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booksthatburn's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
duchess_fayte's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.75
Lucien: I unlocked my phone and pinged a message to Oliver: "do fake boyfriends fake text?"
Oliver: "Sorry to keep you waiting. I've thought about it and we probably should text each other for the sake of verisimilitude"
Lucien: "No wonder you're single if the second text you send a guy includes the word verisimilitude"
This is the first rom-com I've ever read, and I tend to stay away from the romance genre in general because I'm just not a big fan, but omg. "Boyfriend Material" is so funny! It has the perfect blend of actual relationship drama, pure comedic gold, and words that I had to google multiple times because I kept forgetting the meanings.
The conversations between the two main characters, Luc and Oliver, were so much fun and I found myself almost tearing the pages while laughing out loud. Of course, not everything in this book is hilarious, (in a book it rarely is) and Alexis Hall tackles plenty of serious topics as well. The author always does it with a little bit of humour though and this made this a really enjoyable and entertaining read.
The good thing about those moments is that they were all either called out or challenged by some of the characters (mainly ahem... Luc) and I really appreciated this approach. Alexis Hall deals with prejudices, bias and a good dose of discrimination but the author does it in a healthy kind of way.
ALSO; Luc and Oliver were such a great couple! Yes, they might have started fake dating because at that point in their lives they both needed it to save their reputation, but they were always honest and forthright! And this was extremely refreshing!!! And, most of the conflicts in this book didn’t actually come into being because of some miscommunication between the MCs but because the characters were so used to dealing with their problems on their own. They were stuck in their habits and problems and had a tough time letting anyone in, which considering both of their backstories was relatable.
There's only one thing I don't like much about the book, and that would be Luc's father. It's not even the character himself because of course he's a complete and utter asshole, but it's the way he was introduced into the story, the writing was kinda wack, and the way he just disappeared in the end? I feel like it was a loose end the author was desperately trying to tie up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Lesbophobia