This starts with Samiah learning her hot new date isn’t quite what she thought. That he has, in fact, been dating a number of women and telling them all a different story. When she puts two and two together after her sister shares a Twitter dating horror (yes, it’s Samiah’s boyfriend), she heads to the restaurant he’s on for his date and calls him out. But then another ‘girlfriend’ appears and the whole thing is filmed and goes viral.
After that start you can’t help but feel some empathy for Samiah. A tech expert, she clearly works hard and has a life plan but is struggling to find a partner. With her unexpected new friends a new project takes shape.
Seemingly moments after this decision to focus on their ambitions, a ne2 Guy appears at Samiah’s place of work.
Daniel is thoughtful, caring and apparently very attractive. He’s flirtatious but respectful, and when we get his view we see he’s more than taken with Samiah. What we also learn though is he’s not quite what he claims to be.
The real story of why Daniel is there does get rather drawn out. We’re given little to go on as to what’s happening and it seemed as if the writer was torn between a romance or a mystery. We get a bit of both.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prior to publication, and while it seemed inevitable that the romance would be the focus there was a little more to this than you might expect.

A sparky, engaging rom-com, this is a great read following Samiah and Daniel as they both try to fight their mutual attraction whilst they are focusing on work projects respectively (trying to keep it vague for spoilers but it’s much more interesting than that sounds!). Although this book does focus a lot on Daniel’s perspective as it’s the main reason for the miscommunications which keep the plot going, this read stood out to me for the strong focus on female friendship for Samiah. She is a clever, accomplished and self-aware female lead, which makes it understandably difficult for her to hold strong peer friendships, so that the book really highlights that made it a standout for me. This book also touches on challenges faced by black women in the tech industry, which is timely but also thought provoking. In the actual romance itself, the chemistry builds slowly to a satisfying ending, so I would heartily recommend this to any romance readers looking for a better than average read with a great empowered female lead.

Thank you to Net Galley and Headline Eternal Publishers for the free advance e-book copy of this title.

Sadly “The Boyfriend Project” didn’t live up to the hype for me.
The writing was too descriptive, with tons of unnecessary facts sprinkled in, and I found it tedious to read. For example, I honestly didn’t care about the H’s breathing pattern during his runs, or what the playlist he listened to during work was called.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters either.
Overall this book had a lot of potential plot wise, but it just didn’t work out for me.

When Samiah finds out the guy she has been dating is also dating two other women and together they are filmed calling him out and the video goes viral, an unlikely friendship occurs between the three girls. They decide that they are going to spend the next 6 months working on themselves and not dating. Then Samiah meets Daniel who is the new guy starting at her work.

I liked many aspects of this and I think it's a solid adult contemporary romance. I really liked the set up of the book and the friendship between Samiah, Taylor and London and the support they give one another. I really loved Samiah as a character and her dream of launching her own app and honestly would have read an entire book about that as it sounded really interesting and I loved how passionate she was about her job.

I did like Daniel and the chemistry between the two of them however when I finished the book I knew it was a three-star-read for me and I couldn't quite work out why I didn't love it. Then I realised that my favourite aspects of the book was everything other than the romance. Don't get me wrong I liked the romance but I felt the pacing was sometimes off and it took too long into the book before Daniel told her the truth.

Still, this was an enjoyable and quick read and I would recommend this fun, flirty office romance.

Really enjoyed this book. Steady paced, great characters, I was absorbed throughout. Will be reading more Rochon books in the future!

This was a great read in a lot of ways. It was a lovely romance and I enjoyed the amazing female friendship in it. My favourite part was a combination of how uplifting the female friendship was for Taylor, London and Samiah, but also how Samiah was a total BAMF in the tech world, even if she didn’t always realise that.



I will say, I wasn’t head over heels in love with this book. I did enjoy myself reading but I could tell even at 25% that there was something which hadn’t clicked. I think I know what it was and there was something which happened right towards the end which didn’t sit well, but it never ruined the book. Sometimes a book doesn’t quite click and you just get bored reading (I know, I’ve been there) but this wasn’t the case here. There was a lot going on in the book, there were several really cool storylines which meant that even though one thing was missing there was other things going on. That’a rarity.



So what didn’t work for me? The romance. It didn’t have me so how can I say I liked a romance read where I wasn’t in love with the actual romance? Well, the romance wasn’t terrible, I just wasn’t invested but as I said, there was so many parts of this book which were good and had my attention so the weak romance didn’t bother me.



There was so much good. I’ve already said, the female friendship was spectacular. In the first few pages you are introduced to Samiah who discovers her boyfriend is cheating and storms over to meet him on the date he’s on and meets the other women he was seeing,Taylor and London. As soon as these women met and were bouncing off each other bringing Craig down and I just knew this was going to be an amazing friendship. I like to think we all have friendships where you meet someone and are instantly vibing with them and it was great to have that here. They were brilliant and the fact they worked for that friendship to continue was great to read as they each lifted each other up and pushed each other to do more. I was wary when they’d vowed off men but then to see them vowing off pursuing something that people thought they should have to focus on doing what they wanted was good as I think many people focus on dating as others expect them to be married and have kids by a set age so I always enjoy to see women focusing on themselves and we definitely had that here.



I called Samiah a BAMF (badass mother-fucker) and she totally was because she was a black woman succeeding in a tech world. Even one of those things would have hindered here, there aren’t as many women in tech I think simply due the sexism of people believing it’s a male industry… but she was a black woman in tech in a world where racism is out there. Considering the current landscape I think we all recognise that, but it was definitely written so well how she was dismissed earlier in her career and how during her time she had worked even harder to be recognised and it made me admire the work ethic of Samiah. I could only dream of having the level of passion and commitment she had for her job and the fact she was then trying to create her own app (an app I honestly think would be amazing to have). You even learn she did the work and was qualified to teach and then went back to college to pursue her passion for tech! Who was this woman to be so amazing? I could barely be bothered to do undergrad! So yes, Samiah was a BAMF who made me feel like I needed to work harder and I adored her for that. I was cheering her on for every success and was so pleased to see her bosses recognise her skills towards the end and for Samiah to see they always respected her. It was so lovely to see.



Then there was Daniel. He was where this book fell down for me. He was pretty damn cute, I was definitely loving him and his dimples. He was sweet, he was smart, he had some slightly dorky tendencies. But I guess I felt him holding back, for very obvious reasons considering her was part of an investigation into the company Samiah worked for, but it didn’t sit right with me. I liked him and I could tell he was always trying to do the right thing… but I guess I struggled with his actions as much as he did. This was especially true at the end considering the impact his choice could have had on Samiah and her career. I always felt like she forgave him too easily. I recognised his actions were for the good, I really do and I was impressed she saw that too but I think I must just hold a bigger grudge than Samiah did because I would have made him jump through a couple of hoops and work a little harder for the forgiveness she gave quite easily.



In the end, it’s a good book. I may have struggled with parts of it but even when I was frustrated I enjoyed myself. And I recognise the book was so well written, if I had read this book in a different week I may not have even been as bothered by Daniel’s actions, but I read it when I did and my mood will always affect my feelings when reading and this may have happened here.

I wanted to love this book so so much. The premise is everything and I was really hyped for a sisters-in-arms with a romance type book.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNF'ing this book 62% in. I'm pretty gutted about it.

The writing was good for the most part. I loved the relationship between Samiah, Taylor and London. I really wanted more from their relationship to be honest because that was my favourite part of the book.

The relationship however, between Daniel and Samiah fell a little bit flat for me. It was going so well, and then when they finally decided to give it a go and start dating, but slowly, I just found that it got a little boring. The sexual tension didn't seem to be there anymore and I just didn't really seen a good end in sight for them, I also found that I was struggling to keep up with the time jumps from chapter to chapter. At the end of one chapter, Samiah and Daniel were in a club and she was thinking maybe they would get lucky tonight and I was like YES FINALLY. Next chapter ... several days have gone by and she's back in work. What happened? Where did they go after the club? What?

I just found myself getting frustrated and bored with the book and like I say, I'm pretty gutted about that fact. I'd of continued to the end but it had already taken me 2 weeks to get to the 62% mark. I was finding myself easily distracted and just couldn't carry on any longer.

I will pick up books from Farrah Rochon in the future and possibly look at her back list as well. But, unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me.

This is EXACTLY the kind of romance that I've been looking for ever since I started reading from the genre. Smart, sexy, well written - 'The Boyfriend Project' is an original and fun addition to the romance genre and hopefully, will spark a whole bunch of other books just like this.

The book follows Samiah, a brilliant, talented, certified boss working at a software company. After swearing off men for at least six months to follow her own passions, she meets Daniel, a new employee with a mysterious background.

I loved reading this book. I'd just put down another romance by a writer I was more familiar with and needed something to pick me up - and this was definitely it. I loved the main character, Samiah - her friendships with two other women and her sister are always positive and uplifting, never back-stabby or bitchy. She's intelligent and thoughtful and has dreams that don't revolve around getting skinny or finding a boyfriend. It's so refreshing to see a main character with three dimensions, who is complex and still someone we can root for as a protaganist.

I couldn't give it a full five stars, however. Like so many other stalwarts in the industry, the sex scenes are not the best (there were quite a few 'he exploded' 'she burst' kind of sentences in relations to orgasms) which borderline on fanfiction and I think the pacing towards the end went a bit awry, but these are small things. Farrah Rochon has written a funny, smart, sexy novel that will blow off the cobwebs of the romance genre. A perfect read for this summer!

The Boyfriend Project follows Samiah who is a black STEM genius having to work twice as hard in a cut throat world and pushing for her dreams. Following Samiah discovering that her boyfriend was cheating through someone live tweeting a date with him, she befriends the other girls who had been strung along by him. The girls make a pact and become fast friends.⁣⁣
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I won’t go into the synopsis in much detail, but this book was great. I will be honest and admit that I found it a bit slow to start but it picked up around 25% in and was fast paced from then on. The friendship between Samiah, London and Taylor was a real highlight of the book. They are all strong women who empower each other. The romance in this book was well written too, and I liked Daniel and Samiah as a couple.⁣⁣
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I’ve never read anything by Farrah Rochon before but I will definitely be delving into her backlist! I believe that this is the first in a trilogy and I’m already looking forward to reading about London and Taylor!⁣
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Many thanks to Netgalley and Headline Eternal for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read to escape in a good story. It had humor, the plot was intriguing and well written.

Definitely recommended.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Ugh, I absolutely adored this book and didn't want it to ever, ever end! It had all the key qualities, it had romance, humour, Hanky panky, crime and a bunch of cuss words! Absolutely fabulous!

This was such an enjoyable read!

It took me a little while to get into initially, but once I was hooked I really enjoyed the story. The connection between the two characters was described so well and was so believable. I really liked both Samiah and Daniel and loved reading about a BIPOC romance couple. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing throughout, as I was so nervous about whether Daniel would do the right thing or not.

Daniel was a loveable romance lead and I enjoyed seeing his escapades as an undercover agent in the tech company Samiah worked for. He was the ideal male protagonist, as he was respectful, pro-equality and never let Samiah feel like her feelings weren't valid. The author crafted such a great character in him and he really was a male lead for a modern era.

Samiah was such an inspiring female lead and went against so many of the stereotypes for a female lead in a romance novel. She was a highly educated woman of colour who fought hard for everything and kicked ass at her job. I loved how she was such a strong character, who also wasn't afraid to show her weaknesses. She also stood up for herself and learned to put herself and her needs first, which I loved. The author made some amazing arguments through Samiah, especially about how women (especially BIPOC women) have to work twice as hard to make it in the tech industry and to be taken seriously. The social/ political commentary she provided was brilliant, especially as it fitted perfectly in with the rest of the novel and only made me love this book more! I loved how this romance novel tackled some more serious themes, such as race and gender, and this felt so relevant and vital for our current climate.

The final few scenes were so cute and I absolutely loved them! The ending was perfect for me and I really enjoyed it. This book was great and I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Headline and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

I could not finish this book. It was so fake and shallow and I almost felt my IQ dropping as I read it. There was so much name dropping or "cool" things and the whole thing was just ridiculous. There were also so many mistakes and I wasn't a fan of the over the top writing.

I hate to DNF a netgalley book but this just was not for me.

Samiah becomes friends with Taylor and London after they discover they've been deceived by the same man and go viral. They make a pact not to date for the next 6 months and instead spend the time investing in themselves. However Daniel Collins starts working at the same IT firm as Samiah and they are instantly drawn to each other, despite neither having intentions of getting close (Daniel has a big secret) they just can't help it.

A really fun, modern romance read, which I think fans of Helen Hoang will enjoy. I liked it and its the first in a series and I'll probably pick up the next in the series as I'd like to find read more about Taylor and London's stories.

Samiah hasn't been very lucky in love, she's even started to negiotate down her list of requirements. So although Craig doesn't tick all the boxes it's going OK. A few dates in and she's preparing for another one. However, her sister shares a date going wrong that is being tweeting live - Samiah suddenly realises that Craig is the man this other girl is talking about. It transpires that he's been dating at least three girls.

Instead of getting angry with each other, the girls form a pact of no boyfriends for six months. A story of friendship, sisterhood and unexpected love.

After dating a complete fool, Samiah's life can only get better. New ambition, new friends, and a hot new guy that would never lie to her?

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The start of this book was so much fun.
Samiah knows the guy she is dating isn't perfect, but the dating pool in Austin is pretty slim. She never would have imagined that Craig would be dating other women - in fact, using the restaurant reservation that Samiah booked, to take out someone else.
When Samiah puts it all together, she gets revenge on Craig, and surprisingly finds two best friends in his "other girlfriends".

I loved that the focus here wasn't solely on Samiah and Daniel. Yes, he's a hot, intelligent government agent who adores Samiah; but there's a big emphasis on the importance of friends, confidence in yourself, and being successful women in male-dominated careers.

It was great that Samiah wasn't just in a tech job to tick boxes in the plot. She loves her job, and knows how hard it was for her to break into this career. As a woman, and black, she has to work twice as hard; and everything has to be perfect the first time, because people are less likely to give her a second chance.

Samiah moved to Austin a few years ago, when she got an amazing job offer at Trendsetters. Switch to the present day, and workaholic Samiah doesn't have any close friends beyond her sister.
Even though their meeting was unconventional, London and Taylor are just what Samiah never realised she needed.
They all decide to swear off men, and focus on themselves for the next six months.
With their support, Samiah finally takes a gamble and starts to build a new social platform that she has been dreaming of for years.

Daniel is perfect. Sometimes, he's a little too perfect, and you can see how it's all going to play out.
His work as a FinCEN agent was really interesting, and I was really rooting for him to get the bad guys. <spoiler>If anything, I would have liked them to be more than a couple of forgotten names plucked from the chorus to officially close the case.</spoiler>

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was light-hearted, but not all fluffy, and carried great messages for improving the diversity in STEM jobs.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon a five-star read that kicks off with a boom. This is a charming, witty, filled with amazing characters including some amazing secondary characters that bring the story to life. I really liked how the author manages to give so many messages in this story, as it’s a powerful and thought provoking story, but it doesn’t feel like you’re being taught or preached at, they messages are weaved into the story in a great way. The three women are all so amazing, if they had been different characters I don’t think this story would be as good, their friendship seemed so real it transcended the page.

This book was somehow both too long and too fast - it felt like the author was telling you the leads has all this great chemistry but it felt cobbled together too quickly. At the same time, the secret agent plot dragged on. More romance, less finance!

Although this is billed as a romance, The Boyfriend Project is also a brilliant story of women supporting women. The sweet, sexy love interest is just a bonus...

Saima has just discovered that the man she's seeing is also pulling his tricks on at least 2 other women. After their confrontation goes viral, these 3 new unlikely friends make a pact to find their happiness over the next 6 months - without the distractions of any men. However, things get complicated when Saima begins to fall for a coworker.

Saima, Taylor and London are all phenomenal characters. Distinct, strong women who are willing to go after what they want even when it scares them - I completely loved all 3 of them!

The romance is cute and feels realistic, with the relationship building over time. I loved reading this book and l will be picking up the next in the series!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and will be submitted to Amazon after release.

After finding out her boyfriend is a cheater, Samiah makes a pact with her two new friends. no boyfriends for 6 months. But then she meets Daniel at work. The more time they spend together the more she falls for him - he is keeping secrets from her so what will happen when the truth comes out?

Hoping that this will be a trilogy and we will get London and Taylor's stories next.