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A review by olivialandryxo
Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gloria Chao has done it again. She wrote a cute, fun contemporary about self-discovery, family, and romance that I devoured in only two sittings. I read nearly 70% in a couple of hours and would’ve finished the rest if I hadn’t needed to go to sleep.
Chao is brilliant at writing layered characters and complex relationships, protagonists and couples you can’t help but root for. She perfectly balances humor and emotion, and all of these things combined make for the perfect book for me. I also really appreciate the way Chloe and Drew handled conflict—they took a bit of time for themselves and then talked everything through. I know you can’t always expect such things in YA novels, but it’s refreshing to come across it from time to time.
Also, Chloe and Drew were just adorable. I loved their puns and banter. Couples that banter steal my heart basically every time, and they’re no exception. I could almost feel their chemistry as I read. It was definitely there.
I hope to own a copy of this book soon, and I can see myself rereading it in the future. I highly recommend Rent a Boyfriend, as well as Chao’s previous novels. I look forward to reading more from her, whenever that may be.
Representation
Chao is brilliant at writing layered characters and complex relationships, protagonists and couples you can’t help but root for. She perfectly balances humor and emotion, and all of these things combined make for the perfect book for me. I also really appreciate the way Chloe and Drew handled conflict—they took a bit of time for themselves and then talked everything through. I know you can’t always expect such things in YA novels, but it’s refreshing to come across it from time to time.
Also, Chloe and Drew were just adorable. I loved their puns and banter. Couples that banter steal my heart basically every time, and they’re no exception. I could almost feel their chemistry as I read. It was definitely there.
I hope to own a copy of this book soon, and I can see myself rereading it in the future. I highly recommend Rent a Boyfriend, as well as Chao’s previous novels. I look forward to reading more from her, whenever that may be.
Representation
- Taiwanese-American protagonist, love interest, and side characters
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer and Medical content
Minor: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, and Blood