You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
But that doesn't also mean that this book didn't have anything to do or anywhere to go. It is also a wonderful story that stands alone just as well. Yet it has the added bonus of being a wholly faithful continuation of the characters and their trajectories from the previous story.
So often I finish a book and had such a good time that I wished it simply kept going and this sequel is the closest I will ever see to providing that for its predecessor. My new fear is that this book spoke to me so well because I'm in a very similar life stage; I hope my affection for this series doesn't fade in time.
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity and Classism
Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
lisa_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved Boyfriend Material. It's so funny and charming and real. That is still true for Husband Material but the story is just.. not that great. It's basically just a series of weddings
I was really excited for this book and now I'm unsure what to think of it. Was is funny? Yes, absolutely! Alexis Hall is one of the few authors that can actually make me laugh out loud. I really enjoy this books humour. Still the plot just kind of fell flat to me. After all the turmoil of the first book it felt like a bit of a betrayal to have the characters struggle again.
I do appreciate the realness of the book. Especially the ending was amazing and I really loved to read about this conclusion. BUT even though I loved the plot of the ending it felt really abrupt and sudden.
All in all I loved some parts of this book, enjoyed others. Sometimes I was really bored and thought about dnfing the book. Sometimes I was just ambivalent and sometimes I gut really angry at the book. It was okay and did the best it could I guess but also I don't think anything could really live up to the expectations I had just because of how much I loved Boyfriend Material.
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
includes complicated, toxic relationship with parents / familyeamily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
ladythana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Eating disorder
redheadorganist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
pey333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
lettuce_read's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder
ehmannky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
One thing that thinking about this book kind of highlighted to me was the ways in which queer folk can get trapped in heteronormative thinking. Like, Luc has no way to tell Oliver how much he loves and care for him other than proposing to him, because that's just what you do when you feel like you want to be with someone forever. And it's interesting that the second they switch to being fiancés, their entire dynamic changes. So many people in the reviews are mad that Luc and Oliver don't communicate better after two years of a relationship. But they're actually great communicators when they're not forcing themselves into a dynamic they don't want to be in and feels wrong to them. Like, compare any of their fights over petty wedding shit to the fight they have during Bridget's section. During that fight it is clear Oliver and mad and disappointed, but they both handle it rather well and healthy. Entering into the fiancé dynamic changes their ability communicate because now instead of their relationship being just for them, it's about everything outside of them. I know a lot of the reviews are upset because they feel Luc is calling Oliver a Bad Gay because he doesn't like or even want to entertain the idea of having any outwardly queer signifiers at his wedding, but it's pretty clearly spelled out that the reason Luc is so hung up on this is because it feels like Oliver is rejecting a big part of who Luc is (because Luc does intensely relate to Queer Culture and outward signifiers of being gay). As Bridget's section spells out, in traditional heternormative culture, your wedding is the Biggest Day of Your Life and it has to be perfect because it represents you and what kind of couple you are to the world. Because they're caught up in an institution that wasn't designed for them or one that either of them ever really wanted to be in (Luc even mentions multiple times that he really never did dream of what it would be like to be a groom), they can't resolve their differences the way they would normally. Because the problem isn't each other, it's the institution they're thinking of entering. Even before you get to the cold feet at the end of the book (which I get why so many people don't like, but I think reading it again you'd probably see a lot more signs of both Luc and Oliver's reluctance to actually get married--they both offer a "we can postpone the wedding if you want" to each other multiple times), it's really clear that Luc doesn't want to get married. He just wanted to tell Oliver he loves him and wants to commit to him and Oliver wanted to make Luc happy (because it's only been 2 years of therapy and he is a profoundly messed up man). The fact Luc couldn't even fathom an alternative just kind of shows that he's also trapped in heteronormative thinking just as much as Oliver can be, because he truly couldn't think of an alternative way to be with Oliver forever outside of a thing he didn't really want to do. And it comes to a head towards the end of the book when they decide, in fact, that this does feel wrong and that they have been unhappy ever since they got engaged and that they should be together but not get married.
Also, so many people in the reviews are like "how dare Luc even vaguely hint towards Oliver that he has internalized homophobia (which he phrased badly because they were running on 2 hours of sleep) just because he has no queer friends outside of his boyfriend, was raised in an intensely homophobic household by emotionally abusive parents, and is repulsed by all queer iconography and doesn't want any at his wedding." Like, yeah, if I met this man irl I would also think he's repressing something. Even Oliver says he should really think about this with his therapist cause there might be something there. Why are you all mad!
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
Minor: Abandonment
snowydaze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
stardustandrockets's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Eating disorder and Vomit