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frantic_vampire's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Why the hell did I wait so long to read this book?? It was so fantastic that I’m having a hard time putting my love for this book into words, but I’ll try. Just know that I’m fangirling really hard over this book right now.
Boyfriend Material had me laughing, it had me crying, it had my heart melting, and it had my heart breaking. But most of all, this book was fucking relatable. Luc and Oliver are probably some of the most relatable characters out there. They’re both anxious and stressed out, but in completely different ways. There were more than a few scenes that I felt all the way to my core. And I think this book will be sticking with me for a long time.
All in all I loved this book to pieces. I wish the next one was coming out sooner, because I just need more of Luc and Oliver and their quirky friends. Boyfriend Material is probably one of my favorite books of the year and is getting a solid five stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
baz_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.25
fake dating + one bed + the cutest couple ever + angst + that fanfiction feeling = this perfection of a book
(and Joe Jameson has the perfect voice to make the characters come alive, the audiobook was so good)
(and Joe Jameson has the perfect voice to make the characters come alive, the audiobook was so good)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
Minor: Death and Alcohol
megsg's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Islamophobia
bloodyvalentine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Homophobia, and Alcohol
iamsammie27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
Minor: Eating disorder and Alcohol
lmagie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not-exactly enemies to lovers.
Luc's cynism and self-deprecating doesn't let him see beyond himself most the time and also leads him to look and talk down to his family and friends. Which, as most romantic dramas, leads to miscommunication, which is really the plot.
Turns funny and cute towards the middle. Happy I heard the audiobook, but not sure I'd re-read it anytime soon.
Luc's cynism and self-deprecating doesn't let him see beyond himself most the time and also leads him to look and talk down to his family and friends. Which, as most romantic dramas, leads to miscommunication, which is really the plot.
Turns funny and cute towards the middle. Happy I heard the audiobook, but not sure I'd re-read it anytime soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Body shaming because characters are self-conscious of their own body defects in a couple chapters.lessthelonely's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
-- 2nd Review --
While this book is on the longer side, and I'd definitely cut one or two storylines from it (mainly, the whole daddy issues thing), it's an enjoyable book. It made me more than chuckle, even if the brand of humor often relies on cringe, which I admit is a brand of humor I specifically don't enjoy much. However, it's not all it is.
The romance is very sweet, and I do think it's one of the few books that makes a 3rd act breakup work, mainly because "breakups" are part of the plot. I enjoy it. I have the 3rd book in the universe ready to read in my nightstand but I might take a while. I also am thinking of buying the 2nd book to see what it's all about, I guess.
All and all, it's a good romantic comedy, emphasis on comedy, and it's pretty fun! While the book speaks to me in a very personal manner, I also think a bit of what I would consider very important for a romance is kept out. I also think the consumation of the romance, while very wholesome, left me wanting a bit more, even if I could appreciate it.
Because of that, I guess I'mma give it 4.5/5, but rounded down, for once.
-- 1st Review --
I never expected to like this book so much.
I don't want to take anything out of anyone's plate, but as a gay man, I usually find MLM Romance to be extremely lacking - my theory is that, because it's a genre DOMINATED by women, it always feels awfully fetishizing to read sex-related motions described to great and usually also graphic detail. Here's the thing: obviously not all MLM books are written by women, and not all MLM books written by women even get to lean on the fetishistic side...
But I guess I grew disillusioned with the MLM Contemporary Romance genre because the books in it tend to feel highly fetishizing or severely lacking in depth and flavor: either the relationship is set up way too quickly so the book can enter its sex descriptions, which I notice a lot of women enjoy and good for them, I guess; or... it does the exact same thing to make a plot out of breaking and resetting the relationship.
Now, I had on my mind this book was written by a woman. Why did I assume that? Well, because it's usually what happens. The name Alexis Hall did seem female, but then I reached the final page of this book and realized it was actually written by a queer man, and boy does it make sense!
This book will probably be seen as formulaic by many and, sorry to say, I'm pretty sure it is. I haven't read that many MLM Adult Romances because, as stated, I'm usually underwhelmed by them and I find a lot of interesting ones in the Young Adult genre... but this one knocked it out of the park. And I regret I didn't read it sooner, though I also don't regret it, because now it's time to wait for the sequel.
So, as I usually do, I'm going to go into technicals: this is a fake dating romance. People loved those and I decided to try one of them. It's now one of my favorite tropes, not only because of the execution of it in this book but also because I see its IMMENSE potential. In just this book, I understood why fake dating is a great trope, at least for me: it makes for the perfect internal conflict of I shouldn't, but I want to, and as Miss Natalie Wynn once said, That's how you build a plotline, kids. And that is captivating and enticing, since it is one of my favorite types of pining. Not being able to have someone just builds into the tension of wanting them, making it grow and grow. Truly great stuff.
Granted, there are some choices I don't get in this book: this could've gone for an awkward-but-hilarious-first-kiss but it didn't, though it didn't do so as a showcase of Luc's character. Oh, and on the topic of plotline... this book has none, but it truly goes to show that what I've recently seen Shonda Rhimes say about writing stories: If you base it on character, you can get away with anything. This book has no plot, but it's never boring. Is that allowed? Yeah, apparently. It's got great banter, though there were some British mannerisms I truly had to reread to understand from time to time, all was still very fun! Another choice I would like to complain about but kind of won't since I ate it the fuck up - that's how invested I was - were the little temporary roadblocks. They felt realistic and unnecessary, and I had a heart attack with each one, because if the book ended on a bad note I was going to riot as it'd all been fine a few pages ag- OK, I'll just stop there and leave it at that.
This book is hilarious and it has a couple of things I'd call gimmicks, like puns and infuriating characters who never get them - seriously, Alex, what the fuck is wrong with you? - though I guess that was the point. I felt for Luc at every single point of his struggles and Oliver... You're an S Tier love interest, character, person, man. And the fact that their banter was DELICIOUS to read and the best part of the book - and be sure to know that it all pays off in some of the best romance writing I've ever read so far... - made me want them to like each other from their very first non-date.
Side characters are also very much interesting, specially each of the lovebird's friend squad and Luc's mother.
While this book is on the longer side, and I'd definitely cut one or two storylines from it (mainly, the whole daddy issues thing), it's an enjoyable book. It made me more than chuckle, even if the brand of humor often relies on cringe, which I admit is a brand of humor I specifically don't enjoy much. However, it's not all it is.
The romance is very sweet, and I do think it's one of the few books that makes a 3rd act breakup work, mainly because "breakups" are part of the plot. I enjoy it. I have the 3rd book in the universe ready to read in my nightstand but I might take a while. I also am thinking of buying the 2nd book to see what it's all about, I guess.
All and all, it's a good romantic comedy, emphasis on comedy, and it's pretty fun! While the book speaks to me in a very personal manner, I also think a bit of what I would consider very important for a romance is kept out. I also think the consumation of the romance, while very wholesome, left me wanting a bit more, even if I could appreciate it.
Because of that, I guess I'mma give it 4.5/5, but rounded down, for once.
-- 1st Review --
I never expected to like this book so much.
I don't want to take anything out of anyone's plate, but as a gay man, I usually find MLM Romance to be extremely lacking - my theory is that, because it's a genre DOMINATED by women, it always feels awfully fetishizing to read sex-related motions described to great and usually also graphic detail. Here's the thing: obviously not all MLM books are written by women, and not all MLM books written by women even get to lean on the fetishistic side...
But I guess I grew disillusioned with the MLM Contemporary Romance genre because the books in it tend to feel highly fetishizing or severely lacking in depth and flavor: either the relationship is set up way too quickly so the book can enter its sex descriptions, which I notice a lot of women enjoy and good for them, I guess; or... it does the exact same thing to make a plot out of breaking and resetting the relationship.
Now, I had on my mind this book was written by a woman. Why did I assume that? Well, because it's usually what happens. The name Alexis Hall did seem female, but then I reached the final page of this book and realized it was actually written by a queer man, and boy does it make sense!
This book will probably be seen as formulaic by many and, sorry to say, I'm pretty sure it is. I haven't read that many MLM Adult Romances because, as stated, I'm usually underwhelmed by them and I find a lot of interesting ones in the Young Adult genre... but this one knocked it out of the park. And I regret I didn't read it sooner, though I also don't regret it, because now it's time to wait for the sequel.
So, as I usually do, I'm going to go into technicals: this is a fake dating romance. People loved those and I decided to try one of them. It's now one of my favorite tropes, not only because of the execution of it in this book but also because I see its IMMENSE potential. In just this book, I understood why fake dating is a great trope, at least for me: it makes for the perfect internal conflict of I shouldn't, but I want to, and as Miss Natalie Wynn once said, That's how you build a plotline, kids. And that is captivating and enticing, since it is one of my favorite types of pining. Not being able to have someone just builds into the tension of wanting them, making it grow and grow. Truly great stuff.
Granted, there are some choices I don't get in this book: this could've gone for an awkward-but-hilarious-first-kiss but it didn't, though it didn't do so as a showcase of Luc's character. Oh, and on the topic of plotline... this book has none, but it truly goes to show that what I've recently seen Shonda Rhimes say about writing stories: If you base it on character, you can get away with anything. This book has no plot, but it's never boring. Is that allowed? Yeah, apparently. It's got great banter, though there were some British mannerisms I truly had to reread to understand from time to time, all was still very fun! Another choice I would like to complain about but kind of won't since I ate it the fuck up - that's how invested I was - were the little temporary roadblocks. They felt realistic and unnecessary, and I had a heart attack with each one, because if the book ended on a bad note I was going to riot as it'd all been fine a few pages ag- OK, I'll just stop there and leave it at that.
This book is hilarious and it has a couple of things I'd call gimmicks, like puns and infuriating characters who never get them - seriously, Alex, what the fuck is wrong with you? - though I guess that was the point. I felt for Luc at every single point of his struggles and Oliver... You're an S Tier love interest, character, person, man. And the fact that their banter was DELICIOUS to read and the best part of the book - and be sure to know that it all pays off in some of the best romance writing I've ever read so far... - made me want them to like each other from their very first non-date.
Side characters are also very much interesting, specially each of the lovebird's friend squad and Luc's mother.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
Lighthearted, hilarious and with the best payoff I've ever read.caseythereader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is the kind of book that feels like a warm hug. Who doesn't love working through childhood trauma with banter and hijinks?
- Honestly I keep trying to think of more smart words to put here and wind up just sort of waving my arms around with how much I loved it. It's all the best things about romance novels.
- Plus, some truly hilarious secondary characters. I would read a whole book on Alex bumbling through his office job.
- Also, the audiobook is fantastic.
- Honestly I keep trying to think of more smart words to put here and wind up just sort of waving my arms around with how much I loved it. It's all the best things about romance novels.
- Plus, some truly hilarious secondary characters. I would read a whole book on Alex bumbling through his office job.
- Also, the audiobook is fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
riella_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder
nickoliver's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
Second read August 2021:
I found the audiobook at my library and spontaneously decided to listen to it while I was cleaning my room. Highly recommend it, it was a lot of fun! It actually made me like the book even more; a lot of the scenes I found a bit drawn-out and weird the first time didn't bother me this time around.
Original review July 2020:
This had got to be one of the most spontaneous buys and reads I ever did! I'd heard about this book from Chaima (@proyearner) on Twitter. The things they said about it sounded very appealing to me, and on top of that, they provided a lot of screenshots of scenes they liked, and I fell immediately in love and just needed to read that story, too. So I did something I really, really rarely do (and by "really, really rarely", I mean this has been the third time in like, almost three years, and the only time with a book that was over 1€) and bought the ebook full-prize on Amazon. And then proceeded to sit on my couch and read the entire thing in one sitting.
And it was the absolute best.
My favourite thing about it were definitely the characters, especially the main character Luc. Now, Luc was someone who was extremely relatable to me personally. He had very low self-esteem and dignity and respect for himself and didn't think that anyone could love him enough to actually wanna stay with him forever. So many things he said or thought resonated with me so hard that it kinda started to hurt a bit, but in a good way? Like, part of me really loved being seen in a book like that.
I found the audiobook at my library and spontaneously decided to listen to it while I was cleaning my room. Highly recommend it, it was a lot of fun! It actually made me like the book even more; a lot of the scenes I found a bit drawn-out and weird the first time didn't bother me this time around.
Original review July 2020:
This had got to be one of the most spontaneous buys and reads I ever did! I'd heard about this book from Chaima (@proyearner) on Twitter. The things they said about it sounded very appealing to me, and on top of that, they provided a lot of screenshots of scenes they liked, and I fell immediately in love and just needed to read that story, too. So I did something I really, really rarely do (and by "really, really rarely", I mean this has been the third time in like, almost three years, and the only time with a book that was over 1€) and bought the ebook full-prize on Amazon. And then proceeded to sit on my couch and read the entire thing in one sitting.
And it was the absolute best.
My favourite thing about it were definitely the characters, especially the main character Luc. Now, Luc was someone who was extremely relatable to me personally. He had very low self-esteem and dignity and respect for himself and didn't think that anyone could love him enough to actually wanna stay with him forever. So many things he said or thought resonated with me so hard that it kinda started to hurt a bit, but in a good way? Like, part of me really loved being seen in a book like that.
"Truth to be told, I’d never been the best at self-care. Self-recrimination, I had down. Self-loathing, I could do in my sleep, and often did. So here I was, a twenty-eight-year-old man suddenly feeling an overwhelming need to call his mother because he was sad."
Luc was also extremely funny and made me laugh out loud several times, especially in some of the conversations he had with other people, be it Oliver, his friends, his mother, or his co-workers. I'm usually not someone who actively laughs at things that happen in books - I usually just snort or laugh in my head -, so the fact that this book did almost have me rolling on the floor really says something about how much I enjoyed the humour.
"The conversation hadn’t so much died on us as been taken out back and shot in the head. And I knew I should be playing paramedic but I couldn’t quite bring myself to or work out how."
There were a few scenes, especially where Luc's co-worker (and friend?) Alex was involved, where it almost got a bit too much. For example, there was a scene where Alex, who grew up in the rich, snobbish parts of England, took Luc and Oliver to the club with him (not "club" as in "nightclub", more "club" as in "place where rich people, especially rich men, like to hang out"). And that entire scene just felt like it was ON CRACK. Alex, who was a very forgetful man who took everything a bit too literally and was impossible to really conspire with sometimes, went from "kind of amusing character" to "caricature", and I just couldn't laugh at some of the things that happened in that scene? Not because it was problematic or hurtful, but just because after a while, I didn't particularly enjoy that special brand of humour that Hall tried to conjure up with Alex anymore. He was a bit too much at times.
The romance was definitely a highlight of mine. Luc and Oliver definitely had a huge amount of chemistry. They teased each other a lot (especially Luc>Oliver), but overall respected and accepted each other, and while they weren't always the best at working through problems in a healthy way - or any way at all -, you could still understand why they did what they did most of the time. It's also not instalove but rather a bit on the slow-moving side, which I appreciated. This book might also be for you if you're not much into smut, because there's not really much and definitely nothing extremely explicit.
The romance was definitely a highlight of mine. Luc and Oliver definitely had a huge amount of chemistry. They teased each other a lot (especially Luc>Oliver), but overall respected and accepted each other, and while they weren't always the best at working through problems in a healthy way - or any way at all -, you could still understand why they did what they did most of the time. It's also not instalove but rather a bit on the slow-moving side, which I appreciated. This book might also be for you if you're not much into smut, because there's not really much and definitely nothing extremely explicit.
"Anyway," Oliver went on, "you didn’t let me finish."
"And I’m usually so considerate in that regard."
Up went that brow of his. "Good to know."
And, for some reason, I blushed."
Another great thing about the book were the friendships. Luc had this almost exclusively queer friend group (with the one token straight friend), and not only were they all really good friends, they were also fucking hilarious.
There was Bridget, who had been trying to set Luc and Oliver up with each other for years. She was the token straight friend, was consistently always late, and had constantly emergencies at her work place that made her worry she was going to get fired (spoiler alert: She never did). She was very supportive of Luc but never hesitated to (metaphorically) kick him in the butt if he needed motivation to keep going. What I also loved was that Luc didn't hesitate to call Bridget out if her relentless attempts to bring him and Oliver together started to feel uncomfortable. (You know, when she went from "straight" to "Straight™").
There was Bridget, who had been trying to set Luc and Oliver up with each other for years. She was the token straight friend, was consistently always late, and had constantly emergencies at her work place that made her worry she was going to get fired (spoiler alert: She never did). She was very supportive of Luc but never hesitated to (metaphorically) kick him in the butt if he needed motivation to keep going. What I also loved was that Luc didn't hesitate to call Bridget out if her relentless attempts to bring him and Oliver together started to feel uncomfortable. (You know, when she went from "straight" to "Straight™").
"Look. Can you come to terms with the idea that you know two gay people who wouldn’t be good together?"
"I would, except" – her voice lifted plaintively – "you'd be sooo good together.’"
"Okay, I know you can’t see it, but I’m holding up the fetishization card."
"What does that card even look like?"
"It looks like two adorable men in sweaters holding hands under a rainbow."
"I thought you wanted to hold hands with an adorable man under a rainbow."
"I do, but the fact you want it almost as much as I do is what makes it creepy."
I really appreciated that he did that, because she did, in fact, sometimes make me uncomfortable with her insistence that Luc and Oliver were perfect for each other, seeing as they were the only two single gay men she knew. Just because you know two gay people who are attracted to the same sex doesn't mean that they'd be good for each other. We have types too, you know. So I loved that Luc told Bridget these things.
Friends number two and three were the two James Royce-Royce - two men named James Royce who married each other and decided to hyphenate their name. One of them was very campy, the other one was described as looking like "a Russian hit man". I really liked that Hall showed that there wasn't just one way "to look gay", and that you couldn't always tell if someone was gay or not (as some Straight People seem to think). The only problem I had with these characters was that I never knew which James was talking, so the joke about them having the same name was a bit impractical sometimes.
Then there was Priya, a tiny lesbian with a truck and an older girlfriend. She wasn't as in the picture as the other friends until almost the end, but I did like how she never took anyone's shit but still tried to be there for Luc. She felt a bit like "grumpy on the outside, sunshine on the inside." She was also a welder, which felt like a very typical lesbian profession, though I would not be able to tell you why.
The last friend was Tom, the only bisexual in the group. He had gone on a date or two with Luc but then ended up falling for Bridget and dated her now. What I appreciated was that this wasn't contributed to him being bi - you know, it didn't perpetuate stereotypes of bi people a) not being able to choose and b) being cheaters -, and throughout the story, Luc also never invalidated his bisexuality. So that was great!
So, those were all of Luc's friend. I loved how tight-knit and supportive of each other they were, but that they were also always willing to call each other out on their bullshit. I should also mention that their group chat always had a pun in the name, which I loved way more than I probably should have. They were definitely a highlight for me. Plus, the group chats themselves often had spelling errors (especially from Bridget), which I found a nice detail! I found they really fit Bridget's character, so for me, they enhanced my experience a bit.
Oliver's friends, as a stark contrast, were all straight couples. They weren't quite as present in the story as Luc's friends (which makes sense, seeing as the story is told exclusively from Luc's perspective), but they were also very entertaining. I found it interesting to see these two different friend groups - one almost completely queer, the other one straight -, and the way they still acted pretty similar.
The story had a subplot about Luc's father Jon, who was dying of cancer and wanted to get to know his son more now. While I was less interested in that subplot than in the romance, I still found it interesting, because I'm in a similar situation to Luc (in the way that I have a non-existent relationship with my father, not because my father's a rock star who abandoned me as a baby), so many of his emotions and thoughts resonated heavily with me. I got a bit emotional at times, not gonna lie.
That subplot also showed Luc's relationship with his mother, Odile, really well, and I loved seeing it! Odile lived a bit secluded with her best friend Judy, and all they did all day was watch Netflix. I'm pretty sure they were in kind of a queer platonic relationship, and honestly, they were kinda goals for me; I, too, would like to live alone with another girl away from other people and do nothing but do things I like doing.
Odile did say some things that rubbed me the wrong way - for example, she kept using "gay" as a noun, and I can't explain why, but I just really hated that (Luc did call her out on it, but she still kept using it). But overall, her relationship with Luc was really sweet, and all she wanted was for him to be happy.
Towards the end, the story did drag a bit on in my opinion, to the point where I got a bit frustrated. I understood why Oliver was so reluctant, I really did, but I still wish they had gotten together a bit sooner; that constant back-and-forth felt a bit drawn out and I lost a bit of interest in the story, to be honest. And I don't know, Luc's friends were a bit annoying with their constant interrupting and hooting and shouting in the background. It should have been a bit shorter, just a few pages less.
Overall, though, I absolutely adored this, and I definitely want to check out more by this author!
Friends number two and three were the two James Royce-Royce - two men named James Royce who married each other and decided to hyphenate their name. One of them was very campy, the other one was described as looking like "a Russian hit man". I really liked that Hall showed that there wasn't just one way "to look gay", and that you couldn't always tell if someone was gay or not (as some Straight People seem to think). The only problem I had with these characters was that I never knew which James was talking, so the joke about them having the same name was a bit impractical sometimes.
Then there was Priya, a tiny lesbian with a truck and an older girlfriend. She wasn't as in the picture as the other friends until almost the end, but I did like how she never took anyone's shit but still tried to be there for Luc. She felt a bit like "grumpy on the outside, sunshine on the inside." She was also a welder, which felt like a very typical lesbian profession, though I would not be able to tell you why.
The last friend was Tom, the only bisexual in the group. He had gone on a date or two with Luc but then ended up falling for Bridget and dated her now. What I appreciated was that this wasn't contributed to him being bi - you know, it didn't perpetuate stereotypes of bi people a) not being able to choose and b) being cheaters -, and throughout the story, Luc also never invalidated his bisexuality. So that was great!
So, those were all of Luc's friend. I loved how tight-knit and supportive of each other they were, but that they were also always willing to call each other out on their bullshit. I should also mention that their group chat always had a pun in the name, which I loved way more than I probably should have. They were definitely a highlight for me. Plus, the group chats themselves often had spelling errors (especially from Bridget), which I found a nice detail! I found they really fit Bridget's character, so for me, they enhanced my experience a bit.
Oliver's friends, as a stark contrast, were all straight couples. They weren't quite as present in the story as Luc's friends (which makes sense, seeing as the story is told exclusively from Luc's perspective), but they were also very entertaining. I found it interesting to see these two different friend groups - one almost completely queer, the other one straight -, and the way they still acted pretty similar.
The story had a subplot about Luc's father Jon, who was dying of cancer and wanted to get to know his son more now. While I was less interested in that subplot than in the romance, I still found it interesting, because I'm in a similar situation to Luc (in the way that I have a non-existent relationship with my father, not because my father's a rock star who abandoned me as a baby), so many of his emotions and thoughts resonated heavily with me. I got a bit emotional at times, not gonna lie.
That subplot also showed Luc's relationship with his mother, Odile, really well, and I loved seeing it! Odile lived a bit secluded with her best friend Judy, and all they did all day was watch Netflix. I'm pretty sure they were in kind of a queer platonic relationship, and honestly, they were kinda goals for me; I, too, would like to live alone with another girl away from other people and do nothing but do things I like doing.
Odile did say some things that rubbed me the wrong way - for example, she kept using "gay" as a noun, and I can't explain why, but I just really hated that (Luc did call her out on it, but she still kept using it). But overall, her relationship with Luc was really sweet, and all she wanted was for him to be happy.
Towards the end, the story did drag a bit on in my opinion, to the point where I got a bit frustrated.
Overall, though, I absolutely adored this, and I definitely want to check out more by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming and Homophobia
Minor: Eating disorder and Alcohol
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