He puts the hopeless into hopeless romantic
Alfie thinks Maya might be the One. They both love the same band, and they’ve known each other for years. Yet when he makes a move, things go disastrously wrong. Crushed, Alfie starts hanging out with Maya’s shy best friend Gwen – and again catches feelings. But Gwen’s got secrets of her own.
Can Alfie find the girl of his dreams – or is he doomed to be single forever?
ISBN-13: 9781839135194RRP: £8.99Published: 2nd January 2025Length: 304 Pages
Praise for Loverboy
Shortlisted for the Warwickshire Teen Book Awards 2025
Long-listed for the 2026 WMAT Book AwardsLoverboy is warm, funny and full of heartache. It’s the kind of book that an eager teenage reader will tear through in a couple of afternoons, and then urge their friend to read, so they can talk about it together. Children's Books IrelandLoverboy oozes authenticity through its convincing teenage dialogue and accurately and sensitively chronicles such issues as self-esteem, sexuality and the complexities of school and family life. — Books For KeepsThe novel is perfect for those looking for a light-hearted, heartfelt romance with a dose of humour. — Reading Time - The Children's Book Council Of AustraliaA funny, heartfelt coming-of-age story about first love, friendship, and figuring yourself out. — Evripidis BookstoresFills a Gap in the market… a romance from the perspective of a boy… A story told with love and told with heart — Soham Village College Library RecommendsThis novel is truly insightful and will have you gunning for the underdog throughout the whole journey. — Kids Book ReviewOne of the best books I've ever read. — Fifteen year-old reader of Loverboy
Advance Praise
Deeply relatable. Teens should be flocking toward this — Nathanael Lessore
Fresh, funny and full of heart. Impossible not to fall for — Lisa Williamson
A fun, refreshing read. Genuine and heartfelt, the characters are a joy to hang out with — Gavin Extence
Romantic, touching and laugh-out-loud funny – Loverboy is a properly raucous and joyous teen comedy — Tom EllenLoverboy deftly captures the romantic chaos of teenage dating – readers' hearts will ache for Alfie and his friends — James L. Sutter
About
Ben Tomlinson lives in London, England, and has loved writing stories from a very early age. He is a graduate of Sussex University and the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia.
He worked for many years as theatre facilitator, leading workshops and directing youth theatres with young people of all ages. When he is not reading and writing he loves watching football, street-dancing, people-watching and exploring London.
Schools
What Ben Offers
Fun, active, supportive, and inspirational
Ben is available for school bookings. He is an experienced workshop leader and creative writing tutor and can create bespoke lessons and talks to meet your needs.
Ben works with each school to provide a bespoke theme for the visit. Current visits planned include:- How a book gets published. An interactive talk/workshop based on personal experience.
- Create a romance plot in one hour.
- How to write a scene.
- How to build an in-depth character.Ben's style is fun, active, supportive, and inspirational and he can express complex writing topics in clear, simple, easily understandable language.
What Schools Say
It was great for the students to learn about the process of writing a novel and getting it published; also they really enjoyed the writing tasks. — Libby Matthews, Bhasvic College.Ben was a great presenter for the kids, really adapting to them in the moment; his reading was engaging, and the kids had loads of questions which he answered readily and was so receptive to their ideas! It was great to have him come, and we would happily have him back! — Livia Bartels, Bridge AcademyOne of the students who met with you in the library has told me that he is writing his fantasy novel. He said that you had inspired him. I think he feels more serious and determined now :)
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