Review: Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Blackmail Boyfriend 

by Chris Cannon

August 11, 2015

267 pages

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Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

 

Review

If you're looking for a cute light read then I will push Blackmail Boyfriend into your hands. It has its fair share of melodramatics but makes up for it in the breezy dialogues.

The whole story revolved around the idea of using a fake relationship to possibly get a real one out of it. In Haley's case, she wanted to use Bryce to show guys that she's dateable despite her overprotective twin brothers. It's simple enough except the guy she really wants is the one she's blackmailing into pretend-dating her. Even worse is that Bryce isn't exactly a one-girl kind of guy.
 

I felt that Haley was a little pretentious with the whole blackmail thing. She claims she's doing it to get her brothers back off so guys will see her as an option yet she always secretly only pined for Bryce. I didn't like how it made her pushy but at the same time I understood she was acting out. Her frustration and insecurity really showed in her thoughts. Bryce was a legitimately confused boy. Being entitled as he was, it took him quite some time to discern his feelings. Haley and Bryce's relationship was very volatile - alternating between hot and cold frequently but it was nonetheless, realistic.

Haley's best friend, Jane is the best! She bakes delicious pastries and uses them in analogies. It does not get more fun than that! Most important is that she's always by Haley's side when she needs her. Nathan was also a  great friend to Bryce. He points out things that Bryce is too stubborn to admit but never judges him. I love the side plot these two BFFs get. In my opinion, it's cuter than the main story :P
 

There were lots of shallow plot points that didn't amount to anything. Bryce's ex Brittney's extreme behaviour, his father's attitude and affair and Haley's mom's past were all briefly touched on but glossed over. I got the feeling that they were written in as obstacles for the characters rather than for any real plot development. It would've been nice if we had some closure in those areas.

 

The romantic situation in Blackmail Boyfriend gets somewhat repetitive but I think the friendship aspect balances it out. I really enjoyed the interactions between these friends and I think that alone is worth the read.