The Husband Hour

Synopsis (from Amazon): When a young widow's reclusive life in a charming beach town is interrupted by a surprise visitor, she is forced to reckon with dark secrets about her family, her late husband, and the past she tried to leave behind.

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 US 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.

One (or more) Sentence Summary: I really enjoyed The Husband Hour.  I liked the fact that Rory was a hockey player (my son plays) and that angle of the story.  I was shocked by the relationship between Lauren and her sister Stephanie and the outcome (no spoiler alert).  

I liked how Matt, the filmmaker, was able to create his documentary and through his interviews and research the story unfolds.  I was happy that Lauren was able to get over her grief and move on.  I would like to see a sequel, given how the book ended.  

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: I would like to read The Forever Summer and Wedding Sisters.

Jamie Brenner grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of Norma Klein, Judy Blume, and Judith Krantz novels.  After studying literature at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Jamie moved to New York City where she started her career at HarperCollins Publishers, then later Barnes&Noble.com and Vogue.com before returning to books and becoming an author.  Her novel The Forever Summer is a national bestseller. Her new book, The Husband Hour published this spring with Little, Brown.  Jamie  lives in New York City with her husband and teenage daughters. 

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