Husband of the Year

The flimsy fourth and final outing in Wardell’s Teachers in Love series revisits Olan Stone and Marvin Block, the heroes of the first installment, Teacher of the Year, who, two years later, are planning their wedding. Though the novel opens with the loved-up couple on a sex-filled, romantic Mexican getaway, the two quickly find that the path to marriage will not run smooth. Olan must leave their idyllic life in Maine to support his family in Chicago, where his younger brother is in rehab. He says goodbye to his seven-year-old daughter, Illona, and Marvin for an unknown length of time. Can their relationship survive the strain of long distance and familial pressure? Themes of community care and unconditional love are heartfelt, but the men’s over-the-top romantic dialogue and internal monologues edge into the saccharine; Olan calls Marvin “adorable” with improbable frequency, and while Marvin thinks “hearing it from his beautiful lips never loses its magic,” readers may wish for a bit more depth to their connection. The characters also feel one-note: Olan is nerdy, Marvin is anxious, and Illona is precocious to a degree that feels uncanny. Die-hard series fans will appreciate the happy ending but others can skip this. (Nov.)