Back with a super fun blog tour post today, for Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce! Thank you to HarperTeen for sending me a copy, and to TBR and Beyond for organizing this tour. I've got a review today, and bonus creative content: Ellie and I share the same sense of style (at least based on the book cover) so I've recreated her outfit.
The Book and its Author
After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.
When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his. But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some ofEngland’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems...and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.
Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University. When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites)
Website Goodreads Review
When Ellie has what I'd less liken to a meet-cute and more compare to a meet-awkward with a cute British guy, I knew they had chemistry. Of course, that was somewhat tempered by the fact that she immediately started lying her face off, but hey, we all have flaws. I wanted to go into Hot British Boyfriend with a completely open mindset, so that I could maybe let go of some pent up stress and just enjoy a cute romance narrative with a girl who cares wayyyy less about school than I do.
Hot British Boyfriend is a cute romantic romp through Europe against the background of a high school study abroad trip. Best enjoyed with a sense of lightheartedness, this novel is great for envisioning an afternoon on vacation. I know romanticizing foreign countries is a very American thing to do, but I liked the groups' trips to London and Northampton (and one other surprise destination!) because they really set the scene for Ellie's grand self-discoveries. I didn't strictly love having to remind myself not to judge the main character the entire time I was reading, but to be fair, Ellie makes so many ridiculous decisions. Lying, suppressing her true self, thinking about boys all the time to the detriment of her schoolwork... I could go on. Honestly I think the supporting cast was the best part of the book. As much as I tried to get past our differences, I really couldn't identify with Ellie, which made her hard to love. My favorite character was Sage, Ellie's roommate. She had lots of favorable character development and acted as an anchor for Ellie through her adaptation to London. Dev and Huan, their other friends, were also sweet and Ellie's abandonment of them in favor of her hot British boyfriend multiple times in the novel didn't sit well with me. There is kind of a surprise love interest that I really enjoyed! Hard to spoil a romance novel because they usually don't have plot, but (and I find myself saying this more often than not these days!) I want you to go into this knowing nothing. It makes rooting for Ellie and her LI to figure it out more fun. The plot keeps a decent pace, and really builds the world with plenty of references to college applications and the characters' futures. Each scene had something to add, and I particularly enjoyed the moments we got to see Ellie's gardening come to life. She has this wonderfully unexpected hobby of making fairy gardens, which is so cute and creative. It's always great to see unusual hobbies have a chance to shine. Overall, I'm giving Hot British Boyfriend 3.5/5 stars and rounding up to 4 because the book definitely hits its goal. It's a fun lighthearted novel for fans of Jen Malone and Sarah Dessen. Book Look
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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