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

3.0

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was so ecstatic picking up this book for the first time because I knew I just needed a good, messy, late-90’s to early-2000’s rom-com vibe and this book delivered. If you aren’t prepared to sit with a flawed and self-sabotaging main character, this isn’t the book for you, but I really enjoyed that aspect. I feel like Eli was really human in how frustrating he was in the decisions he made but he also was so perfectly set up to be the kind of person who would make these kinds of decisions. You, as the audience, are kind of stuck being his well-meaning friend who wishes he would stop making choices that hurt him in the end.

I think the one flaw that this book has, in my eyes, is that I wanted more from our love interest, Peter. Peter felt almost too kind and too good in a way that felt like he never fully actualized as a full-bodied character. I loved when he and Eli were happy and together, but he felt like he was written for Eli, rather than to exist on his own. His anger is so quiet, and his discomfort never fully dissipates in a way that made me feel like he never got to let loose or feel fully comfortable. That, paired with a bit too little of Eli’s groveling and a bit too much of the narrative doing the Eli-punching in the end, is what docked a few stars for me.

Narration wise, Logan Rozos embodied Eli well but I feel like he leaned really heavily into very dry delivery to translate sarcasm, and it lent a quality to dialogue exchanges that felt flat. I would have loved to see Logan Rozos go bigger in some of his performances to add a bit of warmth to the characters around Eli so Eli, as a naturally dry and sarcastic character, stood out more.

Overall, this was a really fun read, and if you’re looking for a cover-your-eyes-but-peek-through-your-fingers kind of mess a la ‘How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days’ please give this book a try!