Review: Picture-Perfect Boyfriend by Becky Dean

*We received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Kenzie Reed is excited for her first family vacation in years. She can’t wait to visit Hawaii and see everything that the island of Maui has to offer. Too bad she can’t be like her old self and photograph everything on the island and wander by herself. Nope, the new and resposible Kenzie didn’t bring her camera and is sticking to the family schedule.

But when Kenzie arrives in Hawaii, a big surprise is waiting for her. Months ago, Kenzie made up a fake boyfriend named Jacob Miller, who she met at a conference. Jacob is perfect in every way, well perfect for her parents.

Less than a year ago, Kenzie gave up on her dream of becoming a photographer and decided to persue her parents goal of becoming an optomitrist, eventually working at the family business. Jabob was the perfect guy to help create the new Kenzie.

Except, Jacob isn’t real and now he’s standing at the airport and ready for a vacation with Kenzie’s family. Apparently, her family wanted to surprise her by having Jacob be part of the trip, but Kenzie has no idea who this guy is and where he came from. But she can’t say antyhing without revealing her secret.

Now, Kenzie is staying in a suite with her parents, Jacob, her younger brother, her older sister, the sister’s boyfriend and her grandmother, for an entire week. Things are bound to be interesting.

We read Dean’s debut YA book Love & Other Great Expectations last year and enjoyed it. We were so excited to read Picture-Perfect Boyfriend, espcially because the plot sounded hilarious. We’re happy to say it lived up to our expectations.

Our favorite thing about Picture-Perfect Boyfriend was the setting. We’re ready to buy a ticket to Hawaii ASAP. Seriously, the activities they do and the way Dean described marine life was incredible. They got to go snorkeling, take a sunset cruise, learn to surf and hike on a volcano. Sign us up!

The Hawaii setting was also the perfect place for a romance. It was obvious that Jacob Miller, who prefers to go by Jake is nothing like how Kenzie described. The two have amazing chemistry, but at the same time Kenzie is trying to figure who is he and why he is there.

It was obvious that every day, Jake and Kenzie seemed to be getting closer and there was nothing fake about it. It was so sweet how Jake tried to get Kenzie to go after what she wants to persue a career in photography. The more the two go to know each other, the more they were able to open up about their goals and interests.

Without spoiling anything, it was interesting to see how Jake got invited on this trip and why he needed to get to Hawaii. He had an interesting backstory of his own, which allowed him to connect with Kenzie.

As for the other characters, Gran was easily our favorite. She’s hilarious, adventurous and not afriad to ask for what she wants. Unlike the rest of the family, Gran wanted to experience everything Maui had to offer.

The parents, however, were hard to like. They were so judgmental about everything and wanted their kids to be exactly like them. They put so much pressure on Kenzie and clearly had a favorite child, Kenzie’s older sister Alana.

Eventually, everyone learns the difference between fake Jacob and the real Jake, which leads to some crazy scenes. While we wish Kenzie’s family was more open to her ambitions, they did come around to an extent. At least Kenzie realized she’s going to starting going after what she wants from now on.

The epilogue was a great addition to the book and allowed us to see what was going on with everyone three months after the Hawaii trip. We were excited to see that Kenzie and Jake were both doing some amazing things.

Overall, if you’re in the mood for a cute contemporary romance set in Hawaii, Pictiure-Perfect Boyfriend is for you. It’s the perfect summer beach read.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐