Boyfriend Material: A Fake Relationship to Lovers Romance Paperback – Illustrated, July 7, 2020

Every summer I like to read at least one rom com. Although I am not straight, this is the first gay rom com I’ve read and I loved it. As it says on the book jacket…. You’ll root for Luc and Oliver the whole time. People who give the book poor reviews because Luc “isn’t likable” are, frankly, just like Oliver’s parents, who have made him feel bad about himself no matter how perfect he tries to be. Read this at the beach or the pool, it’s fabulous and now I’m gonna read the sequel…

The part about this book that impressed me so much is just how actually bad Luc and Oliver are at relationships. And yet, it's this fumbling that shows exactly how perfect they are together. Multiple times I felt either secondhand embarrassment, wanted to facepalm, or winced at their attempts to be a fake couple. Through all of that, the development of their relationship from fake-dating to lovers felt incredibly organic to read. The characters are wildly different with painful vulnerabilities, the secondary cast is a joy to read, and I appreciated the way the fake-dating trope was utilized in this book.The plot is evenly-paced and told from a single POV. We follow Luc navigating some really difficult external circumstances. He struggles with who he is after a bad breakup, only with the extra issues of having paparazzi follow him around and spin the tale of who he is. He's come to believe a lot of what they say and his self-esteem is pretty abysmal because of it. Oliver, despite looking completely put together, suffers from a similar imposter syndrome trauma. Together, the two of them decide to help each other look and be better by fake dating, but that develops into true feelings. The trope is done incredibly well.Although not as comedic as Red, White & Royal Blue for example, there are still some genuinely hysterical moments, Luc's character voice is a bit sassy, and if you did enjoy Red, White, and Royal Blue, this would be an excellent book to read if you want more of that style!I do with the book didn't end quite so abruptly and instead gave us some time to be with them a little longer, I'm definitely happy I read this one and would definitely read it again if I went back in time!

5⭐️Boyfriend Material is what happens when Bridget Jones gets a sarcastic gay reboot, complete with fake dating, sarcasm, swoon, and emotional messiness you could want. I laughed, I swooned, I cried (okay, maybe not, but it was close).In all seriousness though, I loved this book. Like, genuinely loved it. I read along while listening to the audiobook, and Joe Jameson’s narration? Chef’s kiss. He is Luc. The voice, the tone, the perfect delivery of Luc’s inner chaos and Oliver’s awkward restraint; it was all just spot on.And it truly did give me major ‘90s British rom-com vibes in the best way. It’s got that deliciously dry British humor and banter, sarcasm that cuts (but with love), and characters who are completely lovable in their own chaotic ways.Luc is such a mess. He's charming, self-deprecating, and completely convinced he’s unlovable. Watching him stumble through vulnerability and slowly open up was so satisfying. And Oliver? Sweet, principled, emotionally constipated Oliver? I wanted to wrap him in a blanket and feed him biscuits. The fake dating trope is always fun, but Alexis Hall makes it feel fresh, full of real emotional stakes and slow-burn tenderness.Underneath all the witty banter and chaos, this is a story about self-worth, found family, and learning to let yourself be loved even when you don’t feel like you deserve it. It’s messy and heartfelt and hilarious, and I’ll absolutely be rereading it.

this book was awesome, really sweet and witty...just like i like my gay romcom books!i also recommend 50 shades of gay!on to husband material now (i actually cant wait to dive into it!)the ending of boyfriend material definitely felt rushed and like a bait and grab to buy the next one which makes sense but dont make it so obvious, we're not idiots. we got that far, jesus, we were going to get the next one. anyhooawesome book!took a little getting used to the english take and a lot of looking up dictionary words!

I don’t know why exactly, but this book gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes. A lot!Maybe because of how British it is, but it could be because the way they figured out their feelings was by listing their failures. It was hilarious.Lucien, poor boy, had his life upside down. Dumped by boyfriend who sold his story to the press. Dumped by his dad when he was 3yo. Dumped by the person he liked several times. The only ones having his back were his mother and his friends.I loved the friends so much! I wish we could all have a friend group that felt like a pack. Accepting and loving and challenging you to be better always.Then Oliver was Mr. Darcy. That’s is. Swoony but messed up.I liked the story, the pace was good and the romance was good. I also wished I knew the spice was fade to black 🙃

Characters are believable, dialogue is real and so are the emotions. I really enjoyed reading about the two main characters. Can't wait to read husband material.

It’s good. This made me discover romcom isn’t my thing. The audiobook is excellent tho. Joe Jameson’s different accents and personalities are really distinct