This book has a super strong middle––there's a lot of tension and momentum, and the central love story unfolds as an exciting slow-burn. The MCs also have GREAT chemistry, which, of course, makes or breaks a romance. That said! Neither the beginning nor the ending of this novel worked for me. The first 80 pages drag; I seriously considered DNF'ing. The narrative would benefit from starting during the MCs' disastrous first date––Deaver takes far too long to get there, and the journalism/Keith arc isn't strong enough to keep the reader interested. The journalism stuff also weakens the third-act crisis and the ending. It all feels wildly improbable and like, deeply unethical? As a journalist, I struggled to move past that, but I can imagine other readers having an easier time suspending their disbelief. This was my first Mason Deaver novel––I'm curious about how IWYAB compares!

*Thank you Avon & Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Mason Deaver has been an author on my radar for quite a while, but for whatever reason, I never got around to picking up one of their books—shame on me for that! The Build-a-Boyfriend Project was an excellent introduction to Deaver’s writing and storytelling. As an adult debut, this book takes everything you love about YA and ages it up to tremendous success. Eli and Peter are incredibly likable characters with unique qualities that make the romcom plot breeze along nicely, despite its comfortable predictability. Bonus points for the stellar representation and great film references throughout! This is an excellent queer romance!

This was a really sweet story. I enjoyed watching Deaver expand into the adult genre (unless he has other adult novels and I just wasn't aware!) after experiencing his young adult novels.

Watching Eli and Peter bond and grow - both together and separately through the help of the other - was so pleasant and endearing to experience. And the theme of self-worth was an incredible one to explore throughout this book.

This was a delightfully sweet and spicy read! Deaver created a heartwarming and inclusive romance story that is understandable to all types of readers. While I don't think my library would purchase it, I can use it for reader's advisory recommendations.

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project mixes humor with a sincere look at self-worth and love. The dynamic between the characters and their pretend relationship created a captivating and heartwarming narrative. With such clever writing, it’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys rom-coms with depth and authenticity.

This was a very nice reading. I was not able to connect my self into this story, but it was a very pleasant reading nonetheless.

4.25 stars

This was a really sweet story. I loved how awkward Peter was and how Eli helped him become more confident without changing who he is as a person. I thought they had a really cute friendship and eventual relationship, despite a rough (and i mean ROUGH) first interaction.
I also really enjoyed the plotline with Eli’s job and the article. I thought that played out well and was really important to the story.
Overall I thought this was a really refreshing, wholesome, queer romance and I definitely recommend checking it out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Screaming! Crying! Throwing up! My heart feels so full for their relationship. I’m so glad these books exist. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to have it.

RATING: 2/5 STARS

This one wasn't for me unfortunately! The writing did not feel mature and the awkwardness of the love interest compounded on that.

I really liked this book it was really really cute. I liked the way the mmc’s met at the beginning of the book cause it wasn’t a meet cute but worse lol. Their first date went horribly and i wasn’t sure where the book was going but it was good! We have the 2 mmc’s Eli the Journalist and Peter the tech guy who is very awkward and shy. Despite their horrible meet cute lol Eli decides to help Peter since he’s never dated anyone and that starts the build a boyfriend project.

I loved the practice dating between both mc’s and how they got to know each other and the backstories. I loved how Eli trans identity and Peter’s Korean identity weren’t trauma based but shaped them. As both characters got to be friends and pretended to date there was chemistry and that we want each other tension that i liked. I liked the side characters and their role in the story. There is a writing plot that plays a big role in the story. The romance was so sweet, there was a steamy scene and they were so sweet and soft with each other. Thank you Avon for this arc!

Read for:
- Queer romance
- Trans rep
- Opposites attracts
- Fake dating
- MMC that reads romance
- Sweet and heartwarming

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das vorliegende Buch enthält eine Liebesgeschichte, die mit einer vorgetäuschten Beziehung beginnt bzw. mit einer solchen, die sich einem absolut verunglücktem Date anschließt. Die Umsetzung dieses im Bereich der Liebesromane bekannten Motivs wirkte auf mich durchaus frisch.

Ich fand die vielschichtigen Charaktere interessant und habe gerne Zeit mir ihnen verbracht. Zu sehen, wie sie sich einander so langsam geöffnet haben und Gefühle füreinander entwickelt haben, fand ich sehr schön.

Rückblickend muss ich in Bezug auf die beiden Helden aber anmerken, dass sie auf mich nicht komplett rund wirkten. Gerades Elis Verhalten verwirrte mich manchmal.

Bereits zu Beginn des Liebesromans hatte ich die Befürchtung, dass etwas mit Elis Artikel zu Problemen zwischen Peter und ihm führen könnte und hatte gehofft, dass der Autor nicht diesen sehr vorhersehbaren Weg wählen würde. Doch genau das ist gegen Ende des Buches passiert und hat mir die Freude am Lesen etwas genommen.

Insgesamt würde ich den Roman als nett zu lesen und teils frisch beschreiben, er konnte mich emotional aber nicht so tief berühren wie erhofft.

🖤🖤🖤 1/2

PS: Ich mag das Buchcover, es hat mich gleich auf den ersten Blick angezogen.

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mag, in denen eine Scheinbeziehung im Leben der beiden Helden so einiges verändert, für den könnte das Buch einen Versuch wert sein.

I truly appreciate that for Mason Deaver's adult romance debut, they're willing to craft a slightly unconventional story regarding chemistry and attraction. When Eli, an aspiring journalist at a Buzzfeed-coded publication, shares the story of his disastrous blind date with an awkward socially inept man, his boss wants him to turn into a story about building a boyfriend. Of course, it's a romance they fall in love you know the rest.

What surprised me was that I had read the summary a while ago and had forgotten who was supposed to be the love interest and thought the bad blind date was just part of the trial and tribulation of dating and I didn't expect Peter, someone who's not presented at all like an ideal boyfriend to be the love interest (it's laid on a bit thick to be honest). I think this is where the charm ends. As much as I appreciate a story that doesn't sell me love at first sight, Peter isn't built up throughout the story as a love interest I want to root for, even worse the initial scenes between the characters were enough to kill any future chemistry for me. Peter is good as a character we slowly learn to discover and I do think he's the kind of character that deserves a love story but the condescension on Eli's part was just too much to see a compatible match.

I will round up this one to four stars because I love romance characters that actually have political opinions that aren't liberal platitudes. Eli wants something, he wants to write about something, and the story about Peter is interesting and a good concept. Kudos for that

Build-a-Boyfriend had some very cute moments, but it took me a little while to feel invested. The second half of the book is definitely stronger once we have more background on Peter's experiences, and the characters get to know one another. I really appreciated learning more about Eli's inner thoughts on his identity and presentation, and I found the trans masc representation relatable and refreshing to read. The way physical intimacy is described is certainly steamy, but it also feels honest, real, and engaging.

While I know the premise of this story involves Eli messing up and essentially betraying Peter, I did find some aspects of Eli's thoughts on Peter a little uncomfortable outside of the article writing. More than once, Peter is described as having "golden skin", which just felt...not great coming from a white main character perceiving Peter as an eventual love interest while also being dishonest with him. For how much time is spent getting to know Peter, those moments still felt a bit othering to me.

With its perfect mix of humor, heart, and steamy romance, The Build-a-Boyfriend Project delivers a queer love story that’s as tender as it is swoon-worthy. Eli’s snarky, ambition-fueled perspective collides beautifully with Peter’s endearing awkwardness, creating a dynamic that feels both authentic and electric. Mason Deaver crafts a story that not only explores love and self-discovery but also dives deep into what it means to grow beyond your comfort zone.

I've been a big fan of Mason Deaver since their YA debut, and I knew for sure that I'd enjoy this book, too, but it blew my socks off. I fell head over heels for the characters, seeing myself in both Eli and Peter as they each struggled through things that were holding them back. Add to that the fact that I'm a sucker for cheesy rom-coms and the fake dating trope, and it was no surprise that I'll be giving this book five stars.

Though the plot is entertaining and fast-paced (I couldn't put it down), it is character-driven which I think is something that makes Deaver's books special. The reader gets to know the characters intimately, and the plot of the book helps push things along. I found myself encouraging Peter as he stepped out into the world, taking baby steps as many of us do when we're queer and trying firsts that we maybe didn't get to do in high school like many of our heterosexual peers; I voraciously tore through the pages, desperate for more interaction between Eli and Peter -- happy when they were happy, sad when they were sad.

In all, Mason Deaver has come through with yet another wonderful queer book that brought me an abundance of trans joy. I hope you'll take the time to read this when it arrives on shelves in August 2025!

I came incredibly close to DNFing this book at 40%, but I enjoyed the second half of this book much more than the first. This book will work well for a lot of people, particularly fans of classic romcom movies. This writing was easy to consume and inobtrusive, the voice was fun.

The reason I struggled with the beginning is the same reason I struggle with a lot of classic romcoms—the "it started as a trick/prank/assignment, but then I actually fell for you" set-up feels cruel and condescending, and makes me deeply uncomfortable. I'd hoped from the book's description that Eli would be upfront with Peter from the beginning, and I struggled to keep going when I realized that wasn't the case.

I had a lot of issues with Eli that I needed to see addressed properly—his constant condescension to Peter and using him however benefits himself, his resentment of his work for not being what he wants it to be, but refusing to apply for other jobs—and for the most part they were. The book didn't shy away from confronting all of the ways in which Eli fucked up, and I appreciated that, although I still don't know that I can get over how careless Eli was.

Some of things that angered me the most (with vague spoilers) were:
-Eli explicitly thinks of himself as "fixing" Peter
-He pushes for Peter to open up about vulnerable and traumatizing moments in his past, while simultaneously writing an article about how much of a loser Peter is
-His internal monologue treats Peter like a little kid or a dog he's training
-He makes fun of Peter's struggle to understand sarcasm and social cues
-He also made every step forward in any sort of physical intimacy, while still lying to Peter
-It feels like an incredibly unbalanced dynamic, where Eli used Peter to improve his situation at work, to spite his ex, to get his mom/friends off his back, etc. and then acts like it's for Peter's benefit

Having finished the book, I have mixed feelings on Eli. I feel like I understand him. In several ways, I relate to the things he struggled with. But I still hate the way that manifested in how he treated the people around him, and I can't get over that enough to root for him.

I mostly kept reading for Peter, whom I adored, and I'm glad I did, because even though I have mixed feelings on Eli, I did want to see Peter's happy ending. Once I crossed the halfway point, I flew the rest of the book, and I think I genuinely enjoyed it, despite my complicated feelings for Eli.

This book really feels like a classic romcom to me, because by the end I was happy and having a good time, but I still spent much of the set-up uncomfortable and frustrated.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets She’s All That. When Eli goes on a date with Peter, it could not have been more of a disaster. Peter is a socially and physically awkward mess who also happens to be a virgin when it comes to dating. That’s where Eli comes in. Can the two of them navigate a real relationship?

Deaver does an excellent job of writing about the LGBTQ+ community in an authentic and realistic way. The character of Eli didn’t stand out or feel pushed into a narrative where he didn’t belong.

The story was very wholesome and I found myself rooting for the entire cast. It was one of those books I couldn’t put down and found myself reading when I should have been sleeping or working.

My only critique of the story is the dialogue. The characters said each other’s name over and over again.

While I initially struggled with this one--up to the maybe about the halfway marker, overall I think this is a pretty decent adult debut. I think what I struggled with initially is Eli was a bit of a difficult character for me to get fully invested in. I really liked the moments where he talked about his transition and where he and Peter talked about growing up queer. It's just that Eli himself was a bit of a frustrating character to be in the head of. While I do think he eventually got to the point where I could root for him, it definitely took a bit.

Also, while the workplace bit was honestly a big part of the story, I also really struggled with that. I realize its kind of paying homage to those classic rom-coms, but it felt a bit TOO familiar. Honestly, I think I probably would've given this a higher rating if the workplace element were taken out of the story entirely. Rather than being a cheeky little nod, it felt very telegraphed. From how things were going to pan out to the 3rd act break-up, it all felt a little rote.

But, god, did I really like Peter Park. Such a sweet character! Though it took me longer to warm up to Eli, I liked Peter immediately. I honestly wanted a lot more of him--even though there was a decent amount.

Despite my initial struggles and an ending that felt a bit abrupt, I still appreciate this book and this author for writing a queer love story where being trans isn't some shocking revelation, but something normalized and appreciated. We need more books like that more than ever. I'd still recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, queer adult romance with a trans protagonist.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

This is such a feel-good, early 2000s rom-com book! This is the first book I've read with trans representation and I believe it was beautifully done. The author didn't shy away from difficult topics and fully delved into them while maintaining the lighter feel of this book. I'll admit that I knew pretty much nothing about this population, so this book opened my eyes to so many things! I'm glad every group is being represented and I hope the author continues his work in spreading awareness and inclusivity!

an INCREDIBLY endearing love interest and a protag i liked even when he (Frequently) messed up. third act breakup is typical, but in general good. 4 stars. would recommend. tysm for the arc.