Book Club Boyfriend

by Jenny Holiday

In this simmering enemies-to-lovers romance, a divorced actress invites the surly writer who rejected her to live in her pool house when they both find themselves at a crossroads.

Producer Blair Kellermoon is having a rough time of it. She’s newly divorced, her youngest kid is off to college, and the movie project of her heart has just fallen apart. Oh, and she’s still stinging from being publicly humiliated by literary novelist Jack Branksome, who declined her offer to feature his debut novel in her popular “Books with Blair” book club. Blair was Hollywood’s rom-com queen in her acting days, but she’s having trouble navigating this phase of life. She needs a win. And some company—she’s not too proud to admit that she’s lonely. 

Jack Branksome doesn’t mind being called a jerk. If having standards makes you a jerk these days, he’ll wear it as a badge of honor. What Jack’s not used to is writing to deadlines. After the runaway success of his first novel, all eyes are on him, and he’s genuinely afraid he won’t be able to deliver. But when he has to apologize to Blair for yet another gaffe and they begin texting, she surprisingly becomes the only person he can confide in about his fears. When she impulsively invites him to finish his book while living in her pool house, the idea should be everything he sunny California skies and an even sunnier California hostess. But maybe some of her annoyingly chipper, can-do attitude will rub off on him. Or maybe some time spent reading and writing with Blair will change everything.

Genres: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 14, 2026

About the author

Jenny Holiday is a USA Today-bestselling and RITA®-nominated author whose books have been featured in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, and Buzzfeed. She grew up in Minnesota and started writing at age nine when her fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook to fill with stories. When she's not working on her next book, she likes to hang out with her family, watch other people sing karaoke, and throw theme parties. Jenny lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

Reviews

[ri ⊹.˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ book club boyfriend ꒱ 4.5 stars
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌗ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: mar 14, ‘26 ⌇ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: mar 15, ‘26

review with slight spoilers

i absolutely love the way this book was written, the plot sounded so interesting to me and i am so glad i requested this book.

the dual pov in 3rd person was something i was not expecting but it was a perfect stylistic choice. the story was also really good, this book was very much strangers to friends to lovers at least to me. not really slow burn, at least in my opinion, but there’s is a bit of angst which i think is written wonderfully.

blair kellermoon, i honestly really enjoyed having an fmc who was older and more mature. she doesn’t follow the typical route of a romance fmc considering she was not only married but had fully grown children. i also think her ocd and anxiety disorder was written very well and realistic. her way of rationalizing situations was very much a breath of fresh air. i loved learning about her backstory and how books and film were a part of her life because i think it was really important to who she was.

jack branksome, as much as i wish we got to see more into his book i do think that the choice to give the readers such little detail about it was the right call. it was a little crazy that he decided to temporarily move in with a relative strange but you what it worked out. i had the laugh of a lifetime when he shook edward’s paw i think it was genuinely my favorite part of the book. i really liked how much he noticed her and her struggles and tried his best to help her even without her knowing. his character was also really enjoyable even when he was being a jerk, i think that the fact that it wasn’t so much purposeful but just a result of his upbringing made him a lot more palatable.

the relationship, i really like their dynamic as friends and i think it transferred over fairly well when it came to their relationship. it wasn’t smooth sailing at the beginning but i think they needed to work on themselves before really getting together. im glad they had their happy ending.

overall, i absolutely enjoyed this book and want everyone to give it a chance. contemporary romance is one of my favorite genres and this book was written extremely well. the characters and story are very cohesive in moving the plot forward and i was honestly totally hooked on how this book would end.

── preread

got this on the read now section because it sounded so interesting so lets see how it goes

ⓘ thank you jenny holiday, forever publishing & netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC, this review is based on my own thoughts and opinions. This book was really good I liked the development of each character and how descriptive the storyline was. I also enjoy the deeper meaning that takes place throughout the book between both characters. Blair and Jack’s relationship with each other is was full of humor and banter. This book was a true slow burn and grumpy/sunshine, and enemies to friends to lovers book. Overall this book was really enjoyable and entertaining to read.

[Tamar]

Thank to @Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
I truly enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down.
I find that through Holiday's writing, I was able to feel the emotions of each character.
This will be a to read book for the summer!

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ 3.25 |❤️ 3/5

Book Club Boyfriend combines two of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers with epistolary romance, and the premise felt tailor-made for me. Before I dive into my thoughts, the most useful thing I can tell you upfront is that despite the cover and title signaling that this is a contemporary romance, this actually reads much more like women’s fiction for the first three quarters of the story. If you go into the book knowing that, you’ll enjoy it a lot more than if you don’t.

There is a lot that I genuinely enjoyed. The epistolary format is charming and suits the characters perfectly (Jack for the ease he finds in communicating through written word and Blair for the safety she feels in communicating through text rather than in person given her bouts of social anxiety). We are along for the ride with ex-actress-turned-mogul and producer Blair as she navigates her post-divorce life which includes anxiety, panic attacks, loneliness, and OCD. Her post-divorce emotional journey feels very real as well as her relationship with her adult kids, which paint a full picture of who she is: a thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, considerate, loving person.

If you are a fan of celebrity memoirs or thinly veiled fictional takes on public figures, Blair's story might be a draw for you. Her background shares so many details with a specific, very recognizable public figure that it's hard not to notice. Whether that makes the book more fun or more distracting will really depend on you as a reader.

Blair and Jack’s dynamic is one of enemies to friends, where there is a mutual, deep understanding and unwavering support of each other. They ground each other and just make sense. It’s a deep friendship that feels truly earned. Their relationship is characterized by thoughtful, quiet acts of service, where they show care through small acts rather than through words, where nods towards a childhood memory are more meaningful than a grand gesture could ever be although there are some truly satisfying ones of the latter variety too. It makes sense for two neurodivergent people whose difficult relationships with specific parental figures left them better equipped to show care through small acts than through words, since words in their childhoods were often weaponized. They have charming inside jokes like their synonym battles, which just make sense for them. The final quarter also delivers sharp, natural banter and warmth that made me wish that this energy had been present throughout.

That said, this didn’t fully work for me as a romance reader, but I want to be specific about why so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

I noticed other reviewers calling this a slow burn that’s too slow, but I’d posit that the issue isn’t pacing. It’s a genre expectation mismatch. For most of the book, there is no romantic tension, pining, flirtation, or awareness of attraction beyond a few brief acknowledgments that the other is attractive. Their relationship is one of deep, gradually earned friendship, and then it goes from 0 to 100 suddenly. If you go into this expecting women’s fiction about a woman rebuilding her identity post-divorce, there is a lot to love. If you are coming into this for an enemies to lovers romance, it's a much longer wait than most romance readers will have patience for.

The prose in the first 75% had a rhythm that didn’t quite flow for me, with word choices that occasionally pulled me out of the story. It leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, which created further distance between me as a reader and the characters. As someone who has personally dealt with anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD-like tendencies, I found the way Blair’s anxiety was depicted to be particularly hard to connect with. For example, it read more like an explanation of what a panic attack feels like rather than the experience of having one. The Death-Made Prince handles a FMC with OCD and anxiety in a way that is visceral by comparison. You feel it with her. Here I felt like I was reading about it rather than experiencing it alongside Blair.

The banter in the earlier parts of the book leaned on tired regional stereotypes and felt repetitive, with the jokes often being explained after delivery, which kept them from landing. Late in the book, Allie, a secondary character, is introduced, whose banter with Jack felt very natural, warm, and fun by contrast, which made the earlier conversations stand out even further. The banter between Blair and Jack, along with the prose more generally, did significantly improve in the final 25% of the book, where it feels natural and has good rhythm.

Jack's POV has a detached quality in his early chapters that could read as a stylistic choice for a neurodivergent (autistic-coded) character, but it felt effortful and disappears entirely in his later chapters without gradual transition. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries handles an autistic-coded lead without ever feeling labored.

Romance readers should know that the heat level is inconsistent. The first intimate milestone is closed door while later scenes are open door. The third act has a symmetry that feels intentional but required both leads to suddenly behave in ways that felt inconsistent with the emotional intelligence and self awareness that the story spent most of its time building, which made the ending land less satisfyingly than it could have for me.

I noticed some continuity details and a plot thread that is introduced with enough specificity to feel significant but doesn’t pay off, which pulled me out of the story. For example, an emotionally loaded conversation about Blair facing a significant personal milestone alone for the first time post-divorce is introduced early on and then never mentioned again. There is no emotional response from Blair then or after. As a reader, I would have expected it to at least be referred to again leading up to it, to see it unfold on page or if not, mentioned once it passed. Hopefully this ends up being a non-issue in the release version after final edits are made.

With all that said, when the book is at its best (I genuinely loved a lot of the final 25% of the story), it really got to me and delivered on its emotional moments. The challenge is that getting there requires patience, and by the time the story fully clicked for me, I wasn’t sure I was still rooting for them as a couple the way I wanted to be.

If you are craving a mature, professionally accomplished, established lead navigating her life post-divorce and enjoy a friendship-first dynamic and don’t require romantic tension early on, this might be the book for you.

This review is based on an ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another winner for me from Jenny Holiday. I find her contemporaries to be really good, Canadian Boyfriend is one of my all-time favourite romances.

This one is about a minor character from Into the Wild though I would say it works perfectly on its own.

It features MC in their 40s, both extremely sucessful but also dealing with some serious personal issues. It's a slow-burn, very slow-burn enemeies-to-friends-to-lovers romance. I found it really engaging and enjoyed it a lot though I must admit I found it deviating from the expected romance pacing. There is no real pining, no thought of any romantic/sexual relationship for most of the story. They do see the other as obectively attractive but each of them is focused on making it through their own issue, separately and together, that love and romance are not even on the horizon. And it worked, for me at least. I got the know both MCs quite well, I got to see their progression from enemies to friends and it was slow and took effort and it felt just right for them.
The last quarter of the book fits more traditional expectation of romance - sexual chemistry, romantic gestures, third-act break-up and finally I-love-yous. They felt natural for these characters and I liked them a lot as well.
There is a lot in this story about messy family dynamics, childhood trauma, adults failing their kids but also other adults being as good parents as possible.
There is also a lot about writing and creativity which was interesting to read though I am alsways hesitant when we have writer MCs, a bit too meta for me, I think.
Now, a few words about the things that didn't work so well for me. I was inordinarily bothered by the way the heroine described her panic attacks, it was childish and immature and clased with her very pragmatic, very direct approach in all other aspects of her life. Along the same lines, I felt the hero's issues with his father and his childhood trauma were kind of swept under the carpet. He was in denial throughout the whole story, then, Boom! a big realisationa and immediate resolution.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for contemporary romance (very slow-burn) with older MCs dealing with messy families while slowly realising they are just perfect for each other, with all their peculiarities and minor obssessions.

PS: Getting a personal crow army is now on my to-do list .

CW: child neglect, manipulation, childhood trauma, panic attacks (on page), OCD, general anxiety disorder

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, Book Club Boyfriend seemed like the quintessential writer romance— two people on opposing sides/with opposing views coming together and falling in love. Such a premise, I admit, was counterpoint to what I thought Holiday’s novel was going to be about, for the title of Book Club Boyfriend seemed to conjure a plot about two people in a book club itself. However, it was so much more than a romance. It was an exploration of personality, inadequacies, and the unintended connections people often make when they least expect them. What also threw me for a loop was the genuine humor that Jack and Blair possessed (though I acknowledge Jack’s musings made me laugh out loud more than Blair’s did).

Holliday weaved a very simple premise with rich characters who, granted, were not outright charming, but rather wholly endearing as their conversations deepened and their chemistry ignited. That is, much like Jack’s initial bristling of Blair, it took time for me to feel any sort of relatability to and affection for the two characters. Upon reflection, I do believe this was an intentional choice on Holiday’s part— one for which I commend her, as not many authors I have read have made similar decisions. By the seventh or eighth chapter, however, I was all in. I also found the treatment of Blair’s ‘cyclones’ to be quite realistic, although I wish the readers would have been given at least one more active scene during which Jack began to pick up on her struggle. As someone who has panic attacks though, I acknowledge that they often occur when I am alone— very rarely do they happen in the presence of others. So too would it have been better for their development if Blair and Jack’s reckoning with their parents occurred on page, rather than just being described to the reader.

Overall, Book Club Boyfriend was a reassuring and slightly introspective read. While I don’t necessarily think it merits a sequel, I would be interested to read a short epilogue or novella that tackles their future.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the privilege to read this ARC!

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair and Jack do not have an auspicious beginning. Blair, a former actor who now runs a production company and a celebrity book club, invites Jack to have his debut novel be a pick for her book club, and he disdainfully turns her down. The incident leaks to the press, and it turns into kind of a big deal.

A number of months later, Jack feels bad about it and texts Blair to apologize, setting off a friendship that develops over text message and eventually results in Jack moving into Blair's pool house in the hope that it will give him the change he needs to finish his second book. Meanwhile, Blair is healing from a divorce, dealing with some mental health issues, and hoping for a fresh start of her own.

Their interactions truly are very charming -- everything from the crow army to the hateful nosy neighbor. But there's barely even an inkling that these two people find each other attractive for more than the first half of the book. It's not even really a slow burn. There's no burn, and then there is. From that point on, the book was fantastic and I couldn't put it down. Both of these characters had major healing to do, and the way they SAW each other was so sincere and gorgeous.

There were a couple of weird extraneous plot threads that I thought would get resolved but didn't, but I think that weirdly my biggest beef with this book might be that the cover and title don't really match the content. This isn't a cute beach read. You're going to get hit with a lot of feelings all the way through. The mismatch shouldn't bother me so much, but here we are.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I rounded up to 4 But it's really a 3.5⭐for me. It took me a really long time to read this book because I kept getting bored and reading other books in between. Since the book is about an author, I think the author of the book decided she would write it as pretentiously as possible. I have never had to look up the meaning of words so many times and I found myself having to reread sentences and paragraphs to get them to make sense. I usually don't have a book make me feel stupid but the way this was written did that. I understand that this was Jacks personality, but it was also the way Blair would talk as well...

I Loved the Plot of the grumpy author and the Sunshine Producer getting together but the Romance in this book fell flat. There was not only a 3rd act breakup there was a 2nd act breakup as well. For characters that could use such flowery words they really struggled to communicate with each other. ** Although I hated not knowing some of the words Blair and Jacks banter and the fact that they would volley back and forth like a thesaurus when they were trying to describe something was kind of fun and I learned new words.**

I also loved how the issue of Anxiety and OCD were covered in this book. As someone who struggles with anxiety this book represented it very well.

What they heck was the ending tho... I was reading the last blurb and then the next page was acknowledgments and I wanted more. I was finally getting into the book and then it's like the door slammed shut and it was over. No Epilogue, no update??

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. Based on the cover, I thought this was going to be a fluffy rom com, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth, emotions, and layers this book had. On the surface Blair still has it all: a nice house. two great kids who she has good relationship with, and a job she likes, but she is feeling lost after her divorce and is plagued by feelings of loneliness and as she calls them cyclones (panic attacks). Jack is a successful writer, who is struggling to write his second book. Blair and Jack meet via Zoom for a business call. Blair wants to ask him to let her choose his book for her book club, but Jack rudely declines her offer. After Jack realizes his mistake of being rude to Blair, they start a text relationship and get to know each other. I loved the banter and wit of these texts as they showed heart, humor, and gave good insight to the characters. Blair then offers Jack to stay in her guest house to help him get a fresh perspective to hopefully write his book. As they get to know each other, they start becoming friends, show their true selves to each other, and start to fall for one another. I really enjoyed enjoyed the slow burn of their relationship, seeing them both work through their past traumas, and begin to heal and love. If you are looking for a fast and easy read with a deeper romance and good plot, this is the perfect read for you. :)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, real, and perfect for the readers of contemporary romance that are looking for characters beyond the college years.

Blair is a semi-recent divorcee, being one half of a Hollywood power couple who is now living a more quiet life while she continues builds her own producing company.

Jack is a writer who prefers to be a lone wolf, eager to write his next novel. His first book climbed the charts, its readers (including Blair) being deeply moved by the story.

One thing about success, is that it is often short lived. Jack is feeling the pressure to create his next story but the inspiration and motivation is severely lacking. While Blair is dealing with her own inner term oil and is thus making her world smaller and smaller.

Blair has a proposition: Jack can come live in her pool house to finish his novel. A change in scenery and routine may be just what he needs to spark his creative streak and Blair has ulterior motives of her own.

This story is a slow burn but with so much depth. Both characters have learned to adapt to their own challenges for years so when they are pushed together they are each delusional to the fact that they are not masking it well. This could be that they unknowingly have let the other see a part of themselves they have hid from everyone else or more simply that they are exactly what each other have needed. Either way, I enjoyed the literary banter between the two and the maturity they each possess. This was such a lovely read!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This book was reviewed as an ARC from NetGalley

I would give this book a 3.5 overall. I really appreciated the strong character development in Book Club Boyfriend. Both main characters felt well thought out, with distinct personalities that made their interactions engaging and, at times, genuinely funny. The humor woven throughout the story was a highlight for me and helped keep the narrative enjoyable even during slower moments.

That said, going into this book expecting a more traditional grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn romance may affect the reading experience. While those elements are present, they don’t quite follow the typical pacing or emotional buildup associated with those tropes. Much of the story focuses on individual character development, which is well done, but it takes a significant amount of time before the relationship between the two really comes into focus.

Because of this, the romance itself felt uneven to me. The progression seemed very slow for most of the book, and then suddenly advanced quickly near the end, which made the shift feel a bit abrupt. I think I might have connected more with the story if I had approached it outside of a romance-focused mindset.

Overall, this is a character-driven story with humor and thoughtful development, but readers looking for a clearly defined, steadily building romance may find the pacing a bit off.

[Jen Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like word plays, enemies to friends to lovers with a very slow burn with a lot of self discovery, this book is for you! Blair and Jack start off their professional journey on a very sour note, but a surprising proposition turns them into friends....confidants, motivators, and lovers.

Blair is lonely after her divorce with her kids both away at school and her cyclones keeping her at home and away from friends. Jack is struggling to write his second book and has declined to take part in Blair's book club. Blair is pure sunshine to the public where Jack is grumpy, broody, and crass when interviewed. In an unlikely text exchange, Jack and Blair start a friendship that could be mutually beneficial. Jack gets a new place to write and Blair gets company in her sanctuary. The quote "hurt people hurt people" is evident here. Not intentionally, but with truths that they are each scared to initially dive into and work through.

Over the course of a few months, Jack and Blair discover how to work through their mental struggles to be better to themselves and each other. I really liked how Jenny Holiday wrote this novel. I think it helped add to the connection of the characters and move through their story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced read of Book Club Boyfriend in exchange of an honest review. This is a 3.5 star read for me.

[Kenny__Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read, as Jenny Holiday has had some amazing reads before!
The character development had so much depth you feel like these are your closest friends, and the overall story has deeper emotional layers that build the romance into something soft, yet strong.
Blair was such a refreshing FMC as she was older, had more maturity in the dynamics, and had the experience of life driving her engagement. The representation of OCD and anxiety felt realistically and handled with care. I loved seeing a character with such connection to books and film, giving us some depth to her development and deeper insight into her.
Jack was equally inviting, though he was a bit frustrating at times but it felt rooted in his history more than him being a jerk - needing his own growth that was helped along with the FMC. His quiet attentiveness to Blair made you fall in love with him more, seeing how he saw her and showed up for her without question.

Their dynamic was heartwarming, chemistry filled banter, with the slow-burn of a grumpy/sunshine we love to see and an iconic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers plot line. It wasn’t fast or perfectly made up, making the growth and eventual happy ending feel earned, not assumed.

Thank you to Netgalley & Forever Publishing for the early copy in exchange for my honest review!

[R Mmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair, an actress/producer with a celebrity book club, wants to feature Jack’s debut novel, but Jack declines during a Zoom call, saying he isn’t interested in the project. When an article twists his words and makes him sound dismissive of her work, he feels guilty and reaches out to apologize. What follows is months of witty, thoughtful back-and-forth texts that slowly turn into something much more meaningful.

Blair, newly divorced and adjusting to life as an empty nester, finds comfort in their conversations. Jack, meanwhile, is struggling with writer’s block while trying to finish his second novel and enjoys the distraction. When he admits he still can’t write, Blair invites him to leave his condo in Minnesota and stay in her pool house in L.A. The more time they spend together, the more they realize how much they genuinely help one another. Jack starts writing again, and Blair finally feels less alone in her big house.

This was such a charming, heartfelt read with great chemistry and plenty of emotional depth. I loved watching their relationship naturally grow over time. A perfect summer read with humor, heart, and a little romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Okay listen… I did enjoy this. I really did. But also??? These are grown ass adults who are supposedly friends and yet we are doing ridiculous miscommunication, complete with ghosting and multiple rounds of unnecessary drama. Like…please- Use your words

That said- there’s a lot to love here. Dual POV, The texting-to-real-life slow burn, The cozy vibes, Movie nights, comfort food, random bonding, a suspiciously green pool… and honestly, the crow army stole the show

I do wish there had been less internal monologue and more actual interaction between Jack and Blair. More conversations = more tension = a bigger emotional payoff. It took a while for them to get out of their own heads and into their feelings because when they did it was messy, human, and believable

Also… tiny gripe: the title is doing some false advertising. That “book club” shows up briefly and then basically disappears, which felt a little misleading

Overall: quirky, cozy, a little frustrating, but still a fun time- especially if you’re here for chaotic feelings and emotionally stunted (but lovable) humans. And, obviously, the crows!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Blaire, former actress turned producer/celebrity book club leader (think Reese Witherspoon), is a lonely divorcee and empty nester struggling in her career and with undiagnosed anxiety.

Jack is a judgmental and isolated grump dealing with imposter syndrome, childhood trauma, and a bout of writer’s block.

Despite him rejecting her interest in featuring his debut novel in her book club, Blaire impulsively invites Jack to stay in her pool house to complete his next book. Over the course of months – in true slow burn fashion – these two opposites grow to understand each other on a deeper level, develop a unique friendship, and ultimately succumb to their attraction.

While I was expecting more of a rom com feel from this grumpy/sunshine, “enemies” to lovers story, Book Club Boyfriend was a serious and sophisticated read. Their complicated relationship was filled with small moments and beautiful gestures steeped in deep meaning. Overall, reading this was time well spent!

[Brittany Strehlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slow burn to end all slow burns. The grumpiest sunshine to ever grumpy sunshine. It’s romcom trope perfection! Jack is the perfect angsty curmudgeony author and Blair is the perfect blonde bombshell Hollywood actress turned producer valley girl.

Except they are obviously both so much more than that. They are both so unique and battling personal issues and Jenny did such a great job tackling the mental health approach in a genuine way for each of their circumstances.

I loved their “older age” (they are not old as they are my age/younger than me ha!) giving them more life experience and wisdom.

My only issue/loss of a day comes from the spice. I loved their slow burn and I obviously love a HEA and love that they get theirs…it just seemed like *BAM* sex…then *BAM* love. And all at the VERY END. Very abruptly. Maybe just a little more after? Or a little more else up to coming back together? Otherwise they were perfect!

Thank you to the author, the team, and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC. I truly enjoyed it and can’t wait to check out more!

[✨Poppy✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Forever & NetGalley!
This was such a fun read with a really refreshing twist on the typical rom-com dynamic.

Blair Kellermoon is a former rom-com star trying to be taken seriously as a producer, and I loved that aspect of her character. Seeing an older FMC navigating career struggles, reinvention, and self-doubt felt both relatable and realistic. She’s bubbly and warm, but there’s also a vulnerability underneath.

Jack, on the other hand, is very much the grumpy, slightly insufferable (but obviously soft inside) author type and their dynamic worked so well. The texting friendship turning into real-life proximity gave us all the cozy, slow-burn vibes: movie nights, comfort food, random bonding moments… and yes, even befriending crows (bc they are the best!!!) and dealing with a suspiciously green pool. It was quirky in a way I genuinely enjoyed.

That said, it did feel a bit too long for my liking. Some parts dragged and could have been tightened to keep the pacing sharper. I found myself losing momentum in the middle, even though I still cared about the characters.

[Mary Gosse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! Blair and Jack were great on their own, but had some great banter between them, with their texting, and later in person as well! They were both well-developed characters, a little quirky and awkward, and second guessed their interactions with each other at times, making this a very relatable relationship. I loved how they became deep friends very quickly - they may not have known each others’ favorite color or even whether they had siblings, but they discussed deep topics that really revealed themselves to each other. I also appreciated that both Blair and Jack had mental health and personal history issues that came to the surface during the course of their relationship - it was great that they dealt with these and supported each other during these crises. I’m not a big fan of spread-out timelines in books in general, but the author wrote this timeline well and it turned out to be essential to their story.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy - this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Melissa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a non typical romance. The character development was very good and the focus was on developing a relationship that was supportive and realistic before the sex happens. The sex is very much incidental to the story.
I found it refreshing that the characters were in their late 30s and actually written as real people with real lives and problems. Both have both postive and negative traits and are introspective and self aware enough to recognize and work on their own issues. Each is also empathetic and perceptive enough to realize the other also has issues and work to be supportive and helpful. While they found each other attractive, that was never the main focus of the story. Instead we see their emotional connection, friendship and ccompatibility develop in real time. It did slow down a bit for me at the end, and I wish we'd been able to see more of their lives together, but overall I found this an enjoyable and refreshing story. Anyone going into this for smut will be disappointed.

[Jacquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for a romance, with a lot more too it than romance? This may be the perfect book for you. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced e arc of Book Club Boyfriend, by Jenny Holiday. This very slow burn romance, and more about two people in need of time to heal themselves. Author Jack is a bit of a solo grumpy man. He is not impressed by Hollywood and all the glitz and glamour. When he meets Producer Blair, over a zoom call, he could not be more of a jerk. She has a great opportunity for him that will really promote his book, to which he says, so thanks.
For some reason, they start texting each other and he admits that he is in a writing slump. Blair, the forever nice girl, offers to have him come stay with her, in her pool house to maybe get some new inspiration. Needless to say lots of inspiration occurs, for both characters. I loved the humor in this story, but at times thought it dragged just a little bit. But overall I do recommend this book. I love all the tv show and movie references!

[Kathryn Hellenbrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC
Advanced Reader Copy of Book Club Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday releasing July 14th, 2026!!

A great grumpy/sunshine slow burn romance under 300 pages. Opposites attract in this unique pairing between Jack, a reserved and standoffish writer, and Blair, a sassy, extroverted, successful Hollywood actress and producer. A tender friendship develops between them when Jack temporarily moves into Blair’s pool house to resurrect the second novel he is struggling to write. Early morning walks, tv series binges, and occasional non-date dinners collide these two into feelings they fight hard to ignore.

I usually don’t like 3rd person POV but it worked in this book. I enjoyed the internal dialogue of the characters as they fought or questioned their feelings toward each other. This made the slow romance even better, i.e. the cabin IYKYK! Their relationship, albeit awkward for them, was never uncomfortable for the reader. If you enjoy nerdy thesaurus banter, mental health nods, slow burn romance, successful and divorced FMC with grown kids this book is for you!

Thank you so much to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read this ARC via NetGalley!

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair Kellermoon is a famous, divorced, mother to a grown daughter, and incensed when Jack Branksome, a crotchety novelist, turns her down for including his most recent work in her book club. When they begin a decent texting friendship and Jack decides MN is too cold for his current yips, Blair invites him to sunny LA to recuperate and work. He immediately regrets his rash decision when he realizes texting conversations might consist of different things, and thus begins these two's friendship. I really loved how "slow" this one moved, how precious the synonym exchange was, that the daughter thought they were sweet and was for it, and how the book club boyfriend comparison WAS truly there. It's a touch long, and glaring flaws absolutely exist, but I judge romance couples quite harshly typically and thought these two were a shoo in for soulmates. Thanks so much to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to realize Jack is the same maybe sometimes drunk author from Into the Woods, and that was primarily because of the way Blair Kellermoon came across as real person fanfic character based on Reese Witherspoon. She’s a former actress. She’s blonde. She’s southern. She has two young adult kids and the daughter is her mini me. She is a producer. She has a book club with special edition stickers at Target. It was too much. Honestly, I almost moved this to DNF very early on for that reason alone. Since it was an ARC I stuck with it, but struggled to connect with the story when the reminders were so frequent. If you just completely forget Reese Witherspoon exists and keep reading, it’s a decent story…

The character growth and backstory with Jack were good. I liked his whole misanthropic grump thing and the way he connected with Blair’s daughter, but this will never make the reread list because of the Blair thing.

I mostly downloaded the ARC because it said they were feeding crows.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC access

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

I was excited for this because I really do tend to love a book about bookish characters.

I did want more from these characters though. And the writing style.

I found the writing style to keep me a bit separated from the story, its characters, and what was going on.

In terms of the characters, I just wanted more from them. I found them to be a bit flat and not as endearing as I like it a romance. I think maybe my problem with this book is that it really read as literary fiction more so than the romance it's advertised as. But I'm not sure.

If you like an uber uber slow-burn, check this out. But if you find slow-burns to be too slow, maybe not.

This does have a character with OCD, so that was some nice representation.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Kassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you net galley for this book!


Sadly I didn’t love this book.
The writing was fine, but not my favorite.

I didn’t care for the characters, I never connected to either one and I just didn’t really care to see where the story went.
They both didn’t act their age either.
I was waiting for that moment where I really was rooting for them and their relationship but I never felt that feeling.
I kept having to force myself to keep picking up the book, it wasn’t something I was wanting to grab every night.

I do love when books include texting or emails or letters, so that was a fun aspect.

I did think there would be an actual book club that they participated in, but it was just a little thing that was mentioned and never visited again. So I do wish that it was more of an actual book club in this book since that is part of the title.

Overall this one wasn’t for me.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3/5 | 🌶️ 3/5
Third person POV, dual perspective: Blair & Jack
Linear timeline, organized in 3 parts

Like others have mentioned, this is a slow burn, and for me, it didn’t quite deliver the big, exciting HEA I was hoping for. There’s a lot of internal dialogue, and I wish there had been more interaction between the characters. More conversation might have built the tension and made the story, and the ending, feel more impactful. Additionally, maybe it wouldn’t have taken so long for them to figure out their feelings for each other.

Thank you Forever and Grand Central Publishing for an electronic ARC of this book which was provided to me via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Jobeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgallery for the ARC for an honest review.

This was a fun and insightful story with a movie star turned producer and a grumpy rude writer. There’s a falling out when he doesn’t want to be showcased as one of the book picks for books with Blair.

They end up making up and starting a texting relationship. He needs something to help him finish his book and she doesn’t want to be alone after her recent divorce.

This is a very character driven story. A lot of character development with this one. The romance is slow. And you may not love the characters right away. But they do grow on you, just as the love. The characters were really great but I wanted more of them together and more emotions toward that.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it's such a fun, feel-good read—especially if you love anything bookish. The premise is charming, and the story leans into that cozy, “romance about romance readers” vibe in the best way.

The relationship builds naturally, with sweet chemistry, a little awkwardness, and just enough emotional depth to keep it from feeling too light. It’s not overly dramatic—it’s softer, more sincere, and easy to fall into.

It’s a quick, comforting read that feels like curling up with your favorite book (which is kind of the point).

Overall, a cute and satisfying romance that’s perfect when you want something light, warm, and a little meta.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC, this review is based on my own thoughts and opinions.

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Holiday is an author I turn to whenever I need a deeply satisfying read. This book had me completely invested in no time. At first my brain may have been caught up thinking that this seemed like Jonathan Franzen and Reese Witherspoon combined in one story but the characters quickly differentiated themselves from any associations and became individuals I cared about and really wanted to see figure their stuff out. This was a book about a Hollywood actress turned producer and a literary fiction author who become part of each others’s lives after a disastrous meeting. It has depth and humor and two characters who you can feel opening up to each other as they both also face their own inner struggles. I loved it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..