Husband Material

TITLE: The Husband Material
AUTHOR: Emily Belden
PUBLISHER: HARLEQUIN-Graydon House Books
PUBLISHING DATE: December 30, 2019

FROM GOODREADS: 

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:  Romance isn't my usual go-to genre however I do like it as a palette cleanser from time to time and find it a really fun read around the holidays.  When the publisher offered me a chance to read and review The Husband Material, I didn't put much thought into it and took a chance.  Well, I can firmly say it was a chance that paid off.

Charlotte Rosen is nearing 30 and her career is really taking off.  She loves numbers and analyzing things and just happens to have a job at one of the biggest social media firms in California.  However, she also has a big secret - she has been a widow for the past five years.  Charlotte is trying to find the perfect man using her pilot dating app when her husband's ashes show up on her doorstep. This new development sends Char reeling and she finds herself turning to people she shut out of her life years ago.  But who knows what she will discover along the way.

I really loved the fact that this book was not all about insta-love.  In fact, Char has been celibate since her husband's death.  Yet she is still looking for her happily ever after.  The Husband Material has a wonderful cast of side characters.  Char's Gothic roommate is a treat and forces Char to do things outside of her comfort zone.  Her boss Zareen is a typical boss with a soft side and Brian,  Char's husband's best friend and new doctor, is cute and complicated.

So basically The Husband Material contained a lot more plot than I anticipated when I began.  Char shows some great character development and I never found the plot predictable.  It also contains the cutest flashback marriage proposal ever!  Hint, it involves an adorable dog named Leno.  If you are looking for a romance with more, then give The Husband Material a go!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emily Belden is a food journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. After she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies – all heads up for good luck – she was a guest on The Today Show and her story was covered by media outlets across the country. A Chicago native, Emily lives with her rescue dog in the West Loop, conveniently close to many of the city’s best restaurants.