ sort of flirty relationship with the guy she's meant to fall in love with), and I didn't find myself enjoying the house sitting plot lines/ lying about where she lives.
I do think that the main two characters could end up being a relationship to root for, but at the moment it's not what I'm looking to read.

Rating the book based on what I've read.

This is a fake dating your brother's best friend was definitely new to me and it did not disappoint. This book is full of spice and I was loving it! The tension between Cade and Isla was out of this world!! Had you wanting to read more and more to see what would happen between the two? Overall I highly recommend this book, I read this book in a few hours and I know I could see myself reading it again

The premise of this book was a fun rom-com, but I found this didn't quite hit the mark for me. Cade was a good character who felt the most fleshed out in the novel and a good love interest that you could actively root for. I actually liked Isla (even though I felt she went on a bit sometimes and disliked her need to wear the clothes of the people she was house sitting for). The pacing of the book felt good and it was an easy beach read that I could definitely see people bringing on holiday.

However there felt like there was a lot of things in the book that were not needed. The introduction of the librarian best friend felt flimsy and I was left confused as to what her purpose had been in the book. The house-sitting fad felt a bit strange and, again, felt strange. The sex scenes felt very literal and sometimes the detail got too much and that actually made it feel less...sexy.

Overall, this was a light read that would be best enjoyed by the pool - and take Isla with a pinch of salt!

This was definitely a 4.5 star read for me, I loved it and finished in a day. Fake dating with your brothers best friend? Count me in.

Isla is definitely on the millennial struggle bus, she took a job and a degree in a field she didn't love after being sort of forced into it by her parents (who are awful by the way) and she's found herself down on her luck. When she is forced out of her apartment and her brother is out of town, she figures using the key to his condo is the perfect solution for a while. What she doesn't account for is the fact that her older brothers best friend is staying there. After a towel dropping incident she determines pretty quickly that she will have to figure something else out, so she ends up staying at her office and overhearing her boss needing a house sitter and then her side hustle is born with the added bonus of a place to stay. During her first sitting job she runs into none other than her brothers best friend again and the two come up with a mutually beneficial plan to keep Cade's office from throwing women at him and Isla's brother from hearing about her being slightly homeless from Cade. During several fake dates sparks fly between these two causing them to evaluate all those pent up feelings they've always had for one another.

There was some decent spice throughout but there was also real emotion and real issues that Isla dealt with.

Okay before I start, I will say I read this book all in one night, honestly couldn’t put it down, its steamy AF and has one of my fav tropes! The writing is great, it made me laugh and had me hooked on the first chapter!

Isla is a down-on-her- luck recent MBA grad that can’t seem to get ahead at her job- she’s legit doing the same job as people without degrees, and making the same amount- and is failing miserably at keeping up with her bills.

Hence her getting kicked out of her apartment for not paying rent for three months. Isa not wanting to ask for help brings her stuff to her brothers to store while he’s out of town, not knowing that her brothers best friend is staying there because of construction happening at his home.

Not wanting to admit she got kicked out, she leaves and ends up sleeping in her office cubical- which causes problem later- after waking up to a loud phone call from one of the bosses freaking out because she can’t find a house sitter on such short notice, Isa offers to take the job.


Now I’m not going to list out of the whole book but know it’s definitely worth the read if you love romance,comedy and sexy as hell smut!


10/10 would read again and would recommend

As for Isla, yes she’s a little childish, indecisive and impulsive but to be honest I think that just makes it’s better, while reading this she actually reminded me of one of my friends, I swear they have the same personality 😂


I was given a ERC for an honest review. Thanks NetGalley and Alcove press Sonia Hartl just gained a new fan!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I loved this romance that dealt with all the real-world challenges Millenials and Gen Z are facing in their daily lives. I've faced some of the same decisions as Isla and I don't think I've ever read them in a book before! Seeing that representation in a novel is so affirming for everyone facing these struggles, in my opinion.

Sure, it's an idealized happy ending that most of us won't get, but isn't that the whole point of escaping into a book?

The premise of this book made it seem like a fun rom-com, but it wasn’t quite that for me. I had a hard time with the main character and the spicy scenes were way too much. It took away from the rest of the story. I felt like the other millennial troubles (debt, finding your career path, family dynamics, etc) could have been explored more. Not every book is for everybody, so I know some people will enjoy this more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a solid 3 stars rating. The author did a great job describing scenes which had me laughing hard throughout. It was nice to see the characters growth and relationship development. Family relationship are complicated and the author portrays it accurately by not making everything perfect by the end of the book.





***************************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.************************************

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I love Sonia Hartl - thanks for the opportunity!

This is a tricky one to review! On the one hand, I could not stop reading (went from 9pm-1am no breaks to finish in a sitting!), was totally gripped. On the other, I think there are a few things that could make this book more well rounded.

Things I loved:
- addressing financial insecurity and generational financial issues
- the TENSION between Cade and Isla, oooooohhh mama. They burned up the pages with their want and their chemistry
- Isla was laugh out loud hilarious
- that one house… iykyk
- how bingeable it was

Things that might make it better:
- I think there was one complication too many, slight emotional whiplash there in the end
- There’s a scene missing at the end. I’d love to see Cade and Isla talk through their issues properly, rather than jumping to reconciliation
- A tad more depth to Isla - I found her hilarious, but perhaps more to show her intelligence? I know it was there, but I need to be shown, not just told!
- She doesn’t seem to be working while she’s housesitting? But she is? I think there could be a few clarifying sentences to clear up this confusion

In short: I really enjoyed this book as it was, but I think a few little things would boost it to 5 stars for me. Very funny, and touches on very real financial issues. And the chemistry = top tier!

Isla is a 25 year old woman who just been shoved out of the apartment she lived with her two friends because she hadn't paid rent . Because she doesn't want to go at her parents she will spent the next month at her brother's condo while he is in Londo for business . When she enters the condo she realises there is someone else there , Cade is her brother's best friend . Because she doesn't want him to know the truth about her problems she ends up sleeping under her desk at her job . The morning she overhear a coworker needing someone to house sit and she says she will do it . Doing this job will solve her problem with where she will live for a while and have some money to pay for the rent she owned and her student loans . The first day she is house sitting at the next house there is a party going and on of the guests is Cade and he saw her . Now that he knows the truth they make a deal he will her secret from her family but she will have to pretend to be his girlfriend at a few upcoming corporate events . Being his fake girlfriend is not something difficult for her because they know each other almost all their life but she is falling for him every time a little more . Will they both let their fears or love win ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own .

A strong five-star read that was so close to being four but pulled itself out in the best way. I enjoyed this story, it had a good flow and story, but I did feel lacking a little, and I liked Isla Jane for most of the story, but she pushed my buttons at times as well. There were so many ways that this story went really well, like the history Isla Jane and Cade have, you can see why you wouldn’t want to risk that, as well as the relationship with Seb. The thing about this story is how the author brought together some really true issues, such as student debt, and how it effects your life day to day, eating the same meal for days on end, or not at all and the fear of being stuck in a job that you hate but can’t afford to leave. I think some of the things that annoyed me about Isla Jane, and I think they may be things that came a little too close to home for me, like the parental put downs, that make you doubt yourself, even though you know they care. There are some really funny moments in this story, and some moments that will sweep you up into the story, it was so nice watching Cade come out of himself. This is a must read for everyone, its got a romantic soul, with a great storyline.

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.