Review: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on July 2020
Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance
Pages: 427
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
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5 Stars

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.

I don’t know how I survived Stay At Home without this book. I’ve been reading my favorite parts (so basically, like all of it) or listening to it (the library has the audiobook) since I finished it.

And my only regret is that I can’t go back and read again for the first time.

Luc and Oliver are a couple to root for. They’re both damaged in their own ways. I found myself being drawn to Luc, his frustrations and low self esteem. I felt for this character like he was one of my good friends, and probably would have gone over to his house to clean up.

I also felt inexplicably drawn to Oliver, who is both perfect and totally not perfect in equal measure. I love how Oliver keeps his insecurities hidden, and how his own secrets slowly come out towards the end of the book. For the most part, the story focuses on Luc and why he needs a fake boyfriend. And of course, the role Oliver plays for Luc. But then the story shifts a bit and we see Oliver in all of his non-perfect glory and how Luc becomes his very stable and loving person for him and how their roles shift.

It’s heartbreaking and romantic and HILARIOUS. And oh my god I really did LOL and my husband thought I was crazy. (Richard Attenborough anyone? And any story that incorporates Richard Armitage in it is A+ with me!) I’m also a big fan of Alex, Luc’s co-worker.

I love the way the story is all about this organic and painfully awkward relationship between the two. They both just… work.

I’m a huge fan of Luc’s friends as well. I love seeing the group dynamic as well as how supportive and loving they are to each other in a way that only good friends can be. I enjoy Bridget quite a bit and all the secondary characters are so darn colorful, I kinda wish I had some short story or novella to dive into about them.

And oh, Alex and Miffy. That’s just… special. 😉

Overall, Boyfriend Material was such a welcome delight I can’t stop thinking about it. I think I’ll be choosing it as my next book club book. I think I will be following the author Alexis Hall online. I think I’ll have to make all my friends read it so we can fangirl over it again and again.

Thank you for saving my Stay At Home.