Boyfriend Material by K.A. Mitchell
Review by Lauren
source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Physically, it’s easy for Ethan and Wyatt to be together—well, if “easy” means stolen moments when Ethan’s roommate is away, or sneaking away to a hidden nook in the library. Privacy is hard to come by in a dorm, but finding ways to connect is half the fun.
Emotionally, though, that’s a different story. Wyatt isn’t sure if a relationship is something he can make last—years of having to hide his emotions have left him with a shaky sense of self-confidence. And when it’s time to head home for the holidays, their steamy on-campus connection may not translate so well to the real world…
Review: I suppose at 92 pages, this would be considered a novella, and it definitely read fast. However, it wasn't a problem with Boyfriend Material because this is actually the second book in the Ethan and Wyatt series. You definitely should read that first, because it's a full novel that details the history of how these two came together, as well as important information about their background. Once you get to Boyfriend Material, it was nice to have an established couple that you already knew. It meant the story could explore other aspects of their relationship and Mitchell definitely did that!
The book takes place mostly during the holidays, starting a little bit before Thanksgiving. Ethan wants Wyatt to come to his house for the holiday, but that would mean meeting a lot of Ethan's family. Wyatt is quiet and not used to a lot of attention, so he's not too keen on the idea of being surrounded by a lot of people he doesn't know. Instead, he opts to visit his uncle for the holiday. The short time away just shows that Ethan and Wyatt both really love each other and all seems well...until Christmas approaches and the two have to then figure out what to do over a much longer break.
I enjoyed this one, because I do like when couples are already established but you understand how they came together. We get both because this is a sequel and that's a big deal for me because m/m novels tend to have companion books with a new couple instead of another book with the same couple in the forefront. And guess what? There will be a third too! Despite knowing the couple already, sometimes the physical nature of their relationship felt a bit much because the book was so short. It would have been nice if they had communicated more, though they do comment on the fact that Wyatt has a difficult time with this and Ethan is a fan of taking the easy way. Regardless, it was still a good novella, and I'm curious to see where Mitchell takes the boys next!
I don't generally read novellas, but I don't mind if it's in the middle of a series or after a full novel like that. Like you said, you already have a base for the characters so it's just a lot easier to flow with it. I've seen some explore how holidays would go with couples and I've always found that fun. So glad that you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteIf you already know the couple than that novella length doesn't seem as short for a later book. I like the sound of how this one takes place around the holiday. I also like seeing a couple together after you've seen how they got there. Glad to hear this was a good one :)
ReplyDeleteNovellas can be good sometimes, although I can see how maybe you'd like a little more emotional stuff than the physical in it. But you did say it worked because of what their personalities were. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy m/m novels and although I'm not a big novella reader, some of my best experiences were with these kind of stories. This one sounds short and sweet, and I'm glad you enjoyed it 😊
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a taster to keep you sated until the next book -- it sounds wonderful, and I like Wyatt. I thought from some of your descriptions, he might've been very introverted?
ReplyDeleteI don't often pick up novellas, but it's great to find an author who can develop characters and have the story feel complete in such a short amount of time. Hope the next one is just as enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteI really like sequels that focus on an established relationship! Especially if the couple only got together at the end of the first book, so the two characters actually BEING together was never really seen.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the storyline of this one was interesting! Even if there was an explanation for why the two of them weren't so great at communicating, I hope they get better at it in the third book!
I'm glad you liked this one, Lauren :D