After an intense book club read (if anyone would like to discuss Ada Palmer's Too Like the Lightning, I have almost too many thoughts to organize coherently), it was time to downshift into something fluffy and fun.

My waiting ARC of The Boyfriend Project, by Farrah Rochon, was the perfect choice. Beautiful, competent people meet and are wildly attracted to each other, pursue a relationship despite obstacles, overcome pitfalls, and kiss on a lovely fade to black.

The best parts about this book are around Samiah and her awesomeness. She kicks butt and takes name, owns it at work, has goals and meets them. At the beginning of the book she's involved in a viral video with a couple of strangers who quickly become the friends she's been missing as she focused on her work. This new friendship is delightful and charming and I can't wait for the inevitable books about Taylor and London that I certainly hope are coming.

The workplace stuff is also great--watching Samiah navigate idea-stealers and potential promotions is competence at its finest, but watching this company be full of competent, happy people who are treated well by their managers and enjoy their work. I've had a job like that and it was brilliant, and this very much captures that feeling of excitement and teamwork that goes along with that. It's very much a story about a fantasy workplace.

Daniel is also very hot and delightful, and their mutual attraction is full of delightful flirting banter and longing looks.

The reasons Samiah had for not wanting to get serious (because isn't a romance mostly about why they can't just fall for each other smoothly) are pretty thin, but she's a person who's all about control, so it made sense for her character, if not strictly necessary.

Daniel's reasons to resist their attraction are clearer; he's taken his new job as part of a government investigation, and he's here to get the information he needs and get out. Falling for one of his new coworkers was not part of the plan, and the lies he has to tell to sustain his cover story make him uncomfortable, even as he is being his sincere self in falling in love.

This book has an admirable sense of the difference between privacy and lying, because Samiah is a pretty private person, and doesn't expect all Daniel's details. It could be much worse. But the fact is that there are a lot of lies throughout the book, and then at the end, when the reckoning comes, while the apologies are believable, there is maybe not quite enough groveling for me. I feel like some of the angles of his deception that bothered me were not the ones that bothered Samiah, nor the ones Daniel was apologizing for. I wanted a little more nuance in his apology.

BUT: he remains charming and hot and brilliant and nerdy, and a book where the capitalists are not all evil and the "police" presence is after white collar crimes was just the light touch I needed right now. I definitely recommend this one; if you like the cover, this book will definitely deliver.

The Boyfriend Project follows Samiah, a young engineer who is working on making it to the top of her field. She goes viral after a video of her yelling at a guy (he deserved it) hits the internet. She becomes friends with the other 2 women who were caught in the web lies by that guy and they start the boyfriend project. They swear off men for 6 months in order to focus on their dreams. The following day, Daniel starts working at Samiah's job and their attraction is instantaneous.
I really liked this book especially the relationship between Samiah, London, and Taylor (all were being played by the same guy). They were fun to read about and hopefully we get books about them too. Samiah is a Black engineer who knows that how she behaves/performs paves the way for other Black women. The book focuses on this quite a bit and I love Rochon for it. I think that because the book makes a big emphasis on that fact, the ending was a little soured for me. Daniel is an ex-marine who is also an undercover agent looking for money launderers. Daniel does have a POV and I didn't hate it so that's a win for romance books LOL. He knows that he shouldn't pursue anything with Samiah but does. I like them together since most of the time it is a meeting of the minds but I am just over the whole cop thing (and that's on 2020). Daniel knows how Samiah feels and as a Black/Korean man, he faces his own hurdles so he knows. It's fine tho, I like those two and the book was a fun read!

Shout out to NetGalley for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This was such a great book! The writing is phenomenal, and it opens with such a bang. I loved watching Samaiah, London, and Taylor getting to know each other. Daniel was completely swoon-worthy, and I loved the way everything tied together.

I do feel like I probably now know more than I ever needed to about WiFi systems, but hey, I like learning new things. :-) The Book really is more substantial than I’d have expected from the cover, title, and blurb. I really wish marketing departments would stop calling everything romcom because the com here doesn’t actually come from the romance. (And it’s steamy) But it’s a spectacularly well done contemporary romance, and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Review based on ARC.

From the very beginning of the book you find out the guy Samiah is currently dating is also dating other women at the same time. She happens to meet these women and thus is born The Boyfriend Project in which all three ladies vow to get their lives together and swear of men for six months.

Insert Daniel, a new person at her work. It's instant attraction and the more time they spend together, the harder it is for Samiah to stick to her resolve of no guys in the picture. He seems like her perfect match and encourages her to pursue her dream of launching an app and moving up in her workplace.

This was a very cute and entertaining read. I read it in less than a day. I really hope the author does a series with the other two women. It was fun and I liked their personalities and how they bonded as friends.

Why did I not pick up this book sooner??
This is a witty and fast-paced story that brings dating into 2020. The amount of chemistry between Samiah and Daniel had me turning pages faster than my e-reader could load! The characters were refreshing and I loved the portrayal of strong female friendships. And I LOVE that we see a strong female character in STEM!!
A terrific read and I cant wait to see more from Farrah Rochon!

This was my first book read by this author and it was enjoyable. This was a fun story about the modern woman dealing with her career and romance. A fun sexy romance.

Samiah Brooks never thought she would be "that" girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she's been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah-along with his two other "girlfriends," London and Taylor - have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status. For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she's always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there's no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?
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From Manon: I LOVE Samiah and Daniel! Their banter and chemistry is *swoon* 😍 This is such a fun story, but it also dives into the racism and misogynoir Black women face in the workplace, specifically in the tech industry. I really appreciated this rom com and can't wait to read more from Farrah!
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We highly suggest purchasing this book (from a Black owned bookstore!) if you're able, requesting it at your library, and sharing about it!

This story was very easy to get into, though, for me, The Boyfriend Project read more as a fun women's fiction novel and less of a contemporary romance/rom-com.

I loved the bond that was formed between the three female characters. They were supportive of each other and had a great dynamic. What was missing for me was a real sparks flying romance. The male protagonist, Daniel, was likable, and a good match for Samiah, but there wasn't enough development in the growth of their relationship to make me completely invest in it. They were flirty and sweet together, I just needed more.

Overall, The Boyfriend Project was a refreshing summer read. It's the first book that I've read by Farrah Rochon and I am looking forward to reading the follow-ups in the series!

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*Complimentary copy for review provided by Forever Romance Publishing and Netgalley. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

There were so many things I enjoyed about this story but overall it just didn't end up being a favorite of mine.

I loved the way this story started off. It captured my attention right away and the relationship between Samiah, London, and Taylor ended up being one of my favorite parts of the story. Unfortunately, I had a hard time believing in the romance between David and Samiah. It felt as if I was being told they were together, not actually shown. Much of their relationship is developed behind the scenes, off the pages, of the story and it was hard to feel like the romance was important or believable.

While this may not be my new favorite story, I am interested in reading the next book in the series. The epilogue set it up perfectly and I'm excited to see what this author brings to the table next.

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

Such a smart and sexy office romance! The leading characters had amazing chemistry, and I found it refreshing that the flirtation was so extremely respectful, but also very hot. :D Aside from the romance, the story had some really stellar subplots about female friendships, work-life balance, and discrimination of women/POC in STEM industries.

My review of The Boyfriend Project can be found over at Five Books: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/the-best-romance-books-of-2020-frannie-cassano/

THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT is a book I was incredibly excited for and planned to read immediately when the egalley made it to my Kindle. At the time of writing this, I'm 8 books behind on my Goodreads challenge SO clearly reading is still an issue for me, and this book didn't get read until it was published. Womp.

I have said this time and time again, but there's no better feeling EVER than when a book you're anticipating for actual years (like, when it's announced) lives up to your super-high expectations. It was amazing. 

The story follows Samiah, a woman of color in the tech field, and Daniel, a new employee in Samiah's workplace who is there for ~secret business.~ I won't spoil anything or talk in specifics, but I actually thought his whole backstory and job were fascinating. It was definitely unique! The two hit it off right away but there are a few problems. Samiah is coming off of a terrible relationship where she learned on Twitter that her boyfriend was dating two other women at the same time. This was reminiscent of the CENTRAL PARK PACT series that I loved so much, and was one of the original reasons I was so excited for this book. Samiah and the other two ladies, Taylor and London, hit it off and form a wonderful trio of friends, all working on The Boyfriend Project (where they abstain from dating and men for six months). Clearly Samiah is about to fail that project!

Samiah is the kind of character you root for unequivocally. I wanted her to have the whole world because she deserved it. The other two women made great side characters and naturally I'm SO pumped to read their stories as upcoming companion novels. I think this book had great pacing with logical issues, fights, etc., which is always appreciated. Daniel was definitely mysterious for a bit and I have to say that I didn't love him at first. He kind of came off as cocky, but those inner thoughts of his faded pretty quickly? I grew to love him and completely forgot about my first impression.

Overall, I'm so thrilled that this story was as good as I wanted it to be! Like I said, I totally can't wait to read more about Samiah's friends in their upcoming stories.

I loved this story!!! I feel like the title gave it a "chic-lit boy crazy vibe" and it was really so much more than that!! I loved the characters (and am so excited to learn this will be a series featuring the other women!?) and the main characters' interest in STEM and technology- what a nice break from reading endless women characters in PR! It was smart and funny and unique...def a must-read for the summer! Don't be fooled by the light title- this story has tight writing and a well thought out storyline and plot. This is no "chasing boys" story! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an e-ARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do not mess with these ladies! When Samiah finds out that she is one of THREE girlfriends, she and the other ladies are on a mission to find better. She's working hard on a new project and meets a complete hottie in the office. But is he everything he seems to be?

What I Loved: I have consistently found that contemporary romances are great palette cleansers when I am finding it difficult to focus on any one book — which feels all too common right now. I loved how light, quick and predictable this story was. It was just so comforting and I loved seeing the female freindship and capable heroine at the center of the story. As someone who knows very little about tech I was intrigued by that aspect of the novel as well as the work Daniel was doing. It added an element of suspense to the story that I was not expecting.

What I Didn’t Love: I think my only complaint about the story was that some of the dialogue felt a little forced or contrived and sometimes it pulled me out of the story. However, it’s a minor thing and I still gave this fun rom-com 4.5 stars. It was just so fun and light.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was way more than just a rom-com. It had strong female characters, showed the importance of female friendships and I think a lot of people will feel empowered after this read.. I found the book rushed through some spots and I didn't love reading all the details about what the main characters do at their jobs, but other than that it was a very fun!

In the first chapter, you get a glimpse of how epically fierce Samiah is. I was immediately 100% here for these ladies.

This book had me feeling every single emotion I could possibly think of, from laughing and crying to that punched in gut devastation and hope.

There is nothing I love more than super strong female leads but add in that this amazing woman is killing it in a male dominated STEM field? Samiah had me cheering for her so much that I forgot for a second she's not actually real. I loved Daniel too but Samiah is the one that had me swooning my way through this story.

I *need* Taylor and London's stories!! I'll be counting down until I can hang out with #SquadGoals again!!!

DNF - 35%

I tried. I really tried. I loved that this book had a black female lead and a half black/half Korean male lead. I loved that the female lead formed friendships with women that society tells us she should immediately hate. I love that the three friends are career women.

But, man, this book had no spark. By 35%, when I finally gave up, the two leads had had 2 polite convos, a handshake, and a slightly longer conversation about granola bars. I mean, ZZZZzzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzz.....

This book seems just filled with words. So many words, but not much story. So many descriptions of clothing/hair and so many meaningless conversations that don't advance the narrative. I slogged on and on, waiting for some chemistry between the leads, a plot point, ANYTHING. But when reading a contemporary romance starts to feel like "work" is the moment you move on to the next book.

I received an advanced digital copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Samiah, our main lead, is a hardworking, charismatic, and amazing sister and friend BA. She’s dating what seems like perfect guy until we learn he is the essential catfish.

Samiah and her new found friends (the other girlfriends) create this amazing bond and pact to focus on their careers and personal life sans men. Our lead however meets this man named Daniel and they start creating this true bond of a friendship into relationship. While she does discover things about herself I’m glad she went with it as she and Daniel together are HOT and amazing. They definitely ruled the store and will be excited to see our other girls get their stories.

The Boyfriend Project is an adult contemporary romance that is more than two strong personalities growing feelings for each other as it dives slightly into the trope of an undercover agent falling for the colleague at a workplace he's inspecting at; and brings a confident woman to the front and center as she fights the themes of misogyny, sexism, and racism in the tech industry through an insightful narration.

Representation: Black MC woman; half-African American, half-Korean MC man; BIPOC side characters.
Trigger warnings: Unfaithful boyfriend, microaggressions, misogyny, cheater colleagues at workplace, lies in a relationship.

Two strong main characters and you'll be loving them both.


Samiah is an ambitious Black woman whose hard-work and talent has gotten her far into the coding industry, but her dream of launching a self-coded app is still blooming everyday. Her portrayal is so pleasantly surprising through her love for make-up—especially a smoky eye—and her dry humor. She's clearly not one to let go off what's evidently wrong and that is boldly, unapologetically put forward throughout the story.

Daniel is the biracial son of a Korean mother and an African-American father who is now working for a government agency that employs him to gather intelligence and information around financial crimes by stepping into undercover personas at different offices. His hard-work and sheer dedication has brought him to the heights but he's also had to not even say goodbye to potential relationships due to the nature of his job.

This romance is hot, hot, hot and sweet, sweet, sweet.


The two main characters typically meet at the coffee station of their office every morning, and soon the quick little chats—and fun flirting—turn into dates. Though, this budding session is even more interesting since the two have their own reasons to stay away from this potential workplace romance that is clearly not on either of their agendas.

Samiah and Daniel are so compatible that it hurts at time if you're super single and the easy conversations, innocent jabs, humorous sequences, or long discussions are evident enough. They can and do talk about all the themes that this story wishes to explore and not only does that give the readers more than the romance but also strengthens the emotions of these two. Plus, the kisses and more will leave you flustered.

Female friendships beautifully uplifts the main character.


Right off the bat, four women—including Samiah—coincidentally come together when they all find out about their cheater boyfriend, the man who four-timed them: courtesy of Twitter. And soon they connect over more than just an unfaithful man. They share their dreams and insecurities, and collectively decide on The Boyfriend Project, a six-month commitment to not be romantically committed and work on oneself. It's refreshing to see these friendships, especially in contrast to a woman at Samiah's workplace who steals our protagonist's excellent ideas and passes them to the top heads by herself.

Important themes like women empowerment, sexism, racism, and how corporate uses diversity as checkboxes to be filled.


This story perfectly includes the reality of marginalized representation in workplaces through Samiah's stance at her office and outside, where she supports her ideologies by actually dedicating her success or opportunities to those women of color who need to see someone like them in great places and with great possibilities. She's also vocal about hardships that she and so many have to face for being different in the white-dominated sectors, especially through transparent conversations around diversity at her workplace—or the lack thereof—and being the 'rarest of rarities: a diversity unicorn' according to the corporate world of coding.

I'm in no place to give detailed comments on the representation of the ethnicity/race of main characters in this book so please pay heed to the ownvoices reviews for these representations above mine.