This book was definitely written at a 4th grade reading level mixed with gay sex, but I enjoyed it. I liked the chicago descriptions, and as a hairstylist, I also enjoyed it. Very simple story. Nothing new, groundbreaking, or memorable. It did entertain me. Easy read.

This was a cute MM romance. Andres deserved waaay better. Bastian was not a character I enjoyed reading.

This is a review of an ALC of Boystown Heartbreakers by K.C. Carmichael via NetGalley,. Thank you to the publisher and author!

Best friends to lovers is one of my favorite relationship dynamics.
I could still like a couple even though I'm not a personal fan of the characters, but unfortunately this wasn't the case. The lack of communication made the plot lose intensity and just missed the mark for to really make me feel the angst and feeling.
On top of that, I had a hard time connecting an even likening the main character and his choices.

Another round of editing to polish up the relationship could have greatly improved the book.

Good audiobook narration, no complaints there.

Overall, unfulfilled potential, the author has room to grow but it's a decent debut. 3/5 stars.

Boystown Heartbreakers is a heartwarming friends to lovers romance. This story is written from a single POV, with characters that were full of life. I loved that the main character and his love interest were in different careers within the service/hospitality industry, and loved the behind the scenes of the salon world.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, with a narrator who did a fantastic job. I listened at 2x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media (as well as Rising Action) for this advanced audiobook copy.

This book is the perfect romcom and I love it. I always love a romcom but this is an achillean romcom, so it is even better.
Bastian is adorable, so I adopted him. He so unable to life, I want to protect him so badly. And he’s so blind, he’s so obviously Andres is obsessed with him and had fallen in love with him so long ago.
I enjoyed the banter, whom were perfectly delivered by the narrator. I laugh a lot and I sigh a lot, so it was the perfect romcom. Yes, I know, I have already said that, but it’s not my fault it is what it is.
I enjoyed this book a little too much, I think, and I can’t want to read the next work of this author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Bastian & Andres were so much fun!
I do wish Bastian had woken up a little sooner, because I was not the only one who could see they were meant to be, but I digress.
Favouite line?
"Let's do a pizza night. I'll bring the toppings and you concentrate on the dough."
"Are you saying you want to top my bottom?"
The audio was amazing and the side characters were vibrant, totally excited to see what else K.C. Carmichael does in her sophomore book.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my ALC.

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #BoystownHeartbreakers by KC Carmichael in exchange for an honest review.

The audiobook was well done. The narrator did a great job of conveying the story and the characters in a way that kept me excited to get back to this story. The characters are believable and relatable and that makes for a great read in a contemporary romance. I felt like I was a friend to these characters and I was sitting in Bastian's chair hearing all the gossip while being treated to having my hair done which as anyone who has had a great stylist knows is one of the best feelings. Check out this audiobook if you haven't already read the book. Actually, even if you've already read the book, you should check out the audiobook.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Boystown Heartbreakers follows lifelong best friends Bastian and Andres after Andres suggests they try dating. Bastian has had bad luck dating and a long list of boys names who have broken his heart. Andres has been his best friend forever and wants to make good on a promise he’d made to Bastian when they were just boys: that he would marry Bastian to make sure he’d never be alone.
I thought this book was really sweet! I liked both of the main characters and I liked their history together. I did find it a bit wild how quickly Bastian went from vehemently saying no to dating Andres to being totally cool with it and being naked together, but hey. Get after it! This book moved quickly and I liked the secondary characters. There wasn’t a ton that went on but I still enjoyed it. It was well narrated and the conflict felt plausible.
3.5⭐️

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC audiobook.

This was a friends to lovers MM story.

It was very sweet story following Bastian and his lifelong best friend Andres. After Bastian gets his heart broken again Andres suggests that they should date so he can show Basitian his true worth.

This book was only in Bastian's POV and his self-worth and insecurity is a massive running theme throughout this story and can't see why Andres would be with him.

Andres is so sweet and patient shows his how much he loves and cares about him , in the most consistent and thoughtful ways

A sweet MM with a third act breakup up but HEA.

Wow! I had such a good time listening to this!! The narrator was and and the author created an adorable story! This is a best friend to lovers queer romance. Yes, please. More, please!!! The characters were too cute. Loved it!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook ARC! I freaking loved it!

I really liked one of the lead chracters, but not the other one so I wasn't rooting for the relationship unfortunately.

ARC AUDIO REVIEW: This book was hilarious! Bastian was relatable and had the best jokes, while Andres was so so so sweet and had the best line! I found the topics in this book not in your face, they were normal and relatable relationships from friendship drama. I loved the friends-to-lovers trope and how it was utilized to make their relationship grow deeper. And by the way, Bastian has been Andres’s boyfriend for like 15 years. Bastian just was never told that was the case. The narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job capturing the voices of the characters, I found myself laughing and thoroughly entertained throughout the book.

Big shoutout to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the awesome opportunity to dive into this book! Thanks for letting me join the adventure early!

3.5 stars rounded up

Synopsis: Chicago hairstylist Bastian Russo has only three things to his name: a pair of $1,200 shears, a Boystown studio apartment, and a list of men’s names written on his closet wall. His constant worry that he’s not good enough and his chronic inability to trust are what leaves him heartbroken time and again.

After he adds the latest name, he turns to his best friend, Andres Wood, for solace. But instead of treating Bastian to dinner, drinks, and the usual effortless banter, Andres makes an interesting suggestion: that Bastian should get over the breakup by dating … Andres.

Sure, Andres is successful and attractive, but he also knows everything there is to know about Bastian—including what an insecure pain in the ass he is. Meanwhile, everyone in Bastian’s life, from his mother to his co-workers, thinks he’s an idiot for not having dated Andres already. So, what could go wrong?

Everything.

Now Bastian has to sort out his inadequacy and trust issues to prove he’s worthy of transitioning from Andres’ best friend to his lover. Otherwise, it’s a matter of time before one or both of them end up on Bastian’s list of Boystown Heartbreakers.

Review: Look this wasn't a life changing book or anything like that. But it was a cute friends to lovers with pretty low stakes. It was cute and funny and I had a good time.

Oof, the self-sabotage was strong with this one! But Andres was truly perfect, and I really liked Bastian, when he didn't have his head up his ass.

The audio of this was wonderfully produced, and the narrator was superb.
However, the story itself left a lot to be desired.

The first half of the book had me really invested, but then the same drama kept happening and it lost me. For a short book, Bastian really knew how to centre himself in everything.

There was nothing in this for me to really root for Bastian and Andres to be together. Maybe it's the childhood friends to lovers trope that sits really uncomfortably in me, but idk. I just kept getting told that they're perfect for each other - and Andres was always doing wonderful things for Bastian, but Bastian was definitely not reciprocal at all. It was all one sided.

I wanted to love this a lot more than I did, and I hate that I didn't, but yeah, it was a bit meh in the end. I was just hanging for it to be over.

This book was super cute, and I enjoyed the narrator's performance! As someone from Chicago, I understood and appreciated the references, though I'd be lying if I said the quips about the Cubs didn't hurt (although I fully agree that game days are nightmares). The biggest reason I can't give this book five stars is that Bastian got on my nerves after a while. There's quirky and "cute" insecure, and then there's insufferable-blames-all-their-problems-on-everyone-else, which is what Bastian is. I'm unsure how to deal with the fact that he was aware of and acknowledged most of my complaints about him in the book, so hats off to the author. I enjoyed the story and the characters and wished I had my own Andres.

I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for something fun, fluffy, and set in Chicago.

REVIEW: Boystown Heartbreakers ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was in the mood for a cute little romance book, and Boystown Heartbreakers was a perfect fit!

Bastian is a hair stylist in Chicago who has another bad breakup once again. He is so sick of always getting his heart broken. When he tells his best friend and restaurant owner, Andres, about it, Andres suggests they should start dating and see what happens. Bastian is hesitant but agrees to see.

Boystown Heartbreakers is such a sweet little story, and it fulfills the longtime friends-to-lovers trope that I adore. The chemistry between Bastian and Andres is great both physically and emotionally. You can really tell how much they care about one another and it is so heartwarming. I also really like the supporting characters in Boystown Heartbreakers. They all added some fun to the stories. Listening to this as an audiobook, I really enjoy the narrator and how much expression he put into his voice.

At first, it was slow for me to get into, but once it grabbed me, I was in it. Although I do think it was important for Bastain’s character growth, I am getting a little tired of miscommunication conflict. Lastly, I wish there was a little more to the book. It just feels like it barely scratched the surface and I wanted more time with these characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed Boystown Heartbreakers. It really hit the spot for a cute and heartwarming romance.

Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Boystown Heartbreakers was a light spice/fade-to-black romance and was super sweet. I was rooting for them right off the bat -I'm always down for a friends-to-lovers. Is the plot particularly original? No. But classic rom-com tropes are classic for a reason. However, I hate a third-act breakup and this was no exception to that rule. I probably would not read this again, but I would recommend it to a friend looking for a run, breezy, low-stakes queer romance.

To be honest, the main character was insufferable for the first half of the book and the whole time I couldn’t help but think that Andres deserved better.

Bastian just wouldn’t take accountability for his life or happiness and bless Andres for wanting to help him/ loving him despite how unbelievably annoying he was.

I think the eventual character growth made sense but by the time Bastian really started maturing I was sort of over him. The HEA was nice, and it was a very easy listen - sort of read like a chill beach read.

I got this ARC on netgalley in exchange for a review and all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. First off it's not too long so it was great for travelling. The narrator was really well spoken and made the book flow with ease. At one point I thought it was Tyler Oakley but it wasn't. The book was a good listen, it has everything you could want, heartbreak, romance, suspense and character development. It was a little repetative in places and that's the only reason I gave it a 4 star, that and I wish the ending was a little better even though it was really cute!

Spoilers: I loved how his first client in his new salon was Andres, it wrapped it up really well and was mega cute. I felt like the chase from Bastion at the end was a little overdone as it's obvious throughout that Andres loved him but I guess that's what the heartbreak was about. That being said, did Bastion stay on the wall?

Great book, well recommended!