Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Boyfriend Material

Both Luc and Oliver are so messy in their own ways it’s amazing. Messy 30 year old men is my favourite genre (fake dating too I guess… just don’t tell my therapist)

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drraytay's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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ttumbletree's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

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tragedies's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.25

I don't know what to say. This has successfully turned me into a puddle of mush. Cozy, heartwarming, and full of feels, it tugged at my heartstrings and melted my cold, dead, ever-cynical heart. It's also funny as hell with its snarky British humor and hilarious banter, making me laugh so many times that my mom entered the room and started questioning my sanity. It was an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. I didn't sign up for it, but here I am, and I have no regrets.

What I really liked about Boyfriend Material was its cast of characters. Though they have their flaws and idiosyncrasies, I grew to love them, especially Luc and Oliver. They went through so much, and I couldn't help but root for them as if they were my actual friends. They felt so much like real people, and with Luc narrating, the book became more of an intimate conversation, as if it were a story shared by a close friend after a long tiring day.

I wish the ending wasn't rushed. I read this through audiobook, and when I suddenly heard the credits rolling in, I was so surprised. I had to double check just to be sure it was over. I felt like it was a few chapters too short, especially given how late Oliver's arc was introduced, leaving little time for his character to be fully fleshed out. I heard there's going to be a sequel though, so I guess the slight cliffhanger at the end is forgivable? I don't know, but I'm just glad that there's more Luc and Oliver to look forward to.

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phoebebebbebe's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

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taliahsbookshelf's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I’m ignoring the people who tell me to go into books blind from now on :). So here’s the thing. I’m not a fake dating girlie. I have never been a fake dating girlie. I highly doubt I will ever be a fake dating girlie. And yet here we are, with a book whose entire premise is foundational upon fake dating being a trope you love and enjoy. Now, don’t get me wrong: if you are among the majority who likes fake dating, you might actually enjoy it. Even my cynical self found enjoyment from watching our two protagonists fall in love.

I don’t want to spend this entire review just criticizing the fake dating trope, because that’s not what we’re here for. However, I do want to spend a paragraph at least talking about the lack of a logical premise, since it is inexplicably tied to the fake dating trope for this book. The entire thing hinges on the idea that having a partner is the only way to be seen as having self-respect. I simply don’t understand why Luc has to have a partner in order to be seen as someone worthy, or why it matters if someone has a partner at all. Yes, part of this is a cultural expectation. However, a bigger part of it is the author’s refusal to reject that and go a different route. It rubbed me the wrong way.

That wasn’t the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way! As someone who is a vegetarian for ethical reasons, similar to Oliver, there were certain scenes that just felt pushy. At times, it felt like the author was making a commentary on vegetarianism and it often felt forced and like it had no place in the story. Truly, I think the exact same scenes could have played out in exactly the same way without forcing the vegetarian character to eat meat, despite an ethical objection to it. Alternatively, just… don’t make the character vegetarian in the first place? The whole thing felt wrong and definitely didn’t sit right with me.

I did find myself rooting for Oliver and Luc, but I will say I was rooting even more for the book to just end. This book has been touted as incredibly similar to Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I loved RWRB, and I think part of that was that McQuiston knows when to just… stop talking. I didn’t find that to be the case here. The book felt like it was dragging almost the entire time, and I couldn’t stay engaged for longer than a few chapters at a time.

With an aggravating main character/narrator, an inability to hold my attention, frankly lackluster writing, and some pretty objectionable scenes, I can’t find myself actually recommending this even to people who like the fake dating trope.

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gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.75

This book whilst a fun and enjoyable read, did lose me with some of the character interactions and plot points. Nothing that will stop me from picking up the sequel but enough to pull me out of the book every now and then.

Most of my displeasure came from the characters and the number of character interactions that just felt unnecessarily mean especially among friends. Some characters are written to not be liked, but I think the friends weren't meant to be like that. The other issue is the conflicts in this book seem to almost be the same issue repeating over again. It takes away from the character development in the book, which I think it really well done and touches on some interesting points about relationships that I haven't often seen in other romance books I've read.

I am interested in the sequel when it comes out, as I'm interested to see where these characters go and if the conflicts they face will be similar or different. I have some ideas that I would love to see in the next book, so I'll have to wait and see if they come true.

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