Rent to Be: A Novel

by Sonia Hartl

In this bright, laugh-out-loud rom-com, the grind of the millennial struggle is a lot more fun when you add falling in love to the mix, perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Beth O’Leary.

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. When a desperate plan to sleep under her desk miraculously turns into a house-sitting job for one of the big bosses at her office, Isla is certain her luck has turned—with no one, Cade included, the wiser. It’s a perfect solution—until Cade catches her sunbathing at a mansion that is definitely not hers, and she admits she’s house-sitting because she can’t afford rent.

The pair strike a deal—Cade will keep Isla’s secret from her overbearing parents if she agrees to pose as his girlfriend at a few upcoming corporate events. The fun and friendly vibe of his office is a surprise compared to hers, but the biggest shock is that each “date” with Cade feels less and less fake. Suddenly she’s looking forward to every minute they spend together while the chemistry between them sizzles. As Isla’s house-sitting scheme begins to unravel, she'll have to face the fact that her biggest lie of all is the one she's telling herself: that she's not falling in love with Cade.

• ISBN10: 1639104348
• ISBN13: 9781639104345
• Publish Date: 15 August 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 August 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Crooked Lane Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781639104345

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

Brand new to Sonia Hartl, her refreshing writing style was right up my alley. The banter, the chemistry, the obnoxiously lovable characters - Rent to Be is a wonderful fake relationship, best friend's sister to lovers, quid pro quo trifecta! Sonia also makes a point to shine a spotlight on the real life struggles of those entering the job field after doing everything "right". For fans of Lynn Painter, I would recommend giving this one a try.

 

Just when Isa has thought she has hit rock bottom, the earth decides to split open and pull her down even further. Broke, recently kicked out of her apartment, and dressed to kill for another meaningless Tinder hookup, Isa is quickly running out of options. Saved by a lightbulb moment, Isa remembers her brother is in London and there is a whole apartment currently unoccupied for a month! To her dismay, she finds her brother’s best friend Cade has beat her to it, taking up residence while his apartment is being renovated. Determined to keep her current misfortunes to herself, Isa decides to find temporary residence is the most unlikely place. As luck would have it, her poor choice of a sleeping location leads to a perfect remedy for her homelessness - housesitting! Enjoying her recent good fortune, Isa relaxes in her temporary new digs and thinks she has finally come out on top, until she looks up from her poolside resting place and locks eyes with the last person she expected to see. Knowing how close Cade is with her brother, there is no way he will keep what she is doing a secret, unless she goes along with his proposition - pretend to be his girlfriend at corporate functions so they stop trying to set him up. Desperate to keep a lid on her downward spiral, Isa agrees with a few conditions of her own. Despite knowing Cade since they were kids, Isa hasn’t ever considered herself exceptionally close with Cade but when one on one pretending to be his girlfriend starts to feel a little too real, Isa has to decide what’s more important - keep her end of the deal or protecting her heart.

 

What I like about it: Isa was absolutely hilarious! Her back and forth with Neeta and Cade were some of my favorite moments. I loved her sarcasm, wit, and her perspectives. I didn’t even read the summary of the book before diving in and I knew right away there were some strong undertones between her and Cade. For that switch in her head to flip from disinterest to sheer lust meant something was always just below the surface between them - whether or not they choose to acknowledge it. Their constant one-upping each other is what really made this book vibe with me. Never allowing the other to be in a position of power, they consistently drove each other - either to excel or to the brink of insanity. I also enjoyed the inside take of house-sitting and the messed up situation that revealed.

 

The electricity between Isa and Cade could power New York City! How they didn’t realize there was something growing between them sooner is beyond me. The moments they did get together, all I have to say is Isa is one lucky woman! Even the intensity of something as minor as a kiss was still fire hot. The two of them did not hold back and the author captured the moments perfectly.

 

While the book was fun and lighthearted at time, Cade’s backstory was gut-wrenching! We learned so much about him through Isa - providing a dynamic perspective of who he was, how he felt, and why he held onto certain views (which clearly emphasized the importance of his bond with Sebastian).

 

Less than 300 pages, Rent to Be is a quick and easy read. If you weren't laughing at the shenanigans happening during each house sitting adventure, you were holding your breathe waiting to see what would unfold next at the company events. There is so much heart and love in this book that I would recommend it to anyone who needs acknowledgment that they are enough and that it is ok to speak up for yourself, even if the sacrifice doesn't feel worth the risk. Living up to someone else's expectations or perception of you (or who you should be) is not living.