The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

by Mason Deaver

Author of I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST Mason Deaver's THE BUILD-A-BOYFRIEND PROJECT, in which a wannabe journalist gets the professional break he's been looking for in the form of a sweet but inept young man who desperately needs to learn how to date, until real feelings threaten to derail both his career prospects and the relationship he didn't know he wanted.

Genres: Romance, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published August 5, 2025

About the author

Mason Deaver is a bestselling and award-winning author of young adult and adult romance novels. Their books have been awarded stars from Bookpage and Booklist, nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards, and won the Pink News Best Young Adult Book Award.

Their first novel, I Wish You All the Best, named one of Cosmopolitan's 100 Best YA Books was made into a film directed by Tommy Dorfman. It premiered at the SXSW film festival in 2024 to rave reviews.

They currently live in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Mason Deaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

we have a cover! ahhhh, the amazingly talented ricardo bessa brought eli and peter to life, and i couldn't imagine a more amazing cover! i'm head over heels for it, and i hope you are too!

the build-a-boyfriend project will hit store and library shelves in august of 2025, so less than a year left to wait!

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-ARC generously provided by Avon in exchange for a review. Thank you so much!

4.5 stars. Containing the same heart and swoon that any good romcom should have while also remaining grounded and nuanced, The Build a Boyfriend Project is an incredible adult romance debut from Mason Deaver that leaves me excited for more to come.

[⋆˙sanyae˙⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

overall, this was cute + each chapter title had movie names and i loved that.

➳how to lose a guy in 10 days vibes
➳trans rep
➳rom-com
➳relationship coaching
➳"fake" dating

eli wants to be a journalist but is stuck working for a boss who doesn't appreciate him. he takes an opportunity for a promotion by writing an article about dating but i absolutely hate that he never told peter what was going on. it was shady and made me not like him as a character.

peter carried this book on his back!!!!! he's a young Korean American man with no dating experience. peter is quite possibly the most precious mmc ever. i related to him so much. being behind your peers with dating, feeling socially awkward, just wanting to be loved but you're anxious + awkward as f. he's one of my favorite mmc ive read in a rom-com.

the audiobook was okay. i wish we had a separate narrator for peter. while they did a good job with eli, peters voice was lacking. and at times sounded monotoned. but the audiobook allowed me to push through, I don't think I would have finished without it.


things I didn't like:
like I said above .. eli using peter for his promotion. he should have told him what he was doing. then when peter does find out and is rightfully embarrassed + hurt, eli plays the victim...


⋆⭒˚.⋆pre~read⋆.˚⭒⋆
i got approved for this alc. i'm so excited!!!

[Jono Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really love Mason Deaver’s work. The Fear of Falling in Love is a personal favorite, which is why I was especially disappointed that The Build-A-Boyfriend Project didn’t quite land for me.

The fake dating setup is one of the most overly complicated versions I’ve come across, with motivations that feel flimsy and stretched thin. It’s no coincidence that the journalist main character is torn between writing a lighthearted article and something more serious, because the book itself feels caught in that same push and pull. It wants to be a sweet, quirky romcom, but frequently shifts into political and social commentary that, while important, feels at odds with the tone and how the story was marketed.

Eli, unfortunately, is a difficult protagonist to connect with. His indecision and lack of self-awareness made it hard to root for him, even when he finally starts to come around. The supporting characters—like the over-the-top boss, the one-note ex, the flat friend group, and the overbearing mother—feel more like romcom archetypes than real people. The exception is Peter Park, who is charming, grounded, and carries every scene he’s in.

When the book leans into the romcom moments without getting bogged down in its messaging or the overly complex structure of Eli and Peter’s relationship, it shines. Those glimpses of heart and sweetness are where Deaver’s voice truly comes through. I only wish the story had trusted those moments more.

[DianaRose · Rating 2 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

2.5 stars because peter saved this entire book, despite everyone actively working to bring him down.

i’m sad i didn’t enjoy this adult debut by mason deaver because i really loved their ya debut i wish you all the best (which has a movie coming soon!).

but the build-a-boyfriend-project was a poor take on the fake-dating trope (one of my absolute favorite tropes because YEARNING).

our mmc eli is being deliberately held back at his online reporting job, being denied the staff writer position he’s been vying for for the past five years — not to mention he reports to his ex, who just broke up with him after being together for seven years. when the opportunity arises for eli to showcase his writing in the way his company wants (which is the exact opposite of eli’s passion, btw), eli takes the opportunity to finally earn his promotion… but at the expense of destroying his budding friendship and romantic relationship with peter, a young queer man from the south with zero dating experience.

ultimately, eli takes peter’s lack of dating experience and utilizes it to write a shmear article on peter to get a leg up in his promotion, ultimately embarrassing and breaking peter’s trust — and then eli wallows like HE is the victim, not peter…

while i DO understand eli’s motivation to earn his promotion after being wrongfully denied for years, how is bringing down someone you considered a friend and potential romantic partner the best way to go about it? of course, eli was remorseful but only because he couldn’t have his cake and eat it too…

as for the audio, the narrator was ok — i wish they had a little more emotion while reading.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars rounded up because of the trans rep and because it makes me sick that I live in a world where it's normal (?!?) for people to write "no asians" in their profile on dating apps.

My biggest issue was Eli and his character. The story is told in single pov (Eli) third person present tense.

While I felt with 16 year old Neil in the author's earlier book The Feeling Of Falling in Love although he was mean and optionated, I couldn't emphasize the same way with 28 year old Eli in this book.

I didn't like how condescending Eli was with Peter, how he thought of him. "Tonight Peter really shined, opening up to Eli ...... Sure, the night began rocky and awkward, and it's not as if Peter's been magically fixed." The author always phrased it like Peter had to be improved and not like his actions could be improved. Eli often said/thought that Peter had to be fixed.
I found that to be disrespectful tbh. Just to clarify, we're talking about the fact that Eli wanted to help Peter to get smoother at dating, not to stop him from murdering people, ok?

Only at 88%, that's weeks after Peter told Eli he never wanted to see him again, Eli for the first time realises that "there's nothing wrong with Peter. ... there was nothing to fix about him. ... he's perfect the way he is".
Well, it was about time?!?

After 88% I finally connected with Eli. He apologized, gave Peter the space he needed. Weeks later he reached out and apologized again, sincere, explained and took blame, acknowledged his selfishness. Eli had hurt Peter, but Eli was hurting now, too, because he loved Peter, yet Peter agreed only to meet again as friends, not boyfriends, needing to see if he could trust Eli again.
This part was written so well, I emphasized with Eli for the first time.

BUT. After Peter had told Eli he was ok with meeting again, but as friends... why would the author jump ahead to 2 years after that talk to a time when they were already boyfriends and had been for a while? Why didn't we get to see them getting together? I was promised a romcom, why didn't I get to see the romance-part when Eli and Peter got together?

There were other things that didn't work for me (I had so many notes I wrote while reading but this review is already getting too long), the plot felt constructed not genuine, totally different from both other books I love with my whole heart by Mason Deaver (The Feeling Of Falling in Love and the stellar I Wish You All the Best).

Tldr: awesome diverse cast, I couldn't emphasize with Eli for too long, loved Peter, didn't enjoy the plot, hated that I didn't get to see the MCs becoming boyfriends.
Read The Feeling Of Falling in Love and I Wish You All the Best, they're AWESOME!

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, how much do I have to pay Mason Deaver to write more sex scenes into his adult romances because damn! We got just one scene here but it was so juicy that I literally spent the second half of the book praying that we would get more.

Anyway...

So The Build-a-Boyfriend Project was a cute idea, but it felt very teenager-drama for an adult romance. The fake dating trope and miscommunications could have been remedied a million ways to Sunday and with ease, but the MC chose violence (okay, chose drama and unnecessary subterfuge) every time. To be honest, I'm not sure these two are supposed to be together. I needed more groveling to be convinced...

Honestly, Peter Park steals the show with this one. My tall neurodivergent (I'm just spitballing here) Asian king, he just effortlessly made the book revolve around him. This book thrived when it let the characters be their charming, quirky, unique selves. The characters really were extremely well developed, and they were just so interesting to behold. But then the plotline and the drama made me want to pull my hair out.

More sexy books with trans MCs and less teenagery shenanagans next time, please.

*copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

goodreads|instagram

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project is a sweet and steamy romance with fake dating and a trans main character. I love how it's exploring dating and relationships among queer people, offering much needed positive representation of a trans character falling in love, and getting at challenges faced by queer folks in small-town middle America, and by gay Asian men. I did find the central conflict frustrating and painful to read because you could see it coming from the very beginning and it could have been avoided with a little communication and common sense. But I think it's a solid first adult romance and I look forward to seeing more from Mason Deaver! The audio narration is fantastic and I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

To my acknowledge this is Mason Deaver's first adult novel, and it was good for what it was. Plenty of cute scenes and a bit of spice, but the plot missed the mark for me. I hate the miscommunication trope, and to be honest I don't even know if this can be classified as miscommunication, it's straight up lying, so yeah. Didn't like that. It also took away from my reading experience because I couldn't not focus on the conflict I knew was coming and what it meant.
Despite all that, I LOVE Peter and even though I have my issues with Eli he's a great character. I also liked very much the approach to transfobia, racism and homophobia, all necessary topics in the current climate.
I'm very interested in what Mason does next, because their writing is truly incredible even if the plot of this one just wasn't for me.

[Gregorey Balentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually finished this book at the beginning of the year, I just forgot to review it.
But anyway, I LOVED it! And super big thanks to Mason for sending me a draft (yes I said draft, I had fresh eyes baby!!!)
But this was certainly a big leap for Mason in terms of writing, going from YA to Adult contemporary but they handled it so well, and if anything this made me more excited for their future Adult contemporary books.

[Susan Scribner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone needs to explain to author Mason Deaver that while the self-centered, impulsive behavior of the trans teen MCs in his YA novels is age-appropriate, it is much less understandable when an adult pulls the same type of crap. In Deaver's first adult romance, POV MC Eli Francis is a college graduate with journalistic dreams toiling away as an assistant to the editor at a San Francisco Buzzfeed-type site. LI Peter Park is a perfect cinnamon roll, awkward and inexperienced but warm, sweet, interesting, and way too good for Eli. Sure, their blind date is a disaster, mostly due to Peter's nerves. But Eli mistakenly thinks that Peter is a problem to be fixed and that he is the right man for the job. And what do you know, Eli's boss wants him to document all of the juicy details of the reclamation project for the site, and promises him the long-coveted staff writer position if he delivers.

Eli offers to give Peter boyfriend lessons, acknowledging that he is writing an article. But he tells Peter that he will be the subject of a serious essay about the challenges of growing up gay in a small Southern town and then finding a community in a big city. Which Eli does indeed write, laboring under the delusion that he can convince his boss to publish the thoughtful human interest piece instead of the clickbait disaster date saga.

Deaver does a good job of showing how Eli and Peter grow closer, gradually blurring the boundaries between professional fake dating and developing real feelings for each other. There is an especially cute date at a rock-climbing gym, but you know the truth will out eventually and Peter will be hurt. Eli's groveling is too little and too late IMO. I don't need my MCs to be entirely likeable, but I do have to believe that their coupling with the LI is a HEA for both partners. My sweet Peter Park deserves better - a caring partner who cherishes him just as he is, not a jerk who acts like, well, a teenager.

ARC received from Net Galley and publisher.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

*edited in July 2025 to say I was able to read an advanced copy of the audio and it was fantastic!!!*

Thank you SO MUCH to @avonbooks for an early copy to review. @mason_deaver’s adult debut is absolutely fantastic and a must-read!

A journalist in a dead-end job agrees to teach his disastrous blind date how to be a better boyfriend.

^from the publisher!

Having read and loved all of Mason’s YA books, I knew I needed to read their adult debut. Let me tell you - it is absolutely fantastic. Eli and Peter are such real, authentic, and flawed characters. I loved being a part of their love story and falling in love with every character in this book.

The kinship I felt with Peter cannot be overstated. As a fellow late bloomer, I truly cannot tell you how much I related to Peter’s experience. The anxious, awkward energy. Wanting to be in love someday. Minimal experience with dating. Feeling overwhelmed in social settings. I just really love him so much.

Eli was so relatable to me in another way. I already told Mason this, but I had the same feelings when my own mom got remarried after my dad died. I hadn’t really seen those feelings in a book before. I also really loved Eli’s inner thoughts regarding his queerness, growing up in an environment that allowed him to explore his gender identity, and his intense love of his family.

The way that Mason writes grief and love and heartbreak and happiness and hurt and friendship and family just gets me all in my feelings. All of our secondary characters were important to the plot, and I really felt so much love for Eli’s family and friends!

I absolutely loved the conflict in this. I loved the love story and the growth. I loved every single thing about this story. I’d read it again in a heartbeat.

Also the acknowledgements had me sobbing on the couch. Thank you Mason for this incredible story!

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay yeah i LOVED this one. fake dating done right!!! when fake dating makes sense and is realistic in a book a new star in the night sky is born… a butterfly escapes its chrysalis to perch on a flower… you get it. i loved that Eli was a movie nerd and each chapter title was a movie with who directed it.

Eli is a bit of a messy character and does some crappy things but he means well and he is just human after all! Peter is a sweet angel and maybe the nicest man on earth. While this book is very rom-commy and fun, it also explores some heavier topics such as growing up queer and non-white in the southern US and how that affects a lot of the formative experiences young queer people have down here. HOWEVER Deaver takes care to also show that the south is not all bad and shouldn’t be counted out. Anyway! You will laugh! You will root for these two MCs! i loved them.

This is my first MD and i enjoyed their writing style and pacing. I finished this in less than 24 hours which is saying a lot for me. I ate it up thank you for this meal Mason.

My ONLY critique of this book is including the movie Anyone But You as a “romcom classic”… … …… … say psych.

thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Vini · Rating 5 out of 5]

longest yeah boy everrr

[Jane (whatjanereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4,5

Aww this was so cute!
Eli is hell bent on never dating again after having his heart shattered by his boyfriend of seven years.
But his best friend and roommate don’t shut up about setting him up with someone.
When Eli finally agrees the date ends up being a trash fire: the guy is one hour late, spills food on him and spends more time on his phone than talking to him.
He goes home completely rejected, but the next day he gets an idea to write a “built the perfect boyfriend” article, to impress his boss and finally get the promotion at work he’s been waiting years for.

Peter grew up as one of the only Korean kids in the south, being gay didn’t help blending in making teenage experiences. So going on his first date in his 30s and being more of a stay-at-home guy of course got pretty awkward.
When Eli offers him a do over and help him become more confident in dating he’s all in.

These two were so cute! I loved Peter, he’s such a sweet awkward dork and I loved the way he for so flustered over everything!
I loved their dates and how Eli slowly opened up to Peter.
Both of them have dreams that they set aside for too long and I loved the way they supported each other.

The ending was a little predictable and I honestly don’t think it’s right to put all the blame on Eli, when his boss acted completely irrational.
I would have loved to get more of an actual ending with their second “first date” than an epilogue, but I loved to see what happened to their dreams!

In conclusion I can say: I’ll read anything Mason Deaver writes! This was really cute (and surprisingly spicy!) and I really liked it!




Rep: trans male MC, Korean American LI, nb SC, sapphic SCs, gay SC

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody ever said that they didn’t feeeeeeeeel something when they read one of Mason Deaver’s books. If I want to cry or laugh or smile or hurt or, most importantly, fall in love, I know where to go. And every single book they’ve written has hit a core memory in some way that has triggered emotions that have made the book that much more special.

The Build-A-Boyfriend Project is their adult romance debut and to say I’ve been excited to read it is beyond an understatement. Knowing how much I’ve loved and valued each of their books, I had high hopes that this book would be even better. I hate getting my expectations up, because that is nothing to put onto another person, but it still happens sometimes. I’m only human.

From the very start of the story, we know that Eli and Peter are not perfect. Eli has JUST gotten out of a 7 year relationship that ended abruptly and with no explanation. He’s also stuck in a job that is going nowhere. Whereas Peter has never dated… ever and can’t seem to stop working or being stepped on by his job.

They’re both set up on a blind date that is one match from a dumpster fire and should have been the end of their story. But when Eli’s boss overhears him talking about the bad date and how Peter really needs to be taught how to be better at it, he gives him an assignment: date Peter, write a story about it, and get the promotion he’s been vying for.

There were definitely times that Eli felt a little slimy, but you could see that it wasn’t who is. He was trying to impress his boss. He tried backing out of the story so many times and once you read this, you’ll understand how that turns out. I felt horrible for him, because even though he’s trying his damnedest to get his dream job writing pieces for the website, none of them are used. They just “aren’t what the readers want.” Which is a load of BS. (This coming from someone who knows nothing about what readers of any website are going to it for.)

Peter is my poor sweet summer child. He’s a himbo (without the dating experience) with a heart of gold and he just wants love. I love him so much and want to protect him AT ALL COSTS. I’d say I want to protect them both, but I know Eli is strong and doesn’t need my help. I love them both though and am so happy for their eventual HEA.

I will always be a huge supporter of queer stories and, most of all, those written by queer people. There aren’t nearly enough trans MC’s in romance, so having this book be so ducking good really opens up even more opportunities for trans and non-binary authors to get their stories out there in traditional publishing!!

Thank you to Avon books for my gifted ARC and ALC copies. All thoughts and feelings and tears and pain and snotty laughing fits were my own, but if you need to see my trash can full of tissues, hit me up.🫠

[Sophie (lambsbooks)]

DNF @ 8%


Hmm, maybe a soft DNF?

When I can stand to read a book that spends the first 8% of the book talking about the MCs ex maybe I’ll try again. Constant ex talk is not something that’s gonna pull me in in the beginning 😂 also, Eli, grow a backbone and quit your job, which will be a problem later and you all know I have no patience for spineless characters 😩

So not a write off completely, just not for me right now

Thank you to Harper Collins for the ARC 😅

[Braden Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. Pride month continues with THE BUILD-A-BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Mason Deaver. This cute and queer rom-com follows a trans writer and the awkward tech guy he ends up fake dating for an article. Since Eli is obsessed with movies, this book is giving HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN DAYS meets SHE'S ALL THAT...but queerer. Both the trans and gay Asian experiences are on full display here, and I appreciated reading a trans romance - I honestly haven't read many, and I thought this one, while predictable, was adorable and a little steamy too. Can you say boners through Spider Man spandex?!

Deaver also calls to question the validity of current news and publications, shading puff pieces and articles with Buzz Feed-esque headlines. It's a very real fact that most publications aren't delivering the hard hitting news, just vibes. And while there's a predictable third act conflict, and so many modern pop-culture references that will undoubtedly age this book, it's still a very queer and cute slice of rom-com pie with a realistic ending that might have you cheerfully squeeing. I for one think we should be getting more trans representation in the genre, so you go Mason Deaver! Though what's the deal with movie title chapters? This is like the third book I've read recently that's done this, and it's not a big deal, I'm just fatigued by it I guess.

In the end, our couple learns about relationships, themselves and how to make changes for the better - and those themes will always be priceless. Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I’m giving this a 4.5 rounded up and I only taking a half star away because I reeeally craved some comeuppance for Michael and Keith and their BS. Everything else I loved from this. I’ll be making a longer video review for it but the arcs in this are great. The second hand embarrassment I got for the first date was so real. A lot of both Eli and Peter’s personalities were very relatable to me in terms of their insecurities and thought spirals. This has great angles on representation from a variety of intersectionalities. I think I would have liked to see more from the ending with Eli and where he was at in the end even though we did get the answer for Peter which was awesome. I think just having a moment showing Eli more success or possibly vent shutting down or something would have made this a whole five star but I was left lacking a little there. I don’t care if that’s not realistic it’s fiction and I need to live vicariously through someone going right for someone when my own life is as messed up as it is.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was sadly.. not good. Which is such a shame bc the potential was really there. I liked the representation. Unfortunately the MMC was manipulative and cowardice. There was zero chemistry. I felt so bad for Peter the entire time while Eli made him feel like something was wrong with him and he needed to be fixed. The third act was obvious before 50% and I dreaded it the entire time. It was just so needlessly cruel. Eli purposefully leading Peter on was so gross. I felt so icky reading this. :(

[Ashton Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
~big city romance
~slow burn
~fake dating
~lessons in dating
~nerdy, cinnamon roll heroes
~single POV romance
~a bit of praise kink

This was really cute! This toed the line between romance and general fiction, since Eli's journey with his job, finding himself after a breakup, and figuring out what he wants out of life felt just as important as the romance. However, I appreciated that balance since I enjoyed Eli as a character and wanted to see him say eff you to his ex (and job tbh). I also want to give a warning (since it might frustrate some readers) that Eli almost hooks up with another character halfway through the book. He and Peter are fake dating, so they're not actually exclusive, but it was still a bit jarring.

I appreciated how flawed and real these characters felt. They both deserved a sweet, unconditional love, and I'm glad they found that in one another. There was also some fantastic diversity rep, as Eli is a gay trans man and Peter is a gay Korean man who grew up in a small town in the South (I'm glad we got to dive into both their histories a bit and their unique experiences/challenges growing up). I'm definitely keeping this author on my radar from now on!

The audiobook narrator was fantastic and had a soothing voice that I gladly would’ve listened to for hours longer. Definitely recommend picking up the audio for this one!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ALC in exchange for an honest review


If this book was Taylor Swift lyrics:

"My smile is like I won a contest
And to hide that would be so dishonest
And it's fine to fake it 'til you make it
'Til you do, 'til it's true"

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5⭐️

I really liked this book it was really really cute. I liked the way the mmc’s met at the beginning of the book cause it wasn’t a meet cute but worse lol. Their first date went horribly and i wasn’t sure where the book was going but it was good! We have the 2 mmc’s Eli the Journalist and Peter the tech guy who is very awkward and shy. Despite their horrible meet cute lol Eli decides to help Peter since he’s never dated anyone and that starts the build a boyfriend project.

I loved the practice dating between both mc’s and how they got to know each other and the backstories. I loved how Eli trans identity and Peter’s Korean identity weren’t trauma based but shaped them. As both characters got to be friends and pretended to date there was chemistry and that we want each other tension that i liked. I liked the side characters and their role in the story. There is a writing plot that plays a big role in the story. The romance was so sweet, there was a steamy scene and they were so sweet and soft with each other. Thank you Avon for this arc!

Read for:
- Queer romance
- Trans rep
- Opposites attracts
- Fake dating
- MMC that reads romance
- Sweet and heartwarming

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was SO excited for Mason Deavers foray into adult romance and I'm tragically underwhelmed.

My favorite of their books have been the ones that are emotionally hard hitting and I find that they really shine when writing more serious plot lines. that's where this one missed the mark for me.

in this book it wants so badly to be a romcom but it just doesn't ever quite get to that level of levity. it wants to include more serious topics like racism and transphobia but never has the time or space to go all the way there.

somehow, it also never manages to be romcommy either. it is at a standstill of awkward and undeveloped levels of quirky and heavy.

I really loved Peter and he was the star of this book, even as the love interest. Eli, our MC, is messy, which is fine, but he continues to make poor decisions and when we should finally get their second chance it's brushed over to an epilogue.

now some are gonna tell me I'm being harsh and maybe I am but I also still liked this book, but it's not memorable and I didn't love it. it's a solid middle of the road 3 star for me.

gay trans MC, fat gay Asian LI

[Jordyn Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh this was SO CUTE!! all the ingredients of things I love in romance books and an ode to the romance genre itself 🥺 Eli is a transgender man, a few months out of a long term relationship, struggling in his job. He goes on a first date with Peter, and it is the most disastrous first date a person could think of. Eli is determined to forget it even happened, but when his boss pitches Eli that he could write an article about Peter, who is almost 30 and has never been on a date before, so that Eli can get a promotion, Eli decides to teach Peter how to be a better boyfriend! I flew through this one, it was so easy to read, although I often wanted to cover my eyes and SHAKE Eli!! I loved the bond and easy connection Eli and Peter had and how they both slowly opened up to each other. The representation and conversations about intersectionality was really well down and woven in organically to the story. And I honestly just really felt seen by Peter’s struggle with dating people (lol)

Thanks to Avon for the free book!!

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need characters to act their age. I know why they are the way they are but it gets a bit too much. Mental health issues or condition is one thing but being a snob is something I just can’t get over. A romance involving one doing all the job for the relationship while the other is practically doing nothing doesn’t work for me no matter whatever reasons you list for me to change what I felt while reading this book.

[gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this 4 stars but the conflict resolution was nowhere as satisfactory as it should have been to make up for the third act conflict 😕 you should have seen how my face dropped when I turned the page and saw epilogue. Other than that I loved the premise, I loved both characters and the romance was so cute.

[Sara Ratliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came incredibly close to DNFing this book at 40%, but I enjoyed the second half of this book much more than the first. This book will work well for a lot of people, particularly fans of classic romcom movies. This writing was easy to consume and inobtrusive, the voice was fun.

The reason I struggled with the beginning is the same reason I struggle with a lot of classic romcoms—the "it started as a trick/prank/assignment, but then I actually fell for you" set-up feels cruel and condescending, and makes me deeply uncomfortable. I'd hoped from the book's description that Eli would be upfront with Peter from the beginning, and I struggled to keep going when I realized that wasn't the case.

I had a lot of issues with Eli that I needed to see addressed properly—his constant condescension to Peter and using him however benefits himself, his resentment of his work for not being what he wants it to be, but refusing to apply for other jobs—and for the most part they were. The book didn't shy away from confronting all of the ways in which Eli fucked up, and I appreciated that, although I still don't know that I can get over how careless Eli was.

Some of things that angered me the most (with vague spoilers) were:
-Eli explicitly thinks of himself as "fixing" Peter
-He pushes for Peter to open up about vulnerable and traumatizing moments in his past, while simultaneously writing an article about how much of a loser Peter is
-His internal monologue treats Peter like a little kid or a dog he's training
-He makes fun of Peter's struggle to understand sarcasm and social cues
-He also made every step forward in any sort of physical intimacy, while still lying to Peter
-It feels like an incredibly unbalanced dynamic, where Eli used Peter to improve his situation at work, to spite his ex, to get his mom/friends off his back, etc. and then acts like it's for Peter's benefit

Having finished the book, I have mixed feelings on Eli. I feel like I understand him. In several ways, I relate to the things he struggled with. But I still hate the way that manifested in how he treated the people around him, and I can't get over that enough to root for him.

I mostly kept reading for Peter, whom I adored, and I'm glad I did, because even though I have mixed feelings on Eli, I did want to see Peter's happy ending. Once I crossed the halfway point, I flew the rest of the book, and I think I genuinely enjoyed it, despite my complicated feelings for Eli.

This book really feels like a classic romcom to me, because by the end I was happy and having a good time, but I still spent much of the set-up uncomfortable and frustrated.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 253/300

i received a complimentary audiobook as part of libro.fm’s influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.

feeling stuck in his assistant position at an online magazine company, eli is desperate for anything that will help him land a writing role. when his roommates pressure him into dating so he can get over his ex once and for all, his pathway to that promotion comes in the form of a man named peter. it’s clear that, despite how handsome he is, peter has no idea how to date, but if eli can teach him how, and write a story about the process, he might finally get that promotion. the two agree to fake date, but the closer they become, the blurrier the lines between real and fake become.

i’ve enjoyed so many of mason deaver’s YA books, so i was looking forward to this adult romance debut of theirs! i think i say this every time i review a fake dating book, but it bears repeating: I LOVE FAKE DATING!!! especially when the reason (half, at least) for fake dating is to learn how to real date. i’m not sure if deaver wrote him as autistic on purpose, but i could see myself in a lot of his mannerisms and communication style. i think this, combined with his upbringing, explained a lot about why he had to be explicitly taught how to date. as for eli, i thought it was sweet how he went behind his boss’s back to make the story not about turning a walking disaster into a dating pro, but instead, about peter’s experiences growing up as a gay korean-american in the south and how this has shaped his current reality, though i do think he still could have been more upfront about this with peter.

logan rozos narrated both povs, and i enjoyed his narration! i’d highly recommend this audiobook to adult romance readers.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this a lot! I enjoyed the author's voice and the two main characters. Both characters are given lots of room for growth and learning (although Eli's behaviour is pretty frustrating to witness at times.) Even though it's a fake dating premise - it wasn't too over the top and I didn't find myself distracted by having to suspend disbelief - although the third act conflict was telegraphed from the very beginning. It's a slow burn and low steam book, which worked well for the story and the characters. I found the book quite well paced for the most part until the very end - it was a bit jarring there. I listened to the audio and I quite liked the narrator's voice, although there could have been more differentiation in the dialogue.

Overall I'd recommend this as a mostly sweet and tender romance with what seemed to be very thoughtful trans and Korean rep.

I received an audio Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult in exchange for an honest review.

[JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consider all my heartstrings pulled on and all the feelings felt.

So yeah, Mason Deaver has done it again!