Boyfriend Material was one of the more comforting books I read in 2021. I was excited but also a little unsure about there being a sequel because I didn't know what to expect. Reading the first 5 chapters in this sneak peek felt like meeting up with old friends again. Reconnecting with Luc, Oliver, Bridget, and even Alex brought me so much joy. Alexis Hall's writing constantly makes me laugh but is also so genuine and heartfelt. Every relationship, romantic or otherwise, is the perfect combination of being raw, realistic, and sweet. You don't typically get to see what happens to your favorite couples after their happily ever after but this is the perfect opportunity. This sneak peek made me even more excited for the release of Husband Material in August where I will be reunited with Luc and Oliver once again.

Alexis Hall has done it again! Brilliant! Witty! Charming!
This ‘first-five chapters’ tease simply wets the appetite for more.
Can’t wait for the full release.

Full review to come! This review is for the first 5 chapters - Thanks NetGalley!

I’m so excited to get back in to the world of Luc and Oliver (as well as the rest of their crew.) These first few chapters made me remember how much I loved book one. The suspense will kill me until then!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the preview

I was immediately brought back into the world for Luc and Oliver and their chaos and the first 5 chapters here immediately drew me in by how not only does it have the characters i grew to love but it has a lot of weddings coming up which i am a sucker for! I cannot wait for the rest of this book and I know i'll be spending some time rereading the first book again in anticipation for this release!

so far this is a good read and I’m so excited to get the sequel to continue to read Luc and Oliver’s journey together. As always, I love the LGBTQ representation and Luca’s dry humor self deprecating humor! Luv and Oliver are complete opposites but they work so well, and it’s so fun to read about them!

I’m in love with everything Alexis Hall publishes and this is no different. These characters have a special place in my heart and I’m so glad we get to hear the rest of their story. Even though it was only a sneak peek, I simply cannot WAIT to read the rest of this book. Art.

Boyfriend Material is one of my all-time favourite comfort reads. I adore Luc and Oliver and Husband Material is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the first 5 chapters.

I desperately wanted a sequel to Boyfriend Material after reading the ending and to see more of Luc and Oliver as they adjust to being real boyfriends, but I am also always nervous about picking up sequels - will they disappoint me? So far in the first 5 chapters, my fears have been abated. There is still so much humour and it is wonderful to see how much Luc and Oliver have grown since book one. I absolutely adore Luc and seeing how much he has grown in particular - he still struggles with his anxiety and his past but his relationship and communication with Oliver has improved so much. I also enjoyed getting to see all the side characters again and absolutely cannot wait to see where the rest of the book takes us.

I knew before I started reading that I would only be making things harder for myself, because if Husband Material is even one tenth as good as Boyfriend Material was, then five chapters will be nowhere near enough. And I was right. I already want the rest of the book, and I don't know how I'll survive until August (or possibly September, depends on how fast or slow my physical copy will arrive).
Husband Material is written in Alexis Hall's usual smooth style which is a pleasure to read and so, so easy to get lost in (like "oh my gosh I forgot I was at work" type of easy), and Luc is still one of the book characters I relate to the most. His insecurities, fears, overthinking and overworrying are so relatable for me, that I could read a thousand books about him if that many existed. Oliver is a sweetheart, and I just truly, truly hope we're not about to witness another big fight, because that would break my heart.
These five chapters were the perfect appetizer for the whole book, yet not nearly enough to satisfy me, so I'll be looking forward to the release date. And honestly, I should read more from Alexis Hall, because the writing style is just amazing!

I was really looking forward to this book before reading the preview. Now I've read these first few chapters, I am incredibly excited about the rest!

There's always a sense of nervousness when there's a return to a well loved book or character(s), but the start here made a great job of showing some growth from the end of Boyfriend Material, whilst also retaining those characteristics that made rhe original shine.

One of my particularly favourite elements of Boyfriend Material was how Luc's close 1st person narration allowed the reader to gradually uncover more details about Oliver as Luc did, letting him develop from Practically Perfect to a much more flawed and rounded character. In this preview we and Luc both see this flawed version more clearly, but again there are hints that there is more to uncover and a lit more development from him too.

I am so looking forward to reading this! Roll on August...

I am a huge Alexis Hall fan, and it was all sparked by Boyfriend Material. Needless to say, I was ECSTATIC when I found out I could read the first five pages of Husband Material! It is as witty and warm as the first book was. Interestingly, I went into the book remembering how much I loved Luc and Oliver but had somehow forgotten how fantastic the other characters are. This is definitely a strength of Hall's: every character, no matter how little they may say or how much page-time (page-volume?) they get, feels complete. I am kicking myself for reading this knowing there'd be a bit of a cliffhanger, but I am so so excited for the full book to come out!

This preview of Husband Material throws us right back into the characters and dynamics we know and love from Boyfriend Material, and sets the scene for the drama to come. Luc and Oliver are more settled but still figuring out how to navigate a committed adult relationship; Bridget is struggling with the (unconfirmed) revelation that her fiance Tom has (possibly) cheated on her; the gang from CRAPP is back and picking up right where they left off; and Luc's horrible, awful, betraying ex turns up with a fiance of his own and an invite to his wedding. Jerk. The most important thing established here is that the chemistry between Luc and Oliver is intact, and the rapport and humor and dialogue are just as witty, fresh, funny, and well-observed as in Boyfriend Material. It has the same warm, welcoming feel as Boyfriend Material, so we can all breath a tentative sigh of relief: looks like Luc, Oliver and the gang are still in safe hands.

Argh! This is sooooo good! I want the entire story NOW - pretty please ?!?!
I devoured the first book via ereader and then invested in a paperback copy as this series will be on my keeper-shelf.

I loved the first book, and from the look of these first five chapters, the sequel has captured the same magic the first one had! Luc and his quirky friends and coworkers, and of course Oliver, never fail to make me laugh. It appears that everyone they know is making their way to the altar, but will they find their way there too? I can't wait to see what ridiculous situations they find themselves in on this journey. August come faster!

I CANNOT wait for Husband Material to come out!!!! I can't believe I forgot how much I love Luc and Oliver together and I was immediately enthralled with the story! The office shennianigans with Alex and Rhys already had me laughing. It was nice to see Luc and Bridgett's friendship still going strong and the cliffhanger of "was Tom really cheating or is there a reasonable explanation" really has me wanting more. If the goal of this preview was to remind me how much I loved all the characters and hook me into the next stage of their lives, consider the goal successfully accomplished!

This preview was perfect! This book was already on my highly anticipated list of 2022, but now I'm even more excited for it to come out after reading the first five chapters. I can already tell Husband Material is going to be every bit as funny and heartwarming as it's predecessor, and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on it!

This is a review for the first five chapters of the novel “Husband Material” by Alexis Hall, provided via NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

Wow it’s great being back in this world! I guess I missed Luc and Oliver.
The first book in the series, ”Boyfriend Material”, I practically devoured about a year ago. I enjoyed the main character and love interest, the witty humor and eventual optimism the book left the reader with.
And like it, it seems that the sequel will be packed with meaningful character interactions, funny jokes and mental health representation.

The first five chapters of “Husband Material” managed to get me invested very quickly back into the friendship dynamics (which were great so far), but mainly in the relationship between Oliver and Luc.

It seems like over the two years between each installment, a lot has changed, and for the better. With both men! the personal growth is very apparent, especially Luc’s.
Previously, I appreciated the realistic depiction of someone with anxiety, depression and past trauma, and how it feels living with it all while trying (and sometimes failing) to get better. This time around, our main character had two years dealing with his problems, with the help of a supportive and stable partner plus good friends. And it shows: he’s now well aware of his state, and actively tries making better choices and take the “right” action. It can be seen when he remarks about how he would have acted in a specific situation a few years ago, but still he chooses a different path, trying to be more considerate.
Now more than ever, Luc is a very relatable to me personally. Having some time to reflect helped me realize that we might be quite alike, even if some of our background and experiences are a bit different.

I love Oliver, our supportive, caring, attentive boyfriend, who’s an even better listener now. He is a great character on his own, and of course a great love interest. He has a well rounded personality, and didn’t receive the “generic partner” treatment many others suffer from. I guess both partners changed (hopefully for the better, mutually benefiting from the relationship).

I like the vegan representation. It seems many paint it at a bad light, even when it’s practiced by someone close. I liked how Luc is so accepting of this life style, and tries so hard to incorporate it into their life together.

So, the big potential trap with romance sequel is how boaring and predictable the “trouble in paradise” trope is. The first installment usually sets up the characters and gets them together after the big finale, the “final boss” if you will. By the end, everything’s great, happy ever after. So what now? What will the next story be, and is there a need for it? That’s the trap: what more plot is there, since the couple are together, having overcome whatever it was that prevented them from being happy. The author needs to make the sequel interesting while not hurting what was built beforehand. Many writers find it harder, for some reason, to write an interesting continuation of an established relationship. Usually there’s some cheap plot device to create drama that really doesn’t make much sense. Or the overdone trope of separation over a misunderstanding/miscommunication, fight or a potential love interest from the past.
Unfortunately, I personally feel that some romance sequels are pointless. That is way I’m very intrigued to see how Alexis Hall has gone about it. I have high expectations, since reading and liking “Something Fabulous”, and of course since the book’s title is very telling, I’d like to see how we get there.

I’m just hoping there won’t be any grossly insensitive sayings of an allo-normative nature. I do want to like this book, and for it to also be a-spec inclusive/sensitive.
Very excited to read the finished copy once it’s published!

i was only given the first 5 chapters, but each one was packed with content that made me laugh and endearingly cringe at luc's antics and miss luc and oliver all the more. love how they've been together for 2 years and almost nothing has changed between them. my favorite boys! i also adore how the author continues not to fetish the love of gay men, like so many women do when writing this genre. so excited to read beyond chapter 5!

I LITERALLY CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT FOR THIS SEQUEL but for the sake of this I will.

I'm still in love with Luc and Oliver's dynamic, and how they are both growing not only in their relationship together but them as individuals as well. Five chapters is obviously not enough to be able to properly review this but I very much liked what I read so far!

I am in love with this preview! I need the rest now, Alexis Hall has done it! You will not be able to put this down once you start!

I have just finished the preview of Husband Material and I am already in love with the story, we can see a more emotionally developed Luc, even though you can still see how untrusty he still is, and we can see Oliver trying to be more spontaneous. The writing is amazing, Alexis was able to continue a narrative that can and will hold its readers until the last page!! I cannot wait to finish the story.