Picture-Perfect Boyfriend

by

Becky Dean

Fun and flirty with an inspirational message to be yourself and pursue your dream, not the one someone else plans for you.

Picture-Perfect Boyfriend is the latest contemporary young adult novel by author Becky Dean, and it is as fun as it is supportive of its theme to be true to oneself. I enjoyed this story, with its fine mix of romance, comedy, mystery, and inspiration, so much that I was smiling the entire time I turned its pages. 

High school senior Mackenzie "Kenzie" Reed is an engaging and relatable main character on spring break with her family on the beautiful island of Maui. She's spent the entire final school year conforming to her parents' ideal vision of how she should live her life. Kenzie wants to pursue photography, but her mother and father don't believe it is a viable career goal and want her to join them in their family optometry business. Worn down by their years of criticism of her differences and the trivialization of her aspirations and talent, she had decided to do things their way. Happily, the story heads elsewhere. 

The premise of the made-up boyfriend materializing in person hooked me the moment I read the blurb, and the story did not disappoint. Jacob/Jake, himself presenting two faces, was fun, flirty, and an enigma for much of the book. I laughed over the Eddie Haskell vibes I got from his interaction with Kenzie's family members and was relieved to discover he wasn't the "Stepford" boyfriend. The mystery of his identity and how he came to be on the island was brilliant. 

The Maui setting was the perfect place to release Kenzie's repressed desires and personality. The descriptions of the lush surroundings and the inclusion of so many interesting places to visit on the island will have readers wanting to book their own visit. 

With its engaging characters and fun and brilliantly executed premise, I recommend PICTURE-PERFECT BOYFRIEND to readers of contemporary young adult fiction, especially those who like an island setting, family drama, and romance. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.