Husband Material: A Novel

by Emily Belden Narrated by Piper Goodeve

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

JANUARY 2020 - AudioFile

In this moving audiobook, narrator Piper Goodeve superbly guides listeners through the complicated emotional journey of Charlotte, a 29-year-old widow. Charlotte has thrown herself 24/7 into her career as a software developer and marketing analyst. Her routine is upended when the remains of her late husband, Decker, are returned to her care after a mausoleum fire. Interference from Charlotte's difficult former mother-in-law brings Brian, Decker's best friend, back in touch with her. Their slow-burn romance is evidenced through Goodeve's rendering of Charlotte's nervous energy and uncertain tone and Brian's thoughtful, slightly enigmatic demeanor. Vibrant supporting characters, especially Charlotte's quirky, kindhearted roommate, Casey, and her mother, Jean, with her delightful Brooklyn accent, help Charlotte reassess her past and reinvigorate her personal life. M.J. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2019

While Belden’s sophomore novel makes occasional missteps, this upbeat tale of finding connection and love after a tragic loss is nevertheless charming. Los Angeles data analyst Charlotte Rosen, 29 and unhappily single, is developing an app that evaluates compatibility between potential mates. She goes on frequent dates both to refine the app and to seek her own perfect match. No one knows—and Charlotte herself has tried hard to forget—that she had an apparent perfect match in Decker, her husband, who died five years ago. When Decker’s ashes are unexpectedly mailed to Charlotte, the walls between then and now crumble, casting new light on all her comfortable but distant relationships with her roommate, Decker’s mother, and the men she dates. Charlotte can be judgmental and self-centered, but as past conflicts reemerge, her reasons become clear and understandable. The second half of the narrative reveals yet more secrets and ends up feeling a bit compressed, with certain knots untangling mostly because the plot needs them to. Still, the heartfelt whole will keep readers engaged. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

"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

"Sensitive, thoughtful, and touching." —Library Journal

"Witty, full of heart...will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella." —Booklist

"Charming." —Publishers Weekly

Praise for Emily Belden's Hot Mess

"A fun romp through the world of food, love, and luxury." —PopSugar, The Best New Books You Should Read This Spring

"[F]ull of fire and fury.... Belden's excellent tell-it-like-it-is read is perfect for foodies and entrepreneurs alike." —Library Journal (starred review)

"Combining the wit and insight of Stephanie Danler's Sweetbitter with the drama of Jessica Tom's Food Whore, Belden's first novel is a glimpse into the fast-paced fine-dining industry... . Full of heart, heat, and passion, this restaurant rom-com in novel form is an exhilarating debut." —Booklist

"[A]n engrossing, slow-burn read that yields a very satisfying emotional payoff... . Rich with perfect details, balanced between the various different relationships and presented in a well-crafted narrative, this novel is meant to be savored."
—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)

"Emily Belden serves the decadence and drama a la mode in Hot Mess. The full-bodied novel takes the resilient Allie Simon on a journey of sex, love, secrets, and the high-end culinary world. You'll savor every word of this provocative story." —Abby Stern, author of According to a Source

JANUARY 2020 - AudioFile

In this moving audiobook, narrator Piper Goodeve superbly guides listeners through the complicated emotional journey of Charlotte, a 29-year-old widow. Charlotte has thrown herself 24/7 into her career as a software developer and marketing analyst. Her routine is upended when the remains of her late husband, Decker, are returned to her care after a mausoleum fire. Interference from Charlotte's difficult former mother-in-law brings Brian, Decker's best friend, back in touch with her. Their slow-burn romance is evidenced through Goodeve's rendering of Charlotte's nervous energy and uncertain tone and Brian's thoughtful, slightly enigmatic demeanor. Vibrant supporting characters, especially Charlotte's quirky, kindhearted roommate, Casey, and her mother, Jean, with her delightful Brooklyn accent, help Charlotte reassess her past and reinvigorate her personal life. M.J. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2019-09-13
A 20-something woman is keeping a big secret from her friends and co-workers: She's a widow.

Charlotte Rosen thinks she's moved on pretty well from her husband Decker's death five years ago. She started a new job with a social media influencer firm, found a roommate who knows nothing about her past, and convinced her co-workers that she's just another single young woman in LA. She's even working on developing her own data-driven dating app that determines a couple's compatibility based on their social media profiles. Charlotte calls herself a "Numbers Queen" and knows that even though life may have thrown her a curveball in the past, data will never let her down. But life, it turns out, still has plenty of surprises left for her. When Decker's mausoleum burns down and his ashes show up on her doorstep, Charlotte begins to realize that she didn't deal with her grief so much as she ran from it. Now, she needs help from the people she left in the past—including her status-obsessed ex-mother-in-law, who's so controlling that she tries to sneak into Charlotte's building to steal her son's ashes back. Charlotte also reconnects with Decker's best friend, Brian, who used to be a partying frat boy but is now a children's doctor. Charlotte and Brian shared one impulsive kiss shortly after her husband's death, and unfortunately, she discovers that her attraction to Brian hasn't gone away—in fact, now that he's grown up a little, it's even stronger. But when Charlotte runs into a woman from Decker's past, she's forced to reckon with the fact that she might not have known him as well as she thought she did—and everyone else in her life might be full of surprises, too. Belden (Hot Mess, 2018, etc.) paints a realistic portrait of grief while still creating a story that is fast-paced and fun. The dialogue sparkles, especially when Charlotte is arguing with her snarky roommate, Casey. Plot twists near the end, though, strain credulity—Charlotte is quick to forgive some of the people in her life for major transgressions, and it seems like a more realistic reaction is ignored in favor of tying the ending up with a bow.

A quick, entertaining read about making sense of your past and making the most of your future.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170356546
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/30/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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