Felt like a combination of Elin Hilderbrand and Liane Moriarity. It’s the type of book I would have enjoyed a bit more about 5 years ago. But not my style in this season of my reading. I’m sure a lot of readers would enjoy it though.

I loved everything about this book. Even though I wanted to shake Lauren occasionally I was rooting for her the whole time. It was wonderful to watch Lauren evolve through her grief and come out on top.

A beautiful, pleasurable read presented itself in The Husband Hour.
I had no expectations going in, but I did not think I would be on such an emotional rollercoaster: the journey of overcoming grief, betrayal, anger, disappointment, letting oneself love again, and most importantly, being able to take moments to give gratitude to soldiers that risk their lives for us.

From the start, I was enamoured, and I paced myself listening because I didn’t want it to end. I also genuinely appreciated the majority of the characters.

My take away: it is our imperfections that contribute to our human and spiritual beauty, and life takes us on unexpected journeys to assist us in accepting ourselves and others.

I unfortunately was not gripped by this one, but I do look forward to reading more from this author! Her writing is great.

Women's fiction has a special place in my heart, yet somehow this was my first read from Jamie Brenner. I thoroughly enjoyed her approach, the storyline and the characters. I literally flew through the pages and plan to go back and read her debut and any future releases. Thanks for the access to an early copy.

This was my first Jamie Brenner book and I will certainly be looking for others. While this is a perfect beach read it wasn't just fluffy, and I liked that it also brought to light more serious issues such as PTSD, abuse, brain injuries and more while exploring a wife moving on.

I enjoyed The Husband Hour, but it left me wanting more. The themes of grief, heroism, and family were all presented in a relatable fashion and I think this world be a great title for book groups. There is plenty to discuss. However, I did think that the storylines could have been fleshed out a bit more and Ali was left wanting more details about these characters and their lives. I would definitely recommend it as a good vacation read.

Wow! What an emotional ride this book was! This was my first novel by Jamie Brenner and I didn’t know what to expect. What I found was an absolutely gripping story of loss, betrayal, healing, and truth. The overall perspective that our heroes are people who are not perfect, and that we all need to stick together to support each other is so valuable and timeless. This book made me feel sad, and yet so moved at the poignant and redemptive ending. I struggled a bit with the writing style, it felt dramatic and stilted at times, but as the story progressed the characters came into their own and I was hooked! The Husband Hour is definitely a captivating story that will make you think long after it’s finished.

I just could not get into this books. I did not find the characters intriguing enough to hang on past the first 20 pages. I really wanted to like this book; The description sounded wonderful. I am certain that it is a good book, just not one I would continue reading.

What a wonderful book touching on family and relationships.

I enjoyed this book and think it would make a great beach read. ]

I couldn’t really get into this one. I stopped at about 25%. It’s ok but the story is predictable and just couldn’t keep my attention.
I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The novel gives a valuable lesson in displaying how little we know the people that are closest to us, and only when we lose them do we understand how wrong we were about the person we thought we knew best. However, it falls apart in the ending making it a little flaky and more than a smidge corny.

Lauren Adelman, a young widow, has become a recluse in a small beach town, but her quite life is interrupted when a documentarian finds her and she is forced to confront secrets about her family, late husband, and marriage.

Behind the deceptive cover of The Husband Hours lies a very contemporary, moving story with surprising depth about Lauren and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid. They married just after college and Rory became a stand-out player in the National Hockey League. Then, as they appear to have achieved their dreams and their future looks bright, Rory shocks everyone, including Lauren, by announcing that he is giving up hockey and enlisting in the United State Army. After being deployed, Rory died in combat.

Public scrutiny and heartbreak cause Lauren to retreat to her family's New Jersey beach house and begin work in a local cafe. Expecting to be able to live there alone indefinitely, she is dismayed when her mother, sister, and young nephew move in, as well. It seems that her father made some unfortunate financial decisions that have left her parents struggling and her sister has left her relationship.

And then, to make matters worse, the filmmaker begins snooping around, trying to get Lauren and Rory's family members to speak on camera. Lauren has no way of knowing that when she relents, agreeing to be interviewed, the trajectory of her life will change dramatically. Over the course of the summer, Lauren learns what really happened to Rory, why he was so determined to join the military, and the secrets that her family members have been keeping.

The Husband Hour is not really a novel about a husband at all. It's about a young woman who makes the best decisions she can with the information available to her at the time, and the manner in which she reacts when she learns the truth about so many details of her life and the way in which it has been impacted by others' decisions. The Husband Hour is an exploration of betrayal, deceit, the destructive power of secrets, forgiveness, and resilience. Lauren learns that "a husband is just a man. Flawed. Infinitely fallible. The only way marriage works is to forgive and move on." And forgiveness is the first step toward peace even if the husband in question is no longer here. It's about the power to learn from the past in order to build the future.

Jamie Brenner creates highly empathetic, believable characters, each flawed in his/her own way, that readers will care deeply about. That is especially true of Lauren who harbors so much guilt and regret as the story opens. Brenner credibly takes readers along on Lauren's journey to the truth, and reconciliation with what she discovers, delivering a conclusion that feels natural and is deeply satisfying. She also explores the timely issue of traumatic brain injuries among professional athletes (not just football players) and the failure of team owners, doctors, and athletes themselves, to properly assess and understand the deadly impact of concussions. The Husband Hour resonates long after the last page has been read, and is an excellent selection for book clubs, as there are many themes that lend themselves to discussion.

Lauren isolates herself, at her family's beach house, after the loss of her husband, Rory. Rory is no average husband. He is a professional hockey player who answers the call to serve his country in the Middle East. In order to deal with the loss, and hide from the world, Lauren quarantines herself and in a way, punishes herself for Rory's death.

Brenner tells a great story where things aren't always as they appear. The characters have some depth and learn an awful lot about life on their journey through Brenner's plot. Although I would characterize this as a great beach read, it would be a wonderful book to read at any point during the year.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of The Husband Hour. It was a great read.

Everyone who has read The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner has raved about it! You will love it too. A widows life is interrupted by a documentary filmmaker, that is the premise of this book but of course, there is much more to the story!

This book focuses on the themes of love, loss, secrets, and forgiveness. I enjoy fiction like with substance, that’s not just a fluffy read!



Here’s the synopsis:

Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family’s old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she’s forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future.



If you enjoy books by Karen White and Elin Hilderbrand, you will love this one too!

Standard good read for the beach, I read it in a few hours on a summer afternoon.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy.

4 stars!! WOW! This was my first Jamie Brenner book and I was very impressed. I immediately fell in love with the characters and their story. The character development was phenomenal throughout the entire story. There was heartbreak, forgiveness, redemption, love and above all, family. The author wrote about some very tough and emotional stories poignantly and beautifully. I will definitely be reading more of Jamie Brenner’s books now!

Thanks to Jamie Brenner, the publisher, Little Brown and Company, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well written beach read. That said, I didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't like the pacing of the plot, and wasn't surprised by the "big reveal". However, The Husband Hour did a great job chronicling grief, despair and depression, while bringing the issue of CTE into the light.

I really enjoyed this beautifully written story of family, hardships, love, and loss. The Husband Hour is emotionally complex with dynamic family issues set to a beachy background. The flawed characters are portrayed in such a way that I found myself hoping the best for everyone regardless of the unseemly decisions they’ve made.

I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from Publisher/NetGalley
Lauren Adelman and her high school sweetheart, Rory Kincaid, are a golden couple. They marry just out of college as Rory, a star hockey player, earns a spot in the NHL. Their future could not look brighter when Rory shocks everyone-Lauren most of all-by enlisting in the U.S. Army. When Rory dies in combat, Lauren is left devastated, alone, and under unbearable public scrutiny.

Seeking peace and solitude, Lauren retreats to her family's old beach house on the Jersey Shore. But this summer she's forced to share the house with her overbearing mother and competitive sister. Worse, a stranger making a documentary about Rory tracks her down and persuades her to give him just an hour of her time.

One hour with filmmaker Matt Brio turns into a summer of revelations, surprises, and upheaval. As the days grow shorter and her grief changes shape, Lauren begins to understand the past-and to welcome the future.

What a story. Had me from page 1 and I couldn't stop reading. The writing at times was so powerful I went back to reread a chapter just because it was so beautiful. This story deals with headline news. PTSD in returning soldiers and concussions in athletes. This remarkable book takes place at the Jersey shore and is a pretty realistic portrayal of both winter and summer life. I lived near Ventnor, NJ and knew many of the landmarks referenced in the story. Lauren is a wonder main character who loved her husband Rory. The story starts with his funeral and moves forward 5 years. When her Mother, sister, nephew and a documentary film maker all arrive they invade her solitude and shake up her life. Remarkable story. more stars if I could. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.