Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material was never really on my TBR. I’d seen plenty of bookish friends praising it when it was released back in 2020, but it wasn’t something I planned to read. In fact, I tend to avoid most romance novels. I appreciate the genre, but it’s not usually my go-to.
Funnily enough, I ended up with a copy thanks to a giveaway from author Mindy Mejia’s newsletter. She’s one of my favorite thriller writers, and her giveaway featured books she had read and enjoyed herself. I figured that if she liked it, there was a good chance I might too. What I couldn’t have anticipated was just how much I would end up loving this story.
Luc O’Donnell, the only son of a once-famous rock star turned absentee father, has earned himself quite the reputation. After his last boyfriend broke up with him and sold their story to the tabloids, Luc coped in the worst way possible. Now he’s known as a party boy, regularly splashed across gossip pages for his late-night exploits. In short, Luc is living up to every stereotype of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
The problem is that those escapades are beginning to interfere with his day job. Luc works for a small nonprofit dedicated to saving the dung beetle, and their wealthy donors are starting to pull their support—using Luc’s tabloid reputation as the excuse. With a major fundraising gala only weeks away and the guest list shrinking by the day, Luc desperately needs a way to repair his image.
Enter Oliver Blackwood. Handsome, impeccably put together, and almost aggressively respectable, Oliver is successful, ethical, and has never once appeared in a tabloid. In other words, he’s the perfect boyfriend—at least on paper. When a mutual friend suggests the two pretend to date, it seems like the perfect solution. Oliver will accompany Luc to the gala, and in return, Luc will pose as Oliver’s boyfriend at his parents’ anniversary celebration.
But as these complete opposites spend more time together, they begin to realize they might have more in common than either expected. And soon the question isn’t whether they can pretend to be in love but whether they’re ready to admit that the feelings between them might actually be real.
Every once in a while, a book comes along that just captures you. It’s a rare thing, but it’s such a treat when it happens. I read a lot of books, and I enjoy most of them. But it’s not often that I truly love one. I can say, though, that somewhat surprisingly, Boyfriend Material is a book I loved.
Alexis Hall writes gay characters who feel authentic. Their relationship isn’t perfect, and that’s part of what makes it work so well. Even the happy ending doesn’t feel inevitable. It feels earned. Yes, this is a romance built around the familiar fake-dating trope, and it’s not trying to be some grand literary statement. But it doesn’t need to be.
What it offers instead is a sweet, grounded love story that celebrates the possibility of queer love in a way that feels honest and real. More importantly, it made me feel everything along with the characters. I laughed. I cried. I rode every awkward, tender, frustrating, and joyful moment right alongside them. And for that reason, Boyfriend Material is a book that I can easily say that I loved.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2026, 22)
I listened to this book and fell in love with these two. I liked that they were able to open their hearts to each one another and fall.
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