Boyfriend

A Moo U Hockey Romance

By: Sarina Bowen, Heart Eyes Press

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Emma Wilder

Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

The dreamiest player on the Moo U hockey team hangs a flyer on the bulletin board, and I am spellbound:

Rent a boyfriend for the holiday. For $25, I will be your Thanksgiving date. I will talk hockey with your dad. I will bring your mother flowers. I will be polite, and wear a nicely ironed shirt....

Now everyone knows it’s a bad idea to introduce your long-time crush to your messed-up family. But I really do need a date for Thanksgiving, even if I’m not willing to say why. So I tear his phone number off of that flyer...and accidentally entangle our star defenseman in a ruse that neither of us can easily unwind.

Because Weston's family is even nuttier than mine. He needs a date, too, for the most uncomfortable holiday engagement party ever thrown. 

There will be hors d'oeuvre. There will be faked PDA. And there will be pro-level awkwardness…

Boyfriend is a full-length book for Weston and Abbi! 

©2021 Sarina Bowen (P)2021 Sarina Bowen

Love is Worth the Risk

I loved heading back to Moo U and Boyfriend definitely hit the spot. This new adult sports romance had so many awesome tropes like: fake dating, friends with benefits to lovers, caring for someone who isn't feeling well, and a personal favorite - there's only 1 bed. It was such a feel good and funny book, while also addressing some very serious topics. These topics might be upsetting to some readers, however, so I recommend checking the content warnings below.

Weston and Abbi were so playful and I loved their banter and back and forth. I thought they complemented each other very well and it was so sweet how their relationship began and evolved. It snuck up so perfectly on them both and their chemistry was incredibly hot. I appreciated that there wasn't a lot of drama between Weston and Abbi and that the majority of the angst was external to them. I wasn't a huge fan of the Price storyline and I did feel that it dragged on a little too long and the resolution felt rushed. There is also some push away, but it was addressed very quickly and was understandable given both of their histories and concerns. The epilogue had me smiling ear to ear and couldn't have been more perfect for these two.

This audiobook is fantastic! Jason Clarke can do no wrong. He is one of my very favorite narrators and I am always impressed by his performances. Paired with Emma Wilder, it really doesn't get better than this! The casting was spot on and their voices complemented each other so well. I highly recommend experiencing this one on audio!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4-4.5 stars

CW: death of parent (automobile related), grief, sexual harassment and intimidation and physical assault (on page), parental infidelity, strained parental relationship, alcohol and drunken outburst (on page), financial uncertainty and concerns

*I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this book*

Swoonworthy and Perfect! Loved it so much!

I loved listening to Boyfriend. Emma Wilder and Jason Clarke are amazing as Abbi and Weston. They did an outstanding job—as usual—and they are wonderful together. Their performance is on point in every way. They’re funny and emotional and they have a great chemistry that makes them a wonderful couple to listen to. It’s not unusual, because Sarina Bowen has a magic touch for audio and Boyfriend sounds like a dream. I highly recommend listening to this one.

Boyfriend is part of the Moo U series, set in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North. It was originally released as a novella introducing the Moo U hockey players in the series, but is now a complete standalone novel. And that’s the best thing that happened in 2021, because it is glorious.

It is a rent-a-boyfriend/fake relationship that evolves into a friends to lovers and friends with benefits love story. And the cherry on top? Only one bed. And it is that seamless transition between tropes that makes this story so great and unputdownable. It just flows so naturally.

Weston and Abbi are great together. Their chemistry is incendiary, their banter is hilarious and good-natured. There’s so much attraction and longing. And heat! So much heat! It’s simply perfection.

Weston is such a great guy. He’s adorable and sweet and hot. He’s swoony. And his inner monologue is hilarious. He’s just not boyfriend material. Or so he thinks. His parents’ divorce did a number on him, so he’s definitely against commitment.

Abbi hasn’t had an easy life. She’s smart and funny, extremely dedicated, and so strong. She’s determined to graduate college a year early and be independent. Her family situation is not a good one, so she’s mostly on her own.

The way Abbi and Weston start their fake relationship is so funny and well done. And the way they connect is even more so. You can feel the longing and the chemistry between them from the very beginning. It’s sweet and heartwarming. The way their relationship evolves is so flawlessly developed that it feels natural and you can’t help but root for them. But it’s not only the attraction that grows stronger between them, but all the feelings. You can see how they get to know each other, how they slowly expose their hidden vulnerabilities to each other, and how their feelings start to change.

Boyfriend is such a great story. It’s beautifully written, and perfectly paced. There’s lots of Vermonty and hockey details that make it shine, and all the feels that make it an emotional and lighthearted read. I loved everything about it and I highly recommend it.

Well written college romance

Loved, Loved, LOVED Weston and Abbi!

Abbi and Weston had an amazing connection from the first moment we see them together, and at that point, Weston doesn't even know her real name. He just knows that she's the waitress he's had his eye on for a while. So imagine his surprise when he puts himself out there as a boyfriend-for-hire for Thanksgiving and winds up spending it with the woman of his dreams?

Weston doesn't want a real relationship. He's skeptical of real love, and who can blame him knowing what we know if his family examples? But through Abbi, he gets an idea of what a good relationship built on friendship can be like. I loved the evolution of their relationship, and how we knew that they were attracted to each other, but both saw the value in the friendship first. Their story was so engrossing, and I didn't want to even pause if I didn't have to.

The audio, narrated by Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder, was simply fantastic. These are two of the best narrators in the business, and I'm always so impressed at how they embody each character that they take on. The do Sarina Bowen's word justice, for sure. Such a great combination of writer and voice actors!

Sweet and charming read! Loved it!

4.5-stars!

I recently had the opportunity to listen to an early audio of Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen and I loved it. A fake date romance with friends to lovers that was narrated by Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder and they did a great job bringing the story to life. I just loved Weston and Abbi. Weston does not do relationships and Abbi needs a date. She has crushed on Weston for a while, but knew he was a bit of a player. When she has the opportunity to have him accompany her as her date, she took it. Then she returned the favor. I loved their chemistry and connection so much, even if it took them a while to admit it. They had some great banter and watching them fall was half the fun. Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen was a sweet and charming listen and one I highly recommend.

Happy listening!

Weston and Abbi!

Weston is a loyal friend, a great teammate and popular with the ladies however he is always very clear that he is looking for fun not forever. His relationship with his family is complicated so he prefers to avoid what he knows is going to be an awkward situation by renting out his boyfriend services for Thanksgiving however he didn’t expect that the beautiful waitress at the restaurant where he and the team frequents would be the one to take him up on his offer.

Abbi has a complicated family situation of her own as she tries to maintain the tenuous hold on the one person she has left so attending Thanksgiving dinner is a chore rather a visit buy maybe with the sexy hockey player that she has been crushing on by her side it will be bearable. She isn’t looking for love as her future is uncertain however what was supposed to be one date soon becomes a friendship and then friends with benefits, but will they realize what they have both they break both their hearts?

Weston and Abbi were so much fun together as despite their very hectic lives as they not only find time for each other but support each other with all the other things they have going on in their lives. The narrators were a perfect choice for the characters as they brought out the sassy side of Abbi and the swoony side of Weston.

Amazing Performances Gave Me All The Feelings!

Weston and Abby made me so happy! This story gave me all the feelings, I laughed, I felt big sad feelings, I'm generally not a crier but I was definitely teary at parts. Both Weston and Abby want to avoid their families for their own reasons and become the perfect pair to play each other's buffer. Their friendship, secret crushes of the other and chemistry is absolutely off the charts! I love a hero who doesn't realize he is in a relationship until it smacks him in the face, and that is definitely what happens to Weston. Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder's performances had me laughing one moment and in my feels with tears the next. Beautifully portrayed. I felt so connected to these characters and absolutely loved it.

This is the best book I have read in a while and absolutely recommend to everyone!


I received an ALC of this book and voluntarily give my review.

Absolutely adorable

4 or 4.5 stars — Dudes, I seriously enjoyed this book, and yet this review is going to be subpar. I’m still in one of those modes, you know? I can’t even decide how to rate this one…I hate these book moods.

Honestly though, the book can be summed up as deliciously cute.

Weston was adorable, strangely dorky and sexy at the same time. I thought it was spot on when Abby observed he put on a happy face to help cope with his family shiznit.

Abby was the perfect amount of self-deprecating without going over the top. She was so caught up in trying to survive, I don’t think she saw herself quite clearly, or gave herself enough credit.

There was a great connection between the two of them, it was palpable. I felt their mutual attraction, but I liked seeing them connect on other levels first. It was wonderful to see how comfortable they were with one another after such a short period of time. And when the steamy stuff started? Hells yes!

I loved the little bits of Moo U hockey we got to see, including characters that have their own stories later in this series. I still really want Cooper’s story, even more so now.

I’m not sure if I was satisfied with how the Price stuff worked out. I knew it was coming, and maybe I wanted Abby to go guns blazing…but this was more realistic unfortunately.

Actually, mixed with all the cute there was a lot of very real moments for both of them — dealing with family drama of all kinds.

Both narrators were solid. Great emotion, great pacing, great voices.

See? Subpar review for what was an adorable story. Ah well. You get what you get!

Another Sarina Win

This book was the lovely breath of fresh air that I’ve been needing. There is nothing like a Sarina Bowen book to put a smile on your face. This book was so swoony and adorable with not to much angst. It made me want to wear flannel and celebrate the holidays with my family who don’t seem as crazy anymore after reading about Abbi and Weston’s families. Weston was a huge win as a hero. He was such a sweet heart and I hope I find someone like him in my life. The audiobook was great, the narrators really brought the characters to life. I would definitely recommend it!

ALC provided in exchange for honest review.

All my fake dating romance dreams come true!

All my fake dating romance dreams come true! This book and narration was just the boost I needed, I smiled and laughed so much. When Abbi answers Weston’s rent a boyfriend ad, she definitely wasn’t expecting more than a one time thing or that he’d even answer her text. So while Weston seemed like an unattainable top hockey hottie on campus it turned out he was a down to earth guy just looking for a home cooked meal for the holidays. But Weston’s charms went well beyond fake boyfriend status, he and Abbi had off the charts chemistry and one day together was not going to be enough. ⁣
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These two were a perfect match and were the ideal buffer for all the family drama the holidays can entail. I was cracking up over their Christmas night act to fool Westin’s brother they were dating for real, nothing like faking some bed creaking and exaggerated moans! There were definitely some heavier subjects woven into the story and gave the opportunity for Abbi and Weston to grow closer together. Weston’s protective side had me swooning and watching him realize his commitment phobia meant he would miss out on an amazing woman like Abbi was so satisfying. Abbi deserved all the love in the world and I loved her strength to take control of her life and achieve her dreams.⁣ If you are looking for something fun, flirty and definitely sexy, check out this audiobook!⁣ 5 stars for me!⁣
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As for the narration, Jason and Emma were just perfection for this story! Jason gave off all the hot hockey guys vibes but also the vulnerability of a guy falling for a captivating woman. Emma’s narration brought strength and laughter to Abbi’s character, a versatile voice that I love listening to!

SO SAD with GREAT ENDING

This was so sad 😞 I cried threw most of it but it was a very well told STORY I LOVE IT I LOVED THE PERFORMANCES, STORY WAS SO REAL IT TOUCH MY HEART SO MANY TIMES GREAT NARRTION FROM BOTH ACTOR DIRECTOR WAS ON POINT AUTHOR OF STORY NEEDS TO BE READ

Great short love story

Good solid love story. Narrators are also on top form. Would recommend. Does what it says on the lid 😜

Disappointing

This book was nowhere near as good as many of Sarina Bowen’s other stories. I didn’t feel overly invested in the characters or hooked into the story. The hero was quite annoying, and it was especially cringeworthy when he referred to himself, and also his bits as “Mr Smooth”. The hero’s ego was really big, and the heroine seemed to worship him, and their relationship lacked the authenticity that normally comes from this type of book when a person stops being viewed on a pedestal, and instead becomes loved for the real them.

Super fun fake romance

I always love it when a player gets played, and Weston Greggs (who is the biggest player of all), finally meets his match. Abbi is not the player that Weston is, but she jumps at the chance to have a mutually beneficial fake relationship that will solve both their issues with their families throughout the holiday period. The beauty of this story is that Abbi doesn’t want to try and trap Weston, she’s willing to see where the cards fall and just go with the flow. When things get a little intense and believe me they do, Abbi doesn’t bend to his whims, it would appear she can be equally as stubborn as Weston, who it seems, can’t see the wood for the trees. A sweet, fun audio. Jason Clarke narrated Weston with perfection, always with just the right amount of sarcasm, wit and alpha male attitude. Emma Wilder had Abbi down to a tee. A match made in heaven. Highly enjoyable fake romance.