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nickoliver's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I went into "Husband Material" with a very cautious mind. I'd been excited for it from the moment I'd heard that "Boyfriend Material" was getting a sequel, so when I suddenly got some Tik Toks talking about how much they hated the ending, I started getting scared. And I also remembered that I usually hated romance sequels that followed the same couple, because a lot of the ones that I've read before ended in break-ups. Which made me even more worried.
Thankfully, I actually kind of liked the ending! Yes, the direction Hall took was a bit unexpected and abrupt, but since I expected this precise thing would happen (I refused to believe Hall would break them up, so I chose to hope for this exact outcome instead), I wasn't thrown off. It also helped that I'm not big into wedding and marriages, anyway (child of divorce + living in a country that only legalized same-sex marriage less than two months ago will do that to you), so I wasn't looking forward for anything spectacular in the first place.
I do have to say I do overall prefer "Boyfriend Material," mainly because this sequel felt like it didn't have a clear plot line that it followed. Especially the beginning was more Luc's friends (and exes) getting married and him going to those weddings and the hijinks that sometimes ensued. Which was fun to read about, but I often didn't know what the point of writing a sequel was if it was just this? It could've just as easily been like a novella that followed Luc and Oliver a bit after the events of "Boyfriend Material". Only after Luc and Oliver decided to also get married did it start to have a red thread in the story.
Luc was also really frustrating sometimes, especially that he had a problem with Oliver not liking your typical "gay" stuff (for example, rainbow-coloured things) and had to have that fight several times in the book. He did end up understanding him, but it took him quite a lot of time to get there. And as a queer person who, like Oliver, doesn't feel so comfortable with overtly queer things on himself, it got a bit too personal for me. Though Hall did also show the progress they went through as individuals and as a couple as well, so that was nice.
The book had a lot of funny moments, hence how I managed to read it in two days. And it genuinely felt quick, too. I remember when I first read "Boyfriend Material," I was annoyed towards the end because it felt so drawn out, but that wasn't the case here. So overall, I definitely enjoyed this!
Thankfully, I actually kind of liked the ending! Yes, the direction Hall took was a bit unexpected and abrupt, but since I expected this precise thing would happen (I refused to believe Hall would break them up, so I chose to hope for this exact outcome instead), I wasn't thrown off. It also helped that I'm not big into wedding and marriages, anyway (child of divorce + living in a country that only legalized same-sex marriage less than two months ago will do that to you), so I wasn't looking forward for anything spectacular in the first place.
I do have to say I do overall prefer "Boyfriend Material," mainly because this sequel felt like it didn't have a clear plot line that it followed. Especially the beginning was more Luc's friends (and exes) getting married and him going to those weddings and the hijinks that sometimes ensued. Which was fun to read about, but I often didn't know what the point of writing a sequel was if it was just this? It could've just as easily been like a novella that followed Luc and Oliver a bit after the events of "Boyfriend Material". Only after Luc and Oliver decided to also get married did it start to have a red thread in the story.
Luc was also really frustrating sometimes, especially that he had a problem with Oliver not liking your typical "gay" stuff (for example, rainbow-coloured things) and had to have that fight several times in the book. He did end up understanding him, but it took him quite a lot of time to get there. And as a queer person who, like Oliver, doesn't feel so comfortable with overtly queer things on himself, it got a bit too personal for me. Though Hall did also show the progress they went through as individuals and as a couple as well, so that was nice.
The book had a lot of funny moments, hence how I managed to read it in two days. And it genuinely felt quick, too. I remember when I first read "Boyfriend Material," I was annoyed towards the end because it felt so drawn out, but that wasn't the case here. So overall, I definitely enjoyed this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, and Vomit
botanicalprofanity's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Vomit
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Vomit
stardustandrockets's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit and Eating disorder
josieruby1's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia, and Vomit
kcbatts's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
claracavanaugh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia and Vomit
Minor: Classism
white_lotus7's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Eating disorder
theespressoedition's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In September 2021, I listened to the audiobook for Boyfriend Material and completely fell in love with the story. It was clever, witty, and adorable. Not long after reading that novel, I learned that there would be a sequel and I immediately added it to my TBR. I was so excited when I was approved for the audio ARC of Husband Material.
To start with, let me just say that the narration was fantastic! Just like the first, this one was performed by Joe Jameson who is absolutely ideal for the characters of Oliver and Luc. Truly, I don't think anyone could portray them as well as Joe does. Not only that, but Joe performs the other characters magnificently - no matter their sexual identity. That's not something that every voice actor can do well, so, major props!
The way that the plot was set up for Husband Material was much more predictable than its predecessor, in my opinion. From the weddings at the beginning, to the lack of confidence on Luc's part, to the desire to conform to a social construct and get married. Unfortunately, for me, it lacked the emotional depth that I was hoping for. That's not to say that there was a lack of emotion in general, but when things got challenging and conflict began to arise, rather than it being handled in a mature way, all of the characters took an almost comically immature and selfish approach. This threw me off just a little bit.
There was a very, very heavy storyline in the middle of the book and while there were elements of it that were navigated really well, so much of it made me feel like it wasn't serious enough? Obviously, that's a very personal feeling and I'm quite sure that others would've handled similar situations with the same approach that Luc and Oliver (and the rest of the gang) did. But for me, it seemed like some of the depth was missing.
For the majority of Husband Material, I felt as though the primary focus was the "miscommunication trope." Now, this is quite possibly the most disliked trope across the board for bookworms. It's frustrating and the whole time, you're pulling your hair, wishing that the characters would just talk with each other, already! So, I wrestled with the story as a whole.
As with the first book, I loved the characters. I appreciate the growth that some of them went through, and there were many excellent discussions about sexuality that I really have no business touching on because it would not be OwnVoices. However, I appreciated the way that they were brought up because it provided more information to keep in my own back pocket. The CRAPP gang was especially hilarious with their ridiculous hijinks, and I absolutely loved learning more about Priya, Bridget, and the James Royce Royces. These characters were what kept me invested in the book more than anything else.
The ending is a HFN (happily-for-now). To some, that would be frustrating, but I found it to be more realistic. While the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed, I did like the very end much more than I expected to, considering my slightly frustrated feelings throughout the majority of the book.
This sequel isn't one that I would find myself reading again, but I did like finding out what was going on in the lives of the London Calling gang!
To start with, let me just say that the narration was fantastic! Just like the first, this one was performed by Joe Jameson who is absolutely ideal for the characters of Oliver and Luc. Truly, I don't think anyone could portray them as well as Joe does. Not only that, but Joe performs the other characters magnificently - no matter their sexual identity. That's not something that every voice actor can do well, so, major props!
The way that the plot was set up for Husband Material was much more predictable than its predecessor, in my opinion. From the weddings at the beginning, to the lack of confidence on Luc's part, to the desire to conform to a social construct and get married. Unfortunately, for me, it lacked the emotional depth that I was hoping for. That's not to say that there was a lack of emotion in general, but when things got challenging and conflict began to arise, rather than it being handled in a mature way, all of the characters took an almost comically immature and selfish approach. This threw me off just a little bit.
There was a very, very heavy storyline in the middle of the book and while there were elements of it that were navigated really well, so much of it made me feel like it wasn't serious enough? Obviously, that's a very personal feeling and I'm quite sure that others would've handled similar situations with the same approach that Luc and Oliver (and the rest of the gang) did. But for me, it seemed like some of the depth was missing.
For the majority of Husband Material, I felt as though the primary focus was the "miscommunication trope." Now, this is quite possibly the most disliked trope across the board for bookworms. It's frustrating and the whole time, you're pulling your hair, wishing that the characters would just talk with each other, already! So, I wrestled with the story as a whole.
As with the first book, I loved the characters. I appreciate the growth that some of them went through, and there were many excellent discussions about sexuality that I really have no business touching on because it would not be OwnVoices. However, I appreciated the way that they were brought up because it provided more information to keep in my own back pocket. The CRAPP gang was especially hilarious with their ridiculous hijinks, and I absolutely loved learning more about Priya, Bridget, and the James Royce Royces. These characters were what kept me invested in the book more than anything else.
The ending is a HFN (happily-for-now). To some, that would be frustrating, but I found it to be more realistic. While the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed, I did like the very end much more than I expected to, considering my slightly frustrated feelings throughout the majority of the book.
This sequel isn't one that I would find myself reading again, but I did like finding out what was going on in the lives of the London Calling gang!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Religious bigotry, and Vomit
miriam_in_life's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia and Vomit
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia