💜Pub Day Book Review💜

Happy pub day @pagepowars! Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook!

The Borrow a Boyfriend Club - Page Powars
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“A feel-good, coming-of-age rom-com from debut author Page Powars that follows a trans teen who joins a boyfriend borrowing service masquerading as an Italian Club to prove that he’s one of the guys, especially to its frustratingly handsome leader.”

This was such a cozy, heart warming read. We follow trans teen Noah as he navigates a new school, making new friends, and feeling like he constantly has to prove himself. Since it’s too late to join sports for the year, Noah finds himself joining the most “manly” club he can find - the Football and Lamborghini Club. Except this club is just a front for the Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where students can hire the club members as dates. It just so happens the club has a grumpy, hot president named Asher.

I adored every character in this story so much! So many absolutely hilarious lines. The trans and queer joy in this make my heart so happy! I truly wish anyone struggling to accept themselves ends up with a friend group this amazing and supportive.

The audiobook was fantastic and added so much to the story!

Recommend if you like:
- high school romcoms
- hilarious quips and banter
- stories about acceptance
- trans & queer joy
- important, heavy themes handled in a lighthearted and fun way
- found family

💜What recent read will you keep recommending over and over?

#prhaudioinfluencer #audiobook #readqueerallyear #queerbooks #transbooks #transreads #lgbtqreads #lgbtreads #booksbooksbooks #debutauthor #newrelease #pubday #netgalley #summerreading #goodreads #bookchallenge #bookphoto #bookreview #bookrecommendations

Oh gosh, this was such a lovely read! Thank you so much to the author for reaching out to me about an ARC. All thoughts are my own!

I am so grateful for all the trans rep in books nowadays and this is def one I will be recommending to folks. Noah is mostly surrounded by supportive people, but he still feels insecure about how others see him, which felt so relatable to me. Wanting to prove himself as a boy, Noah tries joining the Borrow a Boyfriend Club and shenanigans ensue!

The Ouran High School Host Club is one of my fave animes and this book reminded me of it in all the best ways! There is a cast of interesting characters who come together to form an odd little family and I loved that so much! If you pick up this book, expect a lot of funny and sweet moments that will make your heart melt.

I especially think this would be a great winter read because there's lots of scenes with snow and colder weather. It gave the book a great cozy vibe!

4.5 stars but I rounded to 5 stars for NetGalley.

noah byrd’s goal is to be one of the guys. that’s why he’s determined to join a boyfriend-borrowing club at his new school. but then he bombs the first round of interviews, which leads to striking a deal with the club’s president: he gets a second chance if he trains (and helps win) the boys for the talent show.

this book felt like such a warm hug which i so deeply needed right now. noah is such a lovable character. even asher (the club’s president), prickly as he is pretty, was a character i took a liking to and really felt for. while this isn’t to say this book didn’t have its heavy moments, i feel like these did not overshadow the overall lightheartedness.

i also liked the concept of the book. a secret organization that rents out boyfriends sounds like a lot for a bunch of high schoolers to manage, but the way everything was explained made a lot of sense. i also like how the boys were such close friends, even though it took them a while to say it outright.

i highly recommend to any YA romance readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this. I thought that the characters were well-fleshed out, and the stakes didn't feel exaggerated or unrealistic. It balanced the heavier themes with lighthearted humor and banter among friends that had me literally laughing out loud. And I think every reader can relate to the characters in some way - Noah's ultimately trying to prove something, and we've all been there. Asher's trying to prove something too, but he's also burdened with not wanting to lose the only family he's come to know, being constantly overshadowed by his past mistakes and living up to someone he isn't. Every member of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club might have joined for different, legitimate reasons, but I loved the underlying sense of camaraderie as they work to save the club.

Asher and Noah seem to have intense feelings for each other almost from the start, and while they weren't necessarily enemies, things weren't always kittens and rainbows. I love how this book can serve as a commentary on what dating/love means to people - especially teenagers - who have enough on their plate as it is.

I tend to not like first-person POVs as much (I'm aware they're more prevalent than others), because I find a lot of them fall into the traps of being overly expository and very juvenile, stream-of-consciousness in style. But Noah's doesn't feel that way.

The reader is able to see his thought process (and be entertained by his commentary on literally everything), and even if we don't necessarily think the same things he does (re: every time he does something in the name of being a good "boyfriend" for the sake of the club), we can certainly see where he's coming from. However, this also means there's quite a lot of secondhand embarrassment (especially at the beginning).

Since the book takes place in late winter, it almost feels like a cozy read. Absolutely would reread during that time of year just to feel more immersed in the setting.

An incredibly fun and clever story of finding oneself and ones place in life!

Noah is a great trans MC, he is a little ways beyond discovering who he is and is instead in a place of trying to find out where exactly he fits in as himself and in what way. I think the idea of a Borrow a Boyfriend Club gave me very similar vibes to the anime Ouran High School Host Club in the BEST ways possible. Its imaginative and leads to some really entertaining hijinks with the initiation process and overall collective of characters within the club.

This is a great story that was easy to fall in to with characters youll really love!

Chaotic, goofy trans hijinx! This felt like one of those glorious anime romcoms that you go into expecting a lighthearted storyline before it takes a hard right turn into a deep emotional gut punch. It's a queer Ouran High School Host Club with added trans angst.

New student and trans teen Noah Byrd needs to prove that he is the perfect boy. Since the middle of the school year isn't conducive to joining a sports team, the Football and Lamborghini After-School Club will have to do. Except the club doesn't exist - it's all a front for the secret Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where students can rent the members out on dates. But that doesn't matter to Noah, he just needs to become a member and prove that he's boy enough to avoid anything like what happened at his last school. When he fails his interview, he makes a deal with Asher, the grumpy club president: if he can win them the school talent show and woo Asher, he can join the club.

Noah is just such a sweet, anxious lead. He had so many real difficulties that he had faced in his past that were impacting his headspace and his current relationships with his classmates and his family, but he also had to learn through the course of the story that he had nothing to prove to either himself or those around him. It's so lovely watching him grow and become friends with the rest of the club outside of his mission to prove himself as a "real boy."
Asher, meanwhile, took a little bit to grow on me because he is so prickly to start with. But it's fun watching him fall in love with Noah through Noah's perspective while our lead character literally has no clue, and then digging into Asher's past and figuring out just what makes him act how he does.

It's genuinely just such a delight to be getting more queer (and trans!!!) stories like this, and Page Powars shows obvious promise as a bright new voice in the genre. I look forward to seeing what he creates next!

This was so cute!!! I loved that both Asher and Noah were so awkward and didn't really know how to be a boyfriend. I liked Noah's journey and discovering that he was the only person who had to accept himself. I do wish that we had maybe a chapter from Ashers pov but I think the book is perfect.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Noah is the new guy at school, and he's desperate to prove to the student body that he IS a guy. But, having transferred at the beginning of spring semester, none of the sports teams are taking new students. And when the only manly club he can find turns out to be highly exclusive, he's not sure he'll be able to get in. Not that he really wants to join the Football and Lamborghini club anyway. Although, it turns out the club is not what the name makes it seem; its unofficial name is The Borrow a Boyfriend Club, and the members are available to hire for any student who needs a date. Noah isn't particularly interested in the club--especially since the leader, Asher, is giving him a hard time. But joining the club would prove to the school once and for all that he is the boy he says he is.
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is funny and sweet, and at times very emotional (I definitely cried a couple times due to some easy acceptance Noah gets from people he isn't necessarily expecting to honor his gender). Though there are definitely moments of tension and some grief around how people have treated him in the past, it is overall a happy book about a trans guy finding his place in high school. I absolutely loved it.

This book is a warm hug paired with a sweet cup of cocoa, and the story completely enthralled me. Page Powars' brilliant debut is both heartwarming and funny, with characters you can't help but root for. The main character, Noah Byrd, jumps through hoops to be accepted in the Borrow a Boyfriend Club, a secret high school club in which all the most popular boys in school are members. Noah's journey of proving himself worthy enough to be accepted in the club is endearing and often hilarious, with many mistakes made along the way. The person who stands in his way is Asher Price (aka Prick), the tall, handsome president of the club. Sparks fly off the page with these two characters, along with plenty of sweet, honest moments shared between them. I can't wait to share this book with teen readers looking for books that showcase acceptance, friendships, and romance, with plenty of trans joy to be celebrated.

Noah Byrd is a trans boy who transfers high schools in the middle of the year due to transphobia at his old school. He’s ready for a fresh start and his goal is to be accepted by his new classmates just as he is: a boy. He decides the best way to ensure that he is seen as himself is to join the elusive and highly coveted ‘Borrow a Boyfriend Club’ at school (disguised as an Italian culture club). But the President of the club, Asher, seems devoid of all emotion. He heartlessly cuts Noah about 5 seconds into the 1st round of interviews. Noah is able to finagle a 2nd try, but this entails wooing Asher. The two begin to form an unlikely bond, but the archaic rules of the club hinder the progression of their relationship.

This is the book that queer kids, adolescents, and adults need to read. While Noah struggles with his own self-acceptance, his classmates whole heartedly embrace the boy he is without giving it a second thought. Noah’s battle with imposter syndrome broke my heart, but his incredible support system put the pieces back together. And y’all know I love my character growth… Noah’s was so inspiring and beautiful to watch.

Also, I loved legit everyone in this book. Even the unlikeable characters wormed their way into my heart. For legal purposes, this is a joke (or is it?), but I would commit crimes for Lenny. PLEASE Page tell me what I need to do to get a Lenny book or short story or drabble 😭 I would do anything to see that boy achieve everything he’s ever dreamed 🥹

The messages in this book of accepting yourself, identity, and gender stereotypes is so important and I laud the writer and publisher for putting this book out into the world!

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite click for me - it’s not a bang on the books message at all! Rather I just couldn’t connect to the MC, the idea of a boyfriend school club, or the talent show dance at all.

With that said - I have a few Booksta friends who loved this, so I think this is a me thing and not the book as a whole.

Thanks to the author for hosting an eARC giveaway which allowed me to review.
I will not be posting about this story publicly.

Such a heart-warming queer YA romance. The premise had me questioning a little, but I ended up loving it. It has usual sweet young love antics and the characters are very lovable.

The Borrow A Boyfriend Club by Page Powars follows Noah, a trans kid who starts a new school after he is fed up with the little slip-ups about his identity. Noah is determined to prove he is a ‘boy’ and decides to join one of the clubs, signing up for the Italian and the Lamborghini club should be considered cool enough to be a boy and Noah is ready to do whatever it takes, even if it means charming the president Asher Price.
Noah finds out the Italian and Lamborghini club is a borrow-a-boyfriend club where the members are available to be borrowed for dates. The idea of the club sounds so ridiculous that I knew I’d love it. Who doesn’t love romance between two people in an extremely crazy but it will be fun situation? Even better if it‘s queer.
Noah’s personal growth is so emotional. Reading story about trans kids always makes me a little emotional mostly because they question everything and need constant assurances all because we don’t bother with little things that could hurt them. I love Noah.
I also love how welcoming and friendly his new school was. Noah finds a safe place with the club members without dealing with any rubbish. Because queer stories are so much more than just tragedy. I love how no one tried to make him feel uncomfortable, and it was just a bunch of school kids trying to run a club.
Asher Price wasn’t an easy character to warm up to. He was a little cold and rude but he was also a kid dealing with his issues and he makes up for all of it in the end.
I loved the side characters, especially Lenny. He was amazing. Noah has a support system in his parents and even with their issues which they sort out, I love how understanding they were about Noah’s insecurities.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and the Publisher for an ALC of this book.

Noah moved to a new school to avoid the constant "accidental" misgendering/deadnaming happening at his old school once he transitioned. With a fresh start, he is determined to prove to everyone he is just one of the guys, so he attempts to join the "Ferrari and Lamborghini Afterschool Club" which turns out to be a front for a business that lets clients borrow a boyfriend for dates. When Noah flips his interview, he has to prove to the club president, Asher, that he is worthy of the club. And broody Asher won't let him get off easy.

This was so good! The audio was absolutely addictive and I did not want to put it down. It is the cutest happy-tear trans romance book I've read in a while. Noah sets out to prove to everyone he is a boy, then learns he really just had to prove it to himself.

There are so many heartfelt moments, so many humorous moments, so much brooding and pining and friendship and love. It is definitely a feel good book that I will be reading over and over again!

CW: homophobia/transphobia

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club drew my attention thanks to the promise of a fun take on a familiar premise, with the promise of queer rep, including a trans protagonist coming into his own. I had somewhat measured expectations going in, and the result was being pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it.
For one, this book is actually funny. While I get that marketing trends are a thing and that humor is subjective, it’s been exhaustive to see pretty much every contemporary romance and romance-adjacent book in both the YA and adult spaces classified this way. But this one had me laughing out loud numerous times, especially with all the hilarious quips on Noah’s part, like him saying that Asher lives on Richbitch Lane, or nicknaming Asher “Asher Prick.” The narrative perfectly toes the line between this style of humor and the deeper them of coming into one’s own as a queer teen.
Noah is just a delight. His humor won me over immediately, as did his desire to be seen and affirmed for who he is. He’s both chaotic in the best way and absolutely sympathetic in his motivations. I loved laughing along with him as he messed up, while also celebrating the little victories along with him.
Asher is a compelling love interest. He’s a bit prickly (and a bit of a prick, lol) at first, but it was fun to see his interactions with Noah and figure out what made him tick. It’s funny how Asher’s kind of played up to be the most unobtainable of the unobtainable, given the Borrow a Boyfriend Club rules and whatnot, but then we have him falling for Noah, while on the other hand, Noah’s too oblivious to see the signs.
The rest of the club round out the cast well, and I like how, even with the rules that dominate the story at the beginning, they grow into a realistic friend group, further affirming Noah’s identity.
This is an all-around fun queer book, standing out among others that delve deeper into more serious issues. I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a queer YA romcom.

This was delightful and charming. I flew through the audio and enjoyed every minute of it.

Noah has switched schools to try to outrun the subtle misgendering and slights of his classmates. He wants to get ahead of the rumors this time and prove he's a boy, but no sports are accepting students. In desperation, he turns to the Football and Lamborghini After-School Club --or rather, unbeknownst to him, the Borrow a Boyfriend Club.

So begins his exasperating, amusing, and hilarious attempts to pass the initiation - by wooing the club president.

I knew I would enjoy this from the blurb, and it did not disappoint. Every bit of ridiculous and hilarious high-school romcom antics were there, as were every bit of the warmth and slowly burgeoning self-confidence as Noah found where he belonged.

Noah was an incredibly sympathetic hero, and scowling misunderstood uber-popular Asher made a wonderful foil for him. The other club members were delightfully quirky and livened up the story with their attempts to help Noah gain entrance to the club.

The writing flowed easily and was full of witty bits that made me laugh. The audiobook was performed wonderfully, and the narrator really brought the characters and story to life. I spent the entire listen grinning (and occasionally cringeing in sympathy) as Noah's story progressed.

Oodles of fun. 10/10 highly recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Colored Pages Book Tours, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.

I absolutely loved this novel! Noah is such a sweet and determinate character! He's suffered before and just wants to fit in. I really relate to his need to feel good enough or to prove himself (albeit for different reasons).
This book focuses on a very important point society has to be aware of: a cisgender man can wear pink and have long hair and no one will question his gender. A trans man, on the other hand is forced to renounce anything feminine to be validated as a man to society. This is something Noah struggles so hard with. He's always known he was a man, he also loves dancing, but society won't believe he's a man if he dances. It's so prejudicial how we feel the need to have trans people prove their identity. Self-expression can be separate from gender identity, so trying to force people into boxes will only add to the discrimination.
Asher is a sweet character too! He struggles with filling his brother's footsteps, but slowly starts to understand he doesn't have to do things the same way.
Lenny has the best lines I swear. He's a close friend to Noah and Asher and ends up giving a lot of helpful advice.
Love how they have 3 versions of the theme song: the original, the italian (to pretend they really are an italian club) and the emotional piano one.
This book really gives off Ouran High School Host Club vibes. I was a big fan of the anime :)
His parents didn't mean to hurt him and they weren't transphobic either, they just reallly though Noah wanted to do the legal process by himself and that he was fine with being called his old nickname. Obvously they should've asked him and there shoudl've been a conversation about that, but in the end, I'm glad that their problem was miscommunication and not bigotry!
The ending made me super emotional (I cried a little), I was rooting for Noah's happiness the whole time, so the ending was a delight!

The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is one of the most chaotic and delightful books I've ever read. This book is mostly just hijinks and vibes, which is not usually the kind of thing that would work for me but Noah was just so lovable that I didn't care about the fact that the general premise of this book is so wild. Noah's journey to realize that he's enough just as he is was wonderfully done. I loved that though Asher can be a jerk in a lot of ways, he's one hundred percent accepting of Noah's trans identity.

If you're looking for a heart-warming read with great romance, The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is the book for you.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

— Thank you so much to Colored Pages Book Tours, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book!

4.5 stars
“The borrow a boyfriend club” might just be my new favorite romance book <3 This book truly felt raw, realistic and yet so beautiful - both in the romance and in the character development. First of all, I found myself growing really attached and connecting to the two main characters - Noah, who feels like he’s never enough, who slowly learns to accept himself. And Asher, who looks perfect on the surface but is actually breaking down inside. Their relationship was so sweet and precious, the angst had me screaming and giggling all the time, and you can feel the pure emotion and love that these two feel towards each other.

What I loved most about this story was Noah’s character development. I don’t read many books with a transgender main character and it was amazing to be able to understand better their struggles, as well as their joys. The book follows Noah’s journey after moving schools, the process of legally changing his name, and people accepting him for who he is. I loved this aspect of the story and it was so heartwarming to see queer people being accepted and loved as who they are <3

The writing was also absolutely hilarious and also poetic at times, which is pretty rare in romcoms and I loved it! The plot was unique and very well executed as well (I absolutely adored the ending). Lastly, an aspect of this book that is always a plus for me in books, is the found family. This friend group that Noah finds, that accepts him and everyone else despite all their differences and flaws, that he grows deeply attached to all throughout the story. Groups of friends and found families are always my favorite things to have in a book, and for this one I could not have asked anything better <3

All in all, this was a really amazing romance and I’m definitely going to miss these characters 🫶🏻

This was such a huge surprise! I wasn't expecting to love this story as much as I did. This book was basically just the cutest feel-good coming-of-age story. I loved reading from the perspective of a trans character who was still trying to figure out what they wanted in life and how to just exist comfortably. Normally I've read book from trans characters who are already transitioned and confident in themselves or already have an established friend group while not being fully transitioned. This had neither and really felt like I was put into this headspace where I felt so uncomfortable and frustrated just like the main character was feeling. I think this is a great read for anyone who wants to get into the headspace of someone who feels like they have to fit themselves into this little box just to please others. I think anyone can read it and get a message from it and feel understood.

But other than that more serious note, this is just such a fun book. At first I was a little nervous because it started a little cringey, but that cringe ended up working to the books advtange. It was like "I'm still in high school" cringe where I was cringing with the characters instead of at them. The romance was SO ADORABLE and there were so many different scenerios in this book that will reach a wide variety of readers.

I really think anyone who just wants a super quick and cute read with a little more emotional depth, will like this one.

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review!