The Husbands is a quirky read that explores the notion of “the one.” When Lauren comes home to find an unfamiliar man in her apartment, she is shocked to learn this man is her husband, as confirmed by texts and photos evidencing a life she doesn’t remember living. Lauren is then even further shocked when her husband goes into the attic to search for something and a new unfamiliar man emerges, claiming again to be Lauren’s husband. She soon realizes that her attic can produce an infinite supply of husbands, with the disappearance of one into the attic bringing the emergence of another. With each new husband, Lauren steps into a life already in progress - the contours of which differ in conjunction with the choices made leading to and within her marriage.

The Husbands is such an interesting exploration of how to determine whether a potential partner is “the one” and whether “the one” even exists. If there is always another option around the corner, how do we settle into one relationship? How do our relationships shape who we are and who we become? And how does who we decide to be with shape the path our lives take?

I really enjoyed the experience of The Husbands and I don’t doubt that I will be thinking about its themes for a while. At points, it dragged and it ended up going in a different direction than I anticipated, but I think I liked that, actually. I recommend The Husbands if you are looking for something original and quirky but with deeper themes.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy!

SO. GOOD. This is an incredibly special book that I could swear is a short story, only because it took me a day to read it. I couldn't put it down.

As someone who has been married for almost a decade, I do wonder sometimes what my life would be like in a parallel universe, married to someone else. "The Husbands" is equal parts fiction, fantasy, and a hypothetical study of how one person could choose multiple spouses, and how that might end up.

I just adored this book.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio was a cute read about the possibility of the magical, stressful, unwelcome rotation of husbands descending the attic staircase of a 30-something year old’s flat.

Lauren is bewildered to come home from a late night of partying to find she is suddenly married to a man she has never met. Upon further investigation, she finds she can get a brand new husband by sending the current one into the attic, only for a new one to descend into her confused embrace. Our main character tries to navigate this never ending carousel of men by trying to find the perfect husband to keep around for good, but is finding your perfect match really all there is to life?

Ok, so I didn’t love Lauren as our protagonist just because I didn’t care for the choices she was making. But, I enjoyed watching her struggle through the many marriages while trying to figure out how to stop the maddening rotation and get her old life back. I too fell in love with some of the men that came into her life and felt that aching sadness when they ultimately went away. But that ending!!! Really great.

I think the ultimate takeaway of this fun little novel is something that I learned when making my own decision to get married: you could make a wonderful marriage work with several different candidates in life, and the choice as to who you pick will lead you down a different path. But there doesn't have to necessarily be THE ONE path that is the ONLY way you will find happiness. You just have to choose the person you want to love for the rest of your life. Of course, please make sure you are choosing someone who shares your values, treats you well, ect… Love is, ultimately, a choice.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is a unique and often funny story. Lauren, a single woman in London comes home from a bachelorette party to a man that she's never met who claims (and her friends and family confirm) is her husband. She discovers that her attic supplies her with a never-ending supply of new husbands. I laughed out loud at times as Lauren works through hundreds of husbands as she tries to figure out who to settle down with and what life suits her best. Overall enjoyable, but perhaps too long for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Double Day Books for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

BUT FOR THE ENDING! Gahhhh! You know how I feel about a good ending for a book, and this one, well, this one left me wanting a bit more. BUT. I really, really enjoyed this book (thanks to the publisher for the ARC!), a lot more than I thought I would. From the opening chapter I was trying to figure out the "why" and the "how," but as the story moved along I got caught up in the ins and outs of what was happening; and it turns out I really liked this weird, unrealistic story. I will say there were some loose ends I didn't love, and no real explanation for the "how" and "why," and I did not love the ending. But such is life, right?

When single Londoner Lauren's attic starts making husbands appear, she is thrown into a journey of different life paths. While some husbands will stay for a while, others she dismisses by sending up to the attic again. What does make a great partner? How does it affect life? How do you know when you find the right one? It was a fun journey with Lauren as the attic's rotation of husbands leads to a clarifying conclusion. This original read will appeal to fans of The Midnight Library.

The premise of this book had me hooked from page one. I was completely wrapped up in the shock of Lauren finding the first husband in her apartment. Her decision-making process was fun to be a part of... until it wasn't. By the end of the book I was just irritated because it felt so very repetitive when it didn't have to be. And, the ending? That was one of the most abrupt endings EVER. I wanted to love this book, but I just didn't.

The Husbands is a brilliant concept-- wholly original and ambitious in scope-- with decent execution by debut author Holly Gramazio. If it feels a bit like a video game, it may be because it's eerily similar to the endless swiping so many of us do on apps, but it may also be because Gramazio is a game designer in her real life. The book is a fun, if anxiety-inducing, romp through the love(ish) life of a London woman named Lauren, as she cycles through husband after husband, trying to find a connection with an ideal partner and simultaneously trying to find herself-- what circumstances led her to marry these men? But where the novel struggles is in character development. Despite its length, which did start to drag in the middle, it does little to develop the main character and even less to develop the various husbands who pop in and out of her life, many in a matter of moments. Though I do think this frustration with the repetition (as a reader) does help to place you in her head; the dread she feels as yet another husband descends the ladder from her attic is definitely felt, whether for better or for worse. Even with its stumbling blocks, overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it.

The Husbands is being marketed as one of the big books of 2024, which would imply it has broad appeal. Unfortunately, I don't think that's the case. The plot (an abundance of interchangeable husbands for our heroine) flirts with the genres of absurdism and magic realism that was challenging for me as a reader of mostly realistic fiction. The premise just felt like... too much. I'm sure this book will find its audience and will be loved by some readers but I just don't think it contained enough general appeal for the average reader. That is certainly ok, and not necessarily a fault, it just wasn't for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Husbands from the moment I started reading, from its plot, points of conflict and compelling language. Reading this book made me so curious to discover what would happen next, like, it was very easy to get sucked into the story.

It doesn't feel like a straight romance novel or a women's fiction fluffy beach read as the title might suggest, but I'd describe it as a piece of literary fiction. It also very much feels like a satire about the modern dating world with apps and whatnot. Plus, the open-ended conclusion was fascinating as it made yet another parallel to the real world with its lack of a known Happily Ever After. All in all, this was a good one. Surprised me, but, yeah, a good one.

From Lee Boudreaux, VP & Executive Editor, Doubleday: “Is The Husbands a rom-com about finding the perfect partner? Is it a quirky thought experiment about the paralysis caused by navigating endless options? Is it a cheeky critique of dating apps? Is it all of the above?”

I agree: it’s all of the above. And it was also fun and quick and super creative. Four rather than five stars because Lauren, our heroine, makes some completely bizarre, out-of-character, kind of horrific choices that really took me out of the story, but 95% of this was amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday!

Holy crap I don’t know what I was expecting but this book hooked me in right away and I didn’t want to put it down!

This has a great story and the delivery is funny if some what slow, then fast, then crazy. overall I enjoyed it, but I didn't really get the ending until I thought about it for a few days.

It's a fun and cute concept. It made me think about the choices I've made in my life and what it would be like if something changed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Lauren has an attic that provides a different husband every time a man steps into it. Lauren isn't married. very cute story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Husbands.

What a great premise! The moment I read it, I knew I had to request it!

Lauren has a secret attic that generates a new husband each time a husband steps in. The strange thing is, Lauren isn't married.

As Lauren discovers her attic provides an endless supply of husbands, she must confront the existential question of how do we know the person we marry is the right one? When does regret end and life begin? Can we ever choose the right person for us?

What a great concept! It's like dating, but better!

You can sample a diverse array of guys and try them out without repercussions.

But, Lauren soon discovers this Groundhog Day style of revolving husbands is exhausting, and disturbing in a dark comedic way.

She has a wonderful connection with one guy but loses him, accidentally, to the attic, and his loss weighs heavily on her soul.

How long can she do this? How long can anyone?

I wanted to like this more but I found the revolving husbands tedious after a few chapters. It was amusing...until it wasn't.

Then, I wasn't sure what was the point of these husbands.

Was Lauren supposed to have an epiphany like Phil in Groundhog Day, about being a better person or being a better wife and partner?

She wasn't a compelling character; I didn't know much about her except she has a sister and a niece and nephew and her mom lives in Spain and she broke up with Amos not too long ago.

Who is Lauren? Why is this happening to her? Why does Amos appear 3x as a potential husband?

The ending wasn't surprising, I sort of expected it, but I felt Lauren didn't really learn anything.

Was she supposed to?

She understood she couldn't keep going through husbands ; it would drive anyone to madness, but what was the point? What did she learn from the experience?

To be satisfied with what you have regardless of who comes down the attic stairs, warts and all?

I would have preferred to know what kind of person Lauren was before and how she evolved (learned) as a result of this unique quirk in her attic.

The Husbands is a fun and sometimes funny read. The premise of the ‘magic attic’ from which Lauren receives and rejects husbands is a fascinating idea and Holly Gramazio makes it work.
The novel is a quick and satisfying read, an interesting look into the world of marriage and choosing a spouse or date!

Lauren comes home to her London flat to her husband. The only problem… she’s not married. As she tries to figure this out, he goes into the attic to change a bulb and a new husband emerges. She realizes her attic is creating infinite husbands and her world slightly changes with each.

Oh boy did I love this one! The synopsis sounded a little silly, but the story is great. It was clever, witty, and so darn engaging. I laughed out loud many times. I tried to explain it to my husband, but he didn’t really get it- thankfully he still agreed to participate in my book picture! I love stories like this where a hint of magical realism is within a contemporary and realistic story. It reminded me of Ashley Poston’s most recent books I read.. and also loved!

“She’s had so many lives. And some of them were bad, but a lot of them were good and maybe there isn’t a single best path forward that she has to find.”

The Husbands comes out 4/2.

Lauren’s married, sometimes only for a few weeks and sometimes for only minutes. Her attic can churn out new husbands as fast as she can lure the old ones up the stairs into the attic. Up goes the old husband, down comes the new, and she’s never sure of who’s going to appear.. Each life is different as well. All she knows is her husbands number in the hundreds and she’s still not completely satisfied. Clever and fun with an imaginative plot I’ve not encountered before. A light hearted romp that’s also serious about marriage and the relationship we have with our spouses. It’s fresh and original and well worth the read.

This one is so solid. A truly comedic plot where Lauren just has husbands coming out of her attic- men that truly aren't who she has imagined her life with. Men who have funny hobbies, men who smoke, drink, watch the same television shows, a few mean ones and a lot of unremarkable guys.

Here's the deal - the premise is good, the writing is solid but it can drag a bit. In theory, this one is short but it does feel like a slog 50-72% of the way in. After Bohai comes along, it gets a bit quicker.

I'd definitely recommend this to friends that like books that don't ruffle feathers, that are basic readers or for a book club that is just starting out. It is a truly safe bet, cute and funny in all the right places with a nice ending.