Alexis Hall has written longer books of late, and it either works or it doesn’t.
If there are some issues, it’s in the length and pacing. Seeing Oliver being able to unpack his complex emotions about his father’s passing, and being able to articulate that he was not a great person was cathartic to read. Oliver’s complex relationship with his father hit me particularly hard, especially as it felt like there were some (likely unintentional) parallels with discourse around Jennette McCurdy’s recent memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. I also love how the narrative shows them confronting real issues, not just in their relationship with each other, but in their other interpersonal relationships. Luc and Oliver, and their relationship, are beautiful and lovable, even as they deal with the complications and questions around “what’s next for us?” And the way it ultimately ties into queerness and how they define what happiness and love mean to them…super sweet! I truly love the characters, and they’re what kept me invested. And while I don’t think that Husband Material is a perfect (or even necessary) sequel, I enjoy it for what it is and what it attempts to do, especially in terms of exploring the nuances of what an HEA really means. It’s so uncommon to see this in romance, because of the need to focus on conflict, and the fear of messing up the happy ending. I was excited when I heard Alexis Hall was writing a direct sequel to Boyfriend Material and following Luc and Oliver on their journey (or not?) to the altar. Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from “I don’t know what I’m doing” to “I do”. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose.
In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work.
Nowhere near perfect but desperately trying his best Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2022.
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