Sometimes you get lucky, and a sequel is just as enjoyable as its predecessor. HUSBAND MATERIAL is one of those lucky sequels. Full of the opposites-attract personalities of our main characters Luc and Oliver, full of British wit, and full of pre-wedding tension.

I FINISHED MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF 2022. The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for making this happen 2 weeks prior to release date through their audiobook ARC. <3

Okay soooo where do I even start? In this sequel to Boyfriend Material we follow Luc and Oliver through 5 major events in their lives - 4 weddings and one funeral. This very much reads like a collection of novellas, though there is consistency throughout (so you KNOW you are reading a full-fledged book, it just feels a bit novella-y because of the 5 big parts of it). We really dive deep into Luc and Oliver's relationship in this one - and like in Boyfriend Material, it is not perfect. There are fights and insecurities, BUT my favourite part of this series is that Luc and Oliver are strong not despite or because of these - they just ARE, because they love each other above all else.
And I love them.

As it says in the title itself, marriages and weddings play a BIG part of this book. There are three of them (all completely different from one another) in the first three parts of the book and they are just as full of ridiculousness and heart as we've come to expect from Luc and Oliver (and Alexis, of course)..
Now for some SPOILERS:
Luc and Oliver always seemed to me like the kind of couple that didn't really do marriages and kids. I loved that about them (cause same AND because we so rarely see that in romcoms). So, I was a bit surprised when they were suddenly engaged (ngl, Luc being peak Luc) - and I anticipated this book might NOT end in a wedding and a marriage. I was very happy to see that I was right, cause that just felt like Luc and Oliver. The ending of this book FELT like them. Messy and imperfect and always, always full of dedication to one another and just endless love. Even if they don't always see eye to eye. Even if they have *different gay "aesthetics"*.
END OF SPOILER

This book raised some GREAT questions about the LGBTQAI+ culture in general and it was interesting to see how both Luc AND Oliver thought about it all. Also can we talk about the fact that Oliver is THE GENTLEST SOUL EVER???? How he makes sure his language is always inclusive, regardless of who he is talking to, that he will be careful not to use any ableist language and words that people usually throw around all the time? I also loved seeing that Oliver now has a therapist and is dealing with his ED, even if it's gonna be a long road. This feels very true to the mental health struggles in general and I am very grateful we got rep like that. Oliver is still struggling, but he is trying, every day. Mam, I love him. I love BOTH of them so much - Oliver and his gentle but strict ways, Luc and his insecurities and quiet but fierce love. I could read endless books about these two and knowing that I am saying goodbye to them with this one actually hurts. *wipes away tears* *FOR REAL*

My only wish was that we got a biiiit more in the end - this ending felt much like the one in Boyfriend Material did. Full of anxiety (for me and them, god) and what ifs - all being wrapped up in the end but I just wanted 5 more pages to calm my fraying nerves. I am getting old, Alexis, I can't deal with stress like that. Luc would understand.

So, yeah. Husband Material gave me LIFE: I'll be rereading it forever, even if I'll need to put my head between my legs in that last chapter and breathe deeply, telling myself ALL IS WELL, ALL IS WELL.
I could probably say more about what I loved about this sequel but honestly, I binged read it and it lowkey feels like my head is about to fall off. Just know I have a lot of feels and endless love for Luc and Oliver. <3

Now we wait for book three to see what that twat is up to.. And to see if we'll glimpse Oliver and Luc again.(*prays to Alexis Hall*)

2.5/5 - Husband Material is the second book in the London Calling series by Alexis Hall. I really enjoyed the previous book in this series, and this book follows the same characters so I expected to love it just as much. Unfortunately I didn't. This book is set in five parts and it felt incredibly disjointed to me. It is also marketed as a romance, but I don't think it really is. It is a contemporary about life, with some romance in it.

This book had a lot of positive queer relationships and discussions, which I appreciated. It also had queer identities that are not often portrayed in books. The representation and discussions about queerness in this book were on point, and important discussions. I sometimes found myself wishing this book would not try to go back to the romantic portion of the book and focus more on its contemporary nature, because those were the parts that Alexis Hall seemed to be passionate writing about.

I think the POV of this book would have been interested if it was from Oliver's perspective. We could have seen more of his exploration of marriage, and his feelings of belonging withing the queer community. Oliver had so much growth in this book, and it would have been good to see it from his own perspective as a read. Luc has definitely grown, but I don't know that he did in this book. I think a lot of his growth happened in the previous book, and in the two years since we last saw them, so his perspective wasn't as valuable as Oliver's could have been.

I found a lot of the parts of this book unnecessary, and just found it didn't add to the story. Both Oliver and Luc were back and forth on what they wanted and it was just to much. They learned how to talk to each other, and be open with what they were wanting in a relationship, which was good. I found there relationship much more mature and developed than previously, but I found it hard to believe that they would not talk about their doubts in marriage if they would talk about and worth through everything else.

There were some seriously funny parts in this book and Alexis Hall does a great job writing humor into their writing. That being said, this book was just to slow, and didn't feel necessary to me. I will continue to check out Alexis Hall's writing as I have liked many of their books. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

4.5 Stars!

I absolutely love Luc, and his all over the place thought processes. The group of friends really is like F.R.I.E.N.D.S the TV show and I was laughing up a storm throughout most of this book.

But not only was it such an enjoyable and hilarious read, it was also highly relatable and delved into some really serious topics in such a wonderful way.

The amount of character growth is exceptional.

Half star off for the length, as I felt some of the parts were repetitive, and could have been cut with the same effect, but nonetheless good!

I really had enjoyed boyfriend material and going into this book with the same expectation, I was disappointed. The entire book seemed disjointed and the end just made the rest fall flat. There were funny parts, but it just wasn’t as good as the first book. It’s largely Luc just trying to prove he is a better person, not much of Oliver, and a series of events that wouldn’t even happen. Pretty much no spice or chemistry shown between Luc and Oliver either. Just not really worth the read.

I am disappointed by this sequel and by the fact it's the first Alexis Hall book I didn't adore. I honestly feel like, not only should this been from Oliver's point of view, but it really should have dedicated more time to dissecting WHY traditional marriage structures don't work for all queer people - as it turns out for Luc and Oliver, and as it turned out for myself and my partners - rather than have Luc and Oliver spend a significant portion of time and tedium doubting themselves and in extension, each other.

There's something to be said about Oliver's growth across the novel - which I appreciated a lot - but Luc seemed very stagnant, like this really wasn't about him.

As per usual, Hall's writing is witty and delightful. Unfortunately, this just felt unfinished and underwhelming.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We follow Luc and Oliver's relationship two years after events on Boyfriend Material as they navigate 4 weddings and a funeral - not necessarily in that order. At first I was excited to read about them, as I enjoyed Boyfriend Material, but what I liked the most about the book was the fake/pretend relationship - because that's one of my favourite tropes. But then I actually read Husband Material, and while it has some great parts, I thought the book as a whole was unnecessarily long - there were pages I simply skipped because they added nothing to the story and actually made me cringe. There were parts of Luc and Oliver's relationship that I was in disbelief, and it might be because I don't like Luc all that much. At first I was a bit shocked about the ending, but then it made sense exactly because of the reasons of my disbelief.

It's worth a read if you like Luc and Oliver

So happy to be back with Luc and Oliver! I had high expectations for this book, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. It had all of the banter that I loved so much in Boyfriend Material and so many funny moments throughout. No spoilers, but the deer bit had me absolutely cackling. I so want to work at CRAPP!

On a more serious note, I particularly liked that this book addressed the struggle of finding yourself within the queer community when you feel like you don’t quite fit with expectations. It also shows that you don’t have to fit into heteronormative ideals of commitment. Absolutely loved this!

Thank you so much to Alexis Hall, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for the use of this ARC.

Husband Material by Alexis Hall grabbed me from the first page, the characters were so fun and the banter was sharp, which I love. So many unexpected little details brought the whole thing to life, it was delightful!

Boyfriend Material was one of my favourite books (the audio was particularly awesome).

I loved Luc in the way you love a damaged, non-trusting, lied-to gay man who has given in to feeling the love of a stuffy, conservative, straight-laced non-rainbow embracing gay man called Oliver, (who I also imagine to be just like Colin Firth)!

Full disclosure, I would have been happy with no sequel.

But here is is - Husband Material. We find Luc a little unsettled (in one sense) as all his friends are getting married, as are some of his non-friends like Miles who was the source of all the hurt having sold Luc out to the tune of £50,000 in Boyfriend Material. In another sense Luc is a little more even-keeled and stable than on the first instalment. Oliver is working hard, and as happens life gets busy and the relationship becomes not-so shiny and new which feeds into some of Luc’s insecurities, creating drama in their relationship, which is exacerbated, as I see it, by a lack of communication. Oliver also becomes increasingly introspective and a lot of the growing in this book is attributable to the questions Oliver poses to himself and Luc.

In this book I found Luc wants to argue the toss about everything, and is little more caustic and nasty, and I felt to some degree Oliver was always on the back foot, having to explain his point of view or meet Luc’s needs without his own being met in return. It is a rom-com but very much a book that casts a light on LGBTQIA+ issues, marriage, familial relationships, loss and grief, religious ideology, societal hetero normativeness, and the church and state. There’s lots of tongue-in-cheek humour with some real laugh out loud moments. In terms of time lines it maps the four weddings Luc and Oliver suffer through and a familial bereavement.

I’m really going to be interested to see how reviews for this one pan out.

Was it what I thought? Hell no.

Can I live with the outcome? The jury is still out.

What I do know is I love Alexis Hall’s writing and wit. I love his social commentary. And I love the conversation this book has generated even in my own mind. Where to now with this couple hmm. Was that a HEA?

Two years into their relationship, Luc O'Donnell is stealth-moving into his barrister boyfriend's house. He is still cynical, and Oliver remains as uptight and conservative as before. But their relationship is strong, and they work. So strong, as everyone around them starts getting married, Luc proposes... accidentally.

Boyfriend Material was one of my favourite books. Husband Material did not disappoint. I read it in one day. It is as funny as its predecessor but has a slightly more serious tone as it examines and critiques queer culture and representation. While Luc and Oliver remain the same, Alexis Hall deftly adds more maturity and shows how much both have grown between the two books.

The book is divided into four parts, dealing with four weddings and a funeral which I loved. Hall's prose is witty, and several scenes had me laughing out loud. The ending might disappoint some, but I felt it worked.

I highly recommend this book and its predecessor and am grateful to Sourcebook Casablanca and NetGalley for the eARC.

4/5 ⭐️
0/5 🌶️

This one was quite the emotional roller coaster. It was still hilarious, but definitely had more serious elements and was pretty angsty. I didn't love it quite as much as Boyfriend Material, but it was still very good and I really enjoyed it.

I loved that this one was split into five parts that were four weddings and a funeral. Each part really delved into different parts of Luc and Oliver's relationship and made them really get into why they were together and how they were going to make it work. We knew from Boyfriend Material how different they are and in this book Alexis really dove into those differences. There were multiple times where I wondered if they'd make it...

I really loved Oliver finding himself in this one. He grew so much as a person since Boyfriend Material and I loved how that changed how he interacted with his family. Luc's mom was perfect as always, and his dad was, well, his dad... I hope in future books we get to see more Christopher and Mia, I feel like Luc and Mia get along great and I'd love to see Oliver and Christopher continue to repair their relationship.

The ending was so Luc and Oliver, it was unexpected and yet perfect for them. We didn't get an epilogue, which I would have loved, but I do see we're getting another book in the London Calling world and I'm already so excited for it.

"Oh. I'm your helpful shoulder demon"

The witty, yet brilliantly deep prose of this book had me absolutely laughing, and crying.

Luc & Oliver are just... messy, in completely different ways, but yakno.. messy.

Their journey together, their self awareness, the growth. Just absolutely beautiful. I love these two and this was a book that I really didn’t want to end.

Wonderfully lovely!!!

***4.5 Stars***

Overall,

A sequel I didn’t know that I needed. The first book ended much like most romance novels end. They get together at the end and its happily ever after. You can imagine the characters staying together forever in peaceful bliss. With this sequel which is definately a play on 4 weddings and a funeral we are once again back with Luc and Oliver. It has been two years since they got together and for the most part they really are living their happily ever after. Now if you ask me what happens in this book, id tell you not much happened. Because honestly as far as the plot goes it jumps from story (wedding) to story (wedding). Did I care? Nope. I really enjoyed just being able to hang out with the characters in this series again. I identify so much with Luc and his anxiety issues that I like being in his head.

With all that said I still wish we could get a dual POV because I would love to know what Oliver really thinks about everything.

Cover

Very much in keeping with the last book. The sequels match very well.

Recommendation

If you enjoyed the first book in this series why not take another journey with them. You will definitely HAVE to read the first book to really understand this book. For fans of Alexis Hall I would say that they have yet again written a very fun LGTBQ+ romance story.

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early #HusbandMaterial #NetGalley ***

Another delightful romp from Alexis Hall. Boyfriend Material was a top read this year, so I set aside all else to read Husband Material the moment I got approved for the arc. The ending felt a bit . . . not rushed, but crowded and complicated, and oversimplified at the same time--but I still had a great time with these characters again.

What I struggle with most about this book is that it really seems to work hard to undo all of the progress the characters made in the previous one and hinge it all on the idea that what comes after dating is marriage, and a quick marriage at that.

The book is a take off of Four Weddings and a Funeral, following Luc and Oliver through what appears to be a wedding season that features three of their friends'/acquaintances' weddings and then the fourth being their own. Unfortunately from there, most of the book just features Luc and Oliver being progressively irritated and angry with each other, and Luc routinely complaining about his issues to everyone else. I felt that in Boyfriend Material, the book would've been strengthened if we also got Oliver's point of view and that feels especially true for Husband Material. Oliver is only seen through Luc's perspective of him and I just wanted to understand him more, especially towards the end.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley for this arc, I always thought the first book in this series was truly a a pleasure to read and the long awaited sequel is no different! Reading the zany, hilarious thoughts that go through Luc's head whilst wishing he wouldn't self sabotage is my idea of a good time. I myself am more of an Oliver type with a dash of Luc cynicism and so watching (reading) these two navigate a long term serious relationship and all that comes with that was honestly like a how to manual for me. I loved the romantic bits, truly romcom worthy and yes the questioning/discussions of being the "right type" of gay could get a bit repetitive, but good communication is hard and this was totally a conversation that modern LGBTQ+ partners are having, so it was important to add. I loved the serious emotional moments, the funeral made me teary and it felt like a very pivotal moment for them both. No matter what happens these two and their large, eccentric and loving found family style friend group will ALWAYS find their way back, even if its not in a conventional way like ending up in a traditional marriage, which was refreshing to see. I will always have a soft spot for these two even if they never tie the knot (though i'd love an epilogue of some sort!)

*Received a copy for review.*
Boyfriend material was one of my favorite books last year. Luc & Oliver were so easy to fall in love with. They are delightfully messy and each has it together when the other doesn’t.
I always think I want more of the characters I love. I want to know where their lives go after I close the book. With this follow up, I got the chance to see what happens after.
Oliver & Luc are still growing and changing. Life did not suddenly become all sunshine & roses because they found each other. Unexpected things are happening, mistakes are being made, and adjusting to another person is hard.
For me, this book was harder to get through. I still love the characters and the writing is still stellar. Perhaps the next chapter of a relationship is not what I really want.

Review of Husband Material by Alexis Hall:

I had High hopes for this sequel ne it did not let me down! Husband Material had me laughing, crying and sympathizing with all of its characters. It was the right mix of funny, suspenseful and witty. It had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end. It gives the readers a better insight into Luc and Oliver’s relationship and spotlights the trials that many LGBTQIA+ couples face in a way that works so well with the plot of the book. Overall Husband Material was a great sequel to Boyfriend Material and a book readers of the series will love.

Luc and Oliver together are just something special.

I love how they are both so very individual in everything they do. They are opposite in so many things, but they still make it work. I loved seeing how their relationship grew and how comfortable they were with each other. Their banter was as always on point. Loved dry witted Oliver and flirty Luc. Loved the teasing, the banter.

What I didn’t love was that even after 2,5 years of being together, they still had so many arguments. The constant bickering about needless conflicts was tiring and not what I expected to get from this sequel. I found some of the plot quite unnecessary and not helpful to the story, and some conflicts repeated themselves over and over. The pressure of doing it “right” was insane in Husband Material. And the continuous questioning of how to be the right way of gay was exhausting.

So, it’s with no surprise that my feelings for this book are all over the place.

I love these two. Luc and Oliver are such a lovely and interesting couple. They made me so proud at times. How they stood up for themselves and each other. There were so many scenes that made me laugh, and chuckle. But on the other hand the book was also mentally draining. Honestly at times all they did was arguing, if not with each other than with Oliver’s parents and brother. Drama and conflict from beginning to end. It wasn’t a happy book, and definitely not the book I was hoping for.

And as with Boyfriend Material, the book ended way too abruptly, and if I didn’t already know that a third book was coming I would be deeply disappointed.