Natalie left her small hometown in the Pacific Northwest to go to college in New York City. She was excited to experience life in the city, but she is struggling with money. She just lost her job and she owes her roommates money. One of her school friends has an interesting way to make some money. She is a "sugar baby." She dates older men for money. At first, Nat is repulsed with the idea of dating an old man for money and then her roommates threaten her with eviction. She has to do something to earn money and fast. So she signs up for the website and finds herself scheduling a date with an older man for $500. She soon finds herself infatuated with the handsome Gabe. He is a corporate lawyer who is nearly thirty years her senior. For a while, it is great between the two of them. Gabe takes Nat to fancy restaurants, black tie events, and away for the weekend. But that is not enough for Nat. She wants more. She wants it all. She wants more than Gabe is able to give her. But does she want it bad enough to kill for it?
The Arrangement is a cautionary tale. The tagline for The Arrangement says "Love for money...what could go wrong" and that says it all. From the very beginning, it was clear that Nat was a hot mess. She drank too much and didn't work enough. I am not sure if the author painted her that way to illustrate an irresponsible college student or to illustrate a flaky art student. Either way, Nat did not do herself any favors. I could see the appeal that Gabe held for Nat, especially since Nat didn't have a very good relationship with her father. From the very first page, the reader knows that Nat killed somebody, but you don't know who. I spent the whole book trying to guess who it was who was killed, but when the author revealed the victim, I was shocked. -CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. I wouldn't say that things ended very well for Nat, but I guess that they ended the best way possible given the circumstances.
Bottom Line - The Arrangement was a fast-paced thriller that makes me eternally grateful that I went to college more than twenty years ago in a sleepy Iowa town. Nat did what she did because she was desperate and nothing good ever happens out of desperation.
Details:
- The Arrangement by Robyn Harding
- On Instagram
- Pages: 352
- Publisher: Gallery/ Scout Press
- Publication Date: 7/30/19
- Buy it Here!
- Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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