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Fiction. Romance. Humor (Fiction.) LGBTQIA+ (Fiction.) In Boyfriend Material, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends...and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc's feeling the social pressure to propose. But it'll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don't know what show more I'm doing to I do. Good thing Oliver is such perfect Husband Material. show lessTags
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I had a real stretch of books for a while that didn't just make me sad, they broke me and made me think humanity (or maybe sentience?) was a mistake, and this is the book I turned to to break that streak. This is the sequel to Boyfriend Material, which I absolutely loved, and I spent a lot of time while reading this one being reminded why and wanting to reread the first one again.
This is a bit unconventional as a romance novel, for many reasons but primarily because Luc and Oliver are together at the beginning of the novel and together at the end. (WHAT! THIS IS STILL A ROMANCE NOVEL, THIS IS NOT A SPOILER.) Luc & Oliver love each other, but they are both struggling with a number of issues, mostly due to some subpar parenting (to put it show more mildly), and in this second volume they work through many of those while also attending four weddings and funeral (yes, that is a deliberate reference.)
I loved that the partner who seems more together outwardly is actually the one with more to unpack here. I love that both of them have some fist-pumping moments of triumph along the way. I love that this book still managed to surprise me in the end. show less
This is a bit unconventional as a romance novel, for many reasons but primarily because Luc and Oliver are together at the beginning of the novel and together at the end. (WHAT! THIS IS STILL A ROMANCE NOVEL, THIS IS NOT A SPOILER.) Luc & Oliver love each other, but they are both struggling with a number of issues, mostly due to some subpar parenting (to put it show more mildly), and in this second volume they work through many of those while also attending four weddings and funeral (yes, that is a deliberate reference.)
I loved that the partner who seems more together outwardly is actually the one with more to unpack here. I love that both of them have some fist-pumping moments of triumph along the way. I love that this book still managed to surprise me in the end. show less
Of course Husband Material is good, it's Alexis Hall, but it's not my favorite book of his, or even my favorite book he released this year (that would be [b:Something Fabulous|58377135|Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1629130515l/58377135._SY75_.jpg|91133409]). It's lovely to see Luc and Oliver finally together together, both in the tender moments when they are affectionate or supportive, and the tense moments when their emotional baggage threatens to derail them. But the episodic structure of the book (Hall readily admits that he based it on Four Weddings and a Funeral) means there is not much forward momentum, and too much attention paid to show more the secondary characters (how many times can Luc try to tell a joke to his posh, humorless colleague Alex only to have it be completely misunderstood? how many times do we need to be reminded that James Royce-Royce's husband is also named James Royce-Royce?).
I feel ghoulish saying this, but my favorite part of the book is the "and a Funeral" because it shows both MCs dealing with strong feelings and realizing that a good partner can help you get through a horrible experience. The twist ending of the book makes for a poignant, hilarious finale, but it seemed out of character for one of our boys(After spending the whole book saying that he doesn't want to follow the dictates of queer culture just because he's queer, Oliver suddenly realizes that marriage is too much of a heteronormative relationship for him?) .
I'm not saying that it was a bad idea to write a sequel to Hall's breakout [b:Boyfriend Material|50225678|Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575987260l/50225678._SX50_.jpg|73590298], but maybe the bar was set too high. Apparently there will be a third book about Luc and Oliver ([b:Father Material|61854803|Father Material (London Calling, #4)|Alexis Hall|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|97514775], coming October 2024) and I'm sure I will among the first to pre-order it, but I will moderate my expectations from "perfectly amazing" to "highly entertaining." show less
I feel ghoulish saying this, but my favorite part of the book is the "and a Funeral" because it shows both MCs dealing with strong feelings and realizing that a good partner can help you get through a horrible experience. The twist ending of the book makes for a poignant, hilarious finale, but it seemed out of character for one of our boys
I'm not saying that it was a bad idea to write a sequel to Hall's breakout [b:Boyfriend Material|50225678|Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1)|Alexis Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575987260l/50225678._SX50_.jpg|73590298], but maybe the bar was set too high. Apparently there will be a third book about Luc and Oliver ([b:Father Material|61854803|Father Material (London Calling, #4)|Alexis Hall|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|97514775], coming October 2024) and I'm sure I will among the first to pre-order it, but I will moderate my expectations from "perfectly amazing" to "highly entertaining." show less
This was an incredibly satisfying sequel. I devoured it in a day and was so happy to get it early from my local independent bookstore. I loved the Four Weddings and a Funeral plot structure and the reappearance of characters from the first book. It all felt very natural and not just let's stick all these characters in as fan service. I loved that I was surprised by some of the choices (the funeral! the bridge scene!) and I loved that these characters didn't completely backslide to the messes they were in book one. You could tell they had spent two years growing with each other and, like every one, still had work to do to figure out their relationship.
Husband Material is a loose, somewhat picaresque satire of the marriage parade that dominates our late twenties and early thirties, and what it means in the context of queer millennial relationships. Unlike the first novel, which (like its protagonist, Luc) is tightly wound from page one, this book takes a while to get going, the tension ratcheting up imperceptibly and incrementally until it explodes with one hell of a banger ending.
Is it as funny as Boyfriend Material? Probably not. Is it a touching, validating book about navigating this highly scripted time in our romantic lives? Fuck yes.
Is it as funny as Boyfriend Material? Probably not. Is it a touching, validating book about navigating this highly scripted time in our romantic lives? Fuck yes.
I feel compelled to write a review for this one because my response is complicated.
The Four Weddings and a Funeral structure was cute, but distracted from the relationship development, which is what I wanted to read about. It's a structure that works well for an initial romance, rather than the development of a complex relationship between two people who both have big huge issues.
I don't know whether it says more about me, Alexis Hall, or what, that I found the most engaging and satisfying section of the book to be the funeral, and I think that might just be because it was the only section of the book where Luc actually focused on Oliver. So much of the rest of the book was very angsty, which, unless they're working through it, as Luc show more did in the first book, is not something I enjoy in my MCs in first person narratives.
The humour, the banter, the irreverence were all there. The secondary characters were fabulous - I adore the quirky wisdom of Luc's mom, the ott and more mature best-friending, the co-workers...
The thing is that through each wedding, Luc's pov grated even more, as did his absolute certainty that the vast majority of the conflict was "Oliver problems, not me problems," which felt deliberately delusional. It felt like all the character development took place in the last bit of the book, and it took place far too quickly for me to be convinced, especially since there seemed to be so little in the two years between the last book and this one.
What saved the book for me was the actual ending - it brought together what I felt were the themes that kind of popped up throughout the book but I couldn't really see through all the angst. And they are themes I absolutely love: Self-differentiation, self-exploration, authenticity...
And SPOILER now:
I just really really wish there had been more exploration of alternatives to weddings/marriage than the brief conversations with Pryia and her partners, the mother, and the very last couple of pages. I also wish there was more room for Lucien to face that the "Oliver problems, not me problems" were actually his own damned problems all along. If it had, this book could have been a brilliant satire about heteronormativity and convention. The entire discussion over the rainbow arch could have become a truly enlightening exploration on the conventions of the perfomance of queerness. Instead, it was an "OIiver problem" and got left at that, with only a glimpse that it could be more.
I do however, love that they walked out on their own wedding. Like, really really love it.
I was overjoyed to read a book that ends with a clear hea that doesn't require a formal commitment ceremony - this is something that is very counter-genre, and unlike many readers who freaked out about it, I am so very much here for the subversion.
So yeah... complicated response to this one. show less
The Four Weddings and a Funeral structure was cute, but distracted from the relationship development, which is what I wanted to read about. It's a structure that works well for an initial romance, rather than the development of a complex relationship between two people who both have big huge issues.
I don't know whether it says more about me, Alexis Hall, or what, that I found the most engaging and satisfying section of the book to be the funeral, and I think that might just be because it was the only section of the book where Luc actually focused on Oliver. So much of the rest of the book was very angsty, which, unless they're working through it, as Luc show more did in the first book, is not something I enjoy in my MCs in first person narratives.
The humour, the banter, the irreverence were all there. The secondary characters were fabulous - I adore the quirky wisdom of Luc's mom, the ott and more mature best-friending, the co-workers...
The thing is that through each wedding, Luc's pov grated even more, as did his absolute certainty that the vast majority of the conflict was "Oliver problems, not me problems," which felt deliberately delusional. It felt like all the character development took place in the last bit of the book, and it took place far too quickly for me to be convinced, especially since there seemed to be so little in the two years between the last book and this one.
What saved the book for me was the actual ending - it brought together what I felt were the themes that kind of popped up throughout the book but I couldn't really see through all the angst. And they are themes I absolutely love: Self-differentiation, self-exploration, authenticity...
And SPOILER now:
I just really really wish there had been more exploration of alternatives to weddings/marriage than the brief conversations with Pryia and her partners, the mother, and the very last couple of pages. I also wish there was more room for Lucien to face that the "Oliver problems, not me problems" were actually his own damned problems all along. If it had, this book could have been a brilliant satire about heteronormativity and convention. The entire discussion over the rainbow arch could have become a truly enlightening exploration on the conventions of the perfomance of queerness. Instead, it was an "OIiver problem" and got left at that, with only a glimpse that it could be more.
I do however, love that they walked out on their own wedding. Like, really really love it.
I was overjoyed to read a book that ends with a clear hea that doesn't require a formal commitment ceremony - this is something that is very counter-genre, and unlike many readers who freaked out about it, I am so very much here for the subversion.
So yeah... complicated response to this one. show less
The long-awaited sequel to Boyfriend Material is a fabulous continuation of Luc and Oliver's story. Told from Luc's perspective, this book is a take-off and a homage to Four Weddings and a Funeral. There are some very funny scenes and some very sad ones, as one may expect when dealing with these types of social events. Mr. Hall does his usual deft job in dealing with sensitive subjects while Luc and Oliver negotiate their way along their relationship.
Romance readers expect HEAs in their books, and we got one here, though it was not what I expected. But I LOVED it! It was the twist this story needed, and I appreciate the author's risk-taking. I can't wait for the next book in the series, Father Material.
Romance readers expect HEAs in their books, and we got one here, though it was not what I expected. But I LOVED it! It was the twist this story needed, and I appreciate the author's risk-taking. I can't wait for the next book in the series, Father Material.
I think that Alexis Hall has an amazing ear for dialogue and a strong grasp of their characters and it has made reading these two books a joy (and is why I'm going searching for more of their work). And there were scenes early on in the book (notably at the funeral for Oliver's father) where the writing was so spot on that I thought, "This book gets five stars just for that." But as the ending approached, it became more and more obvious that these two characters weren't going to get married and it bothered me.
To be clear, this is not because I think marriage is for everyone. Except for necessities like
In the end, the book is still great and I highly recommend it. The last section just feels a little more contrived than anything else in this book or its predecessor, and that's a shame.
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- Canonical title
- Husband Material
- Original publication date
- 2022-08-02
- People/Characters
- Lucien "Luc" O'Donnell; Oliver Blackwood; Bridget Welles; James Royce-Royce; Christopher Blackwood; Alex Twaddle (show all 13); Rhys Jones Bowen; Miles Greene [London Calling series]; JoJo Ryan; the James Royce-Royces; Odile O'Donnell; Jon Fleming; Priya [London Calling series]
- Important places
- London, England, UK; Pfaffle Court, Surrey, England, UK; Coombecamden, England, UK; Milton Keynes, England, UK
- Dedication
- To Mary
Thank you for believing in these books - First words
- I've never seen the point of hen parties.
- Quotations
- One day, I wanted somebody to look at me the way Rhys looked at hypothetical free chips. Although to be fair, Oliver sometimes did.
I came down on the side of relieved, and by way of an olive branch attempted to get interested in the intricacies of establishmentarianism.
heterosplaining
"Why is everything so complicated," Bridge wondered piteously, "It wasn't like this when we were younger."
I gave her a drunken pat. "I think it was. I just think we didn't notice. Which"--I cast my mind back a decade... (show all)--"might explain why we made so many terrible, terrible mistakes."
"Speak for yourself," said Priya. "I stand by every mistake I've ever made." - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But the pavement was shining silver and the raindrops were playing our tune and I was in Oliver's arms, and we were laughing and kissing, and all around us the passers-by were putting up umbrellas in every color of the rainbow.
- Publisher's editor
- Altman, Mary
- Blurbers
- Lauren, Christina; Ripper, Kris
- Original language
- English
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