I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of this book, and I think these three newfound friends showed the importance of having a supportive sounding board who can let you rant and will lovingly push you when you might be making decisions for family or status or what makes sense rather than what will make you happy.

Unfortunately the relationship part fell a bit by the wayside. I enjoyed the beginning, when they were flirting and interested in each other even though both had reasons why they couldn’t get involved, but when it grew into a relationship it felt like it stagnated, it was really hard for me to get past the lying (even if it seemed necessary), and there was a bit too much focus on the job and the investigation over the two of them. I’m learning that I like workplace romances, but only when they don’t delve too deep into the actual work! Their brief sex scenes seemed rushed and they went much too quickly from sexual tension to couple who doesn’t seem to have anything new to learn about each other. As a romance, it unfortunately didn’t work for me.

Loved this one! It was fun, witty, and engrossing! My favorite kind rom-com: the characters were vividly drawn and the set up was unique. Can't wait to read more from Rochon!

Thank you @readforeverpub
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I’m baaaaaaaaaack 😍. Going to talk about a lil Romance for a bit.
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Feels good to be back with my beloved #romcombooks . The Boyfriend Project was no different. I freakin loved this story. As an added bonus, this was a buddy read with @kourtneysbookshelf and my goodness. She is fun to talk to.
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Let’s talk about book boyfriend kryptonite for me...strong, sexy, sweet and genuinely good guys are always a win for me. Throw in the fact that Daniel was an ex Marine (cue panty drop 🤣). We also meet Samiah who I just adored. Fierce female characters are my jam and this one was no different. Smart and a low tolerance for crap, yes please. Together this couple worked well for me. They were believable, had fantastic chemistry and I really felt their relationship was not rushed. I always appreciate when a writer lets us fall in love with the characters without hurrying through the getting to know you stage!
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Overall, this was a great choice. I am going to recommend if you like a good work Romance with a side of highly intelligent, diverse characters....this is a fantastic fit for you.
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Let’s talk steam. I felt like it was a good amount of steam...but easy to pass through if that is not your thing. I’d let my mama read it with a bit of a steam warning 🤣. The characters are just too delightful to let a little ol steam get in the way!

This book was not what I was expecting in many ways. And I mean that quite literally! When I first started reading this book, I realized that in the two months that had passed I had gotten approved on NetGalley, I had mixed up the storyline with another romance. Thankfully after re-reading the synopsis, I remembered why I was interested in this book, and I became less confused about why the plot wasn’t taking the direction I thought it would.

In case like me, you need a synopsis, The Boyfriend Project about a woman named Samiah who discovers that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with several other women. She confronts the boyfriend and befriends the two other women that were duped as well. The three women make a pact to spend the next 6 months focusing on themselves with the time they normally devote to dating and romantic relationships. Of course, the very next day there’s a new hire at work, and not only is he beautiful, kind, and super smart, he seems to like Samiah just as much as she likes him.

That’s me paraphrasing the synopsis that’s on the dust jacket. But honestly, this book is so much more than your average romance. In fact, I kind of feel like the romance takes a backseat to everything else that goes on in this book. I’d classify this book as an adult contemporary with a heavy romance storyline. I know that sounds really similar to a normal romance book, but there’s something about this book that makes me hesitant to call it a romance novel.

I think that at the core, this book is about a bad-ass woman of color, proving to everyone what women in STEM can accomplish. Maybe this resonated more strongly with me because I’m majoring in engineering, but the fact that Samiah is a computer engineer is definitely a major part of this book, and I loved getting to see all the ways she was able to prove to both herself and others that she was a smart, capable, and just all-around awesome woman.

This book made sure to take the time to discuss how difficult it is to be a woman of color in STEM, and how that forced Samiah to work so much harder than the average computer engineer, because she knows that her mistakes are judged differently than mistakes by most people.

There were a few things that led to me not enjoying the romance to its fullest. The first thing has to do with the love interest, Daniel. There are some surprising twists about Daniel that we learn that heavily impact the plot and conflict of this book. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it can get spoilery very fast, but those twists led to some barriers to communication which in turn turns into part of the conflict of the book. Because of this, I enjoyed the romance way more before Daniel and Samiah actually got together! I thought the buildup was fantastic! There was a time that I had to put the book down to Awwwwwwwww from cuteness during their period of flirtation. But once they got together there was a lot more conflict that I wasn’t too happy to see.

The second thing that kept me from enjoying the romance to its fullest was the ending. I feel as though there wasn’t enough resolution to make me happy. There is an epilogue, but it could have just as easily been the last chapter in the book. I would have loved to see an epilogue a bit farther in the future with a stronger resolution. Obviously, since I’m talking about the ending I don’t want to delve into spoilers, but if you’ve read the book I’m curious as to what you thought about how this ended.

Now, I know it seems as though I hated the romance, and therefore hated the book. But that’s not true at all! I gave this book 4 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I didn’t get the majority of my enjoyment from the romance, as I normally do from books that are marketed as romances. Instead I loved the female friendships, the sisterly bonds, the discussion about WOC in STEM, the focus on workplace interactions, and the way Samiah always reached for her goals and dreams.

I think there was wonderful characterization, and we really got to know both Samiah and Daniel as multi-dimensional people. I enjoyed how we not only got to know them from reading in their respective perspectives, but that as they opened up to one another we learnt more about them as well.

I think there’s a lot to love about this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in STEM! The only thing that I would caution is to adjust your expectations of the romance. It is definitely present and definitely a major plotline, but to me at least, it took a backseat to all the wonderful other plotlines that made up this book.

I love it when a setting is immersive and well-drawn, and that is definitely the case here. The dialog was snappy and the characters compelling. Overall, I thought it was a really enjoyable read.

Samiah is a coder/software developer and is swearing off men after finding herself hoodwinked along with two other ladies by the last guy. They form a friendship and decided to take a "boyfriend project" -- to pursue an activity of interest and not date for 6 months. Of course after making such a pact, dreamy Daniel starts at her work, Trendsetters. There is instant attraction between the two and an office flirtation begins. Daniel has his own reasons for why a relationship is not on the table, but the attraction between them is too strong to deny.

This book takes place in Austin, TX. The work place is one that had put a lot of thought in how to motivate and inspire employees. Both settings were well-drawn and immersive, something I truly appreciate. The romance was lovely, with two characters that I was really rooting for. The only thing that kept this from 5 stars for me was the ending felt rushed.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next in series. It was my first by Farrah Rochon, but certainly won’t be my last.

<I>*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is my honest opinion.

Whatcha reading:

I’m in the middle of Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project (out June 9). I’m loving the female friendships that anchor the book (the heroine Samiah and her friends meet in a viral encounter when they realize their asshole date is three-timing them). I also like how work-oriented the story is; Rochon doesn’t scrimp on details about the tech startup/app development. However, I’m concerned about the deception storyline; the hero Daniel is undercover for work reasons when he meets Samiah. It’s not my favorite plot device, but I have faith that Rochon will resolve it well.



Review:

I’m just disappointed. THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT has so many great aspects (strong female friendships, Samiah’s app ambitions, work-oriented storylines like how Samiah’s Blackness affects her standing in the industry, etc), but the romance ended on a weak note and I don’t love them as a couple. Samiah is awesome and I’m meh on Daniel. I never warmed up to him, so it’s not like his shitty grovel (explained in greater detail below) is the only mark against him.

My favorite part of THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT is Samiah’s friendship with London and Taylor; I wanted more of that because I loved them so much! And honestly, this perfectly sums up my three-star rating. I liked the female friendship more than the actual romance, which felt lackluster and boring. It didn’t help that I never liked Daniel. Something is wrong when your favorite part of the romance novel isn’t the romance. This is why I’m three-starring THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT despite other positive aspects.

The resolution to the deception storyline is terrible. I mean, come on. Daniel is lying the entire book (which is fine! That is the premise) and his POV scenes are unrelenting angst/flip-flopping over his lying. The deception is revealed at 87%, but there is one added lie that is TERRIBLE (not merely Daniel’s original false identity, but a personal betrayal of Samiah’s trust). It’s bad.

How does this get resolved, you ask? Samiah is pissed, and rightfully so. There is an apology attempt a chapter later, but Samiah doesn’t want to hear it. There is another apology attempt one more chapter later, and again Samiah doesn’t want to hear it at 94%. Then there’s... what, a weak grovel attempt/explanation and Samiah gives in so easily in ONE CHAPTER!?! She refuses to speak to him at the beginning of Chapter 28 and then suddenly there’s an HEA at the end of Chapter 28? It makes zero sense. The epilogue doesn’t improve it.

I’d still rec THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT to interested readers because the writing is decent and you might have a more positive reaction to the deception storyline. I’ll check out the next book as Samiah’s friends are awesome (I’m guessing Taylor is up next?).

There have been so many great releases from Forever this year and Farrah Rochon's latest, The Boyfriend Project, was another one of them! These contemporary romances have been a great distraction during COVID and I'm loving every minute of them. Samiah is a strong, intelligent, and independent woman who everyone would benefit from having as a friend. I love that this book started with bringing 3 women together who were all catfished by the same guy. Samiah, Taylor, and London quickly became close based on their shared experience. Their friendship quickly grew and that was refreshing to see since it's not always easy to find close girlfriends as you get older. This is an office romance trope that you'll definitely want to pick up! I just found out it's going to be a series and can't wait for the next stories!

This is one of my favorite rom coms of the year. First of all, I really enjoyed being able to read this story from Samiah and Daniel’s point of view. It was really adorable to see how they both felt about each other, despite all of the reasons they should not be together. Secondly, I loved how empowering this story was on so many levels. Rochon, through the main character Samiah, brought up great points about the way women in color are viewed in society and how difficult it is for them to break into STEM fields. I also really appreciated how this book was just as much about the friendship blossoming between 3 women as it was Samiah and Daniel’s relationship. Lastly, I loved the mystery and white collar crime that was going on behind the scenes of the whole story. It was a small added element but it made the story unique and interesting. All in all, I really enjoyed this story and will definitely be recommending it to friends!

When Samiah Brooks discovers the man she has been dating has also been dating two other women, rather than compete, the three team up and start a friendship. One of the goals of this friendship, is that they focus on their own goals rather than throw themselves back into the dating pool. For Samiah, this means she will finally finish the app she’s been dreaming of, but when a charming, new employee is hired at her tech job, Samiah has a hard time keeping her focus. Daniel knows he’s should get entangled with a coworker but he can’t talk himself out of coffee breaks with Samiah. And while he seems to seamlessly fit into his new job and Samiah’s life, there is more to him than he’s letting on.

I enjoyed this book, quite a bit. Samiah and Daniel were complicate people with a lot going on in their world beyond their interest in each other, and that is always important to me for world building. I look forward to getting to know the other women in the boyfriend project, and I am thrilled to have another author of color to highlight to patrons. For fans of The Right Swipe, this is another ensemble romance series I will be watching!

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*.
I have been looking forward to reading a book by this author. I enjoyed how the book started. Three women make a connection when they discover they are all dating the same man. Someone videos it and posts it online. Instant celebrity. These new friendships were awesome! However, this is the best part of the book.
For me, the romance fell flat. So much if it takes place off the page. I find that extremely irritating. I want to see the initial parts of a couple falling for one another. I don’t want to be told about weekly meetings at a coffee shop. I need to see the build up to buy into the couple.
I enjoyed the writing but telling not showing is a real no no for me.

I really enjoyed this book! I love how it jumped right into Samiah confronting her boyfriend, who turns out to be a catfisher! You knew right away, you were getting a badass heroine! And not only that, she made friends with the other ladies who had been catfished as well! The friendship that develops between Samiah, London, and Taylor is amazing! And felt completely realistic as they each were adults with jobs, and couldn’t hang out and call each other at work regularly! They caught up with each other on Friday nights. The three decide that they are going to take time for themselves to be single and focus on their careers and goals and help hold each other accountable.

Of course, things never go as planned when a new hire, Daniel Collins, starts working with Samiah. Daniel and Samiah have an instant attraction to each other. The relationship was natural and flirty and I really enjoyed seeing the two grow close. However, considering Daniel’s secret, I was nervous as to how that was going to play out. To not spoil Daniel’s plot, I won’t say what the secret is, but I was happy with the end result. It was both satisfying and refreshing that there wasn’t any unnecessary drama that lingered. Daniel and Samiah communicated with each other - which was refreshing!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. In an era of catfishing and on-line dating this novel has a very timely plot. Samiah Brooks finds out on Twitter that the man who had just canceled their date was on a date with someone else. She decides to go to the restaurant and confront him. Little did she know that the confrontation would go viral and she would become best friends with the other women, yes-other women that were all cheated on by the same man! Samiah, Taylor and London form a pact to take a break from dating and focus on being the best people/friends they can be. This was actually my favorite story line of the book!! But, as in life, whenever you decide you don't want to date anyone, you can meet the man of your dreams. For Samiah it is Daniel-a new coworker that she ends up working with on many projects. Trust is a huge issue for Samiah, and when suspicious things begin to happen at work can she rely on Daniel or will she regret giving him her heart? This was a great story with diverse, driven female characters and a fun romance tied into it. There have to be follow up stories for Taylor and London!

Quick snyopsis: Daniel is hired at an innovative tech company, Trendsetters, where Samiah works in Austin. Daniel isn't your average employee through-- he's on an undercover assignment through the US Treasury Department, as someone at Trendsetters is likely laundering millions of dollars overseas. Despite the huge conflict of interest, Daniel can't resist Samiah, who is going through some struggles of her own when she's the subject of a viral video, and a relationship blossoms.
Overall: Fans of The Wedding Date series will especially enjoy this as there were some similar elements: strong female friendships, kickass smart women, and dating in today's world of social media and going viral. I loved Samiah as the super smart female lead (in STEM!) and the strong female friendships protrayed. This also made me add Austin to my travel list!

The Boyfriend Project was a book that I was excited to read because based on the premise, an office romance, I thought I would really enjoy it. While there were definitely things I did enjoy, there were other aspects that just didn't quite hit home for me.

Samiah Brooks was in a new relationship and things were going well at work until she discovers that her new boyfriend is cheating on her with not one, but two other women. After outing him in a restaurant with the video going viral, what ends up happening next was pretty cool. Samiah forms a bond with the other two women, Taylor and London, and they decide that for the next six months they are going to focus on themselves and not on romantic relationships. In theory that sounds great until a new guy starts at Samiah's work.

Daniel Collins has just landed a job at the tech firm where Samiah works and he's ready to get to get down to business. What he doesn't anticipate is being taken by the gorgeous, accomplished woman. While he has sworn off relationships himself, he finds any reason to be around Samiah. Will he really be able to resist starting something up with her even if there could be other consequences?

I enjoyed the friendship between Samiah, Taylor and London. It was everything your relationships with your girlfriends should be. There were several things I struggled with throughout the book, but I think the biggest thing is that it lacked romance and then when it was there it felt very rushed. There were a couple of times that I felt like I had whiplash because we went from point A to point B so quickly. I wanted to love this book, but while it was enjoyable, it missed the mark for me.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

We are living in the golden age of romance novels, and I am so here for it.
Incredible storytelling. Diverse and well-developed characters that resemble the people I know in my life versus stale caricatures. Beautifully paced plots that keep my full attention - even when my kid is yelling “Mommy-mommy-mommy-mommy-MOMMY!” And the best of them weave a serious issue into the story seamlessly, and I feel so incredibly happy and smarter and have a better understanding of how to be an ally after reading them.
Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project has joined the list of security blanket reads. It’s EXCELLENT.
Samiah is a protagonist that I sympathize with deeply and have also learned a lot from. Daniel is from Philadelphia and proudly rocks our team’s merch while being empathetic and kind and the type of man we need more of in real life. And even though he’s got his own secret, I love the instant connection between these two. The chemistry jumps right off the page and left me smiling and flipping through the book furiously all day long.
@bookofthemonth literally delivered this early release, so it’s a good time to join if you haven’t already!
My mild disappointment of not knowing about Farrah sooner was quickly replaced by the glee to read all her previously published books.

Thank you to the author/publisher for an advance copy of this novel! Opinions here are my own.

The Boyfriend Project is just a super cute effing novel. The end.
I'm just playing, but it IS really cute. Absolutely loved the main thread of romance through the novel-- Daniel, who's licking his wounds after the end of a long relationship and Samiah, whose last breakup was so public and horrific that it went viral. Both have every reason to avoid each other... and I just love when two characters are so drawn to each other that they throw all of those reasons to the wind and come together.
The external drivers in this story are as powerful as the romantic plot-- I love a book that is about more than the hero and the heroine wanting to do the horizontal mambo. I need more than characters staring out the window and talking to their own reflections-- though there is plenty of surmising and psychology that makes sense.
I love the stakes-- the status of Daniel's job and what he needs to do to call his mission complete; Samiah's need and desire to prove herself at work and get ahead, not to mention her personal passion (and needed to be the best, not "good enough"); and her friendship with the ladies she met as her last relationship was imploding that led to the formation of the Boyfriend Project.
At one point, I thought all the stories were getting hard to manage... but by now, I've read Rochon enough to know that she is skilled at weaving storylines together so they dovetail with perfection.
All that analysis aside.... this was a cute story! It'll definitely put a smile on your face.

Samiah Brooks works at a tech company and is currently dating a guy she met on a dating website. While getting ready to go on their date, she realizes via Twitter that he is on another date with another woman! Samiah decides to head down to the restaurant and confront him. This is where Samiah meets London and Taylor. The two other women who were also dating the same man!

I loved this relationship meet cute between Taylor, Samiah and London. Their interactions and weekly dates were so much fun. I could definitely see myself meeting with my girlfriends just like this!

I also really enjoyed that all three friends were very independent and successful in their own professions. I absolutely love it when strong females are written in romances and Samiah, Taylor and London embody that.

While swearing off men for the time being along with her new girlfriends, Samiah happens to meet Daniel at work. He's a new co-worker at Samiah's tech company and they casually start seeing each other.

What lacked for me was the romance equation of The Boyfriend Project. The romance really took a back seat. Samiah's relationship with her girlfriends and her ability to write a new app were a big part of The Boyfriend Project as well as the reason Daniel was at the company. I enjoyed the suspense surrounding Daniel's profession, but the reveal and ending tied up a bit too neatly for me. I enjoyed the relationship between Samiah and her girlfriends, but I wish I was more invested in the romance.

After learning via a Twitter rant that the guy she was seeing was also seeing not one, but TWO other women, Samiah finds Internet fame when her epic takedown goes viral. With each refresh the views multiply. While gaining two besties out of the ordeal was a huge perk, as a Black woman at the top of her game in the tech world, Samiah does not need her newfound fame following her to the office.

Unfortunately, by the time Monday rolls around, everyone has already seen it. Multiple times. Including the jaw-droppingly gorgeous new guy, Daniel. Although there’s an instant attraction – mutual, if Daniel’s gazes and not-so-subtle trips to the coffee machine are anything to go by – Samiah is most definitely not looking for another relationship. For starters, hooking up with a coworker, especially a new coworker, is a big no-no. Secondly, Samiah and the other duped ladies, London and Taylor, have decided on a six-month period of no guys, just focusing on themselves and living their best lives with not a thought on dating.

Easier said than done, right?

With quarantine life making it near impossible for me to focus on anything for more than five minutes, I desperately needed something light and fluffy. And what could be fluffier than a rom-com? I dove right into The Boyfriend Project fully expecting to come out with a Top Read of 2020. And while I did enjoy it, I’m sad to say it was just okay. Just decent. One I doubt I’ll ever reread and I’m not sure how interested I am in the sequel.

The book started out great and I was 100% on board. Things opened with Samiah getting ready for a date while her pregnant sister scrolls through her Twitter feed. When she notices some poor woman on a horrific date, she begins reading the tweets aloud. Eventually Samiah realizes the guy on the date is the guy she’s dating – ironically, Craig pushed back his date with her to go on his current one – and marches right down to the restaurant to confront him. Not long after, the third jilted girlfriend shows up and Craig is kicked to the curb.

After those initial chapters, things slowly went downhill. Not to where the book was bad or that I was forcing myself to read, but it didn’t have the momentum of its opening. Throughout the novel, Samiah keeps saying these woman are her closest friends, but I never felt that connection come through on the page. Same with the romance. I was told they were attracted to each other, but never felt that chemistry.

There’s a secondary plot that’s almost a mystery if you squint. Daniel works for the Treasury Department with a special unit doing financial undercover work. His resume is a total lie, a backstory concocted to secure him a job at Samiah’s company. There’s some money laundering scheme going on and it’s up to Daniel to get to the bottom of it. I’ll be honest, if this was a different story by a different author where the sole plot was the corrupt group hatching a nefarious scam to rake in cash…I’d be all over that. But this is not a thriller and any time Daniel or his real job or his roommate came up, I was tempted to skip ahead. I went into this book looking for a fun romance, not some government agent schtik.

Because of Daniel’s job, his entire relationship with Samiah was built on lies. He can tell her bits and pieces (he comes from a military family, his ex wasn’t happy with his choice to turn down a high-paying job across the country), but the Daniel she knows doesn’t exist. He’s there to do a job, no matter what needs to happen…like stealing her badge when she’s one of the few employees with access to specific high-security areas of the building. His actions weren’t forgivable for me, and it looked as though Samiah felt the same. Unfortunately, things end with a nice, neat bow in true rom-com fashion.

The Boyfriend Project started off so strong, but that momentum began to wane a few chapters in. It’s a very easy-to-read novel that honestly flew by. I read this on my Kindle and I felt like every time I glanced down, the percentage was further and further. I rejoiced at Samiah being a Black woman in a STEM position and loved how she boosted other women around her…but was dismayed to see her contradict herself when it came to a female coworker. (Another scene that really rubbed me the wrong way was when Samiah went to the hospital to visit her sister right after her niece was born. Her sister just gave birth, and the first thought Samiah had upon seeing her sister is that she’s in desperate need of some eye cream and a hairbrush..) There was a tad bit too much showing, rather than telling (I never really bought the three ladies’ BFF connection nor the romance) and I could have done without Daniel’s super secret government job subplot. While this wasn’t a homerun for me, I did get through it very quickly and I know it’ll find plenty of fans this summer!

For me, the best part of this book has to be the friendship between Samiah, London, and Taylor. The circumstances that brought them together are unfortunate but amazing and I love the vibe they have. It's true camaraderie and I'm here for it.

The romance aspect was cute. I wouldn't say I'm a diehard Samiah/Daniel fan but they work well together. The complications in their relationship aren't like ones I've read about in the past so I enjoyed the twist. I also haven't read many books about women in STEM and I really enjoyed how passionate Samiah was about the topic and her POV as a woman of color in the field.

There were a lot of great qualities in this book, but nothing really stood out to me as amazing. I really liked the friendship between Samiah, London, and Taylor and can't wait to read more about them, but that's about all that I really loved. The rest was interesting but ultimately didn't make me fall head over heels.

A strong premise, but the characters were a let down. Ultimately, the romantic relationship and the steamy scenes were not for me.