Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Hello friends! It is finally June, and I am so excited to share with you my first LGBTQ novel of Pride Month, Father Material by Alexis Hall. This is, of course, from the folks at NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. Father Material is currently in bookstores and is part 3 of Luc and Oliver’s story that started in Boyfriend Material. This is definitely not a standalone book. If you missed the previous books, you will want to pick them up to fully understand this novel, which comes nearly 4 years after Husband Material was released.

By now, you should know all about proper Oliver and the lovable mess that is Luc, who I just adore! Luc is so relatable and human that it is easy to find things to love about him. The novel starts out with Luc freaking out about their next step in their relationship, getting a puppy. He meets his very pregnant best friend Bridgette at 4am on a bridge where she goes into labor. After getting her to the hospital, it is now puppy adoption day. Their puppy Spud is so adorable, and he kind of looks like a potato. If you have ever had a puppy, you know those early days of crying in a kennel and needing to go out almost every 15 minutes. Oliver has read all the books and takes puppy parenting very seriously, and Luc is, well, the opposite. He thinks the crying in a kennel in another room part and the poop biography part are a bit much, but goes along with it.

Later, Oliver, Luc, and Spud decide to take on raising a child, and after discussing the ways that can happen for two gay men, they decide to foster. Then enters 14-year-old Jas, who was taken from her mother and shows up in handcuffs with her stuff in a trash bag. Here is where the story really starts to take shape, and I will not spoil it for you. I will say that while there are so many new things happening in this story for this family, you will still see that no, Luc and Oliver are not married, Luc still works for CRAPP and still needs money, his co-worker Alex still does not understand Luc’s jokes about cheese, the Royce-Royces are still those parents who think their kid is the best, and Priya continues to be brash and still part of the throuple. So while a lot of things have changed, a lot has remained the same.

Now when it comes to which edition you should pick, I highly recommend the audiobook. Joe Jameson is back, and as always, his narration of the whole clan is spot on. Oliver comes across as his uptight self, and he really brings Luc to life, showing off the vulnerability and humanity of the role. With so many different characters, it is amazing to have a single narrator with such a range. He is phenomenal.

So my friends, pick this one up now from your favorite bookseller! Until next time, Happy Pride and I hope your next book is a 5 star read.