"The Husbands" is a refreshingly inventive debut that blends elements of mystery, romance, and existential contemplation. Through Lauren's bewildering journey of discovering multiple husbands and questioning the nature of choice and identity, the novel poses thought-provoking questions about the complexities of modern life. The premise of an attic generating an infinite supply of spouses provides a whimsical backdrop for exploring themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of happiness.

The author crafts a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Lauren's quest to unravel the mystery of her ever-changing reality is both humorous and poignant, offering readers a captivating exploration of the human condition. With its clever premise, witty prose, and relatable protagonist, "The Husbands" is a delightful read that invites readers to ponder the nature of love, destiny, and the pursuit of fulfillment in a world of endless possibilities.

Well, this book certainly is original. I was drawn in by the concept of husbands appearing out of an attic. Each time Lauren sends a husband up to the attic, he disappears, and a new one appears. She goes through more than a hundred husbands this way. She learns what she likes in husbands. She gets to test out marriage. It's sort of Sliding Doors, but with many many possible outcomes. In one lifetime, her sister doesn't have children. In another, Lauren or her spouse are cheating on each other. In one, Lauren spends a week with a guy she really likes and can see a future with, but he goes into the attic before she can stop him.

My main issue with the book is that once you understand the premise, it just goes on an on. The husbands grow monotonous for the reader as they do for Lauren, and she starts to become cruel. She will do anything to get rid of certain husbands. She drugs one of them, and is pretty awful. And in the end, her solution is pretty predictable. I think this book had a chance to do something really unique by examining the institution of marriage, but it fell a bit short with a character who became more and more unlikable.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

"The Husbands" is a delightfully fun novel that follows Lauren as she returns home to her London flat one night and is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There's just one problem—she isn't married, and she's never seen this man before. But according to her friends and the pictures on her phone, they have been together for years. When Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb, he suddenly disappears and a new man emerges in his place, and a slightly altered life forms around Lauren. When the new husband goes to the attic, he also disappears and another husband descends the attic ladder—again and again and again.. As Lauren realizes that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, she questions how to know she has taken the right path and when to stop trying to do better.

I am a sucker for magical realism, and I absolutely adored this debut novel from Holly Gramazio. The premise is so unique, and it was such an entertaining and fresh story. Lauren was a very funny and clever protagonist, who you just can't help but love and root for. While the book is mostly lighthearted fun, it does take on the big questions and really make you think. In a world of swiping left and right, when do you know you've made the right choice and stop trying to look for a better match? Highly recommend this humorous and original love story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 - This was fine - a quirky, chaotic and an interesting premise. Lauren comes back from a hen do and discovers a man in her apartment - apparently her husband. She also discovers that anytime he goes into the attic, he is replaced with an entirely new and different husband. Each time her world is a bit different and she is the only one who remembers the past. That's pretty much the story - her navigating her magical attic and ALL of the husbands.

The FMC, Lauren, was VERY funny and clever - her inner banter and commentary was my favorite part of the book. That being said I don't feel like I really got to know her or any of the other ever-changing side characters well. The story itself was repetitive, lacked the depth I hoped for and the ending was very abrupt. That being said, I'm learning I am mostly not a fan of time travel/time loops/alternate worlds themes - I find them to be a bit anxiety producing.

Thank you to @netgalley, Doubleday and Holly Gramazio for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Out this week!

A thought provoking premise, but the story becomes tiresome after a while and ends with not so much of a cliffhanger as a flat “what?” I had a very hard time getting into this book, then found the middle readable, but buy the end I was just waiting for it to be over.

Very different -what a concept!
With a nod toward "trying on" relationships via things like dating apps - the divorce rate may be helped if more people had an attic!

Very funny - quick read.

Happy pub day to The Husbands by @Holly_Gramazio! I’m adding my voice to all those who adored this book.

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London, she’s greeted at the door by her husband Michael. The only problem? She doesn’t have a husband. But there are wedding pictures and the apartment is slightly different. When he goes into the attic he’s replaced by another husband on the way down. And this cycle continues. One husband goes into the attic, another one comes out and with him a whole new life that he and Lauren have lived together.

This book was extremely funny, but I also felt a certain melancholy while reading it. I had trouble putting it down because I couldn’t even imagine where the story was going, and I was so worried that something terrible might happen to Lauren who I really grew to love over the course of the book. I think The Husbands covers a lot of themes. Definitely one about commitment, but it also plays with the idea of how many people you could enjoy enough to build a life with. And the need for instant gratification and feeling like things are disposable, both of which seem to be getting more prevalent in our culture.

The resolution of the book was not one I saw coming and it was both sad and beautiful and I think the longer it sits with me the more perfect it will seem.

I loved the audio! Miranda Raison does a phenomenal job narrating and getting us into Lauren’s head, and she does a great job with the other accents in the book. I’m grateful that I had the chance to listen to an ALC and would wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook.
Definitely grab this book if it sounds even a little bit interesting. It was sort of a mash up of Groundhog Day and The Midnight Library, while also remaining an entirely unique concept.

I really enjoyed this one. This is not a romance. Rather, it seems to be more of a critique of modern dating apps and poses the question, when all it takes is a swipe left, and endless options are at our fingertips, are we as motivated to look for the good qualities in partners? When it’s so easy to switch it up, are we as committed to staying? This was laugh out loud funny, a little sad, and very insightful. My only critique would be that there were a lot of husbands to keep up which may have been intentional to convey the weariness and exasperation of the main character in her quest. Overall, I would recommend!

For fans of: the movie Groundhog Day, The Bachelor,
cultural criticism, books about alternate realities

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for the ARC!

If The Husbands by @holly_gramazio is not on your list, add it!! This is the story of a woman, Lauren, who keeps having a different husband emerge from the attic in her flat. Like she gets to test out husbands before deciding which one works. Some last 3 minutes before she sends them back into the attic, and some last months. I LOVED THIS BOOK! This book was absolutely delightful. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hug my kindle. The quirks about the husbands were hilarious, Lauren was such a likable and relatable protagonist and I loved the way the revolving husbands all worked seamlessly and little facts and details about the rest of Lauren’s life and her friends and family were all slightly affected by each husband. The entire concept was so unique and so flawlessly and well executed. What an absolute pleasure to read.

This was so fun and whimsical. I loved how the magical realism drew me in. The different husbands were easy to keep track of and I laughed several times. This premise was so unique and Gramiazo sold me! I can’t wait for her next book!

After reading the synopsis of this book, I couldn’t wait to read it. What an interesting concept. This story gave me Twilight Zone vibes right from the start. Maybe Twilight Zone meets Groundhog Day meets the Butterfly Effect. Except funnier. Talk about the ultimate “try before you buy.”
I think Lauren’s accidental friendship with Bohai is hilariously right for the story. What a crazy thing to have in common. Their philosophical & practical discussions are thought provoking & entertaining. I liked trying to figure out why, how, & who would be the end game. After the last spectacularly bad attic stairs event, I suspected an epiphany was coming, but still didn’t have a clue how things would tie up. Somehow it does. Perfectly.
I never would’ve guessed this is the author’s first book. I’ll definitely look for more of her work in the future. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley.

4.5 stars. Loved this! Lauren returns home after her friend's bachelorette party to find a husband. The problem is, Lauren has never been married. But according to her friends, the pictures on her phone and her much-improved home decor, Lauren is ,in fact, married to Michael. But after Michael goes upstairs to the attic to change a lightbulb, a different husband emerges and a different life for Lauren. Time moves forward but the husbands keep getting exchanged. Realizing that she can just reset her life if she doesn't like the newest husband, Lauren confronts the question of when do you stop trying to do better and start actually living your life?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this e-arc.*

Thank you DoubleDay and PRH audio for the free review copies of The Husbands, this was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and it did not disappoint. Gramazio's story is original, creative, and thought provoking in great ways. This would be such a great book for a buddy read or book chat! This will be a top read for me for the year (and the audiobook was a great way to bring the story to life), it's rare to find a book that is just different enough without being too far off what I like to read, a balance of something expansive on themes I love and right in the sweet spot of just loving a good book.

What works: a great plot for readers like me who love themes on time/life choices and pathways and don't mind some big questions/themes; strong writing and engaging plot development (I just love literary fiction when words and phrasing stand out as much as a good plot); a thoughtful resolution to the book, one that really worked for me and how the story was told.

I loved the premise of the story - so unique and creative. However, I did not feel as if there was enough substance to the story. We don't get to really know the main character. She goes through over 100 husbands in the first half of the book - and we only get to know one of them... barely. I wish that there was more substance, more interactions and more banter between the characters. I wanted to get to know these husbands - how they differed, the good and bad, how the main character really felt about them. And even to see how she changed herself for them. Instead it was all very surface level. I still enjoyed the book - and it was a quick read. I just stepped back when I finished it and realized not a lot actually happened and I felt that I barely knew the characters.

Lauren finds a man in her home after a night out. After discovering that she is married - she gets concerned. When he goes to the attic and a different husband comes down the stairs, she discovers that her attic creates an infinite supply of husbands. When she has had enough of one, she can send him to the attic and a new one will come down. As time goes on, Lauren begins to wonder, is this as great as it seems?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

The Husbands is an offbeat debut novel by Holly Gramazio. The novel’s premise is unique. After returning from a hen party, Lauren finds a stranger, Michael, in her flat claiming to be her husband; but she was never married. As she tries to unravel the mystery, Michael goes into the attic to change a light bulb but instead of Michael a new husband emerges. Her life takes a surreal turn when multiple husbands start appearing and disappearing from her “magical attic" and she can send them back if she does not like them. This cycle repeats throughout the book

While I found the story enjoyable, and I loved the humor, the story was too long. The plot seemed to slow down, and it was a struggle to keep track of the numerous husbands introduced. The ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. It felt rushed and left loose ends that I wish was resolved. Despite this, I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique, captivating, and thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Doubleday for the advanced review copy.

In this novel, Lauren returns from a Hen Night (The British term for a bachelorette party.) where she has had a lot to drink having fun with her friends. There’s a man in her home waiting at the top of the stairs. At first, she thinks she must be tipsy and she’s in the wrong apartment. But the man knows her name. She worries it’s a burglar and threatens to report him, but when she goes to unlock her phone, she notices a photo of herself and this man, standing on the beach, arms around one another. She’s running through a million different scenarios about what in the world is going on and things in her home are off. There’s a rug where there wasn’t one before. What she will soon learn is that this man is her husband, even though she never married him, because she has a very special attic door and when her “husband” goes through the attic door, a new husband emerges. I know I’m in the minority here when I say I’m not a fan of the movie Groundhog Day, but Holly Gramazio takes this structure and works wonders with it. Lauren is now left to manage these husbands for as long as she’d like. When she gets sick of one, she sends them to the attic to retrieve something and poof, she has a new one. This is a really funny book about desire, agency, and Lauren’s sexual awakening. It’s funny, but also filled with lots of reflection in terms of Lauren exploring what she wants out of life. I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and to Doubleday for the advanced review copy.

Title: The Husbands
Author: Holly Gramazio
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Husbands" by Holly Gramazio

My Thoughts:
'The Husbands' was quite an exciting read. Lauren Strickland comes home from a bachelorette party to find a man named Michael in her apartment who was supposed to be her husband. But she didn't know of him because she had never been married. This is one of those stories that went in many different directions; you must keep up with how this author presents this fun read to the readers. This story was interesting as different guys came out of the magic attic. To understand all of this, you must pick up 'The Hustbands' to see what I am talking about as you see the 'humor and crazy differences between the characters of each world' that are presented.

If you are looking for a read that is not only funny, unique, and somewhat charming but also very thought-provoking, this book will keep you turning the pages to see what will happen next for Lauren as the story jumps between husbands. What will happen when Lauren finally 'figures out a drastic way to settle on just one man?' The story had an exciting ending.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have to give the premise of this book 5 stars! The idea of men going into an attic and transforming is hilariously creative. I'll be thinking of that idea for a long time! I also liked the publisher's little insertion at the beginning: that this might be an allegory for dating apps. Gramazio presented such a unique take on this concept that so many of us are familiar with.

Overall, I found myself wanting to know more about these emerging men. I wanted to dig into their dynamics and know them as characters, even for a few pages, before they disappeared into the attic again. At times Lauren spends more time describing the banal details of her daily routine than she does interacting with/describing these husbands. 3 stars for the lack of characterization, even if that was sort of the point. It just didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I had so much fun with The Husbands, a debut novel by Holly Gramazio. You have to be willing to suspend disbelief for this premise: Lauren comes home to find a strange man in her flat, and he turns out to be her husband. He’s not the only one though — any time her husband goes up to the attic, a different it husband comes back down.

After figuring out what is happening, Lauren goes through many (MANY) husbands, trying to choose the one that she wants to spend the rest of her life with. I found it such an interesting thought exercise to consider what kinds of annoying things we overlook in our loved ones since we know all their fantastic traits too. What would be a dealbreaker?

I’ve seen some criticism that there were too many husbands, but I didn’t mind! The more important ones stood out, and the less important ones blended together sometimes, but that was fine. I thought Gramazio did a great job of keeping the story going and giving the reader breaks periodically when it got too chaotic.

I inhaled this book in less than a day. It’s rare for me to find a light fiction book that’s not a rom com that works really well for me, but this was it!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for the review copy.

Imagine trading in your husband when he isn't the exact right fit, cool right? When Lauren returns to her flat and London and discovers she has a husband she is shocked and confused...because she's not married. It appears the basement can produce all types of husbands and if one doesn't match well she can send him back up to transform into someone new! The only problem is if Lauren thinks one isn't quite right and sends him away,then realizes he was the best match, how can she get him back. Lauren is not sure how this happening to her but so many wonderful things are happening in her life and also so many confusing ones too. When can she realize the path she should be on and avoid getting hurt, she'll just have to trust her heart.