A review by bumblemee
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I guess the most telling thing is that I paused this book for like a year, because I couldn't handle the thought of these two guys getting in even more emotional drama instead of just being happy together. I was too emotionally invested to suffer through that. This book is very .. exaggerated in a lot of ways, and I guess that either annoys you or sucks you in and makes everything feel way more intense than you anticipated. For me it was the latter. Luc and Oliver got me frustrated in the best way possible by being fucked up in ways that made everything so unnecessarily hard for them. 
I think the author did a good job at writing these stubborn messes and their relationship and handled emotional situations with a lot of care. Oh, and all that while being very funny.

On the other hand, I think the amount of humor was a little much at times, especially with basically every character that wasn't Luc or Oliver. Yes, the side characters were loveable, but at the same time, they weren't given the depth they would've deserved. They each got their quirk and even when in serious situations, they had to be funny. Not that they didn't say important things and got good points across, but I don't know, I just feel like it wouldn't have been too much to ask to have them be totally serious for once, just to underline that they are in fact human beings. For some characters all I can say is that they were a little absurd. And I get that that was the point and you just had to go with it (which I did for the most part), but it was just a little much.

I would definitely recommend this book if you want a fast read (given you don't have to pause bc you got ridiculously emotional) with a lot of heartfelt and sweet moments. Would also recommend for hurt/comfort enthusiasts. 

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