2.5 stars

Idiots to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I loved the idea of this, sadly it fell pretty flat to me.

I don't really want to list all of the things that I didn't like, so I guess I just say that I needed more conversation, more showing instead of telling, and even a sliver of chemistry would have worked wonders.

Overall, it was an interesting idea and I did skim through to see how it ended, but I could have easily DNF'd.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I tried and tried and tried but I could not get into this book. I have loved one book these authors put out and disliked 3, so maybe they just aren't for me.

2.75⭐️3🌶️

First person
Work rivals
Cosplay
Opposites attract

I couldn’t help but smile when Book Boyfriend seemed to nod to ACOTAR—specifically the Night Court balls. It was a fun reference that added a playful touch to the story.

The book starts off in New York, immersing us in the publishing world, but quickly shifts to a weeklong book fandom event on a small college campus. The setting felt a bit ambiguous, which was interesting in its own right, though I was never quite sure if I was supposed to take it literally or as a more whimsical backdrop.

The pacing took a while to pick up, with quite a bit of reflection before the plot truly kicked in. At times, it felt like a slow start. Personally, I would have preferred to see those reflective moments play out on the page in real time, rather than as a chapter-long memory. The jump back in time was a little jarring.

The characters had their moments of charm, but also some traits that didn’t quite resonate with me. I wasn’t a fan of the MMC trying to craft a “fantasy MMC” persona—it felt a little forced and ingenuine. As for the FMC, I found her character a bit too flaky for my taste. The miscommunication between the two was also a bit too contrived and felt a bit overdone.

There were certainly parts of the book that were endearing, but at times it seemed to lean too heavily on familiar tropes, making it feel a little stereotype-driven.

Thank you NeyGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a delightful tale that pays homage to all book lovers who have found themselves captivated by fictional characters and worlds. This charmingly funny and sensually written novel is brimming with absolute joy.

This is a cute rival coworkers to lovers romance! I found the set up to be super unique. The fandom aspects were so much fun. I love loved the opposite attract set up. The two of them falling head over heels made for such a cute read.

Thank you berkley romance and NetGalley for an arc!

What to expect
✨ Rivals to lovers
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ Coworkers in a competition

This might be my favorite Emily and Austin book yet! I loved this fandom world they created (and I would like to read this fictional fantasy book series, please and thank you) and I loved watching the two main characters fall for each other. A perfect love letter to the romance community!

This book was everything I hoped for and more! As a reader who loves being immersed in fandoms and finding fellow lovers of series this was so fun! Could feel the tension between Scott and Jennifer long before they realized it! I don’t feel like I’ve read anything quite like this book, and appreciate what both authors brought to it! Will be suggesting this title for our library!

This book was so cute! I really related to the main character , Jennifer. I saw so much of myself in her. I do wish we had Scott’s POV, I think it might’ve rounded out the story a bit more for me.

Thank you to Berkley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Worth is thrilled to attend a week-long fan experience inspired by her favorite romantasy series, Elytheum Courts. It also means a week-long escape from her work nemesis, Scott Daniels, who rejected her friendship and makes fun of the books she loves. So you can imagine her disappointment when Scott appears in the cafeteria on the first day of the experience. Determined not to let Scott ruin her fun, Jennifer tries to out-perform him at every event. As the lines between real life and fantasy blur, Jennifer finds there is more to Scott than his cold exterior. Is real love, with all its potential for heartbreak, better than the romance in her favorite book series?

This was a fun read and I loved the messages about the power of hope in fantasy. Fantasy, especially fantasy romance, gets discounted a lot, which is unfair. Book Boyfriend discusses the value of this type of literature and how it creates a community as well as inspires readers. The story is a quintessential enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance, and I appreciated the unique premise. I would love to attend a week-long fan event! Anyone who prefers books to people and loves trading fan theories will relate to Jennifer--I certainly did. It was lovely to see what Jennifer and Scott, two polar opposites in many ways, could teach other about life and taking chances. This book should be a definite add to your TBR!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really like that the book evolved around a fan retreat for a fantasy series that has a huge fan following—that was a cute take for a contemporary romance. The enemies to lovers aspect was really good and their witty banter was top notch. That being said though the lovers part kind of happened abruptly?! I’d say the title is a little misleading in that Scott wasn’t really any ideal book boyfriend given the reason they’re “enemies” to begin with…but maybe that’s the point?

Also, pleaseeee give us an epilogue! I need to know about grad school, if they still work together, all the things!

Read this if you like:
✅ enemies to lovers
✅ grumpy x sunshine
✅ coworker relationship
✅ competition

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc!


So i really enjoyed this book! I don't really like Jen, but i love Scott. The side characters were great. I think they absolutely should have banged in the library. I dont get why Scott left so abruptly. From that point to the end of the book, it just wasn't as good.

A book written for the Romantasy Girlies wanting to read something lighter than wars between fae but still want vibes.

The only flaw is that the first few interactions between the main characters felt kinda awkward. I wasn't sure if it was show that the FMC was kinda awkward herself or if the authors' didn't realize it was kinda odd.

This is a lighthearted, humorous romance book that delivers a unique take on rivals to lovers - a trope I very much love. This is also perfect if you're looking for a romance book that is easy to get into and features fantasy romance fandoms (especially those similar to popular ones on BookTok)!

Thank you so much for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!

3.75/5

WELL.

Alright, I’ve been a pretty steady fan of EW & ASB adult romance books. They usually cover some good themes and have a swoon factor I enjoy. It’s also nice that they are on the lower end of the spice scale so it’s not in your face throughout.

I loved the initial idea with this book and how it felt like a love letter to fantasy books (and readers in general). I loved the immersion set up and I would absolutely attend one of these events if I could.

What kind of lost me was that it didn’t feel romantic. For a book centered around a fantasy romance and finding romance, etc. I did not feel that from the characters. The clue hunting plot (+ some side characters) was very much center stage and I wish it would have focused more on Jennifer and Scott. Not to mention, the third act was ridiculous.

I did love the audiobook and thought that the production and narration was great. If you want to read this book, definitely recommend that route.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: mild
Romance: 2 open door

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

🙌 What worked for me:
• I loved the fantasy fandom written into this romance! I wish this fantasy series was real because I'd totally read it.
• Jennifer and Scott's rivals to lovers romance was adorable and well written.
• The friendships Jennifer formed while at the Elytheum Experience was such a fun part of the book. Almost a found family feel to it.
• I liked the scavenger hunt part of the book. It was a fun part of the book.

🚫 What didn't work for me:
• Third act break up. I was waiting for it, but I was still super annoyed by it. The reason for it in this one story felt especially stupid.
• While the overall story was cute, there wasn't much character background or building, so the characters were all just kind of one-dimensional.

🤜 Would I recommend: if you are looking for a cute, quick, fluffy read, then yes.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Rivals to Lovers
✔️ Fantasy Fandoms
✔️ Found Family(ish) Trope
✔️ Scavenger Hunts

Romantasy lovers won't want to miss this new enemies to lovers romcom from married author duo Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka that sees Jennifer, an obsessed fantasy series fan forced to spend a week with her workplace rival, Scott when they both show up for a the same event designed to challenge fans of the Elytheum series. Full of forced proximity tension, secret pining and fun fantasy inspired events and tasks that Jennifer and Scott have to complete for a chance to solve a puzzle and win a grand prize at the end of the week.

At times this book felt a bit slow-paced like not a lot was happening but by the end I was won over by Jennifer's character growth and her realization that losing herself in fantasy isn't always the best way to live and that real life can be its own kind of magic, especially when you find the right people to share it with. Good on audio narrated by Helen Laser. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the free ARC and to @prhaudio for the ALC!

Books about book lovers are the best! Jennifer works for a publishing company, but her real passion is a certain fae romantasy series that she has read multiple times. She gets the chance to live out her dreams for a week in the immersive Elytheum Experience. But her annoying coworker and rival shows up as well. It’s a classic enemies to lovers with the two of them spending more time competing for clues in the scavenger hunt than enjoying the many classes and activities. The chemistry and tension between them is thrilling, but I appreciated that they took time to talk and become friends before, inevitably falling into bed together. The spice was fade to black, but still satisfying. And I really enjoyed both main characters and watching their relationship progress.

It’s single POV, and the narrator did an excellent job bringing all the various characters to life. Her reading was easy to follow.

The supporting characters were a fun bunch. Each had their own reason for being at the Elytheum Experience, and they all grew through their experiences.

The plot was action packed and so much fun! I’m not a romantasy reader, but I could easily picture myself enjoying a week devoted to a favorite world-building book series. My only complaint was the third act breakup. I’m actually not normally against a third act breakup, but this one felt unnecessary and a bit contrived.

But overall I really enjoyed this book. It’s a love letter to readers, especially those that get lost in other worlds and wish real life could be as good as a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Doesn't ever girl want to live inside her most favorite fantasy books? I know I do. Given the chance to experience this with a character, I jumped right on it. I really enjoyed The Breakup Tour so my expectations for this book were pretty high.
Jennifer Worth lives her life without taking risks. She works in publishing, but doesn't pursue her dream of writing. She lives for fantasy book boyfriends, but is too afraid to put herself out there to find love. When she gets the chance to spend a week immersed in her favorite fantasy story, she's surprised to find her rival, Scott Daniels, is also attending the same event.
This book had so much potential to draw me in and make me feel all the feels of what living in a fantasy story is like. The plot has a fun vibe: let's immerse ourselves in a fantasy based experience and live like our favorite characters. It had a renaissance fair flare to it. Unfortunately, it did not live up to that hype. While the story itself is cute, enemies to lovers and all that, it completely missed the mark. I wanted to fall in love with Jennifer and her nemesis Scott. I wanted to watch their sparks fly despite their "hatred" of each other hoping it would ignite their chemistry. But I didn't see any of it. What I got was a slow paced story with a lot of references to a fake fantasy that I felt zero connection with and a couple who have no chemistry to speak of. Jennifer is grumpy, then she's happy, then she's sad, then she's anxious. And, while one can certainly experience all those things, none of those characteristics helped me understand her or see her develop into something more. As for Scott, he's obviously into Jennifer but deigns to act as if he's at the experience for other reasons. Without his point of view, it was hard to get a read on him. I didn't like him or dislike him, I just had no connection with him and didn't feel like I needed to root for him to end up with Jennifer. His character was flat and barely developed beyond what we see in the first few chapters of the book.
Overall, I just wanted more from this book. Given my love of the previous book read by these authors, I was also expecting it. The premise was something I thought for sure I'd love, and it was, but the execution was not what I needed it to be. It just didn't quite pull together in the way I would have liked. If you're looking for a cute story with not much substance to the romance, this may appeal to you.
2.5 stars rounded to 3

"No magic in the fantasy novels I’ve cherished practically my entire life, intertwining them with my personality and now my livelihood, is as powerful as hope."

The authors of Book Boyfriend offer up this lovely pearl in the opening pages and it really is the theme of this book. The hope of something better. The hope of <i>being</i> someone better, someone different, someone stronger...someone else. And there is nothing quite so useful, powerful and liberating towards that hope than (at it's best) embracing fandom.

In many ways, the love that is explored in Book Boyfriend isn't the love of the FMC and MMC for one another (though that definitely is explored), but instead is a love-letter to fandom itself. At it's best (and let's be honest - fandom isn't always or even often at it's "best" - it can be a real mixed bag), it can be a wonderful way to meet people, explore yourself and let yourself just dissolve into something larger than you are. There is a certain alchemy that happens when you put on a costume and pretend to be someone other than the "real" you (though this book does a fantastic job of encouraging you to be that person in real life, too). You can be all those things I wrote above. You don't have to be a cubicle worker, or a construction worker or whatever it is you do to earn your keep - you can be a hero, a villain, a scoundrel, a princess...anything your imagination can come up with.

But it can also limit you. It can also stunt your growth. You can find yourself in doubt about who you really are. You can put people on pedestals, or maybe fail to notice them at all. The key is to find the right mix. To use fandom as both an outlet and a means to explore ones self.

This is a very long-winded way of saying that I really enjoyed this (as I often note: go elsewhere for a breakdown of the plot - the blurb does this just fine). It isn't perfect - by the end, I really wanted the main character to stop comparing everything to things in the fictional world she was obsessed with. But then again, I've never been like that. I've always loved certain books, movies, etc., but I've never immersed myself so into them that I wonder what a fictional character would do in a real-world situation. And at some points in the book the "game" portion got in the way...while in others it perfectly fit. In the end, it was a means to an end and that was fine. I do think the author doesn't truly know how long it would take to drive to North Carolina from New York City, but hey...I lived the the corridor...that's me.

I really enjoyed how the men were written here. I've seen some people not like Scott (or Erik, or Fred), but I found them all real and all relatable. Scott speaks some truth to Jennifer that I think some readers may find uncomfortable - and hey...Jen speaks to Scott the same way. I do think the authors could have maybe done a better job of showing that he really liked her long before the event, but they sorta got there in the end. I loved what a good friend Jen was with Erik and Fred...and also with Lauren/Brit/Amelia (the whole subplot with Amelia is super sweet and I really really enjoyed it).

So in the end...really enjoyed this. A solid 4 star read. I've never read these two authors before and I'm definitely going to check out some of the back catalog. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley (man...I've had some great reads with Berkley!) for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own and are uncompensated. Book Boyfriend is out on February 25th and you can preorder it now!

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are must-read authors for me, so I was delighted to receive an advance copy of Book Boyfriend. It's the ultimate romantasy wish fulfillment dream novel meets enemies-to-lovers workplace swoonfest. With witty dialogue and a couple readers will be cheering for, this book is one to read. I just wish readers could get their hands on the Elytheum Courts series.

Many thanks to Berkley Romance, the authors, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.