⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked it

Bottled pastel energy and light emotional depth.

The transition from scroll to page is surprisingly smooth. The humor’s still there (awkward flirting, chaotic group dynamics,). With room to breathe, the emotional beats land. Some jokes lose a bit of punch without the vertical format while others land better.

Still not remotely realistic, but that’s half the charm. It’s less “slice of life” and more “slice of very curated emotional wish-fulfillment,” and honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Boyfriends. by refrainbow continues to be a cozy comfort series for me. While it started as just a silly, kind of tropey queer rom-com about four college students trying out being in a polycule, it's been very heartwarming to see them grow and mature, especially with the increasing emphasis on healthy relationships. I've also appreciated that as the series continues, the creator has chosen to move away from the trope style (though not entirely) and begin placing heavier focus on fleshing out the characters themselves. This is still meant to be a light series, so don't expect anything too in-depth, but there's still a lot to explore. In this volume, the main polycule members move in together and learn what that new level of domesticity means for them. Certain characters must face various individual emotional insecurities, and while Goth was already clearly trans (woot woot!), someone else also begins more openly questioning their gender as well.

Though I used to mainly read this comic online on Webtoon (and do still occasionally dive back in), there is also finally new content in print that I haven't previously seen, so this was extra exciting. For several reasons, this is a great series to read during Pride Month (or really, any time of the year). It's perfect for comic fans who like light, silly fluff, and the pastel color palette adds to the vibe! It's been great fun to see the creator grow--perhaps refrainbow's horror works will be next? In the meantime, I'll be looking forward to Volume 5!

Readers may also enjoy: Muted by Miranda Mundt, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, Castle Swimmer by Wendy Lian Martin, Love on the Horizon by Machi Yamashita, Tripping Over You by Suzana Harcum and Owena White, And They Were Roommates by Page Powars, and A Song for You & I by Kay O'Neill.

I've read all of the Boyfriends Volumes at this point and this one gives me the nostalgia of the first Vol where it's the boys figuring out their feelings for one another. They were all so cute together and there was so much character growth both as individuals and as a group! I really enjoyed this one and I'm going to buy it as soon as I can!

For those who love LGBTQIA+ romance and slice-of-life stories, this is a comic about four college students who begin a polyamorous relationship and navigate the adventure that is their dating life.

I caught up with Volumes 1-3 of Boyfriends and got acquainted with the “jock, nerd, goth, and the prep” as they worked their way through their soap opera lives. These are light, fluffy, fun, and humorous reads. The plot is straightforward, and the illustrations are colorful and easy to read.

In Boyfriends, the boys all move in together! With varying personalities, they all have to learn how to live together and share their space, as well as learn how to be in a poly relationship.

The series has been pretty addictive for me, in a soap opera way. It was fun, and again, I loved the illustrations.

Between the bright pastel colour palette and the bubbly art style this artist has nailed the aesthetic for this cozy queer polycule romance and complimented the plot delightfully. In this volume the boys move in together and are able to confront the domestic joys and troubles that come with close living and learning about themselves.

Love the fact that each boyfriend now has their own cover!! I also love how they've grown together 🥺 the author's way of tackling issues is just refreshing

Im happy that I gave this series the chance that it deserves, because at first I wasn’t sure if it was for me. It has everything that I love though, queer people, bright colors, and a fun story, so it not clicking didn’t make any sense. But I gave it another chance and I realized that it was all me, because the story is not only funny and sweet, but unlike any other book out there. These characters are relationship goals.

Now we’re 4 volumes in and I can’t get enough of them.

Boyfriends is such a cute series! It manages to explore a lot of significant themes within relationships while maintaining a light-hearted, fun tone. While it’s quite an idealistic portrayal of polyamory, i don’t think that’s a bad thing - not everything needs to be gritty and realistic. It presents themes of gender and sexuality in a digestible, fun way and the characters have so much personality and heart. Such an enjoyable read, and one of my fav webcomics!

In this graphic novel we dive right back to the world of boyfriends! This is the cutest series I have read in a long while and I absolutely *adore* seeing how these guys’ stories progress!

10/10 perfect cozy read when you are looking for a comic that feels like a hug and isn’t to long!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another amazing volume in this queer and poly romance webtoon series!

We get to know more about our four boys as they move in together, and face big decisions about their lives. Filled with humor, cuddles, and sweet moments of support, this webtoon continues to melt my queer heart.

THE BOYS ARE BACK!!! 🩷💜💛🩵

I’ve been (impatiently) waiting for volume 4 to drop, so I was definitely fangirling when I got approved for this ARC!

This installment of the series follows the boys as they move into their first apartment together and learn how to navigate cooking, cleaning, and coexisting under one roof. There’s a lot of sweet wholesome moments, as well as some more vulnerable ones where they work through various conflicts together. I love how supportive the boys are of each other’s interests, the cosplay and fashion show scenes were especially adorable! Lastly, I really enjoyed seeing more of the guys’ relationship dynamics within both the polycule and their one-on-one interactions with each other.

So if you’re looking for a cutesy fluffy BL graphic novel that will have you giggling and kicking your feet, look no further than the Boyfriends series!

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley! I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy for my collection this summer 🩵

P.S. I propose a Girlfriends series featuring their baddie group of friends next 👀

This series quickly became a new fave as soon as I picked it up and I was so happy to get an ARC for volume 4 (thank you Webtoon Unscrolled and NetGalley)! I read this for the Trans Rights Readathon because I knew one of the main characters is a trans man, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a short arc where another MC questions their gender. It was soooo cute! I was sobbing!! This series is the best!!!

I really love the Boyfriends series by refrainbow it is very wholesome and presents a very positive view of queer characters which is really refreshing.

After book 3, I was excited that we were expanding on the backstories of the boys, and in volume 4 we got a little more plot progression as well! Moving in together, the relationships moving forward, gender identity questions, and more. Unfortunately, we also spent a few chapters focused on the girls and their characters just aren’t as interesting to me since they’re basically copy and paste of the boys. Then towards the end it felt like we started to regress back into Volume 2 territory where we sacrifice plot for cuteness.

Here is the thing - this is one of my favorite series ever but I will say that the E-ARC of this was impossible to appreciate. The art is blurred a bit and then there is a huge distracting watermark on the pages. I understand wanting to protect the work but also I’ve read dozens of E-ARC graphic novels without any of these precautions.
That being said I am not going to force myself to read this until I can get my hands on a physical copy - reading it as I have it now would ruin the experience for me.
Rating 5 stars because this will no doubt be a perfect read for me once I can focus on the story and the art as it was meant to be seen.
(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Volume 4 gave more of the characters and they are livingtogether, yay. It's a pretty good story that has a great representation of the life of queer. I also love the art.

Came for the art style, stayed for the boys! Another great installment of one of my favorite series, vol.4, was such a fun expansion on growing into yourself and your relationships. I will always be a fan of how this author writes about relationship dynamics, and not just romantic ones! I found myself really identifying with the theme of insecurities in this volume and really enjoyed how the author showed how the same things can affect people so differently. I’ll always recommend these books to anyone, just such a good read!

Rating: 5 Stars (for every volume; no exaggeration)

THIS IS THE CUTEST STORY EVER! Based on author/artist refrainbow’s Webtoon of the same name, we experience the lives of 4 characters (who don’t have names; keeping it more relatable since you can see yourself in the characters) going to the same university. Each volume is made up of multiple short little story snippets that combine into an overarching plot. This story has so much representation and phenomenal queer experiences that I’m blown away every time I re-read it.

The colour palette was a breath of fresh air and perfectly conveys the relaxed vibe of the story. It also makes the characters more personable and 3 dimensional because the colours are constantly intersecting with their personalities (this is most visible with our goth-like character). Throughout each volume these characters navigate through their attraction to each other and what do you do if you love more than 1 person equally.

There is bisexual, pansexual, gay, transgender, lesbian, butch, and non-binary representation and it is truly beautiful how refrainbow does this with complete balance. Even as someone who is aro/ace, I felt there was representation of my experiences through what the characters go through and how they question themselves as they learn more about what makes them them.

‘Boyfriends’ is adorable and perfect for people who want a lighthearted LGBTQ+ story or are fans of cozy cutsey reads!

Thank you @netgalley and @Wattpad Webtoon book group for giving me access to Volume One, Three and Four (I read Volume Two through the library). I would have likely never found this game changing series if it wasn’t posted on Netgalley. You can bet I will be purchasing personal copies when my book buying ban (which is not going well lol) ends. Volume Four is released on June 3, 2025, which gives you plenty of time to read the other 3 volumes in preparation!

Note: This review is currently posted on GoodReads and will be posted on Social Media later this week :)

Welcome back Boyfriends. It’s like a cozy hug reading about our favorite polycule. We welcome you back to more trials and cute anecdotes from the boys in college. If you liked the first three you’ll find everything you enjoyed and more.

I’m afraid I didn’t really warm to this comic. I’m not sure why as I usually like cute boy-love stories, manga, yaoi etc. Maybe because the characters all looked like very young boys? Sorry.