Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Boyfriend Material

on contrary to what the title says, neither Luc nor Oliver is boyfriend material.

it looked so promising at the beginning (when you don’t question the fact that Luc might get fired for being „the wrong kind of gay“) but it gradually got worse and worse.

my main problem was the main character Luc, he was selfish and whiny and just not a good person in general. he was mean to everyone and didn’t respect anyone’s choices and opinions. i was gonna blame it on his trauma and was sure we would get a great character development but that somehow didn’t happen, even though he was trying to convince us otherwise. and don’t get me started on him boasting how mature he is literally ten seconds after he shouted at his fake boyfriend’s parents (they were shit and deserved it, but common) and forcing Oliver to eat a bacon sandwich even though he knew very well that he is a vegetarian. as a vegetarian myself i was so excited to finally read about a vegetarian character but Luc’s inconsiderateness to this matter and a slight shaming towards vegetarians and vegans made me sick and that bacon scene was honestly my last straw. suggesting that Oliver has an eating disorder was very insensitive and felt a bit too much (I'm definitely not one to judge if the claim is right or not, the problem is that it wasn't handled in a more gentle way and rather served as a punchline).

Oliver seemed like the mature one at the beginning but it turned out he’s was not mentally okay (which we didn’t really learn until the third act break up yay. i think that a dual pov would make the book a bit better). he’s unable to call out homophobes and speak out for himself on this matter. and on one hand, i get it. his friends weren't exactly treating him well and his parents are just awful homophobes who use his queerness as a joke and a way to make fun of him a bit.

both of them were emotionally unavailable and not in a right place mentally and they probably should’ve tried going to therapy:)

the two stars are for Luc’s mother because she’s an icon, she’s a legend and she is the moment. she was the only character who was bearable.

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fridayoddity's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wasn't ready for the wreckage this book would do with my feelings. I really enjoyed reading it even though at first, I admit, I had doubt (first pages can be misleading).
The way the two main characters go through different kind of emotional trauma processing and how much relatable some it can be is front and center in the story even if it looks like a light hearted romantic comedy, it isn't exactly one and I truly appreciated that.

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annahamburger's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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litstyleguide's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought this fake dating MM romance was delightfully quirky and laugh out loud funny, y’all. Absolutely loved all the characters. They were all SO unique and I thought Alexis did a great job really showcasing their personalities.

I really loved this until we got to the end. It felt a bit forced and completely out of character for one of our MCs based on what we saw throughout the book. I think there could have been a bit more development there. Overall though, I thought this was a fun read with depth and enjoyed it.

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