Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: My Lavender Boyfriend 
AUTHOR: Marina Ford
PUBLISHER: Less Than Three Press
LENGTH: 308 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2018
BLURB:
Simon Moussa is a formerly successful screenwriter who lives in London. He’s single and earns his living by teaching in film school, until an old friend, Charlie, visits one day with a strange proposition.
Nick Stone is a handsome, rich and famous actor, who hasn’t figured out how to be likeable in today’s social-networking culture. Because Simon is openly gay and has a pristine reputation, Charlie thinks that if the two were to pretend to be a couple, Nick would gain credibility, become likeable again, and Simon could use this to re-start his flailing writing career.
The plan is simple enough, and all they have to do is get along for a year—but even the simplest plan can go drastically awry when personalities clash and the past shows up at the worst time.
REVIEW:
I love stories about fake or sham relationships that turn into real ones, but I think they’re very hard to pull off successfully. Marina Ford has totally knocked it out of the park with this book. What we know as a very familiar trope is utilized to perfection with two characters who want to achieve their goals and decidedly do not want to fall in love. But of course, straight-laced professor Simon and model/actor rake Nick end up doing exactly that, and the story is delicious from beginning to end.
This is a book that relies on good plotting and excellent characterization rather than miscommunication to ratchet up the tension and intrigue. Simon is a writer, after all, so he knows words are vital to keeping a relationship in check. Nick, on the other hand, relies on his looks and body, and mixing these two very different men might sound like a disaster, but it totally works. Parts of this book rely completely in snappy back-and-forth while others rely on zero words spoken in a dark bedroom. Their distinct personalities balance each other out in the best ways.
There are several smaller plots that pop up here and there as Simon tries very hard to keep his relationship with Nick professional. In romances, those little subplots often get forgotten or dropped quickly, which annoys me. But in this story, every loose end—Simon’s writer’s block, Nick’s internalized homophobia, the Aurelia Vernon story—gets tied up before we get the HEA, making this a romance with a tight, engaging story to back it all up. And even the smaller characters are distinct enough to lend a realistic shine to the story and provide warmth and support to Simon and Nick. I especially like Charlie, the smooth-talking, no-nonsense agent who cooks up the fake romance plot in the first place. She seems like the type of character who is always one step ahead of everyone, so for her to pull it all off makes for a great little subplot victory.
I love pretty much everything about this story. I love that Nick has to work for his redemption, showing how even LGBT folks have to own up to their past mistakes within the community and show they’re willing to learn and listen. I love that Simon is such a full and realized character even outside of the romance, especially regarding his complicated relationship with his family, his separation from his past, and his rocky writing habits. I love that the heat level is relatively low but still shows how much chemistry develops between Nick and Simon over time. I love how we get succinct glimpses into the world of celebrity without making this a stereotypical “Hollywood” story.
This is just a fantastic book, perfect to get totally lost in. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
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