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.

If you enjoy Ashley Poston and/or the movie Sliding Doors, you will love this book. A Jenna's (Today's Show) Book club pic and such a delight to read. A bit fantastical and silly, but so sweet and fun. How to we choose the path we want our lives to take when there are so many options available ahead.

Holly Gramazio's The Husbands is absolutely brilliant. Such a fun, unique concept expertly crafted between the pages -- it was an absolute riot. I love the overall message, particularly in a time when we're having global conversations around what it means to be a woman -- and whether that determines you must be a wife. So much fun!

This book gets at the nitty gritty of marriage in the best possible way. The highs and the lows and finally how deciding this is the one you are willing to make it work with is the choice we all have to make. I kept wondering how it would end and it didn’t disappoint.

This was a fun story!

Unfortunately there were too many unanswered questions that distracted me from the story and I was confused by almost every decision the MC made.

The premise is interesting, but I don't think I would have picked it up on my own. Lauren returns to her London flat one night and discovers a man there who claims to be her husband, but she isn't married. Then she sees their wedding photos and a picture of them on her lock screen. As she (drunkingly) tries to figure out what's happening, he goes into the attic and another husband comes down. Essentially, #TheHusbands is an examination of who we marry and why, with many detours about possible timelines and chance meetings. I'm drawn to multiple life path novels in whatever form they take, and I really enjoyed reading The Husbands. BUT in the second half of the novel, it hit me: there is no way this novel can end in a way that satisfies me. (I had the same realization when reading The Midnight Library.) I wanted to be wrong. It's hard to rate a book you love that is somewhat dampened by its ending. But ultimately, I loved the time I spent in Lauren's worlds and imaging what my own spouse attic might bring me.

I've had The Husbands on my ARC list for a while, and when I saw it at the library, I knew it would be a good way to mark another ARC off my backlog. I went into this book thinking it was going to be a fun little book about different husbands magically coming out of Lauren's attic. But this book was more of a thought-provoking read filled with symbolism.

This one will definitely get you thinking about how you would alter your life if you could magically reset it by sending your significant other up into the attic, but also have you reflecting on how life is really just taking one chance after another and dealing with the consequences, whether they're good, bad, or meh.

While I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for a light-hearted read, and this wasn't what I expected when picking this book up, I still flew through it pretty quickly and would recommend it to those looking for a book that makes you dig a little deeper (though not too deep).

This book is much different that I thought it was going to be. I'll say it was not my style due to the fact that I prefer realistic fiction. Lauren arrives home after a night out with friends only to find her husband there. The strange thing is that she was never married. She has no memory of this man, but her friends confirm for her, that she is indeed married to this man. As it one point, she asks him to change the lightbulb, which is in the attic. When he returns from the attic, he is no longer the same husband. He returns a different man. She soon realizes that every time she asks a "husband" to change the lightbulb, a new man emerges.

It can be a humorous novel for anyone who enjoys unrealistic stories, but it is also heartfelt as well For me, I didn't enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

The premise was so entertaining, what a way to meet a husband. However I found this to be way too long, too many husbands, and I didn’t really relate to Lauren. There are some laugh out loud moments. Just not a book I’d read again.