Book Boyfriend

Book Boyfriends #1

by Claire Kingsley

Alternate Cover Edition of ASIN B06Y25GHGQ

He's too hot for words.

Mia
Alex Lawson might as well be the hottest book boyfriend imaginable. A fun, romantic, possessive, panty-melting man. And the best part? He's real. For a girl like me--a slightly awkward book addict--Alex is a dream come true, straight off the pages of my favorite romance novels.

But our story is turning into a whirlwind romance--the kind that only exists in books. Are we heading toward our own happily ever after? Or is he too good to be true?

Alex
Here's the thing: I'm not a bad guy. Lying to Mia wasn't part of the plan. Finding success as a romance author using a female pen name wasn't part of the plan either. But sometimes life takes unexpected turns.

Like realizing the woman you're falling for is your alter-ego's online best friend.

Online, she thinks I'm a woman named Lexi. In person, she knows I'm all man. I want to worship her body and claim every inch of her. But if she discovers my secret, I could lose everything.

***Book Boyfriend is a stand alone romance with a guaranteed to make you swoon HEA. It contains mature language and content and is intended for a mature audience. Fair warning, ladies--Alex will melt your panties off, so have an extra pair on hand before you one click.*** 
Kendra's story, Cocky Roommate, is now available!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Friends To Lovers, Adult, Chick Lit

239 pages, ebook

First published April 4, 2017

About the author

Claire Kingsley is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author of sexy, heartfelt contemporary romance, romantic comedies, and small-town romantic suspense. She writes sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.

Add Claire's next releases to your TBR today:


NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIO:

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Boyfriend is the first book I have ever read by Claire Kingsley. I have to ask myself why, why, why?! Because I have fallen in love with this book. It was full of humor, it was quirky, sweet, sexy as heck and just beautifully told. And the ending. Well, I swooned.



Mia Sullivan loves books. I mean, she really, really does. In real life, I think she was like a patient liaison at a hospital. She wears glasses which are constantly slipping down her nose, she is awkward, constantly dropping things or bumping into things and words just seem to occasionally pop out of her mouth. She has no filter. But Mia has an alter ego, Bookworm Babe or “BB.” It’s a book blog that she started for fun but it grew in popularity and now it’s a huge part of her life. Online she isn’t awkward or always doing the wrong thing. She has developed online friendships, one in particular with a popular romance author, Lexi Logan. They chat almost daily and she finds herself telling Lexi things she doesn’t tell anyone else. Just like you would a normal best friend.



Alex Lawson has a crappy job he hates and a novel he has been trying to write for years. His father has a serious debilitating back injury and needs expensive surgeries that insurance won’t completely cover. So Alex is doing all he can to help pay for his father’s care. It’s his sister, Kendra, who finally suggested that perhaps Alex could use his writing talent in a more marketable way, romance. But male romance authors are a hard sell so why not write under a female pen name, Lexi Logan. And who would have thought that Alex would actually be good at it. His books became wildly popular.

“No one has ever kissed me like that before. So perfectly. I didn’t even mess it up. Normally I get so flustered, I do things like elbow the guy or poke him in the eye. But not this time. Not with Alex.”



Alex and Mia literally crashed into one another and Alex found himself smitten with this gorgeous, funny, sweet woman. He just can’t seem to get her off his mind. It doesn’t take long, though, for him to figure out that this is “BB.” This is the book blogger his alter ego, Lexi, has been chatting with. But no one except his sister knows who Lexi Logan really is. Alex’s Dad’s medical care is hugely expensive. He barely knows Mia. It’s too early in their relationship to take a chance on telling her the truth. What if it doesn’t work out between them? She could out him. But their relationship fast tracks and feelings quickly deepen. He knows he needs to tell her but now he’s afraid he could lose her. Is there ever a right time to tell the woman you’re in love with that you’ve been lying to her?

“He has the look of a man who knows exactly what he wants, and is completely confident he’s going to get it. He should be. He’s absolutely going to get it. Whatever he wants, I’m giving it to him.”



I love the way this story was told. Just loved it. I couldn’t love Mia any more. I mean, she’s like my own personal idol. She loves to read, she lives to read. What I really loved about her, though, was that all her clumsiness, awkwardness, or inability to socialize disappeared when she was with Alex. She was confident and she was sexy when she was with him. He seemed to bring out all the best in her. These two together were on fire.

“You’re right out of a book. Gorgeous and sexy. Romantic. Fun. I joked for years that all my book boyfriends ruined me for real men, but you give those fictional guys a run for their money.”

For me, this was just a perfect book. I couldn’t put it down. There were no slow spots. I had to keep turning the pages to see what happened with Mia and Alex. And I couldn’t have loved the ending more. I definitely want to read more by Claire Kingsley and the perfect way to follow this up is with Alex’s sister, Kendra’s book, Cocky Roommate. I have a feeling I’m going to fall in love with it just as I did this one.

“I literally ran into him by random chance, and every day since has been like a waking dream. He’s everything. No writer could have come close to creating a hero so perfect for me.”

[persephone ☾ · Rating 1 out of 5]

i hate this book with a burning passion.
booktok failed me yet another time but can i say i'm surprised ? no, it's becoming a recurring pattern at this point.

first of all, the cover is a crime in itself. who thought this was a good idea ?? but i was like ‘let’s not judge books by their cover this year, it’s 2022 now that’s a thing of the past !’ well i definitely should have.

now for the love interest ... all i can say is get this man out of my face. this man sniffed Mia and started hallucinating and seeing himself kissing her ??
talk about a weirdo ... or maybe it's just the writing but either way it's super weird

and he was such a boring love interest : he was arrogant but not in the cocky-sexy-way-that-we -all-love, no he was just annoying and seemed like an asshole.

and what's this obsession, let’s call it what it is, with women who are pretty but who “have no clue they are” ? that's weird and you should get some help.

now that’s enough about Alex, let’s talk about Mia : 🚨 the “i’m-not-like-other-girls” syndrom has been diagnosed, and at this point, i think it’s uncurable 🚨 she was actually unbearable : she would apologize after saying the least important thing in the world but wouldn't apologize for the things she needed to apologize for ...
and also can we talk about the way that she literally cried because Alex said that he didn’t want to have sex with her ?

Mia’s sister wasn’t any better, this women literally told her sister that “she should get used to the fact that men are irritating” and basically put up with it because omg if she doesn't, she will end up single and what’s worse than that 😱

the writing simply wasn't good , i'm sorry, nothing was believable, events seem to happen without any logic and the 2nd hand embarassment i got from reading this book was truly awful ... one of the worst case i’ve ever saw.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was completely adorable from page one. A nerdy book blogger who loves her romance books on her kindle and can’t seem to get a second date. A computer guy turned closet romance novelist who writes under a pen name because 1. His dad would never approve and 2. Would romance readers really accept books from a male author? The two meet in an adorable meet-cute, and things go from there.

But of course, the plot thickens. Our blogger has a secret online identity. Our author is known by his female pen name in the writing community, but no one knows who he really is. When something “real” is forming, can you get past the lies that may have gotten you there, even if they were well intended? I ate this up 😊. And it has ADORABLE cat scenes!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

[Grace A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gulped this book down in one sitting. It was an easy, fun and highly entertaining read. The plot was fast moving and flowed beautifully from scene to scene. It had the right amount of everything, romance, tension, drama, hot sizzling intimacy...I was sucked into the world of Alex and Mia, it was intoxicating.
Alex and Mia were online friends both under a pseudonym. However, Alex took it one step further by assuming a feminine pseudonym, making him one of Mia’s closest online friends whom she shared pretty much everything with, all this happened prior to them running into each other physically and falling in love. Alex had managed to keep his online persona free from his personal life but he had to make a difficult choice, to hold on to his secret, or risk sharing it not knowing the impact it would have on his career and his father’s medical bill.
I fell in love with the characters, even the secondary characters, I didn’t want the book to end. That is my idea of a well deserved 5 star!

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt so exhausted by the male main character. I just couldn’t buy into why he waited so long for what he had to do. Not to mention all the coincidences in the book. I also didn’t like how fast it all went, from infatuation to the real deal in what felt like two seconds. Too many cliches as well.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writers remorse!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🤎🖤❤️💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😍😚😉🙂
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Alex (a.k.a. Lexi) - a former computer programmer who was writing a science fiction novel in his spare time. He always wanted to be a novelist. He hated his job, he was divorced and had developed a fear of commitment. When his sister Kendra talked him into writing books with a wider appeal which he could turn out fast, like romance novels. He couldn’t stop thinking about it and decided to do it. He was able to finish his first book in two weeks and publishes it under a female pseudonym.

The heroine: Mia - she is an introvert and a book addict. She is shy and awkward around others, so agrees to a blind date. I loved her from the start. She gets upset with her date for saying she is not a ‘serious’ reader because she reads romance. Like me, she reads about a book a day and is proud of it. She is a book blogger who is less inept and nervous online as ‘Bookworm Babe”.

The Story: Bookworm Babe and Lexi are online friends and they chat with each other all the time. As BB, Mia is able to tell Lexi about her life, like her failed blind date. She loves Lexi’s books and characters.

When Mia and Alex meet in a bookstore, a romance between them begins. Though it isn’t long before BB messages Lexie and tells her about a date she was just on and Alex realizes BB is Mia. He feels he can’t tell a blogger about his true identity without the possibility of negatively affecting his new career which is paying both his and his ill fathers bills including some hefty medical bills for his father.

This book was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Stephen Dexter and Maxine Mitchell. These are two of my favorite narrators, both of them have great voices and are terrific narrators. Stephen has a deep and sexy voice and Maxine has an intelligent sounding, yet feminine voice and both of them do great job.

This is a pretty standard contemporary romance where some big secrets keep compounding to make things worse between a couple. Where the reader is just waiting for everything to come out into the open and destroy everything (for a while at least). It was steamy and cute and I did like the storyline.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say this, but I hated part of this book. Such an adorable premise, but when one of the characters is a blithering idiot it's hard to get behind it.

For one of those few occasions, the dual POV worked as this is a kind of You've Got Mail scenario.

The h is a romance blogger; the H is a romance writer with a female pseudonym. The two have been emailing via her blog, and end up meeting cute in real life. The H figures out who the h is, but decides to keep his identity secret because his sales may tank if people find out that a big hunky man is the writer instead of a woman. Hmmmm.

The h and H get into a relationship where the chemistry and shortly after the sex is off the charts. I love you's follow.

The shoe drops when the H confesses who he is, and the h goes into a sub-freeze rejection. I don't buy it. You love each other, the sex is OTT, and the h pitches a hissy fit and break up because the H continued the email relationship where he read the h's comments about him. Yes, get angry, but let's not overplay the angst and poutiness. I think some of my reluctance to cut the h a break is that the hero's POV was soooooo much better done than the heroine.

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 🤔❤️🤔⭐️s

A quick, funny and light hearted romance read!

Mia was a romance book addict and had a romance book review blog under the pseudonym Bookworm Babe.
She was very clumsy and didn’t have self confidence.

Alex was a romance writer under the female pen name of Lexi.
Mia enjoyed Lexi’s books and had started talking to each other, through messages.
A few months later, Mia encountered Alex and started dating, and a few days later Alex realised that Mia was BB.
They kept dating and later on Mia discovered Lexi’s identity! Oops!!

This story was easy to read, with a nice flow and fast paced, with very low angst. It didn’t bring out great emotions, and was lacking of depth.

I liked the concept of this story and I enjoyed it but wasn't thrilled.

(The cover was irrelevant to the story...)

[bookbeedani 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️
🌶 🌶

Wow. This book was deliciously fun, cute, charming, funny, surprisingly spicy at times and overall just SWEET. I am absolutely shocked by how much I loved this little book. Back for more in depth thoughts when it’s not 3am, but you NEED to read this. You really do.

Alex may be a top 3 favorite book boyfriend, ever.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good god we’re having a conversation about what we’re reading. I am so turned on right now. - Mia is me. I am Mia. 🫡

And damn it was this cute. Alex not only writes about book boyfriends, but he IS a book boyfriend. Swoon.

[Jacob Proffitt]

I started this even though it's a secret keeping story and that pretty much guarantees a dark moment. Because that's the point of secret keeping stories (I still maintain that it doesn't have to be, but why have a secret if you aren't going to have a dark moment?). I got about halfway, which is where him continuing to keep the secret became painful and I'm stopping. The thing is, at this point he knows enough to be able to put some trust in her. She's not a monster and he can clearly articulate why his secret is important both to himself and his family. So maintaining it further is just stupid and sets him up for the failure to come. And I just can't bear to continue.

I'm hesitant to rate this. I knew what it was going in so dinging it for being that seems . . . mean. So I'll leave this one unrated, I think, and just move on.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Life Imitating Art While Being Real Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Books which nod to the romance industry hold a very special place in my reading heart. When you read as much as we do and have gone to events and shared moments with favorite authors, then anything which gives a wink and a nod to them is a pure delight. There are any number of books out there which have had some degree of story line with these elements... but this Book Boyfriend has another twist... and I love how all of it played out.

We have Mia. She is someone who is a total Romance book connoisseur. It is where life is how it should be rather than the one where she inhabits daily. She has family which has teased her about how she is a bookworm , needs to get out and find a man.

Mia is a competent individual, has a position which assists others but her passion is reading. She became so involved, she started a blog and it has become her guilty pleasure. No one knows it is her and she keeps it secret from everyone. She does enjoy, though, the interactions she has with other like minded readers and the perks of actually interacting with authors she has read. In fact, one such author is more like a buddy of sorts. They messenger each other,chat and share more than the usual, "Gee I like your books" exchanges. This Lexi Logan is someone special...

Yeah, this Lexi Logan is special alright...because Lexi is actually Alex Larsen...a full fledged Guy!

You see, Alex Larsen was stuck. Stuck in a job he hated, stuck trying to write a Sci Fi book that seemed to have taken on a life of its own... and not in a good way. It was Alex's focus morning, noon and night when he was slugging away in his cubicle at work. Each sentence was like giving birth and even with his accomplished editor sister reading for him...it was becoming a noose around his neck.

In fact, his sister was concerned for Alex as she knew the only reason Alex stayed his position at work was so he could cover their dad's medical and house bills. She was so supportive of his writing and lamented that it was too bad he didn't write Romance...Romance readers are voracious; they read one right after the other and it is one of the most popular markets. In fact, some readers are the book a day type.

Alex listened to his sister... and then all of the things she mentioned rattled around in his head. He was a creature of research, so he did his due diligence and looked into everything...marketing, publishing, social media and then read five of the top romance books happening. After finishing the last one, he felt he had a handle on exactly what these books were about... how they were put together and how they had to have a HEA at the end.

He decided to go for it and blocked out time to write...This time writing was so different; this time the words just flowed... no struggling like before. He wrote and wrote and then presented it to his sister. She read it and when he asked her what she thought... he was astounded because she loved it! In fact, she loved it so much, she offered to do his editing and then brainstormed with him about his name... how he needed to come up with a woman's name...

And that was how Lexi Logan was born.

It was also how after three years of writing, he had quit his crappy job, made enough to help his dad and arrange for the necessary surgery he needed. Alex was careful not to do any book events or anything which could mess up his career... but he was curious about how those book signings worked. He saw there was one happening at a bookstore not too far away for an author he admired. He would scope it out and see what's what.

Mia had just had another ridiculous fix up blind date. The guy was so full of himself, it was laughable. To think of the things he said about her reading Romance...what a poser...Mia even mentioned all of it to Lexi Logan and she agreed, the guy was an idiot. No more blind dates...and what better way to shake things off then to go and see an author who writes the best book boyfriends.

This is where it all happens... the cute, awkward meet of Mia and Alex. Mia bumps into him... dropping all of her books and the coffee she is holding...Alex, like superman, catches the coffee saving the spill. Tongue tied Mia, as usual, is all fluttery and taken aback because a hunk like Alex normally would never give Mia the time of day. The joke is Alex feels that Mia is beautiful and taken with her from the start. He likes her shy way and they end up having a coffee date, then a book reading date and then a real date...which leads to Alex realizing something terrible...

Mia is the blogger he has been having a friendship with as Lexi Logan! Oh, this is not good...Because Alex really likes her...and doesn't know how to tell her without ruining his career and his financial way to pay and take care of his dad...and still date Mia...

This book had so much going for it, especially if you are an avid reader of romance. There are nods abound to the blogging and romance industry. They aren't just little things but actual truisms.

These two are not slick people, they have their quirks and hiccups. They are cute together and when things get steamy, they get steamy...

This covered the concerns of lying by omission and understanding why these things happen. Both grew up a bit and were a love match just like in the romance stories we read.


For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release Date: April 4, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars

I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book! It's such a fun and original read with amazing characters who quickly warm your heart. I love how it's essentially a "story within a story" in terms of romances. How so? The hero is a ROMANCE AUTHOR. And the heroine is the girl who is slowly finding her HEA with a man just like all the characters she has come to love in BOOKS. The heroine is a book blogger (how cute!!!!) and reads a ton of romance (like a book a day- just like many of us), and would rather stay home and read rather than going out and partaking in social activities! Gah! She's a girl after my own heart. Honestly, I just loved this book to pieces and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series. I am really going to miss Alex and Mia, but I'm excited for the next one.

If you are looking for a light read with some of the most relatable characters around then this is THE book that should be on your kindles. I don't say it often but I think all romance readers and book bloggers NEED to read this book! It's a breath of fresh air and so much fun.

Recommended Read

[Antonella · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 stars
might read the rest of the series later, but this one missed the mark imo
both leading characters are annoying
insta love
stupid plot twist

[Cleoblacktra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed!

I loved Alex & Mia's story. Even more so how Alex was totally enamored with Mia. And even more, more so - how these two just went for it! Balls to the walls and that's exciting to see. Not every scenario has to be huge drama - push n pull defcon 5 end of the world earth shattering post apocalyptic gauntlet fight to the death love stories -_-

Book boyfriend gives you all the feels without "devastation" and that my friends is refereshing.

2nd book I've read by the author - something tells me my KU LIBRARY will soon be exclusively works by CK!

[Susani]

DNF at 51%. Heroine is not working for me - way too insecure for me. Hero's not really for me either. Not fond of deception with the thought that it's ok, because the relationship isn't going to last anyway.

[Ms reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audio was great! Loved the narrators. It was short, cute and charming.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐💫
1½ stars.



➖ What I disliked:

Heroine is so insecure and a push over.

Annoying characters.

Annoying side character.

Lacking chemistry.

Over the top.

Overload of clichés.

Stereotyped characters.

Too predictable.

Arrogant and obnoxious hero.

Felt rushed.

Too many cringe moments.


➕ What I liked :

Nothing really. (the story missed the mark, it could have been a rather sweet and fun book if everything was not so over the top and predictable and with a overload of cringe moments.)

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Purchased based on friend's review. New author to me. Great read, couldn't put it down until finished and I really had things I should have been doing today. Looking forward to book 2 and 3.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well... at least it was free.

It was a fast, not particular riveting read. Simple, easy, not at all touching my emotions in any way, just kind of bleh. I found a couple of errors. Sexy bits were also meh. Mainly because of the lack of emotional intensity previously mentioned.

Might be 2.5 stars actually, rounded to 2. Not terribly satisfied. Felt like I just ate a plate of greens. And just so we're clear -- I'm 100% carnivore.

[Katerina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Boyfriend is meh. That's the only way to describe it. Alex didn't come across as passionate at all for Mia. Just... bland. And Mia seemed a little too embarrassing and pathetic at points which her whole "falling over for him", "you're so perfect" kiss ass business. It was cringe to read about. I don't know if it's rooted down to her insecurities but could she have been anymore obvious? She was better at the end once she took some space from him, but the couple seemed really lacking, both in chemistry and conversation.

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a reader and have always dreamed of a guy picking you up in a bookstore with the line "let me buy you some books" then this book is for you.  Honestly, this book is probably all of our dreams come true.  Mia is a romance book blogger, and she's a bit introverted and nerdy and unapologetic about how much she loves to read... which I can appreciate so, so much.  That said, her family doesn't think her reading is a good use of her time, and if they knew about her blogging, they would make her feel bad about it.  So she's never told them and she's completely anonymous online.

Alex Lawson has stumbled upon a gold mine... Struggling to write his amazing novel, and help his father pay his medical bills, he's stuck in a computer job he doesn't love.  When his sister crazily suggests that he write romance he immediately shoots it down.  But for whatever reason he can't get the idea out of his head and so he dives in head first and lets his sister read the finished product.  And it's amazing ... soon, he's got 7 titles out in the world under the pen name Lexi Logan and he's quit his day job and is helping his father get back on track.

Then he bumps into Mia in a bookstore and the connection is instantaneous ... like something out of a romance novel, and after years of being alone, he's not willing to let her leave without the promise of seeing her again.

There is one catch... after their date, he's positive that Mia is BB, the book blogger he's been chatting with online and she's messaging him about him thinking he's the author.  Yeah... it could be a bit confusing.

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read, obviously geared towards those of us who dream of a guy buying us books in a bookstore and then falling madly in love in all the ways he's perfect... (um, he wants to stay in and watch movies and cuddle under blankets).  I completely like Alex, and I even liked Mia for the most part. There were a few times where I was a bit irritated with her, but by the end I found that I really liked these two together.

Other than being super predictable, this was a sweet and swoony romance  - if you're looking to immerse yourself in a dream come true, you might want to grab it soon!

[Jessica {Litnoob} · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the heavy i read this morning this is exactly the fun flirty and loving book I needed to round out my night. A one sitting wonder it was quick and quirky and fun all while being sweet and engaging and endearing. Plus let’s be real it spoke to my soul. An author falling for a book blogger, first meeting in a book store and clearly vibing at first meeting about their favorite books? Sign me the hell up!

I listened to this on audio and I am for sure making sure to buy a physical copy that’s how endeared I was to this story. A very solid and romantic four stars.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like Claire Kingsley's writing, obviously, and this was charming - but also a bit too meta for me. I also never like plots where people kind of pretend to be somebody else, and I dislike when miscommunication is the main reason for drama. I did love how very vocally into each other these two were though.

[jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'll admit it... I picked this up because of the title... But, hello? Book Boyfriend!! - We all love our book boyfriends and when there's a book called Book Boyfriend I just HAVE to check him out ;-)

"Don’t get me wrong, I love a good angsty romance. But sometimes it’s nice to read something lighter in between the weighty ones.”

And that's exactly what Book Boyfriend by Claire Kingsley is! I really enjoyed this light and funny story. And Alex is definitely a swoon-worthy book boyfriend!

[Kathleen R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Book Boyfriend
Author: Claire Kingsley

5 amazing stars



Too often I've wondered what i would do if the perfect boyfriend showed up in front of me - of course, the kind that i usually only find in books, too good to be true and so very, unbelievably irresistible. I won't lie, i still believe that those kinds of men are only available in our minds and written down in the pages of the best books that i love. Of course, i was more than curious to find out how Claire Kingsley would make her own book boyfriend real and believable. And what an interesting journey it was, that's for sure. I've met authors who write in the opposite gender, and it's always been fascinating to see how they can be as realistic as possible; so it's no wonder that when Alex meets Mia as his alter ego, Lexi, they become fast friends. Mia loves books, would live in them if possible, something i can absolutely relate to. When she comes across Alex, their chemistry is instant, seemingly as though he's too good to be true. Only, Alex knows more about Mia than he leads on, his feelings so very true, but secrets are something that shouldn't be kept in case they come out...

4 breath taking dreams



It was an adorable story, the kind that really makes you wonder if it happens. How many times do you chat with someone online and truly hope that the person you're speaking to is who they really are. Of course, every so often, they are nothing like what we'd expect, being the complete opposite. While i did like this book, it was interesting and the kind of story that will make you think twice about who you speak to, there was so much i was hoping for. It's difficult admitting this simply because i had high hopes reading the blurb and getting into the story. There were some parts that were great and others when i had hoped for more - as much as Mia loved her books and her blog, there had to be more to her than simply that. As for Alex, i had hoped that he'd be more open on who he is and what he knew about Mia. Albeit this, i still enjoyed Book Boyfriend, and can only hope to read from Claire Kingsley in the future because just being able to read something that i've thought about more often than not has made me wildly curious about her.


*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Kathleen, The Small Girl from A small girl, her man and her books

 

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,9. Livro gostoso de ler, sem muito estresse. A autora tem definitivamente, poder com as palavras que escreve. Adorei!!!
Vale a leitura. Sessão da tarde.

[Gökçe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Konusu çok çok ilgimi çeken bir kitaptı ancak konunun verdiği zevki anlatış veremedi.

Şimdi burada hepimiz kitap yorumu yapıyoruz değil mi? Düşünün, burada bir nick ile bulunduğıumuzu ve kimsenin izim kim olduğumuzu bilmediğini. Sonra burası sayesinde bir yazar ile tanıştığımızı, arkadaş olduğumuzu ve en özel şeylerimizi bile anlattığımızı düşünün. Sonuçta kadın adı, romantik kitaplar yazarı bir insan. Sonra bir bakıyorsunuz o kanka olduğunuz kadın aslında erkekmiş! Ve siz farkında olmadan gerçekte onunla tanışmışsınız, aşık bile olmuşsunuz! Diğer yandan bu tanıdığınız kadın yazarla mesajlaşmaya devam etmişsiniz, ona bu yakışıklı adamdan bahsetmişsiniz falan. Çok değişik ve eğlenceli gibi değil mi? Kitabın konusu da bu. Mia bir romantik kitap blogu sahibi ancak blogda asla kendi adını kullanmıyor. Alex ise bilim-kurgu yazmakta para olmayınca Lexi Logan takma adıyla romantik kitaplar yazan bir adam. Alex ile Mia şans esei karşılaşıyor ve birbirlerinden hoşlanıyorlar. Başta farkında bile değiller kim olduklarının ama aslında ikisinin de alter ego'ları kanka. Neyse işte kitap Alex'in bunu Mia'ya açıklamasıyla başlıyor, geri sayıyor olayı anlatıyor ve ondan sonrasını gösteriyor.

Konu ne kadar ilginçse anlatım da bir o kadar yavandı. Aşırı basit cümleler, cheesy line'lar derken göz devire devire okudum. Mia işte internette Lexi ile konuşurken diyor ki "Bara gidince erkekler kadınlara içki ısmarlıyor ya, keşke biri de kitapçıda bana kitap ısmarlasa" Bak bak bak. Cinsliğe bak. Alex de Lexi olarak bir blog yazarıyla böyle bir şey konuştuğunu hatırlıyor, Mia ile kitapçıda karşılaşınca onun kitaplarını kendi ödüyor. Ay bu beni bir rahatsız etti. Romantik falan bulmadım, bence çok saçma. Her neyse, kitap işte böyle ilerliyor. Bunlar hemencecik mıç mıç sevgili oluyor. Ama mia bir yazandan Bookworm Babe olarak Lexi ile konuşuyor, Alex bir süre sonra çözüyor kimin kim olduğunu. Kız ama ilişkilerine dair, hislerine dair konuşuyor. Yani adam aslında kız ona söylemeden onun hakkında ne düşündüğünü öğreniyor. Sonrası zaten malum.

Her şeyden öte çok aşırı basit "geldim, gittim, o geldi, öteki gitti" minvalindeki basit cümleler çok kötüydü. Kitaptan zevk alamadım.

EN EN EN SİNİR OLDUĞUM ŞEYİ YAZMAYI UNUTTUĞUMU FARK ETTİM!
Mia’nın bir kedisi var, Fabio. Seviyorum diyor falan ama yalan bence. Sürekli kediye “Asshole” diyorlar, bıkmış gibi davranıyorlar. SEVMEYECEKSEN NİYE SÖVÜYORSUN BACIM?! Ay bu durum bir sinirime dokundu ki benim. Kız böyle lütfedip de kediye bakıyor gibi.


P.S. Madem bu kadar zevk alamadın ve gömdün de neden ikinci kitabı da okudun derseniz, kediyi öldüren merakmış a dostler! :(

[Tpagirl Loves Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Boyfriend was the first book I've read by Claire Kingsley. It was a standalone; however, Cocky Roommate and Hot Single Dad are both standalone novels that are the siblings to one of the main characters, Alex.

Alex Lawson was gorgeous. He carried the weight of his family on his shoulders. He loved to write but was stuck in a computer programming job to pay the bills. Inspiration struck and he became an overnight success as a romance writer under a female pen name.

Mia Sullivan was the quirky, awkward yet beautiful book worm. She had a job in the medical field but was a successful romance book blogger under the name Bookworm Babe to keep her real identity a secret.

Book Boyfriend opened at present day in Alex's POV with Alex coming clean to Mia about a lie. He then backtracked and began telling the story of how they got to that point. Mia's POV came in at chapter three. She provided the background for her character, then Kingsley went straight into the great meet and the double POV then ensued.

I liked both characters. They had depth and substance. Although Alex was a romance writer, I loved his alpha tendencies. They weren't in your face like an MC novel, but they were present and sexy none the less.

It was a sweet and quick read. The premise of the story was not a unique one, but it did have a twist from the norm with Alex having an alter ego, Lexie, the talented and popular romance author. Although it was pretty predictable, I enjoyed the relationship buildup and the banter. I also enjoyed Kingsley's use of both families for fun and likable support characters. The secondary plots within the families supporting the main theme provided additional depth.

All in all, it was enjoyable and entertaining. A good read for when looking for something light hearted in between books with dark themes. I'll now have to tackle Kingsley's Cocky Roommate and Hot Single Dad next.

[glavreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - adorable, quick read. i listened on audible and it was such a good listen!

alex and mia meet in a bookstore and he buys her books (swoon). alex moonlights as a romance author under a female pen name and imagine his surprise when his online pen pal/book blogger describes an encounter that sounds suspiciously like how he met mia.

this was cute, spicy, and romantic. alex was so cute and he literally writes a book for her 🥲 i die <3