#father material

[moefling]

Headcannon that post Father Material Luc and Oliver continue to foster/ adopt teens and preteens so they get pretty used to teen angst. So when all their friends kids start getting to that age they all turn to them and Luc and Oliver are all like "ya I remember when Jaz took the car for the first time..."

And then their house gets to be the safe house for all the kids that need space from their parents. And their friends are jealous that they are the "cool uncles" but they also like knowing that if their kids "run away" they will just end up at Luc and Oliver's

[hussyknee]

I loved Boyfriend Material and Husband Material and never got why people found Luc annoying, but I'm really not feeling Father Material. Alexis Hall is trying way too hard to be funny and he's doing that thing where he gets all his secondary characters to villainize the main one for things that aren't his fault that made me DNF Something Fabulous. And Luc is somehow even more mired in negative self-talk than he was in book one. At some point you just want a character sent to therapy and his ADHD diagnosed. And also get him a new friend circle because this one sucks.

[cursedkoolaid]

"Life is very nice," Mum said, "when you let it be."

(Alexis Hall Father Material)

[wearethekat]

June Book Reviews: Father Material by Alexis Hall

Book three of a romance trilogy, and one of my anticipated new releases for this year. In Father Material, queer couple Luc and Oliver are now in their thirties and eyeing the culturally expected milestones. Will adopting a small dog prepare them for the rigors of foster parenthood?

Hall has such an excellent touch with writing anxious characters that he should seriously consider writing psychological horror. Accordingly, the first bit of the book was harrowing as Luc displaced his fear about being a parent onto the concept of Getting a Dog. It's like Lovecraftian horror except featuring the abyssal terror of Failing as a Caretaker. I was not especially sold on the small dog part (I am not endeared by small dogs), but I thought the actual kid parts of the story were well done. I liked Jaz, and I think Hall does a credible job depicting a teen having a hard time without dipping into the saccharine. Surprisingly, it was meticulous Oliver who had the most issues with parenting, and I think Hall overshot a bit. I see how we're reflecting Oliver's parental trauma, but I think the way he treats Jaz crosses over into cruelty, and I wish we saw him apologize to her at least once. Meanwhile, Luc's extremely postmodern job shines as always. The series is at its funniest when reflecting on the total absurdity of Luc's coworkers at the beetle charity.

Ultimately, I think there's a reason that most romance novels are either standalones or switch to a new couple in each book in the series. Boyfriend Material was complete in and of itself, and I don't think any of the sequels are exactly necessary. Still, Hall has a charming touch, and I look forward to reading more of his modern romances, even if Luc and Oliver have more than earned their retirement.

[moefling]

I mean definitely should not have called her at 3am but also like wtf was supposed to do once she picked up? Like she was pretty set on going to the bridge...AND she knew she was in labor and what that meant....

Idk i get that this is a bad situation that could have been WAY worse but like I don't think it's 100% Luc's fault? Sure bad call but Bridget was calling a taxi what was he supposed to other than what he did, which was tell her no and then also get one when she hung up? ( ok I mean probably he should have called Tom and let him deal with it....)

[moefling]

Finally getting to read Father Material by Alexis Hall! (I know im late but but I forgot it was coming out so I didnt start my reread until I had actually gotten FM so...)

[monomatica]

REVIEW : Father Material by Alexis Hall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

An extremely funny book that had me giggling the whole time, with a cute dog named Spud and a foster kid that creates real-life (and hilarious) challenges for Luc & Olivers' long-term partnership. It's emotional and lovely and they actually talk stuff out and it's so relatable and wonderful to see. Overall I loved it and thought it was a fantastic ending for Luc & Oliver. 🖤

Luc starts off super neurotic in this one. Sometimes funny, sometimes insufferable, but it's fun watching him get his sh*t together and become wiser. Oliver is as Oliver as ever, which is The Best. It was great to check in with all the friends and I especially loved the CRAPPstonbury storyline (yes that is an actual thing!) which shows Luc at his finest.

I don't want to spoil anything major, but a lot happens! This book is inspired by ABOUT A BOY, the 90s Richard Curtis / Hugh Grant movie, and if you've seen that you'll recognize the fostering storyline and wisecracking kid. A hallmark of Alexis Hall books is a Disaster Dinner Party® at about 80% and this one felt very earned. Luc is a panic, but also gets it. Oliver is stern, but also a force for good. There's an older character who is a posh git and foil for Luc. And the euphemisms throughout the book are so so funny.

I mainly listened to the audiobook since there's nothing more soothing than Joe Jameson's incredible voice reading a Luc & Oliver story to you. Not only does he have dialect, class and gender range, he can also do any age which really shows up in this performance. He is an incredible talent and I highly recommend listening to this series. He honestly deserves to win an Oscar.

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[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

🏳️‍🌈 BOOK REVIEW 🏳️‍🌈

Father Material by Alexis Hall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[instagram]

This book 😭 this series 😭

I am so emotional. I absolutely loved the direction this book went. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but it was just perfect to me. I loved all the complications that arose, the unexpected role reversal, the things both Luc and Oliver had to face about themselves all these years later.

I loved Jaz a lot. She was such a wonderful addition to this universe. As was Spud.

I loved that every single side character got growth and page time and were a part of things while acknowledging that growing up and building separate lives means you’re not there for everything anymore.

So anyway yeah I’m in a puddle of my feels and this is a barely coherent mess of a review.