Find A Home With The Boys
It makes me so happy when I read several books in a row that are just delightful, and this is another that just made me happy. It was such a cute, charming read that I devoured it in one day. Did it help that the internet was out, my husband couldn’t work, and the book was a short, quick read – yes. But this was also a book that I just couldn’t put down.
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/1CcDO0m
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/42Hfv3e
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/166063794-the-boys-of-benjamin-boulevard?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iq9nzUpUi6&rank=1
Author Website: samantharobinsonbooks.com
As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases.
About the Book
“Predictable and boring? I think not. This would prove that I’m just as spontaneous as the next person.” Carly Matthews has a life that would seem enviable to anyone on the outside. She’s dating the most popular guy in school, and her best friend rules the school. She lives in a huge house in a gated community and could buy anything she wants. So why does she feel so empty?
After a disagreement with her best friend, Carly makes a spur-of-the-moment decision that leads her to Alex. He’s cute, he’s kind, and she’s unavailable. Is it possible for your whole life to change after spending a few hours with a stranger? She’s about to find out.
My Thoughts
I’m not sure I’ve ever hated a set of fictional parents more in my life. Maybe the Dursleys but they were just assigned caregivers. These were the female main character’s real parents. But they did their duty well and set her up to find the best literary found family I’ve read in a long time. I adored “the boys” and Alex’s real-life parents, who served as honorary parents for all the teens in the story. Alex, the main boy, was one of those characters who seemed delightfully “too good to be true.” Like the best book boyfriend ever. He seemed too good to be true, but I didn’t mind.
The writing was fantastic. If you mostly follow me here and on Twitter, you don’t know that I annotate largely by highlighting quotes I love. Over on Instagram – check out my latest posts below – I highlight my favorite quotes from every book I read (except audiobooks because that is hard to do!). Sometimes it’s easy because there are a few really pithy ones. Sometimes it’s hard because the writing doesn’t lend itself to great quotes. But sometimes it’s hard because I practically want to quote the whole book to you. This is one of the latter. I found myself highlighting entire passages of the witty banter back and forth between the characters. So good!
The character development and dialogue were so strong. Carly, the FMC, was not the same girl at the beginning of the book that she was at the end. Similarly, several of the boys weren’t either. They grew off one another, and these relationships were so beautifully developed. Sure, this is a romance, so there was a romantic element, but the friendship relationships were just as beautiful and well done. As a writer, romance is almost easier to do than good friendship. Even the bad relationships were superbly done. I wanted to punch several people in the face as they gave me some mad “Mean Girls” vibes. And honestly, Carly’s parents just cemented my opinion that we’re doing something weird in the world where good people can’t adopt children and bad people can just have children.
It did take me a minute to warm up to Carly. She admitted that she should be happy with her charmed life, and in the beginning, she seemed a little spoiled. But you slowly start to see behind the curtain that she’s a bit of an unreliable narrator in this regard. She learns so much about what she deserves as a person. This is a great book for teens to read, and honestly probably a lot of adults. I’m so excited that I signed up for this one, and that the author and Love Books Tours included me on the tour. I will definitely keep an eye out for this author and am excited to see more from her – whether it’s more to this story or something else.
Who’s It For?
This is a young adult romance, but it’s one of those that many adults will also enjoy. I certainly did. If you enjoy a good, clean romance with found family, a coming-of-age story, and a strong female lead this is a book for you. If you liked Mean Girls this will probably be something you enjoy.
Content Warning: Child Abuse/Neglect, Cheating, Mean Girls/Friends/Bullying
About the Author
Samantha Robinson is a full-time writer living in Kentucky. The Boys of Benjamin Boulevard is her debut novel and she plans to write many more.
You can find her at samantharobinsonbooks.com
ADS
Check out All the Books I’ve Reviewed on Amazon!
Amazon Best Books of 2023 So Far!
Best SciFi and Fantasy Books of 2023 So Far
Try out the New BookMate or MarkPod for Annotating Your Books!
As an Amazon, Achievers, and BookShop Affiliate, I may earn for qualifying purchases.
Latest Posts
- Book Review – The Success Guidebook by Elizabeth Hamilton-Gaurino – @besteveryou @HCI_books @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview
- Book Review – Corpse in the Chard by Anna A. Armstrong – @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview #CozyMystery
- Book Review – The Palladium by Thorsten Brandl – @thorstenbrandl @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview
- Book Review – The Last Word by Elly Griffiths – @EllyGriffiths #TheLastWord #NetGalley #FreeBookReview
- Book Review – A Journey of the Mind by Brenda Benning – @FultonBooks @KellyALacey @LoveBooksTours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.