Boyfriend Material

I can always appreciate when an author takes oft-used tropes and makes them feel original again. The fake-dating trope is always a popular one and this one plays out beautifully.
The novel is also very British, with more than one quip going over my head, but it remains absolutely hilarious. It also finds that sweet spot of romance that doesn’t shy away from the steamy stuff but also doesn’t turn into erotica.
This will definitely be a re-read next time I feel like turning into mush over two British guys.

I have a hard time with romcoms a lot of the time because I honestly don't really like funny books.. at least not the kind that feel like they're actively trying to break beyond the occasional appreciative smirk into full-on sustained laughter. So when a funny book does get me, it feels like the exception to the rule, and if any author is an exception to just about every rule I've got, it's Alexis Hall.

The reason his brand of funny works for me is that the main characters and the way they relate to each other never feel like the punchline. There may be ridiculous conversations or side characters or what have you, but the things that actually matter are solid. The emotions are all real.

And that's true here as it always is. You've got two people who are messed up and neurotic in their own ways figuring out how to be together gradually under the guise of a fake boyfriend situation, and it just worked for me. I was invested in these people, I was IN IT. I couldn't put this freaking book down, which is saying a lot these days.

And yes, I laughed, because Hall does situational social comedy with the best of them (even though one character in particular reminded me a little too much of the too stupid to live beefcake secretary, Kevin, from the 2016 Ghostbusters movie) But what keeps me coming back to Hall's books is his ability to portray emotionally vulnerability and intimacy like few other authors can.

While this won't overtake For Real or Waiting For The Flood for the top spots in my heart, it was still super enjoyable and compulsively readable!

What better way to settle into a nice three-day weekend than with Alexis Hall's <i>Boyfriend Material</i>. I want to thank the publisher for allowing me to read the galleys of this book prior to publication. Although I am thankful to the publisher for this opportunity, the review is completely my own.

First, I was no familiar with Alexis Hall or any of her writing prior to this book, so it was nice to be introduced to a new author.

Second, I really found the book enjoyable and easy to read. In fact, the book is a pretty fast read.

Third, let's look at the plot. The book centers on Lucian (Luc) and his estranged relationship with his deadbeat rockstar father. Luc is photographed by paparazzi which ends up threatening his job. To make himself look more respectable, he seeks out a "fake" boyfriend. Enter Oliver. Oliver is a barrister (lawyer for those use readers), and he's about as square as square can get, so he's about perfect in the respectability department. Luc and Oliver establish their fake relationship and start getting seen in public together. Will their "fake" relationship be found out by the press? Will the two fall in love and turn this fake relationship into a real one? These are some of the basic questions that keep the plot moving forward in this book.

Lastly, I found this book highly enjoyable. Whether you're reading a book on the beach or in your bed social distancing, I think it's a great summer book.

I adore Alexis Hall and their MM romances are often incredibly sexy and romantic. Hall often uses the opposites attract trope and it always works for me. Luc and Oliver couldn’t be more different in their lifestyles and this is often my catnip, I just love to read it! This book also encompasses one of my other favorite tropes, fake dating. “It’s just for show! I don’t even like them! Maybe I do like them omg I love them!”

The build up between our heroes was wonderful and I love a slow burn and this was a really slow burn. Hall is able to make a sweet kiss incredibly moving and the love scenes were soooo freaking good!

Highly recommend this lovely and sexy romance.

This book was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. A super sweet and adorable m/m romance with the most charming characters and just the sweetest love interests ever! Honestly, this is the book that I want to read whenever I'm having a bad and need a good smile.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review. I couldn’t believe I got my wish granted to read this book from Netgalley. I was so excited when I got it. Thank you for granting my wish!

I adored this book!! I’m thinking a movie or Netflix option in the near future pretty please! This is a book of love, sadness, friendship, family and being true to oneself. Luc and Oliver are totally adorable. They are complete opposites. Luc works for a charity and hasn’t found the one he can trust. Oliver is a lawyer and a perfectionist. Due to Luc’s past behavior he needs to find a respectable date to a work function. Which leads him to asking Oliver to be a fake boyfriend. What starts off as being fake turns into something real and beautiful. I couldn’t help rooting for them. The scenes with Luc and his co workers were hilarious. Especially Alex. My tummy hurt so much from laughing at those scenes with them. I loved the humor throughout the book. I would have liked a better ending. It was too quick and sudden for me.

I suppose that I need to review this book with more than a few squee-ing gifs and emojis, but in some ways I think that should be sufficient. How do you review a book that's so good it's practically beyond words? But here's my attempt:

I've known for a while that Alexis Hall is an unbelievable storyteller. His gift for narration is unparalleled, and the way he brings Luc to life in Boyfriend Material is no exception. But the single POV does nothing to diminish Oliver's vividness, who might be filtered through Luc's eyes but has dimensions and identity all his own. The quirk, the wit, the banter, the emotional turmoil--it all adds up to a perfectly synced romance that will melt hearts all over the place. Luc and Oliver are both struggling with significant self-esteem issues but those issues manifest in opposite ways. Watching them learn each other is freaking delightful. (Have I dredged up enough words that are glowing enough yet? Ugh, I'll scrounge up a few more.) I also loved all the secondary characters. It's a huge cast but they're essential, especially to the theme of found family that centers this book. I laughed, I cried, I winced, I smiled. That's what the best books make me do, and this is one of the best books.

I also believe hidden inside Boyfriend Material is a love letter to the romance genre and its readers. It's obvious from the back copy that this is a fake relationship trope, but there are other gems hidden for a devoted romance reader. There are other beloved tropes woven in (only one bed! can't sleep without him!) that made me squeal. Plus we discover that Oliver is quite dominating in the bedroom ("'I will fuck you, Lucien'--he'd gone all stern and, for once, it didn't bother me at all--'in the manner of my choosing.'") and the way my heart and adrenal glands reacted--yowza.

tl;dr Everyone should read this book because it's the best.

CW: parental abandonment, emotionally abusive parents, homophobia, MC's ex sold information to tabloids, parent with cancer

If I had not started it at midnight, I would have finished it in one go. It has groan-worthy puns and excellent dialogue that made me laugh often enough that my partner called me out on it. In short, it was exactly the mental vacation I needed in these ~unprecedented times~ and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

can't even begin to describe how much I liked this book. It was by far my favourite book of the year from the ones I've read until now, I'm a sucker for British rom-coms.

The plot of this book is that Luc, the son of two rock star parents, and a father he'd never met, is in need of a boyfriend to save his reputation at work and in the tabloids. Enter Oliver Blackwood, a guy that seems the most normal Luc can find: he's a barrister, a vegetarian and in need of a date for a family event. The stars seems to align, and the two begin a fake relationship.

I had my eyes set on this book for the longest time, I love rom-com books, and this one seemed right up my alley. I certainly was not wrong.

The characters and their relationship are what make this book awesome. I fell in love with all of the characters, and even though sometimes I felt like some scenes were dragging a little too long (I wanted to see more of the romance), I completely understood that they were necessary in shaping the characters.

I also loved the British humor. There's just something about a rom-com set in Great Britain that always melts my heart.

Oliver and Luc were the cutest ever. They're not by far the perfect couple, but that's what make them so special for each other. I loved to see them overcoming their problems and their difficulties together. Sometimes I just wished they communicated a bit better, though, I think that would have solved a lot.

The second part of this book was magnificent. I think the story really stars to become more and more interesting and the last four chapters were pure perfection and what convinced me to give this book a complete five out of stars. I won't go into spoilers but some scenes really melted my heart and I was crying happy tears at midnight.

I probably could ramble forever about this book, but I'll stop right here. If you take one advice from me, please take this and read this book because it is the sweetest and cleverest rom-com you'll read this year!

I absolutely fell in love with this, after a dubious beginning, which seems very fitting for the fake boyfriend trope :) 

Also, for those always on the lookout for a good romance with all the feels but without the R-rated bedroom shenanigans, this one's for you. And we still get the passion and the sweetness and the fade to black is handled in such a natural way that you truly will not miss it. It's impressive.

My favorite thing for the majority of the book was how realistic the fake boyfriend plot felt. They don't do the whole "since we're pretending to be dating we might as well get the sexy benefits" thing, and then basically spend the whole book in a full-on relationship while constantly internal dialogue-ing about NOT being in a relationship. 

Luc is genuinely just looking for someone to do him a massive, way-too-big-to-reasonably-ask-a-stranger-for favor, and it is exactly as awkward as it would be in RL to pretend date someone you can barely get through a conversation with without being both horribly offensive and offended at the same time. 

Their initial dinner, which Oliver thinks is a real date, goes so, so badly that there is no contrived feeling to the "fakeness" of the relationship. Their individual brands of self-consciousness just multiply and magnify and warp the other's into even worse places than it started, and there is no way in hell these two would have made a successful go of a real relationship in the beginning.

The writing is also very clever, emotionally insightful, and made me laugh out loud repeatedly. The author is a genuinely intelligent human being, which always comes across in his writing and is one of the reasons I enjoy his books so much. The dubious beginning actually stems from it being almost *too* clever and too quirky for its own good. 

It was self-deprecating joke after self-deprecating joke in a way that would have worked excellently for me in a movie -- and made me think repeatedly while reading it how awesome this would be as a smart romcom -- but it was almost too much to read. That evens out once the initial setup is over and we start getting lots of dialog and interactions between the MCs, though. 

If you find yourself on the fence about it for this reason, hang in there. It's so worth it. (And seriously, that is so fitting for the arc of this relationship I'd almost think it's on purpose, but, well...probably not :)

Absolutely amazing. THIS is what I have been missing in RomComs lately. It's funny, sharp, and very well written. I love, love, love the dialogue and the look at British culture. It has everything you've come to love in an Alexis Hall book (no relation ;-). Go! Read this now! You can thank me later.

Boyfriend Material was everything I didn't know I needed. Battling depression and anxiety, a fake relationship that turns real, and characters I absolutely fell for had me hooked from beginning to end. Cheers to second chances!

Luc is the son of minor celebrities, which makes his every move bait for the tabloids. Oliver is a do-good lawyer who is tired of being lonely. When Luc needs a respectable boyfriend to make his work-life easier after some bad press, Oliver agrees to fill the role in return for Luc attending his parent's party. Thus, their fake relationship begins. What ensues is a wild ride that is both hilarious and emotional, in which both Luc and Oliver have to learn to put up with the eccentricities of the other. I deeply enjoyed their journey, mostly because of the humor the author brought to the characters. I found myself laughing out loud so many times! In this, it was a very enjoyable read. I am not usually a fan of romance writing, but this one may have changed my mind!

It's a quick and funny read that you can't help but get sucked into. There's plenty of banter right from the first page and that completely sold me. Even though protagonist Luc is supposed to the "bad boy" type, he's actually so endearing and authentic that you want to root for him. As a romance reader, you've gotta love a good fake dating trope where they don't like each other, because it makes the eventual feelings feel more earned, justified, and authentic. It's cute, endearing, and very enjoyable! Within just fifty pages, I just wanted to keep reading because even through text they have cheeky banter down pat, and I love it! Oliver is literally the perfect boyfriend, and just wow, it's so adorable to read about. All in all, the book is absolutely adorable and so freaking cute. It's big and sweeping into the beyond adorable love story. The two love interests make each other better and you just want to root for them. The language is witty and you become so captivated by the story.

This book was just... <i>chef's kiss</i>. For one thing, the best way I can think of to describe it would be "rowdy gang of gay english pub crawlers", because this is somehow the most British thing I have ever read, as well as one of the voiciest pieces of writing I've ever read. I don't tend to laugh out loud a whole lot when I'm reading, but god, this book must've gotten me ten to twenty times, easily. It's that perfect brand of hilarious cynicism that I adore, so if you enjoy that kind of snark in your writing, this book will be perfect for you.

I also appreciated how well the topic of Luc's mental health is addressed. It's never dismissed, and it's very clear that the only person that treats it like a joke among Luc's friend circles is Luc himself, and seeing his friends lovingly bust his balls in one moment and come to his rescue in the next was so freaking cute. The moment at the end where <spoiler>they all load into Priya's truck to eavesdrop on the cliche love reveal</spoiler> was so funny, and such a good representation of the types of friends they are - they push Luc to be his best, but they're always there for him to fall back on if he stumbles on his way. It was a really comforting thing to read.

Speaking of the end of the book - I LOVED the trope subversions in this book. I felt like BOYFRIEND MATERIAL was a running conversation between two people that were snarking on other people's romances while accidentally falling into one themselves. It fit the theme of the book so well, and - again - made me love the fact that this was written in the UK. There were points where that subversion was amazing, like when <spoiler>Oliver refused to respond to Luc's come-ons the entire book, until Luc managed to scheist one of his friends, at which point Oliver pushed him into a wall and took him home</spoiler>, but it was also surprisingly poignant and kinda sad, like when <spoiler>Luc realizes that his father wanting to reconnect with him was all a stunt and that he never really cared</spoiler>, or when <spoiler>Luc confesses to Oliver at the end of the book and Oliver still turns him down</spoiler>. There were so many ways this book tried its hardest to make the romance feel less like one you'd find in a romance novel, and surprisingly, it didn't come across as over-the-top, fourth-wall-breaky like I'd have expected. It was just.... honest. This book was incredibly honest.

The only reason I'm not rating this five stars was because I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the way some of the side characters were written. The comic relief in Alex, Luc's idiot, oblivious, incredibly posh coworker, was confusing, because he didn't seem realistic at <i>all</i>, and all it did was cheapen the effect of the rest of the book. The scene at <spoiler>about the 30% mark, where Luc and Oliver meet Alex and his fiancee at a fancy club, was bizarre. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to feel that disjointed compared to the rest of the book, but it did, and all I could think during that scene was how much I wanted it to be over so we could go back to the normal, familiar writing style. Seriously. I think there's a block of back-and-forth, nonsensically-written dialogue that lasts five whole pages in that scene. It was borderline torturous. Was that intentional?? Who's to say.</spoiler>

But honestly? That's the only criticism I have. This book presented mental illness and recovery from depression impossibly well - not just by showing that it's <i>possible</i> to claw your way out of a mental hole like that, but that it always helps to have friends at your side. This book also did a fantastic job of presenting the different <i>ways</i> depression manifests itself, and the way at the end <spoiler>that we finally realize that Oliver is just as messed up as Luc is was incredibly well done</spoiler>.

I could read another ten books in this world. But for now, I think I can settle for rereading it ten times in a row instead.

-

(Special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the NetGalley arc!!)

The problem I had with this book was that it felt like two wildly different genres that didn't fit together at all. On the one side, there was what was essentially a sitcom. Luc's queer friend group that could have come out of a quirky Netflix show. The gay couple where both are called James Royce and who now got married and now they're both called James Royce-Royce I wish I was making that up, the tiny angry lesbian that never says something that isn't an amusing insult, the token straight friend who always has amusing catastrophes happen at her work...I'm not saying I wouldn't watch this quirky Netflix show but I can't deny how hilariously over the top everything about it is.

Also over-the-top but not hilariously is Luc's workplace. I recognise that the incompetence of everyone there is supposed to be amusing but I just didn't find it funny at all. One colleague seemed like he was supposed to be Arthur Shappey but written by someone who had no idea what made Arthur Shappey charming and funny in the first place and the rest...to be honest I have already forgotten the rest.

Well, and the other side is not a comedy at all. Because Luc has serious issues (and so does Oliver). Perfectly understandable issues considering everything that happened to him but issues nonetheless. And because of these issues, he has some unhealthy coping mechanisms and doesn't do relationships very well. Again perfectly understandable. Only, I had to keep reminding myself of that because if Luc just had a conversation with James Royce-Royce and James Royce-Royce and then learned that due to an amusing misunderstanding a newly translated book will be titled I'm out of the office at the moment and will reply to this e-mail next week I expect that the next relationship-drama to be similarly over the top and not...this guy has trust-issues because his father and his last boyfriend were assholes and now he pushes people away instead of letting them come close.

I even think the way Luc - and later Oliver's - issues were handled and dealt with was done quite well but mixed together with the over-the-topness of the side-characters it just didn't fit together.

This wasn't a standout but it was a sorta kinda cute British romance. One of the key components about this novel I really liked was the opposites attract theme. Luc and Olivier worked out beautifully and it was great to watched them grow together. Besides that, there's not much to rave about. I liked the characters but the rest of the content… was a snoozefest. I just didn't care much about the storyline. It was dull and bland which is disappointing considering I had high hopes for this. Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.

What a superb story!

Fans of Alexis Hall know to expect something marvelous, but Boyfriend Material goes above and beyond. The dry, silly, often heartfelt humor keeps this one moving at a fast pace, and I found it was over much too soon.

Hall writes incredibly interesting characters. From Luc's zany group of friends, to his complex relationship with his folks - and the same to be said about Oliver's people. Bonus: the whole thing comes from Luc's point of view, which just keep the light-hearted insights rolling along.

An absolutely charming romance, plus a lovely hurt-comfort aspect, and a fabulous fake relationship trope make Boyfriend Material one of the most enjoyable novels of the year.

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review



I go on Netgalley, and sometimes wish for a book. For the first time ever, a wish was granted, and it was for Boyfriend Material - the one I really, really wanted.


And I have to say that this is my favourite Alexis Hall book since Ardy Baby's series

First of all, I love the cover. I am really liking the cartoon style covers more than photographs these days.

Luc and Oliver's tale is an adorable story of opposites attracting. They shouldn't work, but they totally do. I came in expecting a lovely rom-com, however I was not expecting the emotions that I felt. So many feels on Luc's part.

There were plenty of laughs and adorably quirky moments. Luc is the awkwardish, weirdish but completely lovely to Oliver's buttoned up, stiff upper lip. They complement each other so, so well.

And there are some secondary character that I insist get a spin off book. Alex and Miffy are so marvelously clueless, that I smiled every single time they were on the page. They made me laugh our loud with the level of dumb - but it is not a stupid level of dumb. Think of Hugo and Alice from The Vicar of Dibley and you have Alex and Miffy.

Boyfriend Material also gave me Bridget Jones' Diary vibes - and I love that movie hard.

I finished and wanted more.

"That reminds me. How did your date go?"
"It was awful. We have nothing in common. I think I might have sexually assaulted him. But we're going to pretend to give it a go anyway because we're both desperate."

Boyfriend Material is about Luc O'Donnell, son of a washed-up rockstar who just wants to live his life away from paparazzi and those determined to compare his mistakes to those of the father he's never even met. But after a bit of bad publicity threatens his job and his sanity he comes up with a plan: pretend to date someone respectable enough to pull his reputation out of the gutter. And his best friend has the perfect candidate, Oliver Blackwood.

In an effort to be transparent I have to admit what first drew me to this book was the similarity in covers to Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue. It is so beautiful and I just love illustrated book covers. Typically I am not a fan of comedy, but the description sounded solid - and, of course, the gorgeous cover - so I made an exception. And I'm so glad I did. Boyfriend Material is the first rom-com that had me actually laughing out loud! I was constantly cheering my ship while simultaneously cursing them for their dumb behavior. Sometimes it felt like there was only one brain cell to share amongst the cast and the only ones with access to it were Luc and Oliver.

Speaking of Luc and Oliver, I loved how dynamic they were! This was more than an opposites-attract romance. Their relationship was one of mutual understanding, support, and ultimately love. Hall didn't just focus on one person's fear, for example. These characters were real and complicated. Through them, the book addressed some challenging themes regarding trauma, self-destruction, and finding happiness, and I believe the author handled it wonderfully. Never once did I think that they couldn't be real people.

My brain took longer than I would have liked adjusting to the Britishisms and cultural references (curse my limited and Americanized worldview), but once the shift happened the story moved relatively smooth, only requiring the occasional visit to urbandictionary.com. I think the writing was perhaps a bit too casual in some chapters, mostly in regards to sentence structure or word choice. This occasionally led to what felt like awkward moments in dialogue or paragraphs that needed rereading to be wholly understood.

Boyfriend Material was a joy to read and I can't wait to see what Hall write's next.