In The Arrangement, Natalie is struggling to make ends meet while she goes to art school in New York City. She meets a classmate who seems to have it all together - nice clothes, beautiful apartment, and going out to fancy meals. Natalie finds out she is a sugar baby and it sounds like the answer to all of her problems.

This was a great thriller that kept me guessing! I’d give it a 4/5! I read this as an ARC and it will be released on July 30th.

Thank you to @netgalley, @rhardingwriter and @gallerybooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#bookreview #currentlyreading #thearrangement #robynharding #booksharks #netgalley

An intriguing look into the secretive world of sugar daddies and their sugar babies in NY’s upper social echelon, The Arrangement will have you questioning morals and means of survival. Told mostly through Natalie’s perspective as she takes us through her introduction into the life and it’s peaks and pitfalls, I could understand how and why she chose the path that she did; I just did not anticipate the end result.
The plot is thick with mystique and mystery where character flaws and personality disorders end up ruling the day. There are a few twists and pieces that leave you guessing, but all becomes clear by the end. A well written and interesting read.

This is my first read by Robyn Harding. It definitely kept my attention and I finished it in less than 24 hours. I liked reading the acknowledgements at the end and how they author researched for this book. This book was more than just “the arrangement.” It’s about the main character’s upbringing influencing her decisions and how small choices can have drastic outcomes. The book turned to thriller about 75% of the way through and I loved the ending. I’ll definitely read Harding’s other books.

After reading The Party by Robyn Harding a couple of years ago, I knew that I'd be on the lookout for some of her upcoming work. Enter The Arrangement, a novel about a sugar daddy/baby gone wrong and I was so excited to get my hands on it. I enjoyed it even more than The Party.

Now, that's not to say that The Arrangement was perfect. There is one thing I would have liked to see a little more developed and that's Natalie's feelings for Gabe. She falls for him very quickly. It almost feels like the author passes off her feelings for him as "daddy issues" and leaves it at that. We don't see any true connection (and, frankly, I don't see any reason she'd fall in love with Gabe other than the fact that he has money).

Pushing aside the fact that Natalie felt one way (in love with Gabe), but it not ringing true for me, I enjoyed the book. Drama, scandal, and a satisfying ending make this win for me.

Book Review: The Arrangement by Robyn Harding

Sugar babies, an elite Manhattan corporate lawyer, and an art student looking for a break. Throw in hurt feelings, deceit &  a murder. Hello, lover!

A Little Bit of Sugar

Undoubtedly, I love the sugarbaby element in The Arrangement. The world of sugar daddies & their babies is incredibly salacious, tantalizing and so intriguing. The allure, the judgment, the lies & money - I want to know EVERYTHING!

Thrilling & Salacious

To say I devoured The Arrangement is an understatement. As soon as I started reading, I could not and would not stop. Robyn's Her Pretty Face is the same. I read it in one night. Expertly, Robyn is able to write books that are well written, captivating & so binge-worthy. Robyn's short & perfectly titled chapters keep me turning the pages as fast as I can.

The pacing of The Arrangement is wonderful. One thing I particularly like about it, is the story picks up even more at the end. There is no dragging. Truthfully, every piece of the story is valuable & adds to the narrative.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! Read The Arrangement if you're looking for a sultry, thrilling read perfect for a hot summer day.

Special thanks to Robyn Harding, Gallery/Scout Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

When Natalie moves to New York from her boring small town, she has big plans. But she soon realizes that the cost of living, and the cost of art school, is much more than she can cover working as a part time barmaid. When she loses even that job, she grabs a lifeline: she signs up on a website for sugar babies to meet their sugar daddies — wealthy older men willing to pay for the time and attentions of young, attractive women. And Nat is lucky; she meets highly attractive, successful Gabe and they immediately click. Before long she’s madly in love and dreaming of a real life together. But when Gabe rejects her in favor of his family, Nat’s world spins wildly out of control, with disastrous results. I’m not a fan of books where everything is explained in the last chapter, so my recommendation is tempered.

I did enjoy the sugar baby stuff but the overall plot was just a little too hard to believe for me. I’m having a hard time believing some characters would make some of the decisions they made, especially at the end. But still, a fun read.

Get your popcorn ready!


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Oh, this book!

This is one of those so-bad-it’s-good entertaining reads. It’s a can’t-look-away train wreck of bad behavior and you just can’t stop reading it!

To be fair, you don’t read a book about sugar babies and sugar daddies and expect class and refinement. But I didn’t expect SO MUCH trashy behavior. And every time you think you know what’s going to happen next, our characters take it to a new low.

4 stars for what it is – an entertaining beach read that you gasp at while munching the popcorn.

This was fun.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Natalie is at the end of her rope with college debt, dorm debt, and no family or friends to turn too. Her fellow classmate, Ava, tells her about the sugar bowl, which is how she gets all her money. Natalie gets the app and meets a wealthy older man who is a perfect gentlemen. Though their arrangement is strictly professional, Natalie can't help but have feelings for him. The Arrangement takes the topic of Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies, which is often looked at with disgust, and makes it something understandable. I'm not saying that I would ever be involved with that crowd, but I can see why some people would feel they would need companionship in that form. This story has twists and turns you won't see coming, and you will not guess the ending, I guarantee it. It's a quick read, but a good one. It's not groundbreaking, but it does provoke thought.

This book is a super fast read and the ending you won’t see coming!! I finished this book in 3 hours cause I had to know what was going to happen!! Highly recommend this book!!

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding was an excellent book! It features a young art student named Natalie. She lives in New York City where everything is super expensive and she is having a hard time making ends meet. Natalie’s friend suggests she go find herself a sugar daddy online who will financially support her. What was intended to be a mutually beneficial arrangement quickly turns into a nightmare. This book is filled with lots of drama, deception, and suspense. I highly recommended this fantastic page turner, you won’t want to put it down!

Thank you NetGalley for my arc. What a great book! I really got sucked in with this lifetime movie like storyline. This explores the world of sugar daddy/sugar baby. Natalie, a poor student, gets involved with the sugar bowl to pay her bills and school tuition and it turns into a twisted tale of love and murder. Couldn’t put this one down!

Really well done and original! Interesting exploration into the Sugar Baby/Sugar Daddy life and it's fallout. Plenty of twisty interest and complicated characters. It's a whodunit with many suspects and twists through to the end.

Young girl from a small town goes thousands of miles to New York City for Art College. Sound familiar? Well it's not! This story has a new spin on naivety and dating! A superb read from Robyn Harding!

Natalie left her small hometown in Washington State for art school in New York City. She begins living with two roommates who eventually kick her out for "lewd" behavior. At the same time she loses her job at a bar. She meet up with a classmate, Ava, who turns her on to how she can get paid for her TIME - become a "sugar baby".

Desperate for a job, Natalie turns to the sugar baby website. And that's just the beginning...

A very suspenseful, entertaining read! I Highly recommend.

This book is a definite page turner and a must read!

Many Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocketbooks and NetGalley for one of the best reads this year!

I wasn't sure what direction this book was heading part way through the book, but I enjoyed how it did. I thought the author did a great job with the plot and character development of this book. There was not one specific main character to me there were several people that played important roles. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

"Welcome to the Sugar Bowl..."

When struggling art student Natalie stumbles upon what seems to be the perfect way to deal with her mounting financial issues - dating a wealthy older man for pay - when the man is HOT and not all that much older - well you know the saying about when something seems too good to be true...

Having read all of Harding's books, I can easily say this is her best yet! I was theorizing, gasping, shouting and all out loving this book from page 1 through the very last page (where I was incredibly excited to find my name in the acknowledgments - @beauty_andthebook_ ... that's me!!!) Knowing something sinister happens from the prologue, but not knowing what until the book progresses gives this book and edge that will having you turning the pages at a rapid pace to find out what happens and more importantly, how and why!

Thank you to Gallery books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Loved loved loved this book. Coming after I have tried a number of mediocre reads, this was a wonderful surprise. Well written, intriguing plot and great characters. Highly recommend !

I was delighted to get this ARC as I have read Harding's previous novels and loved them! This one was decidedly different but SO interesting! I will admit to watching a couple of (poorly done) Lifetime movies about this subject but this book seemed so realistic as we watch college-student Natalie get drawn into the often-dangerous and seedy web of Sugar Daddies. Having already broken up with a nightmarish, stalker boyfriend, she just wants to be able to pay her rent and not become embroiled in any relationships--especially with older, creepy men. But $500 just for a drink? Sounds too good to be true, but when she meets Gabe she finds he is actually attractive, charming, and not at all what she imagined and he is the perfect "gentleman," dropping her off at her apartment after she gets drunk and actually ordering her some comfort food for her hangover. Of course, it's never as easy as it seems and things go downhill from here with plenty of plot twists and surprising elements that will keep you on your toes guessing what comes next! Wonderful characterization with flawed, yet mostly-lovable people you will like or maybe despise, but the ending is satisfying as well without wrapping things up in a neat little bow. If you like psychological suspense, this one is surely for you. Out the end of July.

I thought this book was perfectly crafted. Harding spent the perfect amount of time on all aspects; not dragging things out unnecessarily or being too vague. I love the way Robyn Harding writes her mystery/thrillers, if they could even be categorized as such. Her books always make sense. The resolution always seems realistic, unlike most other mystery/thrillers i've read. This book surprised me, engaged me and I read it in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. I found myself rooting for Natalie, and also despising her at moments. I loved the small amount of romance, and I actually would have enjoyed even more. There is not much I would want differently about this book, but I can say I would have enjoyed a tiny bit more character development. I found it a little ironic that Natalie despised Cole because of his clinginess and attachment, but then she turned into that exact same person for Gabriel. I enjoyed that bit of figurative language. I can proudly say that I will be reading every single novel Robyn Harding writes in the future. Definitely on my favorite authors list!