This was more gay fiction than romance, with the focus more on Bastian’s character growth than the relationship with Andres. The romance was understated and lacked emotion.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Boystown Heartbreakers is a sweetly romantic, low steam, heart-warming M/M debut—one that managed to reignite my adoration for the friends-to-lovers trope, while also getting me fairly excited for a new author within the genre, in a way I haven’t felt in quite some time.

The story follows hairstylist Bastian, who, at thirty, truly comes into his own, professionally, and personally, after his latest heartbreak leads to his restaurant entrepreneur BFF Andres proposing that Bastian stop searching for Mr Right (in all the wrong places) and try dating Andres instead.

For Bastian, this is quite the radical proposition. Not because Andres is undatable in any way—far from it—but more because Bastian is riddled with personal insecurities and a skewered sense of self-worth, which play a big part in his poor dating history, as well as in his reluctance to grab on full-grasp to the wonderful man he’s always tried to keep firmly placed in the friendship box.

Out of self-preservation and fear of losing the most important person in his life, Bastian hesitates big-time over Andres’ dating proposition. But once the suggestion for more is out there, it’s already too late to turn back, as Bastian quickly comes to realise just what he’s been missing not letting himself acknowledge EVERYTHING he truly feels for his best friend.

For the most part, the progression of this story was lovely and smooth, as Andres does some grade-A wooing and Bastian begins to tentatively open his mind and give his heart and body to Andres in ways he never imagined he could share with another. It’s effortless and easy, the way they slowly shift from friends to lovers, making it clear just what they’ve been missing all these years they haven’t let themselves want more.

There is a lot of insecurity on Bastian’s end, which I was worried would drive me wild, but it actually ended up working for me, especially in the way it was emotionally executed throughout the story. Bastian has flaws and relationship hangups and can’t possibly see why someone as great as Andres would want someone like him for keeps, and I totally got it. Of course, this leads to a bit of miscommunication because of it, with Bastian often jumping to conclusions, expecting the worst, and, perhaps, not sharing his concerns and feelings with Andres as openly as he should have across the story.

But I must say, for someone who loathes most of the miscommunication I come across in romance these days—as well as being utterly sick and tired of the oftentimes lazy third-act-breakup schtick so many authors fall victim to—I actually loved how this particular story played out, even with both of those things transpiring in their own ways here.

For me, these story elements were necessary to put Bastian through the trials and self-reflection he needed to experience in order to truly grow as a person and as the partner he already knew Andres deserved. I got it. I felt everything he felt and I loved him for it. And, hell, Andres was so totally worth all the growth anyone would need to go through to make themselves worthy, the guy was a god among men and I adored him just as much as he adored Bastian.

Their love story truly was sweet and tender and so deliciously intimate, in a way that I wish all books with these themes were. But adding to the wonderful romance element was a full cast of exceptionally relatable and likeable supporting characters, who all helped make Bastian and Andres’ story feel fuller and lighter, and more vibrant because of it.

I really enjoyed this story, with Bastian and Andres relationship effortlessly reflecting practically everything I personally look out for (and have been missing) in a lot of friends-to-lovers tagged romances I’ve tried over the past few years. I’m so glad I came across this book when I did and I look forward to seeing what Carmichael does next, because if this is only her first cab out the rank, as it were, then she’s sure to deliver big and possibly even better things going forward in her writing journey, and I, for one, am here for it!

MM Steamy Romance that finds a hairstylist will have to sort out his fears, insecurity and trust issues to prove he’s worthy of his best friend after he asks him to date.

1/5 stars: Carmichael's MM Steamy Romance is a friends to lovers romance that features a hairstylist who must overcome his trust issues and fears of inadequacy if he''s going to prove he’s worthy of transitioning from friends to lovers with his childhood restaurateur best friend. Carmichael's writing and character work is nice; the characters are well-rounded and likable. And the OPS scenes are quite steamy. Carmichael touches on some tough topics, so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, I just lost steam on this; leading me to DNF it at 49%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Absolutely loved this one! Carmichael has written a very cute and swoony plot with characters you love right off the bat. I am a sucker for friends to lovers and seeing the progression of their relationship while mingled in with the highs and lows of the plot felt very realistic and like watching two people I would actually know in real life.

I liked the concept and plot of this book a lot more than I liked the writing style. I was hoping this would read like a cat sebastian book (I think she has truly nailed the m x m romance genre). I think first person POV would have made this book more enjoyable for my personally, but other than that, it was a great read.

I don’t often find myself reading a best friends to lovers story, but I dove head first in to Boystown heartbreakers and absolutely loved it. Andrea is the golden retriever boy we all hope for In life, and matches Bastian’s cynical nature perfectly. The third act break up felt a bit forced I will admit. Miscommunications as a plot point has never been my favorite, but as a whole this a cutest fun read

Boystown Heartbreakers was such a fun friends to lovers romance. I didn't love the miscommunication trope, it's never my favorite, but didn't detract too much for me.

This was a cute book book set in Boystown, Chicago. It was cute reading about this couple in a neighborhood I am actually familiar with.

I'm rounding this up from 3.5. I enjoyed the overall story but there were a few things that didn't work well in the story for me.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

Boystown Heartbreakers by K.C. Carmichael

This is a somewhat disappointing (because, let’s be honest here) best friends to lovers story. I liked the writing, and I really loved Andres, who is such a sweetheart. I adored that he just came right out and said to Bastian, “Hey, we should date.” (I wouldn’t consider this a spoiler. It happens in the first 10% of the book.) And, that’s where the list of things I enjoy about this book ends, sadly enough. Bastian is snarky, but not in the way I find funny or amusing, just in a mildly irritating way. His friends are always on his back about dating Andres, which is something I can put up with once or twice, but when it’s almost their only point of conversation, it irritates me. And I didn’t care much for the ending, really at all. The book wants you to believe that Bastian has gone through this big character growth, but we don’t really see any growth, we just see a sudden change and it didn’t really feel very realistic. (I’m trying to talk about things without spoiling them, and this specific part is hard to do in general terms.). Also, the ending really pushed the limit of my suspension of disbelief. I’m not an expert in this regard, but I just don’t understand how the solution they come up with would work. So overall, a big miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the blurb, I had high hopes for this story. Sadly, it ended up being something of a grueling read. I ran out of patience with Bastian pretty quickly, and I didn't understand why Andres remained interested in him. I liked that Bastian finally (finally!) figured some stuff out, but it felt very tell-y to me and came after I'd long since wanted the whole thing to be over.

On the plus side, the salon scenes were fun and engaging. I wish I had more positive things to say than that.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

"He has to admit that while Boystown is where he came into his own, Andres is where he feels the most at home and at ease with himself."

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish! I literally devoured it in one sitting. Normally, I'm more of an enemies-to-lovers kinda gal, but watching Bastian and Andres fumble their way from best friends to lovers had me giggling and kicking my feet, then throwing my hands up in frustration, then giggling happily all over again. K.C. Carmichael's writing is vibrant and joyful, even when the plot goes through the inevitable third act crisis; there is a buoyancy there that still allows you to feel hopeful and propels you forward to continue the journey with Bastian and Andres to their inevitable HEA. All of the characters are so well drawn out (with a few minor exceptions), and add just the right amount of layers to round out the story without taking away from Bastian and Andres.

And my goodness, how much did I love these two crazy lovebirds. Bastian is a smart, flirty, and very in-demand hair stylist at one of the most high-end salons in Chicago. His rapid-fire comebacks and witty flirtations had me cracking up, and they certainly kept his friends and clients always entertained. But they also served to mask his insecurities at never quite being enough to keep up with his best friend Andres, a wildly successful, wealthy, and popular restauranteur. Bastian has always felt like he could never compete with Andres and his private school friends, or his wealthy associates, or beautiful dates. And those insecurities are what compels him to disregard Andres as a potential love interest in the first place. Why ruin his perfect friendship, because Andres will eventually realize that Bastian isn't good enough." And it's these constant intrusive thoughts that lead to Bastian always self-sabotaging his life.

What I really appreciate is that K.C. Carmichael has written a character in Bastien whom we can all relate to, because we all have similar intrusive thoughts about ourselves, letting our insecurities take over and get the better of us. Especially in the age of social media, where we are constantly bombarded with opportunities to compare ourselves to other people's supposed perfection and successes, we can self-sabotage and feel inadequate in comparison to those we see in front of us, rather than looking inwardly to see the value in ourselves. And that's what she has Bastian do. He doesn't rely on Andres to be his knight in shining armor and have their relationship "save him" from himself, but instead, uses their friendship and love for another to remind himself of his own self worth. It's a lesson that we all need to re-learn every once in a while.

What a delightful, warm blanket of a love story. I hope everyone has the chance to learn the lessons from Boystown.

This was a very typical friends to lovers romcom. There was tiptoeing around each other, sweet and comfortable intimacy from knowing someone for a lifetime, and of course, some easily avoidable conflict from shoehorned in miscommunication. Obviously, I like some parts of that more than others. Still, the romance was sweet and the whole cast of characters was fun, so this was overall an enjoyable read.

The blurb tells you most of the plot, and this being a romance also tells you that there is going to be at least a HFN.

Between first meeting Bastian and Andres and their eventual happy ending, there is a whole lot of heartache and stupidity and self-sabotage, primarily from Bastian. Starting with the list of failed relationships on the wall of his closet, adding in his inability to see his own worth for reasons unclear, and culminating in his utter failure to put any trust in what Andres tells him, despite the man having been his best friend since they were children, Bastian exasperated me. His self-sabotage nearly cost him the man he loves, and I was incensed that he just assumed something without asking a single question.

Thankfully, the author wove an engaging tale that kept me interested in how the story would unfold, even if Bastian's behavior and inner thoughts annoyed me. The writing flows easily, and the characters feel realistic enough, including the supporting cast. There were occasions when I would have liked a little bit more backstory, but it was easy enough to discern who was who. This story is written in the third person, present tense, which took a bit to get used to, and Bastian is certainly an unreliable narrator, especially considering that he doesn't quite believe what Andres tells him.

Sure, Andres is no saint in this either, even if he has the patience of one. I guess he was too scared to really tell Bastian how he felt, but I expected him to know his best friend well enough to know that sometimes forthright truth is needed.

The differences between Bastian's mother and Andres' parents was also quite interesting to see, and served as a reminder that with wealth doesn't always come happiness.

Overall, this was a pleasant read, and I enjoyed the time spent in their world.

Cute, fun and easy to read! I enjoyed this and it fit the rom-com formula quite well, but didn't really bring anything new or exciting to the genre. Still, it was a perfectly lovely read!

3.5⭐️
I enjoyed this childhood best friends to lovers romance between Bastian and Andres. One of my favorite aspects of this book was how wonderfully descriptive the sense of place is, the Boystown neighborhood is so vibrant. I really loved how the author brought the Chicago setting to life. The dialogue in particular is also very good, full of humor and personality. The characters are likable and I thought their friendship was well established, it is clear they really know and love each other, which raises the stakes for a potential relationship. I really appreciated how their evolution from friends to more happens. It’s not an accident or an in the moment thing, rather Andres broaches the subject with purpose. Sick of all Bastian’s failed relationships, he take a chance to get what he wants- Bastian. It’s a pretty original take for friends to lovers romance - I think. I wasn’t a fan of the third act breakup, but the story was entertaining with a lovely ending for Bastian and Andres.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

This was such a fun and sweet friends to lovers! I adored the main characters so much and their story felt authentic and real. This was everything I love about this trope and was well done.

"boystown heartbreakers" is a cute friends-to-lovers story about bastian and his best friend andres. after the latest in a long string of bad breakups, bastian turns to andres for support and instead, andres suggest that he get over the breakup by dating him. the story was really cute and i actually really loved andres and all the supporting characters, but bastian got on my nerves pretty badly toward the end. that, coupled with a not inconsiderable amount of grammatical errors, made the book a little hard to push through. it was a fun story and i enjoyed parts of it, but i won't be revisiting it anytime soon either.

this book at its core had a nice romance. there's a great dynamic between the two leads and it did a great job of showcasing how two people in different periods of life can still find each other.

i wish there was a bit more dramatic conflict but it's overall very enjoyable!!

This was a rom com that hit all the right notes for me.

Bastian is a hairdresser who has the rare luxury of living in an apartment in Boystown, Chicago that has a walk in closet where previous occupants of the apartment have kept a running list of the Boystown Heartbreakers (ie men to be avoided).

Bastian has been best friends with Andres since they were 5 and after Bastian’s latest breakup (who is added to The List in the closet), Andres convinces Bastian to give a relationship between them a try. It is blindingly obvious to everyone around them that they both care deeply about each other, but can they make it work? Or will Bastian find a way to self-sabotage? (it’s a fluffy, fairly low angst rom com, so yes to both, obviously but the journey to get there was fun)

I was a bit slow getting into this one, but once I got going it was enjoyable. I found Bastian’s self-doubt easy to identify with, but also could see how it could get a bit wearing for other readers. His bounce back process, for me, was believable. The single viewpoint made it very easy to hear Bastian’s perspective, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing a slightly more complex Andres. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for and, classic tropes are a classic for a reason.