This book is probably not for everyone (British humor and all too real insecurities) but it was definitely my kind of book. As soon as I saw the description of a romance set in England with fake relationships troupe and sarcastic humor I wanted to read it. These characters start out unlikely because of their many insecurities and issues, but I instantly connected to these completely real feelings and the vulnerabilities underneath. I enjoyed the awkward conversation, banter, teasing, and heartfelt realizations. I'm a sucker for great dialogue and the dialogue between these two characters was perfectly imperfect, smart, and sounded like people I wish I could be friends with. I read this book in one sitting because I needed to know what happened to these two characters I quickly loved and wanted to protect from all bad things so they could be happy. I also adored how British this book was from the setting to the dialogue to the humor. I could keep gushing about it, but really you should just read it for yourself if this British story about two struggling men finding themselves and each other speaks to you. It made me feel less alone and smile which is exactly what I needed right now.

**ARC through NetGalley**

I wasn't quite sure of this one at first, but the character development helped it grow on me. They were both perfectly flawed individuals that grew with and on each other as the story progressed. It was pretty pg-13 so I couldn't have a problem recommending it to teens.

Okay, so this was absolutely fantastic and pretty much everything I hoped for going in. I don't think I've ever seen a fake relationship play out in such an emotionally organic way, and I think that had to do a lot with the excellent pacing here. No way-too-early realization of "real" feelings, no lack of conflict and tension throughout, nothing that ever impedes the momentum for a second. I always tend to worry about books of this type losing steam partway through, but that definitely does not happen here. And that is a pretty impressive feat, considering that roughly 1/4 of this book is just emotionally honest (or quasi-honest) conversations between Luc and Oliver. (So if that's not your bag, you may want to skip this one. But as it is very much mine, I loved every. single. convo.) And again, color me impressed that there was never any ludicrously prolonged withholding of information in these conversations: everything unfold realistically, and without my wanting to scream at the characters to just, "Talk already!"

Also, bonus, there are a lot of great quips throughout and it is a genuinely funny book even when the romance isn't in full focus. Double bonus: the side characters are all very well rounded out and fun to read about as well! (Another real rarity, in my reading experience.) If I have any substantial complaints it's that I did want Oliver's initial response to Luc to be revisited (since I love those types of conversations so much) and also, more importantly, I did think it could've ended on a slightly stronger note. But, damn, other than that? I loved these characters so much, and I loved how well they worked together. You go in knowing that it's going to have a happy ending, of course, but damn if I wasn't rooting for them like I had no idea of the outcome. One of the best romances I've read in a long while, that's for certain. Highly recommend.

I really, really liked this book. The narration style was humorous and flippant at times, and earth-shatteringly anxious at others, and it definitely resonated with me. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Luc and Oliver warm up to each other and become better because of it. Their banter and chemistry were spot-on and I definitely wanted to root for both of them the whole time. I will be recommending this to all my rom-com loving friends!

I very much enjoyed the book, like I do most of Alexis Hall's books. That being said, I am not giving this book 5 stars - but hear me out: You know how you always have favourites by certain authors? And how you always end up comparing the books, especially if the subject matter is somewhat similar? Well, that's what happened to me here. I could not let go of my comparisons of Luc and Oliver with Ardy and Caspian from the Arden St. Ives series. I know that's not fair but that's how it is!
But I must say, even if it can't quite live up to all my expectations - because did you READ that blurb?! - it was still a book that you should read and enjoy. I certainly did.

Rom-com gold!!!

Okay, so I knew Alexis Hall's work because I loved “For Real” so talk about versability!

This book was just what I needed right now: an amazing story told with a lot of humor and sensibility without ignoring the less attractive parts of life and ourselves. Think a mix of London Spy and Pride and Prejudice.

I knew I was in for a great story when the opening alone made me laugh. For those of you that might think this is just another “fake relationship” book, look back at who wrote it. Alexis Hall has this way of rewriting popular tropes in a way that is completely unpredictable and entirely his own and when you get to the end you realize how much more there was in those pages other than a romance.

Luc and Oliver are fully fleshed out and I loved that they were more than their sexuality at the same time that it showed how much that still was all some people could see. I only wish we would have had some Oliver chapters or at the very least that he had spoken more because we get to know why Luc likes him but not why Oliver reciprocates.

The ending and the comedic moments during that stage didn’t land so much with me compared to how much I loved the rest of the book but I was still glad about how much the author put his characters through and all they had evolved throughout this story.

I’m really glad to have read my first LGBTQ rom-com and can barely wait for more Alexis Hall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this DRC.

8/10

This book has everything...enemies to lovers, fake relationship, positive discussions of mental health issues, strong friendships, and a riff on Bridget Jones diary. I adored it.

Luc is not in a good place when we start and he hasn't been in a long time. He is the child of two former music stars and as a result is often front and center in the tabloids. He has made a lot of mistakes and is seeming to spiral downward into a serious depression. After another negative exposure from the tabloids, his job is threatened (in a seriously illegal way) unless he gets his life in order and gets donors back for the nonprofit he works for.

Enter a fake relationship with Oliver Blackwood. Oliver is a criminal defense barrister who is pretty tightly laced and very proper. Pretty much the opposite of Luc. They have known each other for a while - but haven't connected in a positive way. Given this opportunity, which Luc tries to blow in every way possible, they find a missing piece of themselves in each other.

The banter between Luc and Oliver, Luc's crazy coworkers and parents, as well as the friends they both have are extremely relatable and hilarious. This also comes with a side of serious and very emotional issues. Both Luc and Oliver have a lot of baggage to overcome. That baggage is worked through in some very real ways. The character growth for Luc is done so skillfully and beautifully. Watching both Luc and Oliver grow together though, is the true joy of this book.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own!

‘Boyfriend Material’ is a fun British romantic comedy, perfect for escaping reality for a bit! Narrated entirely by Luc, we are privy to his private thoughts and witty antics.

Highly recommended for fans of fake-dating-turned-real. Grab your copy on July 7, 2020!

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

Thank you netgalley and the Publisher for the book!
The story is about Luc O'Donnell. He needs to find a Fake boyfriend and he finds Oliver Blackwood. At first they can't stand each other but as times go on things changes.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would in the beginning. It started of slow for me but when I was about 20% in it started to pick up a lot. By the end I really enjoyed the story overall. It contained a lot of cheesy romantic cliches the biggest one being "will they? wont they?". But I think they worked really well in this book. Even though the MC's could be a little tough to read a times they were good ones. The supporting characters were really great in this book. The story overall was cute, funny and real. If you are thinking about reading this book then do it!

Also posted on Goodreads!

I loved this one. It was really hard to put down, and I already miss the characters! This is a solid win for Alexis Hall, and also for readers who are fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Luc and Oliver both need dates to big events. Unfortunately for them, they both think they're undateable. What starts as a fake dating scheme to attend each other's event quickly turns into much more. Soon, it's not so much fake dating as fake pretending they don't have feelings for each other. Both Luc and Oliver go from thinking they're undateable to realizing they might not be perfect, but they're perfect for each other.

This book starts a little slow -- and that's mostly because of the characters. Luc, the perspective character is a grade-A jerk. And he's not a fun perspective character at the beginning. He's mean to other people and to himself, and that's hard to read. But as his character grows, and as he gets to know Oliver and start figuring out his problems (which do involve semi-famous parents), he becomes less of a jerk and his character becomes a lot more appealing.

I absolutely loved how witty and humorous this book was. I don't often laugh out loud at books, but this one really got me. It's very quirky, and quick-witted, and self-deprecating, and that makes for the best combination. The characters come alive after the first ten chapters, and they become really easy to get invested in.

Speaking on the characters, THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS ARE INCREDIBLE. It's a big pet peeve of mine when the secondary characters aren't well developed, and act just as background to the story -- and this book has some of the best, most well developed secondary characters ever. They are amazing. All of Luc's friends, his mom, Oliver's friends, Luc's coworkers -- there is no shortage of amazingly developed characters. I would read this book again just because of how great they are.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it's definitely going to be one of the hit books of the summer when it comes out in July. I recommend you read it!

I read this book in a single day. I adored it. It's witty and sweet, with a fantastic cast of characters, and two romantic leads that you want to root for from the start. Highly recommended.

Go but it now! Right now! Stop reading this review and go read this book. Well, if you insist on reading this review...

Luc reminds me of Brigdet Jones in that they are both lovable dumpster fires. Oliver, at first, has a very Darcy vibe but develops into something much deeper than a mere trope. Halfway through this book, I had to recommend this to a bunch of my friends because it is so good. Good and funny, which is hard to pull off but, Alexis Hall pulled it off.

Engrossing, entertaining, highly readable! This m/m opposites attract romance has light and fun elements, but doesn't lack for emotional depth and meaningful relationship development. Great read!

This was such a fun rom-com to read. I loved both of the leads, Luc and Oliver. They were charming and authentic. This book doesn't fall into the classic fake boyfriend trope, there's hidden depths especially with Luc's family experience. Overall I think this will be a popular book and one that I will recommend to others.

I loved Boyfriend Material so much! This is my second arc from Alexis Hall, and honestly I'm not surprised at how much I enjoyed this: their writing is so...precious? But in a "Gollum" way, as in "this is the most wonderful thing in the world it's beautiful" as opposed to a less positive connotation. The POINT is that Boyfriend Material is a wonderful book, and it defied my expectations on several counts which I loved (thank you for ignoring several conventional gay romance tropes!). The characters were delightful and weird, and several of the dung beetle bits made me laugh very loudly--I refuse to spoil them though so that others may laugh as I did.

tl;dr: This book is beautiful, dung beetles are funny.

okay first of all thank you to the publisher for granting my wish for this ARC of boyfriend material, second of all excuse while I go out withdraw all the money I have and throw it at this book. I like any other middle aged gay man loves a cheesy LBGTQIA YA novel. This was no exception, This was funny, smart, stupidly romantic (which I love) as well as full of pain and emotion, it was the perfect quarantine read to distract me from the destruction outside and pull me into the world of Oliver and Luc.

If you are a fan of quirky British fellas, this book is for you. Both Luc and Oliver are quirky in their own ways and the fake boyfriend relationship is full of humor. There is also a lot of humor in the supporting characters as well. Thank you @netgalley for a copy of the book. This comes out on July 7th. ⁣

Luc O’Donnell is one of the tabloids favorite targets. He is the seemingly aimless son of a couple of aging British rock stars. Some investors in the charity he works for are concerned about his public image and his employers encourage him to stage a stable, respectable relationship, Enter Oliver Blackwood, an undeniably sexy (but super stuffy) criminal barrister that a friend of Luc’s has been trying to set him up with forever. Luc & Oliver agree to pose as boyfriends for both Luc’s work events & Oliver’s parents’ anniversary party. At first glance it may seem like Luc is really the one who needs help but a series of life events shows that even the most put together looking people are not always as they appear. I really enjoyed this book - not a typical romance - so much deeper than you might be led to believe. I definitely recommend it!!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a sweet funny story. Luc O'Donnell needs a reputation pick me up. His washed up rock star father is making a come back and even though it has been 25 years since Luc saw him the paparazzi is making it difficult for him to do his job as a fundraiser for a non-profit trying to save dung beetles. Oliver Blackwood is barrister with a lot of morals. He is also the definition of respectable. Luc and Oliver have meet before but things didn't go well. Their first date set up by a mutual friend doesn't go well either, but at the end Oliver agrees to be Luc's fake boyfriend. Once the pressure is off and they don't have to have a real relationship they both find reasons to spend time with each other in the name of improving Luc's reputation of course.

This book was full of humor. I was laughing out loud many times particularly when Luc's mom was involved. I really enjoy stories that include humor and this one did that in a way that was natural. Luc and Oliver were both great characters and getting to know their quirks was fun. Yes, they had quirks. There were so many things to like about this novel: the characters, the humor, the slow love story, and the supporting characters. This is just the novel I needed to read. It isn't saccharine sweet but real and that was just perfect.

***Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion, which in case you didn't get that is that this book is amazing and you should read it.***

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is already a strong contender for my book of the year! I'm a sucker for the fake relationship trope so I had high hopes for this and it absolutely did not disappoint. Full of snark, bickering and moments of softness, I really came to love the characters (especially Alex!) and I was rooting for the main characters to get their happy ever after. The pacing works perfectly for the slow burn romance and the angst is believable too. Highly recommended!