Thanks to NETGALLEY and St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for eARC

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 4
Enjoyment: 5

Top Ten of 2023 (read, since it comes out 2024). So much so, in fact, that I didn't even make any notes. I was too engrossed in the thoughtful, delightful, hilarious story. I almost want it to be adapted from page-to-screen, but I'd also be nervous if it were, that something as short as a movie wouldn't do this gem of a debut proper service. I kept sharing quirky lines with my own husband. We get Britishisms & UK English spellings, something I enjoy. Exposure! Culture! And I'm nostalgic for it, having lived in Suffolk for three years. I can't say much beyond the concept is fantastic and a favorite (similar to things like "Groundhog Day", "Happy Death Day", etc, minus the timeloopy bit), the characters are well developed and complicated; you'd want some in your own life.

Our main lady, Lauren, tells the story in third person POV and has growth by the end of the novel. There's a perfect amount of shenanigans and seriousness, and I would buy this. If a spin-off occurred, either told from a husband or from someone else experiencing the same magic attic, I would also pick that up.

And bonus points for animal advocacy!! -- "She had started to avoid pork even before she went vegetarian ; pigs are as clever as a human three-year-old, she heard once, the same day she went to her nephew Caleb’s third birthday party, and that was it." -- Trufax, let's go!

This is a fascinating and original story. A concept I’ve never read or seen. I had no idea how this was going to keep going or end. I’m glad she had Bodhi, It has Midnight Library vibes and I hope it does just as well because it’s a great book.

This was a surprise.

I really clicked with the premise, because the premise is pretty fun. As a housewife, I can relate to some of the annoying things that dudes tend to do. I also really liked the messaging behind the ending. I also appreciate that she was very firm in her stance about not wanting kids and advocating that at every turn.

I did run into an issue with pacing. At times the book dragged a little, and I had points where I could have easily put it down and it would have gone into the ADHD never pick it up again zone. But other than some pacing issues, the story was fun and if one wants to get married, this is a very interesting way to experience it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday for an e=copy.

What an Original Story! You sort of fall in and go along for the ride. Funny, sweet, and terrifying...

What would you do if your attic kept sending you new husbands? Londoner single woman Lauren opens her attic steps one day....only to have a husband climb down. And then she discovers she can reset her universe-- but keep her own memory intact-- by sending up the husband and have a new one come down. Everyone remembers Lauren, but she doesn't "know" anything about her new life. Lauren careens through universes and husbands, until she realizes...she's bored and unhappy. What then?

Debut novel, The Husbands, by Holly Gramazio explores the anxiety of “am I making the right choice?”, on hyperdrive.

When Lauren returns from a hen do and finds herself face to face with a husband she didn’t know she had, it only gets crazier from there. Lauren meets boring husbands, charming husbands, flat out awful husbands, and more. As the husbands come and go from her attic, some forced, some accidental, this zany tale examines modern love, choice, and destiny.

For fans of Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin.

If this book doesn’t get made into a movie I’ll be very disappointed. I can’t wait to see A-listers popping in and out of the attic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book, what a unique and fun premise. Written well and it gets you thinking about your own choices and attic doors? Anyway, highly recommended and I'm still thinking about the story.
Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC!

Hmm where to start, this was a very unique story with the attic of endless husbands. I liked the concept and the message behind the story but it got a little confusing in some parts but I give it a solid 4 stars because I loved all the characters

I have never been so enthralled by a debut author before like I was with The Husbands. The premise was so amazingly original and I loved Lauren. Watching her grow through the story was an incredible journey!

I devoured this snappy debut in a day! While the tone is decidedly lighthearted, Gramazio also gently probes at the nature of love, marriage, friendship, and fate in this zany romp. Bonus points for the London setting—I enjoyed googling all the neighborhoods.

This book was a refreshing surprise. The main character discovers she has a new husband who has appeared out of the blue. Then we follow her adventures with this new husband and a lot more surprises to follow. I love the pure novelty of this story and truly not knowing what direction the plot was going. It was definitely a book I didn't want to put down and I really enjoyed pure originality of the concept. Overall a great story, I was a tad disappointed that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and not quite as satisfying as I expected. Still a fun read you don't want to miss.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Husbands was a super cute romcom! I could see this book getting made into a movie. Holly Gramazio is a talented writer!

Part mystery, part rom-com. I really enjoyed this book. Holly Gramazio is a new writer. I look forward to reading more!

The premise could have been gimmicky-- but what's brilliant about this book is its commitment to the bit,to pattern, escalation and improvisation. Truly enjoyable. Reminded me of some of my favorite TV, including Russian Doll and Hang the DJ but was v original.

This was a fun and fast read. It was a really good concept, different husbands come out of her attic until she picks one she wants to stay with.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest opinion

For anyone who loves the “time loop/life loop” sub-genre that has blown up over the last few years. This is a creative take on the concept of “what if?”

My only qualm was that the writing is in third person, which makes it harder for me to relate to characters in fictional stories. So just a heads up for anyone who shares my preference in story perspective! :)

If I had a physical copy of this book I would have finished it in a day, but since it's on my work laptop I spread it over a week - which actually worked out fine, since I had more time to think about what Lauren was doing when she kept sending husbands up into her attic and wonder if she would ever find what she really wanted. Tightly written, dryly funny, and left me with a lot to mull over. I plan on purchasing this both for my work and my personal collection.

Fabulously funny story that kept me excited to read about who was going to come down the attic stairs next!

Lauren, a single girl living in London, comes home from partying with her friends to find a strange man in her house. This man claims to be her husband but Lauren has never been married. When he goes up to the attic to change a lightbulb, a completely different man comes down the ladder. This man not only claims to be her husband also, but her house and life are completely changed. This exchange of husbands happens every time she sends her “husband” up the attic ladder. Lauren decides she will keep sending the unwanted husbands up the ladder until she finds the perfect one. Trouble ensues and lessons are learned.

This was such an enjoyable experience in reading that I cannot wait to recommend to friends when this is released in April of 2024. Thank you Double Day Books and Net Galley for the Advanced Readers Copy. #TheHusbands #NetGalley

A clever commentary on modern dating. This book was hilarious and thoughtful. I would highly recommend.

3.5 stars, maybe 4. An interesting premise - a woman named Lauren comes home one night to her husband, Michael. The only problem is that she isn't married, and has no idea who the man in her flat might be. Just as she is figuring out that she really *is* married, Michael goes up in the attic to change a lightbulb and ... a *different* husband comes back down. Something in the attic changes husbands (but doesn't affect her). She doesn't like the second husband at all, so sends him up in the attic to exchange him for a different husband. And another, and another. She finally finds one she likes - but he hies himself up to the attic and is gone!

I tried to take this a a light 'n fun rom-com with a twist, but I kept coming back to trying to find a deeper meaning on connections and marriage and relationships. Then she gets a husband who also apparently can swap spouses, and they compare notes. He winks in and out of marriages - both wives and husbands, and spanning the globe. Lauren is always in her London flat regardless of the husband. Is that a commentary on men having more choices? Or just a literary device? Who knows.

It was a fun read, but I'm not sure I liked the ending. I didn't hate it, and I don't know what ending would have made it better for me, but I didn't love it. Still, I enjoyed the writing and the characters and look forward to this author writing more.