Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Boyfriend Clause

Rate this book
Sabrina’s new Melbourne cafe, her lifelong dream, is struggling—despite her exceptional baked goods and fabulous coffee.

Her love life isn’t faring much better—she just keeps dating the wrong kind of guy. But the boyfriend clause in her loan agreement requires her to be in a committed relationship or pay back the loan in its entirety.

That would mean losing the cafe.

What could be worse? Making up a fake boyfriend, and accidentally giving him the name of the rude and brooding famous writer in her apartment block, the one she wildly insulted when he moved in—that’s what!

And when that leads to the rude and brooding writer joining her rambunctious family on a trip to England and a charade of perfect romance, Sabrina finds herself navigating a whirlwind of contradictory emotions. Including an unignorable awareness of just how infuriatingly hot the insufferable writer is.

But as the boundaries blur, one question looms what, or who, is he writing about?

The Boyfriend Clause is everything you could ask for in a contemporary a totally relatable heroine, a steamy love interest, an offbeat family holiday, delicious pastries and just enough spice to set your heart on fire.

‘It's so funny the whole way through…amazing’ Aidan Prewett, author of The Picasso Ransom

'Plenty of banters, loveable quirky family members, a good dose of humour.’ Novel Feelings


‘If you like your romance with genuine laughs then this one is for you...a terrific rom com to escape the modern world.’ Laurie Bell

‘Blake had me laughing out loud...Sweet and funny with just a sprinkle of spice, The Boyfriend Clause is a real treat for romance readers.’ Book'd Out

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2026

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Bridie Blake

4 books106 followers
Bridie Blake lives and writes in Melbourne, Australia. She is a self-confessed daydreamer and consumer of reality TV, who can sniff out chocolate like a bloodhound and will never turn down a coffee or the opportunity to listen to Taylor Swift.

Her novel, The Boyfriend Clause, will be released in Australia and New Zealand in 2026 via Text Publishing.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
125 (26%)
4 stars
189 (40%)
3 stars
125 (26%)
2 stars
17 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
Profile Image for Rebecca.
640 reviews957 followers
March 17, 2026
“Maybe love isn’t about getting it right the first time. Maybe it’s about choosing each other again and again.”

This book is like a warm hug wrapped in pastries, banter, and just the right amount of emotional depth.

From the very first chapter, I was completely pulled into the story, it has that easy, addictive writing style where you tell yourself “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s midnight and you’re emotionally invested in fictional people again (no regrets).

The romance? Adorable! But what I really loved is that it’s not just about the relationship, it’s about family, expectations, and figuring out what you actually want versus what you think you should want. There’s a lot of heart in this one, and it sneaks up on you in the best way.

The characters felt real and messy and lovable. I adored the chemistry, the tension, the little moments, all of it just worked. And the setting? A dreamy little café situation with baked goods constantly being described… I was starving the entire time!

If you love a romantic story that’s fun but still has something to say, this is absolutely one to pick up. A big hearted, swoony, feel good read that I didn’t want to end.

I Highly Recommend.

Thank you Text Publishing for my early readers copy.

Available Now!
Profile Image for Lisa Matlin.
Author 6 books502 followers
March 21, 2026
Absolutely loved this beautiful debut! If you’re looking for a sweet rom com with a fake dating twist, a big hearted and hilarious family cast, and the most delicious forced proximity ever- you need to get your hands on this book! Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Craig and Phil.
2,539 reviews155 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
March 1, 2026
Big thanks to Text Publishing for sending us a copy to read and review.
The high quality 2026 Debut Crew reign continues with the release of The Boyfriend Clause by Bridie Blake.
This book has the most hilarious opening chapter I’ve read in ages from this genre and if the author wanted to get your attention, I think this has been well and truly captured.
Even the very first line made me giggle.
A welcoming, heartfelt and swoon worthy read.
Sabrina’s love life is non existent but she bakes the most scrumptious goodies.
So her dream of owning a cafe comes true but with conditions.
The loan from her parents has a boyfriend clause.
Her mother wants to see Sabrina in a committed relationship or she needs to payback the loan in full.
Enter Adam, her newly irritating neighbour and now her fake boyfriend.
As her family is passing through town, a quick visit with the new man and they’ll be off her back.
But it doesn’t go according to plan.
And Adam has ideas of his own and when Sabrina’s mother invites him on a trip to the UK, the chaos, mishaps and secret whispers begin…..
This has all the ingredients for a successful romcom.
If you like your romance reads with a bit of pizazz and laugh out loud banter then this one is for you.
I like a romantic tale with humour scattered throughout and it has it in spades.
Get ready to be page kissed and to be giddy over.
Profile Image for Sam McKenzie.
38 reviews
May 15, 2026
THERE'S ONLY ONE BED 🤌🤌 I loved this. Such a bright and beautiful piece of chicklit that I devoured in less than 24hrs.
Profile Image for Cynthia Timoti.
Author 7 books126 followers
October 25, 2026
I absolutely loved this debut! It has a relatable FMC, a dreamy love interest, and an adorable cast of supporting characters. It's also full of a lot of my favourite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, and of course only one bed. I was grinning from ear to ear from the very first page, and the writing style is so addictive and so easy to get into. The book is sweet, sexy, and swoony, with just the right amount of emotional depth. Highly, highly recommended.

Bridie Blake knocked it out of the park with this amazing debut and I can't wait to read more books from her!
Profile Image for beccabeccabooks.
1,011 reviews33 followers
March 15, 2026
The Boyfriend Clause was so cute! I've been left with a big grin on my face and happiness in my heart. Bravo, Bridie Blake. BRAVO!

In this debut (yes, DEBUT), we meet Sabrina Fogerty, a thirty something single who's had a really awful track record when it comes to dating. To make matters worse, Sabrina often feels like she's the black sheep of her family. The one who doesn't take things seriously. The one who isn't successful. The one who threw a career away to follow a bloke to Melbourne and open a cafe.

A Cup of Joy is Sabrina's dream, even though it's early days. Her parents have been generous enough to loan her the funds to get started. But there's a clincher. Sabrina must be in a relationship, or she'll have to repay the debt.

Time is running out. Fast. There's only one solution. Make up a boyfriend.

Too bad her fake boyfriend is her infurating neighbour, Adam Whittaker. But Fake Adam is everything Sabrina wants in a man. She only has to stop her interfering family from meeting him.

But things get complicated when broody, baked goods hater, no fun Adam joins a family holiday to England....

I'm not squealing. YOU ARE. Tropey romcoms are my jam. The tropier the better. I was treated to enemies to lovers. Fake dating. Forced proxmity. Idiots in love.

Getting to know Sabrina and Adam was a joy. Sabrina doesn't know it yet, but Adam is her biggest fan. She really comes into her own during the story and Adam is encouraging her all the way.

The Fogerty's are quite a lot at first, all in their complicated and loud glory. Despite their quite frank behaviour towards Sabrina, you can tell it's done with love. It really is Dianne Fogerty's world and we're just living in it.

I can't wait to see what Bridie has next in store for us!

5 🌟
Profile Image for Jessica (bibliobliss.au).
467 reviews40 followers
May 27, 2026
A new voice in Aussie romance! You’ll be pulled into THE BOYFRIEND CLAUSE by the incredibly memorable first line & the disastrous scene that plays out!

This book has quite possibly the most cringe-worthy meet cute AND second encounter that I’ve ever read - and I mean this in a great way! Oh how I squirmed for Sabrina when I realised how deeply she had put her foot in it during the meet cute apology!

A whole family holiday touring England to visit the filming locations of a beloved tv series while pretending to be in a relationship with a famous author your family adore - who is also your neighbour AND enemy - is just as chaotic as it sounds but the plot in this Aussie rom com all works out beautifully.

I absolutely loved the way the romantic plot came together & the resolution to the 3rd act breakup? Loved!!! Involving Sabrina’s cafe, a manuscript & the whole family was just brilliant. The kind of ending that has me kicking my feet & grinning like a fool.

Right from that sassy and hilarious first chapter, THE BOYFRIEND CLAUSE is a winning read.

We have been absolutely spoiled for choice with brilliant Aussie rom coms lately & THE BOYFRIEND CLAUSE is definitely one to add to your TBRs.

My thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.
Profile Image for Emilie (emiliesbookshelf).
328 reviews39 followers
February 27, 2026
Oh my this is such a delicious romance! Fake dating, enemies to lovers with an English family holiday twist!

Sabrina feels like the black sheep of her family, her brother and sister are far more successful and while her little cafe ‘ A Little Cup of Joe’ is doing well, it isn’t providing the income to repay her parents the money they loaned her

Not to mention the boyfriend clause in the loan agreement, if she isn’t in a happy relationship she must repay the money to her parents

Enter Adam, her new quiet neighbour who she had one hell of a introduction too (IYKYK)
When Sabrina lies to her family and uses Adam’s name as her fake boyfriend and they hound her to meet him, she negotiates him to come to dinner with her family (to keep them off her back)

What she doesn’t count on, is days later Adam turning up on her family holiday to England (thanks to her fabulous mother Dianne , who might I say steals the show!)

Now forced to fully enact the fake relationship, could there actually be something between Sabrina and Adam?

Oh the pure joy of this fantastic debut! I couldn’t put it down, Sabrina is such a gorgeous FMC and really holds her own. Her family are next level but you really feel the heart and love between them all.

Adam is brooding, smart, caring and all you need in a wonderful book boyfriend

Romance readers, add this to your list! Highly recommend

Thank you so much Text Publishing for my gifted review copy 🫶
Profile Image for Emily.
330 reviews18 followers
March 21, 2026
This debut by Aussie author Bridie Blake, was a super cute Rom Com. This book delivers sugar and laughs from the first page.

Our FMC Sabrina owns a Cafe in Melbourne with her bestie. To open it she needed to borrow money from the bank of mum and dad…… but there’s a clause- the boyfriend clause.

Sabrina is a people pleaser, especially when it comes to her family. So she makes up a boyfriend to satisfy her mother, but this plan goes a bit astray and ends up bigger than she imagined.

Adam is super serious and a man of few words. I desperately wanted chapters from Adam’s POV, I wanted to know what he was thinking.

When I say the first chapter with their meet cute had me actually laughing out loud, I mean it. I knew I would love this book from the first chapter.

I loved the development of the family and our main characters throughout the book and found the epilogue to perfectly end this novel.

A great piece of sugar, many funny moments and palpable tension between the 2 leading characters.

Highly recommend! Well done Bridie!
Profile Image for Sienna.
28 reviews
August 31, 2026
I was really enjoying this book until (spoilers) we got to the end and Sabrina suddenly became so insecure and was jumping to the most nonsensical conclusions I’ve ever seen
I’m fairly certain there was a part in the book where she was like oh wouldn’t it be so cute if Adam was so inspired by our kiss he wrote about it in his book and then she finds out that he is writing a book about their relationship and she blows up about it like ???
Anyway I had to pause the audiobook multiple times at the end because I was so annoyed with how she was reacting to everything
Profile Image for Nicola Marsh.
Author 509 books1,473 followers
April 25, 2026
This romcom is a cracker!
The grumpy sunshine trope plays out perfectly between sombre author Adam and his bubbly neighbour Sabrina.
As for Sabrina's family... the secondary characters in this delightful romance steal the show.
I devoured this book, couldn't put it down.
It's guaranteed to leave you smiling and impatient for this debut author's next book!
Profile Image for Mia Frew.
87 reviews
June 4, 2026
she’s better than me cause if my family were like this I would have cut them tf off
Profile Image for Dannii Logan.
243 reviews
May 20, 2026
Very sweet but not sure I liked how suddenly it flipped and he actually liked her all along?
Profile Image for Heather.
Author 5 books13 followers
May 5, 2026
I'm going to preface this with: 1. I don't read a lot of rom-coms, and 2. First person/present tense is nearly always a DNF from me because unless a writer is really, really skilled, it can be awful. That said... I loved this book!
Bridie Blake's debut rom-com, The Boyfriend Clause absolutely sucked me in, made me laugh, forget I was reading 1st person/present, and fall in love with Sabrina, her whole crazy family and Adam, her brooding, hot neighbour. This is a sweet and spicy story about a couple you'll be cheering on, full of humour and beautifully paced. Blake has created a charming cast of characters and placed them in a situation that may be a trope but never feels forced or unbelievable. Although you know a HEA is coming, she has deftly crafted that "will they/won't they" tension. I am definitely looking forward to Blake's next book!
Profile Image for Fiery.
391 reviews
May 4, 2026
Wow. This is one of those books that was teetering to a DNF for me but hang in there as the entire storyline and characters mature completely.


The wonderful narration by Jane Mahady was both fantastic AND a curse as I wanted to speed read past some sections but I can't do that at the speed of speed reading text with a narration without destroying the enunciation.

Recommended.



Spoiler below:

















If, like me you were convinced there was no redeeming quality of the MMC or the FMC family that took 1/3 of the book, the thaw and turn occurs shortly after and I'll encourage you to keep at it.
It's worth it.
Every character played their part in the book fully.
Kudos.
Profile Image for Kati Morgan.
136 reviews4 followers
March 8, 2026
This was cute. Maybe a tad too far into the cutesy rom com plot for me, but I very much enjoy reading Aussie rom coms and supporting local talent. Will read this author again.
Profile Image for noura.
65 reviews
March 13, 2026
3.75 🌟 i always love a good aussie book
485 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2026
A sweet romance of forced proximity and fake dating, with a fun grumpy-sunshine dynamic. I enjoyed the family shenanigans and manipulations, and although the ending was a shade weak, it was well done overall.
Profile Image for Jess Lomas.
Author 22 books6 followers
Read
July 30, 2026
Text has really confirmed itself as a publisher for quality Australian romance. This is a sweet debut and I'm always a sucker for the fake dating trope.
95 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2026
I absolutely binged this romance and was thoroughly transported on a hectic family holiday while fake dating a handsome writer. I was salivating at all the cakes and desserts described.
31 reviews
October 21, 2026
I really liked this book! I enjoyed how authentic and accessible it felt as an Australian woman, but can I also say how hilarious the family dialogue was? I really enjoyed those comedic parts. Aside from that, some other things I liked are that the stakes, problems, and solutions all felt realistic and not too contrived; I like the characters (including an overall unproblematic MMC) and found their dynamics engaging; and I really enjoyed the settings of the Cafe and the family trip (group fangirling over a TV show, yes please!) I don't often say this but I would definitely recommend and/or re-read this book.
Profile Image for Kat Turner.
6 reviews
March 24, 2026
The Boyfriend Clause has everything a rom-com reader could want and is a hilariously delicious debut. The Fogerty family (who will make you snort with laughter), a "not-so-meet-cute," and a grumpy-sunshine, fake-dating setup with ONLY ONE BED that will drive you wild.
We start in Melbourne at Sabrina Fogerty’s struggling café, decked out with delicious coffee, mouth-watering cakes, and her broody neighbour turned temporary fake boyfriend who sits in the corner ignoring her. We’re quickly whisked away to England to explore the filming locations of the TV show Clovedale with the entire Fogerty family, including my personal favourite, Sabrina's mum Dianne. Unfortunately for Sabrina, Adam, the broody author turned fake boyfriend, ends up being dragged along (because no one says "No" to Dianne Fogerty). What could go wrong?

This book made me laugh out loud from the very first line. I swooned, cried and grinned throughout. I can’t wait to see what Bridie Blake writes next!
1 review
March 27, 2026
If you’re after a fun, feel-good rom-com, The Boyfriend Clause delivers. So many moments had me wondering if Bridie had somehow been taking notes and writing about my family. The book is funny, familiar, and genuinely endearing—one of those, can’t-put-it-down reads that just feels like home.
Profile Image for MBC.
200 reviews
May 15, 2026
Idle nonsense and supreme self indulgence. The premise is ridiculous with the FMC collapsing to histrionics.
The mother is a narcissistic witch that never apologies for anything and the sister would be disbarred for what she does.
Profile Image for Roshani.
30 reviews
May 13, 2026
Oh, this book was so cringe. Sabrina’s family are annoyingly insufferable, yet they are framed as charming. The MMC, Adam, had 0 personality, and I felt little to no chemistry or yearning between Sabrina and Adam.

The three things that were continuously mentioned in the book to have randomly ✨ sparked something ✨ between them:
1. He bought her a spare hat on a hike
2. He left a chocolate on her bed (??)
3. He put his jacket on her seat INCASE she wanted it.

It’s giving behaviour you’d get from a nice stranger.

Also random thought, but why are Melbourne-based novels always set in Richmond? Justice for suburbs other than those in the inner-city.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews