Scan barcode
duchess_fayte's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.75
Lucien: I unlocked my phone and pinged a message to Oliver: "do fake boyfriends fake text?"
Oliver: "Sorry to keep you waiting. I've thought about it and we probably should text each other for the sake of verisimilitude"
Lucien: "No wonder you're single if the second text you send a guy includes the word verisimilitude"
This is the first rom-com I've ever read, and I tend to stay away from the romance genre in general because I'm just not a big fan, but omg. "Boyfriend Material" is so funny! It has the perfect blend of actual relationship drama, pure comedic gold, and words that I had to google multiple times because I kept forgetting the meanings.
The conversations between the two main characters, Luc and Oliver, were so much fun and I found myself almost tearing the pages while laughing out loud. Of course, not everything in this book is hilarious, (in a book it rarely is) and Alexis Hall tackles plenty of serious topics as well. The author always does it with a little bit of humour though and this made this a really enjoyable and entertaining read.
The good thing about those moments is that they were all either called out or challenged by some of the characters (mainly ahem... Luc) and I really appreciated this approach. Alexis Hall deals with prejudices, bias and a good dose of discrimination but the author does it in a healthy kind of way.
ALSO; Luc and Oliver were such a great couple! Yes, they might have started fake dating because at that point in their lives they both needed it to save their reputation, but they were always honest and forthright! And this was extremely refreshing!!! And, most of the conflicts in this book didn’t actually come into being because of some miscommunication between the MCs but because the characters were so used to dealing with their problems on their own. They were stuck in their habits and problems and had a tough time letting anyone in, which considering both of their backstories was relatable.
There's only one thing I don't like much about the book, and that would be Luc's father. It's not even the character himself because of course he's a complete and utter asshole, but it's the way he was introduced into the story, the writing was kinda wack, and the way he just disappeared in the end? I feel like it was a loose end the author was desperately trying to tie up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Cancer, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Abandonment, and Homophobia
Minor: Terminal illness, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Xenophobia
kaneli's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Homophobia
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Terminal illness
hayleyvem's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Gaslighting
crystalmethany's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Cancer
v171's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
I like to dip my toe into queer romance here and there, and these books are the reason why. This was a funny, quick witted, enjoyable read about a "fake relationship" gone 'real'. At times, it got surprisingly genuine, but for the most part it was an idealized story about a hopeless mess up of a guy and his hopeless romantic counterpart. This hit a lot of the standard beats you might expect from typical romance book but hey, if it aint broke... The queer aspect is definitely what kept me interested, but don't make the mistake of assuming that the plot could easily be translated for a straight couple. The 'queer variable' was of central importance to the development of the characters and I found to be done very sensitively. There were a few subplots that I wish were tied up better or had abrupt endings, but that didn't take away from this book's strength: the characters and their arcs. While not exactly realistic, the characters were all charming in their own way and had a very distinct voice that kept the story interesting with every chapter (I love every member of the friend groups!). The prose was nothing to write home about, but it didn't need to be in order to tell the story that it did.
As far as romance goes, this was nothing revolutionary. But it didn't need to be revolutionary to be good. And it was very good!
As far as romance goes, this was nothing revolutionary. But it didn't need to be revolutionary to be good. And it was very good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Eating disorder
plumpaperbacks'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
4.0
I was eager to read this because I’d seen multiple comparisons between it and Red, White and Royal Blue, my favorite romance novel. While Boyfriend Material does feature a similar relationship dynamic and equally hilarious banter, it wasn’t quite as amazing as I’d hoped it would be.
I wasn’t expecting such a focus on Luc’s and Oliver’s complicated family dynamics. The former’s father has been diagnosed with cancer and wants to fix their poor relationship, whereas the latter has emotionally abusive parents. I sympathize with both guys—I wanna give Oliver a hug—and I can especially relate to Luc’s situation, as sans cancer, I have a similar relationship with my own father. However, some of Luc’s comments regarding his father’s diagnosis seemed insensitive, and it rubbed me the wrong way. That is, untilit was revealed that the asshole never had cancer. Are you kidding me??? This discovery had me angry at the character and unsure what to think of the author. I’m sure Hall is great, but I question why he made this choice.
The way Luc and Oliver supported each other warmed my heart. Theirs was a bit of a messy romance, since both of them are the epitome of gay disasters, but I loved it nonetheless. Recently I’ve realized that fake dating is one of my favorite tropes because I love seeing characters’ dynamics shift from an arrangement to real affection, so of course I loved these two, loved their story. And, as an added bonus, they teased each other frequently, which was quite amusing.
This would’ve been a five star read if not for the events of the last hundred pages. Everything seemed to be going well. I was grinning and laughing at almost every page. And then everything went so wildly wrong.I honestly thought the scene after Luc and Oliver had sex, where Oliver broke up with Luc, was just Luc’s bad dream. I thought he’d wake up, panicking, but find Oliver asleep next to him, cuddled up beside him, and all would be well. All was not well. They really did break up the following morning, and I was *this close* to throwing my book across the room. If not for the fact that I read the scene at four in the morning, thus didn’t want to wake anyone up and also didn’t want to damage my paperback, I might’ve. They didn’t make up until the last few pages, and I was genuinely concerned the book would end with them going their own separate ways. Thank every god it didn’t, because I can’t properly describe how much I would’ve hated that. While things ultimately worked out, I found the ending to be sadly unsatisfying.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It was mostly enjoyable, and quite entertaining. I’d recommend to those looking for a quick romance read, so long as you don’t go in with extremely high expectations.
Representation
I wasn’t expecting such a focus on Luc’s and Oliver’s complicated family dynamics. The former’s father has been diagnosed with cancer and wants to fix their poor relationship, whereas the latter has emotionally abusive parents. I sympathize with both guys—I wanna give Oliver a hug—and I can especially relate to Luc’s situation, as sans cancer, I have a similar relationship with my own father. However, some of Luc’s comments regarding his father’s diagnosis seemed insensitive, and it rubbed me the wrong way. That is, until
The way Luc and Oliver supported each other warmed my heart. Theirs was a bit of a messy romance, since both of them are the epitome of gay disasters, but I loved it nonetheless. Recently I’ve realized that fake dating is one of my favorite tropes because I love seeing characters’ dynamics shift from an arrangement to real affection, so of course I loved these two, loved their story. And, as an added bonus, they teased each other frequently, which was quite amusing.
This would’ve been a five star read if not for the events of the last hundred pages. Everything seemed to be going well. I was grinning and laughing at almost every page. And then everything went so wildly wrong.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It was mostly enjoyable, and quite entertaining. I’d recommend to those looking for a quick romance read, so long as you don’t go in with extremely high expectations.
Representation
- gay protagonist and love interest
- achillean romance (m/m)
- queer side characters (includes gay, bisexual, and lesbian rep; one achillean couple and one sapphic couple (f/f))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
astarlia's review against another edition
5.0
Funny and wholesome
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
The Homophobie is presented as absurd, the emotional abuse is just crappy family and is stood up against, the terminal illness
More...