What a delight! This book has such a fun, unique premise, and it was carried out so well. I really appreciated the difficulty Lauren had making decisions and how sometimes you just have to do it and deal with the consequences. The novel took me in, I really spent a lot of time thinking about how she was going to end it and, while somewhat abrupt, I really ended up liking the end. This was very unputdownable and a fun fresh read from a debut author. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Returning to her London flat one night, Lauren is greeted at the door by her loving husband, Michael. It would normally be very nice - but Lauren isn't married. At least she doesn't remember being married. Yet the photos around the flat, and the photos and messages on her phone all suggest that she's been married to Michael for years.

When Michael goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb, he never returns. Instead, another man emerges as her husband, and her flat and her phone all indicate that they've been married for years

Lauren comes to realize that there is something unique and strange happening with her attic, giving her new husbands any time one passes through the opening barrier. And it is only the husband who change. And thus begins a years-long rotation of husbands into and out of Lauren's life. Some are downright frightening, some she can't imagine ever marrying in the first place. Some are quite acceptable but ... could there be a better one out there?

This is a debut novel for author Holly Gramazio and it's a delightful, allegorical romp. Are we ever satisfied? Is there always something 'better'? It's the 'greener pastures' theory in full mode.

This allegory is evident pretty much from the start. What does it take - two, three? - husband changes to see that Lauren wonders what the next might be like? Of course those who are wrong are generally very clearly wrong, but in one case, Lauren begins to question herself, rather than her husbands, when EVERYone likes her husband so much more than she does. He's almost too perfect. So what does she want? That question is maybe never really answered.

Once the meaning of this morality tale is established (early), this becomes an urban fantasy adventure and as such it's quite repetitious. We come to expect (again, very early one) that Lauren is going to rotate through men so our continuing to read is based on 'what's the next man going to be'?

Gramazio does a fine job of changing up who the men are - making them different - and just as we might get truly bored one (temporary) husband stands out for his uniqueness among the hundreds that she'll flip through (I don't want to give too much away).

Still, it feels as though Lauren should come to some realizations about her situation, and herself, much earlier. Does she simply get hooked on the thrill of getting a new man? Is she someone who can never be satisfied? That's never really addressed. In some ways this is a question for the reader, presumably, to discover in themselves. But that would suggest that this book is really only intended for single women. (Let's face it - if the roles were reversed and it was a man who could constantly get a different wife, the 'message' of the story would be very different.)

Personally, I think we get the message early and don't need to see quite so many different husbands that are clearly not 'right' but more who were actually a reasonable choice and still discarded would have been much more interesting.

While this is clearly fantasy, I suspect this will get listed instead as 'contemporary' or 'chick lit'.
Looking for a good book? The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is a modern allegorical tale showcasing the 'grass is always greener on the other side' proverb, delightfully told.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I picked it up and put it down three times. I really tried to get into it but it wasn't flowing for me. I did; however, think "this could be a great Netflix show" I loved the premise.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When the first foot from THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio descends from the attic, there is so much potential to go wrong, but this book stepped into amusement and satisfaction. It explores themes of coming of age and partnership like any rom com while executing a silly premise well. Th

Very fun, Groundhog Day type of book! I also enjoyed the romance elements. Perfect warm weather read!

This was a romp of a book. Quick-paced, funny, and surprising, with great characters—even the ones who only get a brief trip down from the attic.

This book is one that really makes you think about the path not taken. Lauren comes home one day and meets her husband whom she doesn't know. Everything around her and in her life now says that she is married to this man. When her husband goes to change a lightbulb in the attic, a different husband returns. As Lauren tries to make sense of the whole situation she really begins to ponder her life.

Lauren returns home from a night out with the girls to be greeted by a strange man named Michael who appears, by all clues available, to be her husband. After a day of panicked investigating in which her friends and phone all confirm the existence of the marriage, Michael goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb and is promptly replaced by an entirely different husband. This scenario repeats itself, each time creating a slightly altered world, and Lauren realizes her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands. She is faced with both trying to solve why this is happening, and deciding which husband and life scenario suits her most.

I was so intrigued by this premise, but it just kept repeating without any real interesting details surrounding the various men and her options. Lauren doesn't seem to know what she wants, doesn't take any real interest in her own life or career, just repeats finding flaws in the husbands and sending them back up to the attic to be replaced. This could have been a captivating exploration, but just slogged in repetition and the main character became more irritating as the story went on.

Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for this book to review!

This was a really fun book. There is some great creativity here and the book makes the unbelievable believable-just in the way the main character moves through this life. I would have loved to see more development of why these particular husbands appeared and I would want to know a bit more about the last husband, but not having these did not take away from the story. Perhaps a sequel instead to wrap everything up? All in all, totally worth reading and plan to set aside some time as you will not want to put this down.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

3.5 stars. I found this to be enjoyable most times but seemed to drag on and could have been much shorter. The premise was good. Thank you to Netgalley , the author and Doubleday books for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What fun this was! I really enjoyed the unusual concept of this book, and the various complications that arose. This will be an easy book to recommend to a wide variety of readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The debut novel by Holly Gramazio had the template for books I generally enjoy, but I simply could not connect with the characters enough to buy into the story and the rotating husbands.

The Husbands is the first book of Holly Gramazio's for me to read. I was intrigued with the premise that the main character was getting new husband's every time the current husband went to the attic. Little did I know that we aren't talking four or five husbands. Insert eye roll.

The problem that I had with this book is twofold.
1) I found Lauren to be annoying. I could not relate to her. She was so superficial so many times with different men.

2) I am not a science fiction or magical realism reader but I could wrap my head around the premise until Lauren about halfway through the book. Things just got too weird for me. The only reason that I finish was I had to know how the book ended and which husband she chose. The ended redeemed the book for me. I wish she would have made that decision many husbands earlier.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What would you do if you had a never ending choice of husbands? All you had to do is send them into the attic and new one come down. How long would you keep them before trying a new one? That is what Lauren is dealing with. With each one, she doesn't remember being married or anything about their marriage, Yet all her friends do. Lauran is trying to figure out if she has taken the right path or if she can do better with each new husband.

This was a delightfully funny book that might spark deep reflection in your own life and relationships. Laura returns home after a night of fun with her girlfriends only to find a husband she didn’t know she had waiting for her. But a quick glance around the house and through her phone reveals they’ve been together for a while. She’s still reeling from this news when her husband goes to the attic to change a lightbulb….and then steps down as a completely DIFFERENT husband. Yes, there’s something off about the attic, but once Laura realizes what it can do, she moves through husbands quite quickly, waiting for the perfect one to emerge. But when that doesn’t happen and Laura’s life is upended again and again, will she finally stop obsessing over what could be and finally start living with what’s right in front of her? This. Book. Is. DELIGHTFUL. And while it’s funny and light and uplifting, readers can’t help but think about their own lives, their own partners and their own thoughts of what might have been….or still could be. Read this one!

This was a really fun and quick read, but still brought a lot to discuss. Gramazio highlights plenty of the pitfalls of modern dating and our instant gratification culture, but the book never feels preachy or too heavy. This will be a big hit for book clubs this spring.

3.5 stars

Thank you DoubleDay and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This premise was so original and interesting and COULD have been so very fun and entertaining…

Gramazio really pulled things together for the ending and earned back some more stars (loved seeing a husband POV and the glimpse of Sam was kind of dreamy so bravo). However, that middle just dragggggged on and turned incredibly repetitive. She should have cut a couple hundred husbands out, stuck to one dramatic attic return (Zach, not Amos) and generally tightened up the plot.

CW/TW: infidelity, gaslighting, stalking, fire, gun violence, drug use

"Delightfully witty and irresistibly charming, it is a delightful escapade into the world of modern romance. With its relatable protagonist and hilarious mishaps, it's a perfect blend of humor, heart, and self-discovery. The author's sharp wit and engaging storytelling keep you turning the pages, making it a must-read for anyone in need of a good laugh and a dose of feel-good romance.

I was truly enjoying this book, but it got way too repetitive. Poor Lauren has to keep being forced to deal with different husbands, which in of itself was not terrible, but she never gets a break. There is no guy outside of one that interests her, and even when she goes to visit him in a different timeline, he is lack luster, so she just keeps going through husbands. This book just drags. I wish there was a husband that maybe she had felt a little bit more drawn to and then something happened where she had to find him again, or that she kept a husband for longer. I just got exhausted, probably as much as Lauren was. This book is for sure not a romcom in any sense of the word. Or at least not one that resonated with me personally.
Thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

At first I was really enjoying the premise, but after a while, it did start to become very repetitive. It was about 100 pages too long and lacked depth at times. If you’re into romcoms, this might be a great read for you. It would have been PERFECT as a novella!