This was heartfelt and warming and trope-y in the best possible ways while also being filled with grown up emotions and conversations. All the side characters were truly a delight. Alex Twaddle- is wholeheartedly- a gift to this world. I never want to meet him in real life or I may be forced to punch him but his every moment in this book was incredible.

Luc and Oliver while making me suffer all kinds of secondhand embarrassment at first were truly precious. I liked watching them learn how to exist around each other and as much as I appreciate some endless angst, I really did love them being (mostly) grown up and talking when they needed to.

This was my first Alexis Hall book and I don't think it'll be my last!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher. I have enjoyed reading this. Love it so much! Wonderful storyline and great characters.

4.5 Stars

Highly enjoyed this, and it was sooo close to a 5 Star read.

What I liked:
- Banter for days
- Slow burn
- Chemistry was palpable
- Quite funny
- Fake boyfriend trope is always fun
- Oliver’s subtle toppy/D vibes.

“Anyway,” Oliver went on, “you didn’t let me finish.” “And I’m usually so considerate in that regard.” Up went that brow of his. “Good to know.” And, for some reason, I blushed.

What I didn’t:
- We don’t get to see Oliver’s perspective. I really wanted inside his head.
- Little/no steam. Both times were fade to black. (This one isn’t a huge deal)
- The last and most egregious error imo was the lack of epilogue. Totally abrupt ending with too little resolution.

I loved Oliver and Lucien so much and honestly just wanted to see more. Overall this was a fun and engaging read though, and I’m so glad I requested it.

“Lucien,” said Oliver, in the soft, low voice that made me want to curl up inside him. Like, not in a serial-killer way. Like, in a blankety way. “

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Both main characters were very relatable especially when it came to their behavior in relationships. I mean who hasn’t self-sabotaged? There was decent character development albeit a little slow, especially with Oliver’s character. I wish there was more about him towards the beginning. It would make the ending feel less rushed. It kind of reminded me of Red, White, and Royal Blue, but without the royal and political titles. It also lacked a little of the detail on that book. Overall though it was such a fun read, and sometimes you need something light, fun, and full of laughter.

Lucien “Luc” O’Donnell’s life is a mess. He lives in the shadow of his aging rock star parents despite never meeting his father. A father who is trying to make a comeback which thrusts Luc into a spotlight he doesn’t want. Bad decisions lead to bad photos which can lead to consequences he can’t afford.

In order to turn his life around and clean up his image, Luc needs to find a normal relationship. Enter Oliver. Oliver Blackwood is everything Luc isn’t. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and most of all he avoids scandals. The problem is Luc and Oliver don’t care for each other. They agree to be fake, public boyfriends until things have calmed down. The issue is sometimes when you fake it for long enough it starts to feel real.

If you enjoyed Red, White, and Royal Blue I think you will enjoy The Boyfriend Material. It’s a fun and endearing love story between two men who just want to find what we are all searching for: love.

I tried to get into this book, but I found the main character insufferable so I didn't get very far unfortunately.

Posted to Goodreads: Luc O'Donnell is famous because of his musician parents. Luc's mother was a singer who had a few successful albums and his father was a superstar who is now the star of a reality television show. Luc goes from slightly famous to tabloid fodder when he is photographed in an unflattering situation and his job is suddenly at stake. Luc wants to makeover his public image and he decides the best way to do that is to show the world he is in a great relationship with the perfect boyfriend. The only problem is that Luc is tragically single. He finds the solution to all his problems in stuffy barrister Oliver. Oliver needs a boyfriend to accompany him to his parents' anniversary party and he agrees to be Luc's perfect fake boyfriend. The only problem is that as the two spend time together their fake relationship begins to feel very real.

This book was just really fun. Luc and his bumbling through life supplied many laugh out loud moments. Plus, Luc and Oliver's relationship's evolution from strangers to friends to something more was the stuff of great romcoms. This book was a quick and fun escape that was just what I needed in the middle of the craziness that is the year 2020.

I am such a sucker for "fake" to love relationships, and Boyfriend Material doesn't disappoint! The book is nicely set up and gives you just enough info on the characters to be interested but not too much where you are bored.
Luc has never met his dad, has been rock star now making a come back, but it doesn't stop people from using him to sell newspapers and tabloids. It ends up causing him to mentally shut down and even loses his lucrative career. The only place that will hire him is a charity for dung beetles.

A photo taken at the wrong time, makes his life seem out of control; to the point that it is damaging the charity. So either clean up his act for find another job. A fake boyfriend seems perfect on the surface but when it turns out to be Oliver the plan seems impossible. They both take the other at surface value, which leads to their distain. Oliver is a lawyer, who is clean cut and seems to have the perfect life, minus a partner of course.

I loved that both guys had problems to sort through and even the most "perfect" guy was putting on an act to some degrees. This book dives deep but still retains that dry British humor we all know and love.

Excellent book! Give it a try!!

I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to the publisher for sending it over.
Only a few issues i found which were
-grammar. Some misspellings / weird words which I’m assuming will be fixed in the final proof
-the whole “dad” plot was just unneeded and seemed shoved in? Especially with how it ended. His dad is famous, he has nothing to do with his dad, but everything else was just unneeded
-i didn’t understand how Luc was “that” famous outside of his dad, considering he lived a normal lifestyle. Why did the paps care about him?
-that being said, why did they care enough that he needed a fake bf?

Other then that, i really enjoyed it. It was funny and cute and the relationship was really nice between the characters

A wonderful set of zany, inclusive, heart warming characters populate this British sitcom. I'm calling it a sitcom because it's a closer description than romcom for this hilarious take on the fake boyfriend trope.

You'll laugh, cry and laugh-cry as you follow Luc and his friends and family navigate Luc's love life. My very favorite however, is Oliver, the fake boyfriend. I fell for him from the start. His level headed advice and support of Luc was perfection. I can't imagine anyone else able to bring Luc out of the self inflicted downward spiral of his life.

But Luc isn't just a mess. He's a self-depracating, gooey center marshmallow with a serious case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. Luc and Oliver aren't just a case of opposites attract, they're a case of opposites are the perfect half of a whole.

If you're in the mood for a romance with lots of laughs and lots of feels this one will hit the spot.

Boyfriend Material was a fun M/M romance. While it did include some course language (of the cursing variety), there were no explicit depictions of bedroom scenes, making it a good choice for people who are just dipping their toe into the LGBT romance genre (or for those who don't like hardcore sexytimes in their romance read).

Full review to come in BookPage.
My very quick first take: Brilliant. Hilarious. A worthy literary millennial update to the screwball comedies of the 1930s even though most of the pandemonium is confined to Luc's head. I loved both the main characters and their friends and family. Even though this was a great comedic romance, the social observation and critique around socially acceptance and respectability politics in terms of sexuality was totally on point.

This book, overall was delicious.
The main character has a distinctive voice which takes self deprecation to a new level. He's neurotic as all get out, and while his unabashed ownership of personal issues can sometimes be frustrating, it gives him a great beginning place for his arc. He grows and matures and finds his way out of toxic patterns without resorting to being preachy or sounding like a self-help manual.
The match with Oliver is a classic case of the Odd Couple, but they're so stinking adorable.
Both leads bring a funny, quirky cast of side characters with them.
This isn't a dual POV novel, which sometimes left me longing to be in Oliver's head. However, the single POV is immersive and charming.
I'd definitely read this author again.

I loved this book! The exclamation point was because I'm surprised by that. Although I am gay, they deactivated my card years ago because of non-use. I normally read spy thrillers and mysteries, and classics when I'm feeling guilty about my preference for airport fiction. I stayed up until 1:30am in order to read this in a single sitting.

I was more than pleasantly surprised by how well-written this book is. The character development is superb, and most of them manage to be amusing as well as slightly poignant. The plot (and yes, there is quite a good one) is witty, fast-paced and romantic without being the least bit cheesy. I am not an immediate convert to the genre, but I am going to read more of Mr Hall's books to be certain this one isn't a fluke. I doubt that somehow.

I lived in London for many years and appreciate this sense of humor. It is much more subtle than, say, Joe Keenan is. While I was reading, I kept mentally seeing the film that needs to be made of this book. It's more Notting Hill than Love Actually. Elton John needs to play Jon Fleming.

From the moment I saw this cover I new that I HAD to read this book. A gay romance set in London? That’s a big yes please!!!!! Added bonus was that I got to read it during Pride. I don’t read a whole lot of fake dating trope books, I have nothing against them, they’re just not what I normally pick up, but this one blew me away.

Both Oliver and Luc were well developed and rounded. Both had unique personalities, insecurities, and well rounded arcs that made them feel like real people and not just perfect beings found in a book. In addition to Luc and Oliver I loved the side characters. I found Alex and his stupidity absolutely hilarious and ridiculous in the best possible way. I also love that two of Luc’s best friends were a gay couple with the same name. It’s the little things that make book thoroughly enjoyable.

My only struggle with this book was the first person POV. Having the perspective be Luc telling the story took a little getting used to, but once I adjusted to it it wasn’t distracting. I’ve seen a few reviews referring to this book as the new Red White & Royal Blue. I’m not sure that I would go that far, but it was really really good.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super impressed by the characterisations in this romance; this is how you write well-rounded characters with flaws and charms and give them room to grow. I love a good "fake relationship" plot, and this one-- Luc needs to get better occasional tabloid coverage or risk the donors at the dung beetle charity he's the fundraiser for withdrawing support completely-- was so weird and specific. Everything felt completely believable, and despite how extreme the side characters' lives and habits could have been, they slotted in nicely to Hall's world.

When I requested Boyfriend Material for review on Net Galley, I did so because it sounded like it could be an interesting and fun read plus I’d heard good feedback on other Alex Hall books though I hadn’t read any myself yet. I admit however, upon opening the book and seeing 1) it was written in 1st person & 2) it was over 400 pages long to letting out a grimaced “eek”. After all I’m not a big fan of 1st person storytelling and that’s a lot of story. But I went ahead and dived in. The first couple chapters were a little slow but after that the story pulled me in and I’m so happy I got the chance to enjoy this book. This may well be one of the best written 1st person POV books I’ve read. It doesn’t take long till it’s not so much a book as feeling as if you’re hanging with Luc as he tells you about how he and Oliver got together with & despite the help of his quirky friends & clueless coworkers, unusual family dynamics and their own fumbling around learning about each other and how to mesh.

This is a very British feeling book (which since takes place in London makes sense) by which I mean the much of the slang and terms are British (or so I am assuming since, again takes place in England) rather the more familiar (at least to me) American English terminology. I.e.: took a moment to realize that when Oliver was wearing a jumper it was a sweater. For me, the language just helps further add to the setting and atmosphere of the book and Luc’s story storytelling. While the sex is pretty much fade to black after some kisses, there is plenty of intimacy between the two as they communicate and open up to each other and learn to “fake” boyfriend together (and to be honest, do you really want to hear your friends tell you how they and their other half “got it on”, in detail? Yea, me neither so it wasn’t missed). There is plenty of humor and witty banter that had me laughing out loud as I read. While the story is being told via Luc, you still get a good sense of Oliver including his smarts, fears, sweet goodness and (of course) quirks. Together they make a great couple, bring out the best of each other. You can’t help but fall for them and root them on to their HEA.

Oh, and about that big page count – well, after the slowish start, it is a lot of story but is well paced, interesting and well told (did I mention, lots of laugh out loud moments?), you won’t notice or mind the pages turning as the clock fades away while you get happily entertained by Luc telling how his needing a “fake” boyfriend progressed into he and Oliver maybe just pretending to continue being “fake” boyfriends into the long term. It’s a story I am happy to recommend you take the time to check out.

Trigger warning: homophobia, anxiety, eating disorder, cancer

This is a story about Luc, whose father is a has-been rock and roll legend. When paparazzi keeps on targeting Luc and his embarrassing mishaps and turn them into crazy stories, he gets in trouble at his workplace. So to get out of it, he decides to get a fake boyfriend to let the paps no he's not all that bad.

Things I liked
- Luc and Oliver's first date was kinda awkward and it felt veresimilitude (they use that word a lot) because you can't hit it off with a person immediately.
- the fake dating trope
- the "there's only one bed" trope
- it made me laugh out loud quite a few times so the author nailed it with the comedy
- Oliver basically reminded me of a mix of Captain Holt and Amy Santiago from Brooklyn Nine Nine (a great TV show) and it was really cute. The most sophisticated cutie I've ever read.
- Luc's group of friends were really entertaining especially Bridgett
- Oliver making Luc feel better was the sweetest
- Luc and Oliver having inside jokes was adorable

Things I didn't like
- Luc being miserable about himself and his life was a bit too much
- Alex, who is Luc's colleague, is a character who is extremely dumb but I guess the author made him like that for comedy purposes but it ended up being kind of annoying. I constantly rolled my eyes during any conversation with this character. Thank God he was just a side character.
- excessive use of the f* word. I get it, it's adult fiction, but do you have to curse so often?
- the story got a little slow around the middle where I thought this book could've been shorter

Overall it was an entertaining read. It was one of those books where I liked the love interest more than the main character. If you want a great romantic comedy with more comedy than romance then this is the book for you.

Rating : 3.5/5 stars

When I read this description I knew I would love this book. Wonderful characters. Witty and smart. I highly recommend this book to everyone. It was a fun read that shows romance is still alive.

Okay. So.When I first saw the cover it was giving me major Red,White&Royal Blue vibes which I LOVED. Seriously... This cover is so gorgeous. After reading the synopsis I felt lie it resembled some kind of a Turkish TV show to be honest because this "fake lover" trope is used very widely in Turkish shows lol. Usually it's not something I enjoy that much because I feel like it's not done nicely and it's straight. (I obviously don't have anything against straight people lol but it sucks watching the same kind of plot with straight people every fucking time. WE NEED MORE REPRESENTATION Y'ALL. This book had so much rep. Bisexual , lesbian,gay and queer parents trying to adopt. Which made me jealous of Luc for having this many queer people to hang out with because I never get to do that lol. Although I kind of felt like the lesbian rep was a bit stereotypical in the beginning because she was a lesbian with multicolored hair and who wears Doc Martins... I know it's not a negative kind of stereotype but... still. Anyways just wanted to say that as a sidenote. So, another bonus is.... THIS BOOKS TAKES PLACE IN THE UK. I am a sucker for UK if you haven't figured it out. As for the characters ; I might have fallen in love with them. Oliver... He was such an amazing character to read. I expected him to be this kind of nerdy and soft ,innocent man. But he wasn't like that. Which made the story more interesting. HE IS A AlSO A BOOKWORM . Then there is Luc. I was expecting him to be a some kind of bad boy but he was actually sweet ,dealing with low-self esteem all the time. I actually related to his thoughts a lot in a way I wasn't expecting at all. And the fact that he is 28 and still hasn't gotten his shit together was kind of making me feel hopeful to be honest.Luc's mum is the cutest ,sweetest and funniest human being. There was also a Muslim character but I honestly get over sensitive about Muslim representation because it usually sucks. The story over all, made me
smile constantly. It was one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. And even though it was a rom-con there were many serious issues addressed and it was nice to see them explored. Racism,homophobia etc. It kind of felt like a queer version of To All The Boys I've Loved because of whole "fake boyfriend " thing. The last few chapters just left me wanting more and more and always excited about reading what was going to happen.I was so curious.Things got real heartbreaking real fast but I think that's because I am usually emotional The ending was so beautiful and honest and raw. I loved it.The only negative thing I have to say is : It felt a tad bit too long but I feel like it being long helped build up the story and the bond with the characters better.

This book is stunning i swear to god if you have read heartstopper then you will know why i love this. But just be aware at the begining it is a bit slow.
It shares 2 main character name Oliver and Luc their relationship was very sweet though they were suppose to fake it. They cared and adore each other from the beginning. There were many points in this book which showcased different moments of them suppoting one another which a normal couple will do. I found it so cute😍😍😍😍😍