Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a fun, flirty romance about Luc, a man finding himself in a bit of a mess. Though only peripherally famous- his parents were rock stars decades ago- the paparazzi still to catch him at his worst moments, much to the dismay of his job at a charity where he's expected to appear to have it together for the donors he's courting.
To improve his image and keep his job, Luc needs the right man on his arm- so he sets out to find someone to be photographed with and take to his work fundraising event as his "boyfriend."
The only person he can find is Oliver- the last person on earth he wants to spend time with. The complete opposite of Luc, Oliver has it all together. A rising career as a lawyer, a perfect body, a socially conscious world-view.
They reluctantly begin "dating" but realize they may enjoy spending time with each other more than either of them realized.
While this book initially appears light and fun, there is some great character development here as Luc and Oliver both come to realize things about themselves that's more than you'd expect from the average romance novel.
There's also the discussion of the homophobia and mistreatment the men are subject to in their personal and professional lives, making this a book.
While you'll enjoy the fake-dating trope, British humor, and witty banter, this book has a lot more substance and is definitely one to read and think about.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Boyfriend Material’s Perfectly Imperfect Story

First off, a big thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca

Current and old fan-fiction readers unite, here are three words that will pull you in and make you read this book without fail: fake dating trope.

If you’re like me, you love a good fake dating storyline and “Boyfriend Material” by Alexis Hall definitely delivers on that premise to create a fun yet angsty story which explores the mental exhaustion of being in a relationship, how to grow as a person and the joys of having someone along the way.

“Boyfriend Material” is about Luc, a 28 year old man who just so happens to be the son of a C list celebrity, who hates his life and hates how the media portrays him. When his job is on the line though, he realizes he needs to change his look, and what better way to show he’s matured than a boyfriend? Cue Oliver, a well put together friend of their mutual friend, Bridget, and his need to not be alone at his parents’ anniversary party and you have the recipe for a fake boyfriend. Although Luc starts off with his first impressions of Oliver and doesn’t think he’ll enjoy his company much, Oliver surprises Luc and they quickly grow close, and their feelings maybe (read as: definitely) cross into more than fake.

I wanted to read Boyfriend Material for a while, and when I got approved for it I was simply over the moon. I dropped everything I was reading to pick this book up and it did not disappoint. At times it was a little cringey and there were moments I was sad the emotions didn’t hit as hard as I would have liked them too, but I still loved my experience nonetheless! One of the best parts about the book was the outlook it has on relationships and how they are used to help people grow and showcase the comfort of having someone to fall back on. Luc seems to start the book at square one and doesn’t know where to go, but Oliver’s role in his life shifts dramatically and allows for a beautiful showcase of character growth and creates a sense of relatability with the reader.

Another great part of this book is its hints at bigger issues that wouldn’t quite fit the main theme of the book, such as Oliver’s body image and his unhealthy lifestyle. Hall uses these subtle references and suggestions to create characters that are flawed and not perfect, but allow for growth and make them even better pieces of the puzzle they fit into in this book. It creates a sense of depth to the reader and allows for a better experience.

Whatsmore, the book has many moments of less seriousness and at times is just a fluffy, fun, angsty book about two people who are using each other and get way more than they bargained for. I love fake dating stories and sometimes it’s very hard to nail that trope just right because of its fan-fiction association, but luckily this one doesn’t feel too forced over unnatural.

My only complaint about this book is that while it sometimes manages to land an emotional scene that feels right, there are other scenes that don’t quite do it for me, and that’s how I felt with about half, if not more, of the scenes. There is heart in the book, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t quite have the emotional punch that “Red, White & Royal Blue” or “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” did, and I didn’t go into this book expecting it to live up to those books.

The Verdict
“Boyfriend Material” is another book that you will definitely want to add to your summer reading list! It’s a good story that will make you want to read more romance novels like it, and honestly when is that ever not welcomed? It will make you laugh, it will make you sad and will have you saying “thank god” until the last page.

“Boyfriend Material” is out on July 7th and don’t forget to support your local booksellers!

Thank you so much for granting my request for this title. Unfortunately, I have chosen to not finish this title. I read twenty percent of it and I have decided not to finish it at this time. I struggled with my interest in the plot and characters. The writing style was too hard for me to read. I feel like the writing was a bit all over the place and not well explained / detailed. I will not be posting a review for this, unless I decide to finish it in the future. I wish this book all the success.

Kind regards,

Brittney

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 4.5/5
Actual rating: 4.5/5

First things first, this book is absolutely hilarious in a dry, witty, very British sort of way. It’s light and funny, with minimal angst. At times, the humor does seem to go a little overboard, but not in a way that really bothered me or detracted from my enjoyment of the book. The story is fast-paced and among the humor, we have some soft, emotional scenes sprinkled in. Hall’s writing is engaging, easy to read, and vibrant. I loved all of the characters (other than the mean ones, haha), who, including the side characters, are all wonderfully interesting and charming in their own ways. We have Luc, our main character, who is sharply sarcastic and struggles silently with trust and self esteem issues. His life at the beginning of the book is a bit of a mess; he’s in danger of losing his job, his flat is a dump, and the newspapers delight in painting him as the drunken playboy son of two former stars. In order to clean up his public image, he needs to paint himself as one half of a loving, healthy relationship, and what better way to do that than by fake-dating Oliver Blackwood? Oliver is a barrister, perfectly put together without a single scandal in his repertoire. He’s also delightfully sweet, patient, and quirky. To be honest, in the beginning, I didn’t get how Oliver was putting up with Luc, who was selfish, frustrating, and quite frankly, rather rude (but in a I’m-glad-I’m-not-dealing-with-him-so-I-will-enjoy-the-hilarity-from-the-sidelines way), but as Oliver starts to really get at the core of Luc’s insecurities and take him apart, we see how well the two of them work each other out, and the end result is tooth-achingly sweet. My one gripe is that the big conflict between the two characters seemed to come out of nowhere, which was a little jarring. With a good fake-dating story, you expect some quality angst, so I was waiting for it, but it didn’t come the way I thought it would.

All in all, an incredibly enjoyable book. Please pick up for a funny romcom/sitcom of a book! I definitely recommend it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish for this book!

I love a good fake relationship trope, and this book was so well done! Luc needs a respectable boyfriend to help him keep his job, so he comes up with a plan to find a fake boyfriend. Oliver just so happens to be in a similar position, not wanting to attend his parents 40th anniversary party alone. They decide to put aside their differences and help each other out, but the line between fake relationship and real feelings blurrs quickly.

I absolutely loved Oliver, and only wish I could've gotten into his head. I'm a sucker for dual perspective, and was craving his POV. He was charming, and irritatingly perfect in a way that was adorable. Meanwhile, Luc was a bit of a mess, but I enjoyed the raw honesty of his character, and all of the growth he experienced throughout the book.

This book was well paced, and I liked seeing Oliver and Luc slowly lower their guard and fall for each other. It was low on the steam scale, with more of a fade to black. I loved the romantic moments, especially when Luc began to see the potential for a real relationship, and there were some great laugh out loud scenes. The running "Dick" jokes were my favorite, along with Luc's attempt to tell jokes to his coworker.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read! I'd definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a bit of a slow burn romance.

A Rom Com is the perfect showcase for Alexis Hall's sparkling wit and intelligence. His typical snarky wit and self deprecating humor work especially well here. Boyfriend Material is the kind of book that makes you want to highlight every line, or read each line aloud to passers by.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall has probably my favourite implementation of the fake dating trope ever.

Luc O'Donnell's job is put at risk due to unfortunate paparazzi pics, that leads to some donors pulling out of the charity drive he's in charge of. He needs to put out the image that he has his life together, queue one of his co-workers suggesting he get a fake boyfriend.

Luc doesn't think it'll work out, who in their right mind would want to be his fake boyfriend after all? Turns out Oliver Blackwood is up for the job, and he just so happens to need a date to his parents ruby anniversary party.

Luc and Oliver know each other through a mutual friend, and they have some history... Luc drunkenly coming onto Oliver and Oliver doing the right thing by refusing. They both seem to think the other dislikes them at the start, which makes the angst extra spicy.

This book truely is a masterpiece. Luc and Oliver both have problems that lead to difficult situations, but they work through it with brilliant banter and heart-skippingly tender moments.

Boyfriend Material had me invested from page one and by then end, all I wanted to do was turn back to the beginning and start the journey all over again.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one was really lovely. Like the Royal We, it’s perfect for all the Anglophiles. Alex is as good a leading man as Mr. Darcy. Highly recommended.

This was a cute story of Luc's personal life affecting his work life. He had to find a fake boyfriend to help boost his reputation. Oliver ends up being that person. It's one of those books where you kind of know how it is going to end, but the author did a great job of throwing in a few twists and turns to reach the ending you were expecting. I do feel like the book dragged a bit in the middle, but overall I enjoyed it!

I'm always game for a book that leans into the fake dating trope. Throw in some British humor and a barister, and I am sold. While Luc and Oliver aren't immediately #couplegoals, it's worth the wait in this charming book that will delight fans of books like Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Usually I go into romantic comedies expecting lighthearted writing and low angst, but not necessarily expecting actual comedy. I was surprised by how funny this one was; I was actually laughing out loud, in public. Some cultural things went over my head, but I still enjoyed it very much. I imagine for readers who get who get all the colloquialisms and cultural references, this book will hit it out of the park. For readers, like me, who don't mind not getting every single bit, but focus on the wider story interspersed with some brilliant moments, this story will be a fun distraction.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, I almost abandoned this one about 15% in, because I felt like Luc was way too needy. But then, he had to find a fake boyfriend because of complicated reasons at work, and it turns out he found just what he needed — Oliver.

This was sweet, and had more depth than I expected, and it also had some truly hilarious side characters and some excellent tongue-in-cheek mockery of the posh London set, which were all delightful. It is a romance for sure, but Luc, the abandoned son of a famous rock star, is also working through a lot, and the steam factor is really low, so even those of you who don’t typically like romances will enjoy it!

I was hearing all kinds of buzz about this story and when I checked out the blurb - it seemed to fall exactly into the category of book I live for. I mean, a M/M kissing book? YES PLEASE.

Unfortunately it became apparent very early on that this author's writing style and my reading style didn't mesh well at all. I found the pacing slow and the detailed explanations of everything meant my interest wandered and I was skimming to get to the "good" parts very early on in the story. By 20% I knew this wasn't going to work for me.

The story is probably wonderful for the right reader! The writing style is just not for me...

For better or for worse, I really love the fake dating trope.  Which is why I was so excited when the publisher granted my wish for Boyfriend Material on Netgalley.  

Luc and Oliver each need a man to pose as their boyfriends.  One for an image rehabilitation, the other for a family event.  What could possibly go wrong?  Oh, how about everything?  Right up to and including faling in love for real.  Which is exactly why I loved this book so darn much.  Because everything that could go wrong, did, and yet, they still managed to not jump ship and flee the country.  

At first, Luc is a right jerk and not even in an endearing way.  Just a bitter, heartbroken idiot.  He's extremely unlikable, even though you know he's hurting from a previous breakup, but he's awful to his friends, awful to Oliver, really just awful for the first quarter of the book or so.  But, there was something in Luc that let you know he was redeemable, that he wasn't going to be like this forever, and that's what kept me reading.  Because honestly, he was really funny and self-deprecating.  

Oliver is your stereotypical British barrister from the get go.  Uptight, inflexible, and a little stuffy.  It was so much fun to watch Luc chip away at that exterior and get to the real Oliver inside.  Those bits of wry humor that really let you know that he's burying a wicked sense of humor were some of my favorite parts.  

When they're together, Luc and Oliver are as adorable as it gets.  Someone told me that this book was basically a rom-com and they were right on the money.  It's funny, it's heartbreaking, and it's utterly ridiculous in the best possible way.  Because Luc is so prone to using humor to deflect his feelings, it makes that much more of an impact when he truly starts to feel things, really pulling at my so easily played heartstrings.  This was exactly what I needed after a long and difficult first half of the year.

Alexis Hall is a master at crafting characters and worlds that read as fully real. Boyfriend Material exemplifies what he does best and the two main characters will be your old friends by the time the book ends. Their dreams, their goals, their relationships, their realities - each of these is artfully fleshed out and honed with his trademark humor and turn of phrase. I loved this book. It made me laugh long and loudly, shake my fist and grit my teeth, and smile dreamily as these two meet and fall in love under the pretense of a fake relationship. It reads as highly British and very romantic. Highly recommend this one.

Mega charming and actually comedic rom com! This is sure to be a hit among the people who loved Red, White, and Royal Blue, for that chatty, fanficcy vibe as well as catnip for Anglophiles.

It's really a fun read, if a sort of mildly wacky, opposites attract, fake dating story appeals to you (as it should.) It's at four stars for me because I actually wished there was a little more conflict, more plot. Sarah MacLean says she asks herself the question as she is writing "why can't they be together RIGHT NOW?" as the key one to building tension in a book, and indeed, the tension was very low here. Also there's a gesture at the end that I won't spoil but bugged me because it feeds into something that I find hackish and lazy in broader culture. A bee in my particular bonnet, to be sure.

This also isn't the first romance I've read with a single POV where the other main character is the more buttoned-up, mysterious one. It made it a little harder to love that character, because I was interested in him but he was hard to know.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

Son of a former rockstar Luc seeks reputable barrister Oliver to steer clear of bad press. Though real feelings seem to have been inevitable and they admit to each other that said feelings exist, they decide to keep the faking as par for the course until their respective events. Despite their internal conflicts and challenging family dynamics, they defend and care for each other more than they could bargain for. But, after their arrangement reaches its expiration, does the faking finally stop and onto for realsies? Or, is it goodbye, so long, farewell?

Imagine a witty British sitcom—hilarious, light-hearted, crazy friends, crazier families, but then underneath, there’s always something deeper. I enjoyed Luc’s and Oliver’s story, all written in Luc’s POV. The dialogue alone was actually a story in itself. Really though, it was all about taking risks and not running away when the going gets tough, how your partner can really bring out the better parts of you—the parts that were there all along, and fighting for what you truly believe in. Oh how I thought Oliver had all the swoon, but Luc definitely came through in the end. A delightful romance to pick up this summer, for sure!

A fake boyfriend tale that is laugh out loud enjoyable from onset to conclusion. One seems to have nothing together; the other to have everything in hand. Yet together they flail about in imperfect harmony forging an honest relationship out of a fictional one. Highly satisfying read. And much of it read aloud in delight.

Boyfriend Material is an enemies to lovers adult contemporary romance starring Lucien (Luc) O’Donnell our main character and Oliver Blackwood in a fake dating relationship situation. It is a British male x male romance and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Luc O’Donnell is the son of two famous rock stars that split up when he was young. Now around 20 years later Luc’s rock star famous father wants back in his life. Luc is caught in a compromising position and is pushed to clean up his image, taking on a fake relationship with a man who is neat, proper, and has a good reputation. At this point, Luc takes on Oliver Blackwood whom he does not get along well with and I loved the way they have an enemies to lover's fake relationship.

It was amazing to see their relationship grow from hate to love and that even though they did not have a lot in common, they still made time to get to know each other during the fake relationship to get to know each other even though they did not have any similarities. I loved that even this book made me laugh and there were some tough moments throughout the book between Luc and Oliver that made this different than other fake relationships because of their strong connection with each other besides their first interactions before the events of the book. Not all relationships are perfect and Luc and Oliver really showed that even though this is a book the growth between them was really strong.

I enjoyed them very much and loved Luc’s friends for their interactions and how whenever they were a part of the story the made me genuinely laugh out loud and the way they acted strange and weird made their friendship unique because of the crazy conversations and events that they did together and how they had each other’s backs throughout the whole book.

The family representation was strong and showed the lack of connection as well as the strength of a connection between family members. Luc’s father was a big part of the story in terms of family and I wish that there was more interaction between Luc and his father even though the appearances that he had were understandable however throughout the book it felt like Luc’s father was not important when he was a big part of the story.

I absolutely enjoyed Boyfriend Material and rated this book four stars and think that if you are interested in an adult contemporary romance, this is a fantastic book to pick up. It is funny, romantic, and has great connections between characters that anyone can enjoy.

Fake relationship? British boys? LGBTQ+ characters? I'M TOTALLY IN!

'Boyfriend Material' caught my attention right away. I read the synopsis and I already knew that I would love the book. Also, the cover is so so so so so gorgeous!

This rom-com came just at the right time. I was in need to read something lovely, emotional and funny. The fake-dating which turns out true-dating is so amazing! I recommend the story of Luc and Oliver to everyone!