I loved this crazy story. I’ve really been into magical realism lately and this was an incredible book in that genre.

One of my favorite things is that we jump right into it. There’s no backstory to why the husbands were coming out of the attic. They just were. I almost felt like I was in the same boat as Lauren. Learning how to deal with it as they went.

I feel like I fell in love with the ones Lauren deemed “the good ones”. Carter. Ugh Carter. What a loss. And then to find a friend in Bohain. There were so many special moments in this book.

There was a moment when the book felt a little long. Like it got a bit repetitive when Lauren was switching through husbands fast. But I still liked that that’s probably how she felt too. I also didn’t enjoy the moments where she was mean to the husbands and forced them upstairs. It was hard for me to like her in those moments but I’ve also never had random men coming down from my attic.

Overall I was really surprised by this book. I would definitely recommend it to others!

🎧 THE HUSBANDS by Holly Gramazio
Genre:
⭐️⭐️
💭: cool premise but not a good execution. I was bored and didn’t feel that there was any sort of plot until like 70% in and then it just kinda fell off?? Idk no

The Husbands is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2024! Returning home one night after socializing with friends, Lauren is surprised to find a strange man in her house, and is shocked when he turns out to be her husband, She soon realizes that she has a magic attic, supplying her with an possibly endless supply of husbands, and a glimpse into the life she might have with each of them. I loved the exploration of love, friendship, fate, and why certain people come into our lives. The ending was perfection though somewhat heartbreaking. An emotional rollercoaster, I would highly recommend this book!

Loved this book! It’s a clever commentary on the endless option of online dating and how that can turn humans into commodities. It reads like playing a video game feels. I kept wanting the main character to feel the consequences of her actions, but ultimately that wasn’t the world that Gramazio set up for us…. Till a certain point!

I’ve put this on my staff picks shelf and regularly hand sell it.

This was a quick read, and I ended up really liking Lauren and how determined she is to figure things out. Bohai became annoying, but I was grateful for his presence so it wasn’t just Lauren by herself the whole time. The ending kind of makes sense even though it has a lack of closure.

This is a light, bubblegum type of romance. Since that's not usually my thing, I lost interest quickly. Might be recommended as a beach read.

Lauren comes home to her flat and finds Michael, her husband and photos showing they’ve been together for years, but she’s never seen him before. In the midst of trying to piece together how this could be, he disappears when changing the lightbulb in the attic and a new man descends and the life around her shifts. This pattern continues and every time a husband goes up to the attic, they disappear and her life changes, meeting not just a new husband but a whole different version of herself.
One of the most original books I’ve read this year with some laugh out loud moments. Characters felt grounded and were enjoyable to read.

What a clever idea! A woman’s attic becomes a husband machine, cranking out a different one each time they go up the stairs. Such a fun premise! Suspend your belief and just enjoy the ride!

This is a great summer read, quirky and fun with a few lessons learned along the way. I did feel it was a bit too long and could have been condensed down a little.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this one. The synopsis seemed very "The Midnight Library but make it romance," and I loved TML so I imagined I would probably love The Husbands. Unfortunately, I dropped it a little more than a third of the way through. The characters felt flat and were carried entirely by some witty dialogue and I felt zero investment in any husband that wasn't Carter because there wasn't enough time spent to get to know anyone else (and really, Carter wasn't given enough time either, in my opinion. I hear he's supposed to make a return but also that the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying where he's involved, so I'm standing by my opinion there.). The premise of The Husbands is very unique, but the execution just wasn't it for me.

Holly Gramazio’s book is at turns hysterically funny, fantastical, scary, and true to life. The concept is perfectly suited to those who question “Is there only one true soul mate for a person?” It is a delightful read and one I read in a single setting, as I couldn’t put it down.

I tried. But could never get into this, the main character wasn’t really developed at all and I wasn’t compelled to root for her. maybe others will enjoy it more.

This ended up being a seriously good book. Given all the talk about dating and marriage and divorce today, knowledge of forever doesn't seem so permanent anymore. This book takes the premise of marriage and turns in into an exchange program, featuring one woman from London and an ever rotating cast of husbands, easily exchanged as soon as she sees a flaw in them. Rich or poor, funny or serious, outdoorsy or introverted, none stay for long. I appreciate how she tries to have a relationship with each one after a while, especially when she realizes another husband is going through the same cycle, but in the opposite capacity. When she makes her choice, it is because she understand what many others do: you have to take a risk at some point.

Started out great but then went south. Some VERY clever ideas but just seemed to get old, fast. I blame editing. DO people even have editors anymore?

The Husbands drags you in the second you open it. The idea of the small choices you make and how your life could be different is so thought provoking and an attic providing husbands is hilarious! A great read!!

I really enjoyed this book! I heard about it a lot before reading it, and I definitely understand the hype. The idea of the book is original, and the writing is so fun. I loved the dialogue and the interactions with all the husbands. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book just was not for me. The premise sounded intriguing but I felt myself feeling lost and confused each time a new husband descended, therefore I did not finish the book. I may try to revisit it down the road though because I am still intrigued by the plot.

The Husbands is definitely not your typical contemporary read about romance in the 21st century. The plot is intriguing -- a new husband descends from the attic whenever the old one goes back up the ladder. This leads to the primary character, Lauren, ending up with over 200 husbands in over a year, only one or two to whom she genuinely enjoys being married. The question of what prompted the first husband, Michael, to end up in Lauren's home is never explained, although we do know she inherited the house from her grandmother. Could her grandmother's spirit still linger in the attic? Will Lauren ever find her soul mate? Lauren's family appears throughout the story, however it doesn't seem she is particularly close with any of them. If not for her cell phone, Lauren would be clueless as to her identity and that of her new spouse. Perhaps the book is more of a commentary on our reliance on social media and technology to constantly remake ourselves than on the current status of dating. The novel was entertaining, if a bit redundant, even violent at times. If you enjoy Fantasy Reads, you will enjoy The Husbands.

I really enjoyed the concept of The Husbands. The infinite supply of attic husbands to peruse clearly mirrored today's dating apps along with the problems "swipe culture" presents. I liked the characters and especially the friendship between Lauren and Bohai, and appreciated that they were able to remain platonic throughout the novel. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading and really thought this was going to be a 5 star title until I reached the ending. To me, it felt sudden, rushed, and unsatisfying, so I had to remove a star, but it was still an entertaining read overall.

the premise of this sounded so good and the first half was so fun and unique, but the payoff felt a bit lackluster. i feel like it could have been better with a fewer amount of husbands or if this book was a bit shorter. still, it was such a fun read and i think it should be on everyone's summer read list!

Oh this had so much potential that just fell flat.

I started off on such a high note! The humor was great, the premise was promising, and the fact she found someone in the same situation as her had me on such a high. That is literally the point in which this book takes a tumble and just lost me. I was expecting them to figure this mystery out or to really embrace the situation, but unfortunately it ended up being dead end after dead end.

On a positive note, I was fully invested and enjoyed reading up until about the 60% mark and even after that I didn't hate picking this book up to finish it. My only wish is that there would have been more of an answer in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.