Review at a Glance
- Title: Husband Material
- My Rating: 4.5
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Format: eARC*
- Publication Date: April 14, 2020
- Author: J’nell Ciesielski
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Book Blurb
Sometimes love is unpredictable…
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.
My Thoughts
I very much enjoyed reading Husband Material. The plot was original, the romance believable, and I never once felt like the characters were purposefully misunderstanding each other to create obstacles. The obstacles seemed organic to the plot.
The characters in Husband Material were shockingly relatable, especially considering I have never been to Hollywood let alone known anyone from there. By centering the book around Juliet’s loss, the book is grounded enough that the lightness usually found in contemporary romance doesn’t overwhelm the entire novel.
I really liked the love interest specifically because of the ending. Emily Belden vaulted Brian from best friend of the dead husband and potential love interest to a vital and legitimate character in his own right.
4.5 stars for this one.
*Special thanks to Emily Belden, for providing a copy of The Socialite in exchange for an honest review.
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