This was such a delightful read. I adored both of the main characters, and I was immediately invested in the storyline. I laughed out loud so many times!!! TSuch a perfect Saturday read.

Soooooo amazing!!!! Love the chemistry, the banter.
The writing is really great!


"Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗 "I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Isla is having a rough week....month....year. When she is kicked out of her apartment with nowhere to go, she may have to level with her brother's best friend, Cade to keep her secrets.

Isla and Cade agree to a temporary fake relationship for his workplace. He only wants for them to think he's in a relationship to deter the constant matchmaking of his coworkers. It seems like a perfect solution. Isla can go to his work events where there is usually wonderful food and Cade agrees not to tell her brother that she's struggling to pay her bills. But the best laid plans don't always work out as intended. Cade and Isla begin to act like this pretend relationship may have some reality to it. They both resist letting it cross that line because of Isla's brother, Seb and his close relationship to Cade. But eventually the heart may take over and then what will they do?

I really enjoyed the romance in the book and personal interactions in the book. What I struggled with was Isla's intense frustration with large companies, student loan debt and money issues.. Honestly, it felt too preachy to me at times. I'm not saying if she did or didn't have valid points. I'm just saying I didn't expect that in this book. I was expecting a little lighter read but it was still well-written and enjoyable.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also received an early copy of the audiobook. It was well done with good narration. The story flow was solid and made for an enjoyable listening experience. 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for both early copies of the ebook and audiobook.

RENT TO BE By Sonia Hartl

Isla Jane is living the millennial nightmare. She’s got a shiny new MBA and no way to pay for it, thanks to her dead-end entry-level job, and nowhere to live, thanks to her miserable salary. Going home to her parents is not possible, but for once Isla’s brother may be her saving grace. He’s out of town on business for a month, meaning the guest room in his condo is blissfully empty.
Or so Isla thinks, until she runs into Cade Greenley, her brother’s best friend—who’s crashing there while his own condo is undergoing renovations

😊What i liked -

✔ Brother's Best Friend/Fake Relationship/He Falls First.
✔ I felt so bad for Isla but I loved how she tries to bounce.
✔ Now Cade, how do I describe him? 🤔.He is sweet and protective. Love how he stands up for her.
✔ A special mention has to be done for Neeta. I absolutely loved her. Isla and she were such an unlikely pair.
✔ It was funny (few places), romantic and spicy.

🤔What could have been better -

✔ I cannot really pinpoint it but I felt a bit of the magic was missing.

📚Who Should read :

👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💕Brother's Best Friend Romance
💞Fake Relationship Romance

📈My Rating : 4/5

Thank you, Sonia Hartl and Alcove Press, for a copy.

Isla is a “typical” Millennial with an overextended student loan, a dead-end job, and a pragmatic view on her current life situation: it sucks. After her roommates toss her out because Isla hasn’t paid rent in a few months, she goes to her brother’s condo to hopefully crash there. Her plans change when she walks into the condo and sees a fully naked Cade - her brother’s best friend and her longtime crush. Isla turns around and through happenstance, finds a job housesitting for the week. Cade is visiting in the same neighborhood and after a conversation, Isla agrees to fake date Cade for some of his work events.

The chemistry between Cade and Isla is so good. I was rooting for them from the start. I enjoyed their witty banter and loved that he fell first. I think Isla was at times a little over the top about being broke. I think she made some bad choices that unfortunately snowballed.

Her relationship with her parents was tough to read but unfortunately, pretty common. I liked that Isla’s brother and Cade stood up for her. A few things were glossed over like how Isla managed to both work full time and house sit and why her parents weren’t as hard on her brother but overall it’s a quick read with great chemistry.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this eARC. Rent To Be is out now.

I just finished Rent to be by Sonja Hartl and here are my musings.


Isla Jane has hit rock bottom. She graduates with an MBA but the student loan repayments are taking half her paycheque from a job that doesn’t see her talent. Living paycheque to paycheque now has Isla kicked out of the home she shared with 2 other people.

Now homeless with nothing in the bank, she can’t go home to her disapproving parents but the stars have aligned and she has a key to her brother's condo which happens to currently be empty…. Except when she arrives, she runs smack dab into her brother's best friend Cade, a stark naked Cade.

RTunning out of the condo with a blush on her face, she goes to the only place she can think of… She sleeps under her desk and while there, she overhears one of the big bosses is in need of a house sitter.

Cade finds Isla at the house that is clearly not hers and she must admit why she is there. Cade has a deal that would help both of them out. She pretends to be his girlfriend for work functions and he doesn’t tell anyone what she is doing. Things are going really well until Isla unwittingly starts to fall for the broody Cade.

This book made me giggle so hard! The characters were adorable and Isla and Cade had the grumpy/sunshine trope down to a fine art. I love when you feel a kinship with characters in books and while I have never gone through what Isla has, I can see a lot of my own traits in her. She is riddled with self doubt but she has a wild streak I just adore. Cade was too perfect for words and I love the way their friendship turned into something more but it wasn’t smooth sailing.

This book highlights the very real problem with how much an education can cost and how much debt it puts people in only to not be able to find jobs that come close to what they need to be paying, especially at an entry level wage. Having to pick between rent or eating is a scary reality for a lot of people and I couldn’t imagine how horrific it really is.

I loved the house sitting and the descriptions of all the homes she stayed in. I also loved Cade’s company where they are like a family. Everyone should feel cherished in a job, not expendable.

I was hooked from page one and I was so sad it was over but I also loved that Isla didn’t get the unrealistic HEA and the ending was so realistic that I enjoyed it even more!

5 stars!!

Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for my gifted copy

I really enjoyed this story! The love story was really sweet and spicy. The little ways Cade tries to get closer to Isla. It was so sweet. They have known each other since little kids and the flashbacks were sweet and tied their past together so nicely.

I did knock a star because I felt like there was a lot of griping about capitalism. Stick it to the man kinda thing, which is, whatever. But that little line of logic in the book wasn’t my thing.

Content: swears and open door content.

Here we have a fun - brother’s best friend, nemesis to lovers, fake dating, and he falls first - read.
This book also touched on a rarely touched upon scary reality - finishing school with a truckload of debt and having trouble finding a good job. Or at least it’s not a topic that’s I see come up very often.
Isla is struggling to make ends meet and a place to live. The author tackled this with quite a bit of humour. It’s a good thing the main character was able to cope and this was done rather realistically. In comes Cade, her brother’s best friend - the initial encounter was a laugh out loud moment for me. He tries to help, but she would like to avoid that. They strike a deal and here comes the fake dating. There are some nice genuine moments of friendship that develop between the two. The chemistry between Isla and Cade is good.
While there are the antics between the main characters, on the side we have some good and toxic familial relationships. Isla learns that sometimes it’s ok to walk away from her parents and the hurt they have caused. There is also healing in the relationship between her and her brother.
So, here we have a fun rom-com, but it is not devoid of the hardships that come along in real life. This is why I would recommend this book to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

A one-sitting read! I couldn't stop reading this romcom featuring brother's best friend, fake relationship, friends to lovers, and forced proximity tropes. I loved Isla and Cade: the slow burn of their relationship and the explosive steam when they got together. I liked the common millennial struggles expressed through Isla and the complicated found family expressed through Cade. A satisfying ending and I had all I need out of a romance.

The Facts: Fake dating, brother's best friend, romcom, relatable fmc, friends to lovers

Isla's screwed. Her roommates kick her out, she barely has $5 to her name, and her brother's apartment is taken over by his best friend, Cade. Cade, who needs a fake girlfriend, and Isla, who needs someone to keep her secrets from her family, strike a deal to help each other.

Oh my, GOD! I loved this one so much. Immediately, it sucks you in with the witty dialogue, storyline, and internal thoughts. This had romance, spice, and comedy, so honestly I was obsessed. Isla was crazy relatable as well with her family issues, finance issues, and job issues. The chemistry between Cade and Isla was on fire, and it truly made the book. As soon as I read about Cade, I was hooked, tbh.

I can't wait to read more of Sonia's work!

This has some of my favorite tropes in it, but I did not like the execution of them overall. This was a quick read that I enjoyed in the moment but would not pick up again.

I really liked the flashbacks from Isla and Cade's childhood and that we got to see the mutual pining.

I found some of the characters to be annoying and dull.

Isla’s life is not what she expected - after earning her MBA she still can’t get a decent job and can barely stay afloat in paying her bills. To make matters worse, her roommates kicked her out since she can’t afford rent. The only thing that might save her is the fact that her brother is out of town for a month, and his condo is vacant. But when she arrives, she discovers her brother’s best friend, Cade, is borrowing the condo while his own condo gets renovated. Cade and Isla strike a deal - she pretends to be his girlfriend at a series of work functions and he won’t tell her family she is homeless.

This book was so fun! I was laughing at all of the chaotic situations Isla got herself into and her antics throughout the story. She was incredibly relatable, as were her struggles with adulthood and asking for help. I also loved Cade and Isla together - their chemistry as well as their shared history made them a perfect match. He was patient with her and supported her as she was trying to find her way, but more importantly, their connection was incredible.

I switched between the audiobook and ebook here, and both were incredible. For the audiobook, Kirsten Leigh was a wonderful narrator and was a joy to listen to.

Thanks to Alcove Press and RB Media for the advance copies.

When I started reading this book I was in desperate need of a funny and lovely story to read. And that was exactly what I found. Rent to be have everything I expect from a romantic comedy: characters that are easy to like, conflicts that we can relate to, a romance that is sweet and natural, and many fun moments. And, though sometimes Isla anoyed me a little, it didn't affect how much I enjoyed reading this book.

Trying to get her life together, Isla encounters a minor road bump: sneaking into love at her brother’s condo after being kicked out of her own apartment by her friends, she finds her brother’s best friend Cade occupying the guest room. With no place to go, avoiding her parents and brother from knowing the truth about her current shitty life situation, she strikes a deal with Cade. He keeps her secret while she fake dates him for work functions… until things get a little less fake, and their connection runs a little deeper than expected.

I enjoyed this one! Having enjoyed HEARTBREAK FOR HIRE, I was excited to pick this one up by Hartl. Cade and Isla’s banter was hilarious, definitely cracked me up a bunch of times. Loved the added fishing details and of course the chemistry. And I’m always down for a brother’s best friend romance. This one totally gave me MR. WRONG NUMBER vibes.

Brother's best friend and fake dating - can a romcom get any better than that? I have been loving all the fake dating books of late and throw in a brother's bestie who is constantly on the lookout for our girl and I'm in. This book was a lot of fun and the proof of how much I enjoyed it was the fact that I whizzed through it in a few hours.
.

Sonia Hartl can go ahead and take all my money at this point. I love her books, and this one was a huge win for me as well. We meet Isla, who has just been kicked out of her apartment (and her friendships) for failing to pay rent for a few months. She's down about that of course, and she has nowhere to go, because her parents aren't exactly the most supportive folks out there. They're those "bootstraps" type, which infuriates me, but that's a conversation for a different day. The point is, Isla's in need of some housing, and luckily, her brother just left for a month in London, so she lets herself into his apartment.

Only whoopsie, his best friend Cade happens to be using the apartment while his own place is being renovated! Isla is trying to avoid anyone finding out about her dire straights, so she pretends she is just storing some stuff there and... sleeps under her desk at work. This is sad, but also leads to her ending up with a housesitting gig that is frankly more lucrative than her job at this point, and it allows her not only a place to stay, but the ability to pay her bills for once.

But she and Cade keep crossing paths, and this eventually leads to Isla helping him out by becoming his fake date to work parties. Look, it's clear from their first encounter on page that these two have off the charts chemistry. But it's also clear that Isla is in a bad way and is pretty down on herself, and Cade is just playing the part of "responsible adult" because he thinks that is what he is supposed to do. So they both have a lot to figure out before they can ever be on the same page with their very clear feelings.

I loved how freaking hilarious this book was throughout. I found myself laughing and smiling a lot, even when the subject matter was a little heavier. It's also incredibly relatable, if you have ever taken out a bunch of ill-advised student loans, which I have a feeling a fair amount of us have. I love that the author opens the door for a lot of discussion about A) how predatory it all was, and B) how literally everyone in our lives who were supposed to be guiding us swore that college was the best and/or only path forward. And for some people, like Cade, it worked out. But for some, like Isla (and yours truly, if we're being honest) it did nothing for their futures and just threw them into lifelong debt.

I also loved how, while this is obviously a romance, it focused a lot on family relationships. Isla's relationship with her family was... complicated. Like obviously they loved her and cared for her, but they also had a lot of very bad takes when it came to finances and what qualified as success, and it could be pretty gross. Isla had to come to terms with all of that, all while navigating her relationship with Cade, and her brother, and finding housing, and housesitting at some of the most ridiculous places ever (major points for how wonderfully bizarre some of these houses were). Cade, too, had a lot of stuff to figure out. He was trying to find his place in his company, which was awesome, but not what Cade expected to find in the corporate world. He also had a pretty rocky relationship with his mom, and also, he was worried about what Isla's brother would think if he acted on his feelings. So there is a lot happening, but it felt incredibly true to real life, which is what made it so awesome.

Bottom Line: Rent To Be is hilarious and charming and full of heart, and basically just a huge win.

*4.5

This was so cute. I loved the banter that they had from the very beginning. It was so obvious that he was in love with her and it was funny that she was so oblivious. I also enjoyed seeing her friendship with Neeta grow.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

If you’ve ever had a tight money situation, this is going to be all too relatable. (As someone who was in school for 10 years, I feel Isla’s pain!)

Isla is unceremoniously kicked out of her apartment right after learning she didn’t get the promotion she was hoping for.

So, she decides to move into her brother’s apartment while he’s out of town.

Except it’s already occupied by said brother’s best friend, Cade. And I do love a good brother’s-best-friend trope!

Our author does not disappoint us here, fellow readers.

Because these two have known each other forever— tormenting one another more often than not— and it sets up for a hilarious, sweet rom-com.

But the tropes aren’t over! How will Isla convince Cade not to tell her family that she’s in a bad living situation?

She’ll be his date for his work get-togethers. That’s right, add Fake Dating to the bingo card!

This combination, with the immediate chemistry between these two and their rich history together, makes for a romance that is simply magnetic.

And for sure he-falls-first, because it’s obvious he has a soft spot for Isla from the start.

I also enjoyed how Isla is trying to piece her life together here, wishing she can incorporate her love for books to a career in some way. If you’ve ever dreamed of being a librarian (I totally have), you’re going to appreciate this.

It’s all the stars for me! Perfect execution of tropes, and bonus for a Michigan setting! I like reading books set in my home state. 😍

If you’re in the market for a fresh new rom-com filled with your favorite tropes and some very spicy heat 🥵 I highly recommend this!

3.5, rounded up. This was a sweet and steamy frenemies to lovers story. Isla is dealing with a frustratingly common issue of underemployment and student loan debt that leads to her grasping at straws to make ends meet, and Cade is dealing with his own baggage after experiencing poverty in childhood. I really liked what the author did with Isla having to also deal with her parents and their bootstrap mentality. This does read on the younger side, but readers in their early 20s like these characters might find a lot to relate to.