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elementarymydear 's review for:
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:
Complicated
It is no secret that I have been HIGHLY anticipating this book. I absolutely loved Boyfriend Material, and I was so excited for a sequel!
Firstly, let’s talk characters. Obviously Luc and Oliver, the main couple, are brilliant characters we know and love. They both have their own baggage but they’re working on it, and I loved how this new book delved into Oliver’s world a little bit more, as he had a LOT to deal with in this book. It’s a romance, so of course this book ends with a HFN (thank you Alexis Hall because I could not emotionally deal with a cliff-hanger ending) and massive kudos to Hall for landing that so brilliantly. Everything across the whole book leads up to it so perfectly and it was the HFN both of them deserve.
📚Read this and more reviews on my blog!📚
London Calling wouldn’t be London Calling without the cast of side characters. I love them all and would protect them all with my life. (Except Miles). Even Barbara Clench got sympathy out of me in this one, I was dying with laughter at her and Luc’s email exchanges! Rhys has found his true calling as an influencer, Alex continues to be ridiculous, Bridget continues to, well, Bridget, the James Royce-Royces are glorious as ever and Priya continues to be an icon. Odile has taken up Moomin jigsaws – of course she has – and Judy and the spaniels are still going strong. What more can I say?
I was very (and pleasantly) surprised to find that one of the strong themes throughout the book was that of equality and assimilation for the LGBTQ+ community. A lot of this is tied in with Oliver working through some (read: a lot of) stuff, but it’s so rare to see any book, let alone an otherwise traditional contemporary romance, deal with this theme. I thought it was done brilliantly. It would have been tempting to just have a sequel because Boyfriend Material was popular and they’re fun characters that we want more of (which is all true), but this gave Husband Material a purpose all of its own.
I listened to the audiobook of both books and honestly, what brilliant narration from Joe Jameson. It’s the gold standard for narration and he is the perfect Luc – and the perfect everyone else. (Is there any accent that man can’t do?)
So all in all? I loved this book. It was the perfect sequel in many unexpected ways. And I can’t wait for even more!
Firstly, let’s talk characters. Obviously Luc and Oliver, the main couple, are brilliant characters we know and love. They both have their own baggage but they’re working on it, and I loved how this new book delved into Oliver’s world a little bit more, as he had a LOT to deal with in this book. It’s a romance, so of course this book ends with a HFN (thank you Alexis Hall because I could not emotionally deal with a cliff-hanger ending) and massive kudos to Hall for landing that so brilliantly. Everything across the whole book leads up to it so perfectly and it was the HFN both of them deserve.
📚Read this and more reviews on my blog!📚
London Calling wouldn’t be London Calling without the cast of side characters. I love them all and would protect them all with my life. (Except Miles). Even Barbara Clench got sympathy out of me in this one, I was dying with laughter at her and Luc’s email exchanges! Rhys has found his true calling as an influencer, Alex continues to be ridiculous, Bridget continues to, well, Bridget, the James Royce-Royces are glorious as ever and Priya continues to be an icon. Odile has taken up Moomin jigsaws – of course she has – and Judy and the spaniels are still going strong. What more can I say?
I was very (and pleasantly) surprised to find that one of the strong themes throughout the book was that of equality and assimilation for the LGBTQ+ community. A lot of this is tied in with Oliver working through some (read: a lot of) stuff, but it’s so rare to see any book, let alone an otherwise traditional contemporary romance, deal with this theme. I thought it was done brilliantly. It would have been tempting to just have a sequel because Boyfriend Material was popular and they’re fun characters that we want more of (which is all true), but this gave Husband Material a purpose all of its own.
I listened to the audiobook of both books and honestly, what brilliant narration from Joe Jameson. It’s the gold standard for narration and he is the perfect Luc – and the perfect everyone else. (Is there any accent that man can’t do?)
So all in all? I loved this book. It was the perfect sequel in many unexpected ways. And I can’t wait for even more!