I picked up this book expecting a cute romance, and instead got hit in the gut with one of the most relatable female characters I've ever personally encountered in YA media. While I am very much white, and this book represents Asian culture, I found myself relating very strongly to Chloe's dilemma, especially how she felt she had to be a different person around her traditional parents. There were many points throughout the book where I had to stop because things were hitting too close to home, and for that I have to say this book really resonated with me.

<i>Rent a Boyfriend</i> follows the story of Chloe (or Jing-Jing, if you're talking to her parents) Wang, a college student who wants nothing more than to live her life without her parents breathing down her neck. When they try to force her into an engagement with a horrendously awful man named Hongbo, Chloe decides she can't take their meddling anymore. Desperate for an escape, she seeks the help of a company named Rent for Your 'Rents, allowing her to rent a boyfriend for the holidays to get her parents off of her back. What she doesn't expect, however, is to fall in love with her boyfriend for hire. Drew is kind, smart, sensitive, and a fantastic artist who has been estranged from his own traditional family for pursuing a "dead-end" career. The harder Chloe falls for this definitely-not-parent-friendly boy, the more difficult it becomes to untangle her intricate web of lies.

First of all, I have to say that I LOVE Chloe Wang. Not only do I strongly relate to her situation with her parents, but there were many other instances in which I felt I truly understood her. Chloe struggles with severe self-esteem issues, some of which were brought on by not feeling good enough for her extremely strict parents. Her mother nags her constantly throughout the story, telling her to move closer to home and lose weight and change her major. Chloe's mother also says a number of shockingly hurtful things without meaning to be hurtful, something else I strongly related to. While some might read this and think Chao was severely overplaying the "cruel parent" part, I felt seen in an entirely new way. Yes, there really are parents out there cruel enough to tell their children, "You will never find someone who wants you without our help," and it really is devastating to hear.

Another way in which I related to Chloe was her shyness, and her inability to fit in with the "cool" crowd at school. At one point, she laments the fact that she can't hang out with people in college without feeling like a "wet blanket" because she hates drinking. As someone who spent her college years in a sorority but hated drinking, I also relate to this sentiment. It's incredibly difficult to have a social life when your interests are completely different from those of your peers, especially after having a strict upbringing that shamed you for even considering rebellion. From the very beginning of this book, I found myself rooting for Chloe, and felt that I would likely do the exact same thing if I were in her shoes.

Lastly, I relate to Chloe's unending desire to remain connected to her parents, even when they say hurtful things or push her to do things she doesn't want to do. I have spent my entire life trying to please my parents and make them proud, and I profoundly felt her pain when she despaired over never being good enough to earn their praise. I spent a large portion of my formative years feeling the same way, and even though my parents have said hurtful things, I also feel the need to reach out to them to keep our relationship intact. It's an incredibly toxic dynamic, but one that is very real and very harmful. I'm really glad that this book exists to shed some light on this dynamic.

Though I am German and know next to nothing about Chinese culture, I also really appreciated the cultural references injected into this book. I recently watched a cute animated film called <i>Over the Moon</i>, which featured the legend of Chang'e the moon goddess. Because of this, I was insanely happy to recognize some of the references to her and the "rabbit in the moon." I also loved the glossary of Chinese words and phrases in the back, which Chao personally defined herself rather than giving a textbook definition.

I could really see how much of herself and her culture Gloria Chao injected into this book, as she explained what some of the terms meant to her personally. I am a huge fan of Own Voice novels, and I absolutely love learning about new cultures and languages. And, while this is an excellent representation of Chao's culture, I still found it resonating very strongly with me simply because of the main character's struggles. For that, I have to say this book provides both an excellent window <i>and</i> mirror for me personally.

As someone who is a sucker for a good romance, I also thought Drew and Chloe were insanely cute together. While their relationship had to move fast for the sake of the plot, it still felt very genuine, as the two had a lot of instant chemistry. Drew is the kind of guy I wish I could find, as he's incredibly sweet and does everything in his power to make life easier for Chloe in any way he can. He's supportive and sensitive, and understands how important Chloe's relationship to her parents is, especially after losing his relationship with his own. At the same time, he isn't afraid to stand up for himself when he recognizes Chloe passing along some of the toxic traits she learned from her parents, and reminds her that it's not fair to constantly ask him to be a different person at the drop of a hat for her convenience. I thought this was a very healthy portrayal of a realistic relationship, and loved that it didn't have to revolve around pointless sex to get that message across.

As I mentioned above, the most important aspect of this book for me was the relationship between Chloe and her parents. While Chloe's parents say some things that make you truly want to hate them, they turn around at times and prove that their misguided words come from love. For example, Chloe's dad shields an illness from her to protect her, and her mom saves for months in order to pay for her tuition a year in advance. While their words cannot and should not be excused, the book presents the relationship between Chloe and her parents as being complicated. After all, both parties are lying to one another for good reason, and both want to understand the other's viewpoint to meet in the middle. Perhaps it was because I related so strongly to Chloe that I forgave her parents as she did, but I could certainly see the complicated nature of family dynamics playing out in a realistic way.

While I loved this book, I rated it four stars simply because some of the writing felt a little clunky and awkward at times. I loved the romance, but it did move relatively quickly, and it felt like certain things were resolved prematurely (like Drew and Chloe breaking up because she couldn't put him first) for the sake of moving the plot along. Despite this, I found myself smiling, laughing, and even shedding a few tears throughout this book, as I truly related to Chloe and wished I could find a romance like hers. After reading the Author's Note, I was glad to see that Chao had a really great relationship with her own parents, as I wouldn't wish Chloe's experience on anyone. The ending of the book gave me hope that there is always a way to see eye to eye with those you love, even if it takes some time and effort.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt misunderstood by their family, especially if you have long-lasting self esteem issues from trying too hard to be perfect all the time. I would also recommend this to anyone looking for a cute romance with diverse characters, as Asian culture isn't as readily presented in realistic romance as I would like. I will most definitely be adding this book to my library's collection, as well as my Romance list; it was an incredibly sweet, relatable story that I believe will win the hearts of many teens.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rent a Boyfriend. It was adorable and chock full of family feelings that felt very real. Gloria Chao remains an auto-buy author for me.

I really loved Rent A Boyfriend by Gloria Chao! I think in the past year I’ve started to outgrow “YA” since I graduated college and put more years in between me and the ages of typical YA main characters, so I really loved how Chloe is college-aged and Drew is two years older than her. It was fun to read from the dual perspective of Chloe and Drew, although it was more centered on Chloe. I thought it would be interesting at first to see how their relationship is written since we got both of their perspectives, but I think the author did really well in choosing which scenes were told from Chloe’s POV and which by Drew.

Something I loved about these characters were that they’re a lot more mature and reflective. While their relationship starts off uncertain with the fake dating aspect and does get built on lies, because of the fake dating aspect, between the two of them there’s more honesty and trust. It worked well to create a genuine relationship. I also really liked their independence as characters, how to a certain extent they can be themselves and make their own decisions. And I loved seeing them grow together and teach each other new things. They’re not perfect but they’re genuinely good people who are very thoughtful and considerate of others and their actions. To me, they felt more realistic, although I do wish we got a little more Drew. Chloe, I really loved. I think she was super charming as was the writing. It was a great balance of comedy, quirkiness, honesty, and there was just something about it that really resonated with me.

Plot-wise, I’d say the book centers mostly around family, the relationship between Chloe and her parents, especially her mom, which I loved! I think a lot of people will find it relatable. In the book, Chloe rents a boyfriend, Drew, to be her fake boyfriend over Thanksgiving to get rid of this horrendous family friend her parents are trying to get her to marry. While that part might not be so relatable, I think a lot of people will be able to see themselves in how much Chloe loves cares for her parents and wants to be the best daughter, but in doing so she has to decide how much she can sacrifice being her true and entire self. So it’s a story of family, but also a story of speaking up for yourself and standing up for who you are, which is something seen in both Chloe and Drew’s character arcs.

Being an own voices book and an own voices (Chinese) reader, I absolutely loved how natural the cultural aspects of the book were, from weaving in Chinese words to the food to how Asians use ovens as storage and reuse plastic containers. Since both Chloe and Drew share Taiwanese background, all of these things were so normalized in their lives. I also loved how the author made a point to show two different diaspora stories. Chloe and Drew are both Taiwanese but their backgrounds, community and family dynamics are different. I think it’s super important because there is so much diversity in Asia and depending on country of origin, family history, immigration, people in the diaspora can have very different experiences. I’m glad it was something we got to explore a little in this book.

Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this. This is my first book by this author and the characters and narration just didn’t work for me. I found the story a little repetitive and I didn’t feel drawn in by the plot or the characters enough to finish it based on that. I love fake dating, but I just think this execution wasn’t for me!

Loved this book! It was a super fun read with one of my favorite tropes: fake dating. I loved seeing the different sides of the couple, and their struggles to reconcile them. I especially loved the way Chloe was written.

There are two Chloes. The Chloe who is the dutiful daughter and the Chloe IRL. And the dutiful daughter knows she has to make her parents happy, even if that means renting a boyfriend for the holidays because her parents want to arrange a marriage between her and this sleazy boy they know.

Enter Drew. Drew likes this job because it helps support his art career. And he knows family is important. He can't mess this job up. But when he meets Chloes, there's just something about her...

I really love the tension and drama that Chloe feels whenever she is with her parents. The urgency is very true, feeling the Chloe's anxiety as she meets this boy her parent want her to marry, and she knows he is up to no good. Between trying to please her parents and be true to herself, it's so easy to see how Chloe got herself into this mess. I also love her parents. Chao does a wonderful job of writing of very complex relationships where no one bad, but they're all trying to do the right/best thing. And those things are totally different depending on where you're standing

>I also really like Drew and his family situation. I love how passionate he is about his art and how he misses his family. He owns up to his mistakes and tries to be supportive and a good person.

That said, I had some problems with the book. I didn't feel like Drew or Chloe had any chemistry. Like none. It was more like they kept talking about how attracted they were to each other, but I never saw it. I also feel like the plot moved a bit too slow for me.

So maybe not my cup of tea. But I think anyone who likes YA contemporary should try it out. The book has some really well thought layers of culture and family and I think that's what makes it stands out.

I think this book had a lot to offer but it fell short. It felt long reading it, even though I don't think it was particularly. The pacing felt off, as well. There was a point in the middle were it felt like the third act was closing and the book was ending--only to find out that there was still 50% of the book to go.

I loved the premise of Drew being Chloe's fake boyfriend for the holidays. Seeing them going through multiple holidays together was a slight variation on the typical "fake boyfriend for the holidays' set up. And Gloria Chao did a great job making me care about both characters.

Beyond the slightly odd structure of the book, I found it really hard to handle Chloe's parents after the midway point of the book. And since the book focuses so much on them, they are impossible to ignore. They're everywhere, even in the scenes that are supposed to be about Chloe and Drew and their feeling for each other. I can accept that they spend most of the book being terrible, that they don't grow or change through most of it because that's real life. But Chloe doesn't change either for the longest time. She learns nothing for the first two thirds of the book. So you're just watching her parents being abusive, and her being upset but accepting it and doing nothing to try to change it. It brings the reader into an abusive cycle that is both extremely unpleasant but also boring, and in way I don't think the book recognizes. By the time it starts to course correct, the reader is already worn out.

This was a enjoyable story. It was a good mixture of fun and serious. I appreciated the Chinese traditions that were included in the story. Reading this made me consistently hungry. It's a great young adult book.

Rent a Boyfriend was EXACTLY what I needed. It drew me in right from the beginning and didn't let me go.

Chloe/Jing Jing is coming home from college and decides to rent a boyfriend to appease her parents and also get away from Hong Bo, whom they want her to marry. She is caught between two worlds, college, where she is Chloe, and home where she is Jing Jing.

Drew works for Rent for your 'Rents and accepts a weekend invitation to be Chloe's boyfriend. His family pretty much disowned him when he dropped out of college to pursue art so this is his way of making ends meet.

Throughout their fake relationship you can feel the tension between Chloe and Drew. It's intense! I loved watching them come together, but also stay apart. It was not to say that they didn't have some struggles.

Chloe's family was so intense! Their determination to marry her off to someone who had money, when she was still "pure" was crazy. They lacked total understanding of what Chloe wanted, which is consistent with their background and upbringing.

Rent a Boyfriend was cute and fun with plenty of banter. Highly recommend!

This was sweet, very funny, and deeply touching. The romance felt a little clunky however, and the pacing was slightly uneven.

This is a super cute rom-com with a heart of gold. Plus it is my favorite: fake dating! I found Chloe's parents to be truly horrible bu I know cultural traditions can be really hard to break even when it is harmful.

Lets start with... this COVER IT EVERYTHING!

I love how this starts with a small white lie and turns into the best damn drama ever! Let's rent a boyfriend. This is like the wedding date but YA and so adorable. I love that this is dual perspective and that Chloe and Drew are just adorable and relatable as can be. I love them both so much,
It's a great book to read for the holidays, but since soo much is in the holidays I would say it great for holidays. You can read it anytime but if you are feeling like you need something sweet for fall break! START THIS.

This bond and relationship is just perfection and the development of the story and romance isn't too fast or slow. Just right. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cute book and sweet love story.

I'm tempted to try the audiobook since it was such a great book to read.

I really loved this fake relationship. For some reason there were parts that it felt like it was dragging on. Overall it was a fun read.

Gloria Chao is a solidly reliable author. I know that if I open up one of her books, I am going to get a read that will keep my attention with characters I care about and a good plot. Rent A Boyfriend, Chao’s third book, delivered on all my expectations. This was one of the first physical books I read as I was nearing the end of my first trimester, so coming out of being sick all the time. Thus, it has a special place in my heart for that reason – which is totally unrelated to the merits of the book itself.

Rent A Boyfriend is about Chloe Wang who hires a fake boyfriend to get her parents off her back about marrying this other guy who is completely terrible. As the book opens, Chloe has not yet met Drew Chan from Rent for Your ‘Rents and so she’s nervous. They share an Uber from the airport and Chloe gets to know him just a little bit. From there, Drew leans into his role and he’s very good at it. We learn that there’s different categories of parents and Drew has got it down.

Meanwhile, we also learn about Chloe’s relationship with her parents and how it really isn’t perfect. Especially with the expectations placed on her to find a man who can provide for her. Chloe wants to provide for herself and certainly has the ability to do so. As Chloe gets to know Drew, she falls for the real Drew, not the persona he puts on for his job. You see, Drew is an aspiring artist. This means that he would not be good enough as himself for Chloe’s parents. Still, the chemistry is there and it is undeniable.

I loved that Rent A Boyfriend begins with Thanksgiving. It made me feel happy because it takes place over the holiday season. I actually probably should have counted this among my holiday reading as it had Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chinese New Year. The chemistry between Chloe and Drew is believable. As is the progression of their relationship. Chloe and Drew are both well written characters in their own right. I think that if you’re a reader who loves books about family dynamics, people finding their voice and courage, and romance, you will love Gloria Chao’s Rent A Boyfriend as much as I did.

If you love the fake dating trope, then you will adore Rent a Boyfriend! I enjoyed following along Chloe and Andrew (this book has dual POVs) as they meet through the most unconventional way: Rent for Your ‘Rents, the fake boyfriend service. Everything unravels into a disastrous situation & the personal struggles that both of these characters go through made me feel so much for them--from Chloe's pressure to get engaged to Drew's falling out with his parents due to chasing a career they didn't approve.

Living up to parents expectations is a big theme in this book as well as the courage it takes to follow your own path. And Rent a Boyfriend is PACKED with delicious descriptions of food, so be warned, make sure to have a snack before reading or else you will get hungry! All in all it was a great read for me and I had fun reading this rom-com!!

"Game. On. All I had to do was convince my parents that Andrew was the love of my life and theirs. Piece of (moon)cake, right?"

ing-Jing (Chloe - American name) Wang hires Drew as Rent for your ‘Rents as fake boyfriend to take home for Thanksgiving. Her parents really want her to marry Hongbo - a rich, whiny playboy who doesn’t respect women. But when Drew and Jing-Jing end up spending more holiday ‘dates’ together; they end up getting along so well. Drew is an operative for Rent for your ‘Rents; only cause his own parents disowned him and he needs to make his own rent. He dropped out of college to pursue his passion for art. Hello sheep in pjs! His parents considers art related career as ‘lese’ (garbage). So as Jing-Jing and Drew continue to stage a fake dating relationship to her parents and their tight knit Asian American community, they can’t help wonder if their lies affect their future together as a real couple.
This novel was an amazing read for me! I rarely can connect to all characters in a story. The author Gloria Chao does a well rounded job of creating multiple layers of characters as first generation immigrants Taiwanese vs American born Taiwanese kids. Especially ‘xiao shun’ our parents, their friends that aren’t blood related but we address as ‘ayi or shushu’ as sign of respect. While the story is filled with traditional Taiwanese themes: honor, save face, responsibilities; There is huge major drool worthy mention of Taiwanese food dishes! Us Taiwanese love food. Just check out our night markets.

American Panda is awesome, Our Wayward Fat is good and Rent a Boyfriend is a okay read. Gloria Chao wrote a good story ith vivid characters.

Chloe Wang hires a fake boyfriend, Drew Chan, from Rent for Your 'Rents to take home to her parents during the holidays. However, who would have known that she will fall in love with Drew. Sometimes love can be found in the most unexpected places and situations.

Chloe wants to appease her parents and to get away from Hongbo Kuo. While her parents try to set up an arranged marriage, Chloe wants to make her own choices. Drew takes on the job as pretend boyfriend in order to earn money so he can pursue his dream being an artist.

From the first page, I fell in love with Gloria Chao's writing. It reads effortless and smoothly. I love Chloe from the start and understood exactly how she feels when she has those internal monologues. Rent a Boyfriend is written in two POVs with Chloe and Drew alternating chapters. Chloe and Drew both are hilarious. Their reactions to what Chloe's parents have to say are priceless. I couldn't stop chuckling when reading the novel.

I can understand how Chloe feels about the expectations her parents pave for her. Although my parents let me choose my own path in life, I can relate to typical Chinese expectations and wants for their children. Chao's incorporates humor within the novel and showcases cultural differences between Chinese culture and the western culture. I appreciate her subtext regarding certain Chinese traditions and concepts. Things like mentioning mooncake points instead of brownie points makes the characters more believable.

Rent a Boyfriend is a heartfelt contemporary novel where family expectations, finding yourself and cultural identity collide. Join Chloe and Drew on a love adventure they didn't know existed.

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!