Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material is quite possibly the best romantic comedy I’ve ever read. Almost every page produced a smile, a grin, a snort or a full-out belly-laugh – and I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book that produced full on giggling of the sort that made my family members give me funny looks.

I love a good fake-relationship story and this is a VERY good one. The premise is nothing new; our PoV character Lucien – Luc – O’Donnell has appeared in one-too-many embarrassing photos in the press and is told to clean up his image or be fired from his job. But Alexis Hall turns this commonly used plotline into something special; yes, it’s frequently hilarious, but it’s also charming, touching, awkward, sharply observant and refreshingly self-deprecating, as is evident right from the start in the way the author pokes fun at the premise itself by having Luc working for a charity dedicated to the preservation of the dung-beetle, whose name, in acronym form, is CRAPP.

Turns out, the one thing worse than having a famous father who blew up his career like a champagne supernova is having a famous father who’s making a fucking comeback.

Twenty-eight year-old Luc is the son of a famous rock-star couple whose dad abandoned both Luc and his mother when Luc was just three years old. For much of his life he’s been constantly compared to his reckless, self- destructive absentee father in the media, the slightest infraction or cock-up on his part inevitably leading to smug ‘like father, like son’ pronouncements, but he learned to live with it (mostly). Five years before the book opens, Luc’s long-term boyfriend sold his story to the tabloids for fifty grand, which sent him into a downward spiral that, for a while, served only to reinforce people’s worst assumptions about him. Now, he’s a mass of insecurities, a cagey, grumpy, paranoid mess with serious trust and self-esteem issues who has made an art form out of pushing people away.

Because somewhere along the line, I’d turned getting ahead of the story into a lifestyle.

With his father making a comeback as a judge on a reality TV show, Luc is once again fair game as far as the paparazzi is concerned. So when a perfectly innocuous photo of him appears in a tabloid complete with sensationalist byline, Luc’s stuffy boss at the Coleoptera Research and Protection Project (CRAPP), worried about losing donors over his reported antics, gives him an ultimatum. Repair his reputation or he’s out of a job. Luc has no idea how to do this – until a colleague (with the wonderfully unlikely name of Alex Twaddle – seriously, many of the names in this book are Dickensian in their ridiculousness!) suggests he should get himself an appropriate boyfriend to be seen around with and then take to the upcoming CRAPP fundraiser.

Which is how come Luc ends up agreeing to go on a not-date with the terribly proper, uptight barrister Oliver Blackwood. They have absolutely nothing in common other than the need to have a plus-one to take to an upcoming event – Luc’s fundraiser and Oliver’s parents’ anniversary – so they agree to be publicity-friendly fake-boyfriends for a few weeks, then have a fake-break-up and pretend it never happened. No problem.

Well, it should be no problem, but as their fake-relationship progresses and Luc starts to get to know Oliver, he begins to realise that behind the serious, fussy, perfectly-presented exterior is a man he could come to like very much – for real.

Luc is pretty self-absorbed, but given his circumstances, it’s not too surprising; he’s famous-by-association and has lived under some sort of spotlight for much of his life. When other kids were getting drunk or stoned at parties nobody batted an eyelid, but when he did it, it made its way into the papers with copy about his being a ‘wild child’ or ‘his father’s son’. He’s short-tempered, sharp-tongued and has a talent for saying the wrong thing, but he’s endearing and vulnerable, despite his outward prickliness, and I loved watching him gradually coming to accept that he was worth loving and deserved to have good things in his life.

And Oliver, while seemingly Luc’s total opposite is absolutely perfect for him. He’s a bit stuffy – although as Luc discovers, has a very dry sense of humour – and is sometimes a bit preachy, but it all comes from a good place and there’s something about him that is completely and utterly charming. He’s had lots of boyfriends, but no relationship has lasted, something Oliver himself puts down to his being boring. To start with, Luc is inclined to agree, but soon starts to wonder. Oliver may be a bit uptight, but he’s also kind, considerate and intuitive (plus, he’s seriously hot) – so how come he’s never had a relationship last more than six months?

Luc and Oliver’s romance is beautifully written and well-paced, and is full of snark, tenderness and genuine affection. From their very first fake-date, the chemistry between them sings, and their gradual progression from fake boyfriends to ‘um… this doesn’t feel fake any more’ is extremely well done. The story is related entirely from Luc’s PoV, but Mr. Hall does a great job of bringing Oliver to life through his eyes, and showing the reader things that Luc sees but doesn’t SEE. Luc is so caught up in his own problems that he fails to see that Oliver is just as screwed up and insecure in many ways as he is – and I appreciated that part of Luc’s journey towards being a little less hard on himself was in learning to recognise when others – notably Oliver – were struggling, too.

He’d helped me see that my life was better than I’d thought it was… that I was better than I’d thought I was.

The sub-plot concerning Luc’s conflicting emotions about his father – who has discovered he has cancer – is really well done, and Luc’s circle of friends – their WhatsApp group variously titled “Queer Comes the Sun”, “One Gay More” and “All About That Ace” – are a bonkers, quirky bunch who clearly adore each other and wouldn’t be out of place in a Richard Curtis film.

Luc and Oliver light up the pages whenever they’re together and while Mr. Hall’s trademark humour and love of pop-culture are very much present throughout, there’s a more serious, emotional side to the book, too, a story about self-worth and acceptance and the need to be true to oneself. Romantic, funny, silly, messy, tropey and completely wonderful, Boyfriend Material is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I was captivated from start to finish and I’m sure you will be, too.

This book just gives you ALL the happy, gleeful smiles and we were living for it.

Also, I don't know if this reflects badly on my sleeping habits but I did stay up until 4.30am reading because I was so enchanted by this book.

First of all, I ADORED the audiobook narration and it's what honestly made the experience for me. I loved all the voices the narrator did for each character and the way they brought Luc's character to life. I read along with my ebook for a little while and I loved doing it like that. It literally was like watching a movie and I was just living my best life

The writing was so really great and is PACKED with witty lines. We all know how I'm a sucker for banter and it didn't disappoint. I loved the setting and how I was transported to London. Very nostalgic.

But the best part was the characters. They're all so well-written and three-dimensional. Luc was, I think, my favourite. He's the literal definition and embodiment of disaster gay™ and,,, needs protection at all costs. And also a slap across the face. He just word vomits everywhere and can't control his emotions and I ADORED him. Oliver was also a sweetheart. But also needed a slap across the face. He's an anxious bean with posh family issues. They're the best kind if we're being honest.

The side-characters were also just a TREAT. Luc's mother was my favourite, especially her voice. (Pssst listen to the audiobook). But his friends and Oliver's friends as well.

The family dynamics... oof so complicated. But made the story so complex and, frankly, interesting. Even though they suck. Truly. We're talking about Luc's father as well as Oliver's parents. The freaking WORST. Honestly.

And that romance. All the giddy feels. I loved their inside jokes and just the way they interacted and... worked. As I mentioned, both these idiots are messed up but they're messed up together, you know? They were a tad dramatic near the end, but that was expected tbh, it's an adult romance.

My only complaint is that I think the story was missing something. I'm not entirely sure what yet, just an element to perhaps add more tension or maybe the tension could've been heightened? So it did drag a bit at times. Still nonetheless enjoyed but there was just that one thing, you know?

Also, I wanted to touch on the humour in this book. The author is genderqueer, but a lot of the side characters that were never taken as acceptable, did make some offensive homophobic jokes, which could be triggering. Just wanted to warn everyone. Whilst we're on the topic, trigger warnings for emotional abuse, cancer and possible eating disorder.

This book was *clenches fists* just so lovely.

I need an epilogue. Please and thank you. Akjhjsgad I LOVED THIS BOOK!! ALL THE HAPPY, GIDDY, GRINNING FEELS!!!!

This book was highly entertaining. Luc and Oliver are genuinely hilarious in their interactions. Luc is so dramatic, but sometimes I like the over dramatic characters. And in Luc’s defense he’s aware of this characteristic and he does get better over the course of the book. I love when we can see a character grow and develop and Luc’s development felt so realistic. Boyfriend Material touched on quite a few other things: friends, families, work place shenanigans. I loved each of their friend groups and the scenes with them in it were so funny.

Oliver and Luc were such a great pair to read. They were fun, flirty, and I really liked seeing their relationship go from fake to real after quite a few pit stops. They each see the worst parts of each other and of each other’s families and still want to be with each other. Which really hit the great romance nail on the head.

My only issues are that for a long minute there at the end I thought we weren’t going to get a happy ending and that was stressful for me. And that I wish desperately that this was written in dual POV. There were SO MANY scenes where I really wanted inside Oliver’s head.

Overall, this was a lot of fun and I definitely recommend to romance readers.

This book had me laughing out loud from the very start! I can’t remember a book that I have read (not a comedy) that had me laughing as much as Luc’s and Oliver had me laughing. Their back and forth conversations, Luc;s inner dialogue and the comical situations he gets himself into made this romance an absolute riot to read.

I have been over stressed with life and dramatic love stories for a while now, so Boyfriend Material was a welcome change.

This story sets up with Luc, the abandoned son of a British rock legend trying to reform his image after another unflattering run-in with the paps. Solution: a squeaky clean boyfriend to redeem with tarnished image. Insteps Oliver. He’s a barrister and almost OCD with his cleanliness and professionalism. If anyone can shine a light on Luc, its Oliver. They go on a disastrous first date, but since they both need this relationship to prove a point in the future, they decide to fake date. Hilarity ensues.

These two don’t know how to be in a real relationship, so obviously their fake relationships has just as many ups and downs… until they can’t tell if the feelings they are feeling are real.

Luc and Oliver were an adorable odd couple and their pairing had the same comedic genius. Their going attachment and love was fun to watch develop and root for.

Right now we can all use a little fun in our romance and this book definitely was fun. I highly recommend this book!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is scheduled to be released July 7th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Sourcebooks Casablanca through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a DNF for me. I loved the premise of this book was not engaged at all. At about 45%, I stopped. Luc was an incredibly unlikeable character and I felt like I was supposed to feel sorry for him, but I just couldn’t. I was also quite confused during large chunks that I just could not follow. On top of ghat, luc and Oliver did not seem to have any chemistry to me so I was not rooting for them.

I loved this book so much. It was funny and cute and quirky and I could not put it down.

Luc is the son of a has-been rockstar, making him slightly famous and a favourite of the London paparazzi. When Luc resurfaces in the tabloids as an out of control druggy party boy, he becomes in danger of losing his job. There’s only one thing that can be done, find a fake boyfriend who is perfect in every way and can help clean up Luc’s party boy image. Olivier is perfect boyfriend material, he’s an ethical vegetarian and Barrister and most importantly is willing to pretend to be Luc’s boyfriend as long as he joins him at his parents ruby anniversary. The problem is, when you’re pretending to be in love with someone how do you stop from actually falling in love with them?
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This was a 4.5 star read for me. The writing is excellent, the humour is hilarious, the romance is steamy and the characters were perfect. I can not recommend this book enough and is definitely one of my new favourite rom-coms!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this review arc.

Luc and Oliver were wonderful characters and I just loved seeing their fake relationship evolve into something all too real. I enjoyed the humor and banter between them, this was a very fun story with one of my favorite tropes and I enjoyed every page.

*I voluntarily reviewed an copy of this book provided by NetGalley*

This is my kind of guilty pleasure read/audio. Humor, connection and a good bit of quirky to round it out. This is my first Alexis Hall book and he did not disappoint. Even though this is more on the fun, flirty and typical plot progress of a romance read there are some well-rounded topics of family acceptance, love and personal growth.

Luc is your wayward, just making it through type character and Oliver is the picturesque success who appears to have it all together. The beautiful trope of opposites attracting. I adored the character banter and even the side characters (Luc’s mother is just hilarious perfection). This was the perfect change of pace from the more serious novels I have been reading lately. If you haven’t found the joy of romcom yet I definitely recommend giving it a go.

I had the ability to listen to and read this novel. I highly recommend either version. The narration was well done and I appreciated the cadence and changes in voice that stayed true throughout the novel for each character. Thank you to Alexis Hall, Libro.fm, NetGalley, Dreamscape Media LLC. and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to listen to and read this novel. All thoughts are solely my own.

Just when I'd thought the fake dating trope had been beaten to death, here comes Alexis Hall to breathe a fresh and charming breath of life into it.
It's amazing how not being afraid to really go into the emotions of a character can have such a positive effect on making the development of characters and the plot flow in such an organic way.
Luc O'Donnell is, at first, not a very likable guy. Then you get to know more about him and the sad situation he finds himself in and you just have to root for him to have a happy ending. Oliver Blackwood seems to be the ideal stiff-upper-lip, middle-class English lawyer of everyone dreams-- and he mostly is, but one thing that Hall excels at is depth and Oliver is one of the best-developed romance heroes I've read in a while. The time they're together results in some of the loveliest, most charming scenes I've read in ages.
Add in a host of unique characters and some very British snark and sarcasm and you have all the ingredients one needs to make romance magic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for granting my wish to read it early.

Listen, I am always ALWAYS game for a posh British boy with repressed emotional issues from a lifetime of dealing with tactless and emotionally stunted parents, who uses fancy words and habitually wears suits, being slapped together with someone who is a hot mess in every way and barely has their life together enough to dress themselves in the morning, and the insane amounts of sexual chemistry that always stirs up. Naturally, this book checked all of those boxes.

I had issues with the pacing of this book, and while I loved Oliver and Luc, there were times when their reactions and interactions didn't feel appropriate to where they were in their relationship. I thought that it would have been beneficial to introduce more of Oliver's personality and issues earlier in the story to help really build his character. And the ending was a bit too abrupt for me. But honestly, my picky little issues with the book were far overshadowed by the sweet love story and most of all, the humour.

The writing is the best part of this book - its fresh, funny, and really authentic. I mean, how many authors can throw in a Rupert Bear reference (yes, I am still obsessed with the Rupert Bear reference) and have it make complete sense. And I think some of my favourite parts were Alex the work colleague being completely and utterly oblivious to the punchlines of Luc's jokes and Luc just being like, how can someone be so clueless and why do I bother but you know I'm going to have a new joke tomorrow anyway. Classic.

Basically, I can picture this exact movie in my head in 90s rom-com style with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth playing the leads and probably a weird ass cameo by Bill Nighy (Rhys, perhaps?) and that's really the highest compliment I can pay.

Thank you Source Books Casablanca and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

We've all read this trope before - fake dating turns into real love. But I bet you never read it quite like this. Luc is the son of rock stars, a hot mess, and needs to improve his image to keep his job. Oliver is an ethical vegetarian lawyer that needs a date for a family party. They don't like each other, but between Luc's sass and Oliver's seriousness, something clicks and they end up being the most adorable pair ever.

The best thing about this book? Or I guess the two best things? 1) It's LGBTQIA+ and 2) the English humor is on point. I snort laughed several times while reading.

Both characters are flawed which offers plenty of opportunities for a bit of angst and personal growth.

I definitely recommend this one to any fans of rom coms!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

British contemporary M-M romantic comedy. New adult attitudes.
Lucien: Late 20’s, moody, insecure and still dealing with abandonment issues.
“You’ve been through a lot today,” he [friend] said. “There’s no need to diminish it.”
“Yeah but if I don’t diminish things I have to face them at their normal size, and that’s horrible.”

Oliver: a barrister, and fit vegetarian. Smart but failing at long term relationships.

A mutual friend puts the two together and they agree to have a fake romance for specific professional reasons. They soon find themselves enamored with each other but finding their way slowly as they get to know each other.

Some great humor via texting between Lucien, Oliver and Bridget.
The enjoyment was in the friends being supportive multiple times throughout the story. And of course, it’s a romance so we know it ends well. But it’s torture until it happens although Lucien surprised me with his maturity at the end.

If I hadn’t made a commitment to read this, I would have quit at 25%. Several times over. But so many people said how much they loved the book, so I continued.
I don’t know why anyone likes Lucien, much less his friends. He’s mean, rude and self centered.
So saying, he eventually does straighten up and eventually Lucien and Oliver make an adorable couple.
In the end it was too much angst for me and not enough charm.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This was one of the best books I’ve read this year so far. Totally adorable, sweet when it needed to be, heart wrenching at times, and often absolutely hilarious.

This is the story of Luc O’Donnell, who is the son of a famous rock star from the 80s who spent much of the time between the 80s and the present in and out of rehab. Luc’s never met his father, but now that his dad is making an epic comeback on reality television, Luc is getting more and more press, and his public image is starting to go down the toilet. If he doesn’t find a nice, respectable boyfriend to bring to a work event to prove that he’s not the disaster that the press paints him as, he’s going to lose his job.

Cue Oliver Blackwood. He’s handsome, single, a lawyer, a vegetarian, and is also in need of a plus one to an important event. So, they make a deal. They’ll be fake boyfriends until each event is over, and then they can go their separate ways.

These guys are adorable idiots and I would fight a feral tiger for them. We get this story from Luc’s point of view, and so we get to know him a bit better than Oliver. Luc is a bit of a dick (okay, more than a bit) but he’s been through some rough stuff over the last few years, and being dickish seems to be a shield he uses. Because it’s told in the first person, we see Luc during a lot of his more vulnerable moments, and so it was very easy to latch on and want all the best for him.

The relationship between Luc and Oliver was a nice slow burn, and reached levels of adorableness that may yet be unmeasurable. As I said though, these guys are adorable idiots, and so there is plenty of idiocy from both sides when it comes to how a healthy relationship (fake or otherwise) works. Enter the heart-wrenching bits. But despite idiocy on both sides, both characters grow in wonderful ways due to the influence of the other. The last 15% or so of this one did me a solid kick in the feels, in a way that made the ending itself even better.

All told, a lot of this book reminded me of Bridget Jones’ Diary, only gayer, and I was all the way here for it. There’s even a character named Bridget, and I want to believe that was on purpose. I loved every second of it.

This was everything I could've wanted from a m/m romance this summer! The characters were equal parts silly and stuck-up, funny and heartrending. I especially relished the slight twist on the fake dating trope, because it wasn't what I wasn't expecting. I'd definitely recommend this one to other romance lovers, to fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, especially.

3.5 stars

(Full review on Goodreads and my blog)

When I saw the cover of this book I fell in love with it because it hassuch a beautiful cover and there is this super suggestive title, it was inevitable I needed to read it, when I read the synopsis I just confirmed that I would definitely read this book no matter what. How happy I fell when I got an ARC from Netgalley. I loved getting to know Alexis' writing, this was my first contact with her work and I loved how the whole development of the book is very well written, making the reading fluid, fun and engaging. I couldn't have been more satisfied with what I found in that book.

Luc went through strong disappointments in his life and sometimes it is very difficult to deal with them, he ended up becoming a resentful person who doesn’t easily trust people, self-destructive, self-deprecating and lonely, all for fear of suffering again. I loved Lucien, he is the type of character that we want to caring and say to him how wonderful he is, that he isn't a fucked up, that bad things happen, but he isn't just what happened bad in his life. Oliver is supportive, handsome, intelligent, with an established career and loves what he does, understanding and has many other adjectives that I could quote, but what cost to him to be so perfect? Oliver is a charm, he is really a boyfriend material, but, he is a person like any other and like the others he has his difficulties and problems, I loved Oliver for his qualities, but also for his difficulties and problems.

I liked the way the book shows that we all have problems, but we don't have to deal with them alone, that we can and should accept help. The importance of having good and true friendships and how they will always be your rock and that regardless of the experience family isn’t perfect, and relationships are difficult but they are worthwhile regardless of the duration.

I really loved this book, I laughed out loud, got anxious about what was going to happen, got happy when something went right, got upset when something went wrong and let's not mention how much I loved the secondary characters, but more than anything, I wished too much for Lucien and Oliver happen because the chemistry that they has was palpable and very intense, even though they are totally different people. I finished the reading and felt a little sad, the truth is that I didn't want the book to end, I wanted to keep reading more and more about Luc and Oliver, I don't know if I'll be able to get over this book anytime soon, I didn't read anything so good a while.

4,5 stars

This was so much fun! It's like a mix between Red White and Royal Blue and Bridget Jones, and honestly, that's the best mixup ever.

Boyfriend Material is about Luc O'Donnell, estranged son of rockstar John Flemming, who is basically always followed by paparazzi. The tabloids never seem to fail in telling yet another nonsense story about him, in which his sexuality is never left out. His kind of homophobic boss has had enough so she gives Luc ultimatum: or he's going to find an "appropriate" boyfriend before the next big work event, or he's fired. That left Luc with no other options: have a fake relationship with his best friend's only gay friend, with who he literally has nothing in common.

I really liked this story, Luc and Oliver are hilarious together. Every time Luc tells Oliver something and he doesn't get it or he takes it way too seriously, had me cackling. It was adorable how clueless Oliver was sometimes. I also reaaaally enjoyed all the British Humour. This book was just so funny all the time. ESPECIALLY HOW LUC ALWAYS TOLD ALEX JOKES AND HE JUST WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND. I CRIEEEED.

What I didn't like, was the ending. It felt a bit rushed to me. Suddenly everything was resolved and then it was finished. Just like that. I also felt a bit mweh about the dad storyline. How that ended up also felt rushed :(

Oh!! I can't not say anything about Priya and her truck because oh my god. I totally loved that side character. Every time she was mentioned, I was giggling. And Bridget, and the James Royce-Royces, and even Tom. The side characters were just really well done.

Overall, I really really recommend this one!

I enjoyed this gentle romance story. I felt bad for Luc, in trouble at his job because of his mostly absent father, and several times over the course of the story I was very angry at said father. The odd couple antics of Oliver and Luc were fun to watch. I would have loved to get Oliver's perspective on some of it; we only saw him through Luc's eyes, which is quite limiting, especially as he was very judgey at the start.



I loved Luc's group of friends, as well (One Gay More, definitely the best group name) and there were strong shades of Notting Hill at the end. I would read a whole book about James Royce Royce and James Royce Royce and their adventures.



I'd have liked a few more twists and turns, but overall I did enjoy this book very much.

Because I read Red White & Royal Blue and loved it, this was my next most anticipated read of 2020. Loved the premise. Loved the cover. I was super excited to get a copy of it from Netgalley. There were a lot of highs and a few lies about the book that make it just a 3.5 star read for me.

What I liked:
-The trope. Fake dating has so much potential for the story
-Witty characters. Some of the one liners were genuinely funny.
-Lots of heart. From Luc’s relationship with his mom his mom to some if his more emotionally deep conversations with Oliver, there was a lot of heart.

What I didn’t like or found to be just so/so:
-Serious homophobia in the work place. Luc is a bad gay because he was photographed face down in a gutter in an alleged drugged or drunken stupor. Finding a straight laced gay will help clean up his gay image and turn him into an acceptable gay. This started out a bit cute but the longer it went on, the less cute it got. I really wanted Luc to have a moment where he no longer had to take what he could get with respect to this job.
-Side character. Each filled an exaggerated caricature of their designated trope: angry lesbian, super gays that share the same name and then hyphenated it (because why?), Bi that used to date the MC but now dates Luc’s one straight best friend. The Uber French mom. The narcissistic rock star dad. The rich snobby only surface level accepting parents. None of it felt real because it was all so to type.
-The romance. Genuine feels were had but it was almost 70% into the book before they were able to start kissing and then it faded to black. One of the things I really liked about RW&RB was that it did not shy away from the sex scenes. I expected a little more heat in regards to that here as well.

This was my first book by the author. My overall impression with the book is that it was good, not great. Humorous, not quite funny. Romantic, not at all steamy. Feel good, but falls a little flat. I think a lot of people will enjoy the book and give it high marks. For me, it’s good I’ve just read better.

DAMN Y’ALL!!! This BOOK!!😍


I was utterly blown away by the AH’s Boyfriend Material. I (much like Romance Icon Jen “ReadsRomance” Prokop) don’t really love the term “romcom, because rarely do I feel like a book both roms and coms equally, and to me it just feels like a signifier of Trade Paperback Contemporary With Lots of Hype (and often only light to medium heat lol). But reading this, I think maybe romcoms might actually be real??? MAGIC✨


Being the son of one of England’s biggest rock stars from the 70’s has NOT benefited Luc O’Donnell— he’s been dogged by paparazzi at the *most* inopportune moments, and now that is dad is making a comeback it's gotten even worse. When a photo is snapped at a particularly compromising moment, his job is in jeopardy and Luc must salvage his bad boy image stat!

Enter Oliver Blackwell-- a suit clad established barrister, ethical vegetarian and wielder of multisyllabic words, aka the PERFECT boyfriend to mend Luc’s image. Unfortunately, the two have *nothing* in common. But for various reasons both Luc and Oliver have need of a boyfriend, so the two agree to a fake relationship. Only, it doesnt always *feel* fake.

There’s so much to love about this book! Hall’s writing is really stunning- it’s clever and easy, flowing in a stream-of-consciousness style that immediately & intimately places the reader in the story. It’s also INCREDIBLY funny- Luc is witty and self depreciating, and reading the banter between him and his friends felt the way watching Friends does. But it in no way comes at a cost to the emotional thrust of the story- by the end I was Awwwwing like a total softie!! Hall also has a number of common romcom (both book and movie!) tropes that they deftly subvert in a way that's really compelling. I absolutely loved this book, easily one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year!

CW for a parent diagnosed with cancer- feel free to dm me for more info!

Boyfriend Material is the kind of rom-com that makes me wish I read more rom-coms. It is full of humor and cute moments, a delightfully angsty protagonist, and one of the greatest tropes of all time: fake dating.

Our protagonist Luc is the son of a rock star from the 80s that is slowly making a comeback on a "The Voice" type singing competition show. Luc has been hounded by the paparazzi, who have made him out to be "a bad gay", which has threatened his career, his relationships, and his self esteem. In a desperate attempt to save his reputation and pull off a fund raiser for the dung beetle charity he works for, Luc seeks to find the perfect (fake) boyfriend to calm his more conservative donors.

This book was extremely funny, though it took me a bit to get into the style of humor. The chemistry between the leads was palpable and I became increasingly frustrated that they wouldn't admit how perfect they were for each other and just sleep together already! Luc is angsty and second-guesses literally everything, while Oliver is just as angsty, but hides it behind a proper and polished barrister exterior.

I enjoyed this book immensely and it executed on its tropes well, bringing tons of great build up and chemistry to this love story. I did feel that the side characters were almost entirely flat and cartoonish, which is actually reminiscent of all of my favorite 90s rom-com films. My only other complaint is that this book felt just a bit too long and dragged in some places near the end. I appreciated that the book wasn't only about the two leads getting together, but also addressed their emotional healing, their familial relationships, and the political environment that caused them to fake date to begin with. It caused the pacing in the back half of the book to feel a bit messy and flat. That being said, I recommend Boyfriend Material overall, it was fun and full of love.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.