{"id":20577,"date":"2022-08-15T19:45:51","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T23:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=20577"},"modified":"2026-05-08T20:38:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T00:38:31","slug":"husband-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/20577","title":{"rendered":"Husband Material"},"content":{"rendered":"

Husband Material<\/em><\/a> (2022) Alexis Hall<\/a> (London Calling)<\/p>\n

\"Husband<\/a>Although the characters are the same, this is a very different book from Boyfriend Material<\/a><\/em>. Which I utterly adored.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean this book wasn’t excellent, just that you need to go into it with different expectations.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, Alexis Hall said he wanted to write a gay Four Weddings and a Funeral<\/em>. So it’s not a romance, in that the couple were already together, but there is a HEA (in case you were worried). But knowing the overall plot of the movie will give you an idea of where he is going with the story.<\/p>\n

Which is perfectly fine.<\/p>\n

The … theme? I’m not sure that’s the correct term, but it’s closest I have right now, is how much Luc and Oliver and changed in the intervening two years.<\/p>\n

Primarily that they think and talk about try to rein themselves in when their thoughts go to the worst possible place.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if knowing it\u2019ll make him feel better makes me feel worse?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThen maybe you need to revisit the does-he-have-power-over-you question.\u201d <\/p>\n

Oh. Right<\/em>. My shoulders drooped. I was supposed to be\u2026 not like this anymore. \u201cWhy do people keep having power over me?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think that’s one of the things I loved most. How one of the two would start to put themselves in a bad place, and then (try at least to) stop themselves.<\/p>\n

I miss you, I sent. <\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t get anything back, which I knew rationally meant Oliver was in court, but which I felt emotionally meant I\u2019d destroyed my relationship by being insufficiently committed to Pretty Woman<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That’s the thing about anxiety and insecurity and all that. It doesn’t go away, you just learn tools for dealing with it. And I really love how we see Luc (and Oliver) starting to spiral, and then catching themselves. Eventually.<\/p>\n

Oliver took a deep breath. \u201cYou are not that kind of person. You just worry you might be every time somebody likes you.\u201d That was at once reassuring and embarrassing. <\/p>\n

\u201cStop knowing me,\u201d I whined.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Also, we get to see Oliver’s issues and how he is dealing with them.<\/p>\n

(H)e\u2019d got to the point where he was no longer obsessively going to the gym every day and treating food like the enemy, but worrying less about his body ninety percent of the time had made him more self-conscious the other ten percent.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Plus, it’s romantic in a very Oliver & Luc way.<\/p>\n

\u201cOliver. It\u2019s not your job to make being with you convenient for me. Just like it\u2019s not my job to make being with me convenient for you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The only weak spot for me was the ending. I mean, being familiar with Four Weddings and a Funeral, I knew how it was supposed to end. But it was difficult to see both Luc and Oliver get so completely wrapped around their own heads.<\/p>\n

All in all, it was good, and I loved it–but I don’t think I love it quite as much as the first book.<\/p>\n

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca<\/p>\n

Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Husband Material (2022) Alexis Hall (London Calling) Although the characters are the same, this is a very different book from Boyfriend Material. Which I utterly adored. That doesn’t mean this book wasn’t excellent, just that you need to go into it with different expectations. First and foremost, Alexis Hall said he wanted to write a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12,30,292,204,207,148,26],"tags":[227,210,211,208,213,544],"class_list":["post-20577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-10","category-british","category-ebook","category-good","category-mental-health-rep","category-queer","category-romance","tag-alexis-hall","tag-anxiety","tag-depression","tag-eating-disorder","tag-grief","tag-mm"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-5lT","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14138,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/14138","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":0},"title":"Waiting for the Flood","author":"Michelle","date":"March 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Waiting for the Flood (2018) Alexis Hall (Spires) If you've read Alexis Hall, you may think you know what to expect from this story. Chances are you are completely wrong. It has been two years since Marius decided he was no longer in love with Edwin, and moved out of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Waiting for the Flood","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Waiting-for-the-Flood.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20913,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/20913","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":1},"title":"Waiting for the Flood, Audio Edition","author":"Michelle","date":"October 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Waiting for the Flood, Audio Edition (2016) Alexis Hall narrated by Alexander Doddy (Spires) This is one of my favorite Alexis Hall stories. I primarily listen to Fantasy and Mystery, but thought I'd see how I felt about this. I still love the story, but I think romance isn't a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21489,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/21489","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":2},"title":"There Will Be Phlogiston","author":"Michelle","date":"January 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"There Will Be Phlogiston (2014) Alexis Hall (Prosperity) Anstruther Jones is the Phlogiston Baron. Wealth beyond imagine from ignominious beginnings, he wants to be accepted not because he admires society, but because he wants to find companionship. Lady Rosamond Wolfram is on the marriage mart because it is expected of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"There Will Be Phlogiston","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/There-Will-Be-Phlogiston.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23573,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/23573","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":3},"title":"Waiting for the Flood","author":"Michelle","date":"May 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Waiting for the Flood (2015\/2024) Alexis Hall (Spires) This is both a reissue and a revision, with Marius' story--Chasing the Light--added, along with bonus material and an epilogue short story. I wanted (and this is straying perilously close to analysing my own work so please take this with a mine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Waiting for the Flood","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Waiting-for-the-Flood.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Waiting-for-the-Flood.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Waiting-for-the-Flood.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Waiting-for-the-Flood.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24075,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/24075","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":4},"title":"Confounding Oaths","author":"Michelle","date":"November 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Confounding Oaths (2024) Alexis Hall (Mortal Follies #2) Set in England in 1815. Mr. John Caesar wants his sisters' coming outs to go well, so they can make good matches and be taken care of. But it won't be easy, because they aren't quite like the rest of society. Alexis\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Confounding Oaths","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Confounding-Oaths.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Confounding-Oaths.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Confounding-Oaths.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13604,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/13604","url_meta":{"origin":20577,"position":5},"title":"Boyfriend Material","author":"Michelle","date":"November 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Boyfriend Material (2020) Alexis Hall I don't care that I just read this. I managed to hold off before re-reading, and then tore through it, no better able to put it down in a second read than it was on the first read. In fact, I'm lucky I didn't just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Boyfriend Material","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Boyfriend-Material.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20577\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}