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A review by talknerdybookblog
Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Representation: Taiwanese-American Heroine, Hero and Supporting Characters
I struggled with how to rate Rent a Boyfriend because I think Gloria did an excellent job navigating the really difficult dilemma the Heroine, Chloe (Jing) was in. However, as a romance, I didn't really get why out of all the girls the Hero, Drew, was a fake boyfriend for, Chloe was The One. But, besides that snag, their relationship felt both cute and realistic. I liked how Gloria didn't shy away from the hard truths and assumptions most people hold (that college is the key to success, for example). The way Chloe reacted to Drew having dropped out to focus on his art was realistic and that people can give each other a little grace to get over their biases/assumptions.
Despite how cute the romance was, for most of the book I really was more focused on Chloe and hoping she found a way to live the life she wanted – which included her dreams and a relationship with her parents. I think Gloria did a great job illustrating how that can be possible but it requires a lot of effort and forgiveness on all sides. Rent a Boyfriend excellently demonstrated how important perspective is; in a critical moment to assert her autonomy over her life and future, Chloe makes a rash decision that has consequences on her parents' standing in their community. During the scene, I was breathing in relief that Chloe finally stood up for herself but a discussion with her mother showed how her emphasis on Chloe's purity was not only rooted in sexist values... in Chloe's mother's mind, she was protecting her daughter's future.
Overall, Rent a Boyfriend was cute but certainly more emotional and angsty than I assumed it would be.
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No OW drama
– But, the Hero does continue his fake boyfriend job, which the Heroine knows about.
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine's parents are trying to set her up with the extremely sexist only son of their elitist friends.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental abandonment (Hero was kicked out of his house ~18-years-old)
• Really difficult relationship with parents
• Strong themes of sexism, including slut-shaming
• Fatphobia
• Classism
– Educational prejudice
• Brief mentions of homophobia and racism
• Cancer
Ending:HFN
I struggled with how to rate Rent a Boyfriend because I think Gloria did an excellent job navigating the really difficult dilemma the Heroine, Chloe (Jing) was in. However, as a romance, I didn't really get why out of all the girls the Hero, Drew, was a fake boyfriend for, Chloe was The One. But, besides that snag, their relationship felt both cute and realistic. I liked how Gloria didn't shy away from the hard truths and assumptions most people hold (that college is the key to success, for example). The way Chloe reacted to Drew having dropped out to focus on his art was realistic and that people can give each other a little grace to get over their biases/assumptions.
Despite how cute the romance was, for most of the book I really was more focused on Chloe and hoping she found a way to live the life she wanted – which included her dreams and a relationship with her parents. I think Gloria did a great job illustrating how that can be possible but it requires a lot of effort and forgiveness on all sides. Rent a Boyfriend excellently demonstrated how important perspective is; in a critical moment to assert her autonomy over her life and future, Chloe makes a rash decision that has consequences on her parents' standing in their community. During the scene, I was breathing in relief that Chloe finally stood up for herself but a discussion with her mother showed how her emphasis on Chloe's purity was not only rooted in sexist values... in Chloe's mother's mind, she was protecting her daughter's future.
Overall, Rent a Boyfriend was cute but certainly more emotional and angsty than I assumed it would be.
Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No OW drama
– But, the Hero does continue his fake boyfriend job, which the Heroine knows about.
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine's parents are trying to set her up with the extremely sexist only son of their elitist friends.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental abandonment (Hero was kicked out of his house ~18-years-old)
• Really difficult relationship with parents
• Strong themes of sexism, including slut-shaming
• Fatphobia
• Classism
– Educational prejudice
• Brief mentions of homophobia and racism
• Cancer
Ending:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Abortion, Homophobia, and Racism