August ’26 Book of the Month
Published on: Aug 5, 2026
Written by: OUTtv
"The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge" by Matthew Hubbard
If you’ve ever wanted to yeet your ex into the sun and start a full-blown movement in the process, meet your new comfort read. Ezra Hayes has always been the sidekick in his own life — the third wheel to his besties Lucas and Finley — but when he finds out his secret boyfriend Presley is a lying, cheating disaster, and his friends have their own boy drama brewing, the three of them decide enough is enough. Cue chaotic party sabotage, a drag competition entry, and Ezra literally running against his ex for Winter Formal King. It’s giving The First Wives Club, if the wives were gay teens in small-town Alabama with a group chat and zero chill. But then their school district rolls out a “Watch What You Say” policy straight out of the Don’t Say Gay playbook, and revenge plots turn into something way bigger: a TikTok-fueled student rebellion that refuses to be silenced.
This one’s got the messy, swoony romance drama you want, but it’s also got teeth — Hubbard channels real fury at anti-LGBTQ+ legislation into a story that’s ultimately about joy, defiance, and refusing to make yourself smaller for people who were never going to accept you anyway. It’s funny, it’s a little unhinged in the best way, and it’ll absolutely have you tearing up by the end (the dads in this book, y’all). Perfect Pride pick if you want something that remembers being a loud, messy queer teenager and makes you proud of every bit of it. We deserve to be angry. We deserve to be happy. This book knows both.
From the Publisher:
Ezra Hayes has always felt like a background character compared to BFFs Lucas and Finley. He would do anything to be seen as a romantic lead, even if it means keeping his boyfriend, Presley, a secret. But when he discovers that Presley is a lying cheater, and his best friends are having boy problems of their own, they want revenge.
Their plans to get even involve sabotaging the largest party of the year, entering a drag competition, and even having Ezra run against his ex for Winter Formal King. Then the school district starts to actively censor queer voices with their Watch What You Say initiative. Taking to TikTok to vent frustrations, Ezra begins “The Last Boyfriends Student Rebellion.”
Between ex-boyfriend drama and navigating viral TikTok fame, Ezra realizes this rebellion is about something more important than revenge. It’s a battle cry to fight back against outdated opinions and redefine what it means to be queer in small town Alabama.