A review by transportedlfl
The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver

emotional reflective 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

Thank you to Avon, Harper Audio, and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own. 

I'm so glad to see Mason Deaver entering the adult romance space. And I enjoyed not only that Eli was a trans main character, but also that the trans representation was not the point of the story. It was referenced when appropriate, but by and large the story was a romance about looking for love and feeling awkward dating.

Eli goes on a blind date with Peter, unaware that it's Peter's first date ever. And wow does Peter ever mess it up through one rude action after another. Ultimately, Eli offers to teach Peter about dating in exchange for being able to write a story about him for his Buzzfeed-like online newspaper. 

I enjoyed the romance between Peter and Eli. And I thought both of them made each other better. But I felt I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Eli did some shady, dishonest things. I knew they would come to light, and I felt physically ill at times waiting for what exactly would go wrong. I prefer fewer secrets and more honest in my romances. But this was such a well-written story with such a strong ending that I still rated it highly. 

Logan Rozos narrated the entire audiobook. I was incredibly impressed and had to double check that I hadn't missed additional narrators in my notes.