A cute “fake” romance that was and easy read and would make a great read. Luc and Oliver are the romantic old couple of MM romance. Never pretend to fall for your fake love because you will fall for real.

Two men with relationship baggage enter into a fake relationship: What could go wrong? Boyfriend Material tells the (longish) tale of Oliver, a barrister, and Lucien (Luc), who works for a nonprofit trying to save the dung beetle (yeah, the bug that...eats poop). Luc's also the son of rock star parents; his dad abandoned him when he was young (but his mom is downright wonderful).

Oftentimes Boyfriend Material felt like it verged on more contemporary fiction than romance, as family issues and work challenges took center stage. There were a few cute moments, but overall this felt like a real depiction of all the messiness adult romantic relationships might entail. I do think it could have been edited down a bit, but if you're taken with these two, you'll probably appreciate the book's length.

I'd recommend to anyone who's a fan of romance that's more slow burn, books set in London, and characters figuring out how to be adults (I'm not sure if it's categorized as new adult, but it generally felt that way to me)

CW for homophobia - including judgment about what's a "bad gay"

I absolutely adored this novel. I felt for Luc right from the start, and even though he can be a jerk, the author did a great job of showing the reader where he was coming from. It was often funny, sometimes tragic, and the writing kept me so engrossed that I stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish reading. There's something about the story that kept having me say "just one more chapter."

Luc's character growth throughout the novel was steady and realistic. He does experience setbacks as he grows, and he hurts people along the way, but at his core he's simply trying to protect himself from getting hurt again. Oliver was equally endearing. I loved him so much. I would like my own Oliver, please and thank you. I even loved the antics of Luc's coworkers even though you might have to suspend disbelief here.

What kept it from being a five-star read was the cast of zany characters that make up Luc's friends. I liked some more than others, and found some to be offensive and OTT. And a second thing is the ending. It felt a touch rushed. I needed a little more to show me that Luc and Oliver are happy, whether that was an extra chapter or an epilogue.

Overall, this was a fun novel full of British humour that I'll admit, I didn't always understand, quirky characters, a sympathetic MC, and a swoon-worthy love interest. Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

I’m not sure what I was expecting for Alexis Hall’s new Sourcebooks Casablanca release, Boyfriend Material, but it definitely wasn’t a hilarious rom-com narrated by Luc, a neurotic, paparazzi-averse twenty-something. His parents are rock-star famous but his dad walked out when he was three. Luc accidentally gets some (more) bad tabloid press, which affects his fund-raising job at a coleoptera charity – hilariously acronymed CRAPP – and must acquire a respectable, “proper” boyfriend ASAP. He gets set-up with Oliver, a very, very respectable, upstanding barrister with a stable, very staid, acceptable, non-paparazzi-bait lifestyle (incidentally, Oliver is also incredibly hot in his three-piece suits). So they agree to fake date – Oliver will appear in some “good” paparazzi photos and attend the Beetle Drive as Luc’s plus-one and Luc will come to Oliver’s parents’ ruby wedding anniversary do. (FAKE DATING, WHEE!!!!) So when does fake dating – involving sweet dinners at vegan pop-up restaurants, glass sculpture exhibits, quick lunches by the Gladstone statue, and meeting Luc’s batty-but-sweet mom Odile and her “special” curry and her mad-as-pants bestie Judy – become real dating with vulnerability and feelings and OMG PANIC??

Much of Boyfriend Material is Luc freaking out about feelings and learning to have feelings and be an adult and then maybe learning that Oliver isn’t quite as put-together as he thought. The entirety of the book is narrated from Luc’s perspective which makes his journey from panicked, emotionally-fraught bellend back to functional-ish adult feel very intimate and personal. You are 100% in Luc’s corner as the reader even if you want to bonk him over the head for being such a twerp on occasion. It also helps some of the tension in the plot, since it keeps Oliver’s point-of-view off the table throughout the book. When you hit the point-of-no return in this plot, when Oliver also to meet Luc halfway emotionally, it is delicious in the resolution.

Luc has a turn-of-phrase that had me snort-laughing in many places. For serious. On Luc’s and Oliver’s first “date” Oliver, who is a criminal defense attorney, says Luc can ask him that question that people always ask. Luc panics and asks if Oliver ever has sex in the wig….I died. Because that definitely isn’t the question Oliver is thinking of. Hall also absolutely shreds upper-class posh manners. One of his work colleagues is a posh twit, with an even posher, twittier girlfriend, who is a walking punchline about the declining mental acuity of the British landed aristocracy. There is a running joke about “dick pics” that includes the deepest deep cut from The Slipper and the Rose, a Cinderella musical from the 1970s (I screamed in delight, I love that movie). There’s a birthday party with Oliver’s friends that is delightful and then there is Luc’s friend group who are the absolute best, loveable friends who are there for him throughout the book despite said bellend-ness (and they’re hilarious).

I’m going to give a content warning, delightful though this book is. Both Luc and Oliver experience some really garbage casual homophobia – that very casual upper-class British kind that approves of being a Good Gay and not a Bad Gay. There is also an instance of really, really shitty casual homophobia (look, three out of four of Luc’s and Oliver’s parents are garbage, two of them because of said homophobia among other things). Given that this is an #ownvoices novel from Alexis Hall, I think this experience is probably fairly true to life, unfortunate as it is. I trust how Hall has shown how these situations play out. But it doesn’t make it any easier to read especially since Luc and Oliver are so likeable.

The steam level is low-boil/fade-to-black but definitely not G-rated. It definitely fits with this couple. Oliver is a character who doesn’t have casual sex and Luc is trying to turn his relationship-status around. A more descriptive type of sex scene would feel intrusive in this book. (For reference, the only other Alexis Hall book I’ve read is For Real which is SO HOT that I was sure my face was going to catch on fire during one scene, the pie scene. You know the one.)

I am blown away. This book was great. I one-clicked through Netgalley on a whim and was very surprised. I've never read anything by Alexis Hall before, but I can guarantee that I will be reading her stories from now on.

Luc has been having a hard time for the last five years. After his ex-boyfriend sold his story to the tabloids for money Luc's life has been on a downward spiral. When a night out leads to him tripping and landing on his face, his job security comes into question and he comes up with the plan for a fake boyfriend. This leads him to Oliver.

Luc and Oliver were so cute. I enjoyed their relationship. Alexis Hall did an amazing job of having us see Oliver through Luc's eyes. The more Luc started to warm to him, the more I started to warm to him. They were so cute together and I just had a great time reading about them. They felt like real people and their relationship felt real. Their reactions weren't over the top of over-exaggerated. It was just nice and friendly and cute.

If I had any complaints it would be that I wish I could have read some of the story through Olivers' perspective as well. But I always have a soft spot for dual POV.

Boyfriend Material has great writing, an amazing plot, a unique cast of characters, and phenomenal pacing.

I loved this story. I loved Luc and Oliver. I had such a great time reading this. I had a great time laughing, chuckling, and crying throughout this story. I had my in-laws and husband looking at me all weird when I started laughing randomly. Such a great story. An absolute must-read.

Would recommend this title to readers looking for m/m romance that is tongue-in-cheek funny and banter-filled. Somewhat similar tone to Bridget Jones' diary with British slang and references. I found the strongest part of the book was the relationship between Luc and Oliver. Definitely lots of larger-than-life secondary characters as well.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a complementary e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'Boyfriend Material' by Alexis Hall is the best rom-com I have read this year so far. Luc O'Dennell is a hot mess. Being the son of two famous 80s rockstar, he is always under brutal public scrutiny and to fix his image he needs a "reputable" date. Oliver Blackwood, a barristar with high ethical values, seems to fit Luc's requirements for 'reputable fake boyfriend' perfectly, albeit having nothing in common with Luc.

This books is extremely funny, adorable, charming and heartwarming. I love Luc and Oliver - they might have made their way into my list of top 10 favourite couples. Their relationship is absolutely swoon worthy and made made my heart explode!! I honestly teared up so many time and I also laughed so much!! The dialogues were extremely funny and the characters are very well written. I also adored the supporting characters - honestly Luc and Oliver's friends are goals!!! Luc and Oliver might be highly flawed but they are perfect for each other. It was beautiful to see both of them deal with their past baggage and learn to trust each other despite of their fears. And most importantly, both characters not only fall in love with each other, but also with themselves. They learn to accept their flaws, deal with their issues, and learn to be vulnerable and communicate instead of pushing people away.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It was absolutely perfect right from the beginning to the end. It made me laugh and swoon and cry at the same time!!! Hands down, one of my most favourite reads of the year.

this book was charming and amazing. felt a lot like a soap opera with how much drama and deceit! i audibly gasped and genuinely loved it.

Oooooh I loved this one! A seriously witty M/M read that punched me in the feels. It’s packed with dry humour, fantastic characters and a plot that had me flipping through the pages to see what would happen next. It was my first read from this author and definitely won’t be my last.

Luc is a hot mess. The tangentially famous son of two 80's rockers, the tabloids have put his job in danger. Oliver is a buttoned up barrister in need of a date. If they pretend to date, they'll both gain what they need.

I super enjoyed this book. It's billed as a rom-com and *gasp* it's actually funny! But it's also two men confronting their issues and learning how to be better because of the other. So also very poignant. It was a book I didn't want to put down.

Many of the secondary characters are drawn quite broadly and a lot of the humor comes from the MCs bouncing off of them. It wouldn't surprise me if this has been optioned for a movie, because it reads very much like a good old romantic comedy. It's also PG-13 - while it's clear there's lust, the love scenes are not explicit and are mostly cut away from.

There's a single POV - Luc's - and at times I wanted to read from Oliver's POV, because I like a buttoned up character warring with himself over what he wants.

This is a great read, and a fun one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If this doesn't overtake A.C. Rosen's Camp as the book of the summer, I'm going to be so mad (but not really surprised). I honestly can't even remember where I came across this, but when I did I immediately requested a copy from the publisher.* And boy, am I glad I did—it was so good.
I first read Hall's work five years ago with Waiting for the Flood and could see the potential, but never followed up on my hunch only to be blindsided by this one! I could've been reading his work this whole time and growing with him. Needless to say, I will be going back through his back catalog in the near future.
Boyfriend Material is a fake boyfriend MM romance, but written more like a young adult/teen romance/RomCom story, rather than an explicit full-on sexy romance. Protagonists Luc, the child of a c-list celebrity with a baggage cart of emotional damage, and Oliver, an on the up barrister with his own hidden issues, strike a deal to fake-date each other until after an event, and of course eventually fall madly in love with each other.
"And, as a fund-raiser, it's my job to convince people that they're better off giving their money to bugs that eat poo instead of pandas, orphans, or—God help us—comic Relief." (Chapter 3)
Clearly, I was pre-disposed to like this book because it's a MM romance set in London, but that was further solidified when I found out Luc works in nonprofit fundraising. I mean come on, if I ever write a novel nonprofits and fundraisers will be involved because that's basically my non-book life. Add in that he has no filter and is constantly beating himself up and the only place you have to go is down. And Hall somehow kept going up. It took me a while but when I finally noticed that all the What's App group conversations names were puns I just threw another star on my rating (we're at like 20 already), because they just made me laugh!
• "Queer Comes the Sun"
• "Don't Wanna Be All Bi Myself"
• "One Gay More"
• "All About That Ace"
• "'Don't Luc Back in Anger"
• "You Can Luc (But You Better Not Touch)"
• "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" (even better b/c one of Luc's friends is Bridget)
Early in the book, I was wary when Hall described each of Luc's friends individually since it came across as checking diversity boxes, but thankfully it was only once and the few things he highlighted all came back later in the novel reiterating why he mentioned them (a minor character's religion or profession). The same thing can be said when both Luc and Oliver explain what is wrong with the other one at various points in their relationship. I was like why are we writing everything out (show don't tell), but then at some point it clicked and/or Hall made it explicitly clear that they had to specifically say everything because they were learning to communicate.
"There should really be a word for the feeling you get when you do a thing you don't particularly want to do to support somebody else but then realise they didn't actually need you and nobody would have noticed if you'd stayed home in your pyjamas eating Nutella straight from the jar." (Chapter 1)
If this novel is about anything, it's about communication. Like so many other romance novels, the protagonists either don't communicate. In this instance, they don't know how because of each of their respective histories and they have to navigate the unknown (oh hey every relationship) while in the guise of making their fake relationship look real. Their communication is brutally honest at various points, and yes there is a scene in the rain with love being confessed (so. much. swoon), and in the end they obviously sort it out but not without a lot of growth on both sides.
For me, the icing on the cake for the book was the lack of sex. It's been a few days since I read it, but I'm fairly certain there was only one full on sex scene actually on the page. There were quite a few fade away to curtains floating in the window moments and frankly, it was perfect. The more of these books I read, the more I realize I want the sweet/clean romances just as much as I want the down and dirty ones. One incredibly well written encounter in a book can carry be as rewarding as one a chapter, if the characters and story are strong enough, and in Hall's case they were.
Seriously though, I kept getting echoes of McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue rather than any of the dozens of MM romance (tag link) novels I've read this summer. McQuiston's may have had more sex in it, but they had similar OMG why is this so perfect I HAVE TO KEEP READING moments throughout that it would be doing Hall a disservice not to compare his work to that darling of the book blogger world.
Recommendation: My response is a mess, but suffice to say this is a wonderful book and I will absolutely be reading it again in the future. Hall's writing has vastly improved since I last read his work and Luc and Oliver's story, everything about it even the family drama which is so often overdone, just worked. As I was going back to grab pull quotes for my response, my heart fluttered. And if the few pull quotes I included was enough to get my heart fluttering at the story, there's clearly something wonderful here and I can't wait to revisit it and explore the rest of Hall's work.
*I received a copy of Boyfriend Material via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

<p>This was entertaining, funny, and light-hearted - exactly the kind of read I needed to get me out of my quarantine reading slump! I usually read really intense sci-fi/fantasy or mystery books, and I get bored with books (and TV shows) where there is not much plot besides "will they, won't they". It's not that I think relationships aren't important, I just usually want more plot to keep my attention.</p>

<p>Surprisingly, there is really not much plot in this book besides the "we must pretend to be each other's boyfriends for convenience but oops we actually like each other" situation but I still really enjoyed it. The characters were pretty eccentric, messed up in a lot of ways, but endearing. I did think most of the characters were a bit too exaggerated and one-note (Bridget, the hyperactive straight best friend! Priya, the grumpy lesbian! Alex, the earnest but very awkward co-worker! Jon Fleming, the terrible father!), but the two main characters grew a lot over the course of the story and it made me smile. There was one aspect of the plot in the second half that really didn't make sense to me, but I can't discuss it in this review without spoiling things.</p>

<p>Despite dealing with some emotional baggage and some really toxic family relationships, this book was overall adorable and a lot of fun.</p>

<p><i>A free e-copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i></p>

This book this book this book this book this booooooooooooooook.

We know I love a good fake dating trope, so that was immediately alluring. By the end of the book, I was absolutely obsessed with this story and the characters. It was funny, it was heartwarming, and it just honestly had everything I ever look for in a good romance read.

Alexis Hall is a funny freaking writer and I absolutely fell in love with Luc and Oliver. By page 2 I was laughing my a** off, and couldn't stop flipping through the story. Luc, self-deprecating and sarcastic grumpy Luc, was so endearing, and his relationship with Oliver was the stuff of dreams: real, hard, and full of warmth and honesty, with a dash of sarcasm and playful joking. Luc learns to love himself through loving Oliver, and Oliver learns his worth through his relationship with Luc, and it just 100% brought me to tears. These characters were real, and I don't say that lightly. They were absolutely realistic, and raw, and it brought me so much joy (even when I was crying) to navigate this weird pseudo-relationship with them.

I would also absolutely die for Oliver Blackwood. I want to protect that boy at all costs. He had me SOBBING by the end, and while I should hate him for that, I love him too much to consider it.

Long story short: this book is hella funny, and also brought me to tears about 10 times. Read it. Fall in love with Luc and Oliver and come out the other side a better person like they both did.

⭐⭐⭐

Boyfriend Material
Alexis Hall
432 pages | Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publish Date: July 7, 2020

The estranged son of a famous rock legend, Luc occasionally finds himself in the tabloids. After an unfortunate photo effects his reputation at work, he needs to prove that he can clean up his act and settle down with a responsible man. Enter fake boyfriend Oliver. Both agreeing that a fake relationship would be beneficial for their own reasons. But even though the relationship is just for appearances, things begin to feel very real, very fast.

Why is fake-dating just like, the cutest romance trope out there? It never gets old and this was no exception. Luc and Oliver were adorable and I thought they balanced each other so well.

Luc was a loveable and relatable human disaster and I was super impressed by his growth in the story. I wish we got to see more of that from Oliver too (I'm totally smitten with Oliver, I just wish we got to know him a bit earlier).

I want to be a part of Luc's friend group - they sound fab, if not a tad over the top. They, along with the various high society characters, tended to take me out of the story a bit. It as like they were all mostly caricatures of themselves. A character can just be posh - you don't need to constantly remind me what they are by over-exaggerating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars!

This was a very cute rom-com. It was incredibly funny. I absolutely adored every single character and how witty they all were. Alex Twaddle KILLED me. His reactions to Luc's jokes every single day were hilariously frustrating. The characters were, for the most part, incredibly well rounded and SO personable - they literally jumped right off of the pages.

The witty banter between Luc and Oliver, Luc and Bridget, Luc and Priya, and on was other-worldly. It was funny and clever and well-thought-out, without being over the top and annoying. I found myself laughing along. Listening to this book (I did a hybrid of reading and listening) was hilarious and the narrator had awesome voices for each character.

Super small detail, but I loved how Hall included some misspellings in text messages. So insignificant and not important to the plot whatsoever, but it was a quirky little detail that made the book feel that much more real.

My only complaints with this book were that it was incredibly predictable with no "new" plotlines. I also felt like it was a little all over the place - a lot of seemingly random plot lines were started and the abruptly ended and took some of my focus away from the meat of the story.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one! Thanks to Netgalley, Libro.Fm, and the publisher for the ARCs of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Rating: 4.5 stars
Rep: gay mc, m/m relationship, queer side characters


If you want a mash-up between "Bridget Jone's Diary" and "Red, White and Royal Blue", look no further! "Boyrfriend Material" was a fun rom-com with the best bit of British Humour, I honestly couldn't stop laughing throughout and this has now taken a place in one on my favorite romance books of all time!

Oliver was literally Mark Darcy 2.0 and no one can convince me otherwise. I loved Lucien and Oliver's gradual relationship from slight enemies to fake dating to friends to lovers. I was rooting from them right from the get-go! All the side characters were so well written and absolutely hilarious! I liked Alex and Priya the best.

Another thing I loved was that this book wasn't all fun and games. There was angst and sad times too, both Oliver and Luc don't have the best family situations and the way they connected over that was very realistic and sweet. While this book is over 400 pages long, it was action-packed and I was never bored for a second!

Overall, I highly recommend this rom-com to everyone that likes banter, British humour and fake dating! I can't wait to read more by this author in the future.

5 hilarious and wonderfully entertaining stars!

Oh, I loved this book! A witty, intelligent, delightfully entertaining m/m opposites-attract romantic comedy with a fake relationship setup and a fantastic duo of flawed but fabulous heroes that you cannot help but cheer for. I read it in a day, absolutely captivated from start to finish, and enjoyed every moment!

Lucien (Luc) O’Donnell is an absolute hot mess. The son of now-almost-forgotten 80s rockstars, he is a sort-of-celebrity whose life is splashed across the tabloids, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of questionable behaviour as he gets closer and closer to rock bottom. He’s pretty much there when his work with a local charity tells him he needs to improve his public image by entering into a suitable, stable relationship.

He is set up by a friend with snooty, serious barrister, Oliver Blackwood. They have met before, but it didn’t really go well, and neither of them think too highly of the other. But a temporary fake relationship also suits Oliver’s needs, so they agree to spend time together – both in and out of the public eye – to make their relationship look as real as possible until they go their separate ways.

“Explain to me again,” said Oliver finally, “why you need a boyfriend?”
It was the least I owed him. “Mainly for this big fundraiser we’ve got coming up at the end of April. Our donors all think I’m a bad gay.”
He frowned. “What’s a good gay?”
“Someone like you.”
“I see.”

OMG, I love these two boys! They are so well developed, as different as can be, and watching them bicker, argue and tease is so much fun!

“You know you’re wearing pyjamas wrong, right?”
He didn’t look up. “Oh?”
“Yeah, you’re supposed to just wear the bottoms, and have them hanging low on your hips, displaying your perfectly chiselled V-cut.”
“Maybe next time.”
I thought about this for a moment. “Are you saying you have a perfectly chiselled v-cut?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”
“What if someone asks? I should know for verisimilitude.”
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “You can say I’m a gentleman and we haven’t got that far.”
“You” – I gave a thwarted sigh – “are a terrible fake boyfriend.”
“I’m building fake anticipation.”
“You’d better be fake worth it.”
“I am.”

I love their snappy dialogue and their text conversations are a real treat. But underneath it all, they both have their vulnerabilities, characterised by sweetly tender moments and adorably endearing awkwardness.

"I miss you.
Sorry. Was that too much?
I know it’s only been a few days.
Maybe this is why people don’t want to go out with me.
Not that you’re really going out with me anyway.
I hope I didn’t sound presumptuous.
I’m probably sounding really weird now.
I’m assuming you’re not texting back because you’re still asleep. Not because you think I’m disgustingly clingy.
If you’re awake and think I’m disgustingly clingy, could you at least tell me.
Right. You’re probably asleep.
And now you’re going to wake up and read all this and I’m going to die of embarrassment.
Sorry."

And as they get to know each other, they begin to understand each other, and of course things start to change. They form a connection which sparks change in both of their lives, and watching them slowly evolve was just gorgeous! There are, understandably, some anxieties there, but they just go with it, which I loved, and the slow burn of their relationship plays out beautifully!

“I don’t want fine. Fine isn’t enough. Isn’t not about the open fire or whatever other clichés you can conjure up, but yes, I want a connection. I want you to care as much as I care. I want you to need it and want it and mean it. I want it to matter.”

And the love story is so lovely. It’s sweet and funny with great chemistry, and these two guys genuinely care for each other. They are thoughtful and kind with each other, but still with this sense of fun and playfulness, and seeing them together seriously gave me happy tingles! There is intimacy, but there are no actual sex scenes, so if you’re new to the m/m genre, this is a pretty tame one to start with.

"These weren’t just yeah whatever kisses. They weren’t take it or leave it, get your coat you’ve pulled kisses. They were everything I thought I could never have, everything I’d been pretending I never wanted, telling me that I was worth it, that he’d be there for me and put up with me and wouldn’t let me drive him away.
Oliver Blackwood was giving all that to me, and I was giving it right back."

The book is written entirely from Luc’s perspective, and though we get a really good sense of Oliver (who I adore), I loved that we got to experience everything through Luc. He is such a disaster, and he has created a disaster of his life, and as much as this is a love story, he also has other issues that he needs to work through and I loved that we get to see him deal with his problems, work to get himself out of his funk and get his life back on track.

And then there’s the fantastic crew of supporting characters. Luc’s friends and colleagues are a fantastically developed group of weird and wonderful personalities – all very realistic (some of them scarily so) – that add so much to the story. From the bland and truly idiotic to the devastatingly selfish, the lovingly devoted and everything in between. Watching Luc’s interactions with the people in his life is a real highlight of the book.

"Mum patted him reassuringly. “Oh, Oliver … I am sure you are one of the best gays.”
I glanced back to find Oliver looking faintly flustered. “Mum, stop ranking homosexuals. It doesn’t work like that.”

If you’re a fan of wonderfully character-driven English comedy movies Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, you’ll love this book. So many times while reading, I thought of those movies with their imperfect characters and diverse and quirky friend groups, and then all of those fantastic British-isms that add so much charm. This book is an experience that sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the final pages.

There is a bit of drama to bring the emotion, but mostly this is an angst-free read that made me smile, laugh out loud and fall in love, and I just adored it!

5 stars!

Before reading this, I'd seen someone, somewhere, compare Boyfriend Material to Red, White & Royal Blue and thought "pft, that seems like a stretch", but, and I'm saying this as someone who loved RWRB, the comparison holds. Sure it's a bit predictable, but it's such a sweet, romantic story sprinkled with heaps and heaps of humour, and exactly the kind of joy I needed to get me through lockdown, so we're letting it be predictable and sweet and delightful and we will still love it.

Luc is not necessarily your usual lovable MC, but he's real, and funny, and immature, and annoying, and exactly the right type for this story. Oliver is too mature and the complete opposite of Luc and exactly the right type for this story, too. It's definitely a character-driven story, and there's so much growth from both Luc and Oliver and I could gush about them forever but nobody's reading this anymore so I shan't. Know that they are delightful.

To round this off, I'd just like to mention that this book is utterly hilarious and had me actually cackling (and crying) in public. I'll just leave this bit from my initial "i-just-finished-reading-this pre-review review":

rtc (but i have 44 highlights, mostly of things that made me cackle (once or twice literally cry with laughter, don't judge me) and/or made me squeak with how precious it was, and i didn't realise i should be highlighting these things until around 22% in, so, that's a fifth of the book i haven't highlighted the funnies in and i'm still at 44 so in conclusion this is a hecking funny book (it is also the cutest thing and i have been given life))

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

‘I came to him like I thought I’d never come to anyone – forgetting to hold back in the need to make him feel as safe and cherished and as special as he made me. I held him, and he clung to me, and we moved together….’

We loved this book!! You know those cartoons where they have love hearts coming out of their eyes? Well, that’s how we felt reading Boyfriend Material! Our hearts were positively bursting! We laughed, we swooned, and we fell in love with two vastly different guys, Luc, and Oliver!

‘I’m not as strong as you think I am.”
“This isn’t about strength, it’s about who you’re choosing to make you happy.”

This is our first book by Alexis Hall and now we want more because we loved absolutely everything about this story! A fake relationship, two beautiful men, a sort of enemies to lovers thrown into the mix, and the writing! OMG! We relished Alexis Hall’s writing style. The flair, the wit, the warmth, passion and romance….ohhh, it was all exactly what the book doctor ordered! What a fabulous feelgood story! These two guys completely stole our hearts!

“You are many things, Lucien. But you could never be average.”

After one negative tabloid story too many, Lucien (Luc) O’Donnell, has to smarten up his act or risk his job at a fundraiser working alongside some eccentric and laugh out loud funny workmates for a charity that ensures the future of the dung beetle. Whilst it’s not the job of his dreams, it’s one he wants to hold onto, but with the negative press putting his donors and his boss offside, Luc needs to attract good publicity, and he’s been burned by people selling their stories about him to the press.

“It’s just easier to push people away than watch them leave.”

The chronicling of Luc’s indiscretions in the tabloids is courtesy of his rock star father, Jon Fleming who is on the cusp of making a comeback. Luc’s father walked out on him and his mother, who Luc has a fantastic and hilarious relationship with when Luc was 3, and he’s not too thrilled at to have his father reappear in his life. It’s decided Luc needs a fake boyfriend, one who will spin a good story, bringing the donors back into favour and loosening up their purse strings. But can he pull it off?

‘I’m a criminal barrister. Most people think we’re the scum of the earth.”
“- and I’m the disgraced son of a disgraced rock star. I’m unnecessarily mean. And make terrible decisions.”

Luc’s publicist friend Bridget has just the man! Enter Oliver Blackwood, a 30 year old hot, stable, single and a successful criminal barrister. Although Luc and Oliver’s path had unsuccessfully crossed in the past, they both agree to a fake relationship which will benefit them both.

“Are we really bad at this? I asked. “We’ve been fake dating for three days and we’ve already fake broken up once.”
“Yes, but we fake resolved our difficulties and fake got back together, and I’m hoping is made us fake stronger.”

That’s all rather simplifying the story because experiencing the emotions between Luc and Oliver will fill your heart, the banter between Luc, Oliver and their eccentric friends is a laugh out loud delight! The puns between Luc and his workmates Rhys and Alex will have you in stitches! The relationship between Luc and Mum is hilariously warm and yet, amongst an amusing, sweet and entertaining story, Alexis Hall manages to wonderfully explore the complexities of family relationships.

‘He smiled. Oliver Blackwood was smiling. At me. For me. Because of me…’

We dare, no, we double dare you to not be as swept up in this deliciously funny, heart-warmingly sweet and in its own way, meaningful and poignant story. The characteristics of Luc and Oliver were brought to life in a story of love, trust and taking chances, and a story we never wanted to end.

“He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
“That,” offered Priya, “is because you’re a titanic romantic disaster with incredibly low standards.”

‘I came to him like I thought I’d never come to anyone – forgetting to hold back in the need to make him feel as safe and cherished and as special as he made me. I held him, and he clung to me, and we moved together….’

We loved this book!! You know those cartoons where they have love hearts coming out of their eyes? Well, that’s how we felt reading Boyfriend Material! Our hearts were positively bursting! We laughed, we swooned, and we fell in love with two vastly different guys, Luc, and Oliver!

‘I’m not as strong as you think I am.”
“This isn’t about strength, it’s about who you’re choosing to make you happy.”

This is our first book by Alexis Hall and now we want more because we loved absolutely everything about this story! A fake relationship, two beautiful men, a sort of enemies to lovers thrown into the mix, and the writing! OMG! We relished Alexis Hall’s writing style. The flair, the wit, the warmth, passion and romance….ohhh, it was all exactly what the book doctor ordered! What a fabulous feelgood story! These two guys completely stole our hearts!

“You are many things, Lucien. But you could never be average.”

After one negative tabloid story too many, Lucien (Luc) O’Donnell, has to smarten up his act or risk his job at a fundraiser working alongside some eccentric and laugh out loud funny workmates for a charity that ensures the future of the dung beetle. Whilst it’s not the job of his dreams, it’s one he wants to hold onto, but with the negative press putting his donors and his boss offside, Luc needs to attract good publicity, and he’s been burned by people selling their stories about him to the press.

“It’s just easier to push people away than watch them leave.”

The chronicling of Luc’s indiscretions in the tabloids is courtesy of his rock star father, Jon Fleming who is on the cusp of making a comeback. Luc’s father walked out on him and his mother, who Luc has a fantastic and hilarious relationship with when Luc was 3, and he’s not too thrilled at to have his father reappear in his life. It’s decided Luc needs a fake boyfriend, one who will spin a good story, bringing the donors back into favour and loosening up their purse strings. But can he pull it off?

‘I’m a criminal barrister. Most people think we’re the scum of the earth.”
“- and I’m the disgraced son of a disgraced rock star. I’m unnecessarily mean. And make terrible decisions.”

Luc’s publicist friend Bridget has just the man! Enter Oliver Blackwood, a 30 year old hot, stable, single and a successful criminal barrister. Although Luc and Oliver’s path had unsuccessfully crossed in the past, they both agree to a fake relationship which will benefit them both.

“Are we really bad at this? I asked. “We’ve been fake dating for three days and we’ve already fake broken up once.”
“Yes, but we fake resolved our difficulties and fake got back together, and I’m hoping is made us fake stronger.”

That’s all rather simplifying the story because experiencing the emotions between Luc and Oliver will fill your heart, the banter between Luc, Oliver and their eccentric friends is a laugh out loud delight! The puns between Luc and his workmates Rhys and Alex will have you in stitches! The relationship between Luc and Mum is hilariously warm and yet, amongst an amusing, sweet and entertaining story, Alexis Hall manages to wonderfully explore the complexities of family relationships.

‘He smiled. Oliver Blackwood was smiling. At me. For me. Because of me…’

We dare, no, we double dare you to not be as swept up in this deliciously funny, heart-warmingly sweet and in its own way, meaningful and poignant story. The characteristics of Luc and Oliver were brought to life in a story of love, trust and taking chances, and a story we never wanted to end.

“He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
“That,” offered Priya, “is because you’re a titanic romantic disaster with incredibly low standards.”