I initially thought this was going to be a lighthearted story. It’s not.

Our MC is a rental stranger who flits in and out of the lives of other who briefly need him. His only goal is to make his clients happy and keep a five star rating. His life is 100% about control.

Only one client has been long term, eight years. For this client he’s been acting as her daughter’s father. And he’s accidentally done the thing he shouldn’t, gotten attached.

When another client gets entangled with the long term set up, things get sticky.

Honestly this is a deeply sad book. And a bit poetic that we never learn the mc’s actual name.

As many have said already, this is not a light hearted found family story like the synopsis led me to believe. This is more of a dark exploration of losing your own identity by living a life pretending to be any and everyone but yourself. I appreciated that the author delved into whether children really ever know their parents as full humans. Stranger's ideas about sex felt like there was a sort of Freudian underpinning which was pretty uncomfortable to keep returning to. This was a short read but it was not at all quick for me. I was certainly left wondering whether Lily would ever be able to move on from her mother lying to her for a decade about a fake father. I kept finding myself wishing Mari would just pretend Stranger died in an accident so that Lily could move on since it seemed like Mari would never tell the truth.

I was really drawn to the premise of this book and while I did enjoy it, I was not crazy about it. The rental stranger was immensely drawn into himself and was very focused on what he presented to the world. He was acting through his life from role to role. The hard part for me was that he was a rental father for a little girl for 8 years, The idea of this was extra unappealing and really made me wonder how this dynamic would even work. I really liked the depth of the backstory, however it fell apart for me when he met the woman from this past. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley,

I didnt love the book but I also didnt hate it. I found the main character to be annoying. He was selfish and only cared about himself. What he and Mari were doing to Lily for the past 8 years was honestly cruel and wild. Im shocked Mari would do that for so long. I felt so bad for Lily, thinking this man she saw once a week was her father. Im glad he met Darlene and that caused Mari to finally let the rental stranger out of Lily’s life. He is still too emotionally attached even at the end. I did find the ending to be satisfying in that he finally realizes some things in regards to his mother. Some of the men he acted as was interesting and I enjoyed those side acts, but the main act with Lily was annoying. He doesnt deserve to know her anymore.

I think the writing was fine. I did find myself skimming the pages through the man’s thoughts though because I didnt care for him. He was anonymous in the book and anonymous in my mind.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is not fluffy.

I feel like I should say that because the title, cover and description make is seem fluffy and light.

Instead, it’s bittersweet and poignant and it made me so sad.

I loved our unnamed Stranger and was intrigued by the people he met and situations he was in. But I kept hoping for unicorns and rainbows and it was unicorns with broken horns and bent rainbows instead.

The book definitely makes you think and gives you an overwhelming sense of loss much of the time.

Excellent and very unexpected read.

• ARC via Publisher

I'm at a bit of a loss on what to say about this one. The first half of the book told a story of a man who rented out his time as a companion to anyone in need. Want to go for a walk? Need a friend at a funeral? He's your guy. But in addition, he has a long term client, Mari, who has slotted him in the role of father to her daughter Lily. As Stranger navigates his clients, he finds his "daughter" asking more questions and wanting to know more about her family. This leads him to solicit the help of a client and things evolve from there.

I thought this book was going to make me laugh as I experienced different Stranger scenarios, but it had the exact opposite effect. Instead, I'm left saddened for those who are unable, unwilling or too scared to try to build lasting connections.

A fantastic plot and beautiful writing that is haunting and melancholic.

We follow our five-star stranger as his once faultless boundaries with clients begin to blur and he finds himself emotionally attached to his pretend daughter. While it is a quiet and reflective novel, there are a few surprises along the way that amped up the thrills and tension. I really enjoyed the read and recommend it to fans of contemporary and literary fiction.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Five-Star Stranger
By Kat Tang

Publishing Date: August 26, 2024

Publisher Synopsis:
“Would you hire someone to be the best man at your wedding? Your stand-in brother? Your husband?

In an age where online ratings are all-powerful, Five-Star Stranger follows the adventures of a top-rated man on the Rental Stranger app--a place where users can hire a pretend fiancé, a wingman, or an extra mourner for a funeral. Referred to only as Stranger, the narrator navigates New York City under the guise of characters he plays, always maintaining a professional distance from his clients.

But, when a nosy patron threatens to upend his long-term role as father to a young girl, Stranger begins to reckon with his attachment to his pretend daughter, her mother, and his own fraught past. Now, he must confront the boundaries he has drawn and explore the legacy of abandonment that shaped his life.”

My Rating: 4/5 ⭐️s
The concept of this book was so interesting and unlike any other I just had to read it. The character development was a big part of this read and I was invested in their growth. This would be great book club option!

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for providing the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

The description had me hooked. Fortunately I felt the story met me expectations. Amazing character development. This would be a fantastic book club book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for providing an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest review. Here is the review that I published as a part of a 2024 Roundup for Michigan Quarterly Review:

The premise of this novel is unexpected, brilliant, and moving. In a gig economy world not far from our own, strangers are rented to act as a sibling, a spouse, or a friend, then reviewed and rated. The novel follows a five-starred rated man-for-hire, as he navigates real emotional bonds and how they are entangled with his own history and abandonment, when his role as a long-term stand-in father is threatened. I love Tang’s command of the sentences, her characters, and beautiful voice, to be out in the world soon.