“Explain to me again,” said Oliver finally, “why you need a boyfriend?”

It was the least I owed him. “Mainly for this big fundraiser we’ve got coming up at the end of April. Our donors all think I’m a bad gay.”

He frowned. “What’s a good gay?”

“Someone like you.”

“I see.”

Boyfriend Material

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.

Boyfriend Material is so good. It’s easily one of my favorite reads for 2021, which I know I’ve said about at least two other books this year, but it’s true. This book came highly recommended to me by a few of my bookish friends when I told them how much I loved Red, White & Royal Blue, so when I found myself in the specific mood of wanting to re-read Red, White & Royal Blue but also wanting to read something new, I picked up Boyfriend Material. And let me tell you: it did NOT disappoint. 

The book follows Luc, a man in his late twenties tangentially famous because of his rock star parents. He’s a bit of a certifiable hot mess—with a filterless mouth, a messy apartment, and a tendency to be a little self-absorbed—but he’s nothing like how the media portrays him. However, the fact that he isn’t actually an alcoholic, sexoholic, or drug addict doesn’t matter to his boss when a scandalous newspaper article about Luc causes a ton of donors to pull out of the annual dung beetle preservation charity gala. So, he needs some image rehab, specifically in the form of a respectable boyfriend. 

Enter Oliver. He’s pretty straight-laced, has a respectable job as a barrister, and a well-kept house. In other words, he’s the complete opposite of Luc, and therefore is perfect boyfriend material (hah, see what I did there?). Their set-up date doesn’t go well, but it turns out that Oliver is also in need of a boyfriend for his parent’s anniversary party. So they come up with an arrangement: they will date each other to improve each other’s image, then part ways once their respective events are finished. Except, as you may be able to guess, feelings get in the way of the second part of the plan. 

Despite being complete opposites, something about Luc and Oliver as a couple just works. Their relationship is a little bit of a slow burn, but their banter and chemistry are off the charts, and they bring out a side of each other that helps them grow. Being with Oliver makes Luc realize how out of shape his life was, and he starts pulling himself together. And Luc makes Oliver loosen up and begin to allow himself to feel and be happy, which the poor man desperately needed. I couldn’t help but fall in love with both of them. Luc was so funny—I laughed out loud so often at his inner monologue—and by the end of the book, I wanted to be his best friend. And Oliver—well, I just wanted to wrap up in a blanket and protect him. 

Boyfriend Material was funny, soft, and emotional all at the same time. By page 2, I was hooked. I finished the book within 2-3 nights, and it will definitely go on my list of comfort books to re-read. The narration is filterless and hilarious but also immersive. The descriptions of the physical intimacy focus more on the emotions than the actual physical activity in a way that is just beautiful. 

My only complaint (which isn’t really a complaint) is that I wanted more from this story. It wasn’t in a “the plot wasn’t resolved” kind of way, but an “I really just want more about these two boys” kind of way, so I’m very much looking forward to the sequel, which was announced recently. I’m also looking forward to reading Alexis Hall’s next book, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, which was released last month.