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(4.5 stars rounded up to 5)
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall is a queer contemporary rom-com and the first installment of the London Calling series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over thirteen hours and is narrated by Joe Jameson. We follow one of our main characters with a first-person point-of-view.
Luc O’Donnell is the hot mess son of two famous rock star parents, though he hasn’t seen his father since he left when Luc was only three years old. His dad is trying to make a comeback through a new reality television show, so Luc has been thrust back into the gossip rags.
In an attempt to clean up his image, he decides to seek out a normal relationship. His friends suggest Oliver Blackwood, a nice and normal vegetarian barrister. The two decide to strike up a deal where they pretend to be each others’ boyfriend through their respective big events. But then they actually fall for each other…
This was very charming and I liked it a lot. Each of them carry different types of baggage, and help each other realize that they are both worth the love of others. They have a lovely friend group and I want to read more about them all.
I definitely laughed out loud a few times while listening to this book. My favorite guffaw came from “Nobody looks a gift blowjob in the mouth.”
Tropes in this book include: queer, fake dating, slow burn, opposites attract/odd couple, miscommunication, fade to black
CW: deadbeat parent, homophobia, emotional abuse
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