Wow! This book should be in every library and bookstore. If you don’t think you’ve been seen, read Matthew Hubbard's debut novel! You’ll be singing “You Don’t Own Me” with the rest of the Harper Valley High School in no time. Yes, the song from The First Wives Club movie.

I’m thoroughly impressed with Matthew Hubbard’s storytelling. He provides a great mix of serious life lessons and funny scenes. One of the scene stealers is Ezra’s dad. He is what every parent should strive to be: supportive, great listener, nonjudgmental, and offers sound advice. His best advice is, “Best revenge is believing in yourself.”

Matthew Hubbard dedicates the book to “Every Queer Person Who Has Fought To Exist.” And Ezra proves the fight is worth it. He lives in a community where politicians want to repress LGBTQIA+ rights (cough - sounds like parts of the US today - cough) by enacting a Watch What You Say initiative based on “true” family values. However, Ezra and his friends take on the bullies, who are often disguised as adults, and empower kids to fight for their right to live without repercussions or erasure. Cue the music again - “You Don’t Own Me.”

Once again, I paired the physical and audiobook. I’ve always loved Lee Osorio’s narrations, but this one!!! He handles all the characters with such ease - multiple voices, great delivery with the humorous scenes, and his southern accent. ❤️

Other Highlights: Viral TikTok videos, Drag Queen Show, Taylor Swift references, Sour Patch Kids (my kids devoured these in HS).

I enjoyed this so much! I loved that the main focus was on the friendships with the romance being the second story line. This was more about Ezra's coming of age. Learning to love himself and learning who he wants to be in the world. The message in this book is so relevant to the world we are living today. Politicians are constantly trying to silence the queer community and all too often that attempt to silence starts at schools. As a teacher, it was really difficult to see how Ezra was treated in a place he was meant to be safe by people meant to protect him. I can only imagine how many students relate to what Ezra was feeling at the beginning and throughout the book.

The Last Boyfriends begins as a simple revenge plot to get back at three best friends less than stellar exes, but it quickly becomes so much more. Ezra struggles balancing his internal struggles, his online persona, his self worth/self-image, and his relationships with the people around him. He makes poor decisions, but he quickly rectifies them and is not afraid to apologize when he is in the wrong. I also really enjoyed the romance subplot and appreciated that there was no third act breakup (a teenage couple that actually communicates with one another- gasp!)

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is a fun, coming-of-age, queer story with lovable characters and an important message. I cannot recommend it enough and I cannot wait to see what Matthew Hubbard writes next!

I absolutely loved this book. It broke my heart, made my cry, made me laugh, and mended my heart all in one book. The book had me gripped from the very first pages, and I couldn’t put it down. The MMC and his friends all get their heart’s broken in this small southern town high school that’s rather openly seeing its LGBTQ students being repressed and silenced and this their story of mending their hearts and fighting that oppression and bringing a community together. It’s a story of personal growth, of strength, and hope. I loved it.

Harper Valley High School junior Ezra is crushed when he finds out that his boyfriend is not just closeted for fear of consequences of being gay in a small town, but also because he’s a player who is cheating on him with Ezra’s classmate and coworker. When Ezra’s two best friends, who are openly queer, have very different but equally horrible breakups, Ezra suggests that they plot revenge on their ex boyfriends. What starts out as the Last Boyfriends Club evolves into something more as the friends struggle to overcome their own heartbreaks and other troubles while being there for each other and dealing with issues that are much bigger than themselves, notably the school district’s targeting of queer students through the Watch What You Say initiative. Ezra’s story is central and most developed as he tries to balance the privacy of past and potential boyfriends with the attention that his anonymous viral TikTok account can bring to the injustices of queer students in his school district. This book also addresses discrimination within the LGBTQIA+ community including biphobia, fat phobia, and enforced gender roles. Part revenge of the exes, part romcom, but mostly a story of accepting oneself and demanding fair treatment from others. While some parts seem a bit more idealistic than realistic, this is a very timely book with a message of hope that our students deserve.

In The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge, we meet a trio of queer characters, Ezra, Lucas, and Finley, all of whom have been shafted by a man. After watching The First Wives Club they come together to seek revenge on them. What starts as a small plot to get back at these boys turns into something much larger as a Watch What You Say Initiative looms over their school that is suppressing queer students. This vibrant tale is imbued with revenge, justice, and love as we see these characters fight for themselves, fight for the queer student body, and fight for their right to love.

What I loved so much about Matthew’s book is that it is so well-balanced, focusing simultaneously on revenge and love. Watching these characters fight because they know they deserved better from their ex’s grow into a battle with the school made me emotional at times, some tears were shed. As a gay 29-year-old, I didn’t even know anyone who was out in high school save for one person. Seeing stories where queer kids are not only out and proud but fighting to claim what is rightfully theirs makes my heart so warm. Stories like these, characters like these, are so necessary now as laws and initiatives are sweeping this nation yet again, just as queer people are finally succeeding, being out and proud. Books like these will show kids that it is okay to be gay, it is OK to be yourself, and yes it sucks we have to fight for it but it’s worth it if it lets us be who we are, and lets us be ourselves. The battle in Matthew’s book is so inspiring and I hope that the change Ezra and his friends are fighting for is here to stay.

With all of this, Matthew has laced this with a romance that is so sweet, watching Ezra fall in love in real time as he fights for his right to exist. I love that this story not only celebrates queer liberation but queer love and joy, happening simultaneously, getting to see these characters fall in love and be happy. Knowing that stories like these will help queer kids start exploring this earlier is so life-affirming, queer kids deserve the high school romance too, queer kids deserve what heteronormative culture has had all along. A double-edge battle not only for revenge on suppression but a fight to have what others take for granted. The romance in this book is so tender and beautiful because it’s love in its truest form, pure and simple, something we all deserve, is it not?

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge takes all of this and wraps it up in a rainbow flaming package to show that we are here, queer kids deserve rights and deserve love. Hubbard’s book will stay with me for a long time, a queer revolution for the new generation, if they continue to suppress us, we will continue to fight.

Scarf Rating: 🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣(10/5)

Taylor Swift songs I associate with this book: Look What You Made Me Do, …ready for it?, ME!, You Need To Calm Down, Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, Fearless, A Place in This World, Sparks Fly, Long Live, Begin Again, Vigilante Shit, this is me trying, long story short, Bejeweled, Karma, Out of the Woods

✨ Review ✨ The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge by Matthew Hubbard; Narrated by Lee Osorio

Thanks to TRB and Beyond Tours, PRH Audio, Delacorte Press and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

The friends - Ezra, Lucas, and Finley - vow revenge on their exes through a series of shady shows of fierce identity and power mirrored on The First Wives Club. There's fake blood, a drag show, TikTok fame, and a Lion King... I'll leave the rest a mystery.

But these actions grow into a larger act of resistance against their high school and school district that have a repressive "Watch What You Say" initiative that has led to the harassment and bullying of queer students.

The writing is a delight. The message is empowering. And the queer friendship and love in the story are heartwarming. I loved ALL of this book and would gladly read an entire series!

It comes at such an important moment of queer repression, especially in the South and especially in schools, and I'm glad that this book exists in this world.

And this cover is sickening mama okayyyy

🎧 The narrator nails the Southern accent, making this a fun and engaging listen. I only listened to a couple of chapters while I was driving because I couldn't put the book down, but I would have gladly listened to this entire book and delighted in it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: queer YA, romance and revenge
Setting: Alabama
Length: 9 hours 33 minutes
Reminds me of: Jonny Garza Villa's books, Allison Cochrun's Here We Go Again
Pub Date: April 30, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ queer YA friendships and romances
⭕️ high school kids standing up for their rights
⭕️ drag queens and colored tuxedos
⭕️ tiktok take-downs of sexist, homophobic leaders

This is a story about finding your voice — without losing who and what is most important to you.  Ezra Hayes and his two best friends, Lucas and Finley, have all recently been dumped by their boyfriends.  For different reasons, each feels wronged by their exes and they decide to join forces to get revenge.  But their school seems determined to try to stop them.  As their plan gains momentum, driven by an anonymous social media account that goes viral, the three find their personal revenge plan becoming a much bigger movement to protect queer students.  But the increasing attention starts to strain the three's friendships — and forces Ezra to confront what he really wants, what he's willing to sacrifice, and what the best way is to get there.  

I really enjoyed this book! A fun and modern take on the movie The First Wives Club, it was an insightful exploration of the experiences of friendship, first love, and what it takes, and what it means, to stand up for yourself.  Ezra's journey, as he balances newfound confidence, popularity, and a new boyfriend with his longstanding friendships, was well crafted.  I also really appreciated the depictions of the relationships between Ezra and the most important adults in his life — the teacher who was always looking out for him and, most of all, his dad, who finds ways to always support Ezra while still giving him the space to make his own choices (and mistakes) and learn from them.    

Strongly recommended!

Glitter bomb. The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge exceeded my expectations. It made me squeal with delight. It made me cry happy tears. I'm so glad Matthew Hubbard wrote this book.

All of the characters are lovable. Well, except for a few, and you know who you are *cough* superintendent. I wanted to be a part of Ezra's friend group and join the rebellion.

I've been waffling between loving/not-loving the title of Lion King for the Winter Formal. It’s cheeky but also only has me thinking of Simba.

This book is near perfection. It's so contemporary and relevant (I loved all the RuPaul/Drag Race and Taylor Swift references)— I know there will be a large audience that relates to the book. There's friendship, revenge, romance, hockey, and queer rebellion.

Initially, I felt like the ending snuck up on me too quickly. I was hoping for a more definitive resolution. But it's actually perfect. We end on such a high moment and I like to believe that Last Boyfriends was able to make lasting changes in the schools.

THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE is a fun debut from Matthew Hubbard. The plot premise is super cute, and it only grows from there. I like how it incorporated relevant topics, such as book bans and the general suppression of queer expression that's happening across the country. The book shows teens rebelling against that, and while it is difficult for them, they remain hopeful and persistent. The book could've been stronger with fewer plot threads and a more grounded storyline and narrative voice, but it's a fun story that will hopefully inspire readers.

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is a beautiful coming-of-age story that intertwines the complexities of teenage romance with the power of self-discovery. This outstanding debut captivated me from the very first page. Set in small-town Alabama, the story follows TikToker Ezra Hayes and his quest for validation alongside his best friends Lucas and Finley.

When they all experience heartbreak, the group of friends embark on a mission of revenge, sparking a student rebellion that challenges the oppressive and homophobic norms of their community. This beautiful story unveiled that the true essence of rebellion lies in amplifying voices and forging a path toward acceptance. The friends become trailblazers and set out to be their authentic selves, throwing in the occasional drag show - that I just LOVED! Each character shows exceptional courage throughout the story, and I adored the YA romance. I felt the butterflies and the unwavering love in this book.

This is a must-read YA romance for all people, not just members of the Queer community. As a Queer Ally, I was so emotional with this story and am so proud of the story the author has shared.

Guess what they are here, and they are strong and powerful and even when the world tries to bring them down they will fight. They will fight for the right to be seen, to be acknowledged, and to be treated like everyone else. The LGBTQ+ knows how to fight. That they are having to fight yet again to have a space is so tragically and beautifully laid out within this book. That Ezra and his friends are fighting so hard against the PTA, the principle, just people’s ideas about the community are sad. Yet I am so glad and grateful that there are authors who are highlighting these battles and putting books out into the world showing that if you do fight there are people who will support you. You can bring about change. You can find a space in this world where you feel loved and safe. Everyone deserves that no matter who you love, what color skin you have, etc. Keep fighting because you are here, and you are loved and beautiful just the way you are.
Thank you to Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge was really good! I had a good time reading it and enjoyed all the antics of the characters. There were a few moments where I was like, am I too old for these teenagers? But overall it was great and I really liked it. Definitely have recommended to my friends who love YA books!

I have A LOT of thoughts.

I'll start with what I enjoyed.

First, I really liked that The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge was so unapologetically queer. It celebrates so much of queer culture that I wish I could've seen in the YA books when I was in my teens/early twenties. There are references to so much queer pop culture. There was the blending of queer and hetero cultures, looks, aesthetics, etc. I really love that.

The messaging is also obviously fantastic. Love a good "we're here" moment. It's beyond pertinent to have stories like this published in mainstream society. Because it's true. We're here and we're not going away.

Although a bit one-dimensional with how Hubbard played up the evilness of the principal and superintendent, I had such a good time with the characters. It was beautiful to have so many supportive characters throughout The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge.

I just don't think I was a fan of <i>how</i> Hubbard wrote the book. For some reason, whenever I read romances written by queer men, I notice that they always tend to take on this really strange old southern lady tone, especially when it comes to the more romantic scenes. It's always giving, "Oh, take me away, magic man!" and dainty ladies fainting. Not a fan of that. I also wasn't a fan of the over-the-top theater-kid style of writing, either. Maybe that's where the southern lady tone comes from. I don't know.

I think what could really make this book stand out is if a few plot points are taken out so others can thrive a bit more. It's Hubbard's debut novel, I get it. I'm sure it's beyond exciting and you want to get to every single plot point you've ever wanted to write because this career is so fleeting. BUT. It felt like too much! There was too much going on. It would've been more beneficial to dive deeper into a couple of the plot points and maybe save some of the others for a different story.

All in all, I had a decent time reading THE LAST BOYFRIENDS RULES FOR REVENGE. I will always support the representation!

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 5 ⭐️

𝙄’𝙢 𝙀𝙯𝙧𝙖 𝙃𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙨, 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢.

What a masterpiece of pride, progress, and friendship. At the core of this story is the bond between Ezra, Lucas, and Finley. Three young, gay men who forge a path through their teenage years by supporting each other no matter what. Ezra does struggle at times feeling like a third wheel, but that’s those teenage hormones talking.

All scorned by their exes, these friends pull a First Wives Club (a fave of mine!) and form the Last Boyfriends Club so they can create ways to get back at those loser exes. But what starts off as revenge quickly becomes a revolution within their high school as videos go viral and students begin to fight back against the school administration.

Such an inspiration! The care in expressing being vulnerable, wrong, mature, scared, sad, flirtatious, thrilled, lonely, isolated. So many emotions were felt and they were real. A very pleasant reading experience! Even the exes turned out to be pretty okay!

Kevin, aka Ezra’s dad, is the MVP side character. He was so cute and supportive. As was Ms. Dion, a teacher who supported the cause.

And y’all. We have a romance. A sweet, slow burn, friends to boyfriends little romance that meant so much! I absolutely adored this couple and all they stood for. The ending was just beautiful and while I always want more in the end, the book’s message finished on its peak and I salute Matthew for a wonderful debut!

𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: April 30, 2024
𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge piqued my interest thanks to the bright cover (Pride colors!) and the blurb. The story is also rooted in topics I’ve become increasingly passionate about, like combatting institutionalized homophobia, and the legislation promoting book bans and the stigmatizing of drag shows. But even beyond that, it’s not just a story of queer resistance, but also has time for queer joy too.
I love the central friendship between Ezra and his best friends, Lucas and Finley. I loved their bond, especially how commiserating over heartbreak brought them closer, coordinating plans for revenge, and how seamlessly that also tied into actively fighting against their school district for their homophobic policies.
I also really liked Ezra in his own right. He really comes into his own throughout the book,figuring out his place in the world. And having always been a bit of a romantic, I liked that he also found a guy who was actually a solid person, and their romantic moments were quite cute.
This is a delightful, timely, affirming read, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in a queer coming of age story with strong threads of activism and romance.

“Maybe it was time to give them the last thing they wanted.”

Set in rural Alabama, The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge follows Ezra, Lucas, and Finley, three queer high school students who are each going through messy break-ups with their problematic boyfriends. They agree to begin plotting revenge against their exes, but when Ezra posts a TikTok that goes viral, their vengeful mission quickly turns into a much more important battle for their right to exist amidst the school district’s anti-gay policies.

A queer reimagining of 1996’s The First Wives Club, The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is a uniquely affecting story of teens on the brink of adulthood navigating the tumultuous world of the rural southern US. The three main characters coming-of-age felt very true to life, their choices surprising but inevitable. Author Matthew Hubbard effectively does the difficult act of bringing the nuances of social media into literature without seeming heavy handed or out of touch. Living in a teenager’s head for 250 pages can be exhausting, but Hubbard’s acute sense of the LGBT+ communities attitudes and lexicon made it easy to stick with Ezra through to the end. In the acknowledgements section, Hubbard mentions the anger he felt while writing the book. He talks about watching the news and seeing queer kids suffering the consequences of book bans, Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” laws, and the passing of anti-trans legislation. When I started reading, I was expecting a John Hughsian rom-com, but what I got was a protest cry. A triumphant shout, screaming these fateful words: We’re here.

This story is great! I loved the boys forming their close relationships and fighting back against what they experience. Of course some of the queerphobic messages they receive may be hard to read for some, but overall this is a story of connection and triumph. I really liked that they were working together and dealing with everything. Typically I'm not too much of a fan of social media inclusions in stories but I thought it wasn't overly done here and worked well with the story.

A timely, relatable book with lots of heart and hope.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an early copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

This story has amazing friendships, an adorable romance (with no third act breakup!), countless Drag Race references, and shows queer teens in the south taking a stand against the injustices they face in their schools. Watching these four boys find their voice and the courage to fight back was so inspiring.

I absolutely cannot wait for this to come out so more people will get the chance to read this amazing story, and I cannot wait to see what Matthew Hubbard does next!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Matthew Hubbard for sending me an eARC of The Last Boyfriend's Rules for Revenge for review.

I believe that it's necessary to discuss the book cover on this occasion because it's stunning! You can judge this book by its cover, as the flaming rainbow theme is spot on!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It's a perfect queer YA rom-com that's flawlessly executed, except for one minor detail. Every character played their role perfectly, making the story flow effortlessly.

Ezra is such a beautiful character with the most adorable story arc! He had me engaged and focused the entire time. However, I noticed that his disordered eating wasn't addressed in the story, or at least not that I can recall. But overall, Ezra is an inspiring and outstanding YA main character.

I highly recommend this book. It's so consumable, and I believe it's an excellent starting point to recommend to someone looking to read more queer literature.