...the reason I'd needed to date someone like him to begin with was that I’d needed to distance myself from the parts of queer culture that looked bad to a certain kind of rich straight person. And while I’d come to realise that Oliver was more than a respectable job and a wholesome jumper, it still weirded me out that he found so little value in what I’d always instinctively thought was our community. [p. 140]
This is a surprisingly difficult book for me to review: I enjoyed it a great deal, but discovered something about myself while reading, which is that I don't especially like 'staying together' romance. Or, perhaps, that I don't find it as relatable as 'getting together' romance. This tells you more about me than about Husband Material, though: the latter is a sequel to the adorable Boyfriend Material (in which embittered Luc finds true love with straightlaced Oliver), and begins two years later. Alexis Hall has echoed the structure of a well-known romantic comedy (can you guess which one?) in this tale of multiple weddings -- some heterosexual, some not -- and an unexpected death. Luc is nearly (gasp) thirty years old, and all his friends are settling down, with more or less drama. (Bridget, naturally, experiences more drama than anyone. But she works in publishing -- we get more fleetingly-mentioned anecdotes, each of which'd make a splendid story in its own right -- and should be accustomed to improbable coincidences by now.) Luc is blissfully happy with Oliver, and he thinks it's mutual: but the two are very different, with Luc embracing queer culture and Oliver preferring podcasts and straight friends, alienated by flamboyance and rainbow balloon arches. They're both gay men, and they've both grown up in the UK, with marriage (not to mention giving blood) having been an impossible dream for most of their lives: but do they have enough in common to make a commitment?
This was such an entertaining read, with very much the same cast as the first novel (plus the intriguing Tyler, who's apparently going to get a novel of their own) and entirely credible developments in the lives of each. There are also new characters, and new locations (outside London, OMG), and very definitely new developments. The final chapters put a big smile on my face (as did the scene where Luc, about to give a speech, realises that fountain-pen ink and sweat don't mix too well. I feel your pain, Luc).
Frivolous and funny but also insightful, this novel doesn't flinch from the difficult moments -- a couple of which brought tears to my eyes -- and is very much in favour of emotional honesty, as well as surprising sweetness. My sourness is my own!
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