Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Boyfriend Material

I hated this book and I don’t know if it’s because I discovered I hate the fake dating trope or because I hated most of the characters in this book. I think the one part of the book that worked for me was the relationship between the two main characters, but it wasn’t enough to salvage everything else. I have taken everything by this author off my to-read list though.

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garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was a delight. I love Alexis Hall's sense of humor, and the narrator was very talented. I wish the ending hadn't been quite so abrupt, but knowing there's a sequel, I guess I get it.

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beckyraines's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Similar to how I felt about many of Alexis Hall’s other books—he writes about the emotional / mental journey of a character over time, which means the first half of the book is really annoying first person narrative. I haven’t decided yet if the payoff of the narrative becoming less annoying is worth it. It’s certainly unlike anything else I’ve read, though.

And, to be fair, I did laugh out loud several times reading this, so it’s not that I didn’t enjoy I at all.

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glund_01's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted 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

3.75

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chemeducator's review

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.75

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elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

I adore Alexis Hall, and I adore Boyfriend Material.

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luxxltyd's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

5.0

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is a fake-dating-turned-real-feelings story between two gay men who both need the appearance of a relationship long enough to get through some big upcoming events. A mutual friend pairs them up for their fake relationship, and somehow this fake boyfriend thing is one of the most stable relationships Luc has ever had.

This is the first book in a series, which slightly hints at the direction of the ending. The ending fits their relationship very well, and I like their overall dynamic. The ongoing status of their relationship is established for future books, and several major plot points are resolved. There are secondary plots related to each of their relationships with their parents. Luc's father walked out of his life twenty-five years ago, and has walked back into it with no warning and a declaration that he has cancer and would like to get to know Luc better. Luc's mother, who was also abandoned by Luc's father (her husband and musical collaborator), is supportive of any decision Luc might make, all the way from reconciliation to telling his father to go fuck himself. I adore Luc's mother, she's written very well and I love the audiobook performance for her. Oliver's parents only appear briefly, during the event for which he needed Luc as a fake boyfriend, but they cast a long shadow which has implications for later books.

The dung beetle charity and Luc's co-workers there are an endless source of exasperation and delight for me. Between his co-workers, his friends, and Oliver's friends, there are so many vibrant and specific people that it wasn't difficult for me to keep track of anyone. Normally I have trouble keeping track of characters (let alone their names) when the cast gets past five or so, but I had no issues here.

Things I love, in no particular order: Luc telling jokes to Alex, everything dung-beetle-related, Oliver being pedantic about law, Luc's friends, Bridget's publishing fiascos.

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