Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Series: Boyfriend Material #1
Published by Dreamscape Media on July 7, 2020
Pages: 432
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Joe Jameson
Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
Genres: LGBTQ, Romantic Comedy
Amazon Audible
Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every wayLuc 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.
Boyfriend Material was a rave hit a couple years ago, and I finally got around to listening to it. I quite enjoyed this fake dating romance.
Who knew I needed a lovable loser in my life? Ok, so maybe Luc isn’t a total loser, but he suffers from terrible self-esteem, his non-profit job is unfulfilling—there’s nothing exciting about dung beetle preservation—and his life choices are questionable at best. Oliver, on the other hand, is the total package. He is a polished, successful barrister who exudes confidence.
I didn’t believe Luc’s C-list celebrity status warranted front page coverage in the tabloids. Neither did I feel that Luc’s latest “scandal” was scandalous enough for him to potentially lose his job over. Nonetheless, I was willing to buy into his need for a respectable boyfriend. Despite having so little in common, Luc and Oliver slide into the faux boyfriend/boyfriend role fairly easily. I enjoyed the process of them becoming comfortable with each other and then transitioning their relationship into lovers.
Rather than berating Luc for his lifestyle, Oliver’s tenderness motivates Luc to be the best version of himself that he can be. I loved seeing Luc gain self-confidence despite his estrangement from his dad. It feels as though Luc gets more from the arrangement than Oliver does by far.
In addition to the chemistry between Luc and Oliver, Boyfriend Material charmed me with its colorful array of characters. Luc’s friends and co-workers are all so diverse and absolutely hilarious. I also really loved Luc’s mom with her blunt sense of humor and sound wisdom.
Joe Jameson’s narration is very impressive. I have no idea how he manages to pull off such a variety of accents. His ability to make every single character distinctive blew my mind. I love the vulnerability he lends to his portrayal of Luc, and his version of Oliver is assured and charismatic. The audiobook is definitely a winner.
Recommended for fans of:
Fake dating
LGBTQIA+ stories
Opposites attracting
Fundraisers
I’ve been wanting to read this one. Sounds like I need to do the audio because those accents sound fun!
Yes! UK accents are wonderful.
I have this book on my bookshelf, but haven’t read it yet. I’ll have to get to it soon!
It seems like everyone was reading it a couple years ago. I’m late to the party!