Father Material

London Calling #3

by Alexis Hall

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...what was that, exactly?

Luc and Oliver have been through it all: fake dating to save Luc's career, I-guess-this-is-actually-for-real dating when all of that blew up spectacularly, (briefly) breaking up over irreconcilable differences, (definitively) getting back together over perfectly reconcilable everything else, (almost) getting married, (finally) moving in together, and ultimately celebrating years of perfect domestic bliss.

But as all their very grown-up-now friends begin reaching new life milestones, advancing careers and having babies, Luc and Oliver decide it's time to open their hearts and lives to something new: a tiny, squirming, adorable bundle of furry joy named Spud.

And maybe now that hearts-and-lives are already open, there's room for someone else. Something more. Something that may require them to find in themselves a little father material.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult, M M Romance

512 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

One of those intricate British queers.

Please note: I don’t read / reply to DMs. If you would like to get in touch, the best way is via email which you can find in the contact section on my website <3

Reviews

[Missa]

Unsure if I'll read this one. Husband Material left me so disappointed I actually started crying and I've never had that happen with a book before in my life.

Judging by how Husband Material ended I assume they'll decide to not have a baby while standing in the adoption centre or while the surrogate mother is giving birth or whatever and go home at the last minute.

I'll check spoilers when this book comes out but after HM I strongly suspect I won't be reading this one, which is a shame since BM was one of my most loved books ever.

[Maisha Farzana]

Please tell me it's a direct sequel of "Husband Material". Luc and Oliver needs a better hea...Even better if they're thinking about 'expanding' the family...😏

[Uly]

I just finished Husband Material (after reading Boyfriend Material over the weekend), and I am excited about Father Material...although trying to cage the excitement a wee bit given it's 2 years away!! Can't wait to catch up with Lucien and Oliver again. They are by far my favourite romance novel couple..and that's saying a lot seen as I've been on somewhat of a binge lately!

[Denise Smith]

After the terrible ending of Husband Material I am going to assume that these two MCs don't actually become fathers. I'll read the reviews before I decide to read this book. I don't want to be set up for disappointment again.

[WlauBlauization]

I dunno. I'm more excited about the unannounced fourth book in the series: Grandfather Material.

[Caleigh Evans]

father material???? shut up, take my money rn

THIS COVER? gorgeous

⋅˚₊‧ ଳ ‧₊˚ ⋅

boyfriend material: ★★★★
husband material: ★★★★
ten things that never happened: -

[Donte]

im rather torn on this. for one thing, i want more luc and oliver. but for another, the reason i want more of them is because they were barely in HM in the first place. the book focused so heavily on everyone else, and weddings 2 and 3 really didnt have to happen. i wish they hadn’t happened. i wish we had spent any time at all with the actual supposed main characters together and talking and not just fighting. why was there so much fighting?

book one felt low stakes and like gradual growth. book two nearly gave me my own very real panic attack by the time luc and oliver were conversing in their first date restaurant and possibly breaking up. again? because they never have conversations in that book.

the thing with this third book. is that i dont want them to be fathers. i think akin to the major plotline in the second book, queer couples do not have to do everything “normal” couples do, and it would kind of be nice for them to simply exist as themselves instead of trying to fit into the same structures as everyone around them, because what works for one couple does not work for every couple, queer or not. but if that is the moral and point they end up at in this third book, which i guess is what id hope for but at the same time would find that to be exceptionally repetitive, then i want it discussed in more than 11 pages—which is the amount of screentime oliver and luc actually spent communicating their feelings about marriage, in one final chapter and half a page from “we’re not getting married” to the end of the book.

i don’t usually read reviews for books, but i’m just going to have to for this one. i hope with all my heart that this book can sort of right the bad taste HM left in my mouth considering how much i adore BM, but i currently only see the options being they adopt kids when neither of them really should be a parent, or they dont and its treated rather the same as the entire second book. fingers crossed that something here surprises me, because i quoted BM as one of my favorite books of all time for quite a while, and it pains me to say it but the sequel kind of ruined that for me. i hate jumping to spoiling the end, but it’s the only way i may be able to read this third installment, and i’m frankly more than a little sad about it

[Elys]

FATHER MATERIAL? FATHER? MATERIAL?

AS IN LUCIEN , OLIVER, BABY? FATHER MATERIAL? MaTerIal?

[~treat-yo-shelves~]

FATHER MATERIAL??? AS IN FATHER??? AS IN DAD???
...wake me up when its 2024

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

Alexis Hall had been writing for years before Boyfriend Material came out in 2020, but Luc and Oliver’s fake dating story was his breakout. Like most romance authors, Hall usually takes on a new couple in every book, but he continued Luc and Oliver’s comedic, emotionally rich story in 2022’s Husband Material and is now completing the trilogy with the highly anticipated Father Material. Many, many romance readers have connected with the growth and bumps of this particular relationship, so I know I’m not alone in being ready—in a bittersweet way—to see how Hall brings us a final HEA for this opposites-decidedly-attract couple. —Trisha Brown

[Rashi]

This is what exams do. This is a direct consequence of going off gr for a year and not reading books I enjoy. Never again. Never ever. Studying can take a backseat. Forever.

I haven't even read husband material yet and I'm realizing this exists!

[Sigrid A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been watching out for this book ever since Husband Material came out, and it did not disappoint. I was so glad to be back in the world of Luc, Oliver, Odile and Judy, and their excellent group of friends and obnoxious co-workers. In this installment, Luc and Oliver adopt a dog as a trial run at fatherhood before trying out fostering. Hall balances snark, self-deprecation, humor, and genuine emotion in a perfect way so that nothing ever feels too bleak, unserious, or sappy. I liked this installment a little more than Husband Material, and I'm very sad that this is likely to be the last in the series (or, at least, that's what I'm guessing). I highly recommend reading the whole series if you haven't already.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Joana]

please please please do not be one of those books that endorses surrogacy women's exploitation

new fear unlocked

Alexis Hall DON'T YOU DARE DISAPPOINT ME

[Muddy]

god. im not really sure i wanna read this one. Can we all just pretend the second book didnt happen and theyre both actually married? And didnt leave all their guests alone in their wedding venue? How are they gonna be fathers (i assume? by the book name but who knows) if they dont even wanna get married i just dont get it but whatever

[gabs]

STOP I CANT WIATE SKDHIENDIDN

[Dorian McIntush]

FUCKING EXCUSE ME DATHER MATERIAL>>???!!!?!?!!?! HHUUUUH

[Alicia]

I KNEW this would happen, I just knew there would be a third book and this would be the title. That was all I could think about while reading Husband Material, especially by the end. It just made so much sense that we would end up here, so I was SO sure, I JUST KNEW. Seeing the confirmation right here just makes me INSANELY happy! I can't have enough of Luc and Oliver.

[Chaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAASDHDHHEHDBDBEHSJSJEJ NEED ITTTT

[Apolinar Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is realy good

[Yackie]

ARC: edelweiss
Ill have a review up when ive had time to process the big feelings ive bad about this book—i also need time to separate my BFM feelings from this, as i believe they might be clouding my opinion.


The problem is, BFM should have been a stand alone. Well, thats one of the issues. The next is each book after BFM feels like the characters factory reset to pregrowth stage of their relationship and Father Material is no exception. Oliver does not behave like an Oliver who has been in therapy or a stable relationship for five years. Oliver, quite frankly, hardly behaves in a post Lucian way. Luc bangs on about how sweet and kind Oliver is, and i understand this book goes into aspects of how our parent effect our behaviors, but Oliver has been in therapy for years to not act like an absolute asshole, and yet he still does, to a dog, a child, and his boyfriend.
It feels like Hall couldnt imagine an Oliver who has grown so they had to put him back to asshole Oliver and that makes him feel both flat and mean. Some of the things he says in this book… i just cannot.

To be fully candid, i have read BFM more times than healthy (maybe 40?) its one of my favorite books and i am a chronic rereader, but i did not like Husband Material—i thought it was unnecessary and shallow—and i think this book was such a betrayal to the characters i wont be able to reread BFM again… im probably being dramatic but i really dont think so.
Anyway, ill be rereading 10 Things That Never Happened again and basking in the knowledge Hall has gone on record saying that there will never be a sequel.

I do not like star ratings, 2.5/5 ⭐️

[Eli Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am what you would call an Alexis Hall ‘stan.’ I will read anything they write, and I was so excited to get an ARC of the third London Calling book! Luc and Oliver are one of my favorite couples in romance books (and I read a lot of them), so I was excited to see what they got up to after their wedding-that-didn’t-happen.

Part of the appeal of Luc and Oliver is that they are so vastly different from one another. Luc is scattered, impulsive, has a hard time expressing his feelings (but tries to show them in other ways besides verbally) and doesn’t have a good sense of what he wants in life (although that has changed throughout the books, and he’s very happy with Oliver and their life). Oliver is steady and solid but has a lot of trauma from his oppressive father (and is also dealing with unresolved grief from his death). Somehow, despite all of this, they work well together as a couple - even when they decide to adopt a dog!

I loved Spud, and I totally loved watching Luc & Oliver develop a relationship with a new creature in their household! It was cute and fulfilling and yes, frustrating, because their definitely have different parenting/caregiving styles.

So why, why, WHYYYY did they decide to foster a teen?! After so much tension in the book over taking care of a dog, I was floored when they decided to get into fostering. A solid third of the book was just so frustrating and a slog to get through - I’m all for tension and upheaval in romance books, and I’m sure this is very realistic for couples who decide to do this, but the constant bickering/frustration/dismissal made the book SO hard to read. And yes, they eventually learned how to do things properly, and it was sweet, and we got the HFN, but I just didn’t feel like the fostering was 1) a good decision and 2) necessary to the plot. It’s so sad when a book you’re so excited to read just makes you feel … meh.

Regardless, I’m grateful that I got a copy of this book to review, and I still love Alexis Hall very much. I just feel disappointed by this book in particular.

Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Publishing June 2026.

[lulun]

realmente espero que, si se van a convertir en padres, el libro esté ambientado al menos 5 años después de husband material y los dos hayan solucionado toda su mierda y, por favor (!!!!!!), lleven a lucien con un psicólogo

[Tippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I can't even describe it. Luc and Oliver are the literal best couple and this was such a lovely addition to their story. I seriously could not stop laughing while reading. At this point you'd think I would know better than to read Alexis Hall books while at work because I always end up cackling like a loon. I know a lot of people hated the way Husband Material ended but I thought it was perfect for their characters and Father Material is a nearly flawless continuation of their relationship. They are not perfect people, they are both incredibly flawed, but they love each other so deeply and that is what makes them so amazing. Also, Tom is, and will probably always be, my favorite side character. He is still unapologetically bisexual and he's still not fucking here for your bi erasure. And I still need a prequel book of him dating Luc and then falling in love with Bridge, even just a short story would be fine, give me something. Anyway, this book, this series, is amazing and I'm looking forward to the spinoffs.

[Luis Johnson]

Pleaseeee let Joe Jameson do the audiobook! Is all I ask

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luc and Oliver have been a comfort couple for me for years—ever since Boyfriend Material came out. They are just wonderful together and seeing them happy makes me happy. I’ve come accustomed to absorbing their happiness and laughing along with them. Which is why it breaks my heart to say that Father Material did not do that for me.

Father Material features heavy topics such as abuse in the foster care system. The way a certain character is treated when we are first introduced to them is abhorrent. I hope with all my heart that this depiction is hyperbolized fiction, and not an actual occurrence happening in real life in the UK.

While I understand why Hall chose to highlight the foster care system, and teens within the foster care system, this wasn’t a happy story. Luc and Oliver were constantly at odds with one another on how to parent, and I genuinely was worried they were going to break up at one point. Luc and Oliver have little page time where they are happy—whether that be together or alone. There was a distance between them that wasn’t in the previous two books. Their moments of happiness were rare. As someone who’s used to absorbing their happiness, I was not expecting to absorb their heartbreak and distance.

Another aspect of Father Material that caught me off guard was the friend group. I’ve always adored the side characters in this book, and they were integral for the first two books. It saddens me to report that while there are interactions between the friend group, perhaps one of them is positive. I understand that people in their late twenties are not the same as they were in their early twenties. So, while I expected a bit of distance, I had assumed that when they got together, they’d be happy. I was wrong. A couple in this book are having fertility issues and may not be able to have children of their own. They clash with their friend group because they are not understanding of the situation, and at some points are ignorantly cruel. There is a dinner party that goes off the rails, and after that, we do not see the friend group resolve their issues (at least not in-person).

Overall, I gave this book three stars because I’ve always loved Oliver and Luc. However, I could not rate it higher because this was not a book that felt like home. It was uncharacteristic of what I’d come to expect from the first two books. While I understand the importance of bringing foster care into mainstream media, this book was more of a tragedy than a comedy—which the first two were marketed as. This is a deeply heavy book. It is hard for me to read books with such heavy topics because I tend to absorb their emotions.

I think this book does a very good job of highlighting the issues with the foster care system. I believe this is a book that needed to be written. I praise the dedication and care that went into representation in this book. It just was not for me. My best advice for anyone going into this book is to look up the trigger warnings and to be aware that this is not a rom-com.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to think compassion isn't the sort of thing one just forgets about.
3.5

I read an ARC and I liked it. Alexis Hall said 'Marriage and a baby is not the only way to a happily ever after, and queer couples receiving the same pressure as straight ones is not a win' and he was right. He should say it louder. What's the point of queer freedom if queer couples NEED to be married with kids in order to 'count' as happily ever after?
Luc and Oliver are finding their own way to do partnership and parenthood and I liked that a lot.

As always, I liked the witty, sometimes ridiculous, writing style and the way mundane interactions are made into charming displays of love. Half of the story was a cute and sweet romcom about a couple staying together after the 20something whirlwind romance. The other half was about the way their issues with their families impacted how they fail at parenting. Because both of them have Issues for sure

My one big issue is that the first half of the book felt too long. It's 500 pages the first 200 pages was just the characters doing whatever? Luc still has his commitment fears and immature side, Oliver is still a bit of a control freak, and it makes sense that they would still be like that, but this far into 3, I started to feel like these two hadn't learned anything from book 1 and 2.
It's pages 200-500 where they feel like characters who had development and are now struggling to implement that development, which is what I wanted to see in a third book.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-ARC provided by NetGalley. I did a re-listen of Boyfriend Material and Husband Material before starting this third volume, and I remembered why I had only given each of them 3 stars. In fact, the most enjoyable part of my reread was the audiobook narrator, who did an amazing job at the many different voices. So I approached Father Material with caution, knowing I would be missing the narrator and that I had been annoyed with the far too overdone "jokes with Alex" content and the far too frequent use of the misunderstanding/ bad communication of men tropes in the first two books.

HOWEVER! I really enjoyed this book despite those elements remaining, because we finally have a puppy and a vulnerable teen to help Luc get out of his own self-incriminating but ultimately self-centered way. I loved the slow development of the trust and bond between Luc and Jaz, and I also appreciated that Oliver was the one out of his depth and in need of frequent readjustment of his approach to caring for a teen. I loved the comeback tour of Luc's mom, whose character needed something interesting because the special curry bit was done to death. Great depiction of the difficulty of keeping adult friends once lives get busy and full of family obligations. Overall, a much appreciated end to this odd couple's story, and perhaps this will be the volume that brings interest into filming a limited series from the trilogy. May every buttoned up Oliver find his chaos gremlin Luc, and may every precious Jaz find the safety and love of found family. (My favorite trope by far)

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablance and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Father Material by Alexis Hall to review! Boyfriend Material is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to see where Luc and Oliver's relationship went next in this book. Especially with the way that Husband Material ended. I appreciate that we get to see where their life went after that!

Like the previous two books, this is definitely more of a character driven story as Luc and Oliver try to figure out what it means to be dads. Neither of them had great fathers, and they both struggle with this in different ways. Both with their dog and with their foster child. Oliver wants structure and boundaries and Luc wants to go with the flow a bit more. Hall did a good job showing how they work through these things together as a couple, coming out stronger on the other side.

Luc and Oliver also struggle with maintaining their adult friendships as everyone gets more adult responsibilities (like children). This felt especially realistic, and I appreciated that they put real effort in still trying to get everyone together. We don't get to see their friends as much in this one as previous books, but I liked that they were still there in the background.

Though Boyfriend Material is still the best book of the trilogy, this book definitely gives Luc and Oliver closure. They don't have a traditional relationship trajectory, and I love getting to see that in a romance. If you enjoyed Luc and Oliver's other books, definitely check this one out!

[Ahlea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7/5 stars
I have been waiting for this book for YEARS, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC from Edelweiss+. Alexis Hall is back again with my favorite brand of millennial humor and my favorite book couple, this time at a stage in life where friendships have evolved and priorities have changed (though Luc somehow has not graduated past the fact that telling frequent jokes to Alex is a waste of both time and sanity). I so dearly missed the CRAPP hijinks, and I thought it was cute that there were many callbacks to inside jokes and past events from both Boyfriend and Husband Material!

I only have 2 critiques of this book: The first is that both Luc and Oliver overwhelmingly scream Cat Dads to me. However, I know the point of getting a dog was a preview of Something More, so I can get past that. The second is in regards to their parenting styles. I didn't expect Oliver to be the "candy all day every day" type of parent, but his fairly strict parenting style sort of made him the villain for a good chunk of the book. I feel like making Luc appear as a "troubled child whisperer" in comparison made it seem like setting boundaries and enforcing rules (which are, in moderation, both key aspects of parenting) were bad things.

Overall, I loved the book, and I'm really sad this is the end of a series that I've always felt gave a fresh take on the romance genre.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. ❤️

It was so good to be back in the company of Luc and Oliver as they navigate the next stage in their relationship and all the challenges that come with being responsible for other living creatures - human or otherwise!

Filled with all the characters we love, the story highlights what life is like as people move into the next stage of adulthood. It illustrates how difficult it can be to nurture and sustain relationships of all kinds as family and friends take different paths. Friendships are tested as people question each other’s life choices!

Hall brilliantly demonstrates the different approaches couples bring to parenting based on their own lived experiences. Luc and Oliver are not always on the same page and there are some very realistic moments where one does not agree with the other but also doesn’t want to undermine them.

I really enjoyed this novel, it is not a romance in the traditional sense of the word but if you consider it closely, it is actually more romantic because it is about real love - the kind you have when you have committed to the person you love, settled into your relationship and are doing everything to build a life with that person. Despite all Luc and Oliver come up against in this book, the one prevailing fact is that they love one another warts and all!