Title: The Boyfriend Bracket
Author: Kate Evangelista
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Release Date: June 19th 2018
Publisher: Swoon Reads

* BLURB *

The only way to get over a hopeless crush is to find someone new…Enter: The Boyfriend Bracket!

Putting a new spin on a classic trope, Kate Evangelista explores family bonds, changing relationships, and senior year as our heroine tries to get over her brother’s best friend.

Stella has had a hopeless crush on Will, her older brother’s best friend FOREVER, but now that Cam and Will have graduated and are going off to college, this year is her chance to really strike out on her own. Without her overprotective brother and his sidekick around to distract her, she can focus on having all the typical high school experiences that she’s always dreamed of―starting with finding a boyfriend! With the help of her best friend, Franklin, she comes up with the perfect plan to have a boyfriend by Christmas: The Boyfriend Bracket.

Or it seems like the perfect plan . . . right up until Will starts showing up again. How is she supposed to find the perfect boyfriend when none of her dates measure up to the one boy she can never have?

The Boyfriend Bracket puts a new spin on a classic genre in a fun, unforgettable way.

BUY LINKS

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REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received my review copy of  The Boyfriend Bracket as I am a part of the blog tour organized by Xpresso Book Tours . This didn’t affect my opinion of the book in any way.

This book is hella cute!

It has become a habit of mine to alternate reading fantasy or sci-fi and contemporary. And whenever I turn to contemporary after reading something heavy with magic or science, I want something really light, fluffy, and just pure fun to read ( of course, unless I’m feeling a little bit emotional and want something that tugs in the heart and triggers tears in the eyes).

So, I signed up for this tour knowing how Kate Evangelista writes something that I’m looking for in a light contemporary novel. I’ve read her No Love Allowed book in one sitting before, and I liked it. So, I was kind of expecting the same fast read with The Boyfriend Bracket and I wasn’t wrong! Every written words just came flying, and before I knew it, I’m finished!

Filipino-American culture.

What I like the most about The Boyfriend Bracket is the touch of Filipino-American culture. I’m no Fil-Am, but I have watched way too much Fil-Am family vlogs on YouTube to know what it’s like in a Filipino-American household (not entirely, but enough knowledge about it, I guess?).

The main character, Stella, is half Filipina and half American. She’s living with her Filipino mom and big brother. Her dad passed away when she’s young.

I love how Kate carefully thread the Filipino culture, especially the Filipino cuisine, the way Filipinos call their relatives like nanay (mom), kuya (big brother), or when being addressed in full name by your mom which means she’s already hella mad and you have to move NOW. Lol

The Boyfriend Bracket

The title literally suggests the premise of the book.  Stella has this over protective brother, Cam and his best friend Will, who blocks anyone that tries to hit on or date Stella.

This best friend duo have been the “protection” as they say it, of Stella. And Stella, being this angst-y teenage girl who only wants to experience high school romance, was already fed up. And she’s never going to allow coming to homecoming without a date.

So, Stella and her best friend Franklin came up with The Boyfriend Bracket where they literally lined up potential boyfriends into somewhat like a competition. Whoever wins in each round will move to the next bracket until they come up with the final winner a.k.a. homecoming date.

Brother’s Best Friend Trope

I’m not gonna lie. this is one of my guilty pleasures. Lol. I will never see myself in the same way with my big brothers’ friends (not that I’m close with any of them lol), but I just think that this is cute. And if you’re into this trope? Well, good for you, hun! Enjoy ~

Final verdict

I just hated Cam at and his over protectiveness for Stella at one point. His attempt of “protecting” Stella came off a bit lopsided in my eyes which is why I understood Stella. As youngest child and daughter in my family, with two big brothers, I just can’t imagine having my big brothers act like Cam or I’ll go full on rebel girl. Lol

Either way, I enjoyed this book, and I really really really really like Will.  This book is something that I’d totally read on a summer vacation or something.

Also, reading this book felt homey for some reasons. I think, Filipino-Americans will love and totally relate with this book.

OVERALL RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University – Manila with an Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full time and is based in the Philippines. To learn more about Kate, please visit her website at www.kateevangelista.com or follow her on Twitter @KateEvangelista

Author Links

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