The Boyfriend List is the fifth book in the Forever Love series by Jeannie Moon, and it is also the first book I have read from her. This one sounded really cute and sweet though, and that was exactly what I was in the mood for. I really enjoyed this book right up until the end, and that is where I really started to have some issues with it. Unfortunately with the way things went towards the end, it turned me off the whole book and ruined most of what I had loved before.
When Jenna Albanese was thirteen, she made a list of qualities that her perfect man should have with her best friends. Years later, she thought that she had found him only to have him ruin everything and break her heart. Since then, she hasn't believed in happy endings. When she gets paired up with Nate Bayard at a friend's wedding, she likes him but knows that not only is she out of his league, but he seems to dislike her. But when she finds out that he actually does like her, she knows that she needs to stay away from him. She isn't his type at all, and with her past she is the last person he needs. But Nate isn't willing to give up on Jenna, and he knows that what is between them is worth fighting for. But can he convince Jenna that he is nothing like the man that broke her heart, and more like the man on her boyfriend list?
I really liked Nate and Jenna. These two were really cute together, and I liked how well they got along. Things were so easy and natural between them, and I loved how adorable they were with one another. Nate and Jenna complimented each other well, with him being the intelligent and confident businessman with no skills when it came to women and her being the artistic and creative kind with no aptitude for math. I thought that their feelings were genuine, and you could feel the attraction between them. They did get together very quickly once things were set in motion, and things seemed to proceed at lightning speed from there. It was a bit insta-love for my taste, and yet I didn't question their relationship at all.
My problems with this story were the secondary characters. While I had really liked most of them throughout the story and felt like they were a great bunch, the ending was like throwing a bucket of ice on the entire thing. I was instantly turned off with how cruel and judgmental some of them became. They became completely unlikable and I didn't understand their sudden personality shifts. While it would be easy to say that they were being protective and looking out for their loved ones, this went beyond that to the point that they were overly harsh and flat out hateful. They tried to make things right at the end, but at that point I already disliked them so much there was no going back. Unfortunately, they were so awful I now have no desire whatsoever to to back and read their stories or read the future installments in this series featuring them. I know that at this point I wouldn't be able to like them at all, knowing how they behaved here. Completely sad to me, since before the end I had planned on reading the rest of the series because I liked them all so well. As much as I loved Nate and Jenna, I couldn't help but be left with a sour taste in my mouth with the ending here. I think that there are those that will really enjoy this book and like seeing familiar faces from the series. But I honestly wouldn't recommend starting here if you are interested in reading Owen's story or Leah's after this book. Maybe I am in the minority here, but I just couldn't get over their treatment of Jenna and how they kept defending their horrible actions.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
