“If you want something badly enough, you have to fight for what you think is right, what you think will make you happiest.”

I really enjoyed I Wish You All the Best, so I was excited to get an advance copy of this! Mason Deaver’s writing is exceptional, and the stories they tell are important. Their characters are flawed but beautiful, and this was really lovely.

Eli is relatable in his work and dating struggles. He’s forced to see his ex at work and dating apps can be a struggle as a trans man. He has a great support system in Rose and Patricia and his mom. He’s reluctant to get set up with Peter, but in the end it turns into a way for him to pitch an idea to work and help Peter in dating. I love a fake dating trope and I like that this felt a little different.

They’re both easy to root for, even though Eli is effectively lying to Peter about the article. Even though their first date is disastrous, Peter still comes off as sweet and naive. There are moments you want to shake Eli so he tells Peter how he feels, but the work pressures are understandable. He tries to frame it as Peter’s journey in dating while touching on how different it is for queer folks depending on where they grow up. It’s this beautiful commentary on how it’s not about playing catch-up but understanding that he’s just on a different path. This aspect of the book and these are the kinds of stories we need more of.

I love a book that's whole concept is "90s/oughts romcom but gay" I will eat it uo every time. And this one is no different. I found myself frustrated a few times because I felt the writing on the wall was so clear vis a vis the dead end job but there's something to be said about the sunk cost fallacy being one of the most prevalent human flaws. And Mason Deaver is fantastic at giving us flawed messy and real characters. And I love a good angsty assumption, absolute and complete sucker for breaking your own heart even more with wrong assumptions. I really enjoyed this, hope to see more adult romances from Deaver to come!

I really loved this 🥺 Eli & Peter are so different but work so well together and they kept me invested throughout the entire story! Even with it just being in Eli’s pov, Peter still felt like a fully fleshed out character and I fell in love with him so fast 🥰 I took off half a star because the 2 articles storyline stressed me out lol I’ve watched way too many hallmark movies with that exact plot line and it never turns out well and surprise, this one didn’t either 🙈 but I loved the epilogue and would’ve loved even more of these two!

I will always be a sucker for fake dating. I thought the story was sweet! This was the first book I’ve read from Mason Deaver and I’m so glad they branched out into adult fiction! Peter my sweet baby angel socially awkward guy I related to him so much. My only downside was I wish the third act breakup wasn’t so predictable. I know it’s a staple in the romance genre but I wish we could have some healthy adult communication sometimes. Other than that the story was a delight!

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy!

I’ve loved the other Mason Deaver books I’ve read, so I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately, it was a bit of a let-down. Knowing I Wish You all the Best, and especially considering that this is an adult novel, I was expecting more depth from the characters, their relationship, and the plot.

The book didn’t have a strong beginning - The first date scene was so bizarre and made me dislike both MCs. I warmed up to Peter as the story progressed, but I found Eli to be a frustrating narrator and at times very unlikeable. He made choices that were so obviously bad that it made it hard to root for him.

Thankfully, I stuck it out and the story did get better, and by the end, I would say that there were plenty of things about this book I did enjoy. There were cute moments and moments that made me smile. For a light-hearted, silly summer read, this did the job, but I also think there’s a lot better choices for romance with more substance out there. I gave it 3.5 stars.

Absolutely delightful! I am SUCH a big fan of romances that center trans leads. Eli's job felt incredibly relatable to me as someone with a background in journalism. Peter's journey was done very well too, and mirrored many of my own experiencing as a queer Southerner. I'm grateful for this book's existence!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, Eli and Peter, and really enjoyed seeing their growth both together and individually throughout the book.

I thought the premise of the book was super interesting and while we knew that there was a conflict/breakup coming I was very happy with the writing and the slight twist to how we got to that point. I also loved how we got to delve into the experience of a Korean gay man’s experience growing up in rural America without it feeling all “doom and gloom” or heavy!

What I Liked: I've enjoyed so many of Mason Deaver's other books, therefore I was super excited to get the change to read their debut adult romance. I am pleased to report this one is my favorite from all the Mason Deaver books that I have read. Maybe its because I'm an adult so I found the characters so realistic and relatable, but it was also because the romance just felt authentic. It wasn't instant and everything wasn't instantly solved by a sorry but Eli had to work to win Peter over and Peter had to work to be a good boyfriend before the relationship could really go anywhere.

While the relationship between Eli and Peter had some kinks and needed some work, I was instantly in love with Eli and Peter from the minute I met them. I was also enamored with the friends that we are introduced to as well as Eli's family. As you get to know more about them, the ways in which they provide Eli and Peter support is clear and there is also a sense of found family with some of the friends involved.

I appreciated that neither our main character or love interest were perfect and not everything works out as planned. I knew something had to happen between the two of them and was expecting things to blow up because I didn't think we would just get a happily ever after with no work but I wasn't expecting it to go the way that it did. I hated Eli's boss from the start and thought he would be involved somehow, or that Keith would have something to do with the breakup but I didn't see it going the way it did. While there is no moment of redemption for Eli's boss and I just don't want him around Eli ever again, I appreciated the scene between Eli and Keith, in which Eli is told exactly why they broke up and rather than wallow about it he takes that and moves forward with his life.

This book does a great job of describing each of the scenes and you can feel that you are on these dates throughout San Francisco. The scenes comes to life as you can picture walking through the restaurant or being in the room as Eli keeps trying to get this promotion. This book also does a great job of bringing you along for the feelings of each of the characters. I do wish we got a little less of Eli moping about Keith and how terrible his job is, but I also felt that this added to the story because of t he conversation Keith has with Eli near the end.

Final Verdict: The Build a Boyfriend Project is a refreshing Queer romance that highlights how sometimes you have to work for love. For those of you who enjoyed The Thing About Harry, this is a must read because it gave similar vibes. There will be moments where you yell at the main character or at the love interest, and there will be moments in which the book flies across the room because of feels but in the end you will rejoice that they worked it all out and that recognize that love is messy.

What a great summer rom-com read! I couldn't put it down.

With the vibes of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," the book follows Eli, a trans man in his late 20s struggling with a dead end job and recent breakup. Eli aspires to be a writer, but has been working at a Buzzfeed-eque news website to get his foot in the door. When his boss hears of his disastrous blind date with Peter (and I'll get to Peter in a minute, because 😍), he pitches the idea that Eli could write about transforming Peter into boyfriend material, leading to the promotion Eli has been vying for.

What follows is, in its gloriously predictable way, a fake-dating-to-real-feelings romp that's everything I needed.

And Peter? Well, Peter was perfectly lovable from the start. His nerves and feelings of inadequacies got in the way at first, but the way he opened up to Eli showed that he didn't need to change at all. There (thankfully) was no "She's All That" remove the glasses and let down the hair moment that suddenly made Peter hot. He was gorgeous from the jump, inside and out.

Mason Deaver, YA author of "I Wish You All the Best," made their first jump into adult romance this touching, funny, and enjoyable read.

I received this ARC from publisher @avonbooks. The opinions are my own.

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project will be released on August 5, 2025.

One of my favorite classic tropes is when one character starts something with the other for a bet or something like that so I ate this book up. Peter is so cute and I loved seeing him learn how to date. He really had no idea what to do and trusted Eli so much. Eli wasn't expecting to but over their little rock climbing and movie dates they fell in love. The ending was heartbreaking but it needed to happen for them to be happy together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Mason Deaver's foray into adult romance still has a YA flavor to the writing but showcases a unique twentysomething relationship. The characters are likeable, although the friends of the main character could be better developed. I could see another novel in this universe featuring each of them. Chapters are framed with movie titles, a connection to the MC's love of movies and his (fake? maybe?) love interest's lack of exposure to them. I appreciated that the MC's sexual and gender identities were treated matter-of-factly and, while important to the plot, were not the sole focus. Overall, it's a fun book, and while I predicted the ending, I wasn't entirely sure how the characters would get there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved how awkward Peter is in the beginning and how his and Eli's relationship grows into something more throughout the book. I loved all the date scenes that we got. I also loved that though this is a more lighthearted novel we still got looks at deeper topics like growing up as a gay immigrant in the south and the other articles mentioned in the book. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this!!

**Before diving into the review, I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver. ** 

The Build-A-Boyfriend Project is one of the best books I've read this year, FULL STOP! It had everything I look for in LGBTQIA+ fiction, especially LGBTQIA+ romance. There was an engaging, relatable, sometimes frustrating, and lovable main character; a dreamy love interest that had me blushing and kicking my feet; an incredible supporting cast of characters that felt like my own friends; and a strong, inspiring message. Another reason I love The Build-A-Boyfriend Project is its beautiful LGBTQIA+ representation. It made me feel so seen as a gay man in my 30s who has zero experience in the dating world.

Mason Deaver's writing is also something I want to highlight because it was fantastic. From start to finish, I was thoroughly engaged in the story and Eli's world due to Deaver's incredible writing. Throughout reading The Build-A-Boyfriend Project, I felt like I would be a perfect fit in Eli, Patricia and Rose's friend group because of Deaver's ability to flesh out each one of their character. If you're a fan of romantic comedy movie greats like Legally Blonde or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Build-A-Boyfriend Project is a book you need to snag ASAP. Thank you, Mason Deaver, for creating one of my new favourite books.

This was fine. The writing was nice and easy to read, it flowed really well. The concept was a lot of fun. I LOVED Peter as a love interest. I just didn’t like Eli much and found the chemistry lacking.

“Life is full of what-ifs, but you can't let that stop you from chasing after what you know you want.”

Mason Deaver’s Build-A-Boyfriend was a refreshing take on a the fake dating trope, especially for queer romance. Our main character isn’t perfect. Our love interest isn’t perfect. That’s what struck me the most. Our MC was very unlikeable at times, justifying their actions in order to further their agenda. How, our MC wasn’t the antagonist, as were led to believe it’s their ex and boss. Thankfully, Deaver gives us a nice dose of accountability. Sure we get our HEA but not everything works out for our MC, and that’s okay. They learn from their mistakes. They recognize their wrong doings and how their actions hurt those they love. Love is a dangerous game but is worth the risk and all, Deaver shows us that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as we make up for it and chase after what, or who, we want…but also recognize their boundaries matter too. I loved this book, especially the trans rep and to show us that those in the queer community come from different background and upbringings. Some had support while others didn’t…but that doesn’t mean you’re not worthy of love.

Thank you, NetGalley and publisher.
5 stars!

this was so cutie pie!!! i’m going to immediately love anything the references pride and prejudice (2005) so the book having a chapter named after it got major brownie points from me!!

this book was funny and so so sweet and i love peter and eli together! I was very excited to read masons first adult romance and was not disappointed :)

i wish we got to see a little more of eli and peter really actually together and happy but that is just me wanting to see my happy little gays

Eli is a chaotic disaster who wants to be a writer. Peter is a tech nerd who needs relationship help desperately. Eli strikes up a deal to coach Peter as his relationship coach – and lots of fake dating. What happens when feelings become real and the relationship coaching turns into yearning?

This book changed my life but also made me feel seen as a Queer individual growing up in the deep south. I resonated with Peter’s view of both loving and hating being a Queer individual in the South. You both love and hate your childhood home but you know that home makes you who you are. I would not change growing up in the South and being Queer. It has made me who I am.

In terms of the story, I found a deep love for the fake dating, the yearning of Eli and Peter for each other, and the desire to do anything you can to reach your dreams as Eli. This story is one that examines how to love yourself, how to move past trauma/past relationships, how to accept the consequences of your actions, and how to be authentically yourself.

If you like the following tropes/ideas, you will love this book:
Korean American representation
Queer Love
Fake Dating
Tech character x Writer character
Transgender representation
Discovering your passions
Yearning & Chaotic Messy Love
Southern Hospitality x Being Queer in the South

A special thank you to Mason Deaver, Avon and Harper Voyager Publishing, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eli Francis has been an executive assistant at online magazine Vent for five years with promises of being promoted to a writer from his boss that never seem to get fulfilled. Failing once again to secure a promotion and still getting over his ex, Eli's roommates convince him to go on a blind date with Peter Park, but the date is a complete disaster due to Peter's nerves over never having dated before. Hearing about the disastrous date, Eli's boss suggests he teach Peter to date and use the material for an article.

I was really excited about this one because it has a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibe (though, as I found out, it ends up getting way more convoluted). Eli is an aspiring writer, working for a website that publishes lots of click-bait type articles, although he dreams of publishing something more meaningful. When his boss finds out about his disastrous date with Peter, who's never dated before, he convinces Eli (while dangling a staff writing position over him) to teach Peter how to date and write an article about it. Meanwhile, Eli plans to actually write an article about Peter's experience being a gay Korean man in the south and convince his boss to print it. To add extra drama, Eli's boss's personal friend is in contention for the same staff writing position aaaand Eli's ex-boyfriend, who broke up with him after 7 years together, also still works for the same company. Talk about a lot to keep track of.

Eli and Peter's first date is such a complete disaster that it actually made me physically uncomfortable, and I couldn't imagine there ever being any chemistry between them. Both MCs come off as very immature (Peter might have been more because of his upbringing and lack of dating experience), which was a little off-putting considering this is supposed to be an adult romance with MCs in their late 20s. I also hated how Eli continually uses sarcasm with Peter, even though Peter doesn't seem to pick up on it most of the time, and there are even scenarios where it obviously makes him uncomfortable. By the end of the book, instead of rooting for the MCs to get their HEA together, I was honestly hoping for Peter to take what he learned about dating and find someone better than Eli.

To be fair, I did enjoy Deaver's overall writing style and would be interested to check out their YA romances.

Read if you like:
Trans rep
Queer rep
BIPOC MC
Fake dating
Cinnamon roll MMC
Movie references

3.5/4 Rounding Up

I'd like to give a huge thank you to Avon for the eARC of this book!

I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read Mason Deaver's debut adult romance novel.

2025 is my year of romance books, and this one fits perfectly!

I love that we get two very different MCs that come from completely different backgrounds - Eli is our journalist hopeful who has lived his whole live in the Bay Area, and Peter is our very loveable (albeit somewhat unaware) tech-y shy guy. Eli wants nothing more than to have his work published and to be taken seriously as a journalist, so he goes to his boss to pitch an article (well, 2 really) about "fixing" Peter to make him more dateable after a disastrously awful date. Basically, our two MCs agree to fake date and teach Peter the ins and outs of how to date well, with the hope that Eli will get an amazing article, and Peter will have the confidence to date in San Francisco.

What could possibly go wrong here?

If you enjoy these tropes, you might enjoy this one:
- Queer Romance
- Trans Rep
- Dating Lessons
- Feels like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- Opposites Attract
- Supportive Family

The Build-A-boyfriend project - Mason Deaver

4/5⭐️

📚📚📚
This one was a great read. It flowed very well for me and ended up only being a two sitting read! This is a first time for me trying out this author and I really did enjoy Mason’s writing style! I will be back to try out some more books! This book totally had me giggling at some points but also talked heavier topics of growing up and I felt like the author did a great job balancing it all. I found myself cheering on our MMCs so hard while reading their journey. Peter really stole my heart with how much of a sweetheart he was. Overall without giving too much of this one away I totally recommend adding to your tbr.

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Relationship coaching
- Set in San Francisco
- Cinnamon roll love interest
- Fake article research
- Trans joy
- For fans of “How to lose a guy in 10 days”
… You should definitely check this out