I started this one and the first chapter was not for me! I didn't like the tone or the writing and to top it all off the first chapter ends with our main character flashing the love interest which is not my type of humor at all. And then the character felt entitled to move into her brother's place? Perhaps in a movie both of these things would work for me, but I instantly did not like her perspective (and I really do try to find something I like about all characters, this is an unusual problem for me). Either way I had enough moments that gave me pause that I decided I did not want to force myself through this one.

I am starting to think this author is not for me since I DNF'd a prior book from her, but heard great things about this one. Unfortunately for me I own a few more of her books.

I loved that their relationship progressed at a believable pace. They might have had an instant attraction but didn’t just jump right into the relationship. They flirted, got to know each other, their relationship developed; healthily. Overall , it was really fun to read!

A great weekend read, its the kind of book I enjoy escaping into.

I need to check out her backlist!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for this ARC. The cover definitely drew me in and I'm so glad it did because this was a great read! I loved it so much and will definitely be reading more of Hartl in the future!

I really enjoyed Rent to Be. It was a cute romance, with young 20-somethings just trying to figure out what to be in life. Isla was a hot mess, but I loved that about her. Her and Cade's banter was great and I really enjoyed how their relationship progressed. It also touched on some deeper issues, and I appreciated how Hartl showed that you can love your family despite if they hurt you, and ultimately it's OK to let that family go if they aren't good for you.

I'll have to go back and read some of Hartl's past works because I really enjoyed Rent to Be. I also look forward to what she writes next!

Loved this! I’m a bit disappointed that I put off reading this for so long. This was a cute and funny little romance that shined a light on how difficult life can be at times. While I enjoyed the “spicy” parts, some of it seemed over the top at times. I definitely recommend it though!

Brother’s best friend, fake dating, spice and humor? Say less. Isla is struggling to make ends meet but doesn’t want her family to know. She is always the butt of their jokes and doesn’t want to seem like a failure. When she loses housing and can’t afford somewhere new, she doesn’t know what to do. Until her brother says he will be traveling out of town for a month and she realizes his apartment is free.

She gets there and runs into Cade, her brother’s childhood best friend. Cade is having renovations done on his house and decides to use the apartment. No problem, she pivots to house sitting. Free housing and getting paid to be there? Perfect, until Cade sees her at a mansion that cleary isn’t hers and figures out she house sitting/surfing to have places to sleep each week.

She begs him to not tell her family and he makes a compromise-be his fake girlfriend for work events. Done. Except she starts to fall in love with him. And she can’t do that. This book is witty, funny, steam and still deals with some tough topics. The tropes you can expect:

-Fake dating
-Friends to lovers
-Brother’s best friend
-Slow burn

The audio was even better. I just wish it had been dual POV-hearing Cade’s side would have been delightful!

A good adult romance, that I would recommend to those who think it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Funny and relatable! I enjoyed reading this book. I'm a total sucker for forced proximity, fake dating, & best friend/ brothers best friend books, so this one was right on the money for me.

The MMC is extremely likable, but the FMC made this book hard to get through. I just wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her at times! Her choices are questionable at best.

I was excited for this trope but unfortunately this fell short.

Advertising this with that trope was misleading, and even if that didn't bother me, it just fell flat. Too much telling and not enough showing, and the MC's are so blah. I did not feel like I ever really got to know them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this one! I loved the 'brother's best friend' trope and thought the novel had the perfect mix of sexual tension, romance, comedy, and spice!

I definitely should have read this one a lot earlier than I did, because I couldn't put it down. I'll be sure to check out more books by Sonia. Thanks so much for the eArc!

Isla Jane isn't living her best life. She has a job she doesn't like, no place to live, student debts to pay, and no way in sight that it will improve.
With her belongings in boxes her ex-housemates left outside their home, the only solution is to store them in her brother's spare room. Mainly because he's working abroad for a month and won't notice. Too easy for her messed up life, right? Of course. Cade Greenley, her brother's best friend, is living there while renovating his house. And there it goes, her place to sleep.
After sleeping in the office one night, she gets a job house-sitting, and her new job begins.
But that's not all. Cade needs a fake girlfriend so his colleagues stop bothering him, asks Isla to pretend to be it, and accompany him to his work parties.

I enjoyed reading this story - funny, steamy, and light.
I kept wanting to read more, so I could get to know more about the main characters.
Also, the secondary characters - Neeta, Sebastian, and Cade's bosses - were a delight. I loved how the friendship between Isla and Neeta developed.
As for the steamy parts, this book starts strongly.
A good read if you want to have fun. Mostly when Isla describes to us the houses she's sleeping in..

3.50 stars
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TW: Gaslighting, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content
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This was cute! In Rent to Be we follow Isla Jane as she lives her worst nightmare (or anyone's). She's got a fancy MBA, a pile of student loans, a dead-end job where she can't seem to climb the corporate ladder, and she's just been kicked out by her roommates for being unable to pay rent. Isla knows that going to ask her parents for help will bring on more problems. She remembers that her brother is out of town and figures she'll crash there without anyone knowing. That is until she arrives to find a fresh out of the shower Cade is also staying at her brother's until his house is done being renovated.

I loved the relationship between Isla and Cade, it helps that Cade has been around the family since he was a kid so they've formed a special bond over the years. From this point, I'd say the plot splits into two: Firstly, Isla begins her own homesitting business which gives her a place to stay, another income, and access to food while she sits. Secondly, Cade needs a date to bring to his work functions and asks Isla to fill in for him in favour of him keeping her secret from her family. I don't think we needed the point about Cade bringing her to his work functions as I think their connection just flows naturally, however, it was nice for Isla to be exposed to a company that treats their staff right and showed her what she deserves in life.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Sonia Hartl for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on August 15th 2023

A cute brother's best friend and fake dating book, easily readable. I finished in a couple of sittings. I would say it's a bit forgettable though and probably won't stay with me for long.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I enjoyed reading it.

I would give it a 3.5 stars just because I think what isla goes through in the book when it comes to her life, it’s what happen to young adults nowadays.

I relate to her in that situation but I do feel her character was immature.

The wrap up wasn’t as I expected to go but as mist romantic books they give us a happy ending.

Read it if you like:
- Friends to lovers
- Drama
- Spiciness 😂

Funny, and loved the banter.
There is still something to be said about rom-coms and having relatable characters and this one had it.

A cute and fun enemies to lovers forced proximity romance that pulls at your heart strings. Another entry into the renovation sub genre.