After a humiliating gaffe that results in public rejection by her crush - which is caught on film and starts a social media frenzy - Ellie heads to England to study abroad and get some perspective for a semester. Ellie's in over her head academically, but makes friends quickly with the other students. She also meets a dashing Brit who wants to date her. Is gorgeous Will the boyfriend of Ellie's dreams?

Hot British Boyfriend was just okay. Its strength was in its side characters and their characterization and development. The European travel aspect and development of the friend group was strong as well. As for the main characters/romantic plotline, the poorly-executed trope driving the story was the major detraction. Will, the "hot British boyfriend" was treated as a prop by Ellie and as a clichéd plot device by the author. I felt no emotional investment in the relationships or in the main characters because you could just see the romantic plotline plodding robotically towards its foregone conclusion. Overall, Hot British Boyfriend was an average read, which casual readers may enjoy.

I received this e-Arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sense & Sensibility meets Anna and the French Kiss.

This book grew on me - I hated it for the first half, and then I ended somewhat charmed by the love interest and the story's conclusion. Part of my problem is that I went in thinking it would be similar to Her Royal Highness, and Will and Ellie were both just the worst characters right off the bat. I had no interest in seeing their relationship play out, and they both felt flat and annoying and boring. As the side characters get more page time the story improves, and once I realized the story was slightly modeled off Sense & Sensibility I better understood what Krisy Boyce was trying to do.

Ultimately a fluffy book that will appeal to teen anglophiles, but there are better "went to a boarding school overseas and fell in love" stories out there. Some good material for readers about what makes a dating relationship work and about the pitfalls of romanticized ideals about love.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced review copy!

A feisty, fun, romp of a rom-com with a dorky, enormously likable protagonist, realistic high school characters, a lovely European setting, and, of course, a Hot British Boyfriend! This book was an absolute delight to read, and I know others will be charmed by Ellie's story of discovering who she is and what she truly wants.