I loved this book as much as the first one- it's just as funny, sweet and emotional as the first. It also asks questions about social expectations and queerness that often go unremarked on in queer fiction without losing the tone. I adore all of Hall's work!

I swear this was the Four Weddings and a Funeral novelisation that I don't think anyone was asking for. But it's completely changed the way I view Boyfriend Material; sort of an unoffical prequel to all of these messy characters.

One of the things I find happens in almost all stories where there's an established relationship is that it just isn't as fiery as the one that came before it. This reminded me a lot of an adult version of Here's to Us. Thankfully, I liked these characters a little more.

Oliver's very proper way of speaking carries over into this novel, despite the fact that he's been with Luc now for almost 2 years. Everyone around them seems to be getting married, and Luc feels a little bit of the pressure towards that, especially when the ex who sold him out to the tabloids announces he's getting married.

When he proposes to Oliver, it seems doomed from the start, although Oliver and Luc seem to be the only two people who don't acknowledge it.

Because the whole novel was focused a lot more on all the weddings, I found that personal growth of the main characters were kinda sidelined as they were instead swept up with what was going on around them. They didn't even spend any time together while Luc was maid of honour to Bridget.

Although this was one of my big anticipated reads for the year, I still definitely prefer book one in this series.

Husband Material is the perfect follow up to Boyfriend Material. Alexis Hall knocked it out of the park with the conclusion to Luc and Oliver's story. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at a book. The thing that made this book really stand out to me was that Luc and Oliver had real relationship problems. They have to work at their relationship and they make mistakes like normal people.
I absolutely adored this book.

It was so wonderful to meet back up with Luc and Oliver in this sequel to Boyfriend Material! They both still have their own fair share of issues, but they’re so adorable together….and I would do just about anything for Oliver. There are also plenty of references to classic movies I love, so that made it even more fun. Enjoy!!

Thank you for the digital arc!

It hurts me to be giving this book only 2 stars, but it must be done. The first book was so perfect in its feeling of a fun romance, but the sequel missed the mark almost entirely. This book, while still having funny moments, just didn’t deliver on its promise to its readers, like the first one did. For one, it was too long. It took me so much longer to finish than the first one. Over a month, when the first one took me days. It just dragged.

Second, some parts actually had me thinking maybe they weren’t right for each other, even though I appreciated the openness of them talking about very valid issues and disagreements they needed to talk through. It also felt like they just repeated the same arguments until someone decided to give in for a random reason not made clear to the reader. In other words, there weren’t real steps to resolution, it felt like it just happened after pages and pages of circular arguments. Extremely frustrating! Then, sometimes I felt their love for each but instead of seeming like movement foreword it just didn’t gel as consistent with the characters, which then had me thinking why are they even dating each other?

Finally, the ending sealed the two star rating for me. The reader has to go through all those other weddings, and long chapters of nothing, to get to them bailing on getting married, at their own wedding, which was given only around 10 pages, The premise of the first book was clear and followed through, and then the second one has the same pun title, giving the readers a false expectation that they'll be getting more of what they originally loved. I personally finished the book just feeling so let down. I understand this last critique is on me, as an author is allowed to switch stuff up! But as a reader I’m allowed to be disappointed.

I wouldn't suggest this to readers who loved the first one.

Before I started reading this book, I was worried. Boyfriend Material brought so much joy to me, and I was worried that the follow-up wouldn't be as good. I was wrong. This is better than Boyfriend Material.

Luc has grown up. He's not entirely mature, but he has more empathy for people. His relationship with Oliver is gorgeous. Luc understands Oliver and knows when to tease or hold back the snark. Oliver is still a devoted boyfriend, but his problems are acknowledged more. There's a part of the book, for spoiler reasons, where Oliver has to lean on Luc, and it's great to see the character development from Boyfriend Material displayed.

I loved all the minor characters, and it's nice to see how they've progressed in their lives during the two years between books.

My only problem is that I can't read this book in a public setting. I keep cackling like an idiot.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

It’s not often you get to catch up with your favorite romance novel couple after they have embarked on their “ever after.” I admit to having some trepidation about revisiting Luc and Oliver. After watching them discover how perfect they were for each other, I dreaded having to see their relationship in jeopardy, which seems to be how most sequels go. I don’t think it’s spoiler-y to say, that Alexis Hall neatly sidesteps that particular trope. One of the things I loved about Boyfriend Material was how much both characters grew, emotionally. In Husband Material, we see that growth continue. We get to see Luc and Oliver be a healthy, mutually supportive couple as they cope with friend drama, ex drama, and family drama. The story has all the wit and fun of the first book, but it also has some pretty thoughtful things to say about how relationships are molded by other people’s expectations, and the struggle to carve out a life and love that are true to yourself.
I would normally give this one 4 to 4 1/2 stars, but there were moments in this story that caught me off-guard and required me to think about my own pre-conceived notions about love and commitment. And really, for that alone it deserves a full five stars.
If you loved the first book, you will definitely want to catch up with Luc and Oliver.

A nice sequel of the continuing romance of Luc and Oliver. Humor, care, and a four weddings and a funeral kind of vibe.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

3.5/4 stars

I was a HUGE fan of Boyfriend Material, so when I realized that Alexis Hall was writing a sequel, I was ecstatic. Very few authors I’ve read have such an almost chaotically witty style that really puts you in the head of your narrator, who is just a teensy bit unlikeable. Even when Luc is making self-destructive or mean choices, I still understand and sympathize with where he’s coming from. And Oliver is, of course, an absolute gem.

Returning are all the charmingly zany characters from the first book, including a few new additions and one character in particular that I didn’t expect we’d meet at all. Everything’s in chaos because everyone’s getting married, and Luc doesn’t know where he and Oliver’s thriving courtship fits in amongst the panicking brides, heteronormative and religious traditions, and expectations for married life placed on them by society. Is it even valid if they’re not tying the knot in front of everyone they know, with a priest and a cake and a rainbow balloon arch?

I liked that this book challenged societal expectations for committed relationships. Over the course of the story Luc and Oliver attend several weddings for various people in their life, and each one sheds light on aspects of their own relationship that they’ve never had to face. However, I wish the plot involving Luc and Oliver had moved along a bit more quickly, or started a bit sooner. It felt like other short stories were happening for the first third of the book, and then what I thought would be the central plot finally kicked in. I didn’t mind spending time with Luc’s friends and coworkers and getting to enjoy their wacky meandering conversations, but eventually they did start to feel like a distraction, or filler. If more scenes with just Luc and Oliver and the progression of their own relationship had been interspersed, rather than moments where they just ended up fighting, I feel like the early part of the story would have felt less disjointed from the rest.

That being said, Luc and Oliver fight a LOT in this book. They’re both argumentative and passionate people, so it is true to their characters, but after a while it just felt exhausting to me. Even before their central conflict begins, it seems like half their conversations end in a debate or disagreement of some kind. I think I would have preferred to see them behave more harmoniously in the beginning so that the shift in their chemistry could have been more clear. Instead, it just seems like they start fighting MORE. They also kept arguing about a few things over and over again, (the rainbow balloon arch might as well have been a third main character, honestly) and it was hard to tell if those fights were resolved by the end of the story. And speaking of resolution, I do wish that Tom Fleming had just been left out of the book completely.

Regardless, I couldn’t really put this book down, and in the end, the resolution was a swift gut punch (maybe a little too swift) that I did enjoy. Despite the slow start and all the fighting, I had fun reading and even choked up a bit at the end. I'll definitely be adding this book to my collection when it comes out, and I hope that Luc and Oliver will go on more heartfelt and hilarious adventures in the future.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the E-Arc in exchange for a fair review**

Husband Material picks up two years after the first novel in the series. Returning to the lovable duo Luc and Oliver as they explore their relationship through vignettes that feature a different friend's wedding and eventually their own.

Overall this novel is a great continuation to one of my favorite books from last year. The reason this gets knocked down to 3 stars is the back half of the novel turned me off a bit. There were far too many streams of consciousness circular rants from Luc, which fits his character but are really not fun to read after the first. I had to skip ahead through a couple of them as they really not fun to get through. My other complaint is the lack of character growth, it feels like when a character would take a step forward they would then take a huge step back a few pages later.

The ending was a major letdown as well. it just seemed off. It felt very rushed and there wasn't really any closure to it. It had a TV show getting canceled at the last-second vibes. I was just a bit disappointed with it.

If you enjoyed the first entry I think you would like this as well, but the vibe is completely different than the first entry to the series to go in with that in mind.

I've only seen a few examples of the "romance sequel about the same couple, but they don't break up' pattern recently, and only in queer romance so far, but I am HERE for it. Rather than a petty squabble getting in the way of the 'we know they're endgame because we know how genre works' couple, this sequel looks at what it means to be in a serious relationship with someone you love, and how that's more complicated and every bit as interesting as the getting-together part. HUSBAND MATERIAL documents Oliver and Luc as the somewhat grown-up versions of themselves in BOYFRIEND MATERIAL; Luc still has a tendency to make everything about him, but less, Oliver still struggles with body image issues, but less. Hall is a genius of a romance writer (and prolific as hell, lucky us), and here plays with classic romcom formulas while genuinely asking how an 'opposites attract' couple makes it work because they love each other, while struggling with issues around middle-class respectability upbringing, feelings of belongingness in queer communities, and the ways in which we do (and sometimes don't) successfully get over our pasts. Also, it's very romantic,

I loved visiting Luc and Oliver again. I like that this was a romance but at the same time allowed the characters to have a HEA that was slightly unconventional. Both MCs still have a lot of growing to do as people, but they also realize that they can do that growing together. I loved it and I can't wait for more people to read it.

while funny and cute, a lot of this book was overshadowed by big social issue discussions. while contemporary issues are great o explore in books, it just felt like a seesaw between a fun romcom and a book exploring sexual identity and community, and that lack of balance and abrupt change really bugged me.

If I loved [this book] less, I might be able to talk about it more.

Hilarious, and incredibly, beautifully ~human~, this book was a lovely reminder that everything is complicated (and that’s ok).

It was perfect, and perfectly Luc and Oliver. What more can I say?

First, thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved getting a chance to be back in the world of Luc and Oliver! Their dynamic and banter never failed to make me smile, and "Husband Material" reminded me just how much I adored them. Their relationship was full of ups and downs and insecurities, but it made it feel real, and you couldn't help but root for them. It was fantastic seeing them as an actual couple and everything that comes with it.

The book was fast-paced and I had a hard time putting it down! From the different weddings to the engaging cast of characters (I mean, the bus trip to one of the weddings—too good!) and the character growth, it made for a quick read!

While I do feel as though people who didn't enjoy the first novel, won't necessarily be swayed by the second, I did find Luc's character growth in this novel to be an improvement over "Boyfriend Material." As well, I was initially surprised by the ending, but after sitting with it for a moment it felt right. While Luc and Oliver may not get the happy ending you expect, it still ends in rainbows!

Would recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Y'all....I was so hyped for this book. I just...

I don't want to slander this book, because I am so fond of the first one, but Husband Material felt so...bland?

Spoilers Ahead

[To start: this book is split into the marriages and one funeral of several characters our main couple knows. I was so bored by the first part -- Bridge and Tom's marriage -- and so irritated with Luc's actions and Oliver's inability to communicate-. Like. We're supposed to believe these two have had two years of growth from the last book, yet Luc is still calling up his dad and hoping he's not going to be a complete arse, and Oliver is still swallowing his feelings instead of just telling Luc the truth-. I felt like we'd somehow taken two steps backward from Boyfriend Material with their relationship, which made something Luc does later in the book--specifically calling back to the times in their relationship within this book that have been good--feel baseless.

Ultimately, Husband Material is the story of an engaged couple that slowly realizes neither one of them want to be married in the first place. Which is fine! In fact, I am firmly in the "marriage is unnecessary" camp myself, so I liked that this was a romance that gave us an outcome that wasn't a traditional marriage. But boy was it a frustrating journey. Alex and Miffy's entire marriage arc felt like filler--that page count could have been better served to illustrate how complicated Oliver's relationship with his parents was before the funeral arc. Oliver and Luc's different experiences with the LGBT community were immediately understandable and empathetic the moment the argument was brought up, but they themselves couldn't solve it until the end of the book. And I'm sorry, but Oliver calling Bridge and Luc's friendship co-dependent was extremely on the nose and it was never brought up again?? Her character irks me so much! Oliver finally called them out and it was just brushed off!!??!! (hide spoiler)]

I can fully acknowledge that my enjoyment of this book was directly affected by how long I'd been anticipating it. I would go so far as to say that Boyfriend Material and Husband Material aren't even in the same genre--the first was a romcom, but this book is a slow, slice-of-life story. Honestly...I was tempted to give this book only 2 stars, but I can't bring myself to do that, because Hall's writing has notably improved and as a story itself, HB isn't bad...it's just not what I was expecting, and sadly, not what I was hoping for. At least for me, Husband Material was shockingly underwhelming, and I'm truly sorry to say so.

**STAR RATING**
Cover: ★★★☆☆
Story: ★★★☆☆
Characters: ★★★☆☆
Banter: ★★★☆☆ [I didn't highlight any of their banter -- SAD!]
Spice Rating: N/A - Fade to Black
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆

Over-the-top absurd in many areas and so completely endearing and hilarious and touching. A delight to read and I much appreciate the moments that made me laugh out loud, sorely needed.

I received an ARC of this book to review, my thanks to the publisher. I really really really wanted to love this book...and it pains me to say I gave up at the 48% mark. I just didn't feel invested in the characters-and I had a hard time understanding the romance because the main character's immaturity really started to irk me. I intellectually understood that he suffers from anxiety and most likely PTSD, however, it was expressed in such a cloying, self-depreciating way (that very well might be a legitimate way anxiety comes across, it's not my experience) that it distracted me too much to enjoy the story. I do think the book did a nice job at discussing the importance of found family in the LGBTQIA+ community-which is something the main characters grapple with. One last complaint-this book assumes you'll remember a lot from the first book which I did not.

It was so nice to be back with Luc and Oliver and the rest of their off-kilter gang. This is a book of weddings, broken into parts for each couple. There is perhaps a little less Luc & Oliver than I would've preferred, but it made sense for what this book's arc. They're still two of my favorite characters and this a worthy sequel.

4.5*

Oh, it was soooo good being back with Luc and Oliver and everyone else.
It's been a few years and Luc and Oliver are very very happy together but like still they're Luc and Oliver. They don't want to be a mess but they kind of are. But also they're both very good at knowing each other and they can figure out their shit together.
I've said this a few times over the years, but it 100% applies to Luc and Oliver, they are a comfort couple for me. I would read a thousand books about them just being together and love every second of it.