💗 Book Review 💗
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The Boyfriend Project | Farrah Rochon
Pub Date: 6/9/20
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RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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REVIEW: I absolutely loved the heroine Samiah in this co-workers/friends to lovers romance. Her strong, doesn’t take sh*t from anyone personality and how she is killing it in the male dominated tech industry was so wonderful and refreshing to read. This book tackled racism, sexism, and workplace discrimination all without losing the lighthearted romance, uplifting friendships, and love of family. Daniel is such a sweet and uplifting hero it was fun reading his and Samiah’s romance come to life. I do wish there was a bit more angst or that yearning feeling between them... And of course I can’t forget to mention it’s set in the one and only Austin, TX! I may be biased but any novel set in TX is a win in my book!
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Thank you @netgalley @readforeverpub and @farrahrochon for the eARC to read and give an honest review! This book comes out on June 9th!!

I'm not generally a reader of adult romance, but I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, as well as the opportunity to read any book featuring some amazing #blackgirlmagic! Overall I really enjoyed this book. Samiah was a strong and fierce protagonist who was a perfect balance of not taking crap from others while still struggling with how to work through her own insecurities. The book opens with her learning that her douchebag boyfriend was cheating on her with not just one, but two other women. Her response to the situation is perfect, and she ends up getting some new friends out of it. I really enjoyed that black women being friends was a large element of this story, and that while each of the women were different in many ways, there's this element that not only connects them with each other, but connects readers with them as well. These women are witty, encouraging and kind, and it was such a pleasure to read!

Of course, romance is also a big part of the book. Overall I liked both Daniel and Samiah, and it was fun watching their romance develop. It's different than other stories because while Daniel is not being entirely honest, in this story I'd say it's justifiable, which just makes the situation so much more complicated. He does make some dumb decisions to make it worse, but the way he supports and encourages Samiah is so nice to see that I both want him to leave her alone and to be with her forever. I liked Daniel though and getting to see the dilemma from his point of view. And overall I liked Samiah as a character, though there were some moments she annoyed me, like being super stubborn about allowing people to help her and making it sound like her work was only valuable if she did it on her own. On the one hand I see it as a realistic character flaw, but on the other it felt like the book was supporting that belief a little bit, which I didn't like.

This is a really great read to get those moments of friendship, family, drama, and romance. It's a little steamier than my personal preference. There's a fair amount of swearing and sexy scenes, but if you're like me and it's not really your thing, I will say that it's not too overwhelming, and it's easy to skim over those moments if you're not comfortable with them. And if you like that, it's there without approaching the level of erotica or anything. If you're looking for a fun new read with a diverse cast of characters, I would recommend!

we all need hope. we all need romance. we all need an escape. Rochon provides all of this with this story. Perfect story that found me at the perfect time

4.5 ⭐️

After Samiah finds out the man she has been dating is a three-timing, lying sack of poop (via Twitter), she and the two other ladies go viral after an epic dump goes down at a local sushi restaurant. Their alliance turned friendship births The Boyfriend Project—a pact to focus on themselves before finding a guy. Of course, Samiah falls for the handsome, smart, and charming Daniel—a new employee at her tech company, who secretly works for the feds and is on a mission to shut down malicious money laundering activity. The undeniable attraction they have towards each other though is not a secret. But, what happens to trust and honesty in this budding relationship?

I enjoyed this a lot! This witty romcom had girl friendships, a strong WOC heroine (who btw is a kickass software engineer), and a smart and swoony hero (um, and he’s an ex-marine which means abs for days and fit AF). Rochon’s writing style sucked me in from the beginning, and I was able to easily imagine each scene vividly. The characters were well-developed, supporting characters had life, and I was you-go-girling Samiah practically the entire time. There was definitely adequate swoon, humor, nerd-speak, and girl power with a side of steam!

I loved this story!!! I personally thought this would be more of a romance novel but I loved the strong theme of making friends. I thought this was a fresh, wonderful story. Thank you for allowing me to read this. Highly recommend to anyone who loves romance and good friendships.

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon is currently scheduled for release on June 9 2020. Samiah Brooks never thought she would be "that" girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she's been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah-along with his two other "girlfriends," London and Taylor, have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status. For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she's always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there's no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?

The Boyfriend Project is a romance with extremely well formed characters. Some of the secondary characters, even those we only see briefly, reminded me of people I have dealt with in real life. Even better, I honestly liked Samiah and Daniel, and their closest friends/family, both as characters and people. Both have drive and compassion, wanting to get ahead but also wanting to do the right thing and help people. Seeing their interactions and how they dealt with everything that came their way was compelling and engaging from the very start. The story was very well built, and even when I had a notion as to what was coming next, and how things might go wrong I still very much enjoyed the ride. I am hoping to see more about London and Taylor in later books.

The Boyfriend Project is a practically perfect contemporary romance. I cannot wait to explore other books from the author.

I can think of no better way to rate a book about two analytical people than a pros and cons list (especially being an analytical person myself)!

Pros - good discussion on sexism and racism, especially in white, male dominated professions;

Cons - cliche story of finding someone when you stop looking for love; slow start; not quite what the description implies (female friendship as a side story, not the main story)

Every once and a while I have a friend that I do a buddy read with. We both love romances novels so we tend to pick one we both plan to read around the same time and read it together. Normally what we do is read 5 chapters and chat about it, 5 more chapters and chat about, and so on. We have read about 3 or 4 books together this way and had a lot of fun so when we both were planning to read The Boyfriend Project we decided to do it together. And while we both agreed on what we thought, I’m glad to have read it with her.

The Boyfriend Project was first brought to my attention sometime in 2019. It’s the story of Samiah who unexpectedly finds out the guy she is dating has been dating 2 other women at the same time. When the girls confront him together they end up becoming friends and decide they should work on hobbies and things they love and leave guys out of it. Unfortunately this is the exact time Samiah meets Daniel, the new hire at her job. She tries not to like him but he makes it so hard that she has no other choice but to give in. What she doesn’t know is that Daniel is keeping a secret from her, one that could change everything.

My feelings are complicated when it comes to The Boyfriend Project. On one hand I liked the writing style and the characters a lot. Samiah and Daniel had amazing chemistry and the 3 girls, Samiah, Taylor and London, had a fast friendship but it was believable. All of that and the theme of women being important in their jobs were all top notch. What I didn’t love was how Daniel’s secret was dealt with. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give it away, but that really bugged me when I was reading. I just felt like it could have been handled differently and instead it took away some of my enjoyment. That was truly my biggest issue with the book.

In the end The Boyfriend Project was enjoyable and something I would recommend even if it did just miss the mark for me. It was a quick read and one I say to add to your TBR. Maybe do a buddy read like I did and discuss what you think with friends.

The Boyfriend Project is the type of rom-com that is right in my comfort zone. It has characters I liked, the perfect amount of chemistry and just enough misunderstanding to keep things interesting.

I loved Samiah’s quick wit and drive to become not only a success professionally but also someone who is willing to help those who will follow her into a field that has very few women of color. I also love the bond she creates with London and Taylor as they develop a supportive and strong friendship. When Daniel starts working in her office they are immediately intrigued by one another. With Daniel’s drive to do the right thing and help others it’s clear why he and Samiah are so drawn to each other. There were many things about this book that felt expected but there were enough surprises to keep it interesting. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

3.5/5 Stars

This book is very cute, but the plot summary is somewhat misleading. The plot is made to seem to be a story about female friendships and the importance of it in life. However, Rochon's novel is mostly focused on the office relationships between the two leads, with a cursory glance at the friendships advertised. If this were a different book/plot advertised, it wouldn't be an issue. However, as it is advertised as being a story about female friendship, I would have like to read more about the female friendships.

I would rate this book a 1.5, rounded up to 2 because I skimmed to the end.

Samiah Brooks is a confident, smart and successful woman working for a technology company. Upon finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her and confronting him in a video that goes viral (oops!), Samiah befriends Taylor and London, the two other women being two-timed by the aforementioned boyfriend. The three become fast friends and decide to complete the boyfriend project, focusing on only themselves and each other for 6 months. Enter Daniel, he begins working at Samiah's tech company and they have an instant connection. A couple of problems arise, one being that Samiah has sworn off men, and two being that Daniel is really an undercover agent working to find out who at the company is laundering money.

I have so many thoughts on this book. I read it closely for 50% but then couldn't do it anymore. I wanted to not finish but I pushed through and skimmed to the end. On a positive note, I do think the story had a lot of potential, the writing was good and the characters were good, well-developed enough and likeable. I appreciate the author writing a very diverse and inclusive story. However, it was too much. It was too long, there were too many stories, too many details, too many characters, too many directions... It was just all too much. From the beginning I kept thinking, I like the characters and the story, but I never wanted to pick it up and read it, I was basically only getting through a chapter a day. Another major problem I had is with the language surrounding anything sexual in the book. I thought there was a lot of unnecessary swearing generally, but the sex talk was next level cringe. It was so awkward and made me feel so uncomfortable I couldn't read it. Most of what Samiah and Daniel thought about one another fell into this as well. I also didn't like how Daniel lied the entire time, then they just made up at the end. That went against really everything Samiah was standing up for, even though it was for his job. This book really wasn't for me in the end. I hope others enjoy it more!

Thanks to the publisher for granting my wish!

What a fun, multilayered book! It is a story about friendship among women. It's a romance. It is a thoroughly modern story about strong women rising above the constraints society tries to box them in due to race and gender. And there's a bit of mystery too! Samiah, Taylor and London are fantastic characters and I am looking forward to all their stories. Daniel was also very likable and added another interesting layer with the mystery component. This book has so many good elements and they all build up a great, relatable, story.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite three smart women discovering they have been duped and 'three-timed' by the same man the feelgood factor coms more or less at the start when the women make a pact not to date anymore They become friends and basically have a load of fun. A brilliant summer (and lockdown) read!
Thanks to netgalley

This book started out promising, but the middle fell kind of flat. I found myself getting bored and tired of the character's story, and by the end of the book I just didn't really care how the story got tied up. I just wanted the book to be done so I could start something else. I wish I could have seen more of the other two women (London and Taylor) and how they were all developing in their own lives. The few interactions weren't enough for me, especially because of how the three women met in the first place.

I read the extended preview for this one, and then downloaded the full book when I saw it was available on netgalley.

I think the best part of the book (to me) was the friendship formed between our scorned women-Samiah (our strong and independent heroine), Taylor, and London. I love that rather than turn on or get catty each other over he-who-shall-not-be-named, they bonded over it and formed their own little squad. Female friendships are so important, and this definitely highlighted that. They are supportive of one another, and there to encourage each other when they need it.

I also appreciated that the author shows on the page just how much more pressure women (and especially in this case, a women of color) face in male-dominant fields.

I wasn’t crazy about the length sometimes of the inner dialogue, and what felt like over-descriptions of things. Like her makeup routine near the beginning of the book felt kind of unnecessary, at least to me.

The romance wasn’t enough of that slow burn I tend to prefer, but that’s not to say it won’t be for other readers. On top of that, Daniel gave me a bit of whip lash with his hot and cold behavior, and I just never got fully invested in their relationship. I wish things had been a bit more built up between them, I guess?

I honestly can’t say the book was bad, I just think it missed the mark for me personally. I do plan to read more by this author though!

This is one of those romances with a group of friends where I wish they were real-life people so I could hang out with them in person. I was so caught up in the beginning and watching a new friend group find each other that when the hero showed up I was a bit surprised — like “oh yeah, I forgot this is a romance!” Farrah Rochon’s gifts for realism and vividness of setting are unmatched, and I cannot wait for the next in the series. The book’s climax irked me a little—I will spare you my several pages of me yelling at Daniel for his foolishness—but on the whole this is a solid summer read and a great escape. Bonus points for being the first romance I ever read with a programmer hero that actually mentions GitHub!

Farrah Rochon is one of my favorite authors when I want well developed characters and the Boyfriend Project was no exception. This book starts with a bang and doesn't let up. But, my absolute favorite thing was seeing a woman of color succeeding, thriving, in the tech industry AND actively helping young girls of color get into the field. THAT WAS AMAZING! MORE OF THAT, PLEASE!!!

The romance is well plotted, the writing is tight, and several points had me laughing out loud. This book was a slam dunk for me and I look forward to reading more books like it very soon.

REVIEW | The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

When Samiah and two other women find out they’re being cheated on by the same man, they develop a true friendship involving an anti pact to focus on themselves. Of course, the pact happens just when Samiah meets Daniel - a seemingly perfect man.

Things I loved:
💖The portrayal of strong female friendships- I loved the friendship between the three women. Taylor and London were great characters.

💖The relationship between Samiah and Daniel was really well portrayed- as was the maturity in how they handled their conflict.

💖The POC representation of course

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for this lovely ARC!

Three women discover than they were being duped by the same man in the name of love and dating and the discovery leads to flowering of a beautiful friendship between the three.

Reading this in 2020 and the fact that a woman is writing this story, and the fact that she makes sure that this friendship stays as one of the main threads of this novel makes this book so good. Samiha is a coder and developer and she has realised via Twitter that the man she is dating is dating two other women. She walks on him and meets these two ladies, both very successful in their own right. The night which should have been a painful one spent sobbing about lost love is instead spent on getting drunk, making a pact about life and boyfriends and laying the foundation of a friendship that sees you through thick and thin. Of course, there is a man who might be just too attractive to ignore!

The characters and situations are identifiable and like me I think most of us know how hard it is to find friendship as soon as you are out in the big world of professionalism. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon was indeed a refreshing read not only because of the subject of female friendship but also the freshness that came through in the writing. It does not get boring and there are a few really nice twists and turns that I am sure you will enjoy reading. I would not put this under chicklit category because the book is meatier than just that but then it also doesn't weigh you down with emotion and for that Rochon must be applauded.


Thank You Net Galley, the publishers at Grand Central Publishing and the author for extending me the ARC.

Samiah has just gone viral for yelling at a three-timing con of a boyfriend (plus side: She met two great friends this way.). Daniel, who's just started at Samiah's company, is drop dead gorgeous, and definitely up to something. There's coffee and emotional awareness.

The characters are vivid and the friendships are great. Both characters have people to talk to. One character is lying/not telling the whole truth for much of the book, which may be a non-starter for some readers. But they have the decency to feel REALLY conflicted about it.

I enjoyed this book. I'm here for this trio of ladies and curious to see what's in store for Taylor and London.

The one thing that I wish was wrapped up in this book is the app that Samiah was working on. But I assume I'll get the update on that in the future books!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.