Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Boyfriend Material is the perfect mix of humor and misery, quirky friends, heartbreak and a sweet fake-dating plot. I loved the snarky, British humor and I immediately rooted for the two main characters. And I loved all the emotions. Behind the humor and the somewhat thin plot there were so many feels. So much angst, self-loathing and fear of getting hurt.

This story truly proves that opposites attracts and that love works in mysterious ways. Luc and Oliver are literally complete opposites of each other and have absolutely nothing in common. At least on the surface… Luc is the son of a famous rock star, who abandoned him when he was just a kid, but that doesn’t mean he’s spared the gossip tabloids or the fake friends trying to take advantage of his fame. Disillusioned and miserable he constantly screws things up. Finally, a compromising photo threatens to make him loose his job. So he needs a very reputable and cultured fake boyfriend to show he’s reformed… and Oliver is as nice and normal as can be; a barrister and an ethical vegetarian who’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. When he’s in need of a partner for a big family even, the fake-dating scheme is on. At first, it’s as awkward as could be expected as they have no common ground and pretty much have no clue why the other acts like they do. But soon the fake-dating scheme starts to feel dangerously much like real-dating...

This story is so sweet and funny, I absolutely adored the British humor with all sarcasms, bantering and the stiff upper class and dung beetles fund raising jokes. There are some truly amazing secondary characters, like Luc’s mother and her lady friend, the posh and completely clueless co-workers, the groups of friends and the great queer representation. But what makes this story so special are the two main characters and all the feelings behind the humor.

Luc and Oliver are so multilayered that they feel like real people, with all their flaws, baggage and shortcomings. I rooted so much for them both from the start and loved the two of them together. They are both struggling with low self-esteem, trust issues and angst. Even though this story on the surface seems like a cute, fluffy read, there’s also so much angst going on. Luc and Oliver are both lonely and miserable in their own way, but they both make such a journey and learn so much from each other. Especially Luc’s character development is nothing but amazing.

All in all, this is a cute and hilarious story that also gives you all the feels. Highly recommended!

Rating:
4.5 snarky stars rounding up to 5

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​Author info:
Alexis Hall