Rent a Boyfriend

September 1, 2020
Chloe hires the perfect Chinese boyfriend to thwart--and appease--her parents. College sophomore Chloe Wang is horrified by her parents' latest misguided endeavor: relentlessly pushing her to accept a proposal from the insanely well-off--and deeply sexist--golden boy of their Palo Alto Chinese community, Hongbo Kuo. So, Chloe enlists the help of Rent for Your 'Rents, a "Match.com on steroids" providing fake boyfriends who pass even the most traditional Asian parents' standards. But even with his perfect Taipei-accented Mandarin and pre-med major, it's an uphill battle for Andrew Huang to earn enough "mooncake points" to win over the Wangs. Masquerading as Andrew, 21-year-old Drew Chan's operative training as a winsome boyfriend is severely tested. Over the course of several holiday dates, it becomes progressively harder for both Chloe and Drew to follow the playbook: "Always know the line between the job and reality." And it turns out, they aren't the only ones keeping up a charade. Through alternating points of view, Chao keeps up the romantic and dramatic tension, and her characters bring welcome layers to the fake dating trope. Both children of Taiwanese immigrants, Chloe and Drew come from tight-knit communities, and Chao presents the diversity within the diaspora. Frustrating familial tensions and miscommunication abound, and the reconciliation is realistically complicated but also optimistic. Most of the cast of characters are Chinese American. Entertaining and nuanced. (glossary) (Romantic comedy. 14-18)

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September 1, 2020
Grades 7-12 While home from college for Thanksgiving break, Jing-Jing Chloe Wang implements a plan for dealing with her status-obsessed family, her hypercritical mother, and an unwelcome marriage proposal from Hongbo Kuo, the rude, repulsive, most-eligible-bachelor son of the wealthiest couple in the Wang's social circle. She employs Drew Chan, a Rent for Your ?Rents fake boyfriend trained to wrap traditional Taiwanese immigrant parents like Chloe's around his finger. What starts out as a lie snowballs as Chloe and Drew fall for each other and give support in finding the strength to stand tall against adversity. With Chao's signature humor and lovable characters, she once again offers insights into Taiwanese culture alongside scads of delightful rom-com ordeals, mishaps, and kisses. Like a YA version of an American Crazy Rich Asians, this spirited novel is perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon, Jenny Han, and the fake-dating trope, as it entertainingly explores embracing life's challenges, navigating strict cultural viewpoints, and learning to be the person you know in your heart you should be.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-Jing-Jing (or, as she calls herself, Chloe) invents an imaginary boyfriend for her parents' benefit. She has a good reason: They are trying to marry her off to awful Hongbo, the son of family friends, as a business arrangement rather than a love connection. Desperate, she turns to Rent for Your 'Rents, which supplies rental boyfriends for many similar situations. Her rental, Andrew, does an excellent job of portraying her supportive, potentially successful (studying medicine), family-oriented boyfriend. He does it so well that his real self, Drew, the emotional artist, never surfaces on a job. And yet, this time, Drew is having a hard time being just a fake boyfriend. As time goes on, he develops real feelings for Chloe, and finds her both brave and fierce. But Drew isn't sure if she likes him or Andrew, his stuffy, formal, rental version. Wrought with the difficulty of navigating familial and cultural loyalty, this novel offers a glimpse into the conflicting priorities of these Chinese American young adults. Chloe wants to do the right thing for her family but isn't willing to give up on her dreams to do so. Drew has already cut ties with his own family and knows the pain and loss it can bring. VERDICT A potentially simple, comedic premise shows its dramatic layers with appeal for a wide audience.-Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township H.S., Cape May Court House, NJ

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