Husband Material

I love this book! Excellent writing, story and characters. The humor seems effortless and is character and situation driven. It’s not overdone and that makes it even funnier. There is sex but only as is necessary to further the story and one of those scenes is downright dirty but not in the way you’d think. Let’s just say it’s one of the most original scenes I’ve read and it was fantastic!

4.5 stars
Two novels in and Xavier Mayne has become an auto buy author for me. As in Frat House Troopers, this book also explores the \"gay for you\" theme.
Riley and Asher meet as competitors on a Bachelorette-type reality show and quickly form an alliance. Riley is out to show the woman who left him at the altar what she is missing and Asher just wants to come in second to earn money to pay his sister's medical bills. The two men are well suited and become easy allies. Riley finds he feels like a better person just being around Asher and after Asher confesses that he is gay and is attracted to him, Riley finds himself reevaluating just what his feelings might mean.
While all this is going on, the men are put through one challenge after another, trying to avoid elimination from the show as scandals erupt and the competition gets dirty. The situation the men are in and the attempts of the other contestants to sabotage each other add to the comic relief of the story. Unbeknownst to Riley and Asher however, there are other forces at work that are trying to bring them together.
Xavier Mayne's writing is humorous and intelligent and also manages to tug at the heart strings. There are scenes where Asher just broke my heart with his vulnerability and yearning for a friend and lover, while Riley struggles with his new feelings. There is a slow build to the romance (Riley is not one of those characters that immediately embraces and jumps into this newly discovered side of his sexuality) although the fact that the two are confined in the bubble of the show helps to move things along a bit. The love doesn't come quickly or easily, but happily the two men do talk things through as their relationship deepens and they form a bond of loyalty and friendship on their way to their HEA.

This book is disgusting. I can't remember a time when I would have felt this enraged after reading a book, not to mention betrayed, because it actually seemed pretty good until the last thirty pages or so. The main character Riley is portrayed as a calculating man from the beginning but at the finish line we find out that he is actually a callous, manipulative, scheaming, narsissistic rapist. Now, those who still want to read this pile of steaming crap of a book be warned of spoilers. Okay, so when there are only four people competing for the bachelorette, Riley decides he wants his lover (who was likely going to place fourth) to win the runner-up prize. To achieve this, he gets himself and another bachelor disqualified. He does this by basically raping the guy in his sleep. Engaging in sexual activity with an unconscious person and touching his genitals without consent is an act punishable by law. Now, fictional characters can do all sorts of morally questionable things but it must be very carefully handled by the author for it to work. In Husband Material it's treated as a non-issue, it's even supposed to be funny. Well excuse me for not laughing at what could be a serious emotional trauma for the victim! It's sort of funny, however, that earlier in the book, the producer of the show criticizes another gay couple found getting it on in the showers of \"setting back the cause like twenty years!\" Okay, but it's okay for a gay man to molest a sleeping straight man? Yeah, that doesn't reflect badly on the cause at all. The gravity of Riley's actions is not addressed at all. When it comes to the poor victim's reputation, it is admitted that \"[e]thically, Riley was on thin ice, and he knew it.\" No, you are already in the icy water, buddy, and you deserve to drown in it! Even that admission is immediately brushed off with some bullshit about love making people do the unimaginable. And of course Riley touching another man couldn't possibly be considered as cheating because he doesn't enjoy it. The narrator even remarks upon how unpleasant it feels for Riley. How about a little consideration for how the victim feels, huh? And how is it a good idea to make it like you've cheated on your boyfriend who already has some serious trust issues? I wish this issue was addressed too but no, even Riley's lover rewards Riley with sex for what he did. So Riley's Great Romantic Gesture involves sexually abusing someone? Great job! And it wasn't even necessary. Riley was one of the top two contestants. He could just have given his lover the money after he won. Oh but that wouldn't have been self-sacrificing enough and we wouldn't have had the chance to see Riley wallow in self pity. He feels sorry for himself and the other bachelor whose identity and sense of self Riley probably just destroyed is promptly forgotten. It is all the more disgusting for Riley to treat another person like that when a good deal of the book revolves around Riley's struggles to wrap his head around his sexual relationship with another man. It proves that Riley is extremely self-centered and cold-hearted. Riley is also proven to be an excellent liar and I can't help but think that the character would be better suited for a psychological thriller because he is an awful hero for romance. I wish I could just jump in a time machine and stop myself from ever wasting my time and money on this book. Still, I'm going to be generous and give it two stars for the interesting premise and the great couple and character growth in the first part but I'm never buying anything by this author ever again.

**3.5 stars**
I want to give this more stars because I LOVED aspects of this book but I also had some issues that brought my rating down a bit.
What I liked:
- The romance! It was slow burn, delicious, and realistic. I loved the chemistry between Asher and Riley and loved the GFY (you know I always do!). I have a soft spot for a well done GFY and this was a really nice one. A good GFY for me is when we see the emotions behind the person realizing/coming to terms with their attraction for men. I like seeing the internal debate, the struggle, and how the MC deals with it. I like first time gay experiences that happen sllllooooowwwwllly with much buildup. God, I love the buildup. This book was like GFY crack for me. Very hot.
- The setting. Oh my god, the setting. Have you ever watched The Bachelorette and all of those mostly naked guys playing in the pool together and thought, \"I wonder...\" Well, wonder no more! This is like your smutty, gay Bachelorette dreams come true!
What I didn't like:
- The giggles. What do I mean by that? Well, these men didn't laugh, they giggled. Every. Time. They. Laughed. I hate when authors write that men giggled. I mean, 12 year old girls giggle. I kept picturing these two buff guys tittering behind their nails when the author used the term \"giggle\".
- The producer POV. I thought it was weird. I wish the whole book wasn't structured with the producer and her assistant's POV. I think the whole book could have been done just inside the MC's head with no issues.
- The ending. It was a little saccharine and fast moving for my taste.
Overall, this book was adorable. Seriously. It was a light, happy, sexy read and I think many people would enjoy it.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**