At Ms. Broussard’s Home for Bountiful Beaus, even the unlovable can find a love story for the ages. The custom-made automatons she offers are fully trained in the art of keeping their homes tidy and their future husbands happy.

Arthur Price is not looking for love. The lonely librarian clings to his work and routine to keep himself functioning. When his brother, Jared, arrives in the middle of the night with an i-Series automaton meant to lift his spirits, Arthur realizes his routine life is about to be upended. Cheerful to a fault, Periwinkle is not someone Arthur would normally choose to befriend, much less enter into a romantic entanglement with, but he somehow programs himself perfectly into his life.

Miraculously, Arthur finds himself growing almost fond of the robot. Periwinkle may not possess much experience other than cleaning, but he can’t help noticing the loneliness in his librarian’s eyes. If it means giving Arthur Price a fresh start, Periwinkle is more than happy to stitch together all the pieces of Arthur’s broken heart. Whether Arthur likes it or not, Periwinkle’s mechanical heart beats only for him.

The Househusband’s Guide to Domestic Bliss is a cozy, dual POV, slow-burn romance about a lonely librarian and his made-to-order boyfriend.

The Queer’s Review

In theory, I should have loved this novel. A lonely librarian, fake-dating-trope if you squint an eye, and overall a cozy feeling. And apparently, everyone else does love it (as of now).

Instead, I got insta-love, a hard-to-like MC, and an annoying as fuck love interest. I don’t even understand how that romance came to be, to be honest. Periwinkle was programmed to love Arthur since taking his first breath and doesn’t even question that once when everything else he basically rebels at. Also, he is so over the top, I would have slammed my door in his face in real life.

When I wasn’t bored reading, I was annoyed at him. Although, to be honest, a lot of the time I managed to be bored and annoyed at the same time.

Arthur doesn’t want to have Periwinkle, then suddenly he does and is in love with him? Why?

The minor characters felt rather two-dimensional – at best – and why every one of them immediately likes Periwinkle is lost on me.

Add to that the overall creepiness and sexism that is thrown through this book. The guide reads like a manual for a suppressed-and-forced-to-only-live-to-serve-her-husband-wife and honestly Periwinkle acts that way too. His, to me, annoying personality doesn’t change that fact.

The cherry on top is the casual throwing around of the word “whore” to someone who Arthur’s ex cheated on him with.

God, I get annoyed just thinking about this novel. So I’ll stop and leave with you this fitting quote:

Bookish Thoughts

For more grievous offenses, such as infidelity, it is important to remember that your role is not to punish or reprimand. Rather than scream or shout, look inward. Are the home fires burning bright and beautiful? If not: why? What can you do to rectify the situation? A satisfied husband will have no reason to stray.

Kindle pos. 2065