Husband Material : A Novel
Emily Belden
On Sale Date: December 30, 2019
9781525805981, 1525805983
Trade Paperback
$15.99 USD, $19.99 CAD
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
304 pages
Summary: Told in Emily Belden’s signature edgy voice, a novel about a young widow’s discovery of her late husband’s secret and her journey toward hope and second-chance love.
Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.
Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.
But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.
This was a sweet, thought provoking story that I really wanted to love more than I did. Following the aftermath of her husband’s death, the story focuses on Charlotte and how she is dealing with life after becoming a widow at such a young age. We pick up 5 years after her husband’s passing, when his urn appears on her doorstep out of the blue and all the progress she felt she has made in processing it all suddenly starts to crumple.
We are introduced to a wide array of characters from her quirky roommate, the mother in law that she clashes with, and her husbands best friend, Brian. I felt the story started out pretty strong but sort’ve lost steam as the storyline progressed. I really wanted to be on board with the whole relationship between Charlotte and Brian but I just didn’t feel that spark between the two. There were dashes of humor sprinkled throughout this otherwise quite serious read. It was not a terrible story, in fact I was intrigued the whole way through it just fell flat for me once I was all finished with it. I really liked Charlotte and thought she was such a strong, snarky main character who had to go through such a terrible thing and came out the other end stronger. I’m giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
EMILY BELDEN is a journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novel Hot Mess and Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. She lives in Chicago. Visit her website at http://www.emilybelden.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @emilybelden.
Advance Praise for Husband Material
“Tackling thorny questions of widowhood and dating after trauma, Belden’s second novel is witty, full of heart, and blindingly au courant. Packed with pop-culture references, it will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella, Rosie Walsh, and Plum Sykes. Belden writes twists and turns to keep readers hooked.” —Booklist
“Charming.” —Publishers Weekly
“Sensitive, thoughtful, and touching.” —Library Journal
“In this touching, witty, and timely book, Emily Belden deftly explores the complexities of human relationships in our increasingly tech-obsessed world. By turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny, Husband Material beautifully demonstrates that you can’t reduce love to a bunch of 1s and 0s.”
—Kristin Rockaway, author of How To Hack a Heartbreak
Buy Links:
Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781525805981_husband-material.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Husband-Material-Emily-Belden/dp/1525805983
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/husband-material-emily-belden/1129908343?ean=9781525805981#/
Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781525805981
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/husband-material-12
Google Books: https://books.google.com/books/about/Husband_Material.html?id=0sR6DwAAQBAJ
Social Links:
Author website: http://www.emilybelden.com/
Twitter: @emilybelden
Instagram: @emilybelden
Facebook: @emilybeldenauthor
Shelf-Rated 