There is so much to love about this romance!

Our female lead was catfished by a stupid man who got caught in the act. The women he catfished bonded and formed a friendship, saying that they won't date for 6 months so they can work on themselves.
Enter hunky workplace male lead! He was a cinnamon roll if I ever read one, and handsome to boot! I can't blame our girl for falling for him.
Primarily, I love that this own voices romance came across as just that. These characters were loveable, human, and most of all, deserving of as much happiness as any other human being. I will DEFINITELY be reading more from Farrah Rochon in future!

The Boyfriend Project focuses on Samiah Brooks, a Black female in the tech industry. She discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her with not just one, but two other women and a true friendship between the three jilted women begins. They create “the boyfriend project” as a pact to remain single and invest in themselves and their passions.

Of course, right after they make this pact, Samiah meets Daniel Collins, a new hire at her workplace who just happens to be an undercover fed tracking a money laundering scheme. I loved this little thread of mystery and intrigue throughout the story! Samiah and Daniel fall hard and fast, which leads to some great banter, sweet moments and a few steamy scenes throughout the book!

But my favourite thing about this book was Samiah herself. She is a complete badass. I appreciate how Rochon tackled not only women in the tech industry, but how much harder a Black woman needs to work in relation to her white counterparts. Not only to prove that she deserves to be there, but to pave the way for other Black women coming up in the field. The pressure Samiah felt to succeed was eye-opening and definitely made me pause and check my privilege.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Farrah Rochon for a copy of the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Boyfriend Project will be released June 9, 2020.

Over the last few weeks, I've watched a bunch of book events with Farrah Rochon and every time she spoke about The Boyfriend Project, I knew I needed to move it to the top of my TBR list. I'm really glad I did. The Boyfriend Project was a refreshing take on the friends holding off on dating to try to improve themselves. Even better, Samiah's friend group is new and started with a viral Twitter thread and video when she, London, and Taylor realized they were all dating the same man. Samiah is confident and strong woman when it comes to her job, which she excels at as Black woman in the tech industry. However, when it comes to what she wants personally, from a guy and in her app development, she's less willing to take a risk. Daniel is a new employee at Samiah's job and the chemistry between them is instantaneous. But as Samiah is trying to work on herself and her outside goals, is a potential relationship with a coworker a good idea? The Boyfriend Project has everything I wanted in this story. There is humor and heart, passion and good friendship. I think everyone will enjoy it!

I. Loved. This. Book! I was pulled in almost immediately by the restaurant scene, and simply could not put it down. I am so excited how easily this is set up to become a trilogy, too. This story is Samiah + Daniel, who had such delicious, amazing insta-chemistry. They are both resistant at first, not wanting to get involved with anyone for different reasons, but they just can't ignore the pull that brings them together over and over.

Samiah is a fantastic MC for so many reason.I love how smart, driven, funny, creative, confident, and caring she is. She is really the whole package-and it is no wonder that Daniel was interested! She is also a fantastic friend. I really loved her coming together with London and Taylor, and how they all got on board with weekly girls nights and "the Boyfriend Project". They are all different, but supportive of each other, and really bring out t he best in one another. There is no cattiness, and it is really a beautiful friendship that blooms through the book.

Daniel is all kinds of dreamy. I mean, he is smart, fit, caring, motivated, and he can cook. WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?! Also, dimples. Yes, please. He also really listens to Samiah and learns a lot from her. I love that he was not patronizing to her, or talking down on her dreams, nor was he threatened by her intelligence and general bad-assery.

This book was a great mix of sweet and steamy. I just really loved everything about it. I am fairly sure Taylor's story will be next, and I can't wait!

Gah do you guys know how rare it is to read a romance that’s not only smart but also funny, sweet, sexy and engaging?! It really is but thankfully TBP is one of those rare gems that had all of that and more. More meaning what exactly? Well it had a heavy focus on a newly developing friendship between Samiah, London and Taylor and it also explored Samiah’s workplace and the dynamics at play in her office. I’m telling y’all, this one had a little something for everyone.

I have to tell you about the hero, Daniel this man is majorly swoon worthy and I just loved how he was a strong person in his own right but he also wasn’t put off or intimidated by Samiah because she is fiercely independent and incredibly strong too. They were both such interesting and multifaceted characters and I just adored them both separately and together. I’m thrilled this is the start to a new series, (London and Taylor will both be getting their own books) and I can’t wait to see where it goes. Highly recommended by me for romance fans!

This is a very mixed read for me. I really enjoyed the friendships between the three ladies and the way they supported and helped each other. I was pleased when the other two weren't upset that Samiah was seeing someone; they really just wanted to uplift and help and be a shoulder to cry on.

I like it a lot better than the relationship, which seemed to me to be mostly based on attraction pretending it was something deeper. I have nothing against relationships built on attraction; go for it! But because the story skipped a lot of the building of the relationship, I never really felt it happening. And, of course, we knew right from the start what 'The Issue' was going to be; it was clear that Samiah would find out about Daniel and they'd run into trouble over it.

Considering that the point of the novel was for the women to find joy and fulfillment without men, it's surprising to me that half the book is from a man's point of view. How amazing would this book have been if it was all about the women? If we could see London and Taylor's troubles instead of hearing about them second- and off-handedly over wine once a week?

It's a funny, light hearted book, but it just didn't *quite* hit the spot for me.

The Boyfriend Project is on of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it did not disappoint. After finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her via Twitter,Samiah becomes a viral star when a video of her and the other women call him out. Samiah, London and Taylor become fast friends and decide to focus on themselves for a change. While I would have liked to see more interactions between these three, I enjoyed their banter whenever it showed up.

Daniel has been sent to investigate the tech company Samiah works at and quickly sees that he is falling for her instead. While he knows she won't be able to trust his once the truth comes out, he cannot stop himself from seeing her.

I love strong female characters and Samiah was the poster child for strength. The author does an amazing job discussing race and gender especially what it was like for Samiah in her company. I truly cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

The biggest issue I had with this novel was the ending. It felt really rushed especially when at the beginning of one chapter Samiah wouldn't acknowledge Daniel but by the end of that same chapter she had forgiven him and wanted to start a relationship with him. I just wish that they would have handled the conflict resolution a little different since it seemed to just gloss over the trust issues that were rightly felt.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for my eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Heat Factor: Perfectly suited the relationship
Character Chemistry: Usually I don’t miss the uncertainty of new romance, but the joyful comfort between these two made me a bit nostalgic.
Plot: After being catfished, Samiah decides to prioritize working only on her non-romantic life goals. Meanwhile, Daniel is on an undercover assignment to crack a case for the Treasury Department.
Overall: Solid and satisfying

This is one of those books for which the cover marketing is only the tip of the iceberg. It all begins when Samiah Brooks discovers that the man she’s been dating has not only been dating other women, he’s been lying to them about this identity. She confronts him while he’s on a date with another woman, as do the other two women he’s been deceiving, and the video of the confrontation goes viral. The three women befriend one another and decide to take a break from the social pressure they feel to succeed and to work on what makes them happy for six months.

The Monday following Samiah’s discovery, she’s the talk of the office. It’s also Daniel Collins’s first day of work. But - of course - Daniel is not what he seems. And - of course - he’s also the only person who talks to Samiah about her experience like it might have been difficult for her. Because he’s a legit cinnamon roll. Daniel could be earning the big bucks in tech, but instead his family’s tradition of public service was passed down to him - cinnamon roll, remember? - and he’s an undercover agent for a financial crimes and terrorism department within the Department of the Treasury.

While Samiah’s happiness project is a constant throughout the book, it doesn’t form the foundation of the conflict. The crime Daniel is investigating, and the fact that he’s lying to Samiah while completely incapable of compelling himself to stay away from her is obviously the problem that their relationship might not be able to overcome. Also, he lives in Virginia, not Austin. Basically, there’s very little going on that will make this relationship work unless our protagonists really want it to.

Beyond the romance, there’s a thought-provoking conversation about success and what is necessary to get there. I tend to be frustrated by characters who think they’ll be happy if they measure their level of success against ambiguous societal expectations, and when Samiah and her new friends talk about their lives, it’s clear that they’ve bought into a narrative about what success looks like, and that happiness comes after. Their pact appears to be a means of overcoming that ridiculous internalized pressure. And it is. But there’s more to it than that. Samiah has a really hard time letting go. She is a Black woman in tech, and Daniel is bi-racial (Black-Korean), so he is able to have some conversations with Samiah about her perfectionism and independence that perhaps the reader would like to have with her, and we are better able to understand how privilege and implicit racial bias impact our jobs and our definitions of success.

I also found it interesting that Samiah is affronted by the lack of privacy she is afforded when a painful moment in her life went viral on the internet, but she doesn’t seem to think that the same privacy should have been applied when the date went viral while it was being live tweeted (which is how she found out about it) or when she and the two other women who were duped by this villain made a scene in the restaurant. Is it because she’s in the right and he’s in the wrong? Is it the scale of the invasion of privacy (millions of views rather than thousands)? It’s one of those things that make me think: sure, people are entitled to their feelings, but I still want to turn it over in my head.

Anyway, the romance was swoon-worthy, but there’s a good deal of substance to chew on as well, from the morality of Daniel’s necessary lies to all the stuff I wrote above. The pace is engaging throughout, and when things start to come to a head, the suspense is just the right level of anxiety-inducing. How are they going to have the careers and lives they want with Daniel’s job and all its secrets coming between them?!?!?!?!?! Eek! There are enough tendrils floating out in different directions as the tale progresses that the solution is not immediately apparent. Things could go any of a number of different ways and still get these two to our promised HEA. I was on tenterhooks, truly, which always feels a little absurd when one is reading romance, but it’s also how you know the author is doing her job. The fun is in the wrap-up, and it’s just lovely. Score one for the emotional maturity crowd.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I absolutely loved this story. It is the perfect romcom. I love that the situation with Craig was resolved quickly and Samiah bonded with her new gal pals. Daniel sounds like a dream man. I’m so excited that there’s going to be sequels following London and Taylor!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
⁣
When Samiah discovers on twitter that the guys she has been dating is dating two other women they call him out publicly .... and she becomes fast friends with them. They make a pact to focus on career and personal goals for 6 months with no men and no dating. Of course this is the exact time that the sexy and smart Daniel starts working for her company. They have an instant connection, but are either of them ready for dating? ⁣
⁣
Oh my. I’ve found another book boyfriend. Seriously. Daniel. Ex marine, math/tech whiz, sweet as can be, dimples.... yes please!!! This guy is a dream. ⁣
⁣
I honestly can’t think of a better book to read right now. Diverse characters, women in STEM fields, romance but not the cheesy variety. I love an office romance and the could really feel how passionate Samiah and Daniel were about their jobs. I’m not techy AT ALL but this book made me so interested in the field. Loved the suspenseful subplot with Daniel’s job. The romance here was thoughtful and sweet, foot rubs and surprise dinners ... with a couple of some very steamy scenes! I also loved the friend relationships - these women were so positive and built each other up, which was awesome. I am so excited that Taylor and London will get their own books!! Highly recommend this one ⁣
⁣
Thank you to @readforever and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was on my "to read" list for this summer.  A refreshing office romance with a set of quirky characters who form a friendship over being catfished with a viral tweet/video.  Samirah's new relationship with Daniel is new and exciting, but then the plot introduces some mystery.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book so much - I did it in one sitting. I also enjoyed the story of the friendship growth between Samirah, Taylor and London.  Also LOVED the fact that the main character was a strong, confident female in the STEM industry.  This is the first time I've ever heard of the author, but I am a fan after reading this book.

REVIEW 🍃⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
The Boyfriend Project by @farrahrochon⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
Samiah finds out that her boyfriend is dating at least two other women and confronts him at a restaurant while he’s on another date. At the end of the night, she leaves with one less playboy, but two new friends in his other girlfriends. ⁣Together, they swear off men for at least 6 months to focus on themselves. For Samiah, that means working to develop an app she has been wanting to get off the ground for years. That pinkie promise becomes a whole lot of difficult when Daniel Collins strolls into her life. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
Daniel is the newest employee at her office and the attraction between them is undeniable. Is Daniel worth breaking the promise to swear off the male species for at least 180 days or is he just another man who is too good to be true?⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
This book had the typical romance elements, but was so much more than just a romance novel. Through Samiah, @farrahrochon deals with the stark reality of systemic racism and inherent biases that Black women face. How Samiah was dismissed at a young age when she wanted to go into the technology sector because she didn’t “look” the part. And once there, her constant need to not only work harder to prove she deserved to be there, but also the pressure to not waste her opportunity or make a mistake because it would affect the ability of future Black women to get that job. As though a company’s experience with one Black woman is assumed to be the same with any Black woman. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
As I read this book, despite it being fiction, I knew so much of that experience was true. I just had never taken to the time to stop and think about it. I am ashamed. ⁣This is why it is important to diversify your reading. This is why it is essential in the long-term to make a conscious effort in what you take the time to read and absorb. To pay attention to who is controlling the narrative. Even fiction has the ability to teach. And a lot of the lessons our world needs can only be properly taught by the community that has experienced the injustice. I want to learn. I want to do better. And so, I will continue to reflect that desire.

Female friendships, office romance, strong character development, older woman? GIMME! The Boyfriend Project had it all for me! This was my first book by Farrah Rochon and definitely will not be my last. Thank you Forever Romance for this ARC!

Samiah is a tech genius who has just discovered her boyfriend is also dating two other women. When their story goes viral, the last thing she needs is to find herself attracted to the new guy at work.

I really enjoyed Samiah’s character. She was such a strong, intelligent, and driven character. And I also liked her budding friendship with the two women who were dating her boyfriend. But Daniel’s character was a bit of a miss for me. His internal monologue was draining. The secret he was keeping was interesting until I had to hear him waffle back on forth on what to do about the secret over and over. That plotline was too drawn out and became very repetitive and thus the relationship between Samiah and Daniel became boring. Honestly, IMO Samiah deserved better.

Well, this was everything I could have wanted.

I love love loved Samiah and Daniel. They’re both so smart and charming and just good people. I enjoyed their (mostly) honest conversation and how their relationship organically progressed. Taylor and London are fantastic and the dynamic of the three women together were some of the best parts.

Plot wise it was good. There are a few moving parts, but nothing felt too tech-y or hard to follow. The build up was deliciously slow and even the inevitable break up was padded by a fantastic grand gesture.

Overall, it was a great story with characters who was insanely easy to root for. I’ll just be over here hoping for Taylor and London to get their own books.

**Huge thanks to Forever for providing the arc free of charge**

I wasn't sure I was going to finish this book. The first 10-15% dragged. I understand that the author had to set up how Samiah, Taylor, and London meet (obviously, setting up a trilogy!) but it wasn't until we finally saw Samiah at work at Trendsetters that we really got to know her. Samiah has her barriers up: she's been burned by men, girlfriends, and coworkers. She is a kickass programmer at a hot tech company in Austin. Rochon does a fantastic job illustrating what it is like to be a Black woman in tech (although she should have just named Keighleigh Karen... that name just made my teeth grind!) She meets Daniel Collins, who she thinks is her new coworker, but is really an undercover federal agent. Samiah keeps her barriers up around Daniel until they all come falling down.... only to be horribly disappointed by his taking advantage of her vulnerability (LITERALLY). Rochon dragged that HEA out to the VERY last minute. I got to a point where I didn't think it was going to happen because I was ticked off for Samiah. I wasn't sure if Daniel really did deserve her in the end. The story was well-developed with some great insights as a Black woman in STEM. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read Taylor's story next!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The opening of this book is just the best, especially if you listen to this book. The audiobook narrator did such a great job of changing her voice and inflection for all the characters. I loved it.

Samiah learns she is being duped by a guy she is dating early on in this story, which leads her to meet London and Taylor--two other women he is scamming. These woman become fast friends and create "The Boyfriend Project", where, for the next six months, they will focus on themselves and not men.

In walks Daniel Collins at Samiah's work and there goes The Boyfriend Project. But, Daniel Collins is not exactly who he says he is. Is Samiah going to get duped again?

I enjoyed the romance part of this story, that Samiah is a strong woman in the workplace and the friendship and bonding between the three ladies. When they got together, it was fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for my digital advance copy and to Libro.fm for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine preparing for your date and chatting with your sister while she starts reading tweets about a date going wrong and it sounds very familiar. This is exactly what happens to Samiah. Her date wasn’t able to meet her at the restaurant she booked because he arranged to meet someone else there, and another woman commented on her Twitter feed that she is also dating that guy. So that’s how Samiah, Taylor, and London meet and ditch Craig of many last names for each other. It’s a friendship meet cute! Or meet disaster turned cute? I loved their friendship in this book. They’re so supportive of each other and have weekly Friday night dates with each other as they work on new goals.
Daniel is a new hire at Samiah’s company. They don’t work on the same team and they meet when they get their coffee fix in the company kitchen. But Daniel isn’t the software engineer he’s pretending to be - he’s actually there to secretly investigate money laundering happening through the software the company produces. So this is, of course, a really bad time to fall in love.
The romance works so well in this because both Samiah and Daniel were cautious about it, became friends, and then it became more. She’s not his assignment girlfriend, he’s really complicated the situation by having feelings. Samiah is now working on a new app she’s been thinking about for years, with the support of her new friends, on top of her job where she works a ton of overtime already. They really have to deliberately make time for each other and getting to know each other. As a reader, though, you know something is going to happen with the investigation because Daniel is undercover and may have to leave without a word. It’s so tense amidst their relationship going well. To be clear, Samiah is never a suspect.
I will spoil no further, Farrah Rochon has written an engaging contemporary romance that I see making many a reader’s top of 2020 romance list. Samiah’s worked her butt off in the tech field and creates opportunities for others who are facing the same barriers. Samiah is Black and Daniel is half Black, half Korean. I liked that we had both points of view because he’s on assignment so if we only had her POV we would have to wonder how much was truth from him.
I will say I wish Samiah’s awful coworker had more Karma rain down on her. But maybe we’ll hear more in future books.

Samiah is a great lead: she was fun, confident, and ambitious. I loved the premise of focusing on your career (so many romances have women set their careers aside for love and family), and her friendships and support system with London and Taylor (who are going to get their own books after this)! I liked how Daniel's job was really interesting - he works for a government agency that does undercover work to investigate money laundering schemes. It made this office romance much more unique to me. I look forward to reading future books in this series!

3.5 stars but rounded up to 4. Thank you Netgalley and Hachette for an ARC of this book.

I received an ARC of The Boyfriend Project from Forever Publishing via NetGalley. What follows is my fair and honest review. Warning: this review contains some mild spoilers.

I loved The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon, and that’s saying something since it included one of my least favorite romance tropes: secret identity (aka Liars Gonna Lie). Rochon’s secret identity + workplace romance was so well-written, I devoured the romance, despite my trope-induced misgivings. Here’s my quick summary:

After Samiah’s trip into the dating pool ended in disaster—and a viral video—she’s sworn off men. Instead, she and her two new best friends decide to focus on their “boyfriend projects,” those dreams they’d be accomplishing if they weren’t wasting so much time on finding a man. But just as she’s rearranged her priorities, Samiah meets her company’s newest hire, one Daniel Collins, who has an amazing résumé and a sexy, dimpled smile. Samiah wants to give Daniel a chance, but what if he’s just too good to be true?

As I said, secret identity romances are one of my least favorite tropes because I don’t like how lying plays such a central role in these romances. However, I loved Samiah so much as a character, and her budding friendship with London and Taylor, that I couldn’t walk away from her story. In fact, I think characterization is one of the strengths of this romance. Rochon does a great showing Samiah’s drive and her vulnerabilities, the challenges she faces and why she’s equipped to face them. While I don’t think Daniel is quite as well-drawn a character, I really appreciated his attitude towards his own lies. In a lot of secret identity romances, the liars tend to feel remorse and pain that’s centered around how their significant other will react. Daniel has this anxiety, but he also recognizes it’s wrong on its own, beyond Samiah’s reaction to it. It’s a little moment in the book, but it goes a long way for maintaining my respect for Daniel. I also really appreciate Rochon as a writer for including that. And while I don’t think there was quite enough groveling, I never think there’s enough groveling, so do with that info what you will.

I don’t read many workplace romances, so I can’t really evaluate The Boyfriend Project on those grounds. I will say, though the office is the site of some smoldering glances and smoking hot kisses, it’s not really the source of conflict in their relationship. While there are some questions about professionalism, the fact that Samiah and Daniel work together isn’t a hurdle in the path of their relationship.

Finally, I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating: I love Samiah’s friendship with London and Taylor. I think it’s great that Rochon emphasizes that Samiah has important and emotionally fulfilling relationships outside of her romance with Daniel. Seeing Samiah interact with her sister, Denise, and her friends helped build out her characterization. I also appreciated that we got to see Samiah accomplish her work goals, as well as her romantic ones.

I recommend The Boyfriend Project to any contemporary romance reader. Fans of Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown and Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering may particularly enjoy The Boyfriend Project.

5 stars