Boyfriend Material was unbelievably cute. Luc and Oliver both need a fake boyfriend, and with time, the line between fake and boyfriend begin to fade. This is, granted, not a unique trope, but it was delivered beautifully.

Luc and Oliver are both precious, wonderful humans, and much more complex than rom-com characters usually are. It is their complexities that make them so endearing as you fall in love with their flaws and baggage as much as their witty banter.

Alexis Hall also did an incredible job with background characters, which I’ve found to be even more rare. Even beyond the best friends, family, and coworkers who are present throughout the book, the characters you only meet for a chapter are wonderfully three dimensional.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it and would definitely recommend!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall was one of those reads I unsuspectingly picked up on a weekday evening thinking I would read for an hour or so before bed, only for me to finish the whole thing late into the night (morning?), leaving me to pay the consequences the next day at work. No regrets here.

Without revealing too much, Boyfriend Material is a M/M rom-com that centers on what is probably my favorite romance trope: FAKE DATING, and Hall plays with this trope perfectly in a subversive and refreshing way. I also recommend going into this one without reading the synopsis beforehand. It made for some added fun when trying to figure out who the love interest was going to be.

What really shined throughout for me were the hilarious interactions and banter between the two main characters. They're a lovable yet flawed and messy pair, and I just couldn't get enough of them. And while there is a lot of humor involved, there is also a lot of emotion, pain, and introspection for these two (both individually and as a pair) that rounds the story out.

Overall, this was an extremely fun read that I can see myself rereading for sure. Perfect as a beach read or if you're looking to escape into a cute story!

Cute and fun! It fit right in with other modern British romance stories I've read recently. This is a great read-alike in tone for books like the The Royal We and The Heir Affair, but with an LGBTQ+ slant. I really liked how relateable both characters were.

Here’s the TLDR version of my review: I liked Boyfriend Material so much that as soon as I finished, I pre-ordered a paperback copy, and I intend to get the Audible edition too. In the interest of full disclosure, I pre-ordered the Kindle edition back in December, but buying all three versions of a book is a rarity for me and something I only do for my most favorite books.

If you want an actual review, here you go:

Luc O’Donnell is a bit of a hot mess. He’s always been vaguely famous because his parents are famous, but now that his estranged rock star dad is back in the spotlight, that means there’s more of an interest in what Luc is doing.

And that’s a problem because Luc is a bit of a hot mess. He needs a boyfriend to help give him the appearance of normalcy. His friend sets him up with Oliver, who is super super normal and the complete opposite of a hot mess.

Fortunately for Luc, Oliver also needs a boyfriend to take to a big event, so they agree to be fake boyfriends until both of their big events are over, and then they’ll “break up” and go their separate ways.

But OMG, guess what? Over the course of pretending to be fake boyfriends, Luc begins to develop real feelings, and maybe—just maybe—Oliver might feel the same way, which is completely ridiculous because they have almost nothing in common other than being gay.

Romances tend to be dual-perspective, but in Boyfriend Material, the story unfolds from Luc’s first-person perspective. Hall does this a lot with his romances, and this device always works to strengthen the narrative. Knowing what the love interest is thinking would take away from some of the mystery; the reader only knows what the protagonist knows.

In this specific instance, it works out especially well because Luc is super funny and Oliver is boring. I don’t mean that in a negative sense—I absolutely love Oliver—but he has his life together and his life is a series of predictable routines, until Luc comes along of course. I think having Oliver’s perspective would make him seem like less of the Ideal that he’s presented as being,

On that note, there’s some interesting discourse on Good Gay vs. Bad Gay. It’s kind of like Goofus and Gallant from Highlights Magazine: Good Gays work as barristers and Bad Gays are photographed drunk in the gutter. To be more specific, Oliver’s homosexuality is tolerated more by society because he blends in and doesn’t do anything scandalous, whereas Luc is Scandal Personified and a cause for concern for the donors to the charitable organization he works at.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this book employs the “sunshine vs grump” trope because Luc has too much baggage to be a sunshine, although he is a lot of fun and I loved his sense of humor. Oliver, however, is definitely a bit of a grump, so it was simply delightful seeing these two opposites being forced to work together.

Hall always does such a good job with secondary characters, and this book is no exception. From Luc’s French mum who has developed an affinity for Drag Race to Luc’s frightfully dim ex-public schoolboy Alex Twaddle, the secondary characters not only served as excellent foils for giving the reader insight into Luc’s personality, but they also stood well on their own, even when they weren’t interacting with Luc.

I would absolutely recommend Boyfriend Material. I love all of Hall’s books, but this is probably one of my most favorites. As I mentioned at the beginning, I will soon be the proud owner of three different versions of the same book, and if that’s not a sign of a good book, I don’t know what is.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been in a contemporary romance mood lately (which is definitely not normal for me), so I was really pleased to get my hands on this ARC. I've heard it compared to Red, White & Royal Blue, which was easily one of my favourite reads of last year.

That said, I couldn't quite get into the story. As a first-person narrator, Luc always sounded a bit off to me. There was something off about his voice that kept pulling me out of his head. I also honestly didn't care much for why he had to find a fake boyfriend, or his interactions with Oliver. It all fell a bit flat with me, unfortunately.

A promising premise, but a pass from me.

What a sweet adult queer romance! And if you’re thinking to yourself that the look of this book reminds you of RW&RB, you would be correct! There were enough similarities that I would recommend reading this one if you liked that one, but enough differences that it really is it’s own story.

Luc and Oliver were so loveable! I honestly gave this book 4 stars just for them. The fake relationship, the snarky British humor, and the idea of coming to terms with your own flaws and lack of perfection, just worked so well here. Luc is initially a dumpster fire, and Oliver is a very put together lawyer. But as the story unfolds we find that nobody is what they may seem on the outside. Hall was able to weave heavy topics into an easy to read format using well places banter and humor. Just as a side note, the bedroom scenes are of the fade to black variety.

The reason I took off a star was because of the side characters. They all just seemed entirely one dimensional, and we’re only reminded of them when they’re needed fo further the plot. I just wish we had more time with them because they were great characters who I think could have enhanced the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and the author for a review copy! This book comes out July 7th, 2020.

This book was so fun to read, but at the same time it manages to talk about very important themes in a "easy" way.
I wanted to read something for pride month and this definitely perfect, if you love the 'fake relationship' trope this is the one for you.
The romance is cute and both the protagonist are cinnamon rolls. The secondary cast is great, it's really various and funny.
As I already wrote it has great romance but also talks about important themes like parent's issues and insecurity. Also I really appreciated that the protagonist is the son of a famous singer so it talks about the media and how much they influence famous people's lives, it's something I almost never see I'm a book.
I think that's it, I know it's not much but these were my general thoughts and I'm not very good at writing reviews of contemporaries.

For the biggest part of this book it felt a lot like a 4 star book but that ending ruined a lot for me. First of all, I already started getting the feeling like we were dragging things out too much and then on top of that the author just needed to add in an unncecary conflict that came absolutely out of nowhere (so uch so that initially I thought it was like a bad dream sequence). For the rest I quite enjoyed this book.. It wasn't perfect but it was a fun, mindless read with a romance that had great chemistry and well developed main characters. The side characters felt a bit more like one dimensional archetypes only remembered when the plot needed them to be there. Now that I say it like that it doesn't sound 4 star worthy does it? Anyway, I did have a great time reading this overall. I was really pulled into the story and liked the dynamics between the main character and his love interest. I love a fake dating trope and the excecution on this on was pretty good. The only thiny complaint I have about it is that it obvious from the beginning to me that they did actually have feelings for each other, especially the main character. There isn't anything wrong with that. It's just my personal prefference when the fake dating doesn't already start with them obviously having feelings for each other.

Boyfriend Material is a tasteful romantic comedy. It is a book that people who loved R,W&RB might get excited about, and I really expected to love it, but in my opinion there aren’t too many similarities outside of ‘genre’ for these two.

Luc is the son of two rock stars, who has spent a lot of his life under media attention, this was made worse when his last boyfriend sold him out to the press. Oliver is a criminal defence lawyer, who takes good care of himself, is well put together and is a bit posh and stuffy. For one reason or another they have both been unlucky in love and have quite a few issues with self-worth and trust.

‘Our donors think I’m a bad gay.’
He frowned. ‘What’s a good gay?’
’Someone like you.’
‘I see.’

When Luc’s image is in dire need of repair a mutual friend sets these two up under the guise of a fake relationship, which despite a few good ‘fake-dating’ jokes, was never really fake at all.

There was quite a lot happening outside of the relationship in this and I can’t say any plot point did it any favours (except Luc’s mum), the best bits were by far when the leads were interacting.

I’m surprised at how it all turned out for me, because I found this really cute and full of good banter in the beginning, but the chemistry just sort of died out before it really began. The angst aspect that you need in fake dating was sort of missing, it almost lacked miscommunication in some parts for the sake of the getting together impact.

Don’t get me wrong I was obsessed with Luc, he was such a beautiful boy, I loved their sleepovers, the whole opposites attract thing. It just sort of all fell flat at/after their first kiss and in the entire last third in general was boring. The sex was private and while that really suits me, I didn’t feel it or connect before the fade away so I found that disappointing.

I am so excited by Hall in general, this is my first book of his and I loved the writing style and characterisation. I am glad I read this and hope to find a favourite amongst his backlist.

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

Very sweet new adult queer romance. Always a fan of the fake dating trope which worked fabulously here. Liked the portrayal of two anxious young men learning how to trust and love each other. Loved the English banter/slang which added lots of humor and strong character setting.

Boyfriend Material spoke to me.

I was truly not expecting to love it. I've had mixed experiences with Alexis Hall in the past, and I honestly didn't know he could be so funny. This book is hilarious, especially if you like kind of snarky, British humor, and I found myself laughing out loud to myself in bed, shoulders positively shaking (my husband did not appreciate this).

But that's how this book gets you. Under the humor lies the feels.

The emotions that I felt for these characters snuck up on me, and before I knew it, I was hooked. I really couldn't stop reading, and I stayed up nearly all night to finish.

I know it sounds cliche, but I laughed, I cried, and I would do it all over again.

It's funny, because plot-wise, nothing much happens in the story. It's sort of a meandering series of events in the MC's life where nothing seems to go quite right. The MC screws everything up time and time again, and puts his foot in his mouth so many times it might as well be permanently lodged there. However, he grows on you. The main characters are so multilayered that they feel like real people, and the secondary characters are so unique and well-conceived that you'll want them to have their own stories.

This story has self-righteous vegans, dung beetles, banana curries, dick pics, posh/idiot co-workers, and humor woven around each and every thing that makes it all come together effortlessly. But while you are laughing, be prepared for the feelings, a surprising amount of angst, and the strong, strong chemistry to hit you right when you least expect it. These guys are great for each other, baggage and all, and I was rooting for them like I haven't in a long time. But don't read this story if you are expecting steam, because this story is fade-to-black. However, I didn't mind the lack of steam with this one.

My favorite Alexis Hall book to date, Boyfriend Material delivered right when I needed it to most. I think the author did something special with this story.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Alexis Hall's newest release, Boyfriend Material, is a m/m contemporary romance with tons of humor and a fake dating trope tying it all together. Luc O'Donnell is the son of two rock stars, which makes him a frequent subject of the paparazzi. When Luc needs to clean up his reputation in order to keep his job at a charity, he decides that having a normal, straight-laced boyfriend is the way to do so. Enter Oliver Blackwood, defense attorney, and the most perfectly socially acceptable boyfriend one could ask for. When fake dating leads to real feelings, Luc and Oliver are left dealing with past trauma, present problems, and figuring out what they are to each other.

I have been a fan of Alexis Hall's writing for years. This work is a great example of Alexis' attention to character development and the balance of banter with angst. Basically, this book did precisely what I would have hoped for from this trope. I did think that things ran a bit long, but I wasn't upset about it overall. I think this book could really appeal to fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue while completely avoiding some of the cultural issues that were heavily brought up after that release.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have read this book early, and will continue to follow whatever future works Alexis Hall produces in the future.

Lucien, AKA Luc, the son of two aging rock stars, has many forces working against him. His parents make him a person of interest for tabloids, his boring job at a charity for dung beetles doesn't provide him with enough challenge, and his famous father abandoned him when he was three-years-old. After a particularly raucous night at the club, and a not-so-kind article about him in the paper, donors start pulling out of their charity donations because they think Luc doesn't represent the kinds of ideals they want to support. A plan made by his coworkers is formed to get Luc a fake boyfriend. for some positive press coverage A friend of a friend, Oliver, a barrister, is formal and a bit cold at first. But Luc will get him to open up-for the sake of appearances, that is....
The deal benefits both parties and they may not be able to keep their feelings fake for so long. Luc is relatable and funny, a character offset perfectly Oliver. If I'm being honest, my favorite character was Alex! A funny rom-com that will pull in readers.

Boyfriend Material is listed as one of "Most Anticipated Adult Romances 2020" so of course I was very curious about it and wanted to read it. Fake boyfriend is one of the most popular tropes between romance novels, the books are usually sweet, easy, and have a fast pace. It is the first time I read a book by this author so I didn't know what to expect, I found that I quite like the writing and the characterization of the characters. The book has some funny and sweet moments, I like the interaction of the main characters with their friends but not so much the side characters that are a little caricatural. While I am well aware that this kind of trope has usually a very low angst level this book as several passages where there is an attempt to a more profound emotional situation but that for me it doesn't deliver. More things that may not be well received by other readers that usually enjoy romance is the abundance of internal musing and lack of sex scenes that are usually more prominent in adult romance, I have also read some very good books that do not have explicit sex scenes but it fits with the character history or sexuality while in this case, it feels to me a little odd since the book is written by Lucien point of view.
Overall the book is, in my opinion, enjoyable but not remarkable, it needs a little more something, it needs to make us feel that the love between them is true, honest, and profound. I think I will read something else from this author to try and find a book that I like better.

Boyfriend Material was the M/M rom-com novel that I needed right now. With COVID-19 and a dismal economy, this book really put me in great spirits. Alexis Hall is going to be my new M/M romance novelist, I just know it. Thanks for being there for me when I needed this book the most.

Luc O'Donnell, son of a rocker and tabloid star and a French songwriter, is constantly in the press for his antics ever since his ex boyfriend leaked a story about him for a payout. Vulnerable and depressed, Luc continues to stumble (quite literally) into these public scandals and is more known as a gossip magazine topic than as a fundraiser for a local charity.

After one of his nights out, Luc is put in the press again and this time it's affecting his job. Luc's boss wants him to clean up his act and find a nice, reputable boyfriend to put donors at ease. Luc and his friends decide that they need to find the perfect candidate. And that candidate is Oliver Blackwood—a rigid and uptight, but muscular and sexy, barrister who is the complete opposite of Luc. The plan seems simple, but just one catch—feelings aren't supposed to get involved.

Boyfriend Material is the perfect gay romance novel to get you out of your slump or bad mood, I promise. It's funny, kind of steamy (not explicitly so, so you're ok Karen!), and very relatable. I related to the dynamics between Luc and Oliver a lot and I think whether you're queer or not, you will as well. I loved the nods to pop culture references and true to form romance and not the stereotypical BS that we've come to see in a lot of M/M romance novels. I am unsure if you should consider this as a YA novel, because it's very graphic in terms of language and I would legit cringe seeing a younger family member of mine reading this, but at the same time you won't be clutching your pearls gasping. If you want a gay Christina Lauren rom-com, Boyfriend Material is your best bet! Alexis Hall, thanks for keeping me up until 2:30 AM to finish this wickedly funny and cute book.

*I WAS PROVIDED A DIGITAL EDITION VIA NETGALLEY IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

Wow, and to think I was actually going to like this book. 😞

This book started off really well. It was funny, it was--in its own unique way--relatable, and it had a premise that sounded very promising! Then shit hit the fan, and I'm left wondering how it went from "this is going really well!" to "I can't stand this anymore."

For one, the main character is determined to keep his job under his homophobic boss. He goes on and on about how he'll be ruined forever if he doesn't manage to keep his job--thanks to his reputation--but doesn't actually seem to think it entirely through. If I were ever in his shoes and was basically being threatened by my boss, I would make it known that I wouldn't put up with it and quit. There's no realism in his decision whatsoever.

Secondly, this book went from being funny to being "big yikes." Luc makes it very apparent that he's just blatantly an a-hole because people and the press have hurt him. Then, someone comes along who might actually be willing to give him a chance and look past his past dealings, and he just treats them like absolute garbage every time they talk. Honestly, I'm not even sure how his own friends were still friends with him, his character seemed *that* bad.

Now, after all of this, I'm left wondering how I'm going to tell my manager--who I'm buddy reading this book with--that I'm DNFing this book at 22%. 2020 releases just have a passion for letting people down, don't they?

In this book we follow Luc O’Donnell, the child of two rock stars. The father he hasn’t met for most of his life is making a comeback, which puts Luc in the public eye and when he gets photographed looking a bit worse for wear, his job is put in jeopardy. He needs to find a fake boyfriend that can make him look respectable, and that’s where Oliver Blackwood comes into the picture. Oliver is the epitome of the perfect nice (fake) boyfriend with his job as a barrister, and the two of them couldn’t be more different. But soon enough the fake dating doesn’t feel very fake any more…

Ok, first off I loved this book! It was really f*cking funny and the chemistry between the two leads was amazeballs. The playful and cute way these two interacted was soo good! I loved how some serious topics were broached, and how they were handled. This book also kind of reminded me a bit of Bridget Jones’s Diary (the film, not the book!), in a good way! The pairing of the character who is a bit of a mess (Luc) with the uptight barrister (Oliver), some scenes and characters were also upper-class and some of the humour was derived from this and Luc’s friend group, where all things that reminded me of that film. I also love when characters who seem perfect have flaws, that’s what makes them human (and I’m not going to go into this more, because spoilers!). I kind of wish it would have gone a bit steamier, but I don’t really mind it as I loved so many other things about this book!

This book is definitely a five star read for me!

A big Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for this ARC! All of my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Though the cover for <i>Boyfriend Material</i> was designed to evoke last summer's big male/male romance hit, Casey McQuiston's <i>Red, White & Royal Blue</i>, versatile Alexis Hall's first book with publisher Sourcebooks doesn't feature a royal romance. Neither is it as sexually explicit or bitingly political as Hall's Arden St. Ives or Spires romances. Instead, Hall gives us his take on a conventional romance trope—fake boyfriend—with trademark self-deprecating but always witty humor, deep emotional resonance, and a light but heartfelt critique of liberal het "tolerance" for gay men who do not fit the unobtrusive mold.

<i>Boyfriend Material</i> opens with twenty-eight-year old white (1/2 English, 1/4 Irish, 1/4 French) Luc (Lucien) O'Donnell failing miserably to hook up during a London party he'd not really wanted to attend ("There should really be a word for the feeling you get when you do a thing you don't particularly want to do to support somebody else but then realise they didn't actually need you and nobody would have noticed if you'd stayed home in your pyjamas eating Nutella straight from the jar"). Given the intrusive publicity he's received over the years as the son of a famous rock star (especially after a former boyfriend sold a tell-all story to the press three years back), Luc tends to lead with prickles and pride rather than smooth seduction, hardly a formula designed for maximum pick-up appeal. And thus the evening ends with Luc leaving the bar alone, and tripping, and falling on his ass. A moment that is inevitably caught on film by a lurking pap.

After the resulting bad publicity, Luc's employer (a hilariously singleminded scientist who runs a charity to save the dung beetle!) warns him to "rehabilitate yourself fast. You need to go back to being the sort of harmless sodomite that Waitrose shoppers can feel good about introducing to their left-wing friends and smug about introducing to their right-wing friends"). Her specific recommendation: find an "appropriate" boyfriend.

Luc tries to address his boss's concern the old fashioned way, by allowing his friend to set him up on a date with a potential boyfriend. But when said date quickly heads south, he blurts out his problem to the man, a super-buttoned-up public defender lawyer named Oliver Blackwood ("a cool, clean modern-art piece of a man entitled Disapproval in Pinstripes," as Luc describes him). To Luc's surprise, Oliver agrees to be his "public boyfriend," if Luc will also attend an event of his and play the same role later in the year.

To Luc's even greater surprise, the self-possessed Oliver ends up doing more than just accompanying the often emotionally clueless and judgmental but likable Luc to his employer's annual charity event. And as Oliver does more than any real boyfriend has ever done to support Luc, Luc in turn gradually discovers that Oliver is not as competent, put-together, or emotionally even-keeled as his public image projects. Can two opposites do more than attract? Can they build a real relationship in the face of their particular, individual emotional hangups, hangups lurking behind their public images as the "bad" and the "good" kind of homosexual?

I have my fingers crossed that this first book with a big traditional publisher will win Hall the broader audience his outstanding writing so clearly deserves.

Boyfriend Material is the new queer rom-com from Alexis Hall. The story is about Lucien O'Donnell, who's gained a bit of fame due to his father even if he never wanted it. In order to survive his father's latest comeback attempt he'd decided a nice stable boyfriend will help him clean up his image. Enter Oliver Blackwood, a nice responsible barrister, and the epitome of stable boyfriend material. The two strike a deal to be boyfriends on paper only, but what happens when real feelings start to confuse the issue?
This book was pure light and fluffy rom-com, and if you're looking for a book that gives you the feeling of movies like Four Weddings and a Funeral then this is the book for you. However, if you're someone that wants some depth, passion, or angst with your romance and humor then this book will leave you sadly wanting. I chose to pick up this book because previous offerings from Hall had delivered on that passion and depth I adore in romance. I wanted to give this rom-com a try because I knew Hall to be a good writer that had delivered excellent stories in the past.
And this book it good, don't get me wrong all of the reasons I've liked Hall's writing before are here in the excellent characters and sharp wit. What was missing was any depth to the emotion or love story between Luc and Oliver. All of the chances to really examine Oliver's feelings of inadequacy or Luc's anger at the fame machine were glossed over, I think in a bid to keep the lighter tone. I am just growing tired of this recent crop of rom-coms that pull punches when it comes to examining anything that feels like real human emotion.
If you're into "chick-lit" or fluff then definitely give this a try. There's nothing too earth shattering here to make even the most fragile of readers squirm. If you're like me and want more passion, humanity, and grit from your books then I suggest picking up Hall's other title For Real, which is a good showcase for what this author is capable of.

5⭐️.

​Fake dating; opposites attract.

Q: who is your fave uptight hero?

All the praise hands to books that make us happy during this time and Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material is one of them for me. I love this book so and it’s going on my shelves as soon as I can get my grabby hands on it.

Luc is the son of two 80s rockers, one of whom abandoned him when he was 3. As a minor celebrity he garners his fair share of paparazzi coverage & it’s always negative. But one particular article puts his job at a charity in jeopardy & to save it he asks an uptight barrister with a good reputation to be his fake boyfriend.

Oliver is said barrister. And *be still my heart* because I am a fiend for an uptight hero. You know the type: they’re so proper and often seen as stiff, condescending, & judgmental (and sometimes they are!) but they’re also—at least in Oliver’s case—protective & loving & find it difficult to express their feelings. Ahhhhh!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to say that Luc is *not* uptight but he is so yearning & he loves his mother; he’s often snarky & not always the nicest, even to his friends, but he has a big heart & does some hard emotional work & deserves a million Oliver snuggles, okay?!

Boyfriend Material is so so so funny and Alexis Hall’s portrayal of friendship is divine. I love when friends are loving & supportive and also not 100% perfect. Even the loveliest of friends don’t always say or do the right things (and can sometimes push on our bruises unintentionally). But they can also read your heart & accompany you on road trips so you can chase your heart’s desire.

As funny as this book is it’s also not afraid to explore hurt and insecurity, but in a way that didn’t leave me feeling emotionally devastated.

In closing I’d like to say again: I love this book so much. I do wish there had been a (totally) on the page love scene and an Epilogue because as a previous review established, my soul is thirsty, but this book is also so wonderful as is & I would like to hug Luc and Oliver forever.

Boyfriend Material is out on 07/07. Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.