I adore this author and that mean I could NOT WAIT to dive into Chao’s latest novel. The premise sounded intriguing and I love the cover. Sounds like the trifecta for a book I would love… and it was! I really enjoyed this and could not get enough of it. One thing I found fascinating was that this practice actually takes place. That blew my mind! As a white female, I do not have an insight into Chinese culture or family dynamics so it was an eye opener. That made me feel bad for the MC, Chloe. She wanted to escape her over-bearing parents and hoped renting a boyfriend for a family visit help with that. What happened as a result of this choice arrangement was nothing short of charming, hilarious, and romantic.

Chao’s writing style is just one thing that will always keep me coming back to her. She writes with snark, wit, and depth. Her characters are deeply flawed yet relatable, the settings are well developed, and the topics feel real. There is not any cringy-worthy instalove. Normally her stories are slow burns and I’m always here for a slow burn love story.

I will not stop gushing about how much fun this story was. There were parts that were tough to get through, mainly the conversations between Chloe and her mother because there was such a cultural difference. By that I mean Chloe was not raised in what could be construed as misogynistic behavior. Her mother wanted to arrange a marriage, did not believe she would be anything without being married, and that she should want nothing more than to be married and have babies. That was not Chloe at all. Plus, there were times Chloe’s mother ‘fat shamed’ her and it made me want to smack her. Those topics just made the story feel more believable.

Please pick this one up if you have not already. This was such a great story and my only complaint is that I have to wait so long for her next story.

If there was ever a book that was just pure joy, it's definitely Rent A Boyfriend! It was delightful from beginning to end and I loved it so much so!

One of my favorite things about Rent A Boyfriend was how authentic it all was, I loved learning more about Taiwanese culture and traditions!

Heartwarming, super cute and just an overall fun read!

This was really cute and sweet. While I generally enjoy YA, I have a special place in my heart for YA set in college. There's just something so transformative and special about that time and I love it.

Rent a Boyfriend will make you absolutely fall for Drew. He's a dreamer, an artist, but also, very aware of reality and the consequences of pursuing your truth. I also cannot help but adore Chloe. While she may be afraid to confront her parents, she's definitely not afraid of being herself. She knows who she is and what she wants and while she has to work through telling all that to her parents in this book, she never wavers in who she is.

The Drew and Chloe relationship develops so organically and I loved seeing them together. I love how they're different but they accept and encourage each other. Drew definitely helps Chloe embrace her Chinese heritage more and Chloe supports and loves his art.

The family relationship aspect of this book is tough. While you understand that the mom's role is to be tough. It was still very rough for me. It was hard to see how often she put Chloe down or basically told her that a terrible guy was her only hope at being successful cause at least she'd have money. It was hard, but I'm glad they were able to work through it. Their relationship wasn't wrapped up all nice and neat, but I almost love that more. Because parent relationships are hard, period.

This was exactly the sweetness I needed in my life.

This book jumps right in and it is tough because as a reader, you have no clue who the characters are and thus, no immediate connection. I initially picked this book because of its premise of fake dating, which is currently my favorite trope as of late. Although, I didn't find myself as invested in the characters as I hoped I would be, I found the author's exploration of family communication and culture and critique of certain toxic aspects of East Asian culture interesting.

Rent a Boyfriend was a really fun story that gave me a good laugh. Chole ends up hiring Andrew to be her fake boyfriend over the holiday so as to dodge the arranged marriage that her parents had decided for her. However, things soon take a different course when both of them find growing feelings for each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! As an Asian, there were so many themes in this book that I could relate to and feel at a deeper level. Especially the ways Chloe's parents reacted to her relationships and how their ideas differed. I think it was very relatable and I absolutely loved that aspect.

At the same time, I had such a fun laugh reading through this book. There were they scenes with Chloe's parents and Andrew and I couldn't help laughing and snorting ah! I think the author really did amazing with the little scenes that added so much depth and essence to the whole story. I loved how easily Chloe and Andrew's relationship grew up in stages. Their personal problems also added much more spice up the story I think.

However, that said, I do think that the scenes sometimes felt repetitive and dragging. While I loved seeing the two getting back together over the holidays, I also wanted to see someone else apart from those. We got very little of only the two of them apart from the parents.

Anyway at the end, I completely loved book. I had a great time reading it and would totally recommend if you're looking for a light fluffy read to lift up your mood!

I reviewed the book in the Asian Review of Books, link below. I will also have a review in the South China Morning Posts sometime in December 2020. The SCMP is the largest English newspaper in Hong Kong and the enjoys a wide readership. The Asian Review of Books link is at https://asianreviewofbooks.com/content/rent-a-boyfriend-by-gloria-chao/

This book is the perfect amalgam of romantic comedy (fake dating!!), East Asian culture, food, family, and growth. 

Growing up Chinese, i recognise my family and I in Chloe and her parents’ struggles, so I really liked that aside from focusing on the romance between Chloe and Drew, the story centers around familial relationship. The book explores the nuances of familial love, seeing how the crux of novel is the conflict between Chloe and her parents’ differing perspectives on her achievements. They want the best for her but struggle with balancing their own ambitions and respecting Chloe’s own ambitions. Chloe’s parents want her to marry Hongbo, which is the complete opposite of what Chloe wants. That’s where Drew steps in. The stakes are high when the motivation behind their behavior are filled with problematic East Asian beliefs that have ingrained themselves deeply into the culture. Hence, seeing Chloe’s parents overcome these cultural hurdles, and Chloe learning how to establish boundaries, together, made the book really heart rending to read.

And that was really heightened by the support Drew gave to Jing Jing, and vice versa. Both of them struggle with not being the perfect Asian kids their parent’s desire, and it was wonderful to watch them learn to stand up for themselves. Their journey throughout this book was fun and emotional, filled with so many hilarious incidents and heartwarming gestures from both parties. And I really enjoyed watching them fall in love and grow together.

I know that this is a rom-com, and like that tag comes with the implication that the story is lighthearted. I won’t deny that it is not, but that was precisely why I loved it. While i had my own personal issues with this book, it is without a doubt a brilliant and heartfelt read which I cannot recommend it enough. 

Four BIG mooncake points.

This was such a cute contemporary romance! I love the way Gloria Chao always writes about the diasporic Chinese experience in a way that feels so authentic. This plot was just so much fun, and I loved seeing Chloe and Drew's relationship build throughout the book!

Based on a real practice in some Asian countries, Rent a Boyfriend follows a Chinese girl named Chloe who rents a fake boyfriend (Drew) for the holidays in hopes of dissuading her family from pressuring her to be with this really awful guy from a wealthy family in her community. Except real feelings develop and things get very...complicated.

This is a book about familial expectations, cultural gaps with immigrant parents, and the struggle to be who you are, keep a relationship with your parents, and not completely reject your cultural identity. It's also a love story with an eye-catching premise! There is a lot to like here and it tackles a lot of complex issues as we slowly get to know Chloe, her parents, and some of the reasons for their differing perspectives. Meanwhile Drew has his own complicated story and difficult relationship with his parents to navigate as he falls for his client.

I do think this book is too long and suffers a bit due to pacing, but overall I enjoyed my time with it and appreciated how all of these topics were handled. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rent A Boyfriend is a sweet YA romance featuring Chloe, a college student, and Drew, the man she "rents" to play her boyfriend.

Chloe felt she had to do that because her parents are excited about having set her up to marry someone from their little Chinese community (a man who treated Chloe pretty poorly the one time they went out on a date). As the author notes, the "rent a boyfriend" premise was inspired by a real-life practice in which women in some Asian countries hire fake boyfriends to blunt pressure from family.

I really liked that about this book - for being a romantic comedy, there's some weight to it. Reasons why women may feel they need to rent boyfriends are explored, as well as family communication and culture. Indeed, oftentimes Chloe's journey - navigating her relationship with her parents, determining the extent to which she wants to keep her "two worlds" separate - sort of steals the show from the romance.

Not that the romance isn't sweet! You do get the impression that these two truly care about and want the best for each other.

What happens when your parents want you to marry a douchecanoe and you are about to literally be married off to him against your will before you can swallow your dumpling at dinner? You hire a fake boyfriend, obviously.

RENT A BOYFRIEND is a rich, cultural tapestry of parental relationships, secrets, fist fights in nice homes, sheep in anti-gravity boots, and mooncakes. Gloria Chao does a marvelous job of creating tension between Chloe and her parents stretched so tight you can feel it trembling. Drew is a wonderful character, whose POV takes up about 20% of the book. I would have loved to see more from him, and more conflict that isn't just wrapped up suddenly in the epilogue. I loved reading a YA with a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old. College YA is much needed!

The concept and detail that went into Rent for Your 'Rents is clearly a labor of love. I loved the extra details at the end! And I think the way the company played into wrap-up of the story was genius. Another must-read if you're looking for a romcom starring a female Asian character with #ownvoices rep!

Being a South-Asian, I understand parental and societal pressure. No aspect of an Asian Kid's life is ever entirely their own, however old they may be. There's always a parent/relative/neighborhood aunty ready to poke their nose into your life and choices. Chloe "Jing" Wang belongs to such a close-knit Taiwanese American community, Sadly, it's also the source of her biggest headache as her parents are forcing her to accept a proposal from the Community's resident rich guy (and colossal jerk) Hongbo

As a solution, the sophomore at UChicago hires Drew from Rent for your 'Rents in an attempt to make her parents believe she's in a serious relationship. Things however take a turn, when she starts falling for the real Drew, a complete anti-thesis of his on paper personality!

Based on a real-life practice of hiring fake boyfriends to impress the parents on Lunar New Year, Rent a boyfriend is a perfect mix of humor, drama, and romance! I found myself falling in love with the description of Drew's paintings, sympathizing with Drew and Chloe as they dealt with filial problems, laughing and swooning as they interacted and of course, salivating at all the Asian food!

Check out my journal spread inspired by the book on my IG!

I have so many mixed feelings! I'm going to try and keep this short, I think it was a mostly me problem. I didn't vibe with the author's writing style and there were parts where the romance was really overdone and sappy. There were also some issues that I had with the pacing of the story but let me just say that I absolutely love Chloe and Drew, I ADORE THEM. Especially Chloe, our messy Asian American girl <3 Also, what the author wrote best about were all the relationships, especially the family dynamics and how that interacted with Chloe's identities.

So, not a perfect book but I would still recommend that you go try it out :)

This is the story of Chloe, a young woman who is tired of her parent’s demands and their matchmaking. In order to get them off her back, she hires Andrew to pretend to be her boyfriend. In the same vein as The Wedding Date, pretend feelings turn to real ones as these two college age young people learn to defy family expectations and stand up for what they want.

Rent a Boyfriend started out...difficult. It leaps right into the action and we don't know Chloe at all. Six chapters in, all we know about her apart from her situation with Hongbo and her hiring Andrew is that she's an economics major. I loved Gloria Chao's debut, and I enjoyed Wayward Fate, so maybe I'll read this again and have a different opinion.

Rent a Boyfriend started out rough for me.
It jumps right into the action, which was fine. I was looking forward to this book because fake relationships are my absolute jam, my favorite trope, by far. So, as far as I’m concerned, the quicker we get to the pretending, the better. The drawback? You don’t know the characters well.
As I read Rent a Boyfriend, I couldn’t help thinking that it read more like fanfiction than a novel. I can’t put my finger on why. The overly dramatic thoughts and scenarios? Probably. Hongbo, the impetus for Chloe renting a boyfriend, was a straight-up jerk-boy caricature in his first scene (which got the point across that we don’t like him, but it was a bit ridiculous). There was just something about Chloe and Drew’s thoughts and dialogue that just felt stilted and unrealistic – and (like I said) mediocre fanfiction.
As the book went on, however, I liked it more and more. The writing/dialogue still wasn’t great, but as it delved more into Chloe’s identity and her relationship with her parents, I connected with the story and characters more. Also, for a book that involves a crazy amount of lying, Chloe and Drew’s communication was the best I’ve seen in any romance book in a long time. It was refreshing.
Overall, mixed feelings. The writing and language felt awkward and stilted for the whole book, but Rent a Boyfriend delved deeper than I expected it to and redeemed itself a bit.

The best part of this book was the deep look at the complex family relationships. I was really impressed by that aspect of the book. I thought the romance was mediocre. I did enjoy how the book took place over a period of months so that we were really able to see how the relationships worked.

Rent-A-Boyfriend was a lovely rom-com with a lot of heart. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I loved how well that trope was used here. More than that though, I also appreciated how Chao used it long enough to be fun without letting it overstay its welcome. I see a lot of authors not know when to quit and extend it until it’s painful but that wasn’t the case here! While Chloe and Drew met under scripted circumstances, they forged their relationship with real communication and understanding as well as putting in the work to understand the difference in their circumstances. The family message in this book was also really deftly handled. As someone who knows all too well the struggles of loving your parents but not always being able to be authentic with them, I felt Chloe’s struggle even though it was different from mine. Chao really dug into the nuance between not wanting to sacrifice yourself for the sake of appeasing your parents and I really love how she did it. I think it’s so important, especially in young adult fiction, to show through Drew’s story that you don’t always have to take your family back. There are so many movies and books where the impetus is put upon the wronged to forgive and bend over backward to forgive and welcome back the people who hurt them and that is just the wrong message. I really appreciate the fact that Drew stood up for both him and Chloe to say that they deserved better because they did. For a book that’s packaged as this fun and quirky little romance, it packs a punch. To be fair, it really is funny and adorable and I love Chloe and Drew very much but it’s also a lot more than I was expecting. I’m so glad I got a chance to read this really sweet and heartfelt little book and I recommend it.

This was full of delicious Taiwanese food, heart-wrenching family angst, a romance that starts as a business agreement and turns into something soft and vulnerable. You can’t help rooting for Chloe and Drew, and hoping they can defy pressure and heartache to be together. It also unpacks toxic parental relationships, lying under the guise of love, and the perspective of being a diaspora child of Taiwanese immigrants. It hits some heavy themes and the characters are a bit older than YA, so I'd say it's more of a NA romcom!

If you love fake dating, this one is for you!⁣

Gloria Chao's American Panda captured my heart with its mix of humor and heart back in 2017 when I was lucky enough to read the ARC ahead of its early 2018 release. Gloria has a signature style that has appeared in each of her books, including Rent a Boyfriend. It’s an unapologetic celebration of and tribute to the language and culture of Taiwanese and Chinese Americans, full of tongue-in-cheek puns and allusions.

While Rent a Boyfriend has mostly been hyped as a romcom with the fake dating trope, and it definitely did make me laugh out loud multiple times, it’s also very much a sentimental coming-of-age story that explores the complicated relationship between diaspora kids and their parents and culture. Both Chloe and Drew struggle to reconcile what they want for themselves with what their parents want for them. Drew puts up a front around everyone but his family and paid the price when he decided to drop out of college and pursue art. Meanwhile, Chloe has been playing the role of the perfect daughter in front of her parents and is realizing just how suffocating and unsustainable it is. When their paths cross, they begin to push each other onto a path toward being confident in their true selves.

The romance between Chloe and Drew is a mix of playful inside jokes and deeply vulnerable heart-to-hearts. Both Chloe and Drew have deep-seated insecurities that have held them back, and their budding romance brings all of those issues to the fore in messy ways. The thrill and joy of finding someone who gets them is shadowed by the lies they’ve constructed and the secrets they’ve kept close to their hearts to protect themselves after being hurt by those they love most. These tensions and conflicts are explored throughout the book, establishing its emotional core and fueling Chloe and Drew’s character arcs.

Although the romance is central to free story, I’d argue that the biggest conflict within the story is between Chloe and her mother. Chloe desperately wants her mother to be happy but resents shrinks under the constant criticisms she receives from her. Money, appearances, and purity are everything to Chloe’s mother. Their mother-daughter relationship is poisoned by internalized misogyny. Chloe tries her best to push back against these oppressive ideals, with limited success. She later learns that there is a reason behind it all, and the story balances understanding where her mother is coming from with breaking the cycle of toxicity.

As the comp to The Farewell hints, there’s a hidden cancer diagnosis in the story. Chloe finds out her parents have been hiding her father’s cancer from her and it is a source of sadness and fear for her. She struggles to understand why they would keep something so important from her, among other things. This aspect of the story hit very close to home for me since I also experienced something similar, albeit on a milder level, when my family hid my mom’s cancer diagnosis from me for a week to keep it from affecting my mental state while preparing for a college interview. Even knowing why they did it, it still hurt.

Overall, Rent a Boyfriend was such an emotional experience. I was so invested in Chloe and Drew’s stories. I laughed and sighed and teared up at various points in the story. I think it’s my new favorite from Gloria.

Content/Trigger Warnings: misogyny, slut-shaming, fat-shaming, classism homomisia, cancer