We review Alexis Hall’s 2020 novel Boyfriend Material – a propulsive and charming fake turned real romance.
The novel is available for purchase here.
Alexis Hall’s 2020 novel Boyfriend Material is an immensely charming and propulsive romance, that is the perfect follow-up for those wanting something similar to Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. The story centres around Luc O’Donnell, the son of rockstar parents, who finds himself the centre of tabloid gossip after one compromising photo. In dire need of rehabilitating his image, he embarks on a fake relationship with uptight lawyer, Oliver Blackwood. Predictably, though the two jar at the beginning, the more they get to know each other and bare their souls, the more it becomes clear to the reader and each other that the two are made for each other.
The novel is immensely charming and propulsive, and above all rammed with witticisms and humour that patter through the page with ease. It’s full of snark and sharp British humour that gives the novel an edge that elevates the novel and gives it the compulsive reading quality that can be lacking in a lot of romance novels. What’s more, Alexis Hall’s characterisations are shrewd and avoid stereotype, and she gives clever and unique personalities to all the characters, even Luc and Oliver’s periphery friends, making you feel that you are really a part of their world. This may not be the most groundbreaking novel of all time, but it is cleverly and concisely written and Hall’s prose is incredibly charming.
