remainwonderful 's review for:

The Build-A-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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i have been a fan of mason deaver's writing for some time. i've read all of their books, each one touching me a little bit more than the last. and with a repertoire of YA books under their belt, (i wish you all the best, the ghosts we keep, the feeling of falling in love, and okay, cupid, respectfully.) this is their first adult romance release. and god…..when i tell you that i can already tell it will be sticking with me for a long time - i knew it before i’d even finished reading the last line. 

the story follows eli - a charming transmasc man who is still recovering from an unexpected breakup with his boyfriend of 7 years, when his best friends convince him to go out on a blind date with peter - an unassuming guy from small town georgia who’s……well, never actually BEEN on a date before. after some first date mishaps, eli has a brilliant plan: pretend to date peter under the guise of writing an article about the process. peter gets invaluable dating experience, while eli gets a shot at finally getting published. peter agrees and the two set out on a journey that will inevitably change them both. what could possibly go wrong?

the fake dating troupe is one of my favorites and this book is no exception. the characters are all so instantly lovable and had me rooting for them, laughing with them, (and sometimes crying with them, let’s be honest) up until the very end. as a queer person living in the rural south, there were so many parts of peter’s story and experience that deeply touched me - and i appreciate that the duality of a place as misunderstood as the rural south was so adequately described by peter in the book. it actually caught me off guard, because although this is a conversation i have had regularly with people in my life, it’s not something i’ve often seen represented elsewhere. this story is so unquestionably a story of trans joy and celebration of identity, is invaluably uplifting in ways i did not expect, and exactly the kind of story we as a queer community need right now.

this book felt like a flame of hope in my chest that would never burn out. it inspired me and i hope that it means as much to you as it does to me.