Scan barcode
A review by poisonenvy
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
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
4.5
On a sick day a few months ago, I decided that I wanted something light and breezy to read, and so I picked up Boyfriend Material from my shelf, and it was exactly the kind of cheesy romcom that I wanted to read while I was suffering an afternoon away on my couch.
And so, when I drew "A Story with Romance In It" from my deck of "What to Read Next" cards, I decided that I'd go ahead and finish the series (except not really, since Father Material is apparently coming out sometime soon).
From about the half-way point, I decided that I probably liked Husband Material more than I did Boyfriend Material, which I wasn't really expecting. I had figured it would be a 4* read. I was not expecting the ending to rocket my rating up to... well, not quite a 5* read, but pretty close.
We are, once again, in Luc's head as he navigates his relationship with Oliver. Two years have passed since the end of Boyfriend Material. The book opens at Bridgette's Hen Party, since she and Tom are getting married! And at this party, Luc runs into his ex, Miles (who played a huge part in the last book, despite the fact that he never made an appearance), who later invites Luc to his wedding.
Weddings are in the air, it seems. Including Luc and Oliver's.
One of the central themes of this book, though, is about identity and community. Specifically, it's about queer identity and community, though it does explore those concepts a little in a broader context. It's about expectations. And I think I really fell for this book about 2/3rds in, when it started talking about establishmentarianism.
It, in fact, addresses a few societal concerns, though a lot of them aren't examined in especial depth, though I don't think the book necessarily needs to examine all of them deeply.
A lot of this novel felt episodic, which I suppose is, in part, a side-effect of the fact that it takes place over nearly a year, dropping in every few months for certain scenes or events.
The characters feel a little more human this time around -- one of my, I guess, 'complaints' about Boyfriend Material was that almost everyone felt like a caricature, though it's kind of what I expect from a cheesy romcom so that wasn't a huge complaint. But they <i>are</i> more fleshed out in Husband Material, and I appreciated that.
And man. That ending. That ending was ev. er. y. thing.
And so, when I drew "A Story with Romance In It" from my deck of "What to Read Next" cards, I decided that I'd go ahead and finish the series (except not really, since Father Material is apparently coming out sometime soon).
From about the half-way point, I decided that I probably liked Husband Material more than I did Boyfriend Material, which I wasn't really expecting. I had figured it would be a 4* read. I was not expecting the ending to rocket my rating up to... well, not quite a 5* read, but pretty close.
We are, once again, in Luc's head as he navigates his relationship with Oliver. Two years have passed since the end of Boyfriend Material. The book opens at Bridgette's Hen Party, since she and Tom are getting married! And at this party, Luc runs into his ex, Miles (who played a huge part in the last book, despite the fact that he never made an appearance), who later invites Luc to his wedding.
Weddings are in the air, it seems. Including Luc and Oliver's.
One of the central themes of this book, though, is about identity and community. Specifically, it's about queer identity and community, though it does explore those concepts a little in a broader context. It's about expectations. And I think I really fell for this book about 2/3rds in, when it started talking about establishmentarianism.
It, in fact, addresses a few societal concerns, though a lot of them aren't examined in especial depth, though I don't think the book necessarily needs to examine all of them deeply.
A lot of this novel felt episodic, which I suppose is, in part, a side-effect of the fact that it takes place over nearly a year, dropping in every few months for certain scenes or events.
The characters feel a little more human this time around -- one of my, I guess, 'complaints' about Boyfriend Material was that almost everyone felt like a caricature, though it's kind of what I expect from a cheesy romcom so that wasn't a huge complaint. But they <i>are</i> more fleshed out in Husband Material, and I appreciated that.
And man. That ending. That ending was ev. er. y. thing.