by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness)
Romance. Mystery. Women in STEM. Yes, please! I cannot tell you how much I loved Farrah Rochon's contemporary romance novel, The Boyfriend Project. Rochon takes the typical rom-com scenario and turns it on its head. Which, I am here for. The protagonist of the story is Samiah Brooks, a super-smart, super successful computer coder who goes on a terrible date, becomes the target of office gossip, and swears off men for 6 months along with her two friends, Taylor and London.
Enter Daniel, a gorgeous new hire at Trendsetters, the wildly successful tech firm that Samiah works for. Fireworks, mystery, and intrigue ensue. (And also steaminess. The steaminess definitely ensues, too. But it is just the right amount of steam!)
What I loved about this book is the premise that Samiah's story starts from. I think many women can relate to a terrible date. And in the age of dating in 2020, women can also relate to the perils of dating when social media becomes involved. Yikes. Okay, so that terrible date is not what I loved. What I loved is what came out of that date for Samiah. I love books that showcase strong, successful female characters who support each other. And that is just what Samiah, Taylor, and London are. They are able to support each other while still calling each other out on their BS. (This is a strictly PG blog. No swearing here!)
In addition, I loved the portrayal of Samiah's success in her field (Technology and STEM) where women are notoriously underrepresented, especially Black women, which Rochon addresses in several parts of the book. Even though the book does address and follow the budding romance between Samiah and Daniel, it gives just as much attention to the positive female relationships, and Samiah's success in her industry and what she had to do to obtain this success.
Rochon is skillful in addressing social injustices for Black women in Technology and in the world at large, while still crafting a compelling romance and providing plenty of humor.
This Boyfriend Project is a smart, witty romantic comedy with a lot of heart, but it also addresses some important issues throughout its pages. This book is a perfect summer read. Grab it ASAP! (And also, can we get this made into a movie? Like, STAT!)
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