Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Synopsis:
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. –Taken from Amazon.com
My thoughts after reading Boyfriend Material
I will preface this with the fact that this is the first LGBTQ romance I’ve ever read and I absolutely loved every bit of it!
As a straight female, I wondered if I’d be able to wrap myself into the fantasy of it all. I know most of us read romance to imagine ourselves in the main character’s shoes, but deep down I know, I’m a sucker for a good love story no matter sexual orientation or gender. Everyone deserves a good love story and something they can relate to.
With that said, I had NO problem getting caught up in the fantasy of Luc and Oliver’s potential kindling. I had those excited, “wait, are they going to kiss?” butterflies just as I did reading any of my favorite romances. I also straight up was attracted to Oliver, not caring that he prefers men and that I was head over heels for a fictional gay guy.
Boyfriend Material truly reminded me why reading is so fulfilling. I admired Alexis Hall’s writing — he really took the time to develop all of the characters with so many quirky nuances that they were incredibly real to me. I loved all of the British humor, even when there were terms I didn’t understand — it just felt all the more British!
The book made me want to be a better writer and it made me want to read more books like it. I couldn’t put Boyfriend Material down to the point that I actually decided to give myself a day off work to finish it. (Good thing I am my own boss!)
I’ve always known that I have a good imagination but reading this book really helped me open my mind and jump into those characters’ lives wholeheartedly without judgment or limitations. I even gave each character different variants of English accents in my head.
Toward the end of the book, without giving anything away, there was a scene that got to me. We meet Oliver’s parents for the first time and it definitely stirred up feelings I’m very familiar with, and I’m currently tackling.
The funny thing is that I was in love with Oliver in the book, but by the end of it, I realized how much I related to him, which is kind of weird — and refreshing — to acknowledge that I actually might be in love with myself.
Not in that shallow, narcissistic way, but that maybe I deserve more self-compassion and love than I give to myself.
Suggested Reading: Why I Write Romance Novels
Oliver tried to control everything in his life and never felt like he was good enough. Those two things have always plagued me and these past few months I’ve been trying my best to let go a little, and understand I don’t have to be perfect, and that I am worthy of all that I want.
For a book that kept me laughing and swooning the first 70%, that flood of emotions hit me hard, but it was needed.
If you haven’t read Boyfriend Material, don’t be afraid to jump into this one no matter what your sexual preference is. I promise you won’t regret it.
Boyfriend Material by Alexis HallMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you love rom-coms, Boyfriend Material is definitely a must-read! With all of its Britsh quirky charm, this book is full of well-defined characters and anticipation-building romance that has you cheering silently to yourself (and sometimes aloud) anytime Luc and Oliver take a step closer toward one another and sighing in disappointment when they take two steps back. Gay, straight, or alien -- there is no way you won't enjoy this adorable love story!
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