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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Eli is a guy just trying to make it to where he truly wants to be, as a staff writer for the website Vent, but he's stuck as an assistant to the boss. Peter is an awkward guy who's never been on a date before and works for a tech company, living the shut-in life and working hours far longer than he should. They meet through a mutual friend of a friend and go on the most disastrous of dates, only to later try again under the pretense of teaching Peter how to better date and be a solid boyfriend! Only, of course, it's not real and purely for the purpose of teaching Peter, and with the bonus of helping Eli write an article that he's sure will get his bosses attention and get him that promotion he deserves!
As a trans man, it's not often that I find romances from the perspective of a transmasc person, and it was a genuine surprise and delight to discover this about our lead boy, Eli. There was something also refreshing about the story not being tied up in those early years of figuring yourself out in a transition, or taking those first steps with your sexuality. All of it feels well established and we're able to really get going with the story without that being a rocky road to overcome.
While there's the necessary suspension of disbelief a lot of romances of this type require, the story is overall interesting and has a nice balance of plot and fluff, with a fairly believable conflict and resolution. Around 75% through, I was spinning in my chair and loudly lamenting about every turn to anyone who would listen! So often a romance novel will make the conflict, or character the conflict stems from, cartoonishly evil, and Deaver managed to make it believable and frustratingly real without resorting to them being malicious and malignant to make sure the reader KNEW they were unlikeable.
Overall I spent a good amount of my time reading this with a huge smile on my face, if not giggling and kicking my feet. The writing was superb, the dialogue believable and real, and for the most part it didn't feel like the author was using queer characters and situations to be a teaching opportunity for non-queer readers (as a lot of queer romance does, which can get extremely tiring). It's still kind of there, but much less than others, and as a queer person I appreciate that greatly.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review! It was so sweet!
As a trans man, it's not often that I find romances from the perspective of a transmasc person, and it was a genuine surprise and delight to discover this about our lead boy, Eli. There was something also refreshing about the story not being tied up in those early years of figuring yourself out in a transition, or taking those first steps with your sexuality. All of it feels well established and we're able to really get going with the story without that being a rocky road to overcome.
While there's the necessary suspension of disbelief a lot of romances of this type require, the story is overall interesting and has a nice balance of plot and fluff, with a fairly believable conflict and resolution. Around 75% through, I was spinning in my chair and loudly lamenting about every turn to anyone who would listen! So often a romance novel will make the conflict, or character the conflict stems from, cartoonishly evil, and Deaver managed to make it believable and frustratingly real without resorting to them being malicious and malignant to make sure the reader KNEW they were unlikeable.
Overall I spent a good amount of my time reading this with a huge smile on my face, if not giggling and kicking my feet. The writing was superb, the dialogue believable and real, and for the most part it didn't feel like the author was using queer characters and situations to be a teaching opportunity for non-queer readers (as a lot of queer romance does, which can get extremely tiring). It's still kind of there, but much less than others, and as a queer person I appreciate that greatly.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review! It was so sweet!
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
This book was a joy. It caught my attention and held it from the very beginning. I flew through it in one day!
The main conflict in the book is something you can immediately see coming simply to the nature of the plot. That’s not a bad thing - having a cozy romance is like chicken noodle soup for the soul. Part of the joy of romance books is that they follow a pattern.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t some surprises - I didn’t know how things would resolve (other than it having a happy ending) and how the conflicts would play out.
I loved the trans representation in this book and the author did a fantastic job showing how it plays into the dating experience.
This book is worth a read and worth your time.
Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eArc - all opinions are my own
The main conflict in the book is something you can immediately see coming simply to the nature of the plot. That’s not a bad thing - having a cozy romance is like chicken noodle soup for the soul. Part of the joy of romance books is that they follow a pattern.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t some surprises - I didn’t know how things would resolve (other than it having a happy ending) and how the conflicts would play out.
I loved the trans representation in this book and the author did a fantastic job showing how it plays into the dating experience.
This book is worth a read and worth your time.
Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eArc - all opinions are my own
*I received a free eARC of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*
This is a beautiful, messy romance, with realistic characters that I also fell in love with. I find that often the main character of a rom-com style romance is a terrible person, does not do any self-reflecting, continues to suck but finds someone either equally terrible or willing to submit their will to the terrible MC, and that is supposed to be happily ever after. Eli is not a great person at the beginning -- he's put himself in a terrible position both work- and relationship-wise, and seems to have no plan or desire to pull himself out -- but he learns that he cannot continue to live in his current patterns with any sort of joy or growth. To see a character accepting that they may not get the happily ever after they dream of but doing the work anyway is a refreshing change. Peter is a delightful little cinnamon bun, and I'm so happy he got his dream. Also, Michael is the worst. This is my second Mason Deaver book, and I'm adding him to my always-read list.
This is a beautiful, messy romance, with realistic characters that I also fell in love with. I find that often the main character of a rom-com style romance is a terrible person, does not do any self-reflecting, continues to suck but finds someone either equally terrible or willing to submit their will to the terrible MC, and that is supposed to be happily ever after. Eli is not a great person at the beginning -- he's put himself in a terrible position both work- and relationship-wise, and seems to have no plan or desire to pull himself out -- but he learns that he cannot continue to live in his current patterns with any sort of joy or growth. To see a character accepting that they may not get the happily ever after they dream of but doing the work anyway is a refreshing change. Peter is a delightful little cinnamon bun, and I'm so happy he got his dream. Also, Michael is the worst. This is my second Mason Deaver book, and I'm adding him to my always-read list.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
When they say don‘t judge a book by its cover, they certainly don‘t mean "The Build-A-Boyfriend Project".
And not only is the cover amazing, but inside you find a story full of humor, growth, and trans joy.
I fell in love with the story in the first quarter, and the premise as well as the main characters, Eli and Peter, gave this such a unique plotline; I couldn‘t stop reading.
While this book covers important topics like grief and boundaries, I have to admit that there was one part that kept rubbing me the wrong way.
Eli keeps saying that the whole scheme has the goal of "fixing“ Peter, even after it‘s established that his lack of dating experience is due to the unsupportiveness of queerness in his hometown and therefore the missing learning opportunities. Which is precisely the topic of Eli's article.
Eli as a whole is a really complex character, which made it really hard to understand the reasonings behind some of his choices at times.
Eli keeps saying that the whole scheme has the goal of "fixing“ Peter, even after it‘s established that his lack of dating experience is due to the unsupportiveness of queerness in his hometown and therefore the missing learning opportunities. Which is precisely the topic of Eli's article.
Eli as a whole is a really complex character, which made it really hard to understand the reasonings behind some of his choices at times.
Regardless, his growth in this story is not to be overlooked either, and the end of the book kind of redeemed the problematic actions a bit.
So if you want a rom-com-like story, filled with jokes, big feelings, drama, and characters that are taking their happiness in their own hands, while also getting lots of movie recommendations for your watch list... then grab yourself a glass of iced Americano and enjoy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
Ty to Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Deeply deeply charming, full of love for these characters and then finding their place in the world. I think that what really worked for me in this book was the way that both Eli and Peter felt so deeply tangible — I've known people like both of them! — and as a result nothing about their dynamic felt contrived, and they still ran into a lot of friction and the complications of people learning how to come together. Tbh I was just so genuinely delighted by this book, especially since it was pitched as a romance, which is a genre where I am often wary of the general genre expectations of it all!!
Deeply deeply charming, full of love for these characters and then finding their place in the world. I think that what really worked for me in this book was the way that both Eli and Peter felt so deeply tangible — I've known people like both of them! — and as a result nothing about their dynamic felt contrived, and they still ran into a lot of friction and the complications of people learning how to come together. Tbh I was just so genuinely delighted by this book, especially since it was pitched as a romance, which is a genre where I am often wary of the general genre expectations of it all!!
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
funny
hopeful
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
This was one of my favorite reads so far this year! I fell in love with these characters and was so attached to seeing this story through to see how it would end. Eli’s personal growth, while supporting and encouraging Peter was so wholesome and made for a lovely read that I absolutely devoured! I can’t wait to recommend this sweet book when it comes out in August of 2025!
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon, Mason Deaver, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon, Mason Deaver, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*
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.
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.
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
I love Mason Deaver, and I am very thankful to have read an ARC of their newest book.
I was dying laughing from almost the very first page. Eli and Peter's meet disaster was over the top disastrous (but still realistic!), and I could feel the awkwardness through the page. Peter shows up to Eli's workplace, where Eli is executive assistant to a journalist, to apologize. When Eli's boss catches wind of what happened, he tells Eli that the staff writer position is his if he writes an article about "fixing" Peter by teaching him how to date. Eli doesn't like this idea, but he really wants to become a writer, after slogging away as an assistant for five years with nothing to show for it. Eli prefers hard hitting journalism, writing about things that matter, but his boss only cares about the clicks. Eli pretends to go along with the idea, while also choosing to write another article about growing up queer in the south, since Peter is from a small town in Georgia. He only pitches this second idea to Peter, conveniently leaving out that he's still writing the first article alongside it.
I could see the third act conflict and breakup coming a mile away. My heart broke for Peter. How dare Eli do my man dirty like that. The miscommunication is strong from the beginning. Eli is concealing his intentions from Peter.
Peter is precious. He is very autistic-coded. He finds it hard to detect sarcasm and is very literal in his interpretations. One of my favorite Peter moments (there are many!) is when Eli is reading Peter's dating profile. One of the prompts is "Favorite Dish" and Peter's response is "Mugs." When Eli says he doesn't understand, Peter is all like, "Mugs, they're good for hot things. You've got the handle there, they're comfortable in your hand." (exact quote from the ARC, subject to change, though I hope it doesn't, LOL) I literally laughed out loud during this scene.
Although I was mad at Eli, I could also relate to him plugging away at a career that doesn't fulfill him. He has big dreams but has become resigned over the years. I loved him as a main character.
Peter is Korean American; the author is not. The book is written from Eli's point of view (Peter is the love interest), but I am curious to see how Korean American readers react to his representation. I liked that Mason Deaver exposed the racism in the queer community, the reality that so many gay men write things like "No Asians" on their profiles. As a white reader, I cannot speak to the quality of the representation, but I did want to note it.
I was dying laughing from almost the very first page. Eli and Peter's meet disaster was over the top disastrous (but still realistic!), and I could feel the awkwardness through the page. Peter shows up to Eli's workplace, where Eli is executive assistant to a journalist, to apologize. When Eli's boss catches wind of what happened, he tells Eli that the staff writer position is his if he writes an article about "fixing" Peter by teaching him how to date. Eli doesn't like this idea, but he really wants to become a writer, after slogging away as an assistant for five years with nothing to show for it. Eli prefers hard hitting journalism, writing about things that matter, but his boss only cares about the clicks. Eli pretends to go along with the idea, while also choosing to write another article about growing up queer in the south, since Peter is from a small town in Georgia. He only pitches this second idea to Peter, conveniently leaving out that he's still writing the first article alongside it.
I could see the third act conflict and breakup coming a mile away. My heart broke for Peter. How dare Eli do my man dirty like that. The miscommunication is strong from the beginning. Eli is concealing his intentions from Peter.
Peter is precious. He is very autistic-coded. He finds it hard to detect sarcasm and is very literal in his interpretations. One of my favorite Peter moments (there are many!) is when Eli is reading Peter's dating profile. One of the prompts is "Favorite Dish" and Peter's response is "Mugs." When Eli says he doesn't understand, Peter is all like, "Mugs, they're good for hot things. You've got the handle there, they're comfortable in your hand." (exact quote from the ARC, subject to change, though I hope it doesn't, LOL) I literally laughed out loud during this scene.
Although I was mad at Eli, I could also relate to him plugging away at a career that doesn't fulfill him. He has big dreams but has become resigned over the years. I loved him as a main character.
Peter is Korean American; the author is not. The book is written from Eli's point of view (Peter is the love interest), but I am curious to see how Korean American readers react to his representation. I liked that Mason Deaver exposed the racism in the queer community, the reality that so many gay men write things like "No Asians" on their profiles. As a white reader, I cannot speak to the quality of the representation, but I did want to note it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia
Minor: Drug use
A queer rom-com for the ages!! This was a wonderful story that I adored so much and just had to finish as soon as I could.
I loved Eli and Peter. They were so awkward and cute and felt so real I was just rooting for them the entire time. They felt so 3-Dimensional and I thought they had great chemistry too. I loved all of the side characters too (Hated Michael and Keith... never hated side characters so much in a long time). There was so much yearning and "Fuck I am really falling in love" that I adored and I loved how everything played out in the end. The "Iced Americano" was something I loved too. This book truly has all the feels like a rom-com should, and I'll be impatiently waiting for the movie adaptation to this.
I loved Eli and Peter. They were so awkward and cute and felt so real I was just rooting for them the entire time. They felt so 3-Dimensional and I thought they had great chemistry too. I loved all of the side characters too (Hated Michael and Keith... never hated side characters so much in a long time). There was so much yearning and "Fuck I am really falling in love" that I adored and I loved how everything played out in the end. The "Iced Americano" was something I loved too. This book truly has all the feels like a rom-com should, and I'll be impatiently waiting for the movie adaptation to this.