The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 1 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on September 18, 2020.
By: Lauren Gantt ’21
A&E Editor
Boyfriend Material is the kind of joyful rom-com that you want all romance books to be. Full of romance, obviously, but also a story featuring plenty of queer characters with an in-depth plot, complex characters, tons of humor, and a charming London backdrop.
We follow two characters, Luc and Oliver, who begin fake dating in order to improve Luc’s public image and save his job. Except, when has fake dating ever worked out the way it’s supposed to? Add a few less-than-ideal family situations with some boisterous friends and life becomes messy. Luc’s a disaster, Oliver’s a bit uptight, and together they have an adventure filled with laughs, longing moments, and maybe some drama.
This book was so fun. I had to stop reading multiple times to just sit back and laugh at something that happened on page. There’s a good mixture of humor from stupid puns, jokes, sarcasm, embarrassing moments, and people poking fun at each other. I was laughing so many times throughout this book and I truly think that the humor is at least half of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much.
Of course, there were also plenty of serious moments throughout the novel as well. There is a lot of individual growth and relationships evolving. Sometimes it’s messy, but I think the messiness just makes it feel that much more realistic.
But even with the great plot and humor, the characters still remain my favorite part of the book. Luc and Oliver were a breath of fresh air to the fake-dating trope. They didn’t hate each other and they actually have a lot of support for their partner right from the beginning. Plus, their growth throughout the book was a joy to read. Add in some amazing, well-developed side characters and this book becomes top tier.
Overall, I loved this book. There was the perfect amount of angst, humor, and seriousness while having some of my favorite romance book tropes. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for the accents, sarcasm, and just the overall emotional connection that comes with listening to the book.
TW: This book deals with some serious topics such as depression, anxiety, and homophobia (throughout) and cancer, borderline abuse, and eating disorders (briefly).
