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.

This one was really lovely. Like the Royal We, it’s perfect for all the Anglophiles. Alex is as good a leading man as Mr. Darcy. Highly recommended.

This was a cute story of Luc's personal life affecting his work life. He had to find a fake boyfriend to help boost his reputation. Oliver ends up being that person. It's one of those books where you kind of know how it is going to end, but the author did a great job of throwing in a few twists and turns to reach the ending you were expecting. I do feel like the book dragged a bit in the middle, but overall I enjoyed it!

I'm always game for a book that leans into the fake dating trope. Throw in some British humor and a barister, and I am sold. While Luc and Oliver aren't immediately #couplegoals, it's worth the wait in this charming book that will delight fans of books like Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Usually I go into romantic comedies expecting lighthearted writing and low angst, but not necessarily expecting actual comedy. I was surprised by how funny this one was; I was actually laughing out loud, in public. Some cultural things went over my head, but I still enjoyed it very much. I imagine for readers who get who get all the colloquialisms and cultural references, this book will hit it out of the park. For readers, like me, who don't mind not getting every single bit, but focus on the wider story interspersed with some brilliant moments, this story will be a fun distraction.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, I almost abandoned this one about 15% in, because I felt like Luc was way too needy. But then, he had to find a fake boyfriend because of complicated reasons at work, and it turns out he found just what he needed — Oliver.

This was sweet, and had more depth than I expected, and it also had some truly hilarious side characters and some excellent tongue-in-cheek mockery of the posh London set, which were all delightful. It is a romance for sure, but Luc, the abandoned son of a famous rock star, is also working through a lot, and the steam factor is really low, so even those of you who don’t typically like romances will enjoy it!

I was hearing all kinds of buzz about this story and when I checked out the blurb - it seemed to fall exactly into the category of book I live for. I mean, a M/M kissing book? YES PLEASE.

Unfortunately it became apparent very early on that this author's writing style and my reading style didn't mesh well at all. I found the pacing slow and the detailed explanations of everything meant my interest wandered and I was skimming to get to the "good" parts very early on in the story. By 20% I knew this wasn't going to work for me.

The story is probably wonderful for the right reader! The writing style is just not for me...

For better or for worse, I really love the fake dating trope.  Which is why I was so excited when the publisher granted my wish for Boyfriend Material on Netgalley.  

Luc and Oliver each need a man to pose as their boyfriends.  One for an image rehabilitation, the other for a family event.  What could possibly go wrong?  Oh, how about everything?  Right up to and including faling in love for real.  Which is exactly why I loved this book so darn much.  Because everything that could go wrong, did, and yet, they still managed to not jump ship and flee the country.  

At first, Luc is a right jerk and not even in an endearing way.  Just a bitter, heartbroken idiot.  He's extremely unlikable, even though you know he's hurting from a previous breakup, but he's awful to his friends, awful to Oliver, really just awful for the first quarter of the book or so.  But, there was something in Luc that let you know he was redeemable, that he wasn't going to be like this forever, and that's what kept me reading.  Because honestly, he was really funny and self-deprecating.  

Oliver is your stereotypical British barrister from the get go.  Uptight, inflexible, and a little stuffy.  It was so much fun to watch Luc chip away at that exterior and get to the real Oliver inside.  Those bits of wry humor that really let you know that he's burying a wicked sense of humor were some of my favorite parts.  

When they're together, Luc and Oliver are as adorable as it gets.  Someone told me that this book was basically a rom-com and they were right on the money.  It's funny, it's heartbreaking, and it's utterly ridiculous in the best possible way.  Because Luc is so prone to using humor to deflect his feelings, it makes that much more of an impact when he truly starts to feel things, really pulling at my so easily played heartstrings.  This was exactly what I needed after a long and difficult first half of the year.

Alexis Hall is a master at crafting characters and worlds that read as fully real. Boyfriend Material exemplifies what he does best and the two main characters will be your old friends by the time the book ends. Their dreams, their goals, their relationships, their realities - each of these is artfully fleshed out and honed with his trademark humor and turn of phrase. I loved this book. It made me laugh long and loudly, shake my fist and grit my teeth, and smile dreamily as these two meet and fall in love under the pretense of a fake relationship. It reads as highly British and very romantic. Highly recommend this one.