4.5 Stars
Matthew Hubbard’s The Last Boyfriend's Rules for Revenge is a refreshing, modern take on the romantic revenge story. It stands out for its clever humor, relatable characters, and a plot packed with delightful twists. What could have easily been a predictable, trope-heavy tale turns into something both engaging and emotionally resonant.

The story follows Ezra, Lucas, and Finley, whose quest for payback against an ex-boyfriend quickly spirals into a hilarious, sometimes chaotic journey of self-discovery. The book's balance of lighthearted, laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotional depth makes it shine. Hubbard's sharp, witty writing is peppered with clever dialogue, while the narrative effortlessly navigates between humor and vulnerability.

Another strong suit is the cast of supporting characters. From quirky best friends to unexpected allies, each brings a unique flair that enriches the story. The dynamics between them feel authentic, elevating what could have been a simple revenge plot into a commentary on relationships, friendship, and personal growth.

However, where the book truly excels is in its ability to surprise. When you think you know where the story is headed, Hubbard throws in a curveball that makes you rethink everything, keeping the reader hooked until the very last page.

If there’s one minor critique, it would be that the pacing dips slightly in the middle, slowing down the momentum before the finale. But this is a minor hiccup in a thoroughly enjoyable and well-crafted read.

Overall, The Last Boyfriend’s Rules for Revenge is more than just a revenge story—it’s an innovative, funny, and heartwarming exploration of what it means to heal and move on. Perfect for fans of romantic comedies with substance, this book will leave readers laughing, reflecting, and cheering for the protagonist until the end.


Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

This is what I want from a YA queer romcom. This has the humor, the wit, the heart, while handling your first heartbreak and even some political issues and what youth can do to help change

This queer coming-of-age book is a really enjoyable read! Summary from Goodreads, "Ezra Hayes has always felt like a background character compared to BFFs Lucas and Finley. He would do anything to be seen as a romantic lead, even if it meant keeping a secret summer boyfriend, Presley. But when he discovers that Presley is a lying cheater, and his best friends are having boy problems of their own, they want revenge."

While this story starts with Ezra, Lucas, and Finley wanting revenge, it quickly becomes about so much more than that! The Last Boyfriends quickly decide to fight against their school's "Watch What You Say" initiative that was attempting to silence and erase students who are part of the LGBTQIA+ Community. Will they be successful in their quest? Will others stand alongside them?

Witty, whacky, and extraordinarily gay, THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE, is a knock-out debut. In today’s political climate, it cannot be overstated how important books for young readers are that featuring characters standing up for queer equality and solidarity. Well worth the read.

Ok, so this book just wasn't for me. If you like a story about revenge and I mean really about revenge then you'll probably enjoy it more than I did. I don't even mind toxic characters, but the guys in this book take it to a new level.

I love the representation in this book, it was absolutely amazing. And not only that, but the 3 best friends all feeling comfortable in their own queerness was just chef's kiss. I have stated so many times that I love a book that shows there is no right or wrong way to be queer and this book does just that. All their personalities and interests were different, but they all got along so well, for the most part. I did mention in my update that I did feel some type of way about the dad being my favorite character though, because I'm sure that isn't the norm for this book. But I think being a parent myself always makes me feel super drawn to a supportive parental role in a book. Not to mention he was a single dad, and talking to his gay son probably wouldn't come as the most easy thing in the world. I just love him - and it increased exponentially when I found out how he became a single dad.

Ok, so getting to the parts I didn't like as much...I guess I didn't realize how toxic everything was going to be in the book. I understand it's a revenge book, it's in the title for goodness sake...but the revenge extent just blew my mind. It felt so much like cyber bullying - and while I understand that the 3 guys all had their reasons for wanting revenge 2 wrongs don't make a right. None of this is to say it was acceptable for them to be treated this way by the school, or their exs - but while it started out them needing to get back at their exs so they could move on, it moved into dangerous territory. Also, I didn't care for the "power trip" our main character Ezra went on. After his social media started to become more popular he became much more of a jerk to his friends that had his back the whole time, not to mention being really unkind at times to Jackson who was in the same boat he was. I can understand his feeling initially towards Jackson, but it wasn't his fault and I felt like he caught a lot of the blame.

✨“The best revenge is believing in yourself.” ✨

That is the refrain in this truly wonderful debut by @matthewhubbard. In The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge, three queer teen boys in rural Alabama scheme up some great antics to get back at their dreadful ex-boyfriends. But while they’re sabotaging parties, entering drag competitions to embrace their flamboyance, and even running the queerest campaign they can against an ex for the Winter Formal King, the crew realizes that they aren’t just fighting for revenge. They are fighting much bigger systems at play to be fully seen and loved as queer folks in a school determined to keep them quiet. They start living out loud and in doing so start a student rebellion against the homophobic rules of the school district. It is funny, hopeful, empowering, fiery, and deeply needed! A few things I especially loved:

✊“Coming-of-activist” story – not just growing up but growing into their power!
🏳️‍🌈 Entirely queer cast of characters
🏈 Queer football and hockey playing jocks
🥰 Supportive parents and teachers who know doing what’s right is worth a fight

And that cover?! Are you kidding me. Pick this up and be ready to be immersed in equal parts rebellious fire and all the warm fuzzies. An absolute joy. 🔥

Thank you so much for having me on this tour @tbrbeyondtours! Make sure to check out their website for the full tour schedule and follow along.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advance electronic copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Like many teens, Ezra has some self-esteem. However, to add to this, his school district has instituted a "Watch What You Say" initiative, sort of a high school "Don't Ask Don't Tell" combined with "Don't Say Gay". He thought he was dating a football player--but it was a secret. Now that it's over, he wants revenge. His two best friends have found themselves in similar situations, and the Last Boyfriends Club is born.

But is revenge what it's all about? Or are they soon to realize that they've taken on something much bigger?

I really enjoyed these characters, how they stood up for each other, and how they stood together when it counted. And glitter bombs!

4.5, rounded up to 5 for the ending!

This book is a queer kid CHAMPION read! As a queer librarian in a small, southern town, this book provides students and readers with an empowering message of equality for all students in schools. I am SO glad that Ezra and his friends did have positive adult support from his Dad and Ms. Dion, because many students do not. I will be proud to see this book on my library shelves.

The tone of the story was a bit hard to get into as a non-high schooler, but I could see this being enjoyable for age-appropriate YA readers.

Though this is Hubbard's debut novel, you'd never know it. The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge was comical, fluffy, and angsty all rolled into one pretty little package. If you're looking for a love interest who's got the golden retriever/cinnamon roll energy, don't look any further! Frankly, I expected to finish this book not enjoying it as Ezra had his moments in which I disliked him, but deep down I think the reason I began to dislike him was because he was so human. He reacted in the same ways I would have to the situations he was thrust into, and in the end, I found myself relating to him quite a bit.

This book hits close to home as a librarian, as book banning and the banning of queerness as a whole took center stage in this book. It felt refreshing to read something in which the author has the characters combatting this to protect their right to exist.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

4.5

I’m going to say something that’s going to sound really stupid. You know how people say, “don’t judge a book by its cover?” At first glance, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book—not because if its cover, but because of its title. The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge sounds kind of like a random collection of words thrown together, but it’s actually just missing an apostrophe lol.

The book follows a group of queer teenage boys who have been burned by love for the last time. In order to get back at those that hurt them, they start a TikTok account called “The Last Boyfriends” along with a list of “rules for revenge” for them to follow. When their account unexpectedly goes viral, they suddenly find themselves at the center of a student-lead rebellion, fighting for their rights to exist in a school that is desperate to keep them hidden.

Although the plot of this novel deals with some very hard issues, including queerphobia and toxic relationships, it was surprisingly incredibly wholesome. While our main characters deal with a plethora of obstacles, they remained a pretty solid united front in the face of adversity. There are no unnecessary relationship tears (romantic and platonic alike), and there were enough supportive characters present that the villains of the story never really felt like they had that much power. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a book about queer disruption/activism without the intense anxiety that often comes with those stories.

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge was so much fun to read! This is the kind of book that I wish I had growing up as a queer teenager. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys queer young adult books.

This was an entertaining story about revenge on ex boyfriends while also having a deeper message about finding courage in being yourself and standing up for what's right. I liked how supportive Ezra's friends were and his dad is pretty great too. This is a hopeful story that's perfect for going into Pride month!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy.

This was such a fun book with queer representation. I love reading gay representation where the romance isn’t the main thing. Yes, there is romance, but there are other things going on in the story. Also, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!!? I need to know.

Thoughts and Themes: The ending of this book gave me so many mixed feelings because I wanted more but also was satisfied with it ending where it did. There was so much that I loved about this book. I loved the characters, the romance pieces, and also the overall plot of the book.

Something that really stood out to me in this book was it going beyond the basics of what the group started as. I loved that it turned against a bigger force than just their exes. I loved that they united together against the school and system in order to bring them down. I also love that this movement all started through social media before going to the "real world." There was so much about the fight against HVHS and the superintendent's "Watch What you Say" rules and how homophobic that whole thing was.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to our main character, Ezra, his friends Finley and Lucas, and his love interest, Jackson. You also get to meet Ezra's dad, principal York, superintendent Bett, each of the boy's exes and some of the students at the school. Honestly I loved all of the relationships in this book, familial, friendship, and romantic ones.

I love the relationship that Ezra has with his dad and how you get to see this throughout the book. I like that a lot of the strength that Ezra gets is through the words that his dad has told him. I liked that his dad encourages him to be himself and come into his own. I liked that his dad didn't intervene but knew when his son needed his help.

I also really liked the romantic relationships that happen throughout this book. I like how Ezra's perspective of himself shifts as he begins dating Jackson. I really liked how their relationship with each other brought out other sides of them. I also liked both of their response when the truth about Presley is brought up. I also thought the relationship between Finley and Lucas was cute and wholesome even if we all saw it coming.

Writing Style: This book is told in first person through the perspective of Ezra. I liked that this was told in his perspective because of the way things play out when h e is selfish for a moment. I like that we begin to question if we are going to enjoy interacting with this character or if we are going to second guess our loyalty to him. I like that we only got to see how he felt about things and didn't get other's perspectives until they shared their thoughts with him.

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge first hit my radar as a Threads post from author Matthew Hubbard. This would be Hubbard’s first published book, and he was giddy with excitement. Last Boyfriends immediately went on my list of anticipated releases.

I support contemporary YA authors because they are the ones writing stories with the most diverse representation. And their books are too frequently targeted for removal from school libraries.

It is this censorship, this silencing of minority voices, that sits at the heart of The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge. Ezra and his friends Lucas and Finley live in a small Alabama town where the county schools are governed by an oppressive superintendent and his “Watch What You Say” initiative.

The demand to remain hidden at school, sadly promotes unhealthy and abusive relationships for the students. Ezra is completely isolated when the boy he loves begins hurling insults at him in the hallway. Feeling used and unworthy, he is limited in what he can tell his friends without outing his abuser. Lucas is accused of being “too gay” by his boyfriend. And there is no authority who will protect Finley from his ex-boyfriend’s constant harassment.

Inspired by The First Wives Club, the friends plot revenge on their exes. But by taking action and standing up for themselves, they become more confident, finding that the best revenge is just being yourself. Their actions inspire others to let themselves be seen. No longer isolated, a student movement against the superintendent and “Watch What You Say” catches fire throughout the county.

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is an uplifting story about friendship and believing in yourself, themes that resonate at any age. But this is a book written for teens with teen characters in all their messy glory. I hope it finds a place on many library shelves and lets kids know that they deserve to be seen.

Really enjoyed this book! Being a gay male from Alabama, it resonated with me. I found the characters to be cute, annoying at time, but cute. Story was fun and overall a fast read.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Ezra has always felt like a background character, when Lucas and Finley are BFFs and he wanted to be seen as a romantic lead, even keeping his boyfriend, Presley, as a secret. When he discovers Presley is a cheater and that his friends are having boys problem, they all want to get revenge. That includes sabotage a party, entering a drag competition and having Ezra run against his ex for Winter Formal King. But when the school starts to censor queer voice with their iniative called Watch What You Say, Ezra starts a tiktok journey, called "The last boyfriend Student rebellion". While navigating his new fame on Tiktok, where he vents his frustrations, Ezra starts to realize this is bigger than revenge, but involve getting against outdated opinions and censorship and what it means being queer in a small town.

I really really loved reading this book. I found it funny and important, and I loved how the author dealt with many important themes, like growing up, cheating, censorship and how from a revenge something become bigger and more important.
It's a funny and brilliant coming of age, following Ezra, Lucas and Finley, as three queer teenagers and what it means being queer in a small town, between drag competitions, TikTok fame, ex-boyfriends drama and so much more.
A fundamental rebellion against censorship, being free to be who you want, to love who you want in a school bent on crushing queer voices, with a terrifying iniative. A journey filled with brave main characters, wonderful friends and the strength of being who you are and to fight to be seen and heard.
I absolutely loved it.

Oh, I adored this book so much!! What started out as a revenge plot to get back at their exes in full First Wives Club style, three small town Alabama friends find themselves in a fight against a homophobic school district and starting a "glitter-dusted revolution"!!
This is truly an inspirational book for every young LGBTQIA+ person growing up today. Hard hitting topics like homophobia, book banning, micro aggressions, body shaming and much more is presented and the main characters take them on in a courageous and powerfully encouraging way.

“We’re here” is the rallying cry of the student-led rebellion at heart of this story and MY heart is gushing with pride that this book is here!

5 Reasons to Read “The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge” by @matthewhubbard!

🌈 Queer Representation - In an era where book bans ravage school libraries, this book allows folx of any identity to feel seen.
🌈 Social Activism - Pride has always been a riot and “We’re here” is the reminder that we need that our community has never once stopped fighting just to exist.
🌈 Authentic Voices - Ezra is my literal, anxious, quirky, complicated inner narrator. He works through so many relatable life experiences without feeling as if he was written by anyone other than himself. The voice was so genuine and that kept me engaged through the entire book.
🌈 Community Support - Zaddy Kevin, the main character’s dad, may be a parental anomaly, but showing teens and folx struggling to come out that supportive adults exist is such an incredible gift to the world. I wish I would have seen examples of queer kids being supported when I was growing up.
🌈 Emergency Sour Patch Kids - Where would we be without our friends. In the Queer community, the idea of chosen family is so crucial because sometimes, that’s all we actually have in the world. The power of friendship shines through in this book, from planning revenge on ex-boyfriends to inspiring a rebellion. The love shared by friends is just as important as family.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

“If they erased us, they kept us alone. If they kept us alone, they made sure our focus was only ever on survival.”

Congrats to Matthew Hubbard on a triumph of a debut Ezra, Fin, Lucas and all the voices you’ve uplifted have earned a special place in my heart and inspire us all to survive and thrive 💕 Thanks to @tbrbeyondtours and @delacortepress @getunderlined for the ebook!

#TheLastBoyfriendRulesForRevenge #TBRBeyondTours #MatthewHubbard