Boyfriend Material

Fact: Any book that makes one cackle in glee at 1:30 am is a good read.

I think at this point the entire world knows how much I adore the fake-relationship trope and this book does not disappoint! As the son of famous rock-star parents, Luc O’Donnell has been burned by the tabloids before, and has done his best to avoid scandal since his last breakup. Unfortunately, an ill-timed fall on the street and an opportunistic photographer have now put his job (fundraiser for a dung beetle charity) at stake and with the charity’s biggest event coming up in a few months, Luc needs to figure out a way to repair his reputation with donors. Enter Oliver Blackwood - barrister, vegetarian, seemingly the most bland and boring individual on the planet, and the perfect fake boyfriend for the next few months. Surely there is no way two such different people could fall in love?

As I said above, I read this book over the course of a late night/early morning and found myself truly laughing out loud throughout the whole story. Alexis Hall has written the characters with delightfully dry senses of humor, as well as emphasizing the absurdity of the whole situation. I was glad that both main characters had real problems that affected their relationships, and that while there was a focus on supporting the other, ultimately both Luc and Oliver had to face and manage their own demons.