In Gloria Chao's third YA romance, she skillfully uses dual perspectives to show the very different ways families can bond and break, help and harm.
Jing-Jing (known to all outside her tight-knit California Taiwanese community as Chloe) is desperate to convince her parents that they cannot promise her hand in marriage to the "disgusting, chauvinistic Hongbo." She's tried talking to them, but they are dead-set on their daughter marrying him for his parents' fortune. Chloe chooses to go nuclear: she hires Andrew through Rent for Your 'Rents, a company that specializes in fake boyfriends for young women trying to appease their traditional Asian American parents. Drew, who is estranged from his own family because of his desire to pursue art, excels in his role as Andrew, a University of Chicago student with surgeon parents. But, of course, things become romantically complicated when Jing-Jing and Andrew allow themselves to be Chloe and Drew with each other.
Chao (American Panda) begins with an author's note informing readers the book is "inspired by a real-life practice in some Asian countries where women hire fake boyfriends... to alleviate the pressure from family to find a husband." For readers unfamiliar with this practice, it's important to know that Chao is not messing around--and neither are Chloe's parents. While telling the story of a fake-relationship romance, Chao investigates the emotional ramifications of toxic family relationships. She lays bare the internal experience of both first- and second-generation immigrants to the U.S., making it clear that there are genuine reasons behind painful choices. Ultimately uplifting, Rent a Boyfriend is an entertaining romance that doesn't moralize for its teen audience. --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness