Husband Material by Alexis Hall

“Very gently I kissed him. Not a hello-you kiss or a do-me-now kiss. But the sort of kiss that speaks for you. A kiss to draw us together. To show I was there. To promise I always would be, if he’d let me.”


Husband Material satisfies an itch I do not always get to scratch in adult Rom Com’s which is what about what happens after? 

I must confess as much as I enjoy romance novels (cis-normative heterosexual or LGBTQ+ or anything in between, makes no difference to me, speaking for myself) I am often dissatisfied with the person meets person, and they come together in one shape, form or another and then there are 2-3 pages left to let me know how it works out. The end. I mean to say I LOVE it, devour it, up until the end and then, sigh…. It generally makes me wonder, what happens next?


In most books the closest I come to satisfaction is the happy couple are some background characters in someone else’s story and I see they are still together. But this time, we are back with Oliver and Luc themselves and it is fantastic.


I always try to say this - and feel I cannot say it enough - but thank you to Alexis Hall for writing this. I know you didn’t write it for me, per se, you don’t know me….but thank you just the same. 


As someone who struggles to write a comprehensive yet concise and understandable patient note for my patient’s medical records, I cannot imagine what goes into writing an entire book. Which is why I would never give a book less than 3 stars. Because damn.


But I have to say this gave me everything I was looking for. The unexpected even.  ALMOST SPOILERS AHEAD ****

Up until the end I was on the edge, will they? Won’t they? Have they come this far to….move on? I could not believe it. I have to reread the end because I was speed reading to see if my heart would be broken along with theirs. 

I also loved the growing away from society’s expectations. The boredom with other peoples baby pictures and all that. And watching them find what was right for them - each for a different reason - for me added a new depth to this couple’s story. It was really beautiful how it all worked out in their own fashion and way.  And the rainbow of umbrellas - nice touch.


Lastly I have to say I love stories where the characters are as insecure and screwed up as I am. Luc’s mind and reactions to Oliver’s reactions and actions are so relatable to someone with imposter syndrome. Speaking for myself anyway.  I am going to re-read this again at least 3 times. 


In a perfect would I would love a story from Oliver’s perspective too. But I can make do with my own imagination if not meant to be. 


Still smiling thinking about this story and how much I enjoyed the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

Image
  OK, first of all what I liked: I appreciated the characters and their depth, including the villains—with a few exceptions most of the characters were very multifaceted. The story itself was super engaging and a real page-turner.   What I didn’t like:    some parts seemed underdeveloped and rushed, particularly transitions in relationships. Also, unless I was missing some deeper nuances, it seemed a missed opportunity to pull in the themes of some of the banned books into the storyline.  Overall, I really liked the story—it was intriguing. I just wish some parts of it were fleshed out more. And that there was more of a point to the banned books component of the story other than to illustrate the main    female character’s strength and personality. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and MIRA for the opportunity to review this ARC. I was given this ARC free of charge, but the review opinions I express here are my own. ⏰ I read it in a few days 🌶️intimate but not over the top  🏷️ trigg
Read more

On The Plus Side By Jenny L Howe

Image
I loved this book.  Everly is our hero in this story of a young woman set to be featured in a reality TV makeover show geared toward plus-sized participants. Prior to this, she has been trying to hide herself for so long that she has procrastinated    pursuing any of her dreams.  As her story unfolds she begins to face challenges - some from unexpected places - as her character grows and changes. This was funny and entertaining but also a really worthwhile read. Initially, I expected the plot to be fairly straightforward, but there are some surprising twists and turns afterall. What I liked most about this story was the development of Everly‘s gumption.    I laughed, I gasped and cried my way through this book.  This is another book that I’m reading this year that features a female main character who becomes her own hero and really rescues herself. As far as the intimacy level, it was more implied than explicit, which is fine and left plenty to the imagination.  As always, when reading
Read more

Midnight Magic by Savannah Lee

Image
  Another page-turner from Savannah Lee - I could not put this book down. It helped that I was anticipating book two in the Clover Pack Series since the moment I finished Midnight Mated.   Book two finds half-ling (shifter-fae) Rowan learning more about herself and her past - and becoming more powerful in the process. No spoilers here but if you are back to find out if the romance between Rowan and the brooding shifter Callan is going to progress - you will not be disappointed. The story delves more deeply into the faerie realm and there are more character introductions along the way. It was fast paced with in-depth world building while keeping the action moving on the conflict between Rowan and her enemies.  The book was entertaining, spicy, and I definitely recommend it and the series. I particularly appreciate a fantasy romance that is not so complicated with overblown world building that I cannot keep track of who is who. It is just the right balance of telling the story of this re
Read more