While this book was a little predictable, it was still a 5 star read in my book! I love Luc and his messy brain and I absolutely LOVE Oliver! They are couple goals. Would recommend to all my friends that love a good and sweet emotional romance.

I am so sorry I didn’t actually get around to reading this book! Honesty, it was a hard sell for me as Boyfriend Material was perfectly fine as a stand-alone and marriage just makes me sigh and shake my head most of the time.

I had such a fun time returning to the world of this book - Luc and Oliver have an amazing banter/brokenness/understanding in Boyfriend Material, and even with them together as a couple, Husband Material continues with those same connected features.
I loved reconnecting with some secondary characters as well - was great to see more of Alex’s denseness, Bridget’s loyalty, and antics from Judy.
Highly recommend reading Boyfriend Material before reading this

Read this ARC via NetGalley, release date is Aug 2

Alexis Hall (again) delivered a humorous, heartwarming and wonderfully queer love story! I loved reading about all the characters again and have to give extra love for the ending, unexpected (but also not) and real, showing diverse love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this eARC.

I'm never mad at a romcom retelling, and this one, a Four Weddings and a Funeral for 2022, is pretty great. Luc and Oliver are still the couple you're rooting for, but in this book, you really get to see the issues they're grappling with inside of their now 2 year old relationship.

Also the whole gang is here - the James Royce-Royces (and a baby), Alex, Miffy, Judy, Odille, etc. Still very snappy and funny, but especially at the end of the book enters big feelings territory. Overall, a satisfying sequel to <i>Boyfriend Material</i>.

I read this entirely in one sitting, and loved it. The humor and emotional depth from Boyfriend Material were still there, and thought both Oliver and Luc have very clearly grown in the two years since the first novel, they also still have things to work on that very realistically impact them and the plot. The core of the novel is then figuring out how they fit as a couple in a heteronormative world, and both of them grappling with it in different ways. I thought the conclusion of this conflict was perfect.

Was a nice conclusion to the original. The idea that not everyone fits a stereotype or that some do is an important message, especially now where there are a lot of controversial opinions being shared. The pacing felt a bit rushed in some parts and was hard to keep track of the story chronologically, but other than that, it provided a pretty satisfying conclusion to their relationship.

I was initially skeptical about a romance novel sequel featuring the same couple, but I am overjoyed t0 say my fears were unfounded! I loved spending more time with Oliver and Luc and loved the play on the traditional rom com four weddings and a funeral format. Alexis Hall is the only romance writer than can somehow write absurd, almost parodic characters in a deeply sensitive and well rounded way (while repeatedly making you laugh out loud on a plane). Perhaps not strictly necessary to read Boyfriend Material first, but I definitely recommend that you do. Husband Material truly builds on the characters and their stories and doesn't just go for a cheap "break up and get back together" plot line. I loved both Luc and Oliver's journeys as individuals and partners in this story. Boyfriend Material is a must read for all romcom lovers and Husband Material is a much read for all Boyfriend Material lovers!

DRC provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I Loved Boyfriend Material with a capital L and I was fearful its sequel would not have held in comparison, but boy was I wrong. Alexis outdid himself with this one.

Set two years after the end of Boyfriend Material, Luc and Oliver are in a happy relationship. That is put into question when Luc's best friend Bridge, his ex Miles, and his co-worker Alex are all getting married and Luc is invited to each of their weddings. Luc feels the pressure that maybe he and Oliver should also get married which leads to a bubbling proposal from Luc and begins the chaos of planning a wedding. Alexis Hall does a wonderful job of portray the emotions that come with feeling pressure to get married and all that come afterwards. The way Luc and Oliver's relationship progresses and how they deal each others' problems was something I really enjoyed. Sometimes Luc's rambling thoughts were a little too rambling which at times detracting the plot a little bit but at the same time it is part of Luc's quirks that make him an enjoyable character. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
First off, thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader.

When I finished Boyfriend Material (both times) all I could think about was how badly I wanted more of these characters. However, I just don’t feel like HM hit as hard as BM. I felt like problems between Oliver and Luc just kept happening until I was getting frustrated with both of them.

I love the witty banter, absolutely crack up at the Alex Twaddle interactions, and found the story overall charming and very sweet! I just don’t think it’s exactly what I expected.

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.