This was... likely my least favorite from this duo. It read a lot like the Well Met series from Jen DeLuca sprinkled in with moments of The Hating Game, but I've already read the whole series as well as The Hating Game and am not a huge fan of the Renaissance theme.

After being dumped by the man she was about to dump (whose name I've already forgotten? Maybe that's the point though), Jennifer decides to go to an immersive camp based off her favorite fantasy series. There she meets her work nemesis. After a massive scavenger hunt is announced where the prize is... a date with an actor playing the male lead of the book? Or you get to date someone? I don't know. Details were murky.. Jessica sort of teams up with different people to try and solve the hunt.

Of course one of those partners is Scott, and she realizes there's more to him. He convinces her she might want to pursue her MFA, but then they kiss and she freaks out and... Decides she doesn't want her MFA? Which pisses off Scott? I don't know.

Like I said, love EW & ASB, but it's definitely their weakest book for me.

Thanks, NetGalley!

This book is truly written for the fans of romantasy, anyone who escapes into books, has book boyfriends, or just in general enjoys fandoms.

Jennifer just got dumped by her boyfriend, but she finds it was always a matter of time. She's always wishing for a romance worthy of a love story. So she picks up her stuff and then goes to a bookish experience made after her favorite fantasy series.

It's her surprise when her work nemesis, Scott is there as well. While Scott is there to learn how to be the "book boyfriend" that is always idolized in this series.

I absolutely loved the world and romanticizing not only love but the book community that it surrounds. Parts of this book genuinely feel like a warm hug and a bookworms oasis.

Parts of this did feel like so much world building for the book series they experience which felt hard to follow at times. I also feel like the romance was more show then tell, I didn't fully feel their passion or Scott's purpose in being there.

But overall this was a cute read and for the vibes!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am a huge fan of Emily and Austin's adult romances, but within the first 50 pages of this book, I knew it wasn't for me. The prose was lacking, the MC felt juvenile, and the heavy-handed focus on fandoms quickly became too much.

That said, this book has a lot of what is working in the market right now and could be a hit for those who are searching for a quick and fun romance read to enjoy in one sitting.

This book is described as a “love letter to readers” and the only way that description could be more accurate would be for it to say “love letter to romantasy readers” because this novel is absolutely geared toward fans of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and other popular fantasy romance books. The fan service in this book is immaculate. Chef’s kiss. 🤌

The fan service is also the perfect framing device for the authors to address the evergreen (translation: trite and tired) discourse that goes “romance novels give women unrealistic expectations about men” and “romance novels are smutty, escapist fantasies that have no significance/aren’t ‘real art'” which they do with capability and a level of sophistication critics of the romance genre and romantasy, in particular, might not expect. In the interests of full disclosure, I very rarely give five star ratings to any book and readers can learn more about my reviews here: About the Reviews

I typically only give five stars to books I believe have the power to change lives in some way, and this one is on that short list. In this novel, Jennifer Worth finds both the sort of community and friendship that she’s been lacking as well as the courage to become the main character of her own life. On the other side of the equation, Scott Daniels learns that his disdain for Jennifer’s beloved romance novels is misplaced. Scott learns to appreciate the optimism and hopefulness with which long-time romance fans are familiar. I gave this book one of my rare 5-star reviews because I think people who don’t normally understand the allure of romance novels or who don’t understand why the fandoms of these books are so appealing, will find some answers to those questions in this novel. Fans of the genre will also find a gentle reminder to have fun in their favorite fantasy realms but make sure they stay grounded in reality at the same time. All of this is wrapped up in witty, occasionally sarcastic banter between the MCs.

This book is perfect for both fans of romantasy and contemporary romance. I will also say it got me out of a post-election reading slump, so if you’re nursing a book hangover and need a little pick-me-up, give this book a try. You’ll be glad you did.

Some banter, some heat,
some absurd plot points. Mostly,
light, cute, amusing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️



I write haiku reviews but am happy to provide more feedback.

Great witty banter and I liked the connection between the characters. Fun story. The pacing was a little off for me and I wish there was an epilogue. I will recommend for a quick light read though.

I had really high hopes for this book and I loved the premise going in. Jennifer has just been dumped and her work nemesis has witnessed it. Her day can't get much worse, but she isn't one to dwell. She picks herself up and calls her friend who is running a cosplay experience in the world of her favorite book series. She wishes all boyfriends could be like her book boyfriend Val. He is perfect, even if he is make believe.
When she gets there she immediately sees Scott, her work nemesis, is here for the week too. She doesn't want the drama of her real life getting in the way of this week, so she tries to make the best of things. Scott isn't there to compete for the grand prize, but he is there to try to figure out how he can be a better boyfriend. With her talking all the time about her perfect man, Scott thinks he can learn a thing or two about romance.
Real life isn't the same as fantasy and Jannifer knows that deep down, but she does still want to find her perfect match.
The first 75% of the book I was completely invested and I loved the tension and the back and forth. I even loved the side characters and their own stories so much, but the romance started veering off track later in the book. I think that it would have been great to have Scott's POV because it was hard to understand what was happening in his mind when you just had Jennifer's POV and the things he said at the end didn't match up with what he said/did in the beginning. The conflict was confusing and didn't feel like that big of a deal at all if the two would have just talked one more sentence each. The ending was really rushed as well and I am not sure why things were done the way that they were, but it felt really weird.
All in all I did enjoy the premise of the book and liked the characters a lot, but I really was hoping for more at the end.
Thanks to Berkley, Emily and Austin and Netgalley for an early copy.

This is the perfect book for romantasy lovers, especially for fans of the ACOTAR series. I personally am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre so I had a hard time connecting with the main character. This follows Jennifer who is a huge fan of Elytheum. She goes to a week long retreat that is all things Elytheum. All the food, activities, and wardrobe have to do with her favorite series and she gets to meet other people who love the series just as much as her. She has always dreamed of her prefect book boyfriend in real life and what better place to find that person than a huge convention for that fandom. There’s only one problem… her work enemy who supposedly hates that series is also at this retreat.

Such a whimsical idea! The descriptions made me feel like I was there in the fantasy. The characters were fun and witty. Very on trend.

This book was fun and not at all what I was expecting. Some of the points were a little too cheesy for my taste, but it was a quick read and definitely a unique story.

The romance built a little too slow to convince me they really liked each other by the end, the plot was full of book related chaos that was overwhelming at times with the corny aspects.

after attempting to complete this multiple times, i don’t think this book is for me. there is nothing inherently wrong with it and this is completely personal, but i would recommend this to those who are more into fan-base centered romcoms. while it wasn’t my cup of tea, i still love this duo and will continue to read their new releases!

I have never read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The pacing was good and the character's were developed very well.

This was a fun read! I really liked the setting and the concept of the experience. I know I would jump at the chance to immerse myself in the world of my favourite book! Jennifer was an interesting main character and I enjoyed the growth she had over the course of the book. Her chemistry with Scott was great and I loved how this was a story of love, friendship, and the power of a great book to bring people together

Thank you Net galley for the ARC!

While I loved the plot and the banter, I felt that Jennifer was reacting very odd to situations and made her come off immature! If it was only once it would be one thing but I felt she was getting more and more insufferable throughout the book and it just gave me the ick!

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a lighthearted and charming rom-com that taps into the growing cultural fascination with fictional crushes and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. The chemistry between the two main characters is palpable, and the dual perspective gives readers a nice glimpse into both the heroine and hero’s internal worlds. While the book is undeniably fun, some of the plot twists and character choices feel a bit predictable, and the stakes of their relationship could have been explored with more emotional depth. At times, the pacing can feel uneven, with certain conflicts resolving too quickly and others feeling slightly contrived. Overall, Book Boyfriend is an enjoyable, easy read perfect for fans of light romance.

I like these authors, but this wasn't my favorite. I think it's a great concept to have a fictional land come to life. And I liked the scavenger hunt and the competition.
I thought the enemies to lovers worked, but I just didn't click with these characters.
A cute read that many will like, just wasn't for me.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I was surprised I really enjoyed this one! I’m not a fantasy reader but I loved the setting of the immersion experience! I also loved the insight into fantasy readers and hope they see in their characters. This was a fast read with likable characters! I definitely recommend for a fun read!

Sadly this one was not a win for me. This had a super fun concept--our FMC meets a guy cosplaying as her favorite book boyfriend from her favorite romantasy series, and the romance sparks from there. Unfortunately the FMC was the main issue I had with this book; she behaved very immaturely through the majority of this book and it drove me absolutely nuts. Otherwise, this was an entertaining rom-com type of read.

2.5 stars rounded down. Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As someone with many book boyfriends, I think this book is a must-read.

Jennifer sublimates reality by diving into her favorite book series, even going to a festival devoted entirely to the series. Her work nemesis also ends up in the same place with a different motivation.

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka deftly create a fantasy world and dive into why some people lose themselves in these worlds. On the flip side they also adeptly look into some of the ways that becomes a crutch to avoid reality.

It's a slippery slope of fandom and realism that leads to our main characters learning more about themselves and the reader taking a deeper look at themselves.

Another win from this writing duo.

I was lucky enough to win a copy of BOOK BOYFRIEND by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe holiday season!