Husband Material is the much-anticipated sequel to Hall’s Boyfriend Material, in which Luc and Oliver met and pretended to fall in love only to end up falling in love for real. Now finally together and trying to make it work, it seems like everyone around them is two steps ahead and getting married. With each new wedding, Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose to Oliver. But it’s going to take a bit more than going to your ex’s wedding—or your best friend’s—before Luc will go from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.
I rarely say this with confidence but I think I can do it in this case: whether you will enjoy Husband Material or not will entirely depend on what you expect from the novel going in. Truth be told, it’s been two months since I’ve read this book and I’m still on the fence about my feelings. But here goes nothing. A friend of mine said that this story reads more like a collection of short stories and I can wholeheartedly agree. If you don’t think of this as a continuation but rather glimpses into Luc and Oliver’s individual growth and the latter ‘short stories’ addressing their relationship, then chances are you’re going to love this just as much as Boyfriend Material, if not more.
However, I did not go into this book with that mindset and thus, what left me feeling a bit disappointed was the lack of Oliver and Luc content in a book that is literally supposed to be about them. It takes until almost 60% into the book before there is a truly intimate moment between the two of them (and get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about that here), where they talk to each other and communicate about something beyond the antics of their peers or household chores and the likes. Maybe that was the intention, to show that relationships are about the day-to-day things more so than the bond underlying it all but I guess it left me wanting more. That’s not at all to say that Husband Material isn’t a fantastic book, though, because it absolutely is—again, it all comes back to expectations.
Husband Material has all the amazing elements we’ve come to love about Boyfriend Material. Luc being his chaotic self, Oliver being the voice of reason – but both somewhat matured and more secure in themselves— Luc’s family and work colleagues being an absolute riot at every turn and drama-filled moments such as deciding whether to go to the wedding of the ex who literally sold you out to the press and is now kinda-sorta-but-not-really trying to make amends for it by inviting you to his wedding. But we also get another layer of depth as Luc and Oliver realise (even more so than in the first book) that they’re very different when it comes to their queer identity and how secure they are in it—what might make one of them feel as part of the queer community isolates the other and vice versa, in part influenced by the different ways in which they grew up. It’s a multifaceted discussion that arises time and again in this book and even though I didn’t expect it from the novel, it turned out to be one of my favourite explorations of what it means to be queer that I’ve seen to date.
Now, for spoiler’s sake I can’t tell you what happens in the latter part of the book but I can tell you that there is an unexpected event that makes everything feel incredibly real to Luc and Oliver and it’s with this storyline that I absolutely fell in love with Husband Material. Here, you finally, finally get to see Hall’s prose shine as Luc and Oliver grapple with decisions, familial expectations and loss, as they try to reconcile their differing opinions and grow as individuals and together, learning to deal with life’s many obstacles and emerging stronger by holding on to each other instead of tearing the other apart. I loved how realistic the depiction of being in a long-term relationship was: the ups and downs, the good days and the bad ones, the messy times you say things you shouldn’t and the perfect ones that show that the moments that makes life great are often those you wouldn’t think of ever happening. I just wish that we would have had more of this kind of connection and realness of what love looks like and the utter relatability for the entirety of the novel instead of having to wait for over half of the book since this was—presumably—supposed to be about that all along. But that might just be me, so take this with a grain of salt.
The ending of Husband Material is, quite like its predecessor somewhat open-ended. You get a hint of what’s coming but if you wanted more resolution than Boyfriend Material had, you…might not get it. Things are left somewhat resolved and I’m curious to see whether Hall will once again return to Luc and Oliver or if this open ending was intended to leave readers free to imagine what they want for these two lovable and unforgettable characters. All in all, it was a treat to have spent 400 more pages with these kooky people and I for one am sure going to miss everybody (except for Luc’s dad. He can choke).
Infused with Hall’s trademark humour, Husband Material is a delightful, hilarious reunion with Luc and Oliver, their absurd friends and family and an exploration of love and its many obstacles. Balancing the uproarious with the devastating aspects of life, this slice-of-life sequel will soothe everyone in the knowledge that we’re all just pretending to be competent adults and are not alone in making things up as they come along.
Husband Material is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 2nd 2022.
Will you be picking up Husband Material? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Wanted:
One (very real) husband
Nowhere near perfect but desperately trying his best
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. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. 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.
Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL.
This Summer 2022, you’re invited to the event(s) of the season.
