2.75⭐️3🌶️

First person

Work rivals

Cosplay 

Opposites attract

I couldn’t help but smile when Book Boyfriend seemed to nod to ACOTAR—specifically the Night Court balls. It was a fun reference that added a playful touch to the story.

The book starts off in New York, immersing us in the publishing world, but quickly shifts to a weeklong book fandom event on a small college campus. The setting felt a bit ambiguous, which was interesting in its own right, though I was never quite sure if I was supposed to take it literally or as a more whimsical backdrop.

The pacing took a while to pick up, with quite a bit of reflection before the plot truly kicked in. At times, it felt like a slow start. Personally, I would have preferred to see those reflective moments play out on the page in real time, rather than as a chapter-long memory. The jump back in time was a little jarring.

The characters had their moments of charm, but also some traits that didn’t quite resonate with me. I wasn’t a fan of the MMC trying to craft a “fantasy MMC” persona—it felt a little forced and ingenuine. As for the FMC, I found her character a bit too flaky for my taste. The miscommunication between the two was also a bit too contrived and felt a bit overdone.

There were certainly parts of the book that were endearing, but at times it seemed to lean too heavily on familiar tropes, making it feel a little stereotype-driven.

Thank you NeyGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.