What do you think?
Rate this book
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club
Need a prom date? Want to impress your friends? Or make your ex jealous? Just call...
THE BORROW A BOYFRIEND CLUB
When sixteen-year-old Noah starts at a new school, he has a plan to ensure the students see him as his true gender: join the school's secretive Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where members rent themselves out to their classmates for dates. The endless "accidental slip-ups" that plagued him at his last school will be a thing of the past once he joins the club; after all, it has "boy" right in the title.
But he fails the audition. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club's prickly president, Asher: he'll help lead the nearly-bankrupt club to victory at the school's fundraising dance competition, and in exchange Asher will allow Noah to prove his skills as a boyfriend in a series of tests that include romancing Asher himself.
As Noah passes test after test, his fake romance with Asher starts to feel surprisingly real, and Noah is faced with a dilemma. If he fails to win the dance fundraiser the club will go bankrupt, and he'll not only lose the new friends he's made - the whole school will know he isn't "boy enough". But if Noah succeeds in securing the club their victory, he'll have to follow the most important, unbreakable rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club: no real girlfriends (or boyfriends) allowed.
Will Noah risk breaking the rules for a chance at love?
THE BORROW A BOYFRIEND CLUB
When sixteen-year-old Noah starts at a new school, he has a plan to ensure the students see him as his true gender: join the school's secretive Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where members rent themselves out to their classmates for dates. The endless "accidental slip-ups" that plagued him at his last school will be a thing of the past once he joins the club; after all, it has "boy" right in the title.
But he fails the audition. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club's prickly president, Asher: he'll help lead the nearly-bankrupt club to victory at the school's fundraising dance competition, and in exchange Asher will allow Noah to prove his skills as a boyfriend in a series of tests that include romancing Asher himself.
As Noah passes test after test, his fake romance with Asher starts to feel surprisingly real, and Noah is faced with a dilemma. If he fails to win the dance fundraiser the club will go bankrupt, and he'll not only lose the new friends he's made - the whole school will know he isn't "boy enough". But if Noah succeeds in securing the club their victory, he'll have to follow the most important, unbreakable rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club: no real girlfriends (or boyfriends) allowed.
Will Noah risk breaking the rules for a chance at love?
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2023
115 people are currently reading
10979 people want to read
About the author
Page Powars
6 books708 followersPage Powars is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Indie bestselling author of And They Were Roommates, The Borrow a Boyfriend Club, and more coming down the line. He was raised by video game lore that requires stringboard analyses to understand. Now, he writes books for teenagers and adults. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 780 reviews
April 1, 2022
horrible book. five stars
December 31, 2024
i love ouran high school host club
May 19, 2023
I have mentored three authors, and Page was one of them. When this book landed in my inbox I was ready to fight for it, die for it, ki— you get it. I was obsessed. I’m still obsessed. This book is absolutely hilarious, unique, romantic, fast paced, FUN, satirical, follows cartoon rules (in the best way—if you like books that don’t take themselves too seriously, but know when and how to be serious, this is for you) and it’s just damn GOOD. It sparkled, and it sparkles. I could not give this a stronger endorsement.
August 19, 2023
Actual rating 4.5 stars.
The feel-good YA story of 2023! I just know a lot of my friends will love this witty and cute book. So if you adore Robbie Couch’s and Simon James Green’s books, please pick up this one too! I bet you will laugh out loud!
Fluff, fluff, and more fluff, and then suddenly, with dept, this story is a perfect comfort read. A silly story, according to Page Powers, but I disagree. It’s so sweet and cute. Noah is a character to root for, and the borrow a boyfriend club is such a fantastic group of friends. I had to warm up to Asher for a while, but I was also curious about what was behind his push-and-pull strategy. I raced through the story while sitting on the edge of my seat. I wanted more, more, more, and at the same time, I didn’t want this delightful book to end. And now I did, I want, no need to read Page’s sophomore book, And Then They Were Roommates, ASAP!
I received an ARC from Random House Children’s and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
The feel-good YA story of 2023! I just know a lot of my friends will love this witty and cute book. So if you adore Robbie Couch’s and Simon James Green’s books, please pick up this one too! I bet you will laugh out loud!
Fluff, fluff, and more fluff, and then suddenly, with dept, this story is a perfect comfort read. A silly story, according to Page Powers, but I disagree. It’s so sweet and cute. Noah is a character to root for, and the borrow a boyfriend club is such a fantastic group of friends. I had to warm up to Asher for a while, but I was also curious about what was behind his push-and-pull strategy. I raced through the story while sitting on the edge of my seat. I wanted more, more, more, and at the same time, I didn’t want this delightful book to end. And now I did, I want, no need to read Page’s sophomore book, And Then They Were Roommates, ASAP!
I received an ARC from Random House Children’s and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on Instagram
November 19, 2023
4,5 stars.
Beautiful book about Noah, a 17 year old trans boy who's starting at a new school, longing for a clean, fresh start with people who only know him as a boy.
It's written in first person from Noah's pov.
The romance wasn't a central part in my opinion, taking a backseat to Noah's journey to finding his place in his life.
I loved how Noah stood up for himself, even with Asher.
For most of the book he takes the necessary steps or challenges to get accepted as a member of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club. He is certain his eventual membership will cement the fact that he's a boy for everyone.
At home his parents are supportive in theory, but they acted (in my opinion) totally careless and had the empathy of walnuts in regards to their son. They even called him the same nickname as before, because it conveniently was appliable to Noah as well, and never called him by his new chosen name! That's not support, I don't care how many times you SAY you're supportive, you obviously have to act supportive as well! They even let him carry every financial cost/burden he needed for his transitioning alone? He has to work at a café to fund his transition and his official name change? I hated his parents.
It's no surprise how much Noah needs the certainty that nobody doubts his gender anymore, when even his parents don't have the decency to commit to his full new name.
The borrow a boyfriend club - dynamics took a while for me to get endearing rather than strange, and Asher's character was very hard to understand for a long time. Maybe I'll get him earlier on a reread.
The story wasn't neither very heavy/emotional nor particularly cute/fluffy, but rather refreshing to read.
tl;dr: beautiful and important. Read it!
Beautiful book about Noah, a 17 year old trans boy who's starting at a new school, longing for a clean, fresh start with people who only know him as a boy.
It's written in first person from Noah's pov.
The romance wasn't a central part in my opinion, taking a backseat to Noah's journey to finding his place in his life.
I loved how Noah stood up for himself, even with Asher.
For most of the book he takes the necessary steps or challenges to get accepted as a member of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club. He is certain his eventual membership will cement the fact that he's a boy for everyone.
At home his parents are supportive in theory, but they acted (in my opinion) totally careless and had the empathy of walnuts in regards to their son. They even called him the same nickname as before, because it conveniently was appliable to Noah as well, and never called him by his new chosen name! That's not support, I don't care how many times you SAY you're supportive, you obviously have to act supportive as well! They even let him carry every financial cost/burden he needed for his transitioning alone? He has to work at a café to fund his transition and his official name change? I hated his parents.
It's no surprise how much Noah needs the certainty that nobody doubts his gender anymore, when even his parents don't have the decency to commit to his full new name.
The borrow a boyfriend club - dynamics took a while for me to get endearing rather than strange, and Asher's character was very hard to understand for a long time. Maybe I'll get him earlier on a reread.
The story wasn't neither very heavy/emotional nor particularly cute/fluffy, but rather refreshing to read.
tl;dr: beautiful and important. Read it!
November 21, 2023
Hello I would like to borrow a boyfriend
November 13, 2021
I read this book in a single sitting on a cozy afternoon. If you know me, you know that doesn't happen often. From the very first line, THE BORROW A BOYFRIEND CLUB promises a wildly funny, heartfelt story about a trans boy who just wants to be seen as he truly is. And does it ever deliver! I already know Page Powars is going to be hailed as the next king of queer romcoms. The humour is sharp and witty, the romance equal parts tense and adorable, and overall it's just an absolute delight. This is the m/m dislike-to-love story the YA world deserves!
September 17, 2023
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
This was SO fantastic!!! It literally had me feeling ALL THE FEELS & my heart is all fluttery!
No joke, this book is literally like a shot of dopamine to the brain!
🥹🥹🥹♥️♥️♥️
This was SO fantastic!!! It literally had me feeling ALL THE FEELS & my heart is all fluttery!
No joke, this book is literally like a shot of dopamine to the brain!
🥹🥹🥹♥️♥️♥️
October 3, 2023
4 stars. Though I had some minor quibbles with the writing, ultimately The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is the literary version of Ouran High School Host Club that readers have been waiting for: camp, fluff, and hilarity included.
Want to read
March 15, 2022can a club like this exist at my school pls and ty
June 3, 2023
Have I ever read a book more chaotic? Perhaps not. A bunch of VERY enterprising teens run a secret "Borrow a Boyfriend" club under the guise of an Italian club in high school. Don't ask too many questions about how they manage to keep this secret to the teachers when all of the students know, and just go with it, because this is an extremely fun read.
Our main character, Noah, has just about three braincells, and I love him with all my heart. I don't know how I came to adopt two fictional trans teens named Noah with zero braincells (the other being the MC from Meet Cute Diary). If I got a dollar for every time this happened, I would have two dollars, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Noah wants to join the club to prove he's really a boy, and over the course of the story he learns that maybe he doesn't have anything to prove. So there's definitely a message to this book, but it's also just a HILARIOUS read full of nonsense and hijinks, that had me laughing out loud. I was especially just so entertained by how extremely seriously these teens take themselves, it was pure gold to read about.
Our main character, Noah, has just about three braincells, and I love him with all my heart. I don't know how I came to adopt two fictional trans teens named Noah with zero braincells (the other being the MC from Meet Cute Diary). If I got a dollar for every time this happened, I would have two dollars, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Noah wants to join the club to prove he's really a boy, and over the course of the story he learns that maybe he doesn't have anything to prove. So there's definitely a message to this book, but it's also just a HILARIOUS read full of nonsense and hijinks, that had me laughing out loud. I was especially just so entertained by how extremely seriously these teens take themselves, it was pure gold to read about.
August 16, 2023
I won an eARC of this book in a giveaway held by the author on instagram!
This book was such a joy to read!!! The moment I got my hands on it I literally didn’t stop reading it until it was over!
Don’t get me wrong: the premise is absolutely ridiculous. A bunch of high school boys having a club where they get rented out as fake boyfriends? And our MC (who is trans) trying to get into this club to prove he is a “real boy” by having to literally “romance the president” + get the boys to win a dance competition? Oh, it’s so absurd! But was I here for all that silliness? Hell yeah! 😎😎😎 This book is sooo much fun!!!!! It’s such a cute and easy read, and the writing is funny, without seeming too forced.
Noah is such a great main character! He is so ridiculous and silly and pathetic, and I love him with all my heart! This boy has 3 braincells and a dream. He is constantly getting himself into crazy situations and he just takes L after L after L. He’s absolutely pitiful. I love him! 😭🤲💜
I obviously absolutely adored the trans rep in this book! Page Powars managed to show the struggles of being a trans boy while still making this book lighthearted and without including “strong” examples of transphobia on page. He found a perfect balance: the book definitely shows how much trans kids go through, but overall it is still a fun and low-angst rom-com that I think everyone can find comfort and joy in.
Asher was a very interesting love interest. He was definitely very well rounded. I liked learning more about his life, and the banter between him and Noah was really enjoyable. I loooved seeing Asher slowly falling for Noah, and Noah being too oblivious to notice it. 🤭 With that said, I do think he was a little too combative for my taste. He was rude to everyone in the club, and also to Noah, for no damn reason. I understand that it was kind of explained and he apologized in the end, but I have to say: as a reader, after like the 3rd time of Asher finally let Noah in, only to then immediately push him away, it got a little annoying.
I also genuinely never understood why the club boys took Asher seriously. He was so antagonistic. Why would these kids put up with that? And also, why would everyone at school be so obsessed with the Borrow a Boyfriend Club? Their influence was really seen after their dance performance (where students were literally lining up to take selfies with the club boys), but it honestly never felt granted. I feel like the author needed to build both Asher and the Club’s reputation, power and popularity up a bit better, so that people’s attitudes towards them seemed more realistic. I think the author could still add a bit more to the book before publication, so that students literally glorifying this club seems more justified.
Also – this is more of a personal thing – but I would’ve loved to see a bit more at the end! I really enjoyed the side characters (especially Lenny, my beloved 🫶), and I loved seeing Noah finally accepting himself, reaching out to his old friends, accepting the club as his new friends, and, obviously, getting with Asher. I would’ve really liked at least an epilogue to get a bit more of these characters! 🥹💖
Overall: this is such a cute book, and if you like rom-coms you should definitely add this to your TBR! And omg I can’t WAIT for Page Powars’ next book! It’s already one of my most anticipated reads! 🤩🤩🤩
(review written on 16/07/2023)
------------
GUESS WHO JUST WON AN ARC OVER ON INSTAGRAM AAAAAAAAAAAAAA TYSM PAGE POWARS ILY
(03/07/2023)
------------
this synopsis?? let's go 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️
(17/02/2022)
This book was such a joy to read!!! The moment I got my hands on it I literally didn’t stop reading it until it was over!
Don’t get me wrong: the premise is absolutely ridiculous. A bunch of high school boys having a club where they get rented out as fake boyfriends? And our MC (who is trans) trying to get into this club to prove he is a “real boy” by having to literally “romance the president” + get the boys to win a dance competition? Oh, it’s so absurd! But was I here for all that silliness? Hell yeah! 😎😎😎 This book is sooo much fun!!!!! It’s such a cute and easy read, and the writing is funny, without seeming too forced.
Noah is such a great main character! He is so ridiculous and silly and pathetic, and I love him with all my heart! This boy has 3 braincells and a dream. He is constantly getting himself into crazy situations and he just takes L after L after L. He’s absolutely pitiful. I love him! 😭🤲💜
I obviously absolutely adored the trans rep in this book! Page Powars managed to show the struggles of being a trans boy while still making this book lighthearted and without including “strong” examples of transphobia on page. He found a perfect balance: the book definitely shows how much trans kids go through, but overall it is still a fun and low-angst rom-com that I think everyone can find comfort and joy in.
Asher was a very interesting love interest. He was definitely very well rounded. I liked learning more about his life, and the banter between him and Noah was really enjoyable. I loooved seeing Asher slowly falling for Noah, and Noah being too oblivious to notice it. 🤭 With that said, I do think he was a little too combative for my taste. He was rude to everyone in the club, and also to Noah, for no damn reason. I understand that it was kind of explained and he apologized in the end, but I have to say: as a reader, after like the 3rd time of Asher finally let Noah in, only to then immediately push him away, it got a little annoying.
I also genuinely never understood why the club boys took Asher seriously. He was so antagonistic. Why would these kids put up with that? And also, why would everyone at school be so obsessed with the Borrow a Boyfriend Club? Their influence was really seen after their dance performance (where students were literally lining up to take selfies with the club boys), but it honestly never felt granted. I feel like the author needed to build both Asher and the Club’s reputation, power and popularity up a bit better, so that people’s attitudes towards them seemed more realistic. I think the author could still add a bit more to the book before publication, so that students literally glorifying this club seems more justified.
Also – this is more of a personal thing – but I would’ve loved to see a bit more at the end! I really enjoyed the side characters (especially Lenny, my beloved 🫶), and I loved seeing Noah finally accepting himself, reaching out to his old friends, accepting the club as his new friends, and, obviously, getting with Asher. I would’ve really liked at least an epilogue to get a bit more of these characters! 🥹💖
Overall: this is such a cute book, and if you like rom-coms you should definitely add this to your TBR! And omg I can’t WAIT for Page Powars’ next book! It’s already one of my most anticipated reads! 🤩🤩🤩
(review written on 16/07/2023)
------------
GUESS WHO JUST WON AN ARC OVER ON INSTAGRAM AAAAAAAAAAAAAA TYSM PAGE POWARS ILY
(03/07/2023)
------------
this synopsis?? let's go 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️
(17/02/2022)
April 14, 2024
Noah's just moved to a new school and he has a plan to ensure people see him as his true gender, to join a club. But the only the only club accepting applicates at the time is secretive The Borrow a Boyfriend Club. There's three rigorous rounds to gain acceptance into the fake-dating club, but impressing the club's president, Asher turns out to be the most challenging aspect.
I loved the characters here and the concept was really fun.
I loved the characters here and the concept was really fun.
November 3, 2023
Ouran High School Host Club but as a book. Really funny, relatable, emotional, plus the audiobook is pretty great!! I was not expecting to like it this much, but here we are, it really was a delight to listen to. Please pick this up, you won't regret it.
August 13, 2024
very fun! after reading epic fantasy the whole month this felt like a yummy desert. i like it when authors are successfully funny
July 9, 2023
You know it’s going to be a good book when the dedication mentions ‘SK8 the Infinity’ and it definitely lived to my expectations! I’m absolutely obsessed with this silly little book following Noah as he tries to join the ‘Borrow a Boyfriend Club’. The whole premise is, of course, very theatrical but it’s such an entertaining read that I don’t mind at all. This isn’t something to be taken too seriously but still has impactful moments all throughout. This balance of silly second hand embarrassment moments and relatable ones was so well done. When finishing this I was left with a warm feeling in my heart. Noah and Asher’s romance dynamic is super fun and had so many moments that had me giggling. The characters were all very like able and Noah’s subtle character development was a wonderful addition. The cast ended up feeling like a found family and I absolutely loved them.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this! This inclusion of adorable moments, pure chaos, and trans joy mixed to create a one of my new comfort reads!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this! This inclusion of adorable moments, pure chaos, and trans joy mixed to create a one of my new comfort reads!
September 2, 2024
This book was soo entertaining, I love YAs that are like this, so full of life and has a very addicting storyline. I couldn’t put it down!
I love the trans rep, it wasn’t heavy or negative, but it was there, and the fact that Asher and no one else cared about it too much speaks volume. I get off on those ‘relatable’ trans rep, but sometimes I need this kind of rep too.
I really wish it was longer, because it really lacked of closure and depths near the end. I wanted it to focus more on Noah’s parents, Asher’s family background, Sebastian, their relationship, etc etc. Ngl, it was rushed, and left me feeling unsatisfied :’) Couldn’t give this a 5 because of that. Otherwise, it was such a great read :)
I love the trans rep, it wasn’t heavy or negative, but it was there, and the fact that Asher and no one else cared about it too much speaks volume. I get off on those ‘relatable’ trans rep, but sometimes I need this kind of rep too.
I really wish it was longer, because it really lacked of closure and depths near the end. I wanted it to focus more on Noah’s parents, Asher’s family background, Sebastian, their relationship, etc etc. Ngl, it was rushed, and left me feeling unsatisfied :’) Couldn’t give this a 5 because of that. Otherwise, it was such a great read :)
Want to read
January 31, 2022This is giving me Ouran High School Host Club vibes. Which is a good thing.
June 12, 2023
silly book = entertainment guaranteed. rtc!
September 11, 2023
A tender YA coming of age debut that features Noah, a trans boy who is starting over at a new school and wants to cement himself as a 'real' boy. What better way, he thinks, than to join the 'Borrow a boyfriend club' - officially called the Football and Ferraris club, this is just a cover for a group of guy friends who hire themselves out as fake boyfriends for whoever has a need. Founded by his brother, new President Asher is very picky on who can join and determined to make sure the club lives up to his brother's reputation.
Forced to jump through a series of hoops, Noah finds himself slowly falling for Asher, despite initially being turned off by the brash playboy. The more time they spend together, the more Asher reveals he has a deeper, softer side and cares about Noah too, even if one of the first rules of the club is no dating other members.
Fun and good on audio, this book tackles some heavy issues, including Noah trying to officially get his name changed and having to deal with his parents constantly using his old nick name 'N' rather than his new name Noah (a form of dead-naming that hurts him deeply). The found family of the club was my favorite part and I loved how original this story was. It felt like a fun queer 90s romcom in all the best ways!!
Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I am excited to read more by Page Powars and highly recommend this book for fans of authors like Jason June, Tobly McSmith and David Levithan.
Forced to jump through a series of hoops, Noah finds himself slowly falling for Asher, despite initially being turned off by the brash playboy. The more time they spend together, the more Asher reveals he has a deeper, softer side and cares about Noah too, even if one of the first rules of the club is no dating other members.
Fun and good on audio, this book tackles some heavy issues, including Noah trying to officially get his name changed and having to deal with his parents constantly using his old nick name 'N' rather than his new name Noah (a form of dead-naming that hurts him deeply). The found family of the club was my favorite part and I loved how original this story was. It felt like a fun queer 90s romcom in all the best ways!!
Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I am excited to read more by Page Powars and highly recommend this book for fans of authors like Jason June, Tobly McSmith and David Levithan.
November 12, 2021
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is one of THE most JOYFUL books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Noah is one of my all-time favorite main characters, and it's impossible not to root for him as he falls in love and grows as a person. And the romance dynamic!! It will have you screaming (poor Noah REALLY goes through it as he awkwardly woos Asher and learns what it means to be a member of the club). I don't laugh out loud easily, but I was howling on every other page—the voice is so distinct, sharp, witty. Page Powars is the king of humor and I will pay to read his grocery list. In addition to the laughter and joy, though, this book will make you feel really big feelings with its themes of self-acceptance and found family. Get ready for it to be your new comfort book.
September 13, 2023
If you haven’t checked out The Borrow a Boyfriend Club, you definitely should! It’s a fun YA coming of age story filled with teenage shenanigans, fake dating, forbidden romance, and self-discovery! It’s silly and fun and emotional and I loved it!!
Actual rating: 4.5🌟
Noah transferred schools in the middle of the year due to transphobia. He wants to prove he’s boy enough at this new school so he joins what he thinks is the most “masculine” club - The Football and Lamborghini Club”. Except, it’s not what it seems and is instead an underground Borrow a Boyfriend business masquerading as an Italian school club. And it’s run by not other than King Prick himself, Asher. In order to gain membership, Noah must prove he can be the best boyfriend by passing Asher’s rounds. Let the shenanigans begin!
This was a witty and sweet romance with a bit of found family and both these boys need therapy sprinkled in. Through emotional ups and downs, Noah realizes while he’s always been “boy enough” to everyone else, he has a hard time believing it himself. And while that journey will take time, he’s surrounded by great friends and supportive (even more so now) parents.
This will definitely be a new favorite I’ll be sharing with everyone!
Thank you Page and Penguin Random House for a copy of The Borrow a Boyfriend Club. All thoughts are my own! ◡̈
••••
Initial review: 9/12/23
Longer review to come later but first thoughts are SJKKJHGHJJKK THIS BOOK😩😍🤗🥰🥹
Actual rating: 4.5🌟
Noah transferred schools in the middle of the year due to transphobia. He wants to prove he’s boy enough at this new school so he joins what he thinks is the most “masculine” club - The Football and Lamborghini Club”. Except, it’s not what it seems and is instead an underground Borrow a Boyfriend business masquerading as an Italian school club. And it’s run by not other than King Prick himself, Asher. In order to gain membership, Noah must prove he can be the best boyfriend by passing Asher’s rounds. Let the shenanigans begin!
This was a witty and sweet romance with a bit of found family and both these boys need therapy sprinkled in. Through emotional ups and downs, Noah realizes while he’s always been “boy enough” to everyone else, he has a hard time believing it himself. And while that journey will take time, he’s surrounded by great friends and supportive (even more so now) parents.
This will definitely be a new favorite I’ll be sharing with everyone!
Thank you Page and Penguin Random House for a copy of The Borrow a Boyfriend Club. All thoughts are my own! ◡̈
••••
Initial review: 9/12/23
Longer review to come later but first thoughts are SJKKJHGHJJKK THIS BOOK😩😍🤗🥰🥹
August 31, 2023
The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is one of the most chaotic and delightful books I've ever read. This book is mostly just hijinks and vibes, which is not usually the kind of thing that would work for me but Noah was just so lovable that I didn't care about the fact that the general premise of this book is so wild. Noah's journey to realize that he's enough just as he is was wonderfully done. I loved that though Asher can be a jerk in a lot of ways, he's one hundred percent accepting of Noah's trans identity.
If you're looking for a heart-warming read with great romance, The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is the book for you.
Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you're looking for a heart-warming read with great romance, The Borrow a Boyfriend Club is the book for you.
Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 21, 2024
I had no idea what this book was about when I started it and I laughed my way through the entire thing. There is an underlying message about not needing to prove yourself but overall this book is just a quirky chaotic hilarious romp. It's about this trans boy who starts a new school and wants to join a club to prove that he's a boy So he picks the one that sounds the most boyish . Little does he know that this club is actually the borrow a boyfriend club masquerating as an Italian club.
In order to gain admittance, Noah has to go through these trials and they're all hilarious and so serious and their seriousness is what makes them so funny.
I really liked this. It is feel good cutesy and just a really great young adult book. I highly recommend.
In order to gain admittance, Noah has to go through these trials and they're all hilarious and so serious and their seriousness is what makes them so funny.
I really liked this. It is feel good cutesy and just a really great young adult book. I highly recommend.
September 18, 2023
Gawd!!!! I love being queer! My people are talented and incredible and hilarious and chaotic and absolutely what I need when I want to smile. The minute… no the second I read the title for The Borrow a Boyfriend Club, I knew that I needed it in my life. I was a literal meme of myself with grabby hands begging to read it.
Would my school have had a secret club where people are able to rent members to be their boyfriends? Absolutely not! They were not this enterprising. I went to a school where the guys thought it was fun to get drunk and go push over sleeping cows. What?! Never heard of cow tipping? Yeeaaaaaaah! Me either, until I moved out to the country. 😬
Noah is the sweetest boy who only wants to fit in after he had some horrible experiences at his old school involving his dead name and kids treating him poorly for being trans. This book is more about his journey to be a part of the club and his focus is to be seen as “one of the guys.”
While trying to join, he’s tasked with proving that he would be the right fit by wooing over one of the already existing members. In his case, he has to “date” the club president, Asher, who hasn’t let in a single new member since he took over the role from his older brother, a year ago. There was an accident at the beginning of his time in the club that made him nervous to let anyone else in.
While the story has a lot of humor and goofiness, the main characters do have a lot of trauma they carry with them. I love the balance that the entire book has. We get a deep story, but also a lot of laugh out loud moments.
Oh! And we don’t want to forget the romance!!!!!! Give me a queer romcom any day of the week!!!! While I knew that Noah and Asher were destined to be together, this was the slowest of slow burns. The other guys of the club knew that they liked each other, but Asher’s need to not disappoint his brother held him back from giving Noah the chance he really deserved. But I am a patient (and yet absolutely not patient) boy… so I’m happy that I didn’t have to wait forever. 😂
This was an iconic debut and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Page Powars!!!
Thank you to the author and publisher for a gifted copy of the book. I’ll be talking with him live on Instagram on September 25th, 2023 at 7pm est, so set your calendars and come hang out with us!
Would my school have had a secret club where people are able to rent members to be their boyfriends? Absolutely not! They were not this enterprising. I went to a school where the guys thought it was fun to get drunk and go push over sleeping cows. What?! Never heard of cow tipping? Yeeaaaaaaah! Me either, until I moved out to the country. 😬
Noah is the sweetest boy who only wants to fit in after he had some horrible experiences at his old school involving his dead name and kids treating him poorly for being trans. This book is more about his journey to be a part of the club and his focus is to be seen as “one of the guys.”
While trying to join, he’s tasked with proving that he would be the right fit by wooing over one of the already existing members. In his case, he has to “date” the club president, Asher, who hasn’t let in a single new member since he took over the role from his older brother, a year ago. There was an accident at the beginning of his time in the club that made him nervous to let anyone else in.
While the story has a lot of humor and goofiness, the main characters do have a lot of trauma they carry with them. I love the balance that the entire book has. We get a deep story, but also a lot of laugh out loud moments.
Oh! And we don’t want to forget the romance!!!!!! Give me a queer romcom any day of the week!!!! While I knew that Noah and Asher were destined to be together, this was the slowest of slow burns. The other guys of the club knew that they liked each other, but Asher’s need to not disappoint his brother held him back from giving Noah the chance he really deserved. But I am a patient (and yet absolutely not patient) boy… so I’m happy that I didn’t have to wait forever. 😂
This was an iconic debut and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Page Powars!!!
Thank you to the author and publisher for a gifted copy of the book. I’ll be talking with him live on Instagram on September 25th, 2023 at 7pm est, so set your calendars and come hang out with us!
October 31, 2023
⭐This was sent to me as an earc from the author⭐
This book was so scrumptious. I knew just from the sk8 related dedication that it would be good. Page Powars comes from the exact same brand of fandom and humor as me and it made for a great time. I was laughing out loud many times during this. It had a romance you wanna root for paired well with the main character's story of coming to age and self acceptance. As someone whos read A LOT of average queer ya recently i can tell you this is how you do it and this is what i enjoy. I gobbled this up so much. I can't wait to read more from this author. 😩 4.25
This book was so scrumptious. I knew just from the sk8 related dedication that it would be good. Page Powars comes from the exact same brand of fandom and humor as me and it made for a great time. I was laughing out loud many times during this. It had a romance you wanna root for paired well with the main character's story of coming to age and self acceptance. As someone whos read A LOT of average queer ya recently i can tell you this is how you do it and this is what i enjoy. I gobbled this up so much. I can't wait to read more from this author. 😩 4.25
June 3, 2023
so i have pretty high standards in books which means i—TRANS ROMCOM!!!!!!
August 12, 2023
I don't remember associating this with Ouran High School Host Club when I picked this reading but from the description of the school club that is the center of this story, it was impossible not to think of it. What I don't get is why the book never recognizes the inspiration, is manga/anime too cringey?
But this isn't really a fanfic in disguise, it's just the general idea that is here, transplanted into an American high school. The actual story is about Noah, who has finished his transition and finally feel passable, so he starts at a new school, so people there wouldn't even know about it and never get his pronouns or name wrong. For that, he looks for the most boy club he can find and that he could apply to in the middle of the school year, that's when he ends up in the Football and Lamborghini something something club. He doesn't know that it is a fake name for the Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where students can go and hire the members, according to their types and specialties, to spend time with them be it on a date or at a school dance. However, this club is so elite it rarely accepts new members, which throws Noah in a multi-round admission challenge, which includes romancing their prick of a president, Asher. Can Noah pass all the rounds and finally be recognized as one of the boys?
I love the twists in the story. I don't know how a trans person feels, so I can't judge any of it, but there's stuff there that made me understand why Noah goes to such lengths so people will stop calling him the wrong way, especially how his parents won't even call him by his actual name, will just call him N, as they always have, since before when he still was called the dead name. It's terrible to think people so close to you can't get a clue.
The book itself is fast paced and fun. Each character seemed more interesting than the other, and I wish I could spend more time with them. Asher is also a good book boyfriend, to a point I can't really buy that he is a "prick" as Noah calls him. It's just too obvious how it'll go, and Asher breaks quicker than I had expected. In all, it's a cute romance. And the author knew how to do it. The influence from manga and anime felt obvious to me, though it could just be in my mind after I realized this is inspired in Ouran. Anyway, I loved the scenes Asher and Noah ended up alone with Noah's parents, they made me laugh hard.
Noah's complexes get a little repetitive; as I said I have no idea how hard and traumatizing things are for transpeople for me to judge, but it was a lot of tell that already had a decent amount of show to explain his trauma. There were some fears Noah seemed to have, on the other hand, that could have used the time, for example the details that bothered him so much when dancing to a point it caused him stage fright. There was obviously a lot more than just the one thing Noah repeats, although of course, this is evidently what moves him the most.
One quick comment, I liked the UK cover more... The US cover portrays Asher and Noah's date that happens in the beginning, and it made me imagine a different story when I saw it. Well, it still worked to attract me to the book lol
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
But this isn't really a fanfic in disguise, it's just the general idea that is here, transplanted into an American high school. The actual story is about Noah, who has finished his transition and finally feel passable, so he starts at a new school, so people there wouldn't even know about it and never get his pronouns or name wrong. For that, he looks for the most boy club he can find and that he could apply to in the middle of the school year, that's when he ends up in the Football and Lamborghini something something club. He doesn't know that it is a fake name for the Borrow a Boyfriend Club, where students can go and hire the members, according to their types and specialties, to spend time with them be it on a date or at a school dance. However, this club is so elite it rarely accepts new members, which throws Noah in a multi-round admission challenge, which includes romancing their prick of a president, Asher. Can Noah pass all the rounds and finally be recognized as one of the boys?
I love the twists in the story. I don't know how a trans person feels, so I can't judge any of it, but there's stuff there that made me understand why Noah goes to such lengths so people will stop calling him the wrong way, especially how his parents won't even call him by his actual name, will just call him N, as they always have, since before when he still was called the dead name. It's terrible to think people so close to you can't get a clue.
The book itself is fast paced and fun. Each character seemed more interesting than the other, and I wish I could spend more time with them. Asher is also a good book boyfriend, to a point I can't really buy that he is a "prick" as Noah calls him. It's just too obvious how it'll go, and Asher breaks quicker than I had expected. In all, it's a cute romance. And the author knew how to do it. The influence from manga and anime felt obvious to me, though it could just be in my mind after I realized this is inspired in Ouran. Anyway, I loved the scenes Asher and Noah ended up alone with Noah's parents, they made me laugh hard.
Noah's complexes get a little repetitive; as I said I have no idea how hard and traumatizing things are for transpeople for me to judge, but it was a lot of tell that already had a decent amount of show to explain his trauma. There were some fears Noah seemed to have, on the other hand, that could have used the time, for example the details that bothered him so much when dancing to a point it caused him stage fright. There was obviously a lot more than just the one thing Noah repeats, although of course, this is evidently what moves him the most.
One quick comment, I liked the UK cover more... The US cover portrays Asher and Noah's date that happens in the beginning, and it made me imagine a different story when I saw it. Well, it still worked to attract me to the book lol
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
November 15, 2023
Yeah, I loved this so much
October 18, 2023
THE REALEST BOY ‼️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 780 reviews