If I was in a relationship, I would undoubtedly be a Luc. Luc’s snarky, self-deprecating personality and his utter relatability. The excellent writing, characters that immediately pull you in. Which brings me back to this book review, and the reason Boyfriend Material got me unslumped. Just once, I’d like to read a sex scene where partner #2 says “ow, that’s hurts you moron,” or “what the heck are you doing?” I get that reading is an escape from reality, and consent is boring and unsexy (is it though?) and communication about what goes on in the bedroom is a necessity that many people aren’t comfortable with in their own lives, so why deal with it in fiction? But there’s a fine line between fantasy and perpetuating toxic masculinity and rape culture. 2) is blown away by how partner #1 is a mind reader and knows exactly what they like and how they like it. Even more annoying, partner #2 usually has one of two reactions 1) no reaction at all. Nothing irks me more than when partner #1 tosses partner #2 around like a ragdoll, taking their pleasure the way they like it without asking if it’s okay. If it’s not the writing itself (plot, characters, etc) that’s lacking, it’s usually something else: consent. If you’ve read a lot of my book reviews, you may have noticed a pattern in the reasons I give romance novels a negative or low review.

What do all these things have in common? They all add up to one un-put-downable novel. Dick pics (no, not that kind.)įrench mothers. The book in question? Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.įunny. This could be the one to officially dump me from The Slump. A book on my shelf that had been getting rave reviews from people I trusted. There was some light at the end of the slumpy tunnel. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I pick a good book? Would I ever read voraciously again? I couldn’t choose anything, and those I did choose inevitably ended up being less than stellar (at least for me.) Even re-reading old favorites, or a juicy romance–which is my go to for getting out of a slump–didn’t work.

The most slumpiest of slumps I’ve ever encountered in my years of reading. I hit a major reading slump in September.

Book boyfriend material