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chloevienna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
everyone go read this!! super underrated and funny romance book with a diverse set of characters, and genuinely healthy relationships (both romantic and non)!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
the toxic relationship tag warning is NOT for the romance, otherwise i wouldn’t recommend this!carodonahue's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cancer, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
rayne_1906'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
4 hours 9 minutes - This book was, to put it simply, okay. The plot was fine. The characters were likeable, if not a little two-dimensional at times. Oliver's character was a little hard to digest at times, but it grew on me. The writing style was a little heavy-handed at times, and some topics could have been handled a little less obviously, like the eating disorder topic. However, the book was very funny at times, and was a decent read, if a little dull at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Eating disorder, Cancer, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
theespressoedition'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is was what I wished Red, White & Royal Blue would be. I know that book has a huge fandom, but it wasn't my favorite in the slightest. However, Boyfriend Material was absolutely adorable.
It had the fake dating trope (which I love), a little bit of grump and sunshine, and a whole lot of "aww" moments! I found myself hooked from the very beginning and desperate to know how the relationship would play out.
Yes, I gave it four stars even though it's not like the most memorable book ever or whatever. There were some really meaningful moments that had me a little teary-eyed, there were funny moments, and I totally loved the goofy jokes that the coworker never understood.
Basically, it was great and I can't wait for the sequel!
It had the fake dating trope (which I love), a little bit of grump and sunshine, and a whole lot of "aww" moments! I found myself hooked from the very beginning and desperate to know how the relationship would play out.
Yes, I gave it four stars even though it's not like the most memorable book ever or whatever. There were some really meaningful moments that had me a little teary-eyed, there were funny moments, and I totally loved the goofy jokes that the coworker never understood.
Basically, it was great and I can't wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Homophobia
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
ufollowbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
snowydaze's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The ending was rushed but I enjoyed the rest. I liked that most characters were fleshed out and used for more than one chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
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: Toxic relationship and Homophobia
Minor: Eating disorder and Alcohol
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