Jamie Brenner’s The Husband Hour is one of those lovely novels that straddles the line between women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Our heroine is a woman trying desperately to find herself after her husband’s tragic death. Her journey to self-discovery is pretty tricky, but she ends up learning quite a bit about who she really is in the process. She is also faced with a chance at new love, and I absolutely loved watching her navigate all the pitfalls life throws in her path.

When Lauren Adelman married her high school sweetheart soon after she graduated from college, she was pretty sure life couldn’t get any better. She’d been in love with Rory for what seemed like forever, and he was poised to take the world by storm as a star hockey player. Being married to a high-profile athlete wasn’t exactly in Lauren’s life plan, but she was sure she and Rory would work out any problems together, and she was ready and willing to be the supportive wife he deserved.

The years go by, and suddenly, Rory announces that he’s leaving his hockey career behind and enlisting in the army. No one is more surprised than Lauren, but Rory refuses to reconsider his decision, and he heads off to Afghanistan where he is killed in action. Lauren is understandably wrecked by the news of his death, and she retreats to her family’s beach house to wallow in her grief as well as to escape the public scrutiny Rory’s passing has brought to her door.

Four years later, Lauren hasn’t managed to move on at all. She works at a local diner, runs miles a day, and basically isolates herself from the world whenever possible. Her family’s beach house on the Jersey shore has become her full-time refuge, and she can’t imagine living anywhere else ever again. Unfortunately though, Lauren’s family has other plans, and her sheltered existence is soon disrupted when her parents, sister, and young nephew come to spend one last summer at the shore before selling the house. Suddenly, Lauren is forced to deal with all manner of family drama, and she wants nothing more than to be alone once again.

Then, filmmaker Matt Brio tracks Lauren down and begs her to participate in a documentary he’s making about Rory’s life. Matt has experienced his own set of tragedies, and he has the strong feeling that making this documentary will finally bring him some peace. At first, readers may be confused about Matt’s rather obsessive interest in the late Rory Kincaid, but all will be revealed in due time. Unfortunately for Matt, his producer refuses to be involved in the project if Lauren doesn’t take part, so Matt stoops to some rather unethical lengths to convince her to do so. I wasn’t thrilled by this part of the story, but it didn’t last long enough to really detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Lauren can’t stand the thought of baring her soul on screen for all the world to see, but neither is she particularly fond of the documentary being made without her participation. She wants to make sure Rory is portrayed in the most positive light possible, and so, against her better judgement, she promises Matt one hour of her time. She hopes to lay to rest any untruths he might have discovered and then walk away, but as you can probably imagine, things don’t end up being that cut and dried. As Lauren reluctantly opens up to Matt about her life as Rory’s wife, she is forced to face several dark truths about her late husband and to re-examine what really precipitated his sudden decision to join the army.

The Husband Hour is the story of one woman’s struggle to come to terms with some deeply buried truths. It’s a story that is sure to bring you to tears on more than one occasion, but it will also leave you feeling strangely empowered. Lauren’s journey toward self-discovery isn’t always easy, but it’s a journey we can all relate to in one way or another. Our own secrets might not be as dramatic or as life-altering as Lauren’s, but I’m pretty sure we all know what it’s like to hide things from ourselves in an attempt to make life seem a little less bleak.

I really loved the emphasis Ms. Brenner puts on family life. Lauren is understandably devastated after Rory’s death, and she seems to forget her responsibilities to other members of her family. Her parents and sister are experiencing various crises of their own, and it was lovely to watch Lauren wake up to the fact that she was still a member of this imperfect family group. She gets frustrated with their intrusion into what she sees as her well-deserved peace, but she eventually comes to see that she is still loved and needed by them, and that true healing can only come to her if she once again opens her heart to those around her.

This novel contains some pretty strong romantic elements, but the romance between Lauren and Matt is not the central focus of the story. Some people might be disappointed by this, but I applaud Ms. Brenner for allowing Lauren to focus on her own personal growth and healing before giving her heart to another man. Matt and Lauren do have great chemistry when they’re on page together, and their romance adds an element of joy to what might otherwise have been a pretty dark and depressing read.

There’s so much to love about The Husband Hour, and I hope you will pick it up and revel in it the way I did. It’s an emotional read for sure, and one that will remain with me for a long time to come.

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