The Husband Hour by Jamie Brenner

So I won this book in a giveaway many months ago and I absolutely try my hardest when I have time between ARCs (advanced reader copies) to read and review my giveaway books. The publishers and authors don’t just give them away for them to sit on your bookshelf unread. The hope is that you will read it, review it, and spread the word. So here I am (albeit a little late considering this was published in April 2018) but better late than never!

This was my first time reading Jamie Brenner. It won’t be my last.

Even though it is December, this is the perfect summer read. I was transported to the beaches of the Jersey Shore and loved living in that world for a bit.

The Husband Hour is the story of Lauren, the widow of an NHL star and American military hero, who moves to her family’s summer home to get out of the spotlight of being the “famous widow.” She needs to be alone to think, to recover, to grieve. But years later when twenty-something-year-old Lauren is still living the life of a hermit, her mother decides she will come to the beach house to spend the summer with her (along with her father and her estranged sister). Meanwhile, Matt Brio, a documentary filmmaker is looking to tell the story of Rory Kincaid and has been trying to track down his widow for years. When he finally finds her holed up at the Jersey Shore he descends upon the town on a mission for a story.

This book is truly a book about family dynamics, relationships, heartbreak, regret, guilt, redemption, grief, and forgiveness. It was really interesting and I enjoyed how Jamie Brenner weaved all the elements of the family together.

There were a few times throughout the book where I felt like it could have been 50 pages shorter. It didn’t feel that long, but there were several chapters where I knew where the book was headed and I was willing it to get there. The big “shocker” of the book in particular could be seen coming for about 50 pages before it was really divulged, which may have taken away a bit of its shock value. That being said, the twist was incredibly well thought out and was definitely the most integral and intriguing element of the story, so even though it took a little while to fully unfold, it was worth the wait.

I would definitely read Jamie Brenner’s work again. It reminded me of one of my favorites, Kristy Woodson Harvey, who writes the Peachtree Bluff series (Slightly South of Simple and The Secret to Southern Charm). So if you’re fans of Harvey’s work, The Husband Hour would be a good choice for you.

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