Happy release day
First of all, I’d love to thank #NetGalley & @robbierenee for an advance readers copy of this delicious audiobook! This book follows Dr. Dresden Xavier & Professor Harper Kingsley, 2 40+ year olds…(How refreshing to read a love story about grown folks!!!) I went into this book, expecting a similar story to Somebody’s Wife . Imagine my surprise when the vibe was completely different. This story shows how 2 people navigate through their personal journeys of grief.
I felt like I was watching a black love story from the 90’s (i.e Love Jones, Boomerang, Brown sugar) or a version of the iconic Living Single, or Girlfriends. There was a palpable sexiness that came across between Dre & Harper from their first encounter. And, it’s a SEXY SLOW BURN!!! Please pick up “Somebody’s Husband” you definitely won’t regret it! Ohhhh, and there’s NO 3rd act breakup!!! Okay-byyyyye

I really enjoyed this book. When I read the description of the book, I knew I had to get it. I love the idea of finding love again after dealing with a life changing
experience. I would definitely read it again.

I have read several titles from Robbi Renee, and this one brings us back to Monroe University, the campus that we first encountered in 2023's Somebody's Wife. I loved that this story gives another nod to a Black culture staple, HBCUs. Robbi does a good job of helping us to understand the MMC and FMC, and how their life's journey has brought them to the same place.

While I enjoy the overall flow and pacing of Renee's work, there are times when I think the narrative gets more wordy than it should be. Certain adjectives and descriptors become overused (ex: "muted" and "orbs"), and it can distract from what is otherwise good writing. However, I think a strong editor can help to make progress in that area. I can tell that Robbi poured her heart into Husband, and I found myself getting emotional when Harper comes to terms with the literal end of her and Terrence's relationship.

Dylan Ford narrated for the entirety of the title, and while his performance was not quite as strong as some of Robbi's previous audio partners, I felt that he did a beautiful job with the emotional scenes and solid work with the dialogue. His narrative delivery needs a little more polishing, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the story. I think the audio for this title would have been more dynamic if Ford had been paired with a female co-narrator, perhaps just until he can sharpen his own skill set.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing my with an ALC of this title.

Dresden and Harper’s romance story explores relationships after the loss of a spouse. I enjoyed the character development as Xavier dealt with his developing feelings for a woman who isn’t his wife (she died from cancer). Although he is still deeply in love with his wife, she told him before she died that she wanted him to find love after her death. Harper is dealing with trust issues after her disappointment in her first marriage. Things that I like about this book were: Dresden’s love for his wife and how he treated Harper, Harper’s dedication to being her ex-husband’s caretaker, how the Dresden and Harper’s children grow to accept their relationship

**Review of *Somebody’s Husband* by Robbi Renee**

*Somebody’s Husband* by Robbi Renee is a gripping and emotionally charged novel that explores the complexities of love, identity, and the choices we make in the pursuit of happiness. The story follows a woman, whose life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband has been hiding a dark secret. As she navigates the shock of betrayal and the unraveling of her seemingly perfect life, she is forced to confront her own insecurities and what it means to truly know someone.

At its core, *Somebody’s Husband* is a story about self-discovery and resilience. The narrative is centered around the protagonist’s journey to reclaim her life and find her voice in the aftermath of betrayal. Robbi Renee skillfully captures the emotional turmoil and conflict of the main character, making her both relatable and empathetic. The plot is carefully paced, keeping the tension high as each new revelation brings the protagonist closer to understanding the truth about her marriage and herself.

While the premise is intriguing, there are moments where the pacing feels slow, and the internal struggles of the protagonist could have been explored in greater depth. However, Renee’s writing shines when it comes to the emotional scenes, delivering a raw and heartfelt experience for readers.

In terms of content warnings, readers should be aware that *Somebody’s Husband* deals with themes of infidelity, betrayal, and the psychological toll these events can have on a person. For some, these themes may hit particularly close to home, so it's important to approach the book with caution if you're sensitive to these topics.

The book is particularly well-suited for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction focused on personal growth, emotional resilience, and complex relationships. If you're a fan of novels that dive deep into the intricacies of human connection, *Somebody’s Husband* may be a compelling read for you. However, if you prefer faster-paced plots or action-driven narratives, this may not be the best fit.

Overall, I would rate this book **3.5 out of 5 stars**. While the emotional depth and character-driven storytelling are strong, some parts of the book might feel drawn out, and a deeper exploration of certain themes could have added more substance to the plot. However, it is still a thought-provoking and poignant read for those who appreciate contemporary fiction with a focus on personal journeys and self-realization.

I LOVED Somebody's Wife, so I was really excited for this book. It definitely didn't disappoint. I went into this one blind, and it went in a different direction from what I was expecting. While sweet and heartwarming, this book packs a punch with the real life topics that it address, such as grief, death, and the emotions surrounding losing a spouse. The author did a great job displaying the emotions of the main characters. I felt I was right in the story living life with them. The emotions were deep and the spice was spicy. Great listen!

While I would've preferred dual narration, Dylan Ford did a decent job narrating. I pushed through due to how beautiful the story was.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I am not a romance reader but the title, cover, and description intrigued me.
Also being a first time reader of the author, I gave the book a 3.75-4. I am reviewing the audiobook. The narrators voice worked for some of the characters (mostly male), but was not as believable as a women. Felt “ too animated” and what I would describe as being mocked. Beyond that it is:

A beautiful story about second chances at friendship and love; how grief is love with no where to go, until you make space for it.

I enjoyed the brief invite into both Harper and Dresden’s lives ( family, work, health, love and legacy, grief, intimacy and friendships). There was a lot to dissect , which monopolized 75% of the story, rushing the last 25%. Overall good read. I would recommend for hopeless romantics with a bit of naughty 🫣😜💕

This was fantastic. The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

I finished this book on Christmas and boy oh boy!! My heart!! This book dealt with heavy themes but in such a beautiful way! Robbi Renee might become an auto-buy author for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I went into this audiobook blind because I believe that adds to the experience when it comes to listening to books vs reading them.

This story was written well it fell flat on the romance for me. This book was way more emotionally taxing than I typically prefer. But I did miss the swoon worthy, sexy romance I prefer when it comes this genre. I just didn’t get enough of the FMC & MMC falling and being in love.

However I will say that I love the way the characters are written as intelligent and communicate well. Ma’am you know how to write a man!!!❤️🥰

The grief and heartache the two MC’s shared was intense. Both faced a different type of loss but both had to face a new way of life. Beautiful!!

* Audiobook Review*
ARC Review
First I would like to thank Robbi Renee, Net Galley and Black Odyssey for this advanced copy.

Imagine being a single dad after 20 years of marriage with college age twin girls. Your heart is still with your late wife but you instantly feel a pull towards a soon to be colleague who works at your daughter’s school. You feel so conflicted because you never thought about moving on but you can’t deny the attraction. Once you make up your mind to pursue her you’re hit with a curve ball of her ex husband of whom she is still taking care of in the mist of his sudden illness. He decided to be a friend but she still couldn’t ignore his feelings so he allowed time to work in his favor.
The narration of this audiobook was good. However, I do wish that there was female voice for the female character. Dylan’s voice kind of threw me off a bit but it also made me chuckle when he did his Impression of Mya Angelou.
I think this was written very well and in true Robbie Renee fashion she will have you engulfed with her words and you will enjoy casual banter of the characters .

Robbi Renee is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.

I love how she dove into the topic of grief and its complexities with such authenticity and depth.

Harper and Dresden’s approach to parenting their children while introducing their new relationships was beautifully handled and felt so genuine.

Dylan did a good job with narrating the story.

That said, I do wish the cover had stayed closer to the style of the original Somebody’s Wife—it had such a unique and captivating vibe compared to the newer designs.

I enjoyed the story however the narrator wasn’t ny favorite. I had to stop and go back but once I did I was glad I did. The story was beautifully written and being my first from the author it was good.

Somebody's Husband is essentially a story about finding love and an everything partner again after losing your first one. The lives of two adults in their 40s with teen-aged kids are irrecoverably intertwined when they join forces on a new clinical trial project for cancer patients.

Doctor Dresden Xavier is loyal, down to earth and committed to his late wife even after she's gone. But continues on raising their twin girls and living life the best he can when with a broken heart without her. Professor Harper Kingsley is on the fast track to tenure at the HBCU she teaches at and at the height of her career. But struggles with supporting her ex-husband and the father of her sons who's battling cancer.

The story's strength lies within Dresden's character as readers consistently watch him struggle with his growing attraction and draw towards Harper's character while still carrying the love for his late wife Nina. His character was definitely the most thought out in the book. And having the support of his family and friends when he moved back to his hometown was awesome to see.

As if living life in parallel directions, Harper and Dresden's lives held a lot of similarities. And as a reader, I could see how they would gravitate towards each other for a number of reasons. But when it came to the romance in this book, I found some red flags in the main and supporting characters that really had me shaking my head.

But what disrupted my focus the most while reading this book was the growing sense that the story was more about building drama around these two finding each other and less about the emotional backbone of the story--the effects of living on after losing someone to cancer.

It got to a point in the book that I felt like the story could've done without the plot point all together. The hyperbolic way in which every other passage boosted Dresden's looks and how Harper was lonely and needed a bed mate was overdone. And while I am a little over a decade younger than both the MCs, every image depicted to describe Dresden brought up images of family members or family friends to mind. So I just could not find anything about him attractive.

I know this is fiction and what's a romance book without DRAMA but cancer has touched the lives of people close to me. So there were parts of this book I could not fully ignore or overlook for the sake of staying immersed in the story. Therefore, I think the book could have excluded the cancer part entirely or made it less of the main story plot altogether.

With that being said, Somebody's Husband does a good job of detailing a healing process through life and love after grief and loss.

I’m not a fan of only one narrator but the story was so good that after a while I didn’t mind. This book was so amazing and I can’t stress this enough. It was so refreshing to read a book with real people 40 plus with real life problems. I also appreciated that there was no drama or infidelity just two people who were navigating through love and grief.

4.5 Stars!

This was such a nice surprise!

The story was so beautiful! I was crying at every emotional part, the happy and the sad. Judging by the title and description, I thought the plot would go a different way, but I truly enjoyed how it all went. I feel so connected to all of the characters, their relationships are so well thought out and they are so realistic in their actions and motivations that this felt like people's lives playing out in front of me. Everyone had their own lives, and not one character felt like they only existed for the furthering of the plot/romance. I also loved that the characters were older, in their 40s, as it made much more sense for them to have established careers and livelihoods.

The reason it's not a 5 star is because I found myself cringing/laughing during the more romantic scenes. The story was very seamless in its integration of the romance, it felt like their love worked around the main characters' lives. However, the very creative words to describe body parts and actions sometimes brought me out of the romance. I still love Harper and Dresden together though, and there wasn't too much spice, just enough for my taste.

Overall, I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends, and Robbi Renee is someone I'll look to for more romance in the future!

3.5 stars rounded up. I don’t tend to read romance books but there was something in the blurb for Somebody’s Husband by Robbi Renee that made me want to read this one. It was my first book that I have read by Robbi Renee. I like the way she addressed some very difficult subjects. The characters that she created were flawed yet quite likable. I listened to the audiobook of Somebody’s Husband that was very well narrated by Dylan Ford. I wasn’t prepared for the explicit language that was used to describe some sexual desires or acts of intimacy that the main characters experienced throughout the book. I don’t consider myself a prude or anything close to that but I found some of the language offensive and crude. It took away from my total enjoyment of the book. That factored into my rating of this book as well because the overall plot rated higher in my opinion.

Dr. Dresden Xavier had the perfect life until he didn’t. He had married the love of his life, had a beautiful home, twin daughters and very successful career as a doctor. Then his Rosie was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Nothing could save her, not even all his knowledge as a doctor, his passionate love for her, his endless prayers nor his desire for her to live. When Rosie died, Dresden made the decision to move to Monroe City. Living in Monroe City would give Dresden and his twin daughters the family support they all needed. This was where Dresden had grown up and his parents and sister still lived there. He found a position at the local hospital. They were beginning a clinical trial for colon cancer patients and asked Dresden to head the medical research project. Dresden gladly accepted the position and challenge. He felt that by submerging himself in his work completely he would be able to handle his grief and loss better, at least temporarily. His twin daughters would begin college soon so he hoped that everything that he had put in place would help him to cope the best that he could.

Professor Harper Kingsley was a professor of nursing at Monroe University. She had worked very hard to get where she was. Harper’s life had not always been easy. She had been met with several challenges throughout her life. While Harper attended college, she worked as a waitress at a diner in order to help her pay for education. During this time, Harper discovered that she was pregnant and totally on her own. A young truck driver who often ate at the diner took a liking to Harper. Every time he ate at the diner he made sure that he ate in the section Harper was serving. They formed a friendship over time. Eventually the two married but it did not last. They had grown their family to include two sons but they divorced yet remained best friends. When Harper’s ex-husband was diagnosed with colon cancer, Harper became his caregiver. Her ex-husband moved back into Harper’s house and she and their two sons took care of him. It was a sad yet trying time for all of them.

Professor Harper Kingsley was asked to join the medical research project that Dr. Dresden Xavier was heading. She was seeking tenure in her position at the University where she taught and this project would definitely help with her pursuit of that. Harper was not prepared though for the instant attraction she had for Dr. Xavier. How could he make her feel this way? She hadn’t had feelings like she was feeling ever before. Was Dr. Xavier attracted to Harper as well? Would his grief and guilt affect his feelings? The more they found themselves together the harder it was to deny what was happening between them and what they were both feeling. The question was what they were going to do about it. Somebody’s Husband did a great job of exploring grief, loss, parenting issues, family and second chances. Be prepared to cry and laugh. The ending of this book was very emotional, touching and satisfying. I recommend this book for those of you who believe in second chances.

Thank you to RB Media for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Somebody’s Husband by Robbi Renee through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Okay, let’s get into Somebody’s Husband! This spicy romance by Robbi Renee had me hooked from the start. One thing I loved? This was not that typical “struggle love” narrative we sometimes see in Black romance. The story painted a healthy, beautiful picture of Black love—not just between the main characters, but even in how they reflected on their past marriages.

The main couple, both in their mid-forties, was a breath of fresh air. We don’t get enough romances featuring grown folks who have lived a little, learned a lot, and still have love stories worth swooning over. Shoutout to Robbi Renee for representing the more mature romance crowd!

Now, let’s talk about the characters. They were definitely interesting and attractive—I mean, I was rooting for them the whole way. That said, I wouldn’t have minded if they had a little more depth. Some of their decisions and dialogue felt predictable, but hey, it’s a feel-good romance, so I didn’t mind too much.

And the spice? Perfectly placed! Not overdone, but let’s just say it was not giving tame. Robbi knew what she was doing here, and I appreciated every steamy, well-timed scene.

If I have one nitpick, it’s the author’s occasional word choices. I get it—nobody wants to overuse the same descriptions, but sometimes it felt like she was leaning a bit too hard on the thesaurus. For example, calling eyes “orbs”... that one often causes a stir ina Facebook reading group for Black women I am part of lol. Personally, it didn’t bother me much, but I could see where it might pull some readers out of the moment.

Overall, Somebody’s Husband was a joy to read. It’s a sexy, heartwarming story that makes you believe in love—healthy, thriving Black love at that. If you’re into mature characters, relatable relationships, and a romance that’ll make you smile (and blush), this one’s for you.

"Somebody's Husband" by Robbi Renee is an absolute masterpiece that will leave you breathless, emotional, and deeply moved. This powerful second-chance romance delves into the complexities of love, loss, and healing with such raw authenticity that it feels like you're living the story alongside the characters.
Renee's portrayal of the female main character's struggles in her marriage resonated so deeply with me that I found myself in tears. The conversations about support within relationships felt incredibly real, as if I was having heart-to-heart talks with my own friends. This level of relatability is a testament to Renee's exceptional ability to capture the nuances of human emotions and relationships.

What sets this book apart is how it challenges readers to contemplate the true meaning of "till death do us part" in marriage vows. It forces you to confront difficult questions about love, commitment, and moving on after loss, all while weaving a beautiful romance that will make your heart race.

The chemistry between Dresden and Harper is electric, keeping you on the edge of your seat from the very first page to the last.
If you're searching for a romance that transcends typical genre tropes and offers a genuine, heartfelt exploration of love and life after immense loss, "Somebody's Husband" is an absolute must-read!

Robbi Renee is was a new-to-me author before I was gifted this ARC, and I must say, I was deeply moved by this story! Very rarely does a romance novel move me to tears, but this one had SO much depth to explore which also allowed readers to both experience griefs, and grow through their own processes along with the characters. Even with all of the individual challenges, the main characters in this story persevered. We got to witness the beauty of love after loss, of family and community, of self-determination and grit, and wo0ooo, that "husband"....let me tell you! This story has me reconsidering some things!

I am so grateful this ARC opportunity introduced me to Robbi Renee. She is definitely on my list of authors to watch. And as a result, I will most definitely be reading her backlist. Thank you to the author and publishers for the opportunity. I look forward to future stories to come!