Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall | Bridget Reads Book Review
Title: Boyfriend Material
Author: Alexis Hall
Part of a Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Queer Romance, M/M Romance
Plot: Luc’s parents are famous and infamous rockers of decades past, making Luc just famous enough by association to get him in the British tabloids time and again. Jaded by an ex who spilled his deepest secrets and life to the press, he’s at the end of a 5-year rut, raising money for Dung Beetles and in need of a respectable boyfriend to keep his job.
His only straight friend Bridget has been dying to set him up with the only gay friend he doesn’t already know, and it just so happens that Oliver, a respectable barrister, could use a fake boyfriend to make it through his family event as well.
Oliver turns out to be more than meets the surface, and as Luc spends more time in his company the fake-dating starts to feel like real-dating and the question is, can they both figure out how to keep something that feels so right, that they thought would be so temporary.
Thoughts: This book was a sweet romance of rediscovering how it feels to care for someone and let them in past the outer shell you show the world. Luc has been burned quite a few times and throughout the book works harder and harder to trust Oliver and be vulnerable around him (even if it means talking through a bathroom door). Oliver has been in a string of relationships that never go anywhere because Oliver is always on his best behavior around them, mistakenly thinking they want a perfect version of him, and not just him.
Due to the nature of their fake relationship, it takes the pressure they both normally put on relationships out of the equation allowing them to be themselves, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And it turns out, despite being opposite in nearly every way, they’re a good fit.
The book is very well written and each character is nuanced and fleshed out. I thought Luc’s mom and best friend were particularly hilarious as were his friends. Oliver’s family came off a bit one-note with their typical upper-class snobbery and ignoring their children’s’ feelings.
Here is the thing. I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this book enough to give it four stars, but I didn’t desperately need them to be together at the end. A few things kept it from being five stars for me. The sex was very fade-to-black. I felt like I earned the right to be a part of the sexy times, not have it be “between them”. HELLO WHAT ABOUT ME!
McDreamy to McSteamy: McDreamy and a bit McInsecure
Classy to Nasty: Classy pg-13 fade-to-black loving
Hero rating - Luc: 🍆🍆🍆🍆
Hero rating - Oliver: 🍆🍆🍆🍆
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my ARC.
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