Husband Material by Alexis Hall
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Web ID: 14789351Love book one and two
Love the book as much as I love the first one, but those last two chapters made me as queasy as the two main characters. but it pulled through and I would still recommend it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The lack of honest communication is painful
I've false-started this review a half dozen times in the last fifteen minutes. Honestly, the more I think about this book the more I think it deserves a 1-star. HUSBAND MATERIAL took the beloved, realistic Oliver and Lucien in the first book and multiplied everything negative about them a dozen times, leaving these characters bickering the full length of the novel, lying through their teeth, and trying to convince one another (and the reader) of things neither of them actually feels. HUSBAND MATERIAL is... exhausting. And frustrating. And monotonous. Entirely too long and ending on a disappoint that could have been reached almost HALF the novel sooner had they ACTUALLY spoken to each other instead of saying what they thought the other WANTED to hear. The actual plot doesn't show up until more than 50% through the book, and honestly, that's when everything started going downhill because that's when all the side characters and their hijinks get pushed aside for the endless drama of Oliver and Lucien. Yep. I enjoyed all the disjointed, unnecessary stuffing of filler material more than the actual plot. Honestly? I don't have the energy to be mad at this. If I let myself, I could write ten pages of frustrations, but there are so many more important things to devote my mental capacity to. So many better books, sequels, and series to spend pages writing about. I thought I would like this a lot more than I did and gave it the benefit of the doubt a lot. You couldn't have gone into this more open than I did... I can't recommend this book to anyone. Leave it at the happy feels of the first book and don't delve any deeper. Trust me, it's not worth it.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Disappointing Clunker of a Sequel
I absolutely loved BOYFRIEND MATERIAL. I really did. And so HUSBAND MATERIAL was high on my TBR list for this year. And… well… I don’t know that I’ve ever read such a clunker. I feel awful just saying that because I know how much time, energy, and care goes into writing but dear god. The amount of times I wanted to DNF this book would probably equal the number of chapters here in this overblown and rambling story with almost zero character growth. The only reason I kept going was because of Oliver (Luc is the worst and honestly almost regressed from the first book I think), and he was very surprisingly in only half the story. If that. Side characters and other people’s weddings for more time and consideration than he did. It’s just so upsetting. But honestly, as much as I love Oliver, he didn’t grow here either. Neither him nor Luc had real character arcs and they were both so gosh darn annoying with how little they actually communicated like grown ADULTS, let alone adults in a relationship. There were a few times where I wanted to throw the book because of how annoying they were, but it’s wholly unnecessary length would’ve done some serious damage. I’m just going to go back to thinking that BOYFRIEND MATERIAL is a stand-alone and make peace with that. Because after reading this, I really think it should’ve been.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Luc is still a messy B but I'm here for the growth
Story: 3.75⭐️ Audio: 5⭐️ I'm a sucker for a well done 4weddings & a funeral set-up so I was primed to enjoy one from one of my fave authors, but this is uniquely it's own beast. It has some truly OTT rom-com silliness but is packed with so many feels and hard won growth. Lucien was such a mess in the last book that it stands to reason he'd still be a WIP, and boy is he. I'm glad I re-read the first one so I could appreciate how much progress he has made (even when I wanted to strangle him). Overall, he's a better friend and co-worker but still a bit of a self-centered d!k, which shows the most when he's dealing with Oliver's more conservative personality. All the weddings start highlighting their different takes on queerness and parental relations and Luc is so wedded to his version of being gay that he often ignores Oliver's lived experience of not being as welcome as Luc is in queer spaces bc he was too straight-acting. Luc talks to Oliver like he doesn't have any identity outside of his parents' wishes, but Oliver likes who he is so shouldn't have to peel apart his personality to see how much of who he is is from his homophobic parents considering he is openly and unapologetically gay. It's also a bit hypocritical of Luc to chastise Oliver for worrying about having his parents be a part of his life when Luc literally spent the whole first book trying to build a relationship w/his a-hole dad (who had already proven to be a a-hole) and ended up at a wedding he seriously had no need to go to for non-closure. That being said, the growth both MCs make is really good to see in action and the strength of their relationship (despite some serious stupidity) is lovely. Luc's friend group is still delightful and ride or die, and I am here for all their shenanigans.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Everything I wanted and more!
Boyfriend Material was my fave book of 2020, so my expectations for Husband Material were very high and I'm pleased to say they were met and exceeded! Reading Husband Material felt like catching up with friends in the best way. As promised by the book blurb, there's all the chaos and drama of Luc navigating four weddings and funeral, with Oliver at his side. It was lovely to see how much both of them have changed and grown, and how they're working through their various issues. They're in love and happy together but that doesn't mean that all of their problems are magically resolved. And they definitely get tested plenty in this book! I feel like Boyfriend Material was focused on Luc and his antics, while Husband Material is about Luc getting pulled into the antics of his friends and colleagues (the number of wedding related debacles is the stuff of romcom legend). Truly I loved every bit of it, including the fraught and emotionally intense parts. I'm smiling as I write this and feeling the best feels, and I can't wait for everyone to read this absolutely sublime sequel!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Hilarious, Relatable, and Thought-Provoking
This book had me screeching with laughter often. I read the literal first half of it in a single sitting, no joke, it was just such a fun and wild ride. I enjoyed the humor and the relationship dynamics. It was just so good! It flowed quite well, too. It was not just the comedy I liked, I love how it was a serious, in-depth, and honestly vulnerable look into the multiple perspectives of those of us who are LGBTQ+. It centered on an incredibly nuanced and legitimate debate on how queer identities are performed and politicized, especially when it comes to marriage. This was not just a quirky little British rom-com, it was a genuine revelation between two gay men who are having all-too-familiar identity and relationship crises. While I fell more into Luc's perspective personally as a queer person myself, the way Oliver discusses how he feels really helped open my eyes to the fact that we make each other perform just as much if not more than those who aren't queer. Instead of getting up onto a little soap box and rehashing what is already debated at length in this story, I would just like to finish by saying that although I kind of wish that it didn't end so abruptly and that we had some sort of epilogue to see where it all ended up, I truly appreciate the symbolism in the final scene. I really cannot recommend this book enough, even if it gets pretty silly at times. I was graciously given an advance reader's copy on NetGalley and will happily purchase a copy.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Hilarious & heart-warming
After falling in love with "Boyfriend Material" when it was published, I was looking forward to reading the second book in the series, "Husband Material", which was my most anticipated read this year. I am not exaggerating, I had it marked down in my calendar and a countdown set for its release date. I was THAT excited. "Boyfriend Material" has been my comfort read for quite some time now. There are only a few books which hold that special place and status in my heart. This book has been my go-to read when I need to find a place of comfort. It is filled with so much humor that I find myself laughing during so many scenes. I always cherish the little moments filled with social awkwardness which are totally a mirror for my own self. I see myself represented in it and I honestly can say that I have found comfort in Alexis Hall‘s books and voice. I have been counting the days for the release of "Husband Material" and I never once worried about what it would be, or how it would be. I truly trust Alexis Hall in this. A voice of comfort which will never disappoint me. It felt like I am reconnecting with old friends, with my comfort zone. Therefore, I had extremely high expectations - and after reading it now I can honestly say that I loved every single moment of this book. In "Husband Material", the book focuses on true love. In the first book, the two main characters pretend to fall in love and then suddenly realize that they are actually in love. So this book now therefore starts with the real love perspective. They have fallen in love, so what is next? Oliver and Luc have been dating each other for quite some time now, have experienced the ups and downs together and now are planning their own wedding which leads to even more chaos than you can already expect from both of them. This book has been a true masterpiece for me, like the first book in the series, but I expected nothing less than a true masterpiece. It focuses on different really important topics - expressing yourself as a queer person when you cannot identify yourself with everything rainbow-colored. When you feel like you are part of something that does not feel like coming home. Social norms and the pressure that comes with it. But also just being loved while being flawed and messy. The first book felt flirty and sexy. "Husband Material" feels more personal, mature and domestic. I absolutely loved every single sentence I have read, all the characters involved into the story, the humor, the laughter, and for me, the coming home. The writing style was as phenomenal as expected and the end had me screaming since I did not expect something like this to happen AT ALL! Also, how can it end here and now I have to wait and suffer while waiting for the next book? Hands down, "Husband Material" has been my most anticipated read this year and I was not disappointed at all. Instead, it became one of my favorite reads this year and deserves more than 5 stars (but unfortunately this is the limit on here). It was truly amazing and I will keep recommending it to everyone!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great and relatable
I absolutely loved this book! Boyfriend material was cute and I adored it but Husband material was just as good! I loved the real issues couples go through. I felt like I could relate to Oliver in so many ways. I cried, I laughed and I fell in love with this book and these characters all over again! Overall 4/ 5 Spice 3/ 5
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com