Unfortunately, I did not finish this story. Plainly put, I did not connect to the characters nor was I prepared to be in the mindset for it. From the synopsis, I was expecting something different.

There are a few bits of comedy, snark, and romance, but I wasn't ready for it. It's mostly me and my preferences, but this time it wasn't for me.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This is my first Emily Belden book and after hearing great things about her novels, I was excited to read it. I didn’t realize what this was really about and thought it would be a light, funny rom-com, based on the cover. It dealt with more serious issues as the main character was a widow who was figuring out how to handle her grief.
That said, there were funny parts and Belden did kind of present a light side while dealing with such a serious issue. This book had me interested in what would happen next and I liked the characters. It wasn’t a love for me, but a good read and I definitely look forward to other books from this author.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Going into this book, I thought it was going to be this regular old romance book where main character’s dead husband’s ashes also happen to show up at her doorstep. But this book ended up being so much better than that. Have I gotten ahead of myself? Maybe I should take a few steps back.

This novel center’s around Charlotte, a coder in LA who is failing at the dating. After coming home from a friend’s wedding one night, her world is completely thrown when her dead husband’s ashes show up at her doorstep. The twist? No one in her life even knows she was married. Her roommate, her close friends, her work. So now she has to figure out what to do with these ashes and all of the characters who are now coming back into her life.

Husband Material sounds like it might be a sob fest and while it has it’s moments, Belden has managed to create a fun and comedic novel that I couldn’t put down. While it had a few plot points that a reader could guess, there were a few twists that I definitely did not see coming. Any reader who loves a fun read needs to add this to their list!

This was a very sweet book and a quick read. Quite enjoyable and I think people will really enjoy this book quite a bit if you're looking for a fluffy romance.

3.5 stars

This novel was more than the average contemporary romantic comedy. Before I started this novel, I did not know the extent of the title "Husband Material" on the story.

Between the writing and the plot, this novel reminded me of those similar to Cecelia Ahern and Jojo Moyes. I mean this in the most complimentary way. It felt like a unique story but for those that enjoy the writing style from both of those authors, maybe give this book a try as well. The story was emotional and meaningful but there were also comedic moments that gave the novel an appropriate balance.

I was surprised that there were a couple of moments while reading that I felt genuinely shocked. First, the story started off in a way that lead me to believe the relationship in this marriage was vastly different than what it turned out to be. Add on a few other important events that get revealed later in this novel and yes, I was very surprised.

Overall, this was a good read that had a nice balance of humour while still being a serious story. It was enjoyable to read and I'm interested in reading more from this author in the future.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

This book was cute.

I enjoyed it but didn't love the whole thing. The author had great quirky jokes peppered throughout and adorable scenes but the beginning of the story dragged a bit for me. For deeper thoughts I would have to plot points. As I was reading the first half though it was a constant, well that escalated quickly and WTF where did that information come from. It was a bit jarring. That being said, the last half had me hooked and I loved it.

DNF at 26%. This story just really didn’t work for me. The characters all felt like caricatures or stereotypes - especially Charlotte’s mom, mother in law and boss. I found myself constantly annoyed by the way she thought about things and ultimately decided to stop reading at this point. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

A semi light romp about a numbers girl who fell into numbers after some darkness in her life. This book Is both charming and sweet overall, but lacks some depth which makes the latter part of the book less satisfying than I was hoping.

I went into this one thinking that it would be a light-hearted rom-com based on the blurb, but that's not entirely accurate. The author definitely tackles some pretty heavy topics such as loss, grief, and trying to move on with life as a widower. This book was alright, but definitely not one of my favorites.

Very cute, light read. I wanted more at the end, some type of resolution. But nonetheless, an enjoyable read.

Charlotte Rosen has a great career and is on the lookout for a great relationship. Her desire to find the right man—the perfect man—is what led her to creating a dating app she believes will knock all other dating apps out of the water.

But, Charlotte has a secret. Charlotte has already been married. She already had the perfect husband. And when he died, her world was turned completely upside down. And it's about to happen again.

A fire threatens the mausoleum where her husband's remains have been housed for the past five years and so the company has shipped said remains back to Charlotte for her to rehome. Which means revealing her widowed state to those around her. And also means facing her husband's death once again. But when a secret surfaces in the middle of all this upheaval, Charlotte has to face the fact that her life may not be as perfect and organized as she thought.

Emily Belden's latest is sweet and charming, but it's also a bit all over the place.

Charlotte works crunching data at a company that builds companies. Basically, they hire influencers to attend parties, grand openings, and other events to post about said events, and create buzz about businesses. And Charlotte is the one who puts all the data together into a package any layman can understand.

She loves data. So much so, she uses it in her dating life, creating an app that will collate online activity to help her find her perfect mate.

But then her husband's ashes arrive out of the blue. And Charlotte has spent so much time trying to hide the fact that she's a widow that she clearly has never really dealt with some of the impact of being a widow in the first place.

It affects her friendships. It affects her job. It affects everything around her.

The subplots of the book are where the story gets tangled a bit. Fortunately, Belden had built a main character interesting enough to carry the plot along even when it starts to feel like it's straying into even more unfocused territory.

And it does all come together in the end.

Overall, Husband Material is a cute rom-com-ish read that will pull at your heartstrings.

This was my first time reading an Emily Belden book and it did not disappoint. Husband Material follows widow Charlotte as she deals with receiving her husband's ashes unexpectedly five years after her husband's untimely death. I was expecting a little more romance out of the book but still enjoyed watching Charlotte deal with her grief and learn to move on finally. Overall it was a solid read and a quick one at under 300 pages.

There are parts of Emily Belden’s Husband Material I really enjoy. The first-person narration is approachable. The general premise—of a young widow thrown for a big loop when her husband’s ashes are returned to her after his death five years earlier—is interesting, and her attempts to process that and to grow from the revelations she learns are admirable. And finally, around the time the hero Brian appears I flipped through the pages quickly and looked forward to finding out what happened.

But I ended up being overall disappointed with the book because I didn’t see the payoff I was hoping for. In the end I had major problems with the characterization of both leads and I doubted their romance.

Charlotte, the widow, is dealing with a lot but she often seems selfish in her dealings with others, even in the novel’s final chapters.

My first impression of Brian—through an anecdote Charlotte tells—is not flattering and he never really opens up about how and why his personality has changed so much since then. He also did something that I think is unconscionable to Charlotte and his explanation/grovel isn’t really sufficient for me.

And finally, I just didn’t buy any real chemistry between them beyond friendship. While I suspected where their relationship might be heading, there was very little evidence for my suspicions for much of the book. Most of their interactions seem jocular only, like they’re pals.

This book just wasn’t for me.

2.5 stars

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own

Thank you for the early copy!

I did not connect with the writing style and also I have learned this is not a genre for me.

*sigh* I really wanted to love this book, I did. I tried. Let me give you a synopsis of the book and then I'll tell you what really irked me about this one.

Charlotte is a widow...no one knows it. No one at work, her roommate, no one. She works at an influencer firm and runs/designs programs that are data driven to help provide companies with real time information. She has also created a program where she has created an algorithm to find herself the perfect match. I mean, she's only been on 70ish dates and never had anyone go past 2 dates, so...

There is drama with her late husband, her late husband's family, and her late husband's best friend. That is all I can say without giving anything away. There's drama with her roommate too and rightfully so.

Here's what irked me THE MOST. The voice of Charlotte was not consistent (at least not in my eyes or within my inner monologue while I read). In the beginning I thought maybe she was quirky or possibly a character on the autism spectrum. Then I felt like she was completely normal and not weird or quirky at all and then she would change back and it was like...wait...the voice just went all over the place for me and I didn't enjoy that. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes she was scatter brained and lost and other times sane and level headed. Then there were times where she just didn't care about anyone else and that was that. *shrugs*

2 stars. I know. I will say the ending comes along with a little boop and it's kinda like...that's it. This is how we resolved everything and so quickly?? We went from 0 to 60 to hey let's all hang out now...just odd. I also was not a fan of who Charlotte ends up with...at the end of the day I'm not mad I read this, I just wish there was a little more to it. At the end of the day it just wasn't my style.

“As time goes on, things change. And real life has an arc to it, remember?”

This book was an ARC given to me from the publisher and author through NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity, and know that all thoughts are my own and do not reflect the author or publisher in any way.

Well, this review is about a month too late… I’m so sorry that I missed finishing this book before it’s publication date, but the holidays were busy and I finally had time to sit down and read this book. I am so glad that I made time to enjoy this stunning story about Charlotte learning how to be herself and find joy after the death of her husband.

Title: Husband Material
Author: Emily Belden
Publication Date: December 30, 2019
Rating: 3.5* (I almost gave this a 4…)

Unspoilery Blurb

Charlotte runs her life like a computer program. After suddenly losing her husband a year after getting married, Charlotte deals with the unpredictability of life by attempting to control every piece that she can. Five years later, Charlotte is writing codes for an up-and- coming social media analytics company and lives her life in black and white. That is, until her deceased husband’s urn is suddenly sent to her house- disrupting her new life where no one knows that she is a widow. Needing to deal with an issue that no algorithm can solve, Charlotte embarks on a struggle with that past while trying not to jeopardize her future. However, with all the secrets and feelings that she uncovers, Charlotte will need to choose if she wants to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

Husband Material tells the story of struggling through grief and learning how to carry on with life after a detrimental loss. This book focuses on taking chances and following your heart, and I really enjoyed the premise of this story. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet, contemporary book that deals with loss in an uplifting, heart-felt way.

Unspoilery Review

I enjoyed reading Husband Material, although it was not totally for me. I appreciated the huge topic that the author attempted to deal with, but I was slightly disappointed by the ending. Personally, I would have preferred for Charlotte’s story to conclude differently, and I believe a plot point in the second part of the story was kind of pointless. That being said, the book was well-written and I found myself invested in the story and the characters’ journeys.

I hope that you pick up this book if it sounds like something you’re interested in! It was a special book that I feel like could have an immense impact on some people’s lives.

Happy Reading

A decently charming novel, filled with cute moments and endearing sweetness. I personally can't relate to much going on, but I feel like this will mean a lot to someone else.

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.

I enjoyed this author’s book Hot Mess so I was looking forward to this one. This book is marketed as a romcom which it is and isn’t. There are a lot of light hearted romcom moments here but there are a lot of serious moments as well. Charlotte is a young widow that has surrounded herself with a controlled environment. She works with numbers and algorithms so there is no ability for chance and she chose her roommate with the same care. Her well constructed world comes apart when her deceased husband’s ashes unexpectantly show up at her door. What follows is Charlotte coming to terms with her life and how she plans to move forward. There are some surprises along the way and Charlotte’s roommate Casey really adds to the story.

I think this book description and cover was a little misleading for me. I expected a romantic comedy but this is definitely a women's fiction. If I was more aware of the content, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book. It just wasn't for me.