I appreciated how the novel really explored Chloe’s parents’ community and provided some depth to their actions and at times alarming life advice. Some of their interactions were truly heartbreaking, especially their inability to see what she wanted out of life and a partner and their skewed prioritization of the traits they wanted a husband to have for her. I really felt for Chloe trying to balance saving her parents’ feelings and reputation but also pursuing her independent wants and needs. As the author mentions herself, this is not necessarily an uncommon practice in Asia and in Chloe’s case it’s a last ditch, desperate effort to try to claim some independence over her life, rather than being forced into a proposal within someone who is just NOT a match for her (and not really a good person either). While it’s definitely the set up of many a rom-com holiday movie, it carried extra weight in this context. The novel seems to have a surprising plot at first- Chloe hires a fake boyfriend through a service to bring home for the Thanksgiving holiday to get her parents off her case about pursuing a suitor of their choosing. Chao’s latest novel did not disappoint, and at times felt full of more emotional turmoil than her fantastic debut novel. Having adored American Panda, I was eager to experience her witty yet realistic storytelling centered on a first generation American college student. It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of YA set in college, so I was eager to dive into Gloria Chao’s newest novel, Rent a Boyfriend. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything? When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.īut when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew-who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy-her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.ĭrew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Published by Simon Pulse on November 10, 2020Ĭhloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria ChaoĪlso by this author: American Panda, Our Wayward Fate This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
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