Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an egalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Doesn't ever girl want to live inside her most favorite fantasy books? I know I do. Given the chance to experience this with a character, I jumped right on it. I really enjoyed The Breakup Tour so my expectations for this book were pretty high.
Jennifer Worth lives her life without taking risks. She works in publishing, but doesn't pursue her dream of writing. She lives for fantasy book boyfriends, but is too afraid to put herself out there to find love. When she gets the chance to spend a week immersed in her favorite fantasy story, she's surprised to find her rival, Scott Daniels, is also attending the same event.
This book had so much potential to draw me in and make me feel all the feels of what living in a fantasy story is like. The plot has a fun vibe: let's immerse ourselves in a fantasy based experience and live like our favorite characters. It had a renaissance fair flare to it. Unfortunately, it did not live up to that hype. While the story itself is cute, enemies to lovers and all that, it completely missed the mark. I wanted to fall in love with Jennifer and her nemesis Scott. I wanted to watch their sparks fly despite their "hatred" of each other hoping it would ignite their chemistry. But I didn't see any of it. What I got was a slow paced story with a lot of references to a fake fantasy that I felt zero connection with and a couple who have no chemistry to speak of. Jennifer is grumpy, then she's happy, then she's sad, then she's anxious. And, while one can certainly experience all those things, none of those characteristics helped me understand her or see her develop into something more. As for Scott, he's obviously into Jennifer but deigns to act as if he's at the experience for other reasons. Without his point of view, it was hard to get a read on him. I didn't like him or dislike him, I just had no connection with him and didn't feel like I needed to root for him to end up with Jennifer. His character was flat and barely developed beyond what we see in the first few chapters of the book.
Overall, I just wanted more from this book. Given my love of the previous book read by these authors, I was also expecting it. The premise was something I thought for sure I'd love, and it was, but the execution was not what I needed it to be. It just didn't quite pull together in the way I would have liked. If you're looking for a cute story with not much substance to the romance, this may appeal to you.
2.5 stars rounded to 3

"No magic in the fantasy novels I’ve cherished practically my entire life, intertwining them with my personality and now my livelihood, is as powerful as hope."

The authors of Book Boyfriend offer up this lovely pearl in the opening pages and it really is the theme of this book. The hope of something better. The hope of <i>being</i> someone better, someone different, someone stronger...someone else. And there is nothing quite so useful, powerful and liberating towards that hope than (at it's best) embracing fandom.

In many ways, the love that is explored in Book Boyfriend isn't the love of the FMC and MMC for one another (though that definitely is explored), but instead is a love-letter to fandom itself. At it's best (and let's be honest - fandom isn't always or even often at it's "best" - it can be a real mixed bag), it can be a wonderful way to meet people, explore yourself and let yourself just dissolve into something larger than you are. There is a certain alchemy that happens when you put on a costume and pretend to be someone other than the "real" you (though this book does a fantastic job of encouraging you to be that person in real life, too). You can be all those things I wrote above. You don't have to be a cubicle worker, or a construction worker or whatever it is you do to earn your keep - you can be a hero, a villain, a scoundrel, a princess...anything your imagination can come up with.

But it can also limit you. It can also stunt your growth. You can find yourself in doubt about who you really are. You can put people on pedestals, or maybe fail to notice them at all. The key is to find the right mix. To use fandom as both an outlet and a means to explore ones self.

This is a very long-winded way of saying that I really enjoyed this (as I often note: go elsewhere for a breakdown of the plot - the blurb does this just fine). It isn't perfect - by the end, I really wanted the main character to stop comparing everything to things in the fictional world she was obsessed with. But then again, I've never been like that. I've always loved certain books, movies, etc., but I've never immersed myself so into them that I wonder what a fictional character would do in a real-world situation. And at some points in the book the "game" portion got in the way...while in others it perfectly fit. In the end, it was a means to an end and that was fine. I do think the author doesn't truly know how long it would take to drive to North Carolina from New York City, but hey...I lived the the corridor...that's me.

I really enjoyed how the men were written here. I've seen some people not like Scott (or Erik, or Fred), but I found them all real and all relatable. Scott speaks some truth to Jennifer that I think some readers may find uncomfortable - and hey...Jen speaks to Scott the same way. I do think the authors could have maybe done a better job of showing that he really liked her long before the event, but they sorta got there in the end. I loved what a good friend Jen was with Erik and Fred...and also with Lauren/Brit/Amelia (the whole subplot with Amelia is super sweet and I really really enjoyed it).

So in the end...really enjoyed this. A solid 4 star read. I've never read these two authors before and I'm definitely going to check out some of the back catalog. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley (man...I've had some great reads with Berkley!) for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own and are uncompensated. Book Boyfriend is out on February 25th and you can preorder it now!

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka are must-read authors for me, so I was delighted to receive an advance copy of Book Boyfriend. It's the ultimate romantasy wish fulfillment dream novel meets enemies-to-lovers workplace swoonfest. With witty dialogue and a couple readers will be cheering for, this book is one to read. I just wish readers could get their hands on the Elytheum Courts series.

Many thanks to Berkley Romance, the authors, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

#berkleypartner Thank you so much Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the free ecopy of this book!

Who doesn’t love a little escapism in their every day life?

This is the argument Jennifer, a gorgeous, brainy, down-on-her-romance-luck, book editor has against her (unfortunately attractive) coworker, Scott, who gives her a hard time regularly for her taste in her favorite romantasy series. Jennifer is fresh, relatable, and makes the book feel like reading about a friend.

Until she runs into him at a week long immersive experience. And he starts doing the Damon Salvatore eye thing to her. And the wall lean. And dressing in billowy shirts. And there’s tension that certainly (she thinks) wasn’t there before.

This book is a lot of fun, and it is a love letter to the romantasy and fantasy readers who are loyal as can be to their favorite series.

I found Scott to be a little irritating at times (what male love interest isn’t though?) but he ended up having some very redeeming and thoughtful qualities in the end.

This was my first read from Emily and Austin and I definitely look forward to much more!

I feel like there was a lot here that was fun and interesting, I loved the going into an immersive fan experience as the setting. BUT, the FMC I just couldn't stand, she couldn't decide if she was grumpy, sassy, and moody or sweet and innocent and it just didn't stick with me.

As mentioned, the concept of a Book Boyfriend is something explored in this book but starting things off, we’re following Jennifer who is getting dumped at her job. Yes, you read that right but she doesn’t want to let that deter her. She decides to take PTO and go to the Elytehum Experience which is based on her favorite romantasy series: Elytheum Courts.

While things seem great, she ends up running into her co-worker, Scott who she knows is not a fan of the series. Even so, she decides to avoid him and try to win a date with Val who is her favorite character and book boyfriend everyone is drooling over. From the very start, it’s clear Scott is into Jennifer but she hasn’t yet figured it out.

Before getting into the romance though, the plot of this is incredibly fun as the experience has a scavenger hunt and it’s such a fun part of the story. Seeing the different attendees hunting for clues and enjoying the activities is an amazing touch and makes the story feel real. It’s also nice to see Jennifer get out of her shell and become more comfortable with herself, her love for the series, and making friends because of it. Additionally, I’m really hoping these two decide to give Amelia her own book as that girl deserves it.
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Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to root for the romance, I didn’t like Scott as a love interest for a few reasons. His first interaction with Jennifer was weird and seeing them getting together felt so awkward. Maybe it was just how he was written or the way he went about “courting” Jennifer, but it ended up bringing down my enjoyment of the story. With that being said, it’s more of a me problem than the story.

Regardless if you like this author duo’s other books, I’d say give it a try. Plus if you enjoy the Well Met series by Jen DeLuca, I think this one will be a hit. Ultimately, this was a case of me not loving the love interest which hindered my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley publishing for the advanced E-ARC of this title.

This book is a love letter to the romance genre. To all the book boyfriends living in the pages of our favorite books. To all the readers who need the escape.

Jennifer takes her love for books to the next level when she signs up for a vacation package/cosplay for her favorite book series. She isn't interested in a mundane relationship with a mediocre boyfriend. She wants what she reads about. The question is whether it actually exists outside of the walls of fan experience. When her work nemesis shows up on her vacation, she is determined to not let him infiltrate her fantasy world. The two have really good verbal sparring and enjoyable back and forth banter. I couldn't tell who had more disdain for the other one which is always fun.

The premise of the book took me by surprise, and it was an interesting concept. I read a lot of romance and haven't read one quite like this. The plot was pretty slow at the beginning but picked up around the 50% mark. I don't know if this one is everyone's bag of tea, but it is unique and gives an appreciative nod to the romance genre as a whole

I absolutely devoured this delightful book! With introverted main characters who love books, work in publishing, and are work place rivals, it was everything I look for in a romance novel.

Jennifer, obsessed with the romantasy series Elytheum Courts, wants a love like the fictional character she adores. But when she's dumped by a man claiming that nobody could love up to her expectations, she decides to spend a week at an immersion convention celebrating her beloved series. What she doesn't know is that Scott, her work nemesis who claims to despise Elytheum Courts, is also there, hoping to pick up tips on how to be a perfect book boyfriend. As they spend the week together, they begin to wonder, can the classic enemies-to-lovers trope work out in real life?

One of the best parts of this book was the author's ability to create a fictional world within a fictional world. I found myself immersed in not only Jennifer and Scott's love story, but also Elytheum Courts. Both worlds were described so well that I felt like I was right there with the characters. As for the romance, Jen and Scott's chemistry leapt off the page. Sparks flew when they were together and I could feel how much they wanted each other...even though they fought against it! I spent the whole book anticipating the moment they would give in to their obvious attraction. It made for such a fun reading experience, and I highly recommend this book, especially if you adore rom-coms like I do!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the e-arc of this book! I also won a physical ARC from a Goodreads giveaway, so thank you Berkley and Goodreads.

This was a super cute read!! I loved the book elements in it and the enemies to lovers!! at parts it felt like there was just a touch too much detail where I would get lost for a bit, but that didn't take away to the book to much.

Definitely would recommend :)

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: February 25, 2025

I read and loved The Roughest Draft by this author duo, so I was excited for another new release! However, I don’t think I’m the right reader for this book. Many will love this story and its setting, I just had trouble vibing with it.

The FMC attends an experience on a college campus that brings her favorite fantasy series to life. On the surface, this seemed like a fun and quirky story that I would enjoy! It was just too much for me. Fans of cosplaying, immersing in fantasy worlds, and enemies to lovers will enjoy this more than I did!

Perfect for you if you like:
Hate to love/enemies to lovers
Work nemesis
Romantasy fiction coming to life
Competition with riddles + clues
Introvert FMC channeling her main character energy

Rounded up this was a 3 star read. This was a cute enough romance that just didn't quite pull all together in the end for me. I loved the setting and the idea of all this fun around their favorite series - this is a romance for romantasy readers! I'd even read more books about the other characters. I kept trying to get into the main characters and I couldn't - neither was quite likeable enough and so I couldn't love them together. Maybe this particular enemies to lovers just made the romance too far fetched for me - as in they were too unpleasant to each other for me to root for them. And then once they stopped hating each other - boom! the romance was too quick. Read it for the setting! And the cute twins. Thank you for this ARC!

📚 Calling all romantasy lovers!
Book Boyfriend is a love letter to every reader who’s dreamed of swoon-worthy fictional men and immersive fantasy worlds.

💖 Plot Highlights:
• Jennifer Worth: A devoted fangirl of the romantasy series Elytheum Courts—where heroes are brave, chivalrous, and winged. Escaping heartbreak, she heads to an immersive convention celebrating her favorite series.
• Scott Daniels: Her work nemesis who has no interest in Elytheum… until now. At the convention, Scott appears in cosplay, determined to win Jennifer over by becoming her perfect book boyfriend.
• Enemies-to-Lovers Magic: Forced together by the immersive activities, Jennifer and Scott discover there’s more to their chemistry than animosity. But can their romance rival the fantasy worlds they love?

🔥 Why You’ll Love It:
• Fangirl dreams: Celebrate fandom life, from cosplaying to convention adventures!
• Enemies-to-Lovers: Sharp banter turns into irresistible sparks.
• Bookish vibes: Perfect for anyone who’s ever fallen for a fictional character.
• Sweet and swoony romance: This is escapism at its finest!

📖 Perfect For Fans Of:
• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
• Romances featuring nerdy characters and heartfelt connections

💬 Have you found your book boyfriend yet? Share your favorite fictional crush below!

✨ #BookBoyfriend #EmilyWibberley #AustinSiegemundBroka #EnemiesToLovers #RomantasyFans #FandomLove #BookishRomance #SwoonyReads #RomanceBooks #FictionalCrushes #Bookstagram

I’m sad to say it but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. The romance these authors write is usually top tier but this was severely underwhelming. I was questioning if Scott was even the love interest until about 50%. There’s enemies to lovers and then there’s this.

4.25/5 stars.

I have to say, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka have pleasantly surprised me with this one.

Right from the start, the tone of this book reads very different from their other works. I found myself laughing out loud at Jennifer’s funny inner dialogue, which is not something I could have said about their previous books due to their more serious narration style.

They also wrote this book entirely from Jennifer’s POV, which I think was a smart move. The reader not being allowed in Scott’s head helps build the will-they-won’t-they tension that is, in my opinion, essential to create a good romance.

After being really disappointed by the lack of connection and longing between the main characters in The Breakup Tour, I am glad to say that I really enjoyed Jennifer and Scott’s chemistry in this one! Their banter and palpable attraction left me giddy after their every interaction. I was rooting for them to get together from the start.

I also loved the underlying celebration of fandoms and the solace that one can find amongst people that love the same thing they do. I think any avid reader can easily empathize with Jennifer and appreciate the setting of this book because of it.

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***mild spoiler following***

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My only complaint is one particular scene about a lecture on a certain feminine subject that happened off-page that I really wish we got to read and experience with the characters. I think it would have been a great way to keep growing the tension between Jennifer and Scott, and also just a lot of fun to read.

I have to admit, I got really excited when I felt like it was leading up to something great, and then felt extremely cheated out when it happened off-page.

You cannot come up with such a good scene concept and not carry it out! But, I guess that’s just me being picky.

DNF’d at 10 percent.

The tone is off on this. The MCs inner voice is annoying. Like, not unlikable but overly sassy, maybe?

I just didn’t connect with it and it makes me so sad.

this is such a sweet, hopeful, fun story!

I loved Jennifer’s fangirl persona! it’s so fun to find art that you love so much you want to get as close to jumping into it as possible!! the way she protects what’s important and fun to her was so satisfying to read. I love the way she and Scott couldn’t help but flirt a little with their sassy pettiness at the beginning. seeing them both come out of their protective shell to really see one another and thus really love and another was so special to read.

this book felt like such a love letter to fandoms and books and the excitement stories bring us. I loved the whole fantasy convention being the setting, I loved the side characters and all the joy they brought, I loved loved LOVED the parallels between real life love stories and the “book boyfriend” fantasy. it was so special, fun, and truly lovely to read.

thank you for the arc!!!!

I had high expectations for this book. Just from the premise, I thought this book was going to be the one. Unfortunately, I have to say that Book Boyfriend was a letdown. I didn’t enjoy it as much. I found it a bit annoying and boring at times. And it didn’t get better as I kept reading. It wasn’t terrible; it just was okay. Two rivals who aren’t really rivals when one of them really likes them but didn’t communicate with them. Make it make sense. Like, why? Why can’t you communicate?

Book Boyfriend is every fangirl’s dream experience. Jennifer Worth lives to escape into her stories, especially her favorite romantasy series Eltheum Courts, and now that she’s newly single, she travels to the fan experience for the series only to run into her work nemesis Scott Daniels. And the more these two run into each other and the more they compete, the more Jennifer sees there might be more to her coworker than she thought. Conceptually, I was all in for this. But I wish Scott’s POV was in there, because I love an enemies to lovers but I didn’t totally get them. They had chemistry, but as far as Jennifer knows, he hates the series, so it didn’t super click why he was at this week-long fan event. He feels really condescending and I was conflicted on who I wanted the love interest to even be. And Jennifer felt really immature at times with her search for a fantasy man. When Scott and Jennifer connect, I loved their vulnerability and their first date and the gentleness and support between the two of them—which made the third act breakup so frustrating. I saw it coming and I just didn’t like that it took from the growth of both. I will say the event and the love of reading throughout—it felt like a love letter to romance readers, and the end with it felt really emotional and heartwarming and I wish more of the story had that. As a whole, the friendships built are really lovely, and the banter is fun. There’s a heartwarming love of romance reading throughout it and for that, along with the banter and the friendships throughout, it’s a really solid three star for me.

This was so cute it actually made me cry! Our heroine Jennifer is a huge fan of the fictional book series "Elytheum" (clearly a thinly veiled ACOTAR reference.). She measure her boyfriends to the impossible standards set within those books, and hasn't had much success in real life dating. When a friend ends up in charge of event planning for an immersive Elytheum experience week, she jumps at the chance after a recent breakup and runs into her rivals-to-lovers coworkers.

Things I loved:
I immediately related to Jennifer's obsession, a romantasy girlie myself.
Her connection to the love of the books and the friends she makes through fandom was incredibly charming and relatable.
Scott and Jennifer's banter - top tier.

Things I think could have been a touch better:
It's never reallllly explained why Scott is at the experience. I felt like the author couldn't come up with a good reason and that fell short. Personally I feel he could've had nerdy friends who were ACTUALLY getting married during the experience and that would have been more believable.
The end - why did there need to be so much driving?!

This was a cozy and light workplace nemesis to lover’s romance. I am a sucker for this trope. It’s like baby enemies to lovers, not quite that intense, and it just works for me more than enemies to lovers does. Add some workplace drama and it just hits perfectly. This one was fun because it had some fantasy elements as well. Also, win for being a book about books. What’s more fun to read than books? Nothing in my opinion. I did struggle a little with this one on the pacing, it was a little uneven at times. I also felt that the romance was a little off, but in that way that is hard to explain. It was just off a little and wasn’t exactly believable for me. This book reads more like a new adult novel than an adult novel. I felt that the characters were in that new adult age, and their actions met their age. Nothing wrong with being early twenties, but I think that it’s easier to get in the right mindset if you go into it expecting that.

If you’re a romantasy lover and want a romcom about books, then you need to check this one out.

3.5 rounded to 4