Boyfriend Material is an LGBTQ+ fake dating romance about Luc, the hard-partying son of two rockstars in need of some image rehab, and Oliver, the buttoned-up lawyer he’s set up with to fake-date for appearances. The characters are British, the narration is great, and listening on audio with all those accents is genuinely fun.
I bought the chemistry between Luc and Oliver, and I loved the funny side characters — Luc’s mom, his friends, his colleagues. But the execution of the fake dating trope didn’t quite work for me. What was in it for Oliver? A successful lawyer with no obvious reason to need a fake boyfriend. And if they were faking it, why tell everyone it was fake? The logic never fully clicked. The subplot involving Luc’s famous father also felt like filler more than anything else.
I know plenty of people who adore this trilogy, so this may just be a me problem. It’s a cute read, especially on audio. But I won’t be continuing the series.
Recommended for fans of queer romance and anyone who loves a fake dating setup — though if you’re picky about your romance tropes making sense, go in with tempered expectations.
