Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is probably my best contemporary read of 2020 so far! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK! As the synopsis suggests, a cute fake date relationship is played out between two totally opposite people for the sake of convenience. This journey of 'convenience' was a total laugh out loud and full of fluff!

The plot of the book was quite gripping. The pacing too, was pretty well balanced which kept me intrigued till the end. There were not many plot twists, which was quite okay as only a few blew me away pretty well! I mean, some of them were quite predictable but some were just sooo surprising and fun!

The characters, were not too unique but really helped the story to shine more! They were QUITE relatable and make me finish the book in just one sitting! Especially, Luc's character! IT SPOKE TO ME THROUGH THE PAGES! And Oliver was just "WOW!" (only if he was straight. sighs) Overall, I found all the characters really fun and interesting to read about!

The writing style was very easy going and simple. It was quite intriguing. I mean, it has been quite a long time since I genuinely found a contemporary writer's writing style unique and fun and Alexis really surprised me!

I kinda did not expect to like Boyfriend Material. I thought it was the usual fake trope romance story. But Boyfriend Material caught me off guard because I was laughing at their antic throughout the read.It may have the typical fake relationship trope idea. But there are some moments in Boyfriend Material that will catch you off guard especially in Luc case. Luc has a rough going for him because everyone will judge from his famous father's past. But what can you say, parents' actions, especially the famous will have a hold on you. But Luc is willing to fight on by faking a relationship. And this is where you know where something will go wrong. Nothing is ever perfect when you are faking a relationship. But it’s going to be a funny read between Luc and Oliver.

Not to exaggerate or anything, but <i>Boyfriend Material</i> is the book we need in 2020. It has given me oodles of joy, a lot of laughter, swooning emotion, and a queer romance between two wonderful, flawed, vivid, very relatable characters.

The two main leads, Luc and Oliver, seem to be as different as one can imagine: Luc’s the son of a 70s rock star and a recluse French song-writer mother, frequently in the tabloids himself for his drunk antics, while Oliver is a barrister, born and bred in a toxic middle-class environment, and who’s so straight-laced that I wondered if he could breathe. (in hindsight, prob not.) One of the things I adore the most in romance is seeing how two very different personalities will fall in love with each other (the moment in the beginning when you meet them and think “no way these two can be together!” --> I get all tingly with anticipation at that moment). Hall, with the assurance of an experienced, masterful writer, takes these two men and peels their layers one by one to show us the baggage they carry; how lonely they are; the solace they find with and in each other.

Luc’s our narrator, and his voice is a delight: he’s wry, self-deprecating, sharp with his observations and absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times—loud enough to startle the cat, not just a chuckle. Luc sees Oliver as perfect, and it was fascinating to see through his eyes and follow Luc to the realisation that Oliver is, in fact, a stack of super-high standards and three sacks of anxiety in a trench-coat. Or rather a cashmere, posh, lawyer coat. The progression of the relationship is well-paced, and the way it blurs from fake dating to ‘omg this is real’ feels organic. Nothing forced or contrived (which tends to be my main pet peeve in romance novels). Although I wasn't happy with Oliver's decision towards the end, it came from a place that I could understand--even sympathise.

There’s also a diverse and vividly-drawn cast of secondary characters, who straddle the line of over-the-top but never cross it. Hall writes them with intense love, even the ones he pokes fun at, and that shines through the text. They're quirky but also intensely real. And I think that's what I loved the most about the book: that, on the one hand, Hall exaggerates certain aspects of characters/situation to draw humour and keep the tone light and fun, but on the other hand, he grounds everything in very real, often painful emotions and doesn't shy away from heart-break and disappointment. I also appreciated a great deal how the situation with Luc's father was resolved: no easy solutions. No US-style open-arms forgiveness.

I do have one complaint, though! OK so, I knew going in that there was no explicit sex on page (I think I might have been a little let-down if I hadn't been spoiled, bc I've read <i>For Real</i> and I know how great Hall is at sex scenes) but I have to say that I didn't miss it as much as I'd have thought. My complaint is about the ending: it's too abrupt for my tastes. We have the love declaration, but the couple is still on unstable ground at the time of the final chapter and I'd have felt better if we'd seen another chapter, an epilogue, something to reassure us that it's all going fine. This short/non-existent denouement is something I've noticed in other modern books as well and I wonder if it's a publishing decision or a trend, but whatever it is, I'm not a fan. I want my denouements! I'd like to make a formal request that Hall writes an epilogue for us subscribers to his newsletter, please and thank you. (oh and the first sex scene, Alexis, there's a good boy.)

tl; dr: If you want a romcom that leans heavily on the -rom- and the -com- then you've come to the right place. Romantic, hilarious, and achingly real, this is a joy of a novel.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for a review.

This book was EVERYTHING. It was adorable and witty and sarcastic all in one. I loved the wide variety of characters and I was seriously laughing out loud multiple times throughout. I loved all the banter between the characters and they were just so lovable. I loved the raw emotions in this book, and it was very real emotions I was feeling right along with the characters. I loved how Luc and Oliver were messy and beautifully human and their journey with messy backgrounds and trying to learn to love themselves and being in a relationship that isn’t toxic or unhealthy. I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to read more by this author.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casa and NetGalley for the complimentary e-arc of this book. Thanks to libro.fm and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary alc of this book.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is an amusing romp with a fun opposites attract, fake relationship story. The story follows Luc O'Donnell, a fundraiser who finds himself the victim of unwanted paparazzi attention, and barrister Oliver Blackwood. The two men are complete opposites and yet both have similar insecurities that plague them. Where this book really shined for me though is in the many amusing supporting characters and their witty dialogue. More than once I found myself laughing aloud.

I would recommend this book to people who like character driven novels. These characters talk a lot. I thought the dialogue was pure gold but if you are a fan of action, or plot driven novels, this may not be your type of book.

Narration: I went back and forth between the e-arc and audiobook on this one. The narration is brilliant. The narrator does a terrific job bringing these characters to life.

I am so glad I got approved the arc from Netgalley!
This book was fun! It is a cute romance set in London. I really loved the two main characters. Luc & Oliver together were awkward and hilarious. The plot was simple, or as simple as Luc tried to make it. I think Luc was just a very well written character. I was cracking up with his puns and inner monologues. I think this book is so simple that is why it feels not as plot-driven. I'm not going to give any spoilers, but the ending was satisfying yet not. I could see this easily being continued in a series. The characters felt real, their inner conflicts felt real, and that is why the story felt wholesome. I think it's a great light read and I enjoyed t very much. I will definitely recommend this as a bookseller!!

Boyfriend Material was one of my favorite books of 2020! I went into this story thinking it was just going to be a fun fake dating M/M troup. It ended up being so much more. The story was just so relatable and as far as main characters go, Luc was written so realistically. I loved how he was far from perfect. He was actually extremely flawed. I loved watching Oliver, by just being who he was, got Luc to realize he deserves so much more then what he was allowing himself. I also really enjoyed Luc's relationship with his mother. The two of them were hilarious together!

The writing took me a little bit to get into, but once I got thru a few chapters, I didn't even notice that the writing was weird to me. I think it was because its set in London, so a lot of the terms and phrases I didn't understand.

I highly recommend picking this one up when it comes out on July 7th.

4.5 stars — This one reminded me a LOT of Bridget Jones’s Diary in tone and snappy dialogue…I mean, the movies at least, it’s been so long since I read the book, I don’t remember what the writing was like. I was actually a little…put off? (or lost I think) by the fast pace of the external and internal dialogue, and all the UKisms. But as I continued to read, I got back into that groove and really enjoyed myself. I guess I just hadn’t been expecting it.

I was also worried by the sheer level of snark and dryness and total lack of self-esteem that was Luc. It could be offputting at times how much he put himself down. But honestly? In the end I did connect with him in spite of that, and I guess I just figured out who Luc was, and loved him in spite of his deflections and fear of feelings. I think it made it really satisfying to see the places where he did end up growing, and I LOVED that he really truly did grow — perhaps because of Oliver, but he didn’t chuck it all when they hit the conflict. That was kind of awesome.

Honestly, I feel odd saying this, but there were so many things that had me wary when I first started reading this book. I think I went into it fairly blind, no expectations, and I had to get used to a different set of characters than I was used to. I really truly am bummed that this wasn’t dual POV, because I really wanted inside Oliver’s head. It didn’t detract from the story necessarily, it still felt full…I’m just greedy. I had an initial hard time figuring Oliver out…but I think I got him as Luc was getting him. And he was really endearing in so many ways. But I also appreciated that he was messed up in his own ways, that may have seemed quite different from Luc’s hangups, but in the end came down to the same thing. Basically, the conflict and resolution ended up being strangely satisfying for me.

And the two of them together put me through so much. I laughed so much at their witty banter, I ached with them as I saw them both feeling the feels, and I hurt for what they were going through individually as well as together. I thought their chemistry was pretty solid, though was a bit bummed at the mostly fade to black (again, greedy).

And wow, were there ever a lot of seriously colourful secondary characters in this one. So many of them felt completely unbelievable and caricatures, and AGAIN, that threw me off initially…but then I just kind of rolled with it, and they added their little tidbits, and it was fun and zany, and…it just worked for me. Of course there were also some douchebags, but when aren’t there? And they were seriously douchey.

So yeah. This book was a strange rollercoaster ride for me. Maybe it’s just a solid 4 stars…I can’t tell. I think I’m just impressed with how it burrowed under my skin and made me accept all sorts of weird things that put me off initially. So take from that what you will.

Th world needs more books like this! They need more authors like Alexis Hill. I enjoyed every single word in this book and have bought it for my library's collection at every branch.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a delightful M/M fake relationship story. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump with being stuck at home, and this charming, funny, sad, sweet, hopeful book was precisely what I needed to read. Deeply unhappy, Luc O’Donnell burned by past relationships, semi-famous because of the ageing rockstar father who abandoned him, has been self-medicating with alcohol and meaningless encounters. When a picture of him lying in a gutter ends up in the tabloids, his job is on the line unless he cleans up his act. Oliver Blackwood is a successful barrister who banishes his demons by being practically perfect in every way and when a mutual friend suggests that they have a fake relationship with each other to help Luc’s reputation at work and in the tabloids and give Oliver a date for his parents anniversary party they agree to give it a try and discover that maybe opposites do attract and also that perhaps they aren’t so opposite at all. Watching Luc go from hot mess to someone who can express and deal with his feelings plus the well written secondary characters made this a book I enjoyed immensely and highly recommend. Steam Level: Fade to Black. Publishing Date: July 7, 2020. #BoyfriendMaterial #AlexHall #NetGalley #SourceBooks #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram

Went into this book thinking and maybe hoping it would be similar to Red, White, and Royal Blue and was surprised that everything I loved about RW&RB was in this book and more. Luc the son of rock star parents and estranged from his father always seems to be in the press and not for a good reason. Oliver is genuine as they come is the perfect Boyfriend Material for Luc to drag himself back into the positive press. Together they devise a plan to pretend they are fake dating. Except it isn't long into the fake dating when the feelings start to fly. Filled with surprise, humor, and everything in between you will fly through this book.

NEED. MORE. OF THIS BOOK!

Boyfriend Material definitely shoots right up on my list of best reads of the year. I'm usually not a fan of the fake dating trope - BUT MAN DID IT WORK IN THIS BOOK. Luc and Oliver are all kinds of cute, lovable and ship-able. They both go through a lot of character development over the story which I absolutely loved. In the beginning, the two reminded me a little of Elizabeth and Darcy; with Luc always misinterpreting Oliver's actions, and Oliver admittedly seeming a little pompous together. And I still found myself rooting for them from the very first second.

The book is charming, witty and made me genuinely laugh out loud more than a few times. The writing is excellent and I could picture every scene so clearly in my head. If you're looking for a nice Rom-Com to curl up with, I definitely recommend this one!

[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]
What a lovely book! I had a great time reading the not-so-fake love story between Luc and Oliver, just what I needed for cheering me up after some awful readings. I loved them both (although we can only read Luc's POV) and I found myself smiling everytime I was reading, I didn't want it to end! It's so well written... I've only read another Alexis Hall book (Glitterland) and I struggle a bit with the vocabulary he uses (English it's not my native language) but I think his brilliant with words. Everything between Luc and Oliver felt natural and I enjoyed a lot reading their journey from enemies to lovers.
However, everything related to Luc's work put me a bit out of the reading and his relationship with his dad seemed to steal too much story.
But overall it's a sweet, charming and funny love story (almost chick lit, for there's no sex descriptions), perfect for forgetting about real life.
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[Review in Spanish]
Ay, qué bien me ha venido este libro! Una historia divertida y dulce con unos protagonistas que, a pesar de todas sus imperfecciones (y de que te pueden sacar de quicio), se hacen querer y te tienen leyendo todo el tiempo con una sonrisa en la boca. Me lo he leído despacito porque, sin ser una maravilla ni algo novedoso, lo estaba disfrutando tanto que no quería que se terminara.
Un nadismo perfecto para desconectar y pasar un rato estupendo.

First, let's talk about the sex.

Wait. There wasn't any (aside from the slow fade out before anything really happens. You know what I'm talking about). Is this, like, a growth thing for writers? Writers who've been around the block a few times? Let me be clear; I am not decrying this book over its woeful lack of sex. I was just caught off guard. Like, the author chose to rebrand after the five other books I read? It was like listening to Tool's entire discography and macking super hard on Danny Carey's drumming (because duh) and then, suddenly, after six studio albums, you get Metallic Lars. Like, is someone holding you hostage, mate? Blink once for yes!

But seriously, all joking aside--and I am joking because Alexis Hall is a wonderful author with a wonderful story here--I loved these two characters. Mostly Oliver if I'm being honest (Luc is a self-admitted berk). This story was just the right timbre of sweet for which I was aching. The build-up of the romance and the construction of the characters’ lives—mostly Luc’s, with his work mates and group of friends, was spot on and hilarious.

But sometimes you read a book and it's not at all what you thought it would be from the blurb. Boyfriend Material was this for me, which was partly a good thing and partly a teensy bit disappointing, only because it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. From the premise, I expected a strangers-to-friends-to-lovers scenario in which there was a painful slow burn saturated in miscommunication. And *there was all of this*, but because these characters *Arc* and *Grow*, they reveal their hands a lot sooner than I expected. They play off of this place of mutually acknowledged interest in being more than fake boyfriends from almost the halfway point in the book. Which was actually refreshing for the genre, rather than the tension and story riding on the MCs’ ignorance of each other’s feelings.

Overall, this book defied expectations. I enjoyed the characters and their individual stories, as well as how they fit in one anothers'. I couldn't put the damn book down, okay?

I first heard about Boyfriend Material when Kathy (from Kathy Trithardt) reviewed it on her channel earlier in the year and I knew I had to see if I could request a review copy, and hot damn, am I glad I did that. This book is released on July 7th and I loved it so much I preordered a copy of as soon as I finished just so I could read it again in paperback.

Our protagonist, Luc, is the son of two aging, former rockerstars. His father left when he was young and then spent a lot of time in and out of rehab - dragging the family he left behind through the tabloids time and time again. Now in his twenties, Luc is trying to build his own life away from his absent-father's shadow, but an innocent but compromising photo taken after a night out places his tenuous career in dangerous and he needs to find a 'respectable' boyfriend. Fast. Enter Oliver, a straight-laced barrister with ethical views on the world and in need of a fake boyfriend for a future family event. The two decide to fake-date each other for 'good publicity' and it's going great... until feelings begin to get in the way.

There is so much to love about this book, I don't even know where to begin.

One of my favourite books last year was Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, and Boyfriend Material feels a lot like the grown-up version of that,  but with much more relatable characters. Part of that could be that I am closer in age-range to Luc and Oliver and their friends, but I think there's a lot to be said for people working every day lives and having struggles that are easily relatable.

It's easy to fall in love with Luc, who's definitely down on his luck and a bit of a screw-up, but genuinely doesn't want the charity he works (supporting dung beetles!) to suffer because of his moderate child-of-famous-people fame. He's quite negative at the start of the book, but you see him grow so much as a person throughout the book as he begins to realise he can't continue to live his life the way he always has. At some point he has to start to grow-up and that's what happens. Is he perfect by the end? Nope, but he doesn't have to be to grow.

Likewise, Oliver has his own issues to deal with, which are revealed a lot slower, because we don't get his point of view in this book, which I thought was an interesting choice, but not necessarily a negative one. What we know of Oliver, we learn through Luc's POV and I think that it worked really well. We learn about him as Luc does. But there's something about a character who has done really well in his life to prove himself worthy of others, but remains clueless to actually living, and Oliver sits somewhere along that line, doubting his self-worth in a completely different way to Luc.

Then there's all of the side-characters who are just WONDERFUL. From Luc's mother, who's an absolute firecracker, to his friends who help him even when he's being a pain, to Oliver's friends who welcome Luc into their lives without question and show both Luc and Oliver that maybe they do fit into one another's worlds. And those characters aren't just positive - we also learn about Luc's father, who tries to regain a foothold into Luc's life, and we see the impact that has on Luc.

This was just fun and entertaining and an all-round delightful read that I know I will come back to time and time again. If you liked Red, White and Royal Blue but want something a little more adult, then this is the book for you. I can't recommend it highly enough!

fake dating + enemies to lovers + queer + british = I will be screaming about this book forever

I cannot even express in words how goddamned happy this book made me. I laughed, I swooned, I was emotional- this book was an experience to say the least. We get everything from beetles to lawyers to rock stars to bacon sandwiches.

My absolute favourite part about this book was actually not the romance (gasp) - but the humour and voice of our main character, Luc. It is quirky, quintessentially british and hilarious. While the sense of humour will, inevitably, not be everyone's thing- it was without a doubt mine. It was that self-aware, sarcastic and quippy writing style that I am a sucker for, and this was no exception. It was so easy for me to fly through the book without even noticing. It was definitely a case of 'just one more chapter!' (and we all know how that one goes).

"It was so fresh and exciting that I got out of bed without my customary five-more-minutes-whoops-it's noon. I even considered putting actual clothes on, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too much maturity all at once"

This book was ridiculous. Some of Luc's co-workers are... eccentric to say the least. I can definitely see some people disliking that and finding it over the top and excessive but once I got used to them, it only added to the charm of the story.

Now, I should probably stop my gush-fest and mention what this book is actually about. In short,(because you should absolutely read this if you really want to find out *wink wink*) Boyfriend Material is about Luc O'Donnell who works at a charity for dung beetles (yes, you read that right). His reputation has become slightly sullied, so he decides to get himself a well respected fake boyfriend, Oliver, a stuck up, posh, lawyer. Enter in some charity events, French toast, emotional baggage and voila, romance!

I would without a doubt recommend this to fans of Red, White & Royal Blue. Not because this is a rip off of it, but because they both have similar vibes and definitely reminiscent of each other. If you want something that will give you the same feelings as Alex and Henry- look no further! (plus this one is own-voices!)

Overall, the only reason this isn't a full five stars is the slightly lacklustre ending, but don't let that put you off from reading it! I can't wait to see what else Alexis Hall does in the future, but in the meantime I am getting the urge to re-read RW&RB...

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC

Release Date: 7 July 2020

Going into this book I had high expectations because I heard so many good things about it and I was not disappointed. It lived up to the hype. I love a great fake relationship story because you know the main characters will catch those feelings even though they didn't want to. One of my favorite things about this book was how different Luc and Oliver were and they just worked so well together. The way they processed their feelings throughout the book was so real, I think that's why they worked so well together. They aren't perfect, but really - who is? This was my first Alexis Hall book, won't be my last.

In short, I loved this book! The main characters are realistically screwed up and messy, and I like how that manifests in their relationship with one another. The dialogue is so smart. I was always cringing at the way Luc would misinterpret people's intentions through the lens of his worldview and self-perception, then respond in a way that seemed inappropriate or defensive. It can be frustrating, but since we know what's happening in his head, it feels realistic. The writing overall is witty and funny, striking the perfect tone for this romantic comedy.

My only complaints are that the character development feels uneven between the two main characters, and the supporting cast feels a bit caricature-y for me. But they do provide some good humor and a fun backdrop for the story. The romance at the heart of it all is charming and takes the reader on a full, satisfying journey.

2 ½ stars

Boyfriend Material reads less like fiction than fanfiction. No one acts their age, we have an exceedingly angsty protagonist, a plethora of silly side characters who express themselves using a Tumblresque sort of lingo, unlikely interactions, and a lot tropes.
The novel's sitcom-like structure was predictable and often unfunny. Luc O'Donnell's friends, colleagues, and acquaintances had very one-dimensional roles: we have the straight friend who is always having a crisis at work (one more ludicrous than the other), the lesbian friend who is short and angry, the gay couple that share the same first and last name (and are both referred as James Royce-Royce) and have opposing personalities, a few ridiculously posh characters (who had no clue of anything related to contemporary culture or social norms), the fanciful French mother (who is very much the British idea of a French person), the estranged rock star father...
Luc was so self-centred and monotonous that I soon grew tired of him. He has a few genuinely funny lines (when he's told not to give up he replies: "But I like giving up. It's my single biggest talent") but these are far too few in-between. The narrative tries to make us sympathise with him because he's been sold-out by his ex-boyfriend and because he's dad had 0 interest in acting like a father...and yeah, those things aren't great but they don't give him the right to be such a narcissist. Most of the conversations he has with other people, Oliver in particular, revolve around what he has experienced, what he feels, wants, and fears. I just wish he hadn't been so focused on himself as it made him rather unlikable.
The other characters are really unbelievable and behave unconvincingly. They did not act or speak like actual human beings.
The running gags were just unfunny: most characters treat Oliver's vegetarianism as if it were an obscure dietary lifestyle they could never wrap their heads around, Luc's posh colleagues doesn't understand his jokes, while Welsh characters accuse Luc of being racist against Welsh people (this annoyed me because they kept throwing around the word 'racism' when it had nothing to with Luc's lack of knowledge about of Wales).
The romance never grabbed me as Oliver was such a stilted character as to be difficult to believe in. Luc often acted like a child with Oliver which made their romance a bit...yuck.
Sadly, this novel just didn't work for me. It felt superficial, silly, and juvenile.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a book that I really enjoyed. Luc is stumbling through life - sometimes literally. When a pap photo paints Luc as a party boy, and donors pull out of the charity Luc is working for, Luc is forced to "clean up" his image. The consensus is reached that Luc needs a boyfriend. Enter Oliver

Luc and Oliver had a previous disastrous meeting, and Luc is convinced that Oliver is prissy, uptight, and totally wrong for the position of fake boyfriend. Their first few dates seem to confirm this, but soon Luc begins to see other parts of Oliver. Slowly this fake boyfriend is becoming someone Luc enjoys spending time with.

This book is written entirely from Luc's perspective. The constant inner monologue makes this book feel like it's rambling, often too chatty. It soon becomes obvious that Luc misreads situations, and because you don't get Oliver's perspective, it's hard to know exactly where the relationship is going, or what is actually happening. To a certain extent it feels mysterious, but I found myself frustrated because I wanted to know why Oliver was reacting a certain way.

All in all, this was a good read. Parts made me laugh, and some parts made me cry.