THE BUILD-A-BOYFRIEND PROJECT

Hoping for a promotion, Eli Francis agrees to write an article detailing his effort to turn his disastrous date into a perfect boyfriend.

Eli has spent the past five years as an assistant at Vent, a website once known for its hard-hitting pieces but now mostly clickbait listicles. He dreams of becoming a staff writer and shepherding the outlet back to its roots, but his current day-to-day is filling coffee orders and trying to avoid his ex, who also works there. When his best friend convinces him to go on a blind date, gay and trans Eli is cautiously optimistic, but Peter Park makes one mistake after another. When his boss finds out about the awful date, he offers Eli the reward of a possible promotion if he writes a piece about teaching Peter how to be a better partner. Secretly, Eli plans to write a different article influenced by Peter about growing up gay and Korean in the south without a queer community for support. Peter only knows about the second article, but agrees to go on fake dates with Eli as learning opportunities. Soon, though, the lines between fake and real are blurred, and Eli finds himself falling for his subject. Deaver’s adult debut is told solely through Eli’s point of view and features lovable characters, especially sweetheart Peter, whose journey to confidence is incredibly endearing. Eli’s job woes are relatable, but the double article plotline feels convoluted and leads to predictable, tedious drama. More rewarding is the thoughtfully done exploration of growing up queer in different types of communities and Eli’s affirming trans identity.

The queer characters at the heart of this romance make it shine.