Husbands and Lovers is a multilayered story of two strong women told in 3 timelines.
We are first introduced to Hannah, who lost her husband and son in WWII Hungary. She is living in Cairo, Egypt with her husband who is a British diplomat. Hannah’s story is heartbreaking, and we learn her connection to Mallory through an heirloom bracelet.

Mallory is an artist and a single mother to Sam, who is in kidney failure. Midway through the book, we meet Sam’s father, Monk Adams, a famous singer/songwriter who met Mallory in her teens. They had a summer fling that produced Sam, only Monk doesn’t know. Mallory’s story is told in a dual timeline from her summer with Monk on Winthrop Island and in the present.

Mallory has an older sister Paige, who is devoted to her nephew and always has her sister’s back. The sisters’ relationship and their discovery that their mother was adopted in a significant story in the book.

Throughout the book, Hannah, Mallory and Paige survive heartbreak, loss, and betrayal. Their grit and determination to survive these personal tragedies make for a compelling story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story was comprised of 2 different storylines over 3 time periods. Mallory's story was told in 2008 and 2022 and I really enjoyed reading her story with both Monk and her son. Hannah's was based in the 1950's and I found myself skimming a lot of her chapters. Overall, this book felt pretty choppy due to the various timelines. My main complaint would be that it seemed the author tried to leave most chapters with a bit of a cliffhanger and then you'd switch to a different character/timeline. That's fine for some chapters but by the end it felt a bit exhausting when I just wanted to know what happened to the character in that timeline.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good multiple timeline story--but that's key. They all have to be engaging and draw me in so I'm excited about the next time I visit that storyline. And "Husbands & Lovers" did just that.

Mallory's ten-year-old son eats a mushroom and winds up needing a kidney. She and her sister visit her sister's friend who happens to live on the same island that Mallory's ex, now a famous rock star, spends his summers on, and naturally, they run into each other. While there, she remembers about the summer she nannied for his family and their plans for the future that didn't pan out.

Hannah is a bored WWII survivor living in Cairo with her much-older husband as he and other Englishmen determine the future of Egypt. Hannah falls for Lucien Beck and they have an affair.

Beatriz Williams takes us on a journey with both Mallory and Hannah as we wonder how they're connected. I found the characters well-written and interesting, but I do wish that since the book was about women and their journeys, it wasn't called Husbands and Lovers. It centers the men unnecessarily when the book is focused on women, their experiences, their struggles, and their disappointments and dreams. I loved the place settings, as both Egypt and Winthrop Island were written in ways that made me feel like I was there.

I really enjoyed this book! Many thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House, and NetGalley for my honest review in exchange for the chance to read this as an ARC.

A novel with two different but intertwining storylines: the first is about Mallory, a single mom of a 13 year old who is on dialysis because of a freak accident when he was 10 - he needs a kidney but she never told his famous rock star father of his existence so she cannot ask him for help. The second storyline is about Hannah who survived horrible tragedy during WWII and is now, in 1951, married to a wealthy older British man and living in Egypt but is drawn to an Egyptian hotel manager and has an affair with him. Both characters are developed through backstories with flashbacks throughout the novel.

I have enjoyed all of Williams’ novels that I have read (and I still have a way to go with her backlist) and this one was no different. While I predicted almost everything that happened in the novel I still appreciated the story and how it developed so I think that says something. I grew attached to the characters and in the middle of reading this, when I had to go out to dinner with my family (I read on vacation) I was thinking about the story and wanted to just get back to my hotel room and finish. It was definitely a great vacation read by the pool for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC to review

I quite enjoy Beatriz Williams's novels, and several characters from varying books and eras live rent free in my head. It's always so fun to try to unravel how the stories of the two main women across time will come together and connect. "Husbands & Lovers" was no different, although I may like it even more with one of the women, Mallory, also having a split timeline between modern day as a mother of a tween son and her youth on Winthrop Island one summer. The settings were beautifully written, the characters were wonderfully complex, and the conflicts were both big, historical challenges and common afflictions, love included. It's the perfect novel to start your summer vacation.

The always reliable Beatriz Williams's newest offering is told in 3 timelines, mainly focusing on the present and the story of a single mom, Mallory, raising her son, who has kidney failure after a tragic accident. He needs a kidney and there is no way she's telling his dad, even though she is hopelessly in love with him. The backstory tells the story of Hannah, a woman in Cairo in the 1950s, whose connection to Mallory becomes apparent as the story unfolds. Yes, it's a lot and it took me some time to sort it all out and settle into the story. If I'm being honest, both stories were interesting and could have been told on their own. This was a very compelling read!

I love Beatriz Williams's books, and Husbands and Lovers is no exception.

The story weaves together two timelines, each with a strong female protagonist. I found the current timeline more engaging than the past timeline, but I appreciated the level of detail used to fully immerse the reader in both. The story packed an emotional punch, too.

Fans of the author's previous works will enjoy this one, as well.

A good read and a well-developed story. You will enjoy it if you like Hilderbrand-style summer novels and a touch of historical fiction. (Beyond the island/New England setting, I saw similarities with E.H.'s Summer Affair, which I am also rereading right now. Having a major music star for an ex-boyfriend is an obvious thing in common here, but the books follow different paths.)

What I liked:
- The book is well-paced, and the points of view/chapters from different timelines switch with great timing to deliver the twists and suspense.
- The historical fiction part is fascinating, if a bit convoluted.
- The central love story is great and gets fair treatment throughout.
- The main character is likable, and her motivation becomes clear after some things are uncovered.

What I questioned:
- Honestly, the title of the book could be better. It is a bit misleading to what the story might entail, if a reader does not look up the premise/description. There was some adultery and some husbands and a certain lover. Just think there must have been a better name that ended up in the reject pile that might have been a better representation of the book.
- The class difference is a bit on the nose at times.
- There could have been more of a connection between the now and the history. There are some threads, but I felt it could have been extended.
- The Instagram-influencer-fiancee gave me major Parent Trap's Meredith Blake vibes - did she have to be completely evil to move the story along? Simultaneously, did we really need Sedge's character here just to show that Mallory has options? And if he did, could he be a bit deeper, beyond the "rich and good in bed?"
- The love-making scenes are a bit strange - we get too much detail at times, then none at all.
- The language is a bit uneven. I am all for swearing and edginess, but I felt it wasn't always fitting.
- I wish we got one more chapter from Hannah - that story felt unfinished in a way.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House, and Beatriz Williams for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book is out on June 25.

Thank you net galley and Beatriz Williams for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! I have this book 3.25 stars which I rounded down to 3 on Goodreads’! Decent book descent read had trouble connecting with the characters

A passed down family bracelet leads a single mother to understand her family history and opens her up to second chances.

Dual times lines can be hard for me. I loved the contemporary timeline of this one and unfortunately found myself wanting to skip the other parts to get back to it. Hannah’s part it Egypt, while I loved the setting, I just couldn’t get into it. It was important to still read as I needed to understand how it all came together in the end.

“You can choose to live again or not. But I can make you remember what it was like to be alive.”

Husbands & Lovers comes out 6/25.

I wanted like this book so bad! The premise is so intriguing ( dual POV, Mallory and her boyfriend in 2008/her son in 2022, and Hannah in Cairo in 1951). I got 60% in, and loved all of the Mallory parts of the dual POV. The Hannah parts dragggggged. I felt zero connection to Hannah and her story. I don’t know if I needed to push a little farther, but I thought 60% was generous, and despite knowing that the stories connected, I couldn’t see how it was going to happen. I am still curious about the resolution of Mallory, her son, and Monk, but not enough to continue right now. This author seems like one I should like, so maybe I need to try a different title of hers.

I couldn't put this book down! Set in early 1950's Cairo and (mostly) modern day New England, Husbands & Lovers is two love stories. Hannah Ainsworth survived WWII but the heartbreak and loss she suffered made her think she would never love again. Mallory Dunne got pregnant in her early 20's and decided to raise her son on her own, but she's never gotten over her relationship with her son's father, even though he has moved on. Hannah and Mallory each rediscover love, and as their stories are revealed, we realize the two women are connected across time. I loved the richly drawn characters and their captivating stories, which Beatriz Williams expertly peels back layer-by-layer. One of my favorite reads so far this year.

Two generations of women, one bracelet, link the past to mysterious upbringing of Mallory Dunne's mother. These women upend the lives of the men they love to save the one thing they love, their children.

Let's meet the women:

Mallory Dunne - A mother to Sam who is currently on the waitlist for a new kidney. An absent father only because he’s literally unaware after a love affair one summer in college. Sam's Dad is forced to reconcile the past to accept the future of "why" Hannah ran away, and didn't tell him she was pregnant. A second-chance at love awaits Hannah and Monk after truths are revealed.

Hannah Ainsworth - In 1951, Hannah's grandmother is living a diplomatic life in Cairo with her husband. Left often alone, Hannah finds herself in the arms on the charismatic hotel manager. Longing for a child, her lover gives her a chance to be a mother. Danger lurks in Cairo so Hannah must do what is necessary to save the baby, Hannah's mother.

These two timelines collide for an epic conclusion as secrets are revealed from Hannah's mother past and her own. Fabulous story!

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books

A book with dual timelines, this is the story of a family with a mysterious and previously unknown past and a story of young love interrupted. While the storyline was, overall, interesting, I found this just didn’t hold my attention. The ending wrapped things up, but I didn’t think the story seemed finished.

I really, really hate to do this. I think I’ve only ever DNF’d one other ARC, but this is definitely not the book for me and life is too short to waste reading bad novels. I have no idea how it has 5 star reviews. Outside of glorifying an affair in one storyline, in the other one, the main character is insufferable. Absolutely intolerable. She treats others so poorly. The main catalyst for me is that she is not doing everything within her power for her son. My child has a condition that there is no cure or transplant for but if there was the slightest chance I could provide that for her, I would contact ANYONE I possibly could. I would do ANYTHING I possibly could for my child. That selfishness, and there is no other word for it, leaves me unable to care at all what happens with her in this book. I want Sam to get his happy ending but Mallory does not deserve one so I’ll just stop reading now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Husbands and Lovers is a stunning, carefully plotted, novel by one of my favorite authors, Beatriz Williams. In her hands the reader is treated to fascinating historical fiction seamlessly blended with intense romance. She is a masterful storyteller and a keen observer of human behavior and emotion.
The story is told from the POVs of two main characters. Mallory is a single mother who presently lives in New England, and whose only child, Sam, is on dialysis, needing a kidney transplant. Contrastingly, Hannah is a tragic figure who lost her husband and son in WWII Hungary, and now lives in post-war Cairo, Egypt, with her cold, much older British spouse, Alistair. The stories of these courageous women unfold in three timelines, deftly interwoven by the author.
While the title of the novel is “Husbands and Lovers,” the heroines are these two women who survive loss, heartbreak, betrayal, and personal tragedies. The boys, young men, and adult men intersect with their lives in often complicated ways, but always centered on the women’s stories.
The prose is skilled and a pleasure to read, voicing the bright contemporary voices of Mallory, sister Paige, and friend Lola, as well as the tragic, desperate tone of Hannah. There is a great sense of place and atmosphere conjured, from the dunes of Winthrop Island to the fierce scenes of the riots in 1951 Cairo. Avid readers of Ms. Williams’ novels will find fun intersections of locales and characters from her other books. For example, much of this story takes place on Winthrop Island, setting of several previous novels, and some will recognize the denizens of the island—the Peabodys, Fishers, Monks, and Adams.
That said, this is absolutely readable as a standalone novel. It is a brilliant story of complicated relationships, love, loss, and heroism told with great humanity.

My great thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! This is my honest review.

A brilliant page turner, one you’ll not be able to stop reading! A dual timeline which starts in Cairo, Egypt in 1951 and jumps to New England in 2022, follows the lives of two women Hannah and Mallory. We see the struggles and strengths of these two women. Hannah Ainsworth is married to an English diplomat living a very comfortable life in Cairo. While on the outside it appears she has every comfort awarded to the wife of a diplomat, on the inside she is holding on to many secrets and is grieving the life she left behind. When Hannah finds herself in the middle of an affair and pregnant during a dangerous time in Cairo, what will she do?
Mallory Dunne is a single mother to Sam. While away at summer camp Sam ingests a deadly mushroom, becomes seriously ill, and is airlifted to the nearest hospital. After making it through the worst of the poisoning, Sam is left on the donor list in need of a new kidney. Mallory is in a race against time to find a kidney first Sam. In the search for a donor for her son, Mallory has to face her own secrets from her past.
This piece is beautifully written and takes its readers on the journey of Hannah and Mallory from the streets of post war Cairo, to the wealthy New England shores.

At the midpoint of this book, I was ready to believe that for the protagonists of this story, there is no such thing as a good husband. Mallory and (in a dual timeline) Hannah only have bad examples of the species, and their faith in men is unquestionably dim. But as their stories develop, we become aware of the much richer stories of the men in their lives. In Beatriz William's hands, this historical novel comes alive with a profound sense of place and the people who inhabited it.

I loved this story, and recommend it to fans of historical fiction and historical romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this dual-timeline book, the chapters alternate between two women - Hannah & Mallory. Hannah's timeline begins in Cairo in 1951, where she is living with her husband. Hannah went from being a Hungarian refugee during WWII to marrying a wealthy British diplomat. Their marriage was always one of convenience rather than passion, and she is unhappy living in Cairo. She strikes up a friendship with a hotel manager that turns into a passionate affair.. As she finds herself pregnant with his child, Cairo goes up in flames with a revolution and she must make a decision no mother should ever have to make. The second timeline tells the story of Mallory. in 2022. Her ten-year-old son Sam is airlifted from summer camp due to acute poisoning from a death cap mushroom and is fighting for his life. Needing a kidney transplant, and no matches in their small family, Mallory must face the past in more ways than one. She never wanted anything to do with her son's birth father again, and has never even let him know he has a son, but now she is grappling with the fact she may not have a choice. Also, Mallory's sister Paige discovers a birth certificate of their mother's that shows she was adopted from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952 - a fact they never knew before now.

This book was so good. Both storylines were riveting. Hannah's was heartbreaking, and I was just cheering Mallory on from the sidelines. Two great female protaganists in one book - what more could you ask for? Although this is a work of fiction, and all of the characters are fictional. the uprising and fire in Cairo was real. I didn't have any knowledge about Cairo's history, so I found all of that fascinating. This book would appeal to both historical fiction buffs and fiction lovers alike, I believe. I highly recommend it!

I loved both Mallory and Hannah. Mallory is the heroine of the present and Hannah is the heroine of the past. You know they connect somehow but you don't know the whole story. Are they perfect, no, but it is fun to watch how they navigate the obstacles thrown their way. I also really enjoyed the settings of the present day story in New England and then the story of the past in Cairo. Now let's talk about the love stories, I loved Mallory and Monk. Not only when they were together but also as separate characters. They just worked but not in the conventional kind of way. Then there is Hannah and her love story that spans a few wars and you are happy for her and then the next page sad for the sacrifices she had to make. But how do they connect?? Then there is the supporting characters - you either love them or really do not like them at all. This book has love, family, sisterhood, secrets, and parenthood, and some unexpected twists and turns. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.