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lexa's review against another edition
3.25
Not what I expected, kinda dragged a bit at times… but still had some fun parts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Grief
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit
headinthepages's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abandonment, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Minor: Suicide
cheye13's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
5.0
I put off reading this for quite a long time, believing Boyfriend Material didn't need a sequel (or a series). And it really doesn't. It's a book that stands alone just fine.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Classism and Infidelity
Minor: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Eating disorder
readwithria's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Husband Material is the first direct-line sequel to a romcom I've read, and it didn't disappoint! I was so happy to have more of Oliver and Luc, and the shenanigans of their friends.
Healthy communication, check
Sexy banter, check
Romantic as fuck, check
Explorations of community and self-expression, check
I relate to Oliver so much in his identity crisis. I'm demisexual, but I'm also straight and cis, and my demisexuality has never impacted my relationships or how I'm perceived by the world. It makes me feel like I'm not queer enough to be queer, and honestly, after this book, I'm saying f**k it I will express myself however feels authentic to me. So thanks, Oliver (and Alexis Hall), for giving me the courage to do that.
Back to the book, I really loved it. It didn't quite give me the five-star ~vibes~ but I honestly couldn't tell you why. I loved this book, I love this series, and I can't wait to read more from Alexis Hall. I'd highly recommend the London Calling series to anyone who enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue, or who likes their romcoms to have a side of intense character growth through big struggles. 4.5 stars.
Healthy communication, check
Sexy banter, check
Romantic as fuck, check
Explorations of community and self-expression, check
I relate to Oliver so much in his identity crisis. I'm demisexual, but I'm also straight and cis, and my demisexuality has never impacted my relationships or how I'm perceived by the world. It makes me feel like I'm not queer enough to be queer, and honestly, after this book, I'm saying f**k it I will express myself however feels authentic to me. So thanks, Oliver (and Alexis Hall), for giving me the courage to do that.
Back to the book, I really loved it. It didn't quite give me the five-star ~vibes~ but I honestly couldn't tell you why. I loved this book, I love this series, and I can't wait to read more from Alexis Hall. I'd highly recommend the London Calling series to anyone who enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue, or who likes their romcoms to have a side of intense character growth through big struggles. 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Classism, and Grief
annahamburger's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity
stacy837's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder and Classism
literarypenguin's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
2.0
Husband Material follows Luc & Oliver two years after the first book and into their very real not fake relationship. After witnessing friends and acquaintances getting married, Luc and Oliver wonder if they should get married as well. Will their relationship last until the altar or will they discover marriage might not be for them? I am saddened to say that my expectations for this book did not happen. This book was a let down and after enjoying the first book a lot this one didn’t hold up. I felt very confused when I finished because I had so many more questions and no answers to go with them.
The writing in this book at points was okay but toward the end it felt super rushed. Towards the end it introduces a conflict that was non existent until near the end. To me it felt like we didn’t get enough of Oliver & Luc’s relationship when the main focus was suppose to be them. I just wished that we got more of their relationship rather than other people’s weddings. I don’t know why we had to focus on these character’s weddings in the first place. There were some bits of writing that did work, it just makes me wish that we had that consistently across the whole novel.
The story follows Luc and Oliver two years into their romance as they navigate dating and watching people around them getting married and starting their lives. Their views on marriage and weddings is also brought to light as they attend other’s and eventually plan their own wedding. The story had so much potential but it failed when it got to the end. The main conflict between Oliver and Luc was the rainbow arch debate. This debate wasn’t just brought up once or twice, it became a constant throughout the book. My problem I had with this was that the argument was already brought up in the first book and I thought it was settled. I got tired of hearing it, with Luc thinking Oliver was some kind of homophobe because he felt uncomfortable with expressing his identity that way. The other problem I had was I felt that the weddings in the book shouldn’t have been there. Why did we need to feature Mile’s wedding? The horrible ex boyfriend who treated Luc like crap!? If this book cut out two of the three weddings it would have worked so much better in my opinion. The only part of the book I thought worked was the funeral, I felt that finally got Oliver to face his family and express how he truly felt about how they treated him. I wish we got more of that instead of what we got. The ending didn’t work for me as well, it felt so rushed and could have been avoided if better communication occurred.
The characters were what really took me out of the book, the growth felt like it wasn’t there. Luc still felt like he was the self conscious and selfish guy he was in the first one. He was constantly cancelling on plans he had with Oliver, making mistakes and instead of apologizing he would say he was a bad person and Oliver would forgive him, and he had the nerve to get mad at Oliver for telling him he didn’t want to get married when he had the same thoughts the night before. We did get some parts of this book that began to show that he was capable of changing and becoming better but then it went back to showing him with low self esteem. Oliver, for about fifty percent of the book wasn’t even there. In a book about Luc and Oliver. When he was there I felt like they didn’t use him to his full potential and he felt sidelined along with Luc. There were also too many side characters and too much focus on them as opposed to Luc and Oliver.
The world felt like a pleasant view into London and England in general. This part of the story I did enjoy because we got to see different parts of England, from the lovely countryside to the bustling city. I wished we did get more places though instead of just a couple places in the country and most of the story taking place in the city.
Themes of weddings and the importance of marriage in our society were a main focus in Husband Material. I did like that they talked about societies expectations of marriage and how people feel forced to get married when that is something they don’t want right now or ever. It also explored how gay marriage is impacted by straight marriage with people expecting certain things for one or the other. The pressure of being a certain way and doing certain things was also present. It also explored how certain LGBT people like to express their identity while others like it another way which can go against others beliefs. Family trauma and letting go when the person that caused you pain is also brought up through Oliver losing his father and facing his family.
I was honestly disappointed by this book as I was expecting a great sequel from a great first novel. I feel like if certain things were changed that this book could have worked better. I hope that the third book in the London Calling series will be much better and bring back the loving relationship of Oliver and Luc that we all know and love.
The writing in this book at points was okay but toward the end it felt super rushed. Towards the end it introduces a conflict that was non existent until near the end. To me it felt like we didn’t get enough of Oliver & Luc’s relationship when the main focus was suppose to be them. I just wished that we got more of their relationship rather than other people’s weddings. I don’t know why we had to focus on these character’s weddings in the first place. There were some bits of writing that did work, it just makes me wish that we had that consistently across the whole novel.
The story follows Luc and Oliver two years into their romance as they navigate dating and watching people around them getting married and starting their lives. Their views on marriage and weddings is also brought to light as they attend other’s and eventually plan their own wedding. The story had so much potential but it failed when it got to the end. The main conflict between Oliver and Luc was the rainbow arch debate. This debate wasn’t just brought up once or twice, it became a constant throughout the book. My problem I had with this was that the argument was already brought up in the first book and I thought it was settled. I got tired of hearing it, with Luc thinking Oliver was some kind of homophobe because he felt uncomfortable with expressing his identity that way. The other problem I had was I felt that the weddings in the book shouldn’t have been there. Why did we need to feature Mile’s wedding? The horrible ex boyfriend who treated Luc like crap!? If this book cut out two of the three weddings it would have worked so much better in my opinion. The only part of the book I thought worked was the funeral, I felt that finally got Oliver to face his family and express how he truly felt about how they treated him. I wish we got more of that instead of what we got. The ending didn’t work for me as well, it felt so rushed and could have been avoided if better communication occurred.
The characters were what really took me out of the book, the growth felt like it wasn’t there. Luc still felt like he was the self conscious and selfish guy he was in the first one. He was constantly cancelling on plans he had with Oliver, making mistakes and instead of apologizing he would say he was a bad person and Oliver would forgive him, and he had the nerve to get mad at Oliver for telling him he didn’t want to get married when he had the same thoughts the night before. We did get some parts of this book that began to show that he was capable of changing and becoming better but then it went back to showing him with low self esteem. Oliver, for about fifty percent of the book wasn’t even there. In a book about Luc and Oliver. When he was there I felt like they didn’t use him to his full potential and he felt sidelined along with Luc. There were also too many side characters and too much focus on them as opposed to Luc and Oliver.
The world felt like a pleasant view into London and England in general. This part of the story I did enjoy because we got to see different parts of England, from the lovely countryside to the bustling city. I wished we did get more places though instead of just a couple places in the country and most of the story taking place in the city.
Themes of weddings and the importance of marriage in our society were a main focus in Husband Material. I did like that they talked about societies expectations of marriage and how people feel forced to get married when that is something they don’t want right now or ever. It also explored how gay marriage is impacted by straight marriage with people expecting certain things for one or the other. The pressure of being a certain way and doing certain things was also present. It also explored how certain LGBT people like to express their identity while others like it another way which can go against others beliefs. Family trauma and letting go when the person that caused you pain is also brought up through Oliver losing his father and facing his family.
I was honestly disappointed by this book as I was expecting a great sequel from a great first novel. I feel like if certain things were changed that this book could have worked better. I hope that the third book in the London Calling series will be much better and bring back the loving relationship of Oliver and Luc that we all know and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Sexual content
mjwhitlock18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
thebookpaiges's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Cursing, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Vomit