Book Review: The Build-a-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver

Official Synposis: Eli Francis is stuck. Stuck in an assistant position at the online magazine Vent when he should be a writer. Stuck with a boss who dangles a promotion but would rather he just fetch the coffee. Stuck working alongside the ex who has had no trouble moving up at work…or moving on.

When Eli’s roommates push him to date so he can get over his ex once and for all, they set him up with Peter Park. Tall, handsome, and unbelievably awkward. The date is a complete disaster, and further proof to Eli that love isn’t for him. But when his boss overhears Eli recounting the catastrophic night, he suggests teaching Peter to be a better boyfriend through a series of simulated dates so he can write an article about it.

But Eli has other ideas…Eli plays along, pretending to write the article, while secretly interviewing Peter about growing up queer in the South and coming-of-age dating wise in adulthood. Eli hopes writing this sort of piece will finally get him the promotion he deserves. And in exchange, he will teach Peter how to be a better boyfriend.

But the more time Eli spends with Peter, the closer they become, and the lines between what’s real and what’s fake begin to blur. Before long Eli is forced to face his greatest fears to become the writer he wants to be and secure the love he’s always needed. 

I have always been a fan of Mason Deaver's writing and this book is no exception. As their first step into adult romance it was a great book with a lot of cute moments and some heartbreaking ones too. I think this book was a great break into the adult genre, especially with how the character's were established and the things they went through. Though there is one 'spicy' scene and some words that some might not want teens reading, the book is good for low-20s.

I enjoyed the story of Eli and Peter, especially how Eli is comfortable in who they are and how they have grown into being a transgender man. I enjoyed that Eli was just accepted by Peter, there were no awkward moments or worries about Eli's identity. I think having a book with a transgender character who is not worried about being transgender (outside of normal worldly worries) and is comfortable with who they have become is really refreshing, as a lot of the YA ones have the journey of becoming comfortable. Eli was also just dumped after a long term relationship and are trying to navigate who they are without that relationship and person, which is very real. Eli is working to become a writer for an online magazine, who used to be big on social issues but instead is more light, something Eli struggles with. When he decides to write an article about his experience with Peter, he wants to make it more about the queer experience, which is not what his boss is looking for. So as he continues to help Peter, he writes two articles, the one the boss is looking for the the story that Eli would rather share.

Peter is used to being alone, he works in tech and spends most of his time in his own apartment, running tests on code for the startup he works for. This also means he never really disconnects from work, and is bad at talking to other people. When he agrees to meet Eli for a date he is late, his phone keeps going off and he ends up spilling on Eli. This is when he thinks he is passed help, but Eli volunteers to teach him how to date and find a boyfriend. As they work together they start to fall for each other, which is definitely not apart of the plan. When Peter learns about Eli's article he is initially unsure, but is down to learn how to be better. It's not until he sees the published version that he is unsure about how he feels and how to work with Eli after that.

Outside of Eli and Peter, this book has a great background cast of characters in Eli's friend and family and I absolutely adore how they impact the story. Eli's roommates are great and I really did enjoy every time they were apart of the story. Eli's mother is also fantastic and I adore how accepting she is of Eli and who they are.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the story it tells. I liked how Eli and Peter both had journeys they needed to take and how those journeys were interconnected. The book is written really well, as a lot of Mason's are, and the story seems very easy to connect to, with no part that really jumps out as super crazy. In the end it is a cozy queer love story about figuring out who you are and what is important to you.

The Build-a-Boyfriend Project is out now!

I rated this book 3.5 / 5 stars!

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