“By turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny.”–Kristin Rockaway, author of How To Hack a Heartbreak Sometimes love is unpredictable… in this witty and thought-provoking novel about a millenial widow whose life is thrown into disarray, with often hilarious results, when the most unexpected delivery arrives on her doorstep. Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a … 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 when her quest reveals a shocking secret, Charlotte is forced to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at a new life arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.
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HUSBAND MATERIAL by Emily Belden is a contemporary women’s fiction story with elements of rom-con and romance genres included. This is a standalone book that deals with a young widow and how she deals with her life and those around her.
Five years after the death of her husband, Charlotte Rosen opens a box that contains the urn and ashes of her late husband who she thought was in a mausoleum in Pala, California. Suddenly, all her work at avoiding those who knew of her marriage and rebuilding her life based on mathematical algorithms is in jeopardy.
The return of Decker’s ashes and a secret to be revealed about his past are going to force Charlotte out of her controlled bubble of simple acquaintances, algorithms over emotions and her unresolved grief.
Charlotte took me on an unexpected journey. There were times Charlotte really annoyed me and yet the author had a way of revealing through another character or discovery, why she was the way she was. The whole situation of reading about being a widow at such a young age could feel uncomfortable and did at times, but I feel Ms. Belden handled Charlotte’s journey with empathy, humor, forgiveness and love. The secondary cast of characters in this story all start out on the periphery of Charlotte’s emotional life, but Ms. Belden does a beautiful job of one-by-one showing Charlotte why and how they should be let in even when her algorithms disagree.
I enjoyed Charlotte’s journey and Ms. Belden’s writing style, but I also know this is going to be one of those books that everyone reads through a differing emotional lens.
Husband Material by Emily Belden has Charlotte Rosen thrown for a tailspin when the ashes of her deceased husband show up on her doorstep. She thought she had put the past behind her, but Charlotte had just put it off. With two weeks off to get her life together, Charlotte sets out to get answers with the assistance of her husband’s best friend. Husband Material is a romantic comedy that has some deep moments. Charlotte has been a widow for five years, but no one in her present circle knows that she as married. She moved to different apartment, learned how to code software and began working at The Influencer Firm. Charlotte may have been moving on, but she never dealt with her feelings about her husband’s death. We get to see her face some hard realities. Charlotte has been using numbers and algorithms to avoid getting close with a man or anyone else for that matter. She is now getting a second chance. If Charlotte wants to have a meaningful future, she needs to resolve her feelings of loss and guilt. Charlotte is a hard character to like, but she does grow on you as the story progresses. I found Charlotte’s roommate, Casey to be quirky and tell-it-like-it type of woman. I felt bad for her at times because Charlotte really takes advantage of Casey’s kindness. Charlotte was lucky to have such a kind boss in Zareen. It was interesting to learn what about influencers and the type of work Charlotte did to promote businesses. Husband Material is an emotional story about dealing with the past, letting it go, and embracing the future. I was surprised with the ending and some of the choices Charlotte made. I enjoyed the humor throughout the story which lightened some of the darker subjects. Husband Material is an engaging, uplifting story about second chances, forgiveness, taking risks, introspection, and moving forward.
This is the 1st book I’ve read by Emily Belden and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it all. The story jist left an impact fraught with emotion that is touching. Excellent subject matter.
The presentation was disjointed for me, and I’m not sure if it was intended that way.
Charlotte was an emotional, self centered mess. Her life was numbers, obsessive about it really, she could control everything through using them.
When the urn shows up, her life, drastically for her anyway, changes with revelations. She is forced to deal with a reality that occurred 5 years ago.
I would have liked a hero here. While Brian was there for her and helped her, he played a big part in the whole keeping secrets from her.
Char goes to a grief counseling group. So this one time makes things fall into place in her mind? That’s remarkable!
She also did a lot of mind talking I felt was unnecessary, and didn’t add a thing to the story, except words.
This seemed quite realistic, as if it truly was someone’s story, ramblings and all.
I think there’s a happy ending, it seems there is.
If you think my review is kind of scattered, it is!
I received an advance reader’s copy thru Netgalley and am giving my honest thoughts and opinions voluntarily
Spunky! Lovable! Uplifting! Super-Cute Read from Emily Belden!
“Husband Material” was so hilarious and light hearted considering Charlotte is a widow with a pretty heavy story to share. She is hiding this reality from everyone until her husbands urn shows up on her doorstep, being delivered 5 years after his death.
This story wraps up her past, present and possibly future in a Beach Bag Worthy Romantic Comedy! I loved her! If there is a fictional character I’d want to be friends with, Charlotte is definitely that girl!
Anytime is a great time to get to know Charlotte Rosen!
I cannot recommend this book enough! As a young woman, it is refreshing to read a book about someone who’s dealt with similar things and feel identified with the emotions the character is feeling. Amazing read!
When Charlotte Rosen opens the package that was delivered, she wasn’t expecting to find her husband’s ashes. Charlotte hasn’t told the few people in her new life that she’s a widow, and just getting his ashes in the mail was a huge shock. It’s been five years since she’d last laid eyes on the container and now has to figure out what to do with it. That means having to get back in contact with her mother-in-law and Charlotte’s definitely not looking forward to it one bit.
Now only has her husband’s ashes come back into her life, his best friend has as well. Now a pediatrician at a nearby hospital, he attempts to help her deal with everything.
Charlotte’s pretty much cut herself off from all emotions since her husband’s passing and has used her ability to calculate data to create an app to find the perfect mate. Data crunching has become her way of life and tamping down her emotions has led her to the precipice she’s at today.
Charlotte’s story is full of many emotions for someone who really didn’t want to feel them. The sudden loss of her husband has created a chasm she hasn’t been able to fill. When a secret from her husbands past comes out while she’s dealing with everything else, she realizes she needs to learn to open herself back up.
Ms. Belden wrote a truly moving work of fiction. I couldn’t stop reading once I started and when I finished, it put me in a book funk that took me 2 weeks to get out of. I would’ve normally read about eight books in that time and all I could think about were the characters and plot of this story. Well done.
**I received an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Charlotte Rosen is single twenty-something that is on a quest to find the man she can spend forever with, that clock is ticking and she is determined to not be alone forever. So far all of the dating apps she’s been using haven’t brought prince charming to her doorstep. There always seems to be one flaw that convinces her to pass on them.
Which prompts her to take matters into her own hands, she is determined to create a dating app of her own that will pair people with their perfect mates using mathematical data. In every decision she has ever made, math has always lead her to the right answer, so why can’t it work for love too?
Husband Material is a uniquely crafted romantic comedy that promises to inspire a few laughs and swoons! Watching Charlotte on her quest to find her forever was not only entertaining, but good on the heart too. The moment I met this endearing young lady she had my undivided attention and quickly had me in her corner… I just had to see if her plan could bring her a soul mate! I really enjoyed this one, I sat down to read a few pages in between chores and wound up devouring the whole thing in one sitting, it was so captivating! Highly recommend this one it’s certain to leave you smiling and your heart happy!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Sometimes the past can come back to haunt you unexpectedly, which is undoubtedly the case for Charlotte. Faced with both the choices she made in the past and new decisions that arise, she handles it….okay. I thought the author kept the plot moving at a decent pace while allowing Charlotte to grow and come to terms with events both past, and present. A little twist of mystery adds some intrigue. All in all, it was an interesting story of personal growth with a bit of romance thrown in. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This review was written based on a pre-release, digital ARC of the book.
Charlotte thinks she’s moving on with her life after her husband’s sudden death, but she finds out that in reality, there’s a whole lot she doesn’t know and her journey isn’t quite over.
That’s the story in a nutshell.
I did enjoy this book very much. More women’s fiction than romance (although there are elements of romance), I was captured by this story and couldn’t put it down. Inhaled it. I have to give Emily Belden kudos for a story that could have been a very tear-y read. She kept things positive and enlightening for Charlotte. I really liked that about it.
I’ll be looking for more titles from this author in the future.
A complimentary copy was provided for review.
Absolutely stunning! I zipped through this one and loved every minute of this fabulous story with amazing characters and a topic that could go so wrong but in the hands of this author everything goes right. I read that this book was categorized as Chick Lit (not my favorite genre) but it’s not. There’s light to balance the dark, and humor to offset the heartbreak. I fell in love with these characters and the writing pulled me in until I felt every up and down of Charlotte’s journey through her grief to her happy ending. This is my first read by this author and I immediately bought another one of her books when I finished this one. Her writing is mesmerizing with uniquely complex characters and a storyline with all the feels when a young widow is catapulted into the past as she’s trying to move forward and date again. Lots of laughs with that whole ordeal! I loved the way Charlotte divided her life into the Before and After and was successful in keeping the two separated until her husband’s ashes makes an unexpected appearance. That one event opened old wounds, lead to a couple of twists that were shocking and provided several hilarious moments in the story. I laughed and cried and cheered for Charlotte as she finally worked her way past her grief with the help of an old friend to find love again. Her love interest was fairly obvious but their backstory was heart wrenching as it unfolds in flashbacks. The romance was wonderfully sweet and sexy and a lovely part of the story. I read a lot of books and this is one of my favorites. A must read! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
Charlotte just received a surprise package at her doorstep. It is not what she expected…AT ALL! It is her deceased husband’s ashes. This just brings all kinds of emotions and old hurts to the fore front of her mind. She eventually realizes she must deal with these issues before she can move on with her life.
Charlotte is not my favorite character. I just did not feel a connection with her like I did the other characters in this book. However, I did feel some sympathy for Charlotte. She is dealing with a lot of neurotic issues which really bring about some funny circumstances. This keeps this novel moving along.
This is a quirky, fun, palate cleanser. It is a heart warming romantic comedy. This would be great to read on a trip…except you might laugh out loud in some places and people might stare!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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 ones and zeroes.
Favorite Quotes:
She’s wearing a size XL Slayer T-shirt as a dress with a choke chain and Dr. Martens combat boots. The cool thing about Los Angeles is that one man’s freak show is another’s fashion icon.
“Hey, can you hand me scissors from the junk drawer?” Casey instead pulls a switchblade from her bra and cocks it open with the flick of her finger. They must not happen often, but I can tell she lives for moments like this.
Not a single inch of her body jiggles, especially not her fake double Ds. That’s the difference between a New York girl like myself and an LA chick like Gemma. My closet has Spanx, hers does not.
He’s my late husband’s friend. Widow Code would say it’s a lane I should never swim in—even though I kind of cannonballed it once before.
My Review:
I struggled with this one a bit as the first person POV narrative was stuffed to bursting with observations and references to popular social trends, fashion, celebrities, text-speak acronyms, etc. I most likely would have gotten considerably more out of the tale if I were up to date on the cutting edge and viral influences, but alas, much of Ms. Belden’s cleverness sailed right over my unbleached head as I am long past the hip, chic, or cool brands and labels stage and have well and fully eased into the softly textured, comfortable, stiletto-free and gentle lifestyle that I plan to continue to indulge in between middle-age and the dirt-nap. However, I understood the intent even though I was unfamiliar with much of the what or the who she was inferring half the time.
I also found it a rather arduous undertaking to fully appreciate the main character of Charlotte, as she was rather obnoxiously self-involved, driven and fraught with tension. Charlotte’s narrative frequently seemed to spin with a negative frenetic energy that kept me on edge, yet I couldn’t quit on her, as despite my lack of ease with Charlotte’s selfishness, and my ignorance of the current icons of popular culture, Ms. Belden’s storylines hooked me while her wit and snarky humor reeled me in and kept a smirk on my face. I was intrigued and needed to know the full story while hoping I wasn’t heeding a siren’s call that was luring me to meet my demise on the rocks… I’ve been fooled before.
I am glad I stuck with it as Charlotte’s tale was worth the effort as she finally retrieved her cranium from the dark recesses of her colon, gained some insight, and redeemed herself from her cold, uninvolved, and binary thinking. I enjoyed her epiphanies and evolution, although I was holding my breath for her HEA as I would have been stamping my little foot and creating new expletives for Ms. Belden had she not given her one.
Husband Material is kind of a cross between RomCom and women’s fiction, and I’m not sure it quite knew which it wanted to be. Dealing with the death of her husband, even five years after the fact, is emotional and heartbreaking, but it doesn’t always come across that way. A lot of the book leans toward what I would call quirky and amusing, and there is certainly nothing amusing about grief at the loss of a spouse. The book is well written, and the characters are interesting, but I still struggled to get invested in the story, and I think it goes back to the serious subject matter with such an upbeat tone. I did start to come around about halfway through, and in the end, the story is worth the read, but be prepared for a slightly different take on what would normally be a very emotional read.
Sweet, witty, and charming!
Husband Material is a sassy, heartfelt rom-com featuring the logical, grieving Charlotte who after unexpectedly receiving her late husband’s ashes back five-years after his passing realizes that the hurt is still raw and in order to heal and move on bridges should be mended, secrets must be revealed, and people need be forgiven.
The writing style is warm and light. The characters are quirky, reticent, and amusing. And the plot is a delightful blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, attraction, tender moments, awkward situations, forgiveness, misunderstandings, and closure.
Overall, Husband Material is an easy, humourous, uplifting tale by Belden that highlights the importance of letting go of the past, taking chances, embracing what’s next, and loving again.
Husband Material by Emily Belden was an interesting and charming read. Charlotte is a widow trying to hide her past with a fresh start by masking her loss and grief. But hiding from something never works for long. Now she is facing her past and trying to find her future. What follows is a story of second chances, healing and hope. This story takes us on a woman’s journey as she navigates her life. It was heartwarming, touching and emotional read.
Happy reading!
Charlotte Rosen’s journey in Husband Material by Emily Belden was an emotional and enjoyable tale of an almost thirty-year old as she deals with major change that is unexpectedly dumped into her life. She has a great job crunching numbers and writing algorithms, an adorable dog, and a roommate who knows nothing about her. So when the ashes of her late husband arrive, five years after his death, Charlotte’s world falls apart. The perfect life she had with him starts to show wear and tear as she finally learns things about him; including a major secret. While trying to put the pieces back together Charlotte ends up dealing with her ex-mother-in-law as well as her husband’s best friend, Brian. As Charlotte tries to find answers to questions she never knew to ask Brian is along side her, trying to help her along the way. Not expecting to have a chance with a new love, Charlotte will need to decide whether to follow the results of her algorithm or trust her heart.
Ms. Belden wrote a fun, flirty romance that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with emotions, sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters giving Charlotte a chance to tilt her world back on its axis and a chance at finding love with Brian. I highly recommend Husband Material to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
When reading a new-to-me author, I try not to look to see if they are seasoned or new. I don’t look at other reviews of the book I’m going to read or any of their other books. Therefore, I’m often not sure when reading a new-to-me author if they are actually new themselves. Depending how the reading goes, I’ll look that stuff up after I’ve finished the book. Unfortunately, I thought this was a brand-new author. While she’s not totally new, she only has a few books under her belt so there will be some leeway.
There is a lot in the positive column for this story. I love the concept of this story. I love Charlotte and most of the other characters in this book. For the most part, the flow of the story is pretty good. Yet, once in a while, I’d be taken out of the story by a reference I found dated. I know that in 10 or 20 years it won’t be anything that is noticed. But in the present, it was something that niggled at me. Why would you reference E.R. and not Grey’s Anatomy in 2019? It was just…off, for lack of a better word.
Charlotte is a very sympathetic character. The lengths she has gone to in order to “hide” her status of widow is on one hand sad yet sometimes manifests as funny. Not only did I feel for Charlotte, I was also rooting for her in many ways. From her job, to her decisions regarding the urn, to her tentative renewing of her friendship with Brian. Yet, when she was in the midst of her out of control spiral, I found myself skimming the pages. While I found Charlotte’s process and frame of mind very important to how the story was playing out, it was just a bit much…a bit too detailed.
I had high hopes for Brian and Charlotte. I can at the very least say the story is not predictable. There are a few turns that took me by surprise and I’m truly still not sure how I feel about these turns. There were things kept from Charlotte by more than one person and I wasn’t sure who to trust and who to forgive. In some ways this was a good thing. It’s not fun reading a book that is completely predictable. But at the same time I have a hard time, after finishing, knowing how I really feel about the story as a whole.
There is definite potential here and I will try another of this author’s books in the future. And let’s remember, a review is an opinion. There are some who will not have problems with the things that I got hung up on. Since this is a great story all in all, I would still recommend this book to others.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
I am not sure why but I chose to read HUSBAND MATERIAL by Emily Belden thinking it was going to be a lighter read that falls into the rom-com category. Yes, there are elements of humour throughout, but overall, I found the book to be thoughtful and contemplative.
Charlotte Rosen, not yet thirty, has been a widow for 5 years. Her husband’s unexpected death has left her shaken and she still misses him. Charlotte’s trying to move on but it’s clear to the reader that the path she has taken is more about trying to maintain control of what happens in her life to avoid being blindsided again.
Unsettling circumstances have Charlotte questioning her understanding of the past, her current life and her future plans.
I found Charlotte to be a sympathetic and relatable character. I enjoyed her story.
Numbers Don’t Lie, But People Do. This was a tragi-comedy of a widow finding herself -at a point when she thought she had already done so. Enough humor to keep a light-ish tone to what could have become a very dour subject matter, this book manages to combine quasi-software engineering (even the best of us can’t do what the lead does in this book) with a tale of picking yourself up by the bootstraps… twice. Very much recommended.
Note: Since the publisher requested it, here is a note that I did in fact receive this book as an ARC. As *always* with *any* of my reviews, my thoughts are completely my own and I review absolutely any book I read, no matter how I acquired it.