 Husband Material, by Alexis Hall.
This is the second book in Alexis Hall's London Calling trilogy. It can be read as a standalone, but it helps to have read Boyfriend Material, in order to have the complete backstory on Luc and Oliver's parental issues and large cast of friends. Luc, the narrator, is the son of a rock star who's been a very absent parent, but their relationship is enough reason for Luc to be hounded by paparazzi and tabloid reporters. His boyfriend Oliver, a barrister, was raised by parents for whom perfection wasn't good enough. Husband Material is a sort of homage to 90s rom-coms. There are four weddings and a funeral, plus multiple references to Pretty Woman. Two of the weddings involve Luc's exes. Tom is a nice bisexual guy who parted amicably from Luc and is now marrying Luc's female best friend. Then there's Miles, who was mentioned but never seen in Boyfriend Material: the ex who betrayed Luc, selling a scandalous story about him to the tabloids. Luc attends the wedding for "closure," but I was happy to see Miles wasn't let off the hook. Luc and Oliver get engaged, but they have very different ideas about weddings. The tightly wound Oliver feels at home attending a traditional cathedral wedding, knowing full well the church won't accept their relationship. Luc feels comfortable at a rainbow-filled wedding conducted by a drag king. Can they meet in the middle? Along the way are an assortment of wedding-related mishaps: a hen do (bachelorette party) with naughty hats, a last-minute search for a venue after a fire, a battle of wills over a rainbow balloon arch, and more. The improbable twist at the end also invokes a 90s rom-com, but I won't spoil it. There's a moment where the too-perfect Oliver tells Luc "You've made me a worse person," and Luc takes it for the compliment it is. That's their relationship in a nutshell. Popsugar Reading Challenge: Horse on the cover. Booklist Queen: Next book in a series. Around the Year Challenge: Window on the cover.
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