Lots of romances seem to start off with the heroine hitting rock bottom. Either she loses her job, or her place to live, or her boyfriend. Or all three. With this story, she loses her place to live and she absolutely hates her job. But she has terrible college and grad school loans to pay back. It’s a believable, somewhat, plot. Lots of people make the mistake of going deep into debt to get a graduate degree without really thinking it through about costs vs. benefits. Add in that she was never really interested in an MBA and just did it to get her parents’ approval and she is in a real mess.

I just got tired of the heroine’s constant loserdom. She does start building a romance with her brother’s best friend whom she’s known since they were children and they have a pretend romance. But I found her situation rather depressing and it never seemed to get all that better until the very end.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Having heard of Sonia Hartl, but never having read her books before, i was stoked to get this ARC. Everything about this book spoke to me on so many levels and I related to Isla more than I would have liked LOL. While not a perfect romance, it had all the things that I do love. Brother's best friend, mutual pining (for years!), fake dating, banter and chaos, a heroine who is a bit of a mess and lots of funny moments. I kid you not, I laughed more than I expected and it felt good to guffaw at some of the things that went through Isla's head through the course of the story.

I think the only thing I would have wanted more was lots more interaction between Isla and Cade. A lot of what we saw was in Isla's head and their history carried their relationship a lot, but seeing them interact and enjoy each other's company outside of bed and their fake dating would have been fun. I definitely loved Neeta and would very much like a book about her, thanks!

This book just wasn't meant for me.
Though intriguing at moments, fun at times, and attempting to talk about some real issues, I just couldn't connect with this story.
Sonia Hartl uses this story to develop a main character that the reader can understand, sympathize with, and root for, which is great! There's just a lot going on around our main character that feels like it muddles/takes away from her arc.
We have some excellent tropes in play: Childhood friends-to-lovers and brother's best friend. But again, it feels like there's a lot happening throughout the story that takes away from the effectiveness these tropes can have.
It felt like our main characters broached the friends/lovers barrier too quickly (at the 27% mark) given their history and respective hesitancy when it comes to their feelings for each other. There is a pull back after this line is initially crossed, but it would likely have been a more engaging pay off and would have built more tension to keep them apart a bit longer.
Hartl brings up some interesting issues throughout this story: Student loan debt, economic inequality, public misconceptions about welfare and those receiving aid, parent/child relationships and how they can shape self-esteem and self-worth. All of these topics are important and well worth discussing, but unfortunately they were a bit jumbled throughout our romantic storyline, which took away from their depth and distracted from what was going on between our main characters.
I will say, this book did handle the steamy scenes incredibly well.
Overall, I think this was a story that I just didn't connect with, but I hope others do!

Rent to Be is a quick and enjoyable read, with enough laughs and romance to keep things moving along. The relationship isn't that believable and the main characters are not the easiest to connect with or root for, but it's entertaining.

I enjoyed this book - the characters, the story, the writer’s voice - so much, that I’m a bit sad it’s over.

FMC Isla Jane is an MBA grad in a dead end data-entry job, trying to make ends meet. Cade is her brother’s best friend, and discovers Isla’s keeping secrets from her family. He uses this as leverage to get Isla to agree to be his fake girlfriend for a while to keep his work colleagues from trying to set him up on dates.

I love Isla Jane, and I immediately connected with her struggles post graduation, her family and her wonderfully dry, sarcastic tone as she tells her story. And I really appreciated the way Hartl revealed the character’s backstory and family dynamic. It would be so easy to brush off Isla as scattered and irresponsible, excepted that her rather delightful brand of chaos is rooted in her past, and full of heart.

FMC Cade is everything Isla isn’t: organized, successful in his job, and generally seems to have his life together. He’s infuriatingly charming and delectable, and his verbal spars with Isla is one of my favourite things about this book.

If you are in search of a hilarious romantic comedy about sorting out life and love, fake dating brother’s best friend, and a delicious slow burn to spice-town, this is a must-read!

Definitely wasn’t hooked on this one as much as I was with heartbreak for hire. I didn’t understand the relationship and didn’t think there was any growth with the two MCs and it was just a convenient hookup

Funny, sexy, steamy and heartfelt romance set against the very real struggles of student debt.

Perfect for lovers of brothers best friend/friends to lovers/fake dating ❤️

So well done! Spicy 🌶

If you are looking for a sizzling read, then this is it! Talk about an overall fantastic read. I really enjoyed being able to relate to the career struggles and loved the romance. This was a very entertaining read and very easy to follow. Next up should be a published book from Neeta and Seb!).

This was my first by Sonia Hartl and I feel a little torn. It wasn't quite what I expected but since it was my first read by this author, I'm not sure that's fair? This was a relatively quick and easy read. However, I didn't overly enjoy the FMC which led to me not feeling much of a connection to either MC. She was meant to be a quirky MC that didn't have her life together but it was no shocker that she didn't when she made decisions with very little maturity. And don't even get me started on Cade's reason for needing to fake date. Cade was enjoyable for the most part but I wonder if I'd still feel that way if we had a dual POV. I did like some of the societal reflection pieces but they did bring the book to a different place than a light hearted romcom. I did appreciate the realistic side of the toxic parental relationship.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Earning an MBA in 2023 doesn’t guarantee financial stability. No one knows this better than Isla Jane. Despite working a full-time job, she is unable to make ends meet each month. With her debt far outweighing her income, Isla finds herself broke and homeless. While most millennials would simply run back home to mom and dad, Isla isn’t ready to admit defeat. Will Isla be able to get back on her feet before her family finds out the truth, or is she destined to remain the Jane family screw up?

Sonia Hartl’s Rent To Be is the perfect gift for a recent college graduate or young adult trying to navigate the real world. It offers an in-depth look at the financial and personal struggles many millennials are currently facing.

By all intense and purposes, Isla has done everything right. She went to college, graduated with an MBA (in a reliable field), and got a job straight out of school. However, with no experience, Isla is stuck in an entry level position, getting passed over for promotion, time and time again. With insurmountable debt looming over her head, Isla sees no way out, other than supplementing her income by house and pet sitting.

If being fiscally insolvent wasn’t bad enough, Isla is also inundated with personal issues. She has surface level relationships with her family and no one else to turn to. The closest thing to a friend she has is Neena, the librarian who often finds her sulking on the floor when life gets to be too much.

I loved the raw look at adulthood Rent To Be provides. While it is a story of struggle, it is also one of hope. Isla is nothing if not perseverant and resilient. The addition of the brother’s best friend trope, some steamy scenes, and laugh out loud moments make this a great read.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Sonia Hartyl for allowing me to read Rent To Be in exchange for my honest review!

I think I have an obsession with rom-coms. I have been reading a lot of them recently. They’re such a heartwarming genre and I love that we as a society have moved on from hating them to actually appreciating them. Rent To Be was exactly what I wanted and needed to end a terrible reading slump I was in. I loved the characters. The main character Isla is my new favorite character. I think what I actually appreciated in this novel was the reality of the job market and how sometimes higher education isn’t the answer to all your problems.

Isla is considered a major screw-up. She has an MBA and massive debt. She gets kicked out of her apartment after not being able to pay rent for 3 months. She comes from a family that is all about hard work and not asking for help so she also has that mentality. She tries to spend her time at her bothers apartment while he’s out of town but it turns out her brother’s best friend is also staying there. From the very beginning, we see a lot of tension between Cade (the best friend) and Isla.

What I loved about this book the most is Isla’s humor. I love when characters can make me fall out of bed laughing. Her personality was a lot but it is certain that she holds a lot of love. She stands up for what is right and she cares about the people around her. I enjoyed the writing a lot because it was very engaging and fun. It was captivating and talked about the realities of life after college for a lot of people. I love how real the author depicted this through the characters because it was comforting to read about.

I 100% recommend this because it was a terrific read. This is my first book by Hartl and I’m so excited to read more of her books.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Rent to Be!

This book was sugary sweet, cute, fun, and flirty. It was a really good palette cleanser book! I liked the plot and the characters, and I enjoyed it while I was reading it.

But, like sugary things usually do, it didn't leave me fulfilled. I wanted more from the book, which maybe isn't fair given the book is marketed as exactly what it is.

If you're looking for a palette cleanser or something easy to read, I recommend this one! If you're looking for a romance with substance, there are other authors/books I would suggest.

Rating: 3⭐️

Super cute quick read! I semi understand why Isla felt the need to be so independent and not rely on her family for her, but if I was her I would’ve folded SO FAST for Cade. Cade was truly looking out for her best interest and pulled the fake dating scheme out to (in my opinion) just get close to Isla and be able to slightly put some moves on Isla. I love the banter between Cade and Isla and the little peeks into their past that you get sprinkled into the story. The Rainbow Bear memory is my favorite! Ends with an HEA!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Alcove Press for the chance to read a digital copy of #RenttoBe!

The description of this book caught my eye because 1 it was recommended for readers of Tessa Bailey and 2 I love a good rom-com with roommates/neighbors.
Although I did get frustrated with parts of the story - Isla's millennial nightmare hit a little too close to home and the miscommunication between Isla and Cade was sometimes unbearable, I overall really enjoyed the book.

I read this book some months ago and I actually forgot to do a review, but here I am now!!!
First of all, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

When I found out that I had the opportunity to read this book I was super excited, its synopsis caught my attention and I was waiting to love it.
But, I didn't.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book but I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters :/ I don't know if it's because I read it at a time when I was really busy or because it just wasn't for me.
If you love fake dating and enemies to lovers I think you should give it a chance anyway, although for me, it's a book I'll easily forget.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book by the author. I've read her previous romance, and definitely enjoyed this one more. There was a lot of character development with Isla, Cade, and even Seb. Neeta, of course, is already perfect ;)
It was more heartfelt than I expected, and there was a lot more backstory with Isla and her parents which made the ending a bit sad. Besides that, the story was fun, hectic, filled with chemistry, and also realistic in relation to money woes.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl

Every millennial who exists should read this book. We all can relate to the main character especially during current events recently. I loved this book and I know my patrons will as well.

This was my first book by Sonia Hartl and I can't wait to pick up more books by her.

I requested the book because of fake dating and was not disappointed.

It was a very sweet yet quite serious story with great main characters. It was nice to read a book in which the main character, who is in her early 20s, has not already planned her whole life and knows exactly what she wants, but rather a young woman who is still finding out what is right for her to be happy in life .

I loved Isla as the main character and in generell I really liked all the different characters and how they were portrayed.

In some places a lot happened at once and it seemed a bit much to me, but I still liked the book very much.

I was also very surprised when it suddenly became Spicy, because I hadn't expected it at all.

Thank you for this ARC and the opportunity to read this great book in advance!

I've never read a Sonia Hartl book, but I was missing so much!!
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After being thrown out by her roommates, Isla has got one solution: living in her brother's apartment while he is away. However, what she doesn't expect is seeing Cade, her brother's best friend, living there. They have known each other since they were little and now Isla has to fake date Cade during his work functions to keep her living arrangements secret.
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This book was so funny!! Isla is such an entertaining character and her flaws are mostly due to her relationship with her parents.
The best part of his book is how Isla and Cade tease each other, and there is no boring part because of that!!

The epilogue was so cute!! I also didn't expect to be spicy scenes. There isn't a lot because this is a romcom and they aren't TOO spicy.
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Tropes:
- brother's best friend
- fake dating
- romcom

Thank you NetGalley and Sonia Hartl for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!