I’ve literally never been disappointed by Mason Deaver a day in my life EVER. And the streak continues. Another complete win that took my heart for a beautiful ride. Affirming, hopeful, and so tenderly crafted.

Thank you SO MUCH to @avonbooks for an early copy to review. @mason_deaver’s adult debut is absolutely fantastic and a must-read!

A journalist in a dead-end job agrees to teach his disastrous blind date how to be a better boyfriend.

^from the publisher!

Having read and loved all of Mason’s YA books, I knew I needed to read their adult debut. Let me tell you - it is absolutely fantastic. Eli and Peter are such real, authentic, and flawed characters. I loved being a part of their love story and falling in love with every character in this book.

The kinship I felt with Peter cannot be overstated. As a fellow late bloomer, I truly cannot tell you how much I related to Peter’s experience. The anxious, awkward energy. Wanting to be in love someday. Minimal experience with dating. Feeling overwhelmed in social settings. I just really love him so much.

Eli was so relatable to me in another way. I already told Mason this, but I had the same feelings when my own mom got remarried after my dad died. I hadn’t really seen those feelings in a book before. I also really loved Eli’s inner thoughts regarding his queerness, growing up in an environment that allowed him to explore his gender identity, and his intense love of his family.

The way that Mason writes grief and love and heartbreak and happiness and hurt and friendship and family just gets me all in my feelings. All of our secondary characters were important to the plot, and I really felt so much love for Eli’s family and friends!

I absolutely loved the conflict in this. I loved the love story and the growth. I loved every single thing about this story. I’d read it again in a heartbeat.

Also the acknowledgements had me sobbing on the couch. Thank you Mason for this incredible story!

I enjoyed this book so much!
The chemistry between the characters was so good and I love how we get to witness how each of them grow as individuals and together.
The titles to each chapter being movie titles and their directors was such a unique touch, I like that a lot. There were some spicy moments which were good and I like how it didn’t overpower the book or story, it was necessary to have them. There’s a rollercoaster pf emotions and it feels like you can know these two in real life. Overall I enjoyed the books and its cast of characters and definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Surprisingly sweet, funny, and a little messy in the best way. Eli’s voice is relatable and sharp, and Peter is awkwardly endearing. The fake-dating-for-an-article setup is fun, but the real heart of the story is watching both characters grow professionally and personally. A few parts felt a bit predictable, but overall it was a warm, satisfying read with just the right amount of angst and charm.

This is a queer combination of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and She's All That; the makeover romcom movies you loved in the early 2000s featuring a trans writer and adorakably awkward techie. I absolutely adored the trans rep, especially since I got to read this during Pride. However, I don't love Eli, who runs a little hot and cold--his reactions to Peter bordered mean at times, but he'd turn into a complete mess of a sap at work or around his ex. While this is the author's adult romance debut, it still reads like a YA book at times (and honestly, the style for the cover doesn't help convince you otherwise).

There isn't a Mason Deaver book I've read and not loved. The transgender romcom is something i need to see SO much more of and this was such a good addition.

3.75 stars. Pride month continues with THE BUILD-A-BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Mason Deaver. This cute and queer rom-com follows a trans writer and the awkward tech guy he ends up fake dating for an article. Since Eli is obsessed with movies, this book is giving HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS meets SHE'S ALL THAT...but queerer. Both the trans and gay Asian experiences are on full display here, and I appreciated reading a trans romance - I honestly haven't read many, and I thought this one, while predictable, was adorable and a little steamy too. Can you say boners through Spider Man spandex?!

Deaver also calls to question the validity of current news and publications, shading puff pieces and articles with Buzz Feed-esque headlines. It's a very real fact that most publications aren't delivering the hard hitting news, just vibes. And while there's a predictable third act conflict, and so many modern pop-culture references that will undoubtedly age this book, it's still a very queer and cute slice of rom-com pie with a realistic ending that might have you cheerfully squeeing. I for one think we should be getting more trans representation in the genre, so you go Mason Deaver! Though what's the deal with movie title chapters? This is like the third book I've read recently that's done this, and it's not a big deal, I'm just fatigued by it I guess.

In the end, our couple learns about relationships, themselves and how to make changes for the better - and those themes will always be priceless. Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

👷🛠️🪛 The build-A-Boyfriend Project 👷🛠️🪛


I was able to read The build-A-Boyfriend Project as an ARC through NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager.

This book gave me everything! It’s a little bit How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days meets The Devil Wears Prada meets She’s All That!

I could see myself in both the main character, Eli, and more importantly as Peter. This captures what it’s like to be a little bit of a hopeless romantic/ not having the chance at having romantic experiences in a community that is all about quick hookups and no strings attached situationships.

Just like the chapter titles, this followed true romcom fashion where you can see a trainwreck coming, see the small spark that starts a misunderstanding but you need to follow it through and want to root for everyone. This was like all the best romcoms rolled into one.

There were moments that Eli would annoy me with how he’d react to Peter not knowing something, or how it was all about him him him in his friendship with Patricia and rosé, but we’re all flawed characters and for most of his infractions he correct himself quickly, so I’m not too mad.

The side characters were a great part of this book. Particularly loved Rue and Patricia with all of their advice and love they have for Eli. And Michael was exactly who I thought he was and I wish him the worst.

Peter’s journey of falling in love and opening up was so refreshing and opening up to Eli about his dreams really hit home for me.

As this was Mason’s first foray into adult fiction I can’t wait to see more from him

thank you so much to netgalley and avon for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review <

i remember reading mason’s debut novel (i wish you all the best) when i was at a time in my life where i was struggling with mental health and in security of my own identity. the representation in their novels is very important and something i care about deeply as it can help readers feel seen and heard, like how i felt when i was reading i wish you all the best.

that being said, this is the author’s first adult romance. i was very excited when this popped up in my netgalley ss i loved their first novel and wanted to give the author another try as i am much older than i was when i read their debut. i feel like fake dating is just so incredibly difficult to make a new and fresh concept, as there are many romance novels that have this trope. seeing LGBTQ+ representation in the main characters was exciting but as i continued to read, it really just seemed like the same type of fake dating/workplace romance that has been written many times before. i thought eli, our main character, had very vapid and shallow reasoning for initiating this relationship with peter. i thought the plot was a bit convoluted. BUT i do understand what mason was going for and i do appreciate the author’s consistency with providing safe spaces for LGBTQ+ identifying individuals through reading. i also really liked the ending, i thought it was super cute! and the chapter names were a nice touch!

thank you harper collins and netgalley!

I am happy that I got the opportunity to read this e-book in advance. I read the blurb of this book about Eli and Peter story. It was awkward at best with a twist of meet cute. I don't normally read mm romance books and I was pleasantly surprised reading this. The cover of this story was super cute as well, I'm not sure why I want to say this is cute, maybe because of the cover image? Thank you to he publisher of Mason Deaver for allowing this book to be read in advance. I hope my review helps you to pick up this book.

Thank you to Avon for the advanced reader copy! All thoughts are my own.

This is my first Mason Deaver book and I can't wait to read more! I thought this was a super cute queer romance that was such a fun take on the fake dating trope.

Peter was SUCH A CUTIE. I was obsessed with him throughout this whole book and just wanted to boop his nose and wrap him in bubble wrap and protect him from mean people. Eli was an interesting protagonist to follow as I spent a lot of time frustrated with his actions, but aware that sometimes people need to make mistakes in order for them to learn from them and grow. Eli certainly needed the life lesson this whole experience with Peter ended up teaching him.

There were some great lessons overall; I loved that the general theme of the novel was sometimes we have to do scary things and we have to realize that everyone experiences the world differently. There's no judgement in being in a different place in life than those around you.

My one critique is that I think things wrapped up a little too quickly in the end and I wish we had more scenes of Peter and Eli post third act breakup, as the time skip in the epilogue left me wanting a little bit more.

Overall, I really had a fun time with this and I can't wait to see what others think!

I loved this SO much. My heart!!!!!! Mason Deaver is a master of their craft and beautifully executes a beat-perfect romance. I really hope they keep writing adult romance because you better believe I will be eating them up.

Thank you Netgaley and HarperCollins for the ARC! This review is writtwn from my honest opinion.

Love love loved this book! I kept going back and forth to who I loved more, Eli or Peter. But their love story, ugh I could read a whole other book with them in it. Of course, there was times it was predictable but really that's a given when a book follows the romance book formula. Absolutely recommend.

As with any good adult romcom, this book was full of romance, awkward moment and flashes of self discovery. Pete wants to be a better boyfriend and Eli is struck by an idea that can garner him a promotion at his job. And then romance ensues. I felt that the author took everything you love about a Rincon and made it better. There's the female friend sidekicks, there's a clueless ex, there's trans rep and queer relationships. The romance was tender and sweet and I was rooting for Eli to speak up for himself at Vent. I loved every minute of Mason Deaver's debut adult romance! 4.5 stars

Thank you Harper Collins International and Netgalley for the chance to read this digital ARC.

Fake dating is one of the tropes I like most, even if it usually starts in unrealistic, convoluted ways, and this book had fake dating with queer characters, so I just had to read it.

In the end, this romance ended up being a bit of an unusual reading experience for me.

The things I liked the most about this book were Peter, who's just a lovely, sweetie of a character, although painfully awkward. He's a late bloomer who's not very good at socialising and dating, and I could see a lot of myself in him.

The other thing I liked was the third act break up. Yes, you read it right, I actually enjoyed it. I usually don't because it is often useless and then the reconciliation is rushed, but in this instance it was sorely needed.
Because the truth is, Eli, the protagonist, was not an easy character to like. Not because he was bad per se, but because he needed to face his fears and just grow up. I understood his feeling stuck and wanting more from life and also being afraid of taking risks, but the way that affected his relationship with Peter was not okay.

So I genuinely enjoyed how the author let Eli face the consequences of his own actions, let the other characters tell him to his face that his behaviour was wrong and that he needed to take responsibility for his actions, and I especially enjoyed seeing Eli admit it all and actually learning his lesson.

I think Deaver did a nice job with reconnecting the two leads, I think it was realistic. I just wish we had the chance to see them in the time between the reconciliation and the ending, it would have been interesting to read how they made it work.

And of course, I appreciated the themes dealt with in the story, such as racism, transphobia, homphobia, being a late bloomer, being afraid of taking risks and at the same time feeling like you're not doing what you actually want to do with your life.

Overall it was a nice read, not a new favourite unfortunately, but still enjoyable enough.

Another absolutely phenomenal hit from Mason Deaver. I adored this book. It was beautifully written, witty, and flows well. A quick read but not overly mind-numbing. I love the way this book was approached: very minimal miscommunication, not frustrating to read, satisfying payoff. I would 100% recommend this; happy pride!!!

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project is a queer ode to rom-coms, starting with a hilarious meet-fail and is filled with plenty of favorite tropes along the way. Eli agrees to be set up on a blind date by his friends, which ends up being a complete disaster! Peter is late, spills food on Eli, and constantly checks his phone for work messages. Despite everything, Eli agrees to help Peter learn to date so he can write an article about the experience and finally be promoted from assistant to writer at his company.

The romance that builds between Eli and Peter is absolutely adorable! They are both so sweet and grow to have real feelings, even though their relationship is supposed to be fake. Peter is awkward but slowly opens up to Eli and becomes more confident in himself throughout the course of the book. I really enjoyed seeing both Eli and Peter have so much personal growth in the story. They each learn to go after what makes them happy.

Check this book out if you enjoy:
- Fake dating
- Diverse, queer romances
- They both fall hard
- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a book that I immediately vibe with. To be completely honest, there are aspects of this book that I would have hated with a different story. I very much dislike romances where one character is deceiving the other for the majority of the book, and the fact that Eli was writing a story about Peter while lying about it for the entire book is something that would typically make me DNF. I also found Eli frustrating at times, especially with his job. It was hard to understand why he would even want to work at that website and why he would be so naive.

But... BUT I found a way to overlook all of that. The writing was sharp and funny, and even though the character choices were frustrating at times, it all felt authentic. Yes, Eli made some terrible decisions, but I thought Mason did such a great job of making all of his choices have a reason and feel realistic. I really enjoyed his character growth throughout and how complex he was.

Peter, on the other hand, was lovable from the get go. I want Peter to have the world! He was so precious and I adored him as a love interest.

This was such a sweet romance. It was my first Mason Deaver book, but I'm very excited to read more of his books after this!

okay yeah i LOVED this one. fake dating done right!!! when fake dating makes sense and is realistic in a book a new star in the night sky is born… a butterfly escapes its chrysalis to perch on a flower… you get it. i loved that Eli was a movie nerd and each chapter title was a movie with who directed it.

Eli is a bit of a messy character and does some shitty things but he means well and he is just human after all! Peter is a sweet angel and maybe the nicest man on earth. While this book is very rom-commy and fun, it also explores some heavier topics such as growing up queer and non-white in the southern US and how that affects a lot of the formative experiences young queer people have down here. HOWEVER Deaver takes care to also show that the south is not all bad and shouldn’t be counted out. Anyway! You will laugh! You will root for these two MCs! i loved them.

This is my first MD and i enjoyed their writing style and pacing. I finished this in less than 24 hours which is saying a lot for me. I ate it up thank you for this meal Mason.

My ONLY critique of this book is including the movie Anyone But You as a “romcom classic”… … …… … say psych.

thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Build A Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver is a cute comedy following Eli, who is a transgender man who recently broke up with his seven-year-long boyfriend Keith. He works with Keith at a company called Vent, which is pretty much a New York Times. Eli is an assistant but is aspiring to be a writer in the company. His friends convince him to go on a blind date with a guy named Peter, and it goes terribly wrong. So when he’s telling this to his boss, Michael, he tells Eli that he should write an article about it. But Eli wants to write a different article—one about growing up in, a small town, and explore and explain the discussions of the hardship of his experience. So in order to write that, he tells Peter that he’s going to write an article based off the hardship, and he tells Michael that he’s going to write about the “build a boyfriend.” So Eli tells Peter that he will be his fake boyfriend in exchange for helping him with the article. Eli tells Peter they will go on fake dates to help prepare Peter for the dating world. But the line between fake and real starts to blur, and Eli is slowly starting to catch feelings. I think the plot of the story is really good, and as a transgender person, it’s hard to find a romance where there is a trans main character that I can personally connect to in the romance sense. And Eli, as a character, was amazing. Him being trans didn’t really define him as a person, which I think is really great. Each character, I felt, had a lot of emotional depth, and even though it is a romance, it has some heavy topics about racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. But the romance between the characters really is there.
I feel this would have been a 4.5-star read if the third act breakup was done a little better. What I did like about it was that even after the incident, it wasn’t just one apology and Peter forgave him. I like that. I liked how Eli had to apologize a few times. But one thing that I realize is that the apologies were repetitive, and he never really explained the situation that he was in. He was mostly just saying how sorry he was, which I understand, but I felt like if he would’ve explained the situation, Peter might’ve understood a little bit more.

And then the resolution happened, and it felt a little underwhelming. And the epilogue is cool. It’s cute, but I really would’ve liked to see more of him gaining the trust back. I feel like that’s a lot of things with third act breakups—authors just want to put in a third act breakup and then resolve it and end the book. But I really like the in-between part of that. I could’ve predicted the problem that caused the breakup from the very beginning, and so I knew it was coming, so I was dreading it a bit, in a sense. And I feel like when you’re writing a book, you don’t want the reader to really expect that kind of turn. But this book was still really good. It did have a few sexual themes throughout the book. Most of it was just like mentions, and then one was like an actual scene, which you can easily skip over. But again, as a trans person myself who hasn’t transitioned medically, it was really nice to see that kind of relationship not frowned upon. Because I feel like with a lot of books that I read, people don’t really want to write the intimacy parts. But reading it was really nice and encouraging in a way. But the book was funny and sweet, and I loved both the characters. And I would absolutely recommend to anyone!!