The Build-a-Boyfriend Project Summary, Characters and Themes
The Build-a-Boyfriend Project by Mason Deaver is a contemporary queer romance about self-discovery, second chances, and the messy, beautiful process of learning how to love again. It follows Eli Francis, a weary assistant stuck in a dead-end media job and reeling from heartbreak, who unexpectedly finds connection with Peter, a socially anxious engineer.
What begins as a disastrous blind date soon turns into a journalistic “experiment” and, eventually, something much deeper. Through humor, awkwardness, and emotional honesty, the story explores queer adulthood, vulnerability, and the courage to be open to love—even when the past still hurts.
Summary
Eli Francis spends his days fetching coffee, managing schedules, and writing content that means nothing to him at Vent, an online lifestyle publication that once valued real journalism. His personal life is equally uninspiring—he’s still recovering from a painful breakup with his ex-boyfriend Keith, who now works as a senior editor in the same office.
Eli feels invisible, trapped between unfulfilled ambitions and the ache of lost love. When his boss Michael Clay breaks a promise of promotion and gives his dream position to someone else, Eli’s confidence collapses.
At home, his roommates Patricia and Rose try to cheer him up with humor and comfort. They urge him to start dating again, insisting that life won’t change unless he opens himself up to new experiences.
Reluctantly, Eli agrees to a blind date with Peter—a shy, quiet man new to the city. Their dinner quickly spirals into disaster: Peter is late, awkward, and nervous.
He spills food and water, forgets his wallet, and leaves mid-movie to take a “work call,” never returning. Humiliated, Eli swears off dating for good.
A few days later, Peter shows up at Eli’s office to apologize. He explains that it was his first date ever and that his awkwardness came from inexperience and fear.
Peter grew up in a small Georgia town where being gay wasn’t accepted, leaving him isolated. Eli sees genuine remorse and honesty in him, softening toward the man who ruined his night.
Their conversation is interrupted by Michael, who overhears and turns the story into a potential article idea—a “Build-a-Boyfriend Project,” where Eli would teach Peter how to date while documenting the experience. Eli hates the exploitative concept but reluctantly agrees after Michael promises him a promotion.
Secretly, he plans to use the experience to write a more sincere piece about queer identity and growth.
Eli and Peter begin their “dating lessons. ” They set boundaries and develop a unique trust system, even creating a safe word to stop uncomfortable moments.
Their early meetings are awkward but gradually become natural as Eli helps Peter relax and open up. Peter shares memories of growing up queer in a conservative town and of his first love, Mark, whose parents forced him into conversion therapy.
Eli, moved by Peter’s honesty, starts seeing him not as a project but as someone special. Their connection deepens through shared vulnerability, small touches, and unguarded laughter.
Meanwhile, Eli struggles at work under Michael’s manipulation. He’s torn between the shallow, marketable version of their story and the heartfelt piece he truly wants to write—one that celebrates resilience and identity.
At a Halloween party, Eli tries to distract himself from his growing feelings for Peter by hooking up with a stranger but stops midway, realizing how empty it feels. Leaving the club, he unexpectedly runs into Peter at a laundromat.
Their quiet reunion leads to open conversation and emotional intimacy. They talk about Peter’s love for romance novels and his dream of writing one himself.
Eli encourages him, recognizing their shared longing to create something authentic.
Their relationship slowly transforms from staged lessons to real affection. Peter meets Eli’s family—his mother Rue, stepfather John, and younger half-sibling Les—at an ice-skating outing.
The evening is filled with warmth and laughter, showing Eli what love and family can feel like again. For the first time in years, he feels grounded.
But happiness unravels when Eli learns that Michael has published both his articles: the exploitative “Build-a-Boyfriend” piece and his heartfelt “Late Blooming in Lavender Country. ” The first portrays Peter as a clueless man being “fixed” by Eli.
The internet loves it; the article goes viral, humiliating Peter. When Eli confronts Michael, his boss praises the exposure and offers him a promotion.
Eli quits instead, unable to justify the betrayal.
He rushes to Peter’s apartment in the rain, desperate to explain. He confesses everything—that he lied, that he didn’t mean for the cruel version to go public, that he truly fell in love.
Peter, devastated, tells him the damage is done. Trust, once broken, can’t be repaired with apologies.
They part in heartbreak.
Time passes, and Eli tries to rebuild his life. He gets a barista job, applies for writing positions, and begins to find quiet purpose again.
Then one day, Peter walks into the café with another man. Eli assumes it’s a new boyfriend and spirals with jealousy and regret.
At Thanksgiving, Rue helps him face his guilt. She shares a story about how she gave Eli’s father a second chance after a disastrous first date, reminding Eli that forgiveness takes courage but isn’t guaranteed.
Inspired, Eli calls Peter, admitting his mistakes and expressing love without expectation. Peter agrees to meet.
At the café, Eli braces for rejection, only to learn the man with Peter isn’t a boyfriend but his literary agent. Peter finished his romance novel—the one inspired by their story—and is about to publish it.
Eli apologizes sincerely, taking full responsibility. Peter says he’s still hurt but wants to see where things can go.
They decide to start again—not as boyfriends but as two people willing to rebuild trust.
Two years later, Peter’s debut novel, What If I Love You? , launches at a crowded bookstore.
Eli attends with friends and family, proud and emotional. Peter thanks the audience, speaking of fear, love, and the power of second chances.
His dedication—“to the man who taught me to appreciate iced Americanos”—makes Eli smile through tears. After the event, they share a quiet, tender moment outside.
No drama, no grand gestures—just love reclaimed through honesty and time.
By the story’s end, Eli and Peter have built something stronger than before: a relationship founded on forgiveness, self-awareness, and genuine care. Through mistakes and redemption, they both discover that love isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to stay, even after everything falls apart.
Characters
Eli Francis
Eli Francis is the emotional core of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project, a man burdened by both external pressures and internal insecurities. Working as an overworked assistant at the online publication Vent, Eli’s life is defined by stagnation—professionally, romantically, and personally.
His days blur into a pattern of fetching coffee, managing others’ needs, and suppressing his own ambitions. Beneath his exhaustion lies a deep longing for meaning and recognition, not only in his career but also in his relationships.
Eli’s breakup with Keith has left him wounded and distrustful of love, yet unable to let go of the vulnerability it once allowed him to feel. His tendency to deflect pain with sarcasm and resignation masks an earnest desire to be understood.
When the “Build-a-Boyfriend” project begins, Eli’s initial participation stems from bitterness and desperation—a way to reclaim some semblance of control over his narrative. However, his journey with Peter transforms that cynicism into self-awareness.
Through teaching Peter how to date, Eli inadvertently rediscovers his own capacity for tenderness and empathy. His greatest growth comes when he learns to take responsibility for his mistakes—especially the betrayal of Peter’s trust—and to value integrity over validation.
By the novel’s end, Eli evolves from a man defined by fear and avoidance into someone capable of forgiveness, honesty, and true emotional courage.
Peter
Peter stands as both a mirror and a catalyst for Eli’s transformation. A quiet, socially anxious Korean American software engineer, Peter embodies the vulnerabilities of someone who has spent years isolated by fear and repression.
Growing up in conservative Georgia, he endured the trauma of a lost first love and the emotional scars of being ostracized for his identity. His awkwardness and literal-mindedness during his first date with Eli reveal his inexperience with intimacy, yet beneath the nervous exterior lies an earnest and deeply feeling individual.
Peter’s journey is one of self-discovery—learning not only how to navigate romantic relationships but also how to assert his worth and voice. His passion for writing romance novels, though initially a source of embarrassment, becomes a powerful symbol of reclaiming agency and hope.
Peter’s openness and honesty contrast sharply with Eli’s guardedness, forcing Eli to confront his own duplicity. Even when betrayed, Peter’s response is measured and mature, rooted in pain but not vindictiveness.
His eventual forgiveness of Eli is not naïve—it is grounded in his understanding of growth and human imperfection. By the conclusion, Peter emerges as a figure of quiet resilience and emotional intelligence, representing the possibility of healing through empathy and love.
Patricia
Patricia serves as Eli’s emotional anchor and voice of reason throughout the narrative. Outspoken, loyal, and endlessly supportive, she represents the kind of chosen family that sustains queer individuals when traditional structures fail them.
Her humor and blunt honesty often act as a counterbalance to Eli’s self-pity and hesitation. Patricia’s own experiences in the publishing world give her an edge and insight that Eli relies upon, even when he resists her advice.
She believes fiercely in Eli’s potential and refuses to let him wallow in complacency. Though her methods—such as pushing Eli into dating again—can be intrusive, they come from a place of care and tough love.
In many ways, Patricia’s friendship embodies the healing that comes from community: she is a reminder that love exists not only in romance but also in the steadfast presence of those who see us clearly and choose to stay.
Michael Clay
Michael Clay is the embodiment of corporate opportunism and moral compromise. As Eli’s editor and boss, Michael represents the modern media industry’s descent from meaningful journalism into shallow content creation.
Charismatic yet manipulative, he exploits Eli’s ambition and emotional vulnerability, using promises of promotion to coerce him into unethical projects. His insistence on sensationalism over sincerity mirrors the broader societal tension between authenticity and commercial success.
Michael’s interactions with Eli reveal his profound disregard for human complexity—reducing Peter to a gimmick and Eli’s pain to marketable drama. Yet, his character also serves as an unflinching reflection of Eli’s own compromises; Michael’s cynicism is what Eli risks becoming if he continues to prioritize validation over truth.
In this way, Michael functions less as a simple antagonist and more as a cautionary figure—proof of what happens when art and ethics are sacrificed at the altar of virality.
Keith Harper
Keith Harper, Eli’s ex-boyfriend and colleague, symbolizes the remnants of a past Eli cannot fully escape. Once a long-term partner and now an uncomfortable reminder of failure, Keith’s presence in Eli’s professional life underscores the painful coexistence of personal and professional boundaries.
Unlike Eli, Keith has moved forward, embodying the poise and ambition Eli once shared. Their interactions are tinged with resentment, nostalgia, and unspoken affection, reflecting the complexity of endings that never truly resolve.
Keith’s final confrontation with Eli, where he calls out Eli’s cowardice, is pivotal—it forces Eli to confront his stagnation and self-sabotage. Despite his flaws, Keith’s honesty and insight reveal that he still cares for Eli, albeit from a distance.
In many respects, Keith functions as both a mirror and a motivator: he is a living reminder of what Eli lost and what he must reclaim through growth and accountability.
Rue Francis
Rue, Eli’s mother, provides the novel’s moral and emotional grounding. A strong-willed publishing director, Rue balances professional pragmatism with maternal warmth.
Her relationship with Eli is marked by both affection and frustration; she sees his potential clearly but also his tendency to retreat from life’s challenges. Rue’s own story—of loss, love, and remarriage—mirrors Eli’s arc of learning to open oneself up to vulnerability again.
Her advice is neither sentimental nor indulgent; she challenges Eli to confront his mistakes and to take responsibility for his choices. Through her, the novel explores generational perspectives on love and resilience.
Rue embodies the wisdom of survival—proof that forgiveness and second chances are not signs of weakness but of strength.
Rose
Rose, Eli and Patricia’s roommate, adds balance and levity to the household dynamic. Her role, though secondary, is essential in creating the atmosphere of warmth and solidarity that anchors Eli through his lowest points.
Rose’s humor often diffuses tension, and her empathy makes her a gentle confidante when Eli feels lost. She, alongside Patricia, represents the safety net of queer friendship and domestic intimacy that sustains Eli when romantic love falters.
While she doesn’t undergo significant development, her consistent presence underscores one of the book’s central themes: love exists in many forms, and friendship can be just as transformative as romance.
Les
Les, Eli’s younger half-sibling, introduces innocence and clarity into the story’s emotional landscape. Their experiences with bullying and self-expression parallel Eli’s struggles with authenticity and acceptance.
Through caring for Les, Eli reconnects with his nurturing side and begins to understand what it means to be both vulnerable and protective. Les’s presence also bridges generational understanding within the Francis family, suggesting that each new generation carries forward lessons of openness and compassion.
John
John, Rue’s second husband, occupies a quiet but meaningful place in Eli’s world. Though not central to the main plot, his steady, kind demeanor offers a model of mature love and stability.
His acceptance of Eli as his own reflects the possibility of chosen and blended families—a recurring motif in the novel. John’s calm contrasts with Eli’s volatility, serving as a silent reminder that love need not always be grand or dramatic; sometimes it is simply consistent and kind.
Themes
Identity and Self-Worth
Eli’s journey in The Build-a-Boyfriend Project reflects the complex relationship between identity, validation, and personal worth. As a trans man working in an environment that undervalues him, Eli’s sense of self is constantly tested.
His role at Vent, where his creative voice is muted under the weight of superficial content demands, becomes a metaphor for how society often silences marginalized identities. The daily grind of fetching coffee and being dismissed by his editor reinforces the external structures that erode self-esteem.
Yet Eli’s battle is internal as much as external—his reluctance to assert himself stems from years of emotional repression and fear of rejection, both in professional and romantic contexts. His breakup with Keith leaves him with a fractured sense of value, convinced that love and respect are rewards he must earn rather than innate entitlements.
When Eli begins mentoring Peter, he confronts his own self-image through the act of teaching another how to love and communicate. In helping Peter gain confidence, Eli begins to reclaim his own.
The story portrays identity not as a static label but as a constantly negotiated truth shaped by work, relationships, and personal courage. By the end, Eli’s self-worth no longer hinges on others’ recognition—his growth lies in understanding that authenticity and compassion, even when they expose vulnerability, are the truest expressions of self.
Love, Vulnerability, and Forgiveness
Love in The Build-a-Boyfriend Project is not a romantic ideal but a process fraught with mistakes, miscommunication, and painful growth. The novel explores how intimacy requires vulnerability and how that openness can be both a source of connection and destruction.
Eli’s relationship with Keith shows how emotional detachment corrodes affection, while his evolving bond with Peter demonstrates how honesty and fear can coexist. Peter’s social anxiety and history of rejection make him a mirror for Eli’s own insecurities.
Their tentative relationship unfolds through missteps—lateness, awkwardness, and betrayal—each exposing how love tests one’s capacity to forgive and to be forgiven. When Eli’s exploitative article is published, the rupture between them is not just about deceit but about the deeper fear of being truly seen.
Forgiveness, therefore, becomes the ultimate act of love in the story. Peter’s decision to give Eli a second chance mirrors Eli’s earlier forgiveness of Peter’s disastrous first date, showing that empathy sustains love more than perfection ever could.
Through their reconciliation, the novel insists that love is a deliberate choice—an act of rebuilding trust, acknowledging harm, and nurturing vulnerability. It suggests that emotional maturity arises not from flawless connection but from the courage to repair what has been broken.
The Conflict Between Art and Exploitation
A central tension in The Build-a-Boyfriend Project lies in the ethics of storytelling—specifically, who gets to tell stories and at what cost. Eli’s work at Vent embodies the commercialization of authenticity, where human experiences are reduced to clickbait.
His editor, Michael, represents a predatory media culture that rewards spectacle over sincerity. When Eli agrees to turn his interaction with Peter into a “Build-a-Boyfriend” experiment, he becomes complicit in this exploitation.
The act of transforming a person’s vulnerability into entertainment raises moral questions about the boundaries between art, journalism, and manipulation. Eli’s eventual disgust at how his article is edited—stripped of honesty and turned into caricature—reveals the hollow core of a system that profits from emotional labor while silencing genuine voices.
Yet the novel does not merely condemn exploitation; it also explores the redemptive potential of art. Peter’s own novel, written after his heartbreak, becomes an act of reclaiming narrative control.
By writing his story with honesty and care, Peter creates the kind of representation that Eli once aspired to produce. In this way, the book contrasts unethical storytelling driven by ambition with art rooted in empathy and truth.
Through their intertwined creative journeys, Eli and Peter illustrate how integrity in art begins with accountability—toward oneself and toward those whose lives inspire the work.
Healing from Isolation and Shame
Isolation—emotional, social, and cultural—permeates both Eli’s and Peter’s lives in The Build-a-Boyfriend Project. Eli’s loneliness stems from urban alienation and professional burnout, while Peter’s isolation is tied to his upbringing in a conservative Southern town that condemned his queerness.
Both men are haunted by shame: Eli’s tied to the invisibility of being trans in a world that misunderstands him, Peter’s tied to the trauma of being punished for love. The process of their connection becomes a gradual unlearning of this shame.
Their awkward dates, confessions, and moments of silence show how intimacy becomes a form of healing when two wounded people allow themselves to be seen. Peter’s story about his first love, Mark, encapsulates the devastating consequences of societal repression, while Eli’s emotional guardedness illustrates how shame survives even in seemingly open spaces.
Together, they build a sanctuary where vulnerability is met with gentleness rather than judgment. The narrative shows healing as a collective act—through friendship, community, and chosen family.
By the end, Eli and Peter’s relationship is less about romantic completion and more about liberation from the internalized loneliness that once defined them. The book’s closing image of them quietly sharing life’s ordinariness signifies not triumph over pain but the quiet grace of having survived it together.
Professional Integrity and Courage
Eli’s arc throughout The Build-a-Boyfriend Project is also a study of professional integrity and the courage to stand by one’s principles in a world that rewards compromise. His workplace, Vent, functions as a microcosm of corporate exploitation—a place where creative workers are overextended, underappreciated, and pressured to produce shallow content for engagement metrics.
Eli’s struggle for recognition mirrors a broader creative disillusionment faced by many queer professionals: the desire to produce meaningful work colliding with the industry’s demand for marketable narratives. His final confrontation with Michael, in which he rejects the offer of a promotion tied to unethical manipulation, marks his moral awakening.
Choosing to quit, even in the face of uncertainty, becomes an act of reclaiming dignity. The courage Eli exhibits here is not flamboyant but grounded in exhaustion, self-awareness, and the desire to live truthfully.
Later, his return to modest work as a barista—once a symbol of defeat—transforms into an assertion of autonomy. The novel suggests that professional success is hollow without integrity and that artistic purpose must be guided by empathy rather than ambition.
Through Eli’s evolution, Mason Deaver presents courage as the quiet resolve to resist exploitation, own one’s mistakes, and pursue authenticity even when the cost is high.