A smart and delightful romantic comedy featuring fabulous female friendships and ”a great love story.” –Jasmine Guillory, bestselling author of Party of Two
Samiah Brooks never thought she would be “that” girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she’s been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah — along with his two other … a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah — along with his two other “girlfriends,” London and Taylor — have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men and no dating.
For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she’s always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?
The Boyfriend Project was an April Book of the Month selection. I had selected it and had it in possession before I’d ever learned George Floyd’s name, before I even knew Breonna Taylor’s name. Honestly, we were in the throws of figuring out the new life that was Corona Virus Quarantine. That was our April. Remember that?
Before the events of May and June I never thought twice about why, out of my massive to be read pile, there was exactly two Black authors hidden in the stacks. Thinking back it was Jasmine Guillory’s Royal Holiday (which I didn’t even have in my possession yet) and The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. I can say with complete confidence that without Book of the Month, there would have been only Jasmine’s book on the list.
And before May and June I never thought about why there were so few in my stack.
Well, now I think about it all the time. I actively search out the stories written by Black authors and I have found some non-fiction essays and memoirs that have reached to the back of my heart found the deepest heart string and pulled. If the Lynching Museum story in Austin Channing Brown’s book doesn’t break you into a million pieces, nothing will.
That’s why I was so grateful to have picked The Boyfriend Project as my first Black-authored fiction book post Spring 2020. Yes, this was a rom-com. Yes, the guy gets the girl even after he’s kind of a dick and yes, I want to be friends with Samiah, London, and Taylor. Anyone who drinks watermelon martinis is a good one.
But I found myself reading the story of a successful Black woman in the tech field who knew EXACTLY where she stood, how she got there, and why she she was secure in her job. Spoiler Alert: It’s not only because she’s really good at it.
Farrah integrates real-life race issues in her writing in real-life ways with real-life consequences without it feeling like any kind of ulterior or underlying motive. This is a rom-com thru and thru and the author stuck with it. I loved it and I thought it was the perfect first look into what fiction could be like with more Black authors published.
Farrah Rochon is a new to me author and I enjoyed every second of reading The Boyfriend Project. It was great reading about an empowering group of women with career aspirations and goals outside of wanting to find the right man. These women are all extremely relatable and a testament that women should lift each other up and not bring one another down. The way they come together is a unique (meeting after realizing they were all dating the same man), but the friendship comes natural to them leading to them making a pact to focus on themselves and their goals rather than men.
This story is truly an example of love finding you when you least expect it. Daniel Collins and Samiah Brooks meet at work when Dan is sent to investigate some shady business taking place at Samiah’s company. The attraction between Samiah and Daniel was immediate and it was entertaining reading both of them try to fight it only to realize that their connection/relationship was inevitable. Daniel is only here to work while Samiah has just been cheated on in a very public manner, but the two can’t seem to want to stay away from each other.
Samiah as a woman in STEM is an amazing role model. Not just as a heroine, but as a woman of color. She is dedicated to her work and puts her values above anything else. These applies to London and Taylor as well… I am looking forward to reading their HEA!!
Smart, amusing, and refreshing. This was my first read from this author, but I can already tell, I’ll be a fan girl of hers for life.
*running off to check her back catalog*
This was an exciting comtemporary romance set in the Austin tech world, with lots of humor, drama, real life issues and tension that built up powerfully. Samiah is focused on her career in tech and wants to start her own app. After discovering the guy she’d been seeing was also seeing two other women, their confrontation caught on camera and going viral, she becomes friends with the other two, and decides to spend six months focusing on herself and not dating. That goes well until her new coworker Daniel catches her attention. Even though she’s not trying to date, she can’t help talking to Daniel and being charmed by how hot and thoughtful he is. What she doesn’t know is that he’s been sent to their company undercover to investigate it on behalf of the government.
Meanwhile, Daniel knows that his job will end at some point and he’ll have to leave Austin, but he’s falling for Samiah and keeps seeing her despite his qualms. Their at first tentative getting to know each other stage, as well as the growing intensity of their feelings, had me rooting for them from the beginning.
The chemistry between Samiah and Denial was powerful, and the dual POV works wonderfully. Samiah’s challengers as a Black woman in the tech world, her ambition around her app, and her budding friendship with Taylor and London make this book realistic. Highly recommended!
The story got off to a really good start; however, after a while, I became really tired of all the instances in which the male character reflected on how terrible it was to want to pursue a relationship with the heroine.
Source: ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Samiah is horrified when a public boyfriend-gone-bad encounter turns viral but on the plus side, she comes away with two new friends, London and Taylor. Their friendship makes the humiliation worth it as it’s a new experience for her to have friends when she’s devoted most of her attention to her career these past few years. As a POC in a competitive tech industry, she has to go the extra mile to prove that she deserves her seat at the table. Her work, her professionalism and her choices are met with more judgement than for most people. As she’s continued to thrive at work she’s finally, with the encouragement of her new friends, feeling brave enough to work on her own personal project. The three of them agree to swear of men for a while so they can focus on themselves. Samiah’s supposed to be focused on her side project but with Daniel, the latest hire now in the picture, her attention is divided. Daniel is great. He’s pleasant, considerate, easy on the eyes and appears to be several levels up from her previous jerk of a boyfriend. He’s interested in Samiah as well but he has his own agenda at the company and it may affect her work. Getting involved with her would put himself and his secret at risk and also pose a major risk for both of them professionally and personally. So is it worth it?
Reading books featuring WOC who are the full package brings an immense feeling of pride. It’s reassuring to know they’re out there and that those stories can be inspiring, insightful and entertaining. Samiah, London and Taylor are vibrant, smart, bold and successful. The honesty that’s laid bare in how Samiah carries her achievements and feels the extra weight of responsibility is something that POC and WOC feel all the time, no matter their line of work. That continual burden to prove that they deserve their achievement is not an imagined thing. Not only that, but also how a POC/WOC responds when issues arise in the workplace is mentally exhausting. Advocating for oneself becomes an exercise in how to speak up without creating discomfort or offending others, lest one be seen as a “troublemaker”. Any reader unfamiliar with this will get a glimpse through Samiah’s interactions at work.
As for Samiah and Daniel … yeah, they’re good together. They’ve met their perfect match in each other and sparks fly every which way. As it’s a workplace romance and they tiptoe around the boundaries adding a bit of extra sauciness now and then.
The Boyfriend Project was my first time reading Farrah Rochon and I certainly like her style. Set in Austin, a city that I’ve visited once briefly and am rather obsessed with, I liked her references to locations in and outside of the city. Samiah has a few surprises up her sleeve and that’s one of the many things I liked about her character. Pick this one up for your next read!
~ Bel
Extremely funny, empowering, sexy, smart and oh so enticing! This was my first book by this author and it won’t be the last! I loved the playful writing style, the humor, the heat. The characters all brought something unique to the story and made this an extremely enjoyable book! I would ‘ship Samiah and Daniel any day of the week!!!
Samiah is a kick-ass STEM heroine and I am 100% here for her. (That’s it. That’s the review.) Okay, Daniel is great, too, and their path to an HEA well-worth the journey. But really, just buy and read this book.
Samiah has everything: a family that values her, a job she enjoys with a company that values its employees, and a beautiful home. Well, everything except a romantic partner. She’s also a little light on friends, but that’s largely due to her focus on building her career. As her latest potential boyfriend collapses in a spectacular way, she meets two women who fill the friendship void.
Together with Taylor and London, Samiah decides to forego men for six months, something the trio labels The Boyfriend Project. This man ban intends to stop them from jumping into yet another lame relationship, but it also develops a fortifying relationship between the three women. Some of my favorite scenes feature Samiah, London, and Taylor dishing about their jobs, families, frustrations, achievements, wants, and needs. (Farrah Rochon says that the next book in the series will feature Taylor, and I can’t wait.)
As you might suspect, however, the best of intentions don’t always lead to victory. Daniel, a new employee where Samiah works, immediately captures her attention. He captures yours, too. You sense, right along with Samiah, that this man might just be worthy of her because, right from the start, he shows that he values her.
The importance of knowing your worth and settling for nothing else flows through this book. Samiah, London, and Taylor were ready to deny their instincts and accept the attentions of a man who does not deserve them. Professionally, Samiah debates whether to choose her job over her dream of creating a friendship app, believing it impossible to have both. And then there is Daniel. If she lets herself fall for him, is she prioritizing a relationship over her burgeoning friendships?
Farrah Rochon also treats you to a mystery of sorts involving Daniel. He’s working with Samiah for reasons he must keep secret from her, and Rochon builds the tension of what will happen when Samiah inevitably finds out what’s going on. Both Samiah and Daniel narrate the book, their chapters helping you feel the various conflicts they experience.
Farrah Rochon makes you laugh, makes you think, and makes you question whether you settle for less than your worth. She creates characters you wish you knew in real life, and she makes you eager for Tayor’s and London’s books. I’m a new fan of how she tells a story.
This was such a great book! The writing is phenomenal, and it opens with such a bang. I loved watching Samaiah, London, and Taylor getting to know each other. Daniel was completely swoon-worthy, and I loved the way everything tied together.
I do feel like I probably now know more than I ever needed to about WiFi systems, but hey, I like learning new things. 🙂 The Book really is more substantial than I’d have expected from the cover, title, and blurb. I really wish marketing departments would stop calling everything romcom because the com here doesn’t actually come from the romance. (And it’s steamy) But it’s a spectacularly well done contemporary romance, and I can’t wait for the sequel.
Review based on ARC.
There were so many things I enjoyed about this story but overall it just didn’t end up being a favorite of mine.
I loved the way this story started off. It captured my attention right away and the relationship between Samiah, London, and Taylor ended up being one of my favorite parts of the story. Unfortunately, I had a hard time believing in the romance between David and Samiah. It felt as if I was being told they were together, not actually shown. Much of their relationship is developed behind the scenes, off the pages, of the story and it was hard to feel like the romance was important or believable.
While this may not be my new favorite story, I am interested in reading the next book in the series. The epilogue set it up perfectly and I’m excited to see what this author brings to the table next.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon Narrated by Je Nie Fleming
When her breakup with her boyfriend goes viral, Samiah Brooks decides to give up on men and focus on her own project. Along with her new gal pals London and Taylor, Samiah is ready to face her new-found freedom as a modern woman who doesn’t need a man to define her. That is until she arrives at work Monday morning and meets the new guy, Daniel Collins. If hot computer guy needed a definition, Daniel Collins would be it. Can Samiah possibly abstain when she has to share space with this guy who is not only delicious to look at but kind and considerate too!
But everything isn’t as it seems. Daniel is at the company undercover to do a job for the U. S. Treasury Department and once the job is done, he’ll be gone. He doesn’t plan to fall for Samiah, but she is not only beautiful but talented and caring. Every time he is near her, he wants her more. He might be lying about somethings but his feelings for her are real, too real. The choice he has to make may cost him either the career he loves or the woman he’s coming to love. Doing the right thing has never been this hard.
I loved this book. The characters were dynamic and powerful. Samiah, a black woman in the tech field feels the pressure to not only be the best for herself but for all the black girls that might come after her. It’s a big burden to carry but one many women of color feel, or so I have been told. They know others will be judged by their actions. Right or wrong, it is the way of the world and for a caring person it can be overwhelming. I thought Rochon handled this with finesse, teaching without preaching.
I also loved that Daniel wasn’t an alpha-asshole, he was strong and caring, in charge but still vulnerable. I fell in love right alongside Samiah, that is the power of a good romance.
This was absolutely delightful! I totally want all three of these badass women as part of my tribe. Can’t wait for book 2!
So…..It was good.
I liked how self possessed Samiah was. She knew her worth and she was feisty!
This book taught me a lot about the experiences of women in the workplace especially in fields that are considered ‘masculine’. The story laid out some realities of the career world. How frustrating it is for women to have their own name and take credit for their work especially in jobs were ‘teams’ are the norm than individual assessment of work. The pressure women feel of really making sure you are non-expandable and doing an extra mile to be secure in your job which the story tackled perfectly.
Daniel,on the other hand, is a programmer/agent working undercover to bust a money laundering case in Samiah’s company. Throughout the story and his relationship with Samiah , his ommision of his real work was the center dilemma of his character. His constant questioning of whether to continue his relationship despite the job? What will his lie do to Samiah in the future? Can he live with it?
This was the issue for me. Certain experiences in my life have influenced my stance on lie by ommision. I always felt like it is okay in some circumstances and not in others. And this one for me was the latter.I felt like Daniel could have done it better in the end. Or atleast the groveling should have been more brutal and longer or more believable than Daniel giving notes and stuff and Samiah falling to her feet in swoon.
But this is only A PERSONAL ISSUE and OTHERS MAY NOT BE AS PUT OFF ABOUT IT AS I WAS.
Issues aside, Miss Rochon will be on my authors to read list.
Will re read this later also.
In the first chapter, you get a glimpse of how epically fierce Samiah is. I was immediately 100% here for these ladies.
This book had me feeling every single emotion I could possibly think of, from laughing and crying to that punched in gut devastation and hope.
There is nothing I love more than super strong female leads but add in that this amazing woman is killing it in a male dominated STEM field? Samiah had me cheering for her so much that I forgot for a second she’s not actually real. I loved Daniel too but Samiah is the one that had me swooning my way through this story.
I *need* Taylor and London’s stories!! I’ll be counting down until I can hang out with #SquadGoals again!!!
The Boyfriend Project hit close to home, but in spite of that I enjoyed it. Being in a relationship these days has as many cons as it does pros. One of the cons being that we’re living in the digital age which, unfortunately, is a strong enabler of cheaters/liars/narcissists. As Samiah’s sister reads aloud about one woman’s date from hell on Twitter, Samiah realizes that the other woman’s date doesn’t just share strong similarities to the guy she’s been dating, he IS the guy she’s been seeing. As it turns out he’s been dating not just Samiah and Taylor, but London too. The women cut him loose and hand his ass to him. Unbeknownst to them other patrons of the restaurant had begun recording the whole scene once they realized what was happening. The story goes viral and Samiah is mortified. Unexpectedly though, she finds herself bonding with Taylor and London and the women become fast friends. They make a decision to stop focusing on what everyone else thinks they should have in their lives, and who they should be, and instead focus on rediscovering what it is that they want and need. They promise to focus on making their own dreams come true and taking a sabbatical from dating for at least the next six months.
The universe has a funny way of mucking up even the purest of intentions though because the very next day Samiah has a new coworker in the form of one gorgeous Daniel Collins. While on the surface Daniel may appear to be another tech genius who is all about coding. However, Daniel is actually working for the Treasury Department to bust open a money laundering scheme that is being funneled through the company that Samiah works for.
Daniel knows he won’t be in Austin, working at Trendsetters, for more than a couple of months yet he is drawn to Samiah and doesn’t want to have to keep such tight reins on his feelings towards her.
Samiah has made a pact with her girls, their Boyfriend Project, to focus on herself for six months. Getting involved with her new coworker doesn’t exactly help with her personal goals, but as with Daniel, Samiah is finding it hard to set aside her growing attraction to, flirtation with, and affection for him.
The two are seemingly a perfect match, even despite the fact that Daniel is having to keep the truth about his real career a secret from Samiah for the time being. Will they be able to make it work? Will Samiah’s new friends understand when she tells them about her attraction to Daniel? Will the ladies make their dreams come true?
You should definitely pick up a copy and find out!
I loved this storyline. It really relates to how there is always someone who catfishes women and men. In this case it is Samiah and the other two ladies London and Taylor who are being catfishes by the same guy. It was so hilarious when Taylor and London were live streaming him on a date yet with another woman and when Samiah saw the live stream, she rushed to the restaurant and all three confronted him.
Samiah, Taylor and London became fast Friends and decided not to date for six months and focus only on doing something for themselves. Of course this is easier said than done especially for Samiah who is attracted to the new tech person Daniel Collins on her job.
I love how the friendship developed between the three ladies and I cannot wait to see if London and Taylor gets a book of their backstory.
If you like a book that has well developed characters, sister girlfriends, laughter, love, romance with a little mystery, then I highly recommend this book to read.
Cassandra H.
I received an ARC for review and this review is of my own honest opinion.
I really enjoyed the mystery, intrigue, budding love story, and the #twitter beginning. The characters are well defined and developed, along with the right amount of substance. The family and friendships are well interwoven into the story. The reader has the opportunity to see the love grow and blossom. I have always loved stories by this author, and she doesn’t disappoint with this story. Well worth the time to enjoy the boyfriend project journey.
I just reviewed The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. #TheBoyfriendProject #NetGalley
https://www.netgalley.com/book/180612/review/618658
This is one of my favorite books of read in a LONG time. I adored everything about it. Samiah and Daniel were hot together and the bond that Samiah, Taylor and London create is so fun and adorable and FUN. It had the little bit of mystery that I love in a book (like I wanted to know the deal with Samiah’s company and who was doing what, i.e. Daniel’s investigation). But my absolutely favorite part of this book is how well it navigated the challenges of both Samiah and Daniel’s careers and how that effected all aspects of their lives and identities and how they had to maneuver around that to make room for a relationship while still honoring their goals. Like that felt SO real to me. Like they both LOVED their jobs (not necessarily every aspect of their current positions but their industries and generally what they did). They were both serious about that. Also the workplace intricacies and problems with coworkers etc were really accurate and well done and I was just nodding along the entire time.
Also, the unease that you get the whole time with all of Daniel’s ethical dilemma’s with his job that he tries to navigate (not always well) while falling in love definitely made my heart pound. And yes, I was mad at him for a little while (okay, like more than mad, furious) but I think the ending works really well and I just loved this read. Also the EPILOGUE! OMG! I really can’t wait for Taylor’s book! AH!
Thanks to NetGalley, Forever, Libro.fm, and Hachette Audio for the complimentary e-arc and audiobook.
With The Boyfriend Project, Farrah Rochon delivers a top notch romance. I loved the heroine of the novel. Samiah Brooks is smart, successful and works her tail off as an African American woman in the tech industry. I enjoy books centered around women in the tech industry because I think it is a field where the barriers to entry and acceptance are high for women in general, much less a woman of color. I also loved her friendship with two women, London and Taylor, who she meets as a result of a cheating boyfriend (this early scene in the novel is hilarious).
I went into this book not knowing a whole lot about the plot and honestly I think that’s the way to go in. The story was unexpected for me and I really enjoyed the element of intrigue that the plot brings in.
If I have a criticism of the book it is that the romance element of the book seems a bit rushed, especially at the beginning. I’m not entirely sure why. I do think this aspect of the book improves as their relationship develops throughout the story.
So long story short, I loved this book and can’t wait for London and Taylor’s stories. (I’m assuming there are going to be London and Taylor stories. Please let there be London and Taylor stories! LOL)