This book wasn’t written for me. I didn’t resonate with any of the characters but that doesn’t mean this is a “bad” book by any means. It flowed well, the dialogue was great between characters.

My first novel from Holly Gramazio but not my last this was fresh, quirky and a fun read. It was a nice break from my regular genre (psychological thrillers). Even though it’s a light hearted story it had some truly thought provoking ideas. And I did find myself laughing out loud.
Thank you NetGalley, Holly Gramazio and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm such a sucker for high concept novels, especially with a spark this good. I spent half the book curious to see how it could end. The ending felt realistic for the story and though perhaps not super satisfying, it wasn't unsatisfying. Could it have gone a tad deeper? Maybe. Lots of fun and very juicy and I adored seeing Lauren discover all of her different selves

I adore magical realism and this did not disappoint. This was a really fun debut. A great message too, about paths taken and untaken. Looking forward to reading more of Gramazio's work!

fun fiction, but i thought way too many husbands and not enough time spent on each, or on the FMC's character. thanks for the ARC! would recommend.

One day, an unfamiliar man descends from Lauren’s attic stairs. It turns out he’s her husband–even though she wasn’t married moments before. Soon Lauren discovers that her attic is a mysterious source of husbands: each time a husband goes up into her attic, a new one comes down–along with an alternate version of her own life, shaped by her choice of husband. And so begins a dizzying journey where she tries out husband after husband, life after life–wondering all the while what is causing this, and more importantly, how to know when a husband is the right one to keep.

I was drawn to the premise, and this book delivers. It’s a page-turner, with filled with humor, clever storylines, and the right amount of seriousness and emotional insight for this type of book. I couldn’t put it down–I started it and neglected everything else to finish it in one of those delightful, book-reading binges. In vibe (though not in topic), it has similarities to The Measure or The Many Lives of Addie LaRue–raising questions about how we make choices or commit to a life, while taking us on a great fictional ride. It didn’t make me cry like Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, but its plot is fresh and original, with developments that ratchet up my interest and fascinating twists that keep me reading furiously to find out what happens next. It's better than many other "alternate husband" novels and holds its own among books about alternate lives. Definitely worth a read!!

A smart and inventive debut. While I was hooked on the suspense of the next husband, I also appreciated the critical look at relationships and modern dating in a world of seemingly infinite choices. The protagonist is smart and real. I like the complexity and diversity of her world of friends and acquaintances. Gramazio effectively addresses singleness and childlessness as choices without being pedantic-- there is simply, in this world, no default for how people might live their lives.

I had hope that this one would be like The Midnight Library; it wasn't. Initially intrigued by the concept of a character living parallel lives, I was curious about Lauren's story. At 50%, though, I wondered just how many husbands Lauren was going to have (she was around 150 at this point). With everyone around her "resetting" with each life, Lauren sees the impact of her choices, but what a lonely way to live. Desperate to find out how the attic works (Does she have a choice? Does she ever find love? Is she in a coma? Does she make it back to her original life? Has anyone else experienced the attic?) and uncover what - if anything - Lauren actually learns about herself, I read on. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I understand the concept any more than I did from the beginning. I was hoping to like Lauren and to root for her more than I did. In some lives I felt bad for her, and in others I wanted to know more about her choices. The ending wrapped things up in a semi-satisfying way, but I still feel like I wanted something more (other than husbands).

The Husbands is a clever, lighthearted read that you can try to delve deeper into the meaning of loneliness and relationships or enjoy the romp. Lauren, a little tipsy, single woman returns home from a party to find her “husband “ waiting for her. She has no idea who he is or when she would have married. Her home looks a little different and her phone shows that he is in fact her husband! When he goes into the attic, a new husband appears, the house looks different and her phone has new details! Her friend know each husband as the only one. Lauren realizes that she can trade each one in for a different version! And so it continues.

Lauren sees different versions of her life and can decide which husband should stick around or be banished to the attic. She rues the one that got away; however, there are never meaningful connections. It’s a fun escapist book with a new plot. Enjoy it for that.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for sharing this ARC for my unbiased opinion.

I loved this book! A magical attic? Time travel or not? Decisions to make about which husband and life to keep or pass on. This book was an adventure with some touch and go moments. Loved the ending and the friendships that she makes.

3 too many husbands to count

I loved the premise of this one, trying out husbands until you find the right one. How do you know when it’s the right one? When do you stop hoping for someone better?

The book opens with Lauren returning home after a fun night out. Her husband Michael is there when she gets back, but at the start of the night, she isn’t married! Where did the ring on her finger come from? Why doesn’t she remember him or their wedding?

There’s a strange noise in the attic, and when Michael goes to investigate, another man comes down! So begins the saga for Lauren. Some of the men she keeps for weeks and others for just five minutes. Each man must have some redeeming qualities, but how do you know which one to keep for good? One man seems to be a great match, but it ultimately doesn’t work out. Along the way, Lauren keeps up her friendships and jobs, each man bringing a whole new world.

At the midway point, there’s an interesting development that eventually fizzles out, too.

This was a fascinating premise, but I wasn’t thrilled with how it ended. I wish there would have been fewer husbands as I didn’t develop any rooting power for any of them. I was hoping for the happy ever after ending with this one.

LESS IS MORE

“When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married”.

But before she can figure out how she could possibly be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and a different man emerges in his place.

And, like a parallel universe, a slightly altered life re-forms around her as well-Same flat, though furnished differently, same friends, though at different stages in their lives, DIFFERENT HUSBAND.

If you don’t like the one who climbs down the ladder-send him back to the attic for something and see if you prefer who climbs down the ladder next!

This unique premise sounded like so much fun BUT I didn’t really care for the execution. By the 50% point Lauren had met and rejected 160 husbands!!!

Don’t worry, no need to start a flow chart-we don’t meet them ALL and those we do meet, we never get to know them any better than she did.

At the halfway point, a husband emerges who really “gets” her. Will she decide to settle down, or will her quest to find “perfection” continue?

I was hoping that this would be a turning point in the book.

For me, this would have been better with LESS husbands and MORE of an opportunity to really get to know a couple and root for a favorite !! But, honestly, I didn’t warm up to Lauren and can’t say that I was rooting for her either!

As written, I wasn’t quite as satisfied with this story as I had hoped to be, despite the fresh premise and the adorable book cover!

3 ⭐️ (an average read)

Expected publication date: April 2, 2024

Thank You to Doubleday for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.

Great premise, but not executed as well as it could have been. It was repetitive, which I’m sure was the point with an endless supply of husbands. But I just didn’t connect with the main character like I hoped. And I was so disappointed with the ending. It just left me with more questions. It was still a fun read though.

When single Lauren returns from her best friend's bachelorette party, she finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband, Michael. Despite Lauren's confusion, everyone else accepts him as her husband and evidence of her life seems to agree - there are tons of pictures of him in her phone and in her flat, which has been transformed to reflect their life together. When Michael goes up into the attic, a different husband and life appear. Lauren discovers that her attic is sending out new husbands (and with them, new lives) whenever one goes up. This is a problem that Google can't help her solve despite the many times she tries different word combinations to get answers.

I was really excited to be approved for this on NetGalley as I loved the description. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. The story is told in 3rd person, but it felt like it was told in 1st person, which made it weird any time Lauren's name was mentioned. For the most part, I felt like it cycled through husbands way too quickly so most of them didn't get a big enough chunk of the plot for me to even distinguish them. I understand cycling through a bunch to get the point across and to let Lauren quickly determine if she wants to be stuck in a life with them, but even the husband she claimed to love didn't get much of the story dedicated to him. I didn't even feel like Lauren had much to set her apart or make her a full character - she was just a person who these things were happening to. The plot was a fantastic idea, but the execution fell short.

2.5

The premise sounded great, but, sadly, the delivery was lackluster. The pacing was all over the place. If you're a fan of Groundhog Day, then this may be a book for you to check out. However, I found the revolving door of husbands a bit tedious partway through the story. The POV made it hard to connect to the characters. The storyline became repetitive, and the ending was very abrupt.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for honest feedback. I like fiction. This book sounded intriguing.

The book was very original. I have never read anything like this. The chapters were short and easy to read. The book was not predictable.

The book was a little too long for me. Near the end I had no idea how it would end. I was confused at the end, what the book was really about.

The book didn't have a lot of character development. A lot of characters were fleeting throughout the book. The main character was flawed but likeable.

The book did have me thinking about who is in our life. How we effect each other. I thought about how different choices can really change our lives. The book seemed to be talking about deeper issues than what was on the pages of the book.

I would be interested to see what the author writes next. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.

A fun take on a life interrupted by a weird magical fate of repetitiveness but this time … unending husbands who appear down a stairwell.

Lauren wakes up one morning after a bachelorette party (or hen party bc UK) to find a strange man in her flat. After realizing he’s in pictures around her and on her phone, she determines she’s married to him! Oddly, she discovers if she sends him up her attic stairs a new husband arrives. Lauren has to figure out who these guys are, if she likes them, how to get rid of them if she doesn’t or keep them if she does. She gets into all kinds of situations that require quick thinking and inevitably a reckoning with what she really wants.

I found this old dog’s new tricks well executed. The take on a ground day-esque premise worked for me as I found the husband commentary pretty spot on, funny and at times poignant. Just like Groundhog day, Lauren goes through a lot of phases to deal with her new reality and each iteration kept me reading. I found I wanted to keep coming back to this book to see what would happen next to Lauren and her men. I think some may find the ending unsatisfying (and if I’m nitpicking I wish Lauren explored her connection to the men a bit more) but it mostly worked for me. Looking forward to what this author does next!

What would your life be like with a partner, or a different partner? Lauren returns from a night out with friends to find that she has a husband, not just a strange man in her flat, but embedded into her life. Photos of him on her phone, text chains with him and mentions of him in her texts to other friends. Just when she is starting to accept this strange new reality, he goes into the attic to replace a flickering light, and a new husband comes down. Each new husband causes ripples throughout Lauren's life, from the decor to her profession, a few even have impacts on the lives of the other people close to her and bring new friends. With endless husband possibilities how will she ever settle on the best one?
I loved this book! The different lives she gets to try on and the way that her circumstances change as her husband changes are really interesting. I kept telling people around me about this magical attic of husbands, and gasping at the next obstacle thrown in Lauren's way. I also loved watching Lauren change and grow as she was constantly tossed into these different circumstances. As someone who got married fairly young, I've often wondered what my life would have been like if I had stayed single longer, or married someone different. I doubt I would find things better, but they would definitely be different.
Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday books, and the author for the preview copy. All opinions in this review are my own. I cannot wait to share it with the patrons at my library!

about 100 pages too long. premise was cute but ultimately not enough substance to keep the shtick going for so long

Okay, I'm back on my Women's Rights and Women's Wrongs kick. If someone doesn't already have the rights, grab it now; this would make a great movie or limited show.

Did you like the movie Palm Springs? What if it was something completely different but also thoughtful and funny?

It's gonna be tough for another book to beat this out for me in 2024. Yes, I am saying that in January.