I read Boyfriend Material back in 2020 and absolutely fell in love with Luc and Oliver, and with Hall's writing.

When I found out there was going to a sequel I was Thrilled. I always felt there was more to Luc & Oliver's story.

Having now read this 5 chapter preview I'm even more excited - I need the completed book immediately!

I'm already laughing out loud, swooning and feeling the angst from this book and I cant wait to read the rest!

If you love contemporary romance/romantic comedy that is hilarious and still jarringly spot on when it comes to emotions, Alexis Hall is your man. This is a much awaited sequel to tremendously popular Boyfriend Material, so there is really no need to introduce the book.

We meet a beautiful chaos incarnate named Luc O´Donnell and his very gorgeous, very stable and very barrister boyfriend Oliver Blackwood again. This time in the thralls of wedding preparations that are not their own). Old acquaintances turn up, sour emotions bubble up and there is a mysterious woman who is there to wreak havoc. This ARC was just the first 5 chapters, but as is usual with Hall, I was hooked from the first sentence, prepared to have my heart torn and put back together and my head lulled by lovely prose that, by magic of its own conjures up the whole world of tangible emotions.

Long story short, I think we are in for a real treat with this one.

This was a very sweet preview. Lucien and Oliver were one of my favourite couples in contemporary romance, and I can't wait to see their story continue. This has an excellent hook with Bridge and Tom's B-story to kick off the first chapters, and I will definitely be reading when this is released!

So excited to see what the full book has in store! I missed Oliver and Luc so much and I hope we see even more development and love on their end in Husband Material!

FIRST FIVE CHAPTERS REVIEW
I was so thrilled to see the return of Luc and Oliver. Reading these first five chapters in a frenzy has reminded me about how joyous these characters are and just how much I missed them! Luc and his awkwardness and Oliver and his charm continue to ring through in this sequel as we get to continue their story. I was worried that this story didn't have space for more, but reading this early intro I cannot wait to see where we next end up with them! These characters feel like returning home to old friends and being embraced with the cosiest blanket!

I loved these characters! Funny and very real, I can’t wait to see what happens at the wedding! It sounds like Luc and Oliver are attending, and that promises to be an interesting day. I can’t wait to read the rest of the book!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hall’s writing is as witty as always, and the new book provides new interesting explorations into Luc’s life and his relationship with Oliver. It would be interesting to learn more about the Miles storyline, as well as Bridge and Luc’s dynamic—would love to finish the book.

Alexis Hall is back with more Luc & Oliver in the same Richard Curtis rom-com vein as Boyfriend Material. This time we’re going all in on Four Weddings and a Funeral as they find themselves smack dab in the middle of what seems to be everyone they know getting hitched. Husband Material picks up two years after Oliver showed up at Luc’s door at bleep o’clock in the morning to profess his feelings and stir Luc into a Tesco bag of love. Now, we’re immediately plunked into the middle of Bridge’s bachelorette party, and besides the fact that Oliver is running a bit late, everything’s going swimmingly until Luc literally runs into his ex. Yes, *that* ex. The miserable dickhead who sold Luc out to the tabloids. Cue le drama!

Okay, first of all, I MISSED THEM SO FREAKIN’ MUCH. I was wondering if after all this time it might take Alexis (and myself) a second to get back into the groove with these characters, this absolute gem of a universe. But no record scratch was to be found. From the first paragraph on, Hall didn’t miss a beat, and it felt like a love letter to the LUC & OLIVER LIVE HERE stamped across my heart. Husband Material is giving us everything Boyfriend Material gave us and then some. All the humor and heart and that intensely lovely way Hall has of easily expressing—right down to the marrow—what makes his characters tick.

Luc’s charmingly self-deprecating voice is just as recognizable and lovable here, but we get to see that he’s grown and matured too, and I love the way Hall’s handled his character development. Luc’s moments of self-reflection felt earnest and true, and as someone who deals with a fair amount of anxiety and self-doubt, we get to see him trying not only to love and care for Oliver, but to give that to himself, too, and that felt extraordinarily good to read.

Oliver. OLIVER. OLI-VEEEEEER!!! Ahem. As a person who is slightly Oliver Blackwood obsessed, I would very much like to confirm that he is just as dreamy and tender and caring and patient and vulnerable and protective and imperfect as he ever was. I also love that we are getting an intimate zoom on how Oliver handles his doubts and fears in this story. I was very interested in seeing how his connection and communication with Luc had definitely deepened, but like all relationships, there are cracks, and it will intrigue me to see what happens as the water leaks in.

We were quite a few pages into the story before Oliver showed up, and let me tell you, I was waiting-for-my-prom-date giddy with anticipation for the first “Lucien” from his mouth, swoon-sigh! When Oliver finally appeared, in a truly cinematic gasp of air, and said and did just the right things, I… I cried like a complete ding-dong? But whatever! Just leave me here to die with my life-sized Oliver Blackwood body pillow and I’ll be fine. (Fact check: I do not actually own an Oliver Blackwood body pillow and as far as I know, they do not exist. Thank you for not frantically searching the internet to own one because of a lie.)

Okay, but anyway, I must move on as I obvs shouldn’t make this entire review 10,000 words on my love for Oliver Blackwood. THOUGH I TOTALLY COULD. We also dipped into a few fun minutes with Luc’s friend group, went through CRAPP moments that made me proper LOL, and Luc got to spend some one-on-one time with Bridge, whose feelings on Love Actually are actually very valid, okay?!

We’re treated to a few swoon-worthy domestic moments, which indeed gave me butterflies, but if I had a (tiny) bone to pick with these preview chapters it would be that I could have done with a bit more Oliver and Luc are in LoOOoovE slices of time. Like, allow me a luxurious minute to breathe into the sweetness of their lovestruck hearts before we turn the heat up and watch all the inevitable long-term relationship struggles start to simmer. I like to soak in this sort of thing to fuel me through the bumpy ride ahead as these two idiots in love eventually sort their shit out and melt our hearts into a pile of candy on the floor.

Alexis Hall has previously stated that he doesn’t believe in HEAs, just HFNs, so I’m veeeeeery curious to see if he takes these two mups all the way down the aisle as the title might suggest. Ultimately, I can’t say it matters to me, as I trust Hall will leave Luc & Oliver in just the right place at the close of the tale.

This five-chapter preview of Husband Material reminded me of exactly how much I genuinely love these characters. They are indeed that well-loved cozy sweater you can reach for when life is giving you a bit of the chill. I’m going to do all the heart-eyed pining in the world until this lover of a book returns from sea. August… please come quickly!!

Ready your pom-poms for:

+ Vegan rep (am picturing Luc googling “best vegan curry recipes NO BANANAS”)
+ Fashionable crocheted vulva hats for all
+ A completely oblivious OnlyFans account
+ Oliver Blackwood’s masterclass on how to be a comfort plushie in human form
+ Tabletop boning
+ Queer friend circle of quirky delight
+ ALEX TWADDLE IS BACK IN THE MOTHERCUSSING HOUSE, Y’ALL

Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making it possible for this preview to be shared!!

PS: As far as I can tell this may be read as a standalone... but why? Why would you deprive yourself of the joy and comfort and all the feel-good emotions brought straight to your chest as you float through Boyfriend Material? Do that one first, you deserve it. <3

With gratitude, this review comes from a NetGalley preview of the first five chapters of Husband Material.

In a way, I guess the preview was a bit of a tease in that Hall sets up so many different ways that very loving but human people could bollocks up the plot moving forward. But this is Alexis Hall, this is romance, and this is Luc and Oliver. Even though the wait is still weeks and months, I don't have to fret that the rest of Husband Material is going to leave me grieving. I'm sure there will be moments in the arc where I wince or walk away for a bit when it gets hard, but I'll come round- just like these fellas always do.

For right now, I very much enjoyed checking in to get the gossip on old friends during a lull in the pandemic. Love has not magically cured either Luc or Oliver of all their issues, but they're still trying. Karma has not come yet for Jon Fleming, much to Luc's and my dismay. Bridget and Tom are getting married. Oh, and I was so happy to see Alex Twaddle, I literally yelled, "ALEX!!!" like he was Norm from Cheers (and scared the hell out of my dogs).

Side note- If you follow him at all on Twitter, Instagram and/or his blog, you will know that Alexis Hall interacts with his readers with kindness, respect, and humor. He doesn't have to do it. Some people even get handwritten letters. I am very grateful to Hall and his writings for the warmth and serotonin rush that seems in such short supply these days.

AHHHHHH - I cannot wait for this book! I loved Boyfriend Material and reading just the preview for Husband Material has me DYING for the rest!

This preview definitely left me wanting more. Boyfriend Material was compulsively readable, and Husband Material is no different. I got to the end of chapter five and wished there was more. It's funny, sexy, and sweet already, and I'm sure it'll be a fall favorite of romance readers when it comes out in August.

These first few chapters bring a welcome return to the world and characters of Boyfriend Material. I enjoyed Luc’s voice which is as characterful as before. Alex, Bridge, Rhys et al are as fun to be as usual and it’s nice to get a glimpse of Luc happily established in his work and relationships. The only downside is this brief preview is too short and only makes the wait till August seem that much longer! I’m eagerly looking forward to the release of the full novel.

Thanks Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read chapters 1-5 of Husband Material. This book dropped me right back into Luc and Oliver's world, and I'm really excited to get more from these characters. The tone seems pretty similar to the first book, so I think readers who enjoyed Boyfriend Material will also like this one.

I would not recommend jumping into this one without reading the first book - take these months before pub day to get the first half of the story!

This review is for a preview I received from NetGalley of the first five chapters.

First and foremost, the best part of the preview is that it establishes that these characters have grown as a couple and as individuals. So if you're looking for character growth from where we left them in the last book, you've got it.

One of the things I liked about Boyfriend Material was the really accurate portrayal of thinking through a relationship when you're saddled with anxiety and overthinking. No matter how over the top the situation is, the reactions are realistic and believable for Luc. He is a character that is pretty consistently self-sabotaging and knows that he is doing it in real-time. What I liked most of the start of Husband Material is that we get a Luc that is not magically healed of that through the power of love.

Early on Luc runs into an ex at a party, deals with his father still being a superstar after all the scheming of the last book, and decides between being a good boyfriend or being a good best friend. We get a Luc that can recognize what he is doing, have a little self-hatred, and then work through it. This isn't without some support from those around him, but it shows a lot of character growth, and I love that. I also loved that Oliver is allowed to not be flawless out the gate. He is starting to show some of his hesitations and displeasures in the relationship. The communication between the pair shows that they have matured and grown as people.

And, of course, all the quirky humor is still there. So if you enjoyed the clueless coworkers who can't follow a joke or almost Bridgette Jones' Diary best friends, they all return in this one as well. Fair warning, the first chapter is a little jarring if you haven't read the first one in a while (I haven't read it since September 2021). I recommend rereading the first one before August to keep everyone straight.

AHHHH OMG THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! I literally cannot wait for this book, I absolutely loved Boyfriend Material and I'm so excited to read this one. These 5 chapters definitely made me want to beg for an eARC. I need this book in my hands!!

Husband Material is a hilarious and attention grabbing sequel to Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material. Lucien and Oliver are 2 years into their relationship. Although things have been going steady for them, unexpected events lead to what seems to be a bit of a rough patch for our favorite couple. The author, Alexis Hall, does such an amazing job luring the reader in that it is impossible to put Husband Material down. You will not regret picking up a copy of Husband Material and I, for one, can't wait to get my hands on it.

I just read the first five chapters of this book as a NetGalley preview and it already looks so good!

Husband Material picks up a little while after Boyfriend Material ends (so you do need to be familiar with that book for this sequel to make sense) and shows you what Luc and Oliver are up to. The humor and writing style immediately hooked me back in and I was so happy to be with these characters again. Many of the side characters are also still around, such as Bridget and Bronwyn.

These initial chapters set up what seems to be an entertaining plot when Luc and Oliver get a wedding invite from someone they dislike (read the book to find out who, I don't want to spoil it).

It feels like a classic rom-com and I can't wait to see what messy situations unfold. So excited for the rest of the book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was able to read the first 5 chapter preview of Husband Material and it was SO good! I love the characters and the way they speak, it flows so well for me that it was a really quick read that left me wanting so much more. I love Luc and Oliver and their friends and 5 chapters was just not enough so I will definitely be buying this when it comes out in August! (ARC preview provided by Sourcebooks via Netgalley) -Jen

Super excited to read the rest of this book! The first few chapters of preview have me hooked. The characters are strong and rememberable and it still has the same, if not better, sense of humor clearly presented in it!

I loved this! The banter and personality always shines through to me with this author. The hilarious, relatable dialogue has me hooked.