This is the perfect book for romantasy lovers, especially for fans of the ACOTAR series. I personally am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre so I had a hard time connecting with the main character. This follows Jennifer who is a huge fan of Elytheum. She goes to a week long retreat that is all things Elytheum. All the food, activities, and wardrobe have to do with her favorite series and she gets to meet other people who love the series just as much as her. She has always dreamed of her prefect book boyfriend in real life and what better place to find that person than a huge convention for that fandom. There’s only one problem… her work enemy who supposedly hates that series is also at this retreat.

Such a whimsical idea! The descriptions made me feel like I was there in the fantasy. The characters were fun and witty. Very on trend.

This book was fun and not at all what I was expecting. Some of the points were a little too cheesy for my taste, but it was a quick read and definitely a unique story.

The romance built a little too slow to convince me they really liked each other by the end, the plot was full of book related chaos that was overwhelming at times with the corny aspects.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good and the character's were developed very well.

This was a fun read! I really liked the setting and the concept of the experience. I know I would jump at the chance to immerse myself in the world of my favourite book! Jennifer was an interesting main character and I enjoyed the growth she had over the course of the book. Her chemistry with Scott was great and I loved how this was a story of love, friendship, and the power of a great book to bring people together

Thank you Net galley for the ARC!

While I loved the plot and the banter, I felt that Jennifer was reacting very odd to situations and made her come off immature! If it was only once it would be one thing but I felt she was getting more and more insufferable throughout the book and it just gave me the ick!

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a lighthearted and charming rom-com that taps into the growing cultural fascination with fictional crushes and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. The chemistry between the two main characters is palpable, and the dual perspective gives readers a nice glimpse into both the heroine and hero’s internal worlds. While the book is undeniably fun, some of the plot twists and character choices feel a bit predictable, and the stakes of their relationship could have been explored with more emotional depth. At times, the pacing can feel uneven, with certain conflicts resolving too quickly and others feeling slightly contrived. Overall, Book Boyfriend is an enjoyable, easy read perfect for fans of light romance.

I like these authors, but this wasn't my favorite. I think it's a great concept to have a fictional land come to life. And I liked the scavenger hunt and the competition.
I thought the enemies to lovers worked, but I just didn't click with these characters.
A cute read that many will like, just wasn't for me.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I was surprised I really enjoyed this one! I’m not a fantasy reader but I loved the setting of the immersion experience! I also loved the insight into fantasy readers and hope they see in their characters. This was a fast read with likable characters! I definitely recommend for a fun read!

Sadly this one was not a win for me. This had a super fun concept--our FMC meets a guy cosplaying as her favorite book boyfriend from her favorite romantasy series, and the romance sparks from there. Unfortunately the FMC was the main issue I had with this book; she behaved very immaturely through the majority of this book and it drove me absolutely nuts. Otherwise, this was an entertaining rom-com type of read.

2.5 stars rounded down. Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As someone with many book boyfriends, I think this book is a must-read.

Jennifer sublimates reality by diving into her favorite book series, even going to a festival devoted entirely to the series. Her work nemesis also ends up in the same place with a different motivation.

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka deftly create a fantasy world and dive into why some people lose themselves in these worlds. On the flip side they also adeptly look into some of the ways that becomes a crutch to avoid reality.

It's a slippery slope of fandom and realism that leads to our main characters learning more about themselves and the reader taking a deeper look at themselves.

Another win from this writing duo.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of BOOK BOYFRIEND by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!

3.5 stars

This cozy, fluffy read about a work adversaries who collide and eventually connect at a conference centered around the (invented) popular romantasy series Elytheum Courts has a lot of charm. Jennifer is thrilled that her best friend and fellow series fan Amelia has been hired by the author to put on what is essentially a week-long immersive LARP focused on the series, with panels, skill-building workshops, and other events, transforming part of College of Hollisboro’s lovely campus into the Elytheum Experience.

Told in their trademark alternating chapters, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka take on the voices of fangirl Jennifer and her nemesis Scott as they first compete, then join forces to solve a themed scavenger hunt to win the prize of a date with an actor cosplaying the romantic lead of the series: Lord Valance. Newly single–Scott witnessed the embarrasing dumping in the lobby of the publishing house they both work for–Jennifer desperately wants to win the date, but Scott is on another mission: to take self-improvement notes to become someone worthy of inspirating the love and devotion fans have for made up characters (book boyfriends).

The snarky humor is as much of a delight as the obvious love for reading in general (allusions, especially to Pride and Prejudice, are numerous), romantasy overall, and A Court of Thornes and Roses specifically. The dialogue is bantery, but even the description of work (remodeled into “cozy” wood and glass”) cracked me up. Descripions of scrumptions food, elaborate costuming, and a very well-thought out gamification make the writing top-notch. Subplots abound: another attendee, Erik, shows up to compete for the (already assigned role) of Lord Valance to gain the author’s attention and favor. Amelia’s burnout and her possible attraction to Val adds another layer, as does Jennifer’s processing of her recent breakup, new friendships, and a thorough examination of what she really wants and needs in a partner. The characters are sometimes immature and sometimes stereotypical (muscled airhead Erik is endearing, but not deep), making this feel a bit like a young adult book, except for the innendo and an explicit sex scene. The pivot from enemies to lovers feels a bit too abrupt and gave me whiplash, especially given Scott’s attitude about romance from the beginning. Still, this sweet literary read with it’s homage to the Dewey Decimal system and romantsy will find it’s readers; nothing tops The Roughest Draft for me.

I received a free, advance reader’s copy of #BookBoyfriend via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley. This review will post to HLBB on 2/26/2025.

Thank you for the chance to read this e-arc early! I really enjoyed this. Of course, since I am a big romantasy reader I could relate very much to the idea of book boyfriends, fantasy lives. The idea of spending time at a place designed to be similar to my favorite fantasy book series- that seems like the ultimate dream. I loved the characters. Jennifer was very relatable and of course I had to love Scott. This book was very fast paced and I read it very quickly. Jennifer at her worst could be juvenile but it didn't bother me because- can't we all? I felt the characters were nuanced and had a lot of growth individually and together as the story progressed. Overall, this book was a love letter to fandom and was fun. Was it perfect? No. there were moments of cringe but all in good fun. Definitely recommend to anyone that thinks the concept is fun and want a quick, lighthearted read.

This was a cute quick read! All the ACOTAR and book lover references were fun… definitely a vibe read so go in with an open mind of just having a fun read!

These authors wrote The Break-Up Tour, which can make any Taylor Swift-loving heart happy. This novel is for the Rhysand fans and for anyone who has read a book about some otherworldly man and enjoyed a blissful escape. The main character adores a book series reminiscent of a popular romantasy series, and decides to go to a week-long immersive experience after a break up. When she gets there, she spots her work rival and cannot figure out why a man who scoffed at her fandom interests has learned how to raise his eyebrow the way most book boyfriends can. This story was a cute read. It did a good job of showing how books are so personal to so many people and highlighted how much we can learn from romance.

This was a super cute book that was a love letter to books and fandoms. I would have loved this book if the contest hadn’t gotten in the way. I did not enjoy that aspect. But I liked Jennifer & Scott.

this entire book was such a fun concept and was really unique in my eyes. i loved every single minute of it

Wow!! The tension between these two characters was so fun to read. I was dying for them to talk more! The steam was amazing! Way more detail than I remember in previous titles. The storyline was fun and perfect for anyone that has been obsessed with a series. A true love letter to fandom!

Can’t wait to see this on shelves!

This book has an interesting plot concept. FMC is obsessed with a series similar to ACOTAR, and goes to a week-long full immersion experience for the fantasy world. after breaking up with her boyfriend for being too romantic but not realistic. But little does she know her work enemy is also there learning how to become a book boyfriend. That was an interesting idea, but the execution wasn't something I really enjoyed. Anyways. I will dramatically tell my friends the plot so we can LOL about it, but I will not recommend that they read it.