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.

Mega charming and actually comedic rom com! This is sure to be a hit among the people who loved Red, White, and Royal Blue, for that chatty, fanficcy vibe as well as catnip for Anglophiles.

It's really a fun read, if a sort of mildly wacky, opposites attract, fake dating story appeals to you (as it should.) It's at four stars for me because I actually wished there was a little more conflict, more plot. Sarah MacLean says she asks herself the question as she is writing "why can't they be together RIGHT NOW?" as the key one to building tension in a book, and indeed, the tension was very low here. Also there's a gesture at the end that I won't spoil but bugged me because it feeds into something that I find hackish and lazy in broader culture. A bee in my particular bonnet, to be sure.

This also isn't the first romance I've read with a single POV where the other main character is the more buttoned-up, mysterious one. It made it a little harder to love that character, because I was interested in him but he was hard to know.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

Son of a former rockstar Luc seeks reputable barrister Oliver to steer clear of bad press. Though real feelings seem to have been inevitable and they admit to each other that said feelings exist, they decide to keep the faking as par for the course until their respective events. Despite their internal conflicts and challenging family dynamics, they defend and care for each other more than they could bargain for. But, after their arrangement reaches its expiration, does the faking finally stop and onto for realsies? Or, is it goodbye, so long, farewell?

Imagine a witty British sitcom—hilarious, light-hearted, crazy friends, crazier families, but then underneath, there’s always something deeper. I enjoyed Luc’s and Oliver’s story, all written in Luc’s POV. The dialogue alone was actually a story in itself. Really though, it was all about taking risks and not running away when the going gets tough, how your partner can really bring out the better parts of you—the parts that were there all along, and fighting for what you truly believe in. Oh how I thought Oliver had all the swoon, but Luc definitely came through in the end. A delightful romance to pick up this summer, for sure!

A fake boyfriend tale that is laugh out loud enjoyable from onset to conclusion. One seems to have nothing together; the other to have everything in hand. Yet together they flail about in imperfect harmony forging an honest relationship out of a fictional one. Highly satisfying read. And much of it read aloud in delight.

Boyfriend Material is an enemies to lovers adult contemporary romance starring Lucien (Luc) O’Donnell our main character and Oliver Blackwood in a fake dating relationship situation. It is a British male x male romance and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Luc O’Donnell is the son of two famous rock stars that split up when he was young. Now around 20 years later Luc’s rock star famous father wants back in his life. Luc is caught in a compromising position and is pushed to clean up his image, taking on a fake relationship with a man who is neat, proper, and has a good reputation. At this point, Luc takes on Oliver Blackwood whom he does not get along well with and I loved the way they have an enemies to lover's fake relationship.

It was amazing to see their relationship grow from hate to love and that even though they did not have a lot in common, they still made time to get to know each other during the fake relationship to get to know each other even though they did not have any similarities. I loved that even this book made me laugh and there were some tough moments throughout the book between Luc and Oliver that made this different than other fake relationships because of their strong connection with each other besides their first interactions before the events of the book. Not all relationships are perfect and Luc and Oliver really showed that even though this is a book the growth between them was really strong.

I enjoyed them very much and loved Luc’s friends for their interactions and how whenever they were a part of the story the made me genuinely laugh out loud and the way they acted strange and weird made their friendship unique because of the crazy conversations and events that they did together and how they had each other’s backs throughout the whole book.

The family representation was strong and showed the lack of connection as well as the strength of a connection between family members. Luc’s father was a big part of the story in terms of family and I wish that there was more interaction between Luc and his father even though the appearances that he had were understandable however throughout the book it felt like Luc’s father was not important when he was a big part of the story.

I absolutely enjoyed Boyfriend Material and rated this book four stars and think that if you are interested in an adult contemporary romance, this is a fantastic book to pick up. It is funny, romantic, and has great connections between characters that anyone can enjoy.

Fake relationship? British boys? LGBTQ+ characters? I'M TOTALLY IN!

'Boyfriend Material' caught my attention right away. I read the synopsis and I already knew that I would love the book. Also, the cover is so so so so so gorgeous!

This rom-com came just at the right time. I was in need to read something lovely, emotional and funny. The fake-dating which turns out true-dating is so amazing! I recommend the story of Luc and Oliver to everyone!

What a delightful book!

I was so pleased to get this ARC. BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is a incredibly funny romance with a lot of heart, and it doesn't shy away from how messed up people--and relationships of all kinds--can be. From the complicated relationships Luc has with his coworkers, his friends, his mother, and most guttingly the father who abandoned him as a child, Hall creates a character who vibrantly, messily alive and striving to find himself and grow into a person he can be proud of.

And then there is Oliver. Sweet, awkward, lovable, Oliver.

Long story short -- BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is funny and sharp, raw and poignant. I loved this characters, and truly enjoyed them.

when a night out ends with a disastrously compromising photo of him in the public eye, sort-of-famous-thanks-to-his-absentee-father luc o'donnell becomes perilously close to losing his job. in order to clean up his image, luc enlists uptight barrister oliver blackwood to play the role of perfect boyfriend. they have absolutely nothing in common—and there's no reason why they wouldn't go their separate ways once their agreement's over. right?

◦ so my first brush with alexis hall's work did not... go all that well. still, i was sort of tangentially aware that i'd probably enjoy his other work under the right circumstances, and it seems i was right, because i really, really, really enjoyed boyfriend material. like, a lot. actually i loved it.

◦ this is a sort of goofy romcom, brimming with dry hilarity and a deluge of characters that are as eccentric as they are lovable. there is, of course, angst underlying everything—specifically there are a lot of questions about family, and forgiveness, and, like, what it means to be a good person—but in all it's a lighthearted, fluffy story; exactly what i wanted.

◦ our protagonist, luc, is the worst. for the majority of the book he is an insufferable pile of horse shit. he really is a garbage person: deeply selfish and so far up his own ass he can't see straight, deeply judgmental, generally an asshole to everyone in his near vicinity. i should've hated him. i actually spent most of my time being just on the verge of hating him, waiting precariously to tip over the edge and into the abyss of you suck so bad and your narration makes me want to scrape my eyes out of my skull. and i wouldn't be surprised if some readers do tip over that edge. luc is terrible. but he's also hurting, and it's not until he really lets oliver under his skin that things slowly begin to change.

◦ oliver is a gorgeous character, the perfect love interest, and i adored him. that's really all i have to say. because luc's so blinded by his own bullshit that he doesn't really see him, oliver's kind of unknowable for a while, until he isn't. and then once you're actually allowed to know him he's even better. the way his relationship with luc develops is just so... it's so good... they're so cute. they're just so good.

◦ and all the friends... luc's coworkers... bridge... james royce-royce (x2)... PRIYA!!! luc's mom and judy!!! they're all! so! good!!! the characters are the best part of this!!!

◦ the dialogue made me laugh out loud at least seven times. like, easily. it's just. so funny. there are a few pop culture references, which can often feel overdone or like a book is trying too hard, but that wasn't an issue at all.

◦ my only gripe would probably be that the major conflict between luc and oliver felt incredibly out of the blue; and i understand, to a point, that that's how it's supposed to be, but i think that it'd have struck me more if there was more padding leading up to it rather than occurring with that kind of hot-to-cold suddenness. it honestly confused me at first—and then gave me whiplash. but then everything else that happened made up for it so it's ok.

◦ 5 stars!!

*arc received from netgalley & publisher in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.
I loved this book! In such uncertain times, it was nice to pick up a romantic comedy. It had the predictable and yet comforting trope of fake dating, but the queer spin made it refreshing. It was also hilarious! I laughed out loud several times. It was just what we need during a pandemic!

This book was Alexis Hall at his usual best!

It had the quintessential British humour, bone-dry wit, laugh-out-loud banter, characters you couldn’t believe were actual human beings(side-eyes Alex and Milly 🤣) and a solid relationship developed between two people who should not have worked in any way, shape or form BUT DID.

Sometimes, relationships in romance novels feel contrived but in this, the relationship between Luc and Oliver was made to grow organically. Both characters were inherently flawed in their own unique ways, so much so that nothing was predictable in how they finally ended up together. I completely adored it especially with the fade-to-black sexy times. It worked perfectly for this story and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

My only wish was for the book to have had an epilogue. I felt it would have given the reader(me) a sense of exactly how well Luc and Oliver were doing as a “real” couple and also round the story up beautifully. I’m not saying it took away anything from this superb book, I’m just saying it would’ve been great to have.(This might possibly be because I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the story yet, but that’s neither here nor there)😂

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy their romance done properly with just the right amount of humour to make it even better.

PS: I will be impatiently waiting for the audio of this book because I’m sure it will be even better as an audiobook!

So, this is my first book that I've read by this author, and the fake-relationship trope just drew me in and I had to read it.

Have to say, it was definitely worth it. Overall, I absolutely loved this.

I will say right away there was basically no steam in this. No sex scenes, for sure, so if you're expecting them, don't. It alludes to two of them and has wonderfully romantic descriptions of them being together, but they are in no way detailed about anything sex related, so. And usually this would bother me, but the book was so good and the romance, the love between these two was so amazing that I didn't need the sex. I could have done with a little more detail on the attraction between the two - it was there, but not enough, in my opinion - and I would have loved Oliver's POV, but these two were adorable together and they loved so deeply that the attraction part didn't get to me too much.

Right away, I loved Luc. He said some mean things at times, sure, but I understood why he was saying it and getting his perspective made me understand him well. He really was just a scared guy who felt the need to push people away before they left him. Sort of a, well, he's making the choice to push them away before they themselves choose to, so not only does he not get close, but it's his choice and no theirs.

But Luc understandably has his reasons for being that way. But when he needs a fake boyfriend because he might get fired at the only job that will have him (after his past in the media, what with being the son of an old rock star and so being in the press somewhat over the years, and he went through stuff that made him act out) because the donors are rich, conservative homophobes, Luc meets Oliver.

Well, he's met him twice before then, but he truly meets Oliver then. Things don't seem to go so well, even though there are moments where things are good. When Oliver agrees to be Luc's fake boyfriend, in large part because it can benefit Oliver as well, they start their fake relationship. Only, it doesn't take long for it to feel less fake and more real.

Oliver, I warmed up to fast as well. He's a little stuck up, very clean cut, organized, and totally anal about things - says big words all the time - but he's also sweet and kind and supportive of Luc and there for him in a way no one has been ever really been to him, in a romantic sense. Luc has his wonderful mother, and great friends, but Luc's been pretty unlucky in love.

Both Luc and Oliver, we come to realize as the book goes on, are messes. Oliver thinks that he's never good enough for anyone, that he doesn't try enough, and then that he tries too hard, and his parents who have impossible standards and expectations of him don't help with his insecurities.

But through it all, these two genuinely love each other, and it's pretty clear from early on in their "fake" relationship. They both see past the other's walls, their fake personas they usually put on for the rest of the world. In many ways, these two are vastly different, but in some ways, they're much the same, which makes them perfect for each other. It just takes Luc awhile to see it, and then Oliver awhile to see it as well. Because they're both scared and are both idiots who thankfully come to their sense eventually.

This was also, wonderfully funny. I laughed so much throughout this, with characters like Luc's work colleague Alex who was...not all there upstairs, and when Luc would try to tell him a joke and it was fly right over Alex's head every time was hilarious, and Luc's friends were wonderful and hilarious, as were Oliver's we are introduced to later on as well. This was so well written, with well written secondary characters as well as our two MC's.

I mainly gave .5 over this for, in my opinion, not as strong an ending as it could have been. An epilogue, at least, would have made this feel complete. Like just seeing these two settling into their happiness with a more solid HFN. We get it by the end of this, but the ending felt tad abrupt for me and I would have liked to have seen these two even more settled. Because it takes until the last 2 percent <spoiler>for them to get back together after they break up around 90-ish percent</spoiler>, so getting a little bit more of the settled happiness to solidify the HFN would have been good, in my opinion, to really round out this wonderful book and cap it off well. It just felt incomplete by that last sentence and I was left feeling a tad bereft.

Give me my happy Luc and Oliver, settled into their life as boyfriends, please.

But seriously, the ending, for what it was, was still good, although <spoiler>I'd love to see them talk more, for Oliver to say all he wanted to say - because he says he has so much to say, but then doesn't say a ton, which means he had more to say we didn't get to hear, that I would have loved to hear</spoiler>, and overall this was such a good book, and I loved it.

So I would definitely recommend, two massive thumbs up from me. This is definitely worth a read, even if the ending could have been more solid (in my opinion. Others might feel it's perfectly solid.) So definitely give this a read. It's worth it for the humor, the friendships, and the wonderful central romance that is perfect for us hopeless romantics who swoon at adorable romantic idiots.

Disclaimer: This review is not sponsored. I was given an e-ARC of the book via NetGalley by the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review.

To those of you who know me best, you know that I love me some fake dating trope! It's one of the few things that I enjoy the most in a book, so I set high expectations so high with this one, especially after reading a lot of LGBTQIA+ books this month. There were some parts that I loved, but there were also parts that didn't wow me as much as I expected to. And that's not necessarily mean that I don't love it, but I think it was more of an it's-not-the-book-it's-me scenario. I hope you give this a shot. I'm sure other will love it more than I did!

3.5 stars, rounded off to 4.

Alexis Hall made two theoretically annoying, spoiled, insufferable characters enduring and had me rooting for them.

Our main character Luc has famous washed-up rock stars as parents. His deadbeat dad is going on reality TV shows, like all musicians passed their prime, to generate buzz. Luc has a lot of unwanted attention because of his famous parents, and that means all of his mistakes are public. Who hasn't done a line of cocaine at a rich kid party? But when Luc does it, it's in the Daily Mail. To save his job he needs a fake-boyfriend so he can look like a "good gay."

Enter best friend Bridget. She's a whirlwind: reliably late, types in all-caps, constant misspells because she's in a rush, dates her friend's hookup, and has been trying to push the two gays in her life together. She finally gets Luc to date her other gay friend, Oliver.

Enter Oliver. He's been in the background in Luc's life at Bridget's events. He's a fancy lawyer and a control freak. It's suspicious how calm this guy is all the time. He's a nervous wreck and isn't interested in dating, but he needs to bring someone to a family dinner party.

Hall does a good job of showing the different ways insecurity manifests in different people. There is so much character growth, I was genuinely surprised. I went in for a