I tried to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but there may be a few minor details spoiled to prove my points. So, if you plan to read any of these books, I would proceed with caution. I have read a pretty large number of books, so picking only five of my favourite book boys was a little hard for me, but this is the final list that I landed on.
5. Ryan Shay – The Right Move by Liz Tomforde
I had such high expectations going into this book, and this man somehow managed to exceed all of them. Ryan is the captain of the Chicago NBA team and a very career-driven and closed-off person, until Indy, his sister’s best friend, moves into his apartment. Due to some external factors, Ryan and Indy start fake dating and (obviously) end up falling in love along the way. However, it’s the little things that Ryan does for Indy throughout the book that makes him stand out from other book boyfriends. For me, the biggest green flag about Ryan was when he started learning sign language after finding out that Indy’s dad was deaf. This happened before their relationship even became serious. There are so many other things I could include about this man, but this one fact instantly connected with me and solidified Ryan as number five on my list.
4. Aaron Warner – The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi
If you are on BookTok, chances are you have heard the hype around Aaron Warner. I am just here to say that the hype is completely true. If you have only read the first book, you probably think I’m crazy, but you have to keep reading the series to see his character development and understand why this man is top tier. On the one hand, the love that Aaron has for Juliette is so intense that he will do absolutely anything for her, even commit murder. On the other hand, even though he knows for a fact that Juliette loves him, he still doubts it simply because he feels like he doesn’t deserve to be loved by her. It is the way he is so protective and intense about Juliette, yet so sensitive with her, that made me love him as a character and put him at number four on my list.
3. Ravi Singh – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series by Holly Jackson
I enjoyed Ravi’s character throughout the whole series, but it was only in the third book, As Good As Dead, that I truly began to love him. Ravi is a very kind and sympathetic, but it is the loyalty he shows Pip that makes him stand out as a book boyfriend. I am not going to say exactly what it is that he did, because it is a big spoiler for the plot, but he essentially risks himself to protect Pip. Ravi did not even think twice before deciding this, even though he knew that there were going to be big consequences. This is exactly the kind of thing that I look for in book boys, so he is number three on my list.
2. Kai Azer – Powerless by Lauren Roberts
This book was a five-star read for me and easily one of my favourites of the year! This book had me literally giggling and kicking my feet, and a big reason for this was Kai. Kai is a prince and an Elite, but he is also the Enforcer of the kingdom – an assassin in charge of killing people without powers: the Ordinaries. Knowing this about his character, you would think that Kai is this grumpy, nasty character. However, throughout the book, you see that simply is not true, especially when it comes to Paedyn, an Ordinary. Paedyn and Kai cross paths and instantly have this tension-filled, flirtatious connection that continues throughout the book, showing us that there is more to Kai than the Enforcer role that he must play. My obsession with this man can be understood by this line alone: “Remind me to make you smile like that again when you aren’t dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it.” This line changed my standards for men. There are so many other lines like this, plus all the tension and his inner monologue, that make me love Kai’s character and put him at number two on my list.
1. Peeta Mellark – The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
My favourite book boy will forever be Peeta Mellark. He set my standards when I first read these books years ago and now that I have reread them, I love him that much more. If you have seen The Hunger Games movies, chances are you know how selfless, empathetic and determined Peeta is. Regardless, you have to trust me when I say that the book version of Peeta is even better. In the movies, you get to see the classic “If it weren’t for the baby” line, but in the books he has so many more like this, where you get to see the sassy, confident and smart side of him. One of my favourite lines from the first book is when Peeta says to Katniss, “Remember, we’re madly in love so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.” I genuinely don’t know how Katniss didn’t fall in love sooner because this line alone had me smiling like an idiot. The sassiness and selflessness that we see from Peeta, along with the way he cares for Katniss, is what has solidified him as my favourite book boy of all time.