Book Boyfriend

by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Devoted fangirl meets hesitant fanboy in this swoony contemporary love letter to readers who love fantasy worlds. From Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegmund-Broka, the authors of Do I Know You? and The Breakup Tour.

Jennifer Worth lives to escape into the world of her favourite romantasy series, Elytheum Courts, where the romance is swoony and the men are brave, chivalrous . . . and winged. Newly single and craving connection, she travels to an immersive fan experience, only to see the last face she Scott Daniels, her work nemesis.

Except the Scott she encounters there, in his second hand cosplay outfit, is . . . different. Swaggering, flirtatious, confident. Unlucky in romance himself, Scott is determined to remake himself into the perfect book boyfriend.

Jennifer has no interest in helping the man who vexes her every workday and dismisses her fictional fantasies, but as the convention activities force the unlikely pair together, they’re surprised to discover magic like none Jennifer has ever read about.

Is enemies-to-lovers romance only for books, or can Jennifer and Scott bring that fantasy to life?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

358 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2025

Reviews

[Rani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 stars. This is a fluffy rom-com, it's pretty funny. The fmc is quirky-borderline cringy sometimes?
If you l-don't like books about books I wouldn't recommend it because this book really goes into it on that side.

[Ambriehl Khalil]

bit ridiculous at the end there but this was fine. i think i would have enjoyed this more if it was the more, lengthy yearning type

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s awkward to admit how hard this book had me giggling - even though it was a bit cringe at times.

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read a book by these authors for a while now, but contemporaries with adorable covers can be risky these days, so I had yet to take the plunge - until a chance scroll through Libby showed me this book that I had never heard of. I read the description and instantly made mental grabby hands, so back to Libby I went to secure a copy.

This is a really charming love letter to reading, fandom, fantasy and having high yet realistic expectations for life, and explores some really interesting ideas. It was also really refreshing to read about an environment that was warm, supportive and strikingly lacking in cruelty or mockery in the form of the experience. In the real world, books that centre women and desire and equality are under threat, particularly in the US, so it was extra poignant to read about joy like this.

I would have easily given this five stars, if not for a few grumbles about the handling of the love story. Things get off to a very strong start, I couldn't wait to understand why Jennifer and Scott disliked each other so much (surely there was a good reason for the hallway comment? A critical misunderstanding?) and to fully understand why Scott was in attendance at an event for a world he had turned his nose up at. When the answers came, they made me scratch my head a little... not enough to ruin my enjoyment, but I did feel a bit disappointed that it didn't pack the expected emotional gut punch, and later disagreements felt like hitting a prescribed trope more than genuine responses to situations.

Grumbles aside, I did still really enjoy this book. It had me smiling, I loved the setting and I fully supported Jennifer on her journey to a real-life HEA. Hooray for books and hooray for me discovering a new pair of authors I need to read more from.

[Amy Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely, light hearted read and loved the tropes! I loved Jennifer and her dream to escape into her favourite romantasy series (who wouldn't want to!) which was such a cool plot line, however when she ends up with the opportunity to go to a book event of her fav series she ends up bumping into her work nemesis who ends up being everything she thought he wasn't. I sometimes think the best books are the ones that follow a sort of predictable route and ticks all the boxes, and I absolutely loved this book!!

[rhi (tequilabookclub_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounding up

its a book about loving books (!!) and there were many many times i related to the fmc and her feelings about herself and her life and her relationship with books. genuinely some elements were so heart wrenching to me on a personal level.

for the most part its a really fun, fluffy rom com but there were a couple cringe moments that took me right out

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language in this was a bit much. The authors apparently went to Harvard and Princeton and it feels like they want you to know that.
The characters are both moderately unlikeable but also weirdly endearing. Overall, I found the story really entertaining and had a great time reading.

[Gianna M. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to Emily and Austin for another fabulous book!

[Naomi Haugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely sparking.a love letter to the swooning,hopeful romance reader hearts out there.

[Aylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Roughest Draft, so I was looking forward to reading this one but unfortunately, Book Boyfriend didn’t land the for me.

The story follows Jennifer, a dedicated editor who’s passionate about a romantasy series called Elytheum Courts. She’s smart, ambitious, and deeply immersed in the publishing world. Jennifer gets dumped and decides to go to "The Experience" for her favorite book Elytheum Court Series. And would you look at that, her work nemesis Scott is also there on the week-long immersive fan experience for the series. They have a very cold dynamic, but they warm up to eachother throught time.

While I liked Jennifer’s voice and her love for books, the whole idea of Scott trying to mold himself into some ideal romantic hero felt a little forced. He’s a decent guy, but the fact that he’s pretending to be someone he’s not, wasn’t a dynamic I fully enjoyed. I wanted more from his character beyond just wanting to be “the perfect man.”

The book is heavy on fandom culture, which could be fun if you're really into that, but it leans a lot on a fictional series (Elytheum Courts) that doesn’t exist, and that made it hard to fully engage at times. The romance builds over shared moments during the fan retreat, but I never felt super invested in their connection.

Still, if you're into fandom stories or love the enemies-to-lovers setup, you might find something to enjoy. For me, it was an ok read, but not a standout.