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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
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:
No
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this ARC! This story is Do Revenge but even more queer if that was possible. Although the camp was turned down the story was great. I was so compelled about what brought Charm and Beau together. Charm reminded me of how important it is to be yourself because even with Beau’s lessons she never did anything that wasn’t her. Beau reminded me that you can’t leave everything lent up but you have to let it out. Them together taught me it’s okay to fall. I love that two of them are reminders of precious and how exciting yet scary first love is. However, I am a little upset that we got an ending to their story together, but some kind of resolution of their individual stories. I guess that’s life, but sometimes I wanted a few more issues tied up with a bow. Overall, this story left me wanting more, not because it needs conclusion, but purely because I fell in love with these characters
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you Simon & Schuster Children’s and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this one. All thoughts are my own.
I wanted to love this more than I did. It started strong and the characters were likeable and it was definitely not a bad book. It just fell a little flat for me. I feel like I’ve read these themes, these characters, these situations so many times but done a little better.
I wanted to love this more than I did. It started strong and the characters were likeable and it was definitely not a bad book. It just fell a little flat for me. I feel like I’ve read these themes, these characters, these situations so many times but done a little better.
funny
hopeful
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
Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC!
Call Your Boyfriend is a YA romance where two girls, Beau and Charm, team up to get revenge on Maia, who’s been playing with both of their hearts.
I adored Charm. I wish the entire book had just been about her because she was so sweet and had so much emotional turmoil that I wanted more of. There were so many emotional aspects of this book that I would’ve loved more of (family dynamics, past relationship histories, etc.) but we never saw any of it after the first quarter of the book.
And this book was… so absurd. There were funny parts, yes, but the entire starting premise was so off-putting (there’s a whole thing involving panties; it’s weird) and it never stopped from there.
The romantic manipulation felt really gross, and Beau really needed a few lessons on healthy flirting and relationships because oof. I wanted this to be an actual romance, but by the time we got there, I wanted Charm to be fifty feet away from Beau at all times.
And, for a slow burn, this was annoyingly slow. [Slight Spoiler] Beau and Charm had well and truly admitted their feelings to themselves, but didn’t get together until literally the last two(?) chapters. It was just annoying.
Also, who names two characters (who are down bad for each other) Ezra and Enzo? I cannot tell these two apart!!
Anyway, if you like supremely messy lesbians with revenge plots, give this one a go.
Call Your Boyfriend is a YA romance where two girls, Beau and Charm, team up to get revenge on Maia, who’s been playing with both of their hearts.
I adored Charm. I wish the entire book had just been about her because she was so sweet and had so much emotional turmoil that I wanted more of. There were so many emotional aspects of this book that I would’ve loved more of (family dynamics, past relationship histories, etc.) but we never saw any of it after the first quarter of the book.
And this book was… so absurd. There were funny parts, yes, but the entire starting premise was so off-putting (there’s a whole thing involving panties; it’s weird) and it never stopped from there.
The romantic manipulation felt really gross, and Beau really needed a few lessons on healthy flirting and relationships because oof. I wanted this to be an actual romance, but by the time we got there, I wanted Charm to be fifty feet away from Beau at all times.
And, for a slow burn, this was annoyingly slow. [Slight Spoiler] Beau and Charm had well and truly admitted their feelings to themselves, but didn’t get together until literally the last two(?) chapters. It was just annoying.
Also, who names two characters (who are down bad for each other) Ezra and Enzo? I cannot tell these two apart!!
Anyway, if you like supremely messy lesbians with revenge plots, give this one a go.
CW: toxic relationship; queerphobia; grief
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
“A girlfriendless misfit teaching another girlfriendless misfit how to reel in the prom queen.”
Call Your Boyfriend opens up with Beau arriving to a party with a pair of panties in hand, hoping to return them to the girl she’s been hooking up with for months. Beau had finally gathered up the courage to have a real talk with Maia about their relationship when she stumbles across her about to kiss another girl.
Charm is excited to see where all the flirty exchanges she’s had with Maia during their tutoring sessions will lead, but when their kiss is interrupted she learns that Maia’s intentions weren’t as sweet as she assumed. Worse, only days after the party Maia accepts the very public promposal of her on-again-off-again boyfriend, leaving both Beau and Maia heartbroken.
Realizing they’ve both been played by the same girl, Beau and Charm decide to team up and give her a taste of her own medicine. The plan is for Beau to teach Charm how to flirt so that she can woo Maia, go to prom with her, and then dump her. However the more time Beau and Charm spend together for their “lessons” the more they begin to grow closer themselves.
—
I will forever hold a soft spot for contacts with an “if we do this, we can’t fall in love” addendum. Shooting themselves in the foot before they realize how they’ll grow closer, creating their own complex obstacle and miscommunication when there never needed to be one. It gets me every time!
There were definitely some comedic moments but overall this is truly a story about learning to welcome love. Both Beau and Charm have parental abandonment issues and feelings of insecurity when it comes to dating. Beau is constantly getting the attention of “straight” girls who want to keep her a secret, and Charm’s ex-girlfriend callously told her all the ways she fell short as a partner. As they spend time together, they begin to learn how to demand more from love and to be with the people who actually care for them.
All the characters were so well developed and multifaceted. It was nice how even Ezra and Celine got some interesting insights into their insecurities and struggles. Every character, no matter how small, really jumped off the page.
Beau being this playboy who falls to her knees for the shy clueless girl is such a delicious set up. Charm being effortlessly irresistible while thinking that she’s awkward made me giggle. She has girls falling for her left and right, and yet she thought she had no game. Beau quickly realizing that she’s created a monster by teaching Charm the art of seduction. She’s dug her own grave as she falls for Charm.
Maia is differently a very interesting figure. You feel a lot of sympathy for her because you know that she’s clearly struggling with her sexuality and being closeted. But at the same time, some of her actions are inexcusable and harmful. So you’re constantly flipping between empathy and disdain.
I had a lot of fun with this sapphic romcom and I think this will be a perfect read for many!
Thank you Simon Teen for the eARC
funny
medium-paced
📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was such a fun sapphic YA rom-com! Beau and Charm are both dealing with the same heartbreak after getting played by the same girl, and I loved the setup of them teaming up for revenge. Very high school!
This was such a fun sapphic YA rom-com! Beau and Charm are both dealing with the same heartbreak after getting played by the same girl, and I loved the setup of them teaming up for revenge. Very high school!
There was so much good banter between them! Beau is totally charming, a little guarded, flirty while also being a sensitive soul. And our girlie Charm? She’s such a sweetheart. Soft, tender-hearted, and just trying her best. Their personalities balanced each other so well, and I loved watching the slow burn from awkward alliance to actual feelings.
Also—Charm finding Maia’s underwear in Beau’s drawer?? I was cackling. Peak teenage drama.
It had plenty of teen drama, but still kept things fun and light-hearted. It gave me the kind of sapphic rep I would’ve loved as a teen—and I’m so glad it exists for readers now. And let’s be real… for the sapphic girlies, dating the straight girl is always messy 😭
🩷 What You Can Expect
• Sapphic YA romance
• BIPOC characters
• Revenge plotting
• Shared heartbreak
• Slow burn
• Found family
• Coming of age
• Friends to lovers
📅 Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted e-arc. I enjoyed this one. Ya, Queer, coming of age vibes. A wholesome story of navigating life as a teen and understanding your sexuality while also navigating school, prom, relationships, friendships.
When this book works, it works. Beau and Charm had chemistry, and I liked reading their interactions.
But there were a bunch of little details that soured my experience. The names (Maia Moon in particular) were distracting, and at one point even the authors mixed up Ezra and Enzo, so Enzo was scrolling through his own Instagram. A couple of scenes (especially the one with Noemi) gave me the ick. Some concepts didn’t feel fully realized (Kay, Jada— lots of interpersonal conflicts that just get dropped).
It’s like. Fine.
But there were a bunch of little details that soured my experience. The names (Maia Moon in particular) were distracting, and at one point even the authors mixed up Ezra and Enzo, so Enzo was scrolling through his own Instagram. A couple of scenes (especially the one with Noemi) gave me the ick. Some concepts didn’t feel fully realized (Kay, Jada— lots of interpersonal conflicts that just get dropped).
It’s like. Fine.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this ARC i received through Book Huddle from Simon & Schuster. It is a solid YA book about teens being queer, heartbreak, friendship and adventure. I loved the enemies to friends to lovers trope and revenge twist. It is such a cute romance.
