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Boyfriend Material
(Boyfriend Material #1)
by
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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.
T ...more
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.
T ...more
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The experience of reading “Boyfriend Material” felt like talking with an old friend by the hearth of a fire on a rainy day. It’s tender, patient, and raw as a confession. Luke’s narration—with its chafed vulnerability and aching honesty–opened up something in me. It had taken me several days to finish this book because I kept turning his words over and over, like tumbling a stone inside my mouth, letting them sink into me, even as I sank with the weight of them. The romance between Luke and Oliv
...more
Boyfriend Material spoke to me.
I was truly not expecting to love it. I've had mixed experiences with Alexis Hall in the past, and I honestly didn't know he could be so funny. This book is hilarious, especially if you like kind of snarky, British humor, and I found myself laughing out loud to myself in bed, shoulders positively shaking (my husband did not appreciate this).
But that's how this book gets you. Under the humor lies the feels.
The emotions that I felt for these characters snuck up on ...more
I was truly not expecting to love it. I've had mixed experiences with Alexis Hall in the past, and I honestly didn't know he could be so funny. This book is hilarious, especially if you like kind of snarky, British humor, and I found myself laughing out loud to myself in bed, shoulders positively shaking (my husband did not appreciate this).
But that's how this book gets you. Under the humor lies the feels.
The emotions that I felt for these characters snuck up on ...more
OHMYGOSH. Goodreads Choice Nominees are here and My Reaction Video is up! Don't forget to vote!
The Written Review
Luc O'Donnell, also known as the son of two incredibly famous rock stars, has hit the (yet another) speed bump of his life.
His dad just picked up another show and his fame is on the rise (again)...and with that comes increased paparazzi for all those tangentially related...like poor Luc.
Luc's latest scandal (though relatively minor) was enough to send his bosses heads flying ...more
**I received an advance copy of this book from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for approving me for this ARC!**
I’m aware I rarely say this about books, but this was FANTASTIC! Once I started to read “Boyfriend Material” I couldn’t stop anymore and with every chapter I read, I was drawn even more into the story. The conversations between the two MCs, Luc and Oliver, were so much fun and I found myself clutching the ...more
I’m aware I rarely say this about books, but this was FANTASTIC! Once I started to read “Boyfriend Material” I couldn’t stop anymore and with every chapter I read, I was drawn even more into the story. The conversations between the two MCs, Luc and Oliver, were so much fun and I found myself clutching the ...more
The core ingredients in my fighting-depression arsenal:
➊ book with an i-am-dying level of hilariousness
➋ book with an i-shall-overdose level of adorableness
➌ book with an oh-my-rainbow-heart level of LGBT+ rep
➍ accordingly chosen music for playlist ➾ Spotify link
Or, you know, in short: this book aka Boyfriend Material.
You need to understand, the humour in this book shines quite blindingly through every scene, be it awkward, sweet, ...more
➊ book with an i-am-dying level of hilariousness
➋ book with an i-shall-overdose level of adorableness
➌ book with an oh-my-rainbow-heart level of LGBT+ rep
➍ accordingly chosen music for playlist ➾ Spotify link
Or, you know, in short: this book aka Boyfriend Material.
“I’m in love with you, Lucien. But it seems hardly adequate.”
You need to understand, the humour in this book shines quite blindingly through every scene, be it awkward, sweet, ...more
Apr 03, 2020
K.J. Charles
added it
Imagine a book like a Four Weddings-era Richard Curtis movie (and *not*, let me be clear, like the vomitous Love Actually), with the feelgood elements and the genuine romance and the terrific cast (only more diverse than Curtis is capable of), and real pain and emotion grounding the hilarious banter. Sounds amazing? Well, here you go.
The joyfully queer British romcom escape book I desperately needed. It's absurdly funny--like proper laughing out loud--and swoonily romantic, with a sharp edge of ...more
The joyfully queer British romcom escape book I desperately needed. It's absurdly funny--like proper laughing out loud--and swoonily romantic, with a sharp edge of ...more
Basically the book of my dreams. The perfect romcom. Flawless. An instant classic. Hot-mess POV hero who you will want to cuddle. Enigmatic, perfect love interest who’s not so perfect after all, except I love him, so he is. Iconic friendship group. Glittering, knife’s-edge prose. I have lost the ability to sentence because I will never be as good at it as Alexis Hall so what's the point. I'm not even mad I'm just ready to read it all again. Six stars. Seven. Ten. Let's GO
...more
Okay so this book. Let me tell you about this book.
This book is forking great. And perfect and sexy and hysterical and romantic and fun and devastating and sweet and oh my god this book. I want you to read it right now this very second.
This book is forking great. And perfect and sexy and hysterical and romantic and fun and devastating and sweet and oh my god this book. I want you to read it right now this very second.
Jul 05, 2020
mwana
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of slow burn romance, fake dating tropes and British humour
It was just so fucking... heart emoji that I actually had to take a moment.Permission to squee for the rest of all time. I know I have often referred to romcoms leaving me a pile of warm gooey goodness, but I can't help it if it's true.
The year 2020 is one that will go in the history books as one where the world went topsy turvy. My 2020 disasters bingo card basically became obsolete when China diagnosed the bubonic plague and there was a rabbit ebola outbreak in the US. Clearly the ...more
I want my money back!
Although I did really like both Luc and Oliver, in the end, after TWELVE DAYS of stop and start reading, I found this book slightly tiring to get through.
At a reported 427 pages, I found the pacing to be significantly slower than I prefer, so I kept putting it down over and over, with less and less enthusiasm to pick it back up again.
I think that if the level of banter had been higher, that would've helped, but as written, to me at least, it felt like the story couldn't really decide if it wante ...more
2.5 stars
I'm glad that I read Boyfriend Material because it delivered a cute fake dating opposites-attract romance, albeit a few things that I personally couldn't get behind in the novel. I found that whilst I was enjoying it, it was in a more detached kind of way. I didn't feel like I was a part of the story, I was just watching it, and it wasn't always interesting. This lowkey feels like this is something that would've taken place in the early 2000s England, as opposed to being a modern-day en ...more
I'm glad that I read Boyfriend Material because it delivered a cute fake dating opposites-attract romance, albeit a few things that I personally couldn't get behind in the novel. I found that whilst I was enjoying it, it was in a more detached kind of way. I didn't feel like I was a part of the story, I was just watching it, and it wasn't always interesting. This lowkey feels like this is something that would've taken place in the early 2000s England, as opposed to being a modern-day en ...more
3.75*
This was a fun, delightful rom-com that had me smirking at Luc and his antics! The poor boy just can't get out of his own way!
Luc O'Donnell is the grown child of 2 celebrities. As such, his life is always present in the tabloids...and never in a good light. His boss needs him to prove he’s finally matured and becoming settled in his life. Luc realizes that he quickly needs a boyfriend to show everyone he’s no longer the playboy the media has been made out to be.
Enter Oliver Blackwood.
“What ...more
This was a fun, delightful rom-com that had me smirking at Luc and his antics! The poor boy just can't get out of his own way!
Luc O'Donnell is the grown child of 2 celebrities. As such, his life is always present in the tabloids...and never in a good light. His boss needs him to prove he’s finally matured and becoming settled in his life. Luc realizes that he quickly needs a boyfriend to show everyone he’s no longer the playboy the media has been made out to be.
Enter Oliver Blackwood.
“What ...more
4.25 stars
Boyfriend Material is my first Alexis Hall book and I am in LOVE. This book was fun, hilarious, emotional, and all around a great read.
Luc O’Donnell had a famous-ish father he’s been estranged from since he was a child and now it’s ruining his life. Literally, he is in the tabloids for the dumbest things just for being his father’s son. Because of this, his image isn’t the best right now. He works for a fundraiser and many don’t want to donate because of this. He has to do somethi ...more
Boyfriend Material is my first Alexis Hall book and I am in LOVE. This book was fun, hilarious, emotional, and all around a great read.
Luc O’Donnell had a famous-ish father he’s been estranged from since he was a child and now it’s ruining his life. Literally, he is in the tabloids for the dumbest things just for being his father’s son. Because of this, his image isn’t the best right now. He works for a fundraiser and many don’t want to donate because of this. He has to do somethi ...more
This book. Go read it. You'll like it. I promise.
Before reading I saw some people compare this book to Red, White, and Royal Blue and I got nervous because I really didn't like that book (sorry, not sorry). Still, curiosity won out and I decided that I simply had to read it. And I'm so glad I did because not only was this book kind of hilarious, but it was just plain good!
My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Simply put, I loved them. Every single one of them. The main two, Luc a ...more
Before reading I saw some people compare this book to Red, White, and Royal Blue and I got nervous because I really didn't like that book (sorry, not sorry). Still, curiosity won out and I decided that I simply had to read it. And I'm so glad I did because not only was this book kind of hilarious, but it was just plain good!
My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Simply put, I loved them. Every single one of them. The main two, Luc a ...more
THAT, my friends, is how to do a Rom-Com.
*mic drop*
I've given this an A at AAR.
Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material is quite possibly the best romantic comedy I’ve ever read. Almost every page produced a smile, a grin, a snort or a full-out belly-laugh – and I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book that produced full on giggling of the sort that made my family members give me funny looks.
I love a good fake-relationship story and this is a VERY good one. The premise is nothing new; ou ...more
*mic drop*
I've given this an A at AAR.
Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material is quite possibly the best romantic comedy I’ve ever read. Almost every page produced a smile, a grin, a snort or a full-out belly-laugh – and I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book that produced full on giggling of the sort that made my family members give me funny looks.
I love a good fake-relationship story and this is a VERY good one. The premise is nothing new; ou ...more
I accidentally told GR I was reading this.
When what I meant was, I wrote it.
When what I meant was, I wrote it.
13 December 2020
I saw a review saying the stakes are not high enough. And yes, plotwise it's true, but this books is not about the obsticles they face till they finally get together. It's them accepting themselves and the fact that they need to change. Other people and the world is not the enemy here. They are their own enemy.
They clearly want each other, but don't dare to open up, afraid of losing each other. Afraid of heartbreak.
The drama is not "my parents..." or "society...", it's about how ...more
I saw a review saying the stakes are not high enough. And yes, plotwise it's true, but this books is not about the obsticles they face till they finally get together. It's them accepting themselves and the fact that they need to change. Other people and the world is not the enemy here. They are their own enemy.
They clearly want each other, but don't dare to open up, afraid of losing each other. Afraid of heartbreak.
The drama is not "my parents..." or "society...", it's about how ...more
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and while I know this year has gone mostly to shit, and expectations should be rightly tossed into the incinerator at this point, I didn't think I'd have to add BOYFRIEND MATERIAL to the heap of 2020 disappointments. Because this should be everything I could ever want : queer, fake dating, Hall. And it was those things. But I was scraping near the bottom of the barrel to round up past average feelings of like for the first half and by the end
...more
Normally slow burned books with less action more inner conflicts don’t fit with my expectations! But this one... oh boy... This is quiet an exception! I desperately fell for this book! The humor, the vivid characterization, tempting chemistry captivated me!
Actually I know the reasons why I enjoyed my reading so much. I always love faking- pretending theme including fake boyfriends, fiancees, husbands! And polar opposites who fall for each other kind of storylines always warm my heart! I’ll go ...more
Actually I know the reasons why I enjoyed my reading so much. I always love faking- pretending theme including fake boyfriends, fiancees, husbands! And polar opposites who fall for each other kind of storylines always warm my heart! I’ll go ...more
This book was many things for me.
A bit on the YA side, it's not exactly my usual cup of tea, but if there is one thing I want to point out right after finishing this story:
The character development is absolutely amazing.
I love seeing a character grow. Lucien actually grows so much he turned from a guy I really didn't care for to a man I (and probably any gay guy with his head screwed on right) would be super proud to call my boyfriend.
Lucien is difficult to like at the beginning. Living in his ...more
A bit on the YA side, it's not exactly my usual cup of tea, but if there is one thing I want to point out right after finishing this story:
The character development is absolutely amazing.
I love seeing a character grow. Lucien actually grows so much he turned from a guy I really didn't care for to a man I (and probably any gay guy with his head screwed on right) would be super proud to call my boyfriend.
Lucien is difficult to like at the beginning. Living in his ...more
I’m not a romance connoisseur - most of romance-ish stuff I read tends to have at least some sort of other genre crossover - but I gotta admit this one was kinda adorable.
Before I get any further, I just want to give an appreciative nod to the author: I bet the only reason why Lucien goes by “Luc” is so that when he meets his estranged male parent, we can be treated to the Vader-esque “I am your father” line. Nicely done.
Before I get any further, I just want to give an appreciative nod to the author: I bet the only reason why Lucien goes by “Luc” is so that when he meets his estranged male parent, we can be treated to the Vader-esque “I am your father” line. Nicely done.
“Luc…” Mum stood, actually wringing her hands. “I know you won’t remembe...more
3 stars
It was relatively cute BUT:
1.I didn’t like Luc.
2.It was too long
3.Some parts (especially the second half of the book) were really unnecessary and needed to be cut out because it felt like we were going in circles.
4. At some point I got bored and never really recovered.
The saving grace:
I like the fake dating trope and the fact that the two MC’s were representing very different types of personalities (Although Luc was just kinda meh - a bit of an a**hole tbh, Oliver could have done bette ...more
It was relatively cute BUT:
1.I didn’t like Luc.
2.It was too long
3.Some parts (especially the second half of the book) were really unnecessary and needed to be cut out because it felt like we were going in circles.
4. At some point I got bored and never really recovered.
The saving grace:
I like the fake dating trope and the fact that the two MC’s were representing very different types of personalities (Although Luc was just kinda meh - a bit of an a**hole tbh, Oliver could have done bette ...more
I am mostly a fantasy reader as you all probably know but sometimes I need an escape from real life and I feel Fantasy cannot always provide that and that’s why I read all genres. I was actually reading a heavy fantasy book and decided that I wanted something easier to read and I picked this because it felt like a great choice, I mean it is an adult MM romance written by a male author and you don’t encounter that every day.
So the book revolves around Luc O’Donnell and is told exclusively from hi ...more
So the book revolves around Luc O’Donnell and is told exclusively from hi ...more
Dec 18, 2020
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Stunning in audio, stunning in print, this book can do no wrong.
I'll admit that I think I liked the ebook version a bit more at the beginning. Some of the jokes are better in print (I literally laughed out loud when I read them in print but the puns don't carry over well in audio), but that can't be avoided. However, the more I listened, the more I was hooked. Joe Jameson really delivered with the voices, and he interpreted the story beautifully. Once again, at the final few minutes, I decided ...more
So it's sweet & cute & sneakily hilarious...but really, a 4.75* read for me.
I'm about done with 2020 and its shuddering horrors. I opened this library book to get away from nastiness and grimness. It was a pretty good decision. I slept four hours & even dreamed of these two. The pace dragged twice, once in the Cadwallader Club, once in Milton Keynes, but what a joyous rollicking ride it was getting there then getting away.
I loved laughing so hard it hurt, I loved misting up because the foolish b ...more
I'm about done with 2020 and its shuddering horrors. I opened this library book to get away from nastiness and grimness. It was a pretty good decision. I slept four hours & even dreamed of these two. The pace dragged twice, once in the Cadwallader Club, once in Milton Keynes, but what a joyous rollicking ride it was getting there then getting away.
I loved laughing so hard it hurt, I loved misting up because the foolish b ...more
Jan 10, 2020
Ellie (faerieontheshelf)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
lgbtqia,
lgbtqia-achillean,
uk-lit,
stand-alone-novels,
rom-com,
contemporary,
own-voices,
friendships
Boyfriend Material is exactly what it looks like: a lovely, easily read British romcom with a M/M relationship that introduces fuzzy feels. Also, dung beetles?
I've been looking for good LGBTQ+ rom-coms for quite a while, and whilst this isn't exactly at the level of RWRB, it is light and fun. The pacing could have been tightened in some areas, perhaps, but at the end of the day it's a rom-com and not a thriller or something. I really like the dynamics Luc had with his parents, and Oliver and Lu ...more
I've been looking for good LGBTQ+ rom-coms for quite a while, and whilst this isn't exactly at the level of RWRB, it is light and fun. The pacing could have been tightened in some areas, perhaps, but at the end of the day it's a rom-com and not a thriller or something. I really like the dynamics Luc had with his parents, and Oliver and Lu ...more
Alexis Hall has a unique way of using humor, and this book was no exception.
I loved the British slang, and how hilarious it was at times. I was grinning and smiling my way through the book. The writing was incredibly well done, with brilliant little gems of narrative, witty banter, and just wonderful character development.
It’s a very romantic kind of story, although the overall storyline sounds predictable, the author puts his own spin to it and I adored the end result. There was some drama, s ...more
I loved the British slang, and how hilarious it was at times. I was grinning and smiling my way through the book. The writing was incredibly well done, with brilliant little gems of narrative, witty banter, and just wonderful character development.
It’s a very romantic kind of story, although the overall storyline sounds predictable, the author puts his own spin to it and I adored the end result. There was some drama, s ...more
3.5 stars rounded up to a 4! Boyfriend Material was really stinking cute. It is a QUEER, FAKE DATING, opposites attract romance that I had an absolute blast reading. I will say, the will-they-won't-they went on for what felt like longer than it needed to which did ultimately make the book as a whole feel a bit long for me. But overall I really did enjoy this one and I'm looking forward to reading more from Alexis Hall in the future!
...more
3.5 stars
This was super cute. This romance feels very Red, White and Royal Blue inspired, and while I didn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed that book, I still thought this book was super cute. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator really brought these characters to life, they have really cute chemistry and I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope. ...more
This was super cute. This romance feels very Red, White and Royal Blue inspired, and while I didn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed that book, I still thought this book was super cute. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator really brought these characters to life, they have really cute chemistry and I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope. ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTQ+ Fiction: Boyfriend Material | 4 | 19 | Mar 09, 2021 04:19PM | |
| Ung i Norrbotten: HBTQ-romance med härligt brittisk humor | 1 | 10 | Jan 19, 2021 07:05AM | |
| The Backlot Gay B...: Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall | 3 | 33 | Oct 08, 2020 10:31AM | |
| Turning Pages At ...: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall | 33 | 35 | Sep 05, 2020 12:50PM | |
| Play Book Tag: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall -- 3.5 stars (round down to 3) | 1 | 16 | Aug 20, 2020 10:49AM | |
| Challenge Corner: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall --> Starting August 1st, 2020 | 9 | 9 | Aug 04, 2020 06:09AM |
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“I'm conscious this could be rather burdensome to hear, but you remain the thing I have most chosen for myself. The thing that's most exclusively mine. The one thing that brings me the deepest joy.”
—
62 likes
“You know you’re wearing pyjamas wrong, right?”
He didn’t look up. “Oh?”
“Yeah, you’re supposed to just wear the bottoms, and have them hanging low on your hips, displaying your perfectly chiselled V-cut.”
“Maybe next time.”
I thought about this for a moment. “Are you saying you have a perfectly chiselled v-cut?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”
“What if someone asks? I should know for verisimilitude.”
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “You can say I’m a gentleman and we haven’t got that far.”
“You” – I gave a thwarted sigh – “are a terrible fake boyfriend.”
“I’m building fake anticipation.”
“You’d better be fake worth it.”
“I am.”
—
47 likes
More quotes…
He didn’t look up. “Oh?”
“Yeah, you’re supposed to just wear the bottoms, and have them hanging low on your hips, displaying your perfectly chiselled V-cut.”
“Maybe next time.”
I thought about this for a moment. “Are you saying you have a perfectly chiselled v-cut?”
“I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”
“What if someone asks? I should know for verisimilitude.”
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “You can say I’m a gentleman and we haven’t got that far.”
“You” – I gave a thwarted sigh – “are a terrible fake boyfriend.”
“I’m building fake anticipation.”
“You’d better be fake worth it.”
“I am.”
