I absolutely loved this book. It was the funniest book I've read in a while & I think we could all use a little more humor these days. I especially enjoyed that there were many unpredictable moments in what's typically a very predictable genre. Both Luc and Oliver are imperfect individuals with issues of self-worth, relationship baggage and living up to others' expectations that felt completely real. That they were so relatable is why this book is so enjoyable and endearing. Boyfriend Material is also peppered with supporting characters that perpetually tow the line between hilariously dim and shockingly clever.

DNF AT 18%


I thought I would really enjoy this book but I find that it is just dragging for me. I know I am still every early on in it but I feel like there has not been much growth throughout the time being so far. The main character just keep dragging himself and saying he is undateable, I wish I was taken in more as I usually love stories with pretend dating but this one just isn’t doing it for me.

This book had the best characters! I loved Luc's attitude about his life. He's such a hot mess, and he knows it! His internal and external commentary had me giggling constantly.

This a fake-dating story that created a lovely dynamic between Luc and Oliver. I really enjoyed the story as the two of them learned about each other, and eventually how to communicate their feelings with the other one.

This is a light, fun read that I would highly recommend!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Five beautiful stars! All the right things about creating a Ro/Com really pulled through with this story. Luc O'Donnell has this very witty narration that makes the story very entertaining to read. I'm usually very picky when it comes to reading stories in the romance genre, and while the theme of "Fake Relationships" isn't wholly new to me, the way Boyfriend Material was executed really sold me into this plot.

If you know me, and the way I am with romance novels, I am veeeery picky on my reads. For the quick gist, Boyfriend Material is a story about Luc O'Donnell, the son of a famous rockstar but is the hot topic of a lot of gossip in London primarily because of his past relationship being out in the public. Because of a downward spiral in his present career as a charity worker, he needed to create a clean slate on the tabloids in order to literally keep his job on the line. Enter, our hot lawyer "fake boyfriend" Oliver Blackwood, the perfect gentleman in suits, with a well-off family, who signed up on the facade with Luc.

I'd be writing a full review on this once the book comes out, but for an overview of the book, I find the story a well-blend of funny, and adorable to read through. There were also some very relatable moments with Luc's inner turmoils of his self-esteem. Aside from the two main couple, I also love Luc's friends most especially, I haven't laughed so much to a Ro/Com story in such a long time, this has honestly been one of the much-needed breath of fresh air during the months-long quarantine period.

Lastly, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing me an E-ARC copy of this book. Highly recommending this book for a good humorous and also very meaningful story of friends/family/relationships/ and even social culture.

2.5* A bit inorganic with what led to the leads' relationship, and with the constant snark...

The very Britishness of this cover (is it designed to attract readers of last year's hit book, 'Red, White and Royal Blue'?) is what drew me to the tale, and the Britishness of the writing and dialogue had me nosing to see if the author is a Brit, but I couldn't figure this out. In any case, his/her voice does ring pretty authentically British, considering that the leads for the most are middle-to-upper class Brits.

Please note that this review contains Spoilers.

But, it didn't read organically, unfortunately. This is the UK, and the tale starts off with a premise which no British employer would be so open about, and which no employee with Luc's upbringing and education and group of LGBTQIA friends in 2020 would take the way he did. Yes, he worked for a charity that was short of funds but no employer has the right to bring his personal life into the tale the way in which the author and his employers did. This would have been ripe for an open-and-shut court case, so for me, the tale started off on the wrong foot. It also made me wonder if the author is American, not a Brit and whether he/she had done the research, as this sounds like something perhaps that might happen in the USA, but not in the UK, thankfully, where we're a lot more PC and have the Discrimination Act 2010. This felt like a really weak start to the tale and a really weak reason for the fake-boyfriend trope.

The more I read, the more it felt that the tale borrowed the snark that Lily Morton tales abound with, and it didn't read organically. The lunch scene at a gentleman's club, at about 35% into the tale, was more along the lines of a British farce from the '70s than anything I could imagine 4 20/30-somethings with an Oxford education enduring. The dialogue was not believable, the vacuousness of two of the four people was hard to believe and the Miffy thing? Made no sense at all.

I couldn't finish the tale - after the lunch, the leads somehow ended up in one's flat, with the fake boyfriend sober and the not-suing-his-employers lead drunk on Amontillado (I think). They ended up sharing a bed and some repetitive sober-drunk conversation and there really didn't seem to be a spark of anything between them. Next thing, it was the morning after, which skipped tons of much needed detail and started with the drunk lead and his co-worker who'd been at lunch the day before, having the most surreal of conversations. Of all the characters in the tale, Oliver, the fake boyfriend, actually seemed the most believable because he seemed to be more reasonable and down to earth.

The author absolutely can write but the tale lacked believability and authenticity and he/she lost me and my interest from nearly the start. It was the many positive Netgalley reviews that had me persisting with it, until I couldn't any more.

ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley, for my reading pleasure.

3.5 Stars
My first read by this author, Boyfriend Material was a nice introduction. Engaging characters, good support cast intertwined in a m/m rom com story. I enjoyed this read and will look to explore more by this author

This book had been on my radar ever since I first saw that super cute cover and synopsis that of course made me scream I NEEED IT, because fake dating is a trope that I always enjoy and therefor I’m always excited to read a new one with it! This one truly hit the mark for me and made me laugh out loud, grin like an idiot, and swoon quite a bit as I read it.


Things I liked:

- The characters felt so real. Like, they genuinely felt like real and genuine people and it was so so easy to invest in their lives because of that. They were flawed and made a few mistakes, but as that is part of being human, I enjoyed that aspect of their personality immensely. The author did a phenomenal job with writing relatable characters that are incredibly easy to love.
- Talking about phenomenal jobs, this one truly hit the mark for me in terms of humor. I laughed out loud so many times. Luc’s POV was so hilarious and just so fun to read.
- Luc and Oliver has great chemistry. I enjoyed their moments together from their very first interaction. Their banter provided such fun entertainment and although they were truly complete opposites (think someone with Captain Holt from B99’s personality getting together with someone like Jake Peralta... Yes, extremely different personality) they just worked well together and grounded each other in such a perfect way.
- I mentioned this once but.. I just love the fake dating trope. There is something so satisfying when two characters are fake dating and still believe wholeheartedly on the fake aspect of the deal without even noticing that they’ve become so wrapped up in each other that they are genuinely dating without even noticing it. These two made me so giddy! The author used this trope in an amazing way!
- I liked the character development. Both of these characters are going through so much throughout the story. Luc suffers from a huge lack of self confidence, but manages to grow a lot as the story progresses, which I really enjoyed seeing as he was a complete mess at the beginning.
- I loved the side characters. Luc’s friends were absolutely hilarious and one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved when they showed up! I also quite enjoyed Oliver’s friends as well.


What I didn’t like:
- The story dragged in a few parts for me. I was enjoying it so much but at some points throughout the book I had to force myself to pick it up because the story just wasn’t moving as fast as I was hoping. I think it was just way longer than it needed to be if I’m being honest.
- Luc’s coworkers were a little bit annoying. I felt like the author made them way too dumb to add extra humor to the story but it got to a point where it wasn’t funny as much as it was infuriating.
- The way the vegetarian thing was dealt with... was not a fan.


Overall, I loved this one so much and it has the biggest potential to become the next big release of the year! I recommend this without any hesitation if you enjoy a sweet story with great and funny main characters as well as awesome supporting characters, fake dating trope done extremely well, and the best BEST banter. I enjoyed this immensely!

Considering I thought this book was a romance between a rockstar and a barista because apparently i can't read I really enjoyed this book more than i was expecting too.
My favourite tropes from this book include:
•fake dating
•bed sharing
•a healthy relationship between two characters who know how to communicate and love and respect each other despite their flaws and personal struggles.

Alexis Hall has a unique way of using humor, and this book was no exception.

I loved the British slang, and how hilarious it was at times. I was grinning and smiling my way through the book. The writing was incredibly well done, with brilliant little gems of narrative, witty banter, and just wonderful character development.

It’s a very romantic kind of story, although the overall storyline sounds predictable, the author puts his own spin to it and I adored the end result. There was some drama, some push and pull, and I was missing an epilogue, because honestly, that ending need another chapter. I needed to see some future between Luc and Oliver. But it was never boring.

I also adored their individual voices. The author did such a great job with giving them distinct personalities with flaws, quirks, and doubts. And together they balanced each other so well. One of the cutes MM couples I read about in a long time.

This was a cute "enemies" to lovers/ fake dating story that was light hearted but had some depth thrown in. I nice summer rom-com.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this so much. From the adorable cover to the sweet ending.

Luc is kind of a mess, and it seems that fake dating a guy who he thinks doesn't like him is a good solution. Oliver is stuffy and odd but smart and does super well in social situations. They're both flawed, and watching them try to navigate this not so fake relationship was so entertaining, sweet, and at times a little swoony.

Then there are a couple scenes that seriously made me laugh loud and long, and made my family ask me what in the world I was reading. I haven't laughed like that in awhile. I do have to admit though, that a lot of terms and references went right over my head, since they are from another country. But maybe I'm just a little not smart enough to know them. Regardless, this was such a great story about two boys finding love in an unexpected way, that I would read tons of books about them as they go through their lives together.

Adorable book! I love the British humor and the fake dating trope, which really made the book stand out for me. The perfect light romantic read for the summer!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a fun, flirty romance about Luc, a man finding himself in a bit of a mess. Though only peripherally famous- his parents were rock stars decades ago- the paparazzi still to catch him at his worst moments, much to the dismay of his job at a charity where he's expected to appear to have it together for the donors he's courting.
To improve his image and keep his job, Luc needs the right man on his arm- so he sets out to find someone to be photographed with and take to his work fundraising event as his "boyfriend."
The only person he can find is Oliver- the last person on earth he wants to spend time with. The complete opposite of Luc, Oliver has it all together. A rising career as a lawyer, a perfect body, a socially conscious world-view.
They reluctantly begin "dating" but realize they may enjoy spending time with each other more than either of them realized.
While this book initially appears light and fun, there is some great character development here as Luc and Oliver both come to realize things about themselves that's more than you'd expect from the average romance novel.
There's also the discussion of the homophobia and mistreatment the men are subject to in their personal and professional lives, making this a book.
While you'll enjoy the fake-dating trope, British humor, and witty banter, this book has a lot more substance and is definitely one to read and think about.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Great sarcastic banter, authentic flawed characters, realistic and not wrapped up in a bow ending (which I very much appreciate) , and very British lol

Omg the sarcastic dry humor in this gives me life and I need more of it immediately.
Oh, the snark. I love it. I live for it.
I adore the characters. They're beautifully flawed and I love that they aren't magically cured and perfect by the end of the book (I hate when that happens, its so unrealistic).
They are funny, flawed, and just friggin delightful.

Oh and psst, this is incredibly British. Being an ignorant American, a lot of references went over my head, but it absolutely did not take away from my enjoyment whatsoever, and I ADORE British humor, so like, I'm not mad about it whatsoever lol.

The only thing that caught me a bit unawares is that this is a:
*gasp* CLEAN ROMANCE.
I haven't read one of those in quite some time.
Maybe that says something about me as a person? Hmmm...naaaah. Definitely not.

Boyfriend Material’s Perfectly Imperfect Story

First off, a big thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca

Current and old fan-fiction readers unite, here are three words that will pull you in and make you read this book without fail: fake dating trope.

If you’re like me, you love a good fake dating storyline and “Boyfriend Material” by Alexis Hall definitely delivers on that premise to create a fun yet angsty story which explores the mental exhaustion of being in a relationship, how to grow as a person and the joys of having someone along the way.

“Boyfriend Material” is about Luc, a 28 year old man who just so happens to be the son of a C list celebrity, who hates his life and hates how the media portrays him. When his job is on the line though, he realizes he needs to change his look, and what better way to show he’s matured than a boyfriend? Cue Oliver, a well put together friend of their mutual friend, Bridget, and his need to not be alone at his parents’ anniversary party and you have the recipe for a fake boyfriend. Although Luc starts off with his first impressions of Oliver and doesn’t think he’ll enjoy his company much, Oliver surprises Luc and they quickly grow close, and their feelings maybe (read as: definitely) cross into more than fake.

I wanted to read Boyfriend Material for a while, and when I got approved for it I was simply over the moon. I dropped everything I was reading to pick this book up and it did not disappoint. At times it was a little cringey and there were moments I was sad the emotions didn’t hit as hard as I would have liked them too, but I still loved my experience nonetheless! One of the best parts about the book was the outlook it has on relationships and how they are used to help people grow and showcase the comfort of having someone to fall back on. Luc seems to start the book at square one and doesn’t know where to go, but Oliver’s role in his life shifts dramatically and allows for a beautiful showcase of character growth and creates a sense of relatability with the reader.

Another great part of this book is its hints at bigger issues that wouldn’t quite fit the main theme of the book, such as Oliver’s body image and his unhealthy lifestyle. Hall uses these subtle references and suggestions to create characters that are flawed and not perfect, but allow for growth and make them even better pieces of the puzzle they fit into in this book. It creates a sense of depth to the reader and allows for a better experience.

Whatsmore, the book has many moments of less seriousness and at times is just a fluffy, fun, angsty book about two people who are using each other and get way more than they bargained for. I love fake dating stories and sometimes it’s very hard to nail that trope just right because of its fan-fiction association, but luckily this one doesn’t feel too forced over unnatural.

My only complaint about this book is that while it sometimes manages to land an emotional scene that feels right, there are other scenes that don’t quite do it for me, and that’s how I felt with about half, if not more, of the scenes. There is heart in the book, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t quite have the emotional punch that “Red, White & Royal Blue” or “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” did, and I didn’t go into this book expecting it to live up to those books.

The Verdict
“Boyfriend Material” is another book that you will definitely want to add to your summer reading list! It’s a good story that will make you want to read more romance novels like it, and honestly when is that ever not welcomed? It will make you laugh, it will make you sad and will have you saying “thank god” until the last page.

“Boyfriend Material” is out on July 7th and don’t forget to support your local booksellers!

Thank you so much for granting my request for this title. Unfortunately, I have chosen to not finish this title. I read twenty percent of it and I have decided not to finish it at this time. I struggled with my interest in the plot and characters. The writing style was too hard for me to read. I feel like the writing was a bit all over the place and not well explained / detailed. I will not be posting a review for this, unless I decide to finish it in the future. I wish this book all the success.

Kind regards,

Brittney

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 4.5/5
Actual rating: 4.5/5

First things first, this book is absolutely hilarious in a dry, witty, very British sort of way. It’s light and funny, with minimal angst. At times, the humor does seem to go a little overboard, but not in a way that really bothered me or detracted from my enjoyment of the book. The story is fast-paced and among the humor, we have some soft, emotional scenes sprinkled in. Hall’s writing is engaging, easy to read, and vibrant. I loved all of the characters (other than the mean ones, haha), who, including the side characters, are all wonderfully interesting and charming in their own ways. We have Luc, our main character, who is sharply sarcastic and struggles silently with trust and self esteem issues. His life at the beginning of the book is a bit of a mess; he’s in danger of losing his job, his flat is a dump, and the newspapers delight in painting him as the drunken playboy son of two former stars. In order to clean up his public image, he needs to paint himself as one half of a loving, healthy relationship, and what better way to do that than by fake-dating Oliver Blackwood? Oliver is a barrister, perfectly put together without a single scandal in his repertoire. He’s also delightfully sweet, patient, and quirky. To be honest, in the beginning, I didn’t get how Oliver was putting up with Luc, who was selfish, frustrating, and quite frankly, rather rude (but in a I’m-glad-I’m-not-dealing-with-him-so-I-will-enjoy-the-hilarity-from-the-sidelines way), but as Oliver starts to really get at the core of Luc’s insecurities and take him apart, we see how well the two of them work each other out, and the end result is tooth-achingly sweet. My one gripe is that the big conflict between the two characters seemed to come out of nowhere, which was a little jarring. With a good fake-dating story, you expect some quality angst, so I was waiting for it, but it didn’t come the way I thought it would.

All in all, an incredibly enjoyable book. Please pick up for a funny romcom/sitcom of a book! I definitely recommend it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish for this book!

I love a good fake relationship trope, and this book was so well done! Luc needs a respectable boyfriend to help him keep his job, so he comes up with a plan to find a fake boyfriend. Oliver just so happens to be in a similar position, not wanting to attend his parents 40th anniversary party alone. They decide to put aside their differences and help each other out, but the line between fake relationship and real feelings blurrs quickly.

I absolutely loved Oliver, and only wish I could've gotten into his head. I'm a sucker for dual perspective, and was craving his POV. He was charming, and irritatingly perfect in a way that was adorable. Meanwhile, Luc was a bit of a mess, but I enjoyed the raw honesty of his character, and all of the growth he experienced throughout the book.

This book was well paced, and I liked seeing Oliver and Luc slowly lower their guard and fall for each other. It was low on the steam scale, with more of a fade to black. I loved the romantic moments, especially when Luc began to see the potential for a real relationship, and there were some great laugh out loud scenes. The running "Dick" jokes were my favorite, along with Luc's attempt to tell jokes to his coworker.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read! I'd definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a bit of a slow burn romance.

A Rom Com is the perfect showcase for Alexis Hall's sparkling wit and intelligence. His typical snarky wit and self deprecating humor work especially well here. Boyfriend Material is the kind of book that makes you want to highlight every line, or read each line aloud to passers by.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall has probably my favourite implementation of the fake dating trope ever.

Luc O'Donnell's job is put at risk due to unfortunate paparazzi pics, that leads to some donors pulling out of the charity drive he's in charge of. He needs to put out the image that he has his life together, queue one of his co-workers suggesting he get a fake boyfriend.

Luc doesn't think it'll work out, who in their right mind would want to be his fake boyfriend after all? Turns out Oliver Blackwood is up for the job, and he just so happens to need a date to his parents ruby anniversary party.

Luc and Oliver know each other through a mutual friend, and they have some history... Luc drunkenly coming onto Oliver and Oliver doing the right thing by refusing. They both seem to think the other dislikes them at the start, which makes the angst extra spicy.

This book truely is a masterpiece. Luc and Oliver both have problems that lead to difficult situations, but they work through it with brilliant banter and heart-skippingly tender moments.

Boyfriend Material had me invested from page one and by then end, all I wanted to do was turn back to the beginning and start the journey all over again.

Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.