Like many of her novels, this one has dual timelines (kind of 3) and multiple POVs.

Mallory’s story spans her college years where she falls in love with her summer fling, Monk (now a famous musician) and the present where she is the single mother of a son with a serious kidney affliction. Desperate for a kidney for her son, there are no family matches. A chance encounter leads her to follow the trail of a bracelet given to her by her mother which leads to the revelation that her mother was adopted. Mallory hopes to find more about her mother in the hopes of finding a match for her son but also to uncover unknown family history.

Return to the 1950’s where Hannah has put her painful past behind her and is married to an older wealthy tycoon but also finds herself falling in love with a local in Colonial Egypt. A tragic incident in Cairo brings that affair abruptly to a halt and changes the course of Hannah’s life yet again.

As you might be able to guess, these storylines collide in a predictable manner, but the journey is perfect for those who love romance in their historical fiction. What I normally love about her novels is how heavy the historical content often is and this one was much more multiple love stories than historical. But her characters are always well developed and the storylines kept me invested.

Thank you to @ballantinecorp and @netgalley for this review copy

Fantastic historical fiction/romance/genre bending deep read. I recommend going into this one blind, it is worth all of the hype.

This book was a combination of my two favorite genres: historical fiction and contemporary romance. The book has dual storylines in multiple time frames. The storylines run parallel to each other for most of the book but you know early on that they will intersect at some point. This builds anticipation and I quickly became invested in both storylines. However....the connection felt very loose to me. Each could have stood independently of the other, been removed totally from the book, and it would not have impacted the outcome of either story. At the start, I was more drawn to Mallory's story. I had a hard time engaging in Hannah's story but that changed about halfway through the book. Her story is heartbreaking... absolutely soul crushing. How she was able to go on after all she had been through is the definition of resilience. Mallory’s story is also told in a dual timeline so you end up with three timelines in this story. I did not expect young Mallory’s story to go where it did. It was definitely a surprise. Individually, I loved both plots equally but together, they confused me. My rating for plot and storyline is 4 stars.

On to the characters... I enjoyed getting to know these characters. Hannah felt a little standoffish at first, hard to get to know, but you understand why later in the story so I felt this was intentional. Mallory was sweet but almost too sweet. She was so accommodating to everyone about everything. I just wanted her to get mad. She felt so passive, internalizing every situation. I was so confused by her motives to keep Sam and Monk apart. I sort of understood later but it was frustrating that so much time was lost. I think she realizes the error of her ways a little later on. Monk...**sigh**...I loved his character. He was probably my favorite. He loved Mallory so much but I also felt that he handled things a little too calmly as well. I wanted him to be angry. I was angry for him. I think a little conflict over the situation would have created the tension that the story didn’t really have. Overall, the characters were relatable, well developed and showed growth throughout the story. They felt real even if their reactions were a little unrealistic. Character rating 4.5 stars

Writing style: For the most part this was an easy read. The narrative flowed well, the dialogue was easy and natural, and the back story really helped to build the characters and anticipation for the storyline. There were some parts that I felt droned on and I found myself wanting to skim. I also wish the 2 stories would have been better connected. Rating 4 stars.

Overall, this was a solid read. It is my first by Beatriz Williams but it won't be my last. I would definitely recommend it to both my historical fiction lovers and my contemporary romance lovers. Overall rating 4 stars.

I REALLY enjoyed this story a lot. I actually think it could have been two different novels, and I would have read both. We follow two different timelines, one a current day as single mom Mallory is raising her son, as he gets sicker and sicker, and her sister peters her to finally contact his dad, a famous singer. The other is married Hannah, living in Egypt in the 1950's with her British husband, trying to forget her past as a mother and wife in Hungary. I could not stop reading this. However, it wasn't perfect to me-there were parts where the author jumped ahead or back in the timeline she was writing about, and I was a bit confused, but not enough to put it down. Could have used some editing to go between the character's thoughts. But I liked this one a lot!

A book with lots of twists and turns. Cliffhangers at the end of most chapters so be prepared to keep turning those pages. It has so much in it that it’s hard to pigeonhole but its themes are young love, DNA, kidney transplant, and NE social status. It takes you through three timelines-1951-52 Egypt, 2008 & 2022 New England
#husbandsandlovers #beatrizwilliams #randomhouse
#netgalley

Told through dual timelines, Husbands and Lovers weaves together the lives of Mallory Dunne and Hannah Ainsworth. Set in 1951 Egypt, eclipsed by the post-WW2 landscape, and modern day New England, the lives of these two women are seemingly connected by their love affairs, motherhood, and more physically, a mysterious serpent bracelet.

Y’all - this book was PHENOMENAL. Easily one of the best books of this year and potentially one of my favorite historical fiction novels? I cannot stop recommending it to everyone and cannot stop thinking about it. I was enamored with Mallory and Hannah’s stories from the beginning pages. I often struggle with dual timelines because I’m so much more invested in one story over the other, but here, both narratives are told with such care and detail to fully enrapture you and keep you guessing at how everything will connect. The WRITING, the romance, the mother-son relationship, the drama… amazing. Five stars all around.

This is my first book by Beatriz Williams - do I need to go back and read everything she’s ever written? I’m thinking so if this is her standard.

Many thanks to Random House - Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and exchange for honest review. This is one of the best books I have read in a very, very long time. I loved the dual timeline and the settings of both. The story was unique and the characters were complex and had great chemistry. I especially love the story of Mallory and Monk Adams

What an unexpected gem from Williams! I've loved her previous historical fiction novels, but this one, with its contemporary storyline woven in, is my favorite of her novels I've read. It was beautifully written, engaged and I loved the ending. Will strongly recommend!

Wow! This is one of those books that lived up to every bit of the hype! Husbands & Lovers is a historical fiction meets romance meets women's fiction, and it was utter perfection.

This story has 3 to 4 different timelines that were carefully crafted piece by piece to connect two women decades and continents apart! After a tragic accident involving Mallory's son, Sam, ending up on dialysis, she learns her late mother was adopted. This is good news because Mallory nor her sister are compatible donors for Sam (and his father is not in the picture) and this news opens a new potential avenue.

This brings in the story of Hannah Ainsworth in Cairo in 1951 which was such an exciting time in my opinion. Hannah's story is absolutely devastating, and I could have read an entire story on just her life. However, the way her story intersected with Mallory's was equally intriguing.

Mallory is quite the woman. Her banter with her sister, Paige, brought a smile to my face. And as every layer of this story was intentional, when we learn of Mallory's past and her one true love with Monk, Sam's father, I was literally shocked when I learned why it was so imperative for Mallory to keep Sam and secret.

Without giving anything away, just trust me and read this one. You won't be sorry!

I have loved every single Beatriz Williams novel I have ever read, be it with her fellow authors Karen White and Lauren Willig or solo, she never disappoints. Husbands & Lovers was no different though I did have my doubts in the beginning. Despite the dual timelines of Mallory and Hannah, it moved pretty slowly for me until I had about a quarter of the book left which is when all of the secrets started coming out. Both timelines then started getting really intense and I liked that Williams added a couple more POV's at the end as well. I wouldn’t necessarily have needed them, but I loved them. 🥺

The audiobook is narrated by Helen Laser & Caroline Hewitt both of whom really brought it as our FMC's voices. They gave Mallory and Hannah’s characters so much life and made me connect with the story even further. Mallory is our present-day POV involving lost love and a death cap mushroom, and Hannah is our past POV involving Egypt, human loss, and new love. Both had their heartbreaking moments infused with a dash of humor, but this book completely broke me and then put me back together again. Equally touching stories in their own right that will have you questioning life choices and pining for old loves. If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of romance and mystery, Husbands & Lovers should be at the top of your list!

Set between Cairo 1951 and New England 2022, this book could have been two different stories. Mallory is a single mom whose son, Sam, needs a kidney transplant after ingesting a poisonous mushroom at summer camp. Mallory resists asking Sam's father for help because (1) Monk Adams is a famous rock star and (2) Monk doesn't know Sam exists. (Clearly, I enjoyed this timeline more).

Hannah is a Hungarian refugee still suffering from the tragedy she endured during the war. She marries a British diplomat but due to his health, they relocate to Cairo. Hannah's husband is away a lot and she befriends the hotel manager, Lucien. Known for his womanizing, Hannah gets pulled into a relationship with Lucien, but things are not what they seem. When Hannah finds herself pregnant, she has to make a choice of which life to lead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.

A sprawling and exciting new novel from Beatriz Williams, the acclaimed author of A Hundred Summers and The Summer Wives.

So honored to have gotten this ARC. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ballantine Books!!! This was amazing. Beatriz Williams never disappoints! Two women in two different eras, struggling to rebuild their lives: a WWII-scarred Hungarian ex-countess now trying to adapt to life as wife to a British diplomat, a modern-day artist molding her every day around a son with damaged kidneys and little hope of a transplant. Both women are linked by mysterious lovers and an even more mysterious family heirloom that ties 21st century New England to postwar Cairo. Sensitive, thought-provoking, romantic, and entertaining.

HUSBANDS AND LOVERS
By Beatriz Williams

Beatriz Williams always writes and engaging historical fiction romance with strong female leads and dual timelines and complex family dynamics. This was a fantastic summer read lovely enough to get lost in.

I loved it!

This book is an amazing story of two women 70 years apart, who paths are woven together united by an heirloom. Mallory is a single Mom who spent her youth one summer on Winthrop Island. Mallory and Monk were teenage lovers. They hadn’t seen each other for 14 years. A tragic event tore them apart. Mallory and Monk meet again. The first story follows Mallory, who is a single mom, whose son is ill and in need of a kidney transplant. The other story follows Hannah who is in Egypt during the 1950s while stuck in a loveless marriage during a tumultuous time in Egypt's history. Both women are strong although they have huge obstacles to overcome including whether to follow their heart or not. The story is wonderfully woven together and I don't believe we have seen the last of these characters. Looking forward to resolving the cliff hanger.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher.

Be sure to check out this great new novel from a favorite author.

Dual time-line stories are so creative. This one gave us a look at post-WWII Cairo and present day New England, steeped in family drama and secrets. Williams is such an exceptional story-teller. This novel contains amazing historical research, interesting characters, and a twisty plot that kept me turning pages. A great choice for a summer beach read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random Publishing House-Ballantine for an ARC of Husbands & Lovers in exchange for my honest review.

Husbands & Lovers tells the story of two women whose lives are entwined through time and space by family secrets. Mallory is struggling with her son's recent illness in the 2020s; while Hannah is navigating post war Cairo in the 1950s. Both are dealing with love, loss, and sacrifice. But when a family secret is discovered the mysteries of the past will slowly be revealed and affect the future of one family greatly.

This novel is a great blend of past and present, different class and social systems, female empowerment, and morality. Both women are strong characters and are very focused on not only surviving their realities, but thriving in them. I enjoyed the alternating chapters and hearing both women's personalities shine through. I also particularly enjoyed the setting in Egypt and how the British controlled a vast majority of influence there at the time. It wasn't a part of history I wasn't extremely familiar with and enjoyed researching to learn more about it.

This is my second read from Ms. Williams, and I enjoyed it just as much as Golden Hour (I did enjoy Golden Hour just a teeny, tiny bit more). She is a wonderful writer; I felt as if time didn't exist while reading because everything flowed so effortlessly. My one complaint if the lack of communication on Mallory's part (although I understand her reasoning behind it), but hey, that's reality. How many events in our lives could be less complicated if only communicated better? Hindsight is 20/20, afterall.

I highly recommend picking this one up (and Golden Hour too) for any historical or women's fiction fans. In fact, any fans of just plain good storytelling should pick this one up! I for one will definitely be keeping an eye out for any future projects from Beatriz Williams and can't wait to read more of her work. 4⭐️

This story was really interesting. I found myself wanting more of Mallory and less of Hannah, but it tied in nicely at the end.

I love when you finish a book feeling smarter, heartened, and enriched. For a second, the author had me believing the ending was going to be different from what I originally expected. I’m so glad it wasn’t. There are three timelines presented in the novel: 1951, 2008, and 2022. The two main characters are connected by a mysterious bracelet: a cuff of the Egyptian cobra with glittering eyes and tongue. What makes this bracelet so special? Williams weaves in a little bit of every genre—historical fiction, second chance romance, mystery, and family drama, to name a few. If you’re already a Williams fan, you might recognize some of the characters, too. An absolutely perfect summer read that will transport you to the Cape, Mystic, CT, and even beyond to Cairo, Egypt.

Wow, this did not disappoint! We have historical fiction, romance, women's fiction all rolled into one? No way you can go wrong. I really loved the dual timelines in this book, and the way Williams developed the characters is next level. It's an emotional book, but you cannot pass this one up. One of the best you'll read in 2024, I promise!

I love everything Beatriz Williams - staring from 100 Summers - the first book I read of hers. Husbands and Lovers begins with a horrible accident for young Sam when his is at summer camp. His single mother Mallory, is supported by her sister Paige a he recovers. THis beginning wa difficult for me as I just can't handle Illness and death for children in plots. BUT - knowing I have loved every story Williams has produced I stuck with it and am so glad I did. the contemporary love story of Mallory and Monk was amazing and I didn't want their chapters to end. Hannah's story in 1951 Cairo sometimes left me wanting but I knew it would all tie together in the end which of course it did. I was thrilled to return to Winthrop Island and hang out with the country club bunh ad I can always depend on Williams to test my memory on who is going to show up from her other books. I love that!