REVIEW: The Husbands ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“If someone hates the world, and you’re the only exception, then surely that proves something.”
― Holly Gramazio, The Husbands

Lauren is single, but she comes home to a man in her house saying he is her husband. There are even wedding photos and previous messages on her phone to confirm this is true. However, when her husband goes up to the attic to grab something, another man saying he’s her husband comes down the ladder. With each different husband, Lauren’s life changes based on their lives together.

The Husbands was such a fun read! It had a unique concept and it kept me laughing throughout. I enjoyed that we started the book right in the middle of the action. There’s no slow build-up; she just opens her front door and bam there’s a husband. Holly Gramazio did a great job at making the husbands different enough from one another to distinguish the important ones while also showing how the various husbands would impact Lauren’s life. It was always interesting to see who would come out of the attic next and what adventures they would take Lauren on. There were plenty of twists and turns along the way that helped the ending to be unpredictable.

There were just two things I wasn’t a big fan of. First, after a while, the book seemed to stretch out much more than it needed to. There were some storylines and husbands that could have been removed without impacting the story. It just felt too long and repetitive at times. I also didn’t like how abrupt the ending was. I was hoping to get a little more to the resolution or at least an epilogue to see how things were in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Husbands. This was a unique storyline that kept me guessing and smiling along the way. The Husband is great for anyone looking for a contemporary romance with a touch of magical realism.

Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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The Husbands
Genre: Speculative fiction
Rating: 3⭐️/ enjoyed

Thanks @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for the advanced digital copy!

I paired my ebook with the audio (also thanks @librofm for the gifted #alc) and found that to be a great pair. That being said, I kept waiting for something to happen here that never quite materialized. Whether some significant progress in plot or thought provoking sentiment, this was a read I still enjoyed, but could’ve been so much more.

Husband after husband came quickly, leaving very little possibility of character development. With Lauren, our FMC, it could’ve changed the story if she had an “a-ha” moment; overall, she was fairly superficial throughout the novel. That being said, the audiobook was narrated excellently and the listening experience was very enjoyable. I’d absolutely read more from this author, as the concept was such a fun, unique idea.

April’s Read With Jenna pick is 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦, and I can see why. Holly Gramazio’s debut leaves readers with lots to discuss.

Lauren returns home one night to be greeted by her husband - a man she’s never seen before. As she tries to figure out who he is by talking to friends and looking through her photos, he heads into the attic and a different man emerges, this one apparently her new husband. Lauren soon realizes that the attic swaps out spouses, and as she tries each one out, as well as the version of herself she is while married to them, she has to figure out what she really wants out of a partner and her life.

This 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘨 𝘋𝘢𝘺-meets-Goldilocks-meets-Choose Your Own Adventure concept is a fun metaphor for dating apps and the constant swiping people do based on often superficial impressions. There are so many men, they don’t always get names - “Michael. Nude guy. Feminist cook. Monsters, Inc. Kieran. Jason. Tall guy. Another half-dozen and she can’t even remember why she dismissed them.” - showing that Lauren may have more choices than ever, but it doesn’t mean making the right choice is any easier. If anything, knowing there’s always another option makes finding “The One” more challenging, and the question becomes is she willing to stop looking for something better and be happy with what she has.

Thanks to Doubleday Books, NetGalley and Librofm for the copies to review (the audiobook is terrific!), and check out the author’s website for a hilarious husband generator.

The Husbands was a quirky debut novel, thoughtful and an entertaining read. I appreciated the unique premise of the story about getting a new husband from the attic every time the main character felt like it. It was silly but kept my attention. This is a great book club pick that would garner interesting discussions about life, relationships and endless decision making.

It was an interesting read and I can tell why so many people loved the book. I personally thought I might enjoy it more than I did. Thank you Netgalley for the book.

3.5 out of 5. I had such high expectations for this book. I asked for an ARC, had heard so much buzz and it was even Read with Jenna's book pick and i usually agree with her. This is however a case of two high expectations. It's not that it was a bad book, it just was not great. I was expecting to be really engaged and in the end I just didn't care enough. There are plenty of great things about it. It has a great, if absolutely wacky premise. Can you imagine swiping right on a full marriage and family. IT's implications are intense, stressful and funny at the same time. I think my issue with this book is that i did not care about Lauren and therefore did not care about a) the life she lost when she embarked on this time loop but b) who she ends up with since I know nothing about her. I think I'm in the minority in this view, and It's been so widely praised that I think you should read it and let me know what your hot take is on this one.

In a nutshell- Lauren, a single woman, returns home to discover she is married and every time a husband goes up into the attic a different one comes down.

If you liked The Midnight Library you’ll also like The Husbands. I thought the plot was unique and creative and just when I was looking for the never-ending revolving door to stop -the author introduces a husband with a little surprise. I really felt that was necessary to the story as it slowed down the revolving door. The ending was dramatic, but I felt it made sense. I wished here were less husbands so that some of these relationships could’ve been further developed. Thanks so much @doubleday for granting me access through @netgalley!

I found the format to this a bit repetitive, but such a fun premise and enjoyed the writing and characters.

In "The Husbands" by Holly Gramazio, the intriguing premise of waking up to a stranger claiming to be one's spouse immediately grabs attention. The notion of an attic that produces different husbands adds a unique and surreal element to the story. Gramazio's exploration of identity, choice, and the perpetual quest for improvement is likely to resonate deeply with readers. Lauren's journey as she navigates through the consequences of constantly seeking a better life promises to be both captivating and thought-provoking. With its blend of mystery and philosophical inquiry, "The Husbands" invites readers to ponder the nature of happiness and the importance of embracing one's true self.

Very cute and charming read, this was overall funny and had some real stand out heartfelt moments that were unexpected.

I walked away from The Husbands somewhat underwhelmed. I felt like there was a bigger book somewhere in here, with more answers to more questions. I was a little annoyed by the arbitrary constraints of Lauren's decisions - who knows if one of the husbands that she gave up on too easily was really the best one? I also found myself slightly annoyed by the metaphysics of this world - it was unclear what the actual constraints were. Overall, a fun read, though, and I will recommend to those who like books such as Oona Out of Order and In Five Years.

This was a super unique idea for a story. I like how it was sort of a comment on online dating culture. It did get a but repetitive through the middle, overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to other readers! It was a light read and it was a quick read.

I can barely finish, I skipped a few husbands too. The plot had promise but it turned out to be confusing and hard to stay with. I picked it up and put it down too many times. It became a ditto, same thing over and over again.

I read an advance reader copy of this story. Al thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley #TheHusbands #HollyGramazio #doubleday

This one was so different than anything I'd read before. And funny too! But the ending was too short and left something to be desired.

This was a fantastic read. Quick moving and compelling. I've recommended it to several of my friends and book club.

Wow.

For the past few years, it has been hard to shock me (in a good way) with a story.

The Husbands proved I can still see innovation in literature.

What a cool and novel concept about a woman who keeps changing out husbands because of a magical attic.

Yes, that's what I said.

And I would recommend this for fans of Emily Henry with the offbeat humor of The Office. I cackled many times while reading and could not put it down. It was clever and warm and inviting. It was unique and out-of-the-box. I look forward to what this author puts out next.

One of my favorites of the year!

I described the reading experience of this book to a friend as something like a sol lewitt painting and I stand by that. It is lovely and strange and surreal all at once.

Go into this quirky, debut novel with a sense of humor!

The magical realism in 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 is obviously over-the-top, yet entertaining with its revolving door of husbands, especially in the first half. The plot is highly unique and thought-provoking as MC Lauren must decide what to do with this new magic attic. With each husband, the world around her changes.

With much potential and endless possibilities, I had no idea where this book was going after dozens of husbands. Lauren was equally confused, repeating the same process over and over, which is something many of us do when stuck in an impossible situation. Midway through it pivoted. With great British narration, the audio kept me listening/reading to find out where it landed in the end, which was pleasantly unexpected.

Gifted: @doubledaybooks @prhaudio • 4★

This was an odd little story, but enjoyable for the most part. The author requires immediate and complete suspension of disbelief, which isn't hard to do, but some readers might want more.

The Husbands is a hilarious debut title with a unique premise. When Lauren returns home from a bachelorette party, she discovers a strange man in her apartment who claims to be her husband. Lauren doesn’t remember anything but photos on her phone show their life together. Lauren soon discovers anytime her husband goes into the attic, he’s replaced by another one. As Lauren experiments with over 100 husbands each impacting her life in a different way, she questions if she’ll ever know when she has found the perfect match.

A delightful time travel story that delves into the philosophical question if people can ever be sure if they’ve made the right decision for their choice of spouse. The humor and inventiveness from the author save the groundhog day plot from becoming tedious. A fast-paced and upbeat read perfect for fans of Emma Straub or readers of modern day romances. Gramazio is definitely an author to watch.