This is the first book I have read by Beatriz Williams and will absolutely not be the last. This was a story that will stay with me for a long time. The ending was just so wonderful.

The book follows stories across three timelines, all interwoven. The first timeline is in 2022, where Mallory Dunne is desperately searching for a new kidney for her son, who ate a death cap mushroom three years earlier at camp.

The second timeline is in Cairo in the 1950s, where Hannah Ainsworth, a diplomat’s wife, finds herself in an affair with a local man, whilst political tensions are brewing,

The third timeline, set in 2008, follows a younger Mallory and her best friend, Monk Adams, as they fall in love over a Summer.

This book was rich, harrowing, and utterly unputdownable. Each of the three storylines were incredibly well written, and the author did a wonderful job of going between them.

I have been telling friends and family about this book since I began reading it, and have enthusiastically suggested it to people who run book clubs. Absolutely fantastic book.

This is my very first Beatriz Williams novel and after reading this book, I am excited to dive into her backlist! This book follows two woman connected to each other through a family heirloom. Set in two different time periods, it follow Mallory who is a single mother to a child who needs a kidney transplant. And Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian refugee, who is married to a British diplomat living in Cairo in the 1950s. The two woman get a second chance at love and let me tell you, their love stories are both charming and heart wrenching. I was so invested in the characters and intrigued by the unique connection of their pasts. Williams does a great drop moving between both timelines to give the readers the perfect combination of mystery, love, and grit. This book had me turning pages. Husband and Lovers sucked me in with the beautifully written setting in Cairo and the New England coast both places I've never been but I stay for the love story of it all. Absolutely recommend for summer reading! I can't wait to hear people's thoughts on this one. Thanks to net galley for the advanced galley. This book as made Beatriz Williams an auto buy author for me.

Husbands & Lovers
Author Beatriz Williams

This book had multiple storylines/timelines which weave together. The present timeline was far more interesting than the 1950s timeline. I found that there was a lot of information in the 50s timeline that would make me feel lost. Each chapter would be from a character’s pov. Within that chapter, there could be multiple timelines. It was a lot. Also, the amount of smoking these characters do is insane.

I did like the general plot. Most of the characters were likable with the exception of Hannah’s husband and her lover.

Triggers:
Cheating
War
Murder
Drugs
Rape

Thank you Beatriz Williams, Random House Ballantine, and @Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my host review.

Mallory Dunne is a commercial artist and a single mom raising her son Sam in New England. When we meet them in 2019, Sam is off in summer camp and falls ill after consuming poisonous mushrooms. Although he survives, three years later, he needs a kidney transplant. The last person Mallory considers contacting is Sam's father. As she seeks a compatible donor, Mallory's sister Paige arranges a getaway to Winthrop Island at the grand home of a friend. It is there that she sees ex-boyfriend Monk Adams, a world-famous singer/songwriter who is now engaged. Despite their past heartbreak, will their former passion be reignited?

In a seemingly unrelated plotline, the story shifts to 1951 in Cairo, Egypt. Hannah Ainsworth is the wife of British diplomat Alistair Ainsworth, who she married to escape a tragedy from her past during World War II and the Soviet invasion of Hungary. She yearns for a child and enters into an extramarital affair, disregarding the potential consequences. However, with unrest brewing in Egypt, being British may become very dangerous for her and the child she hopes to have.

Husbands & Lovers is a moving and captivating novel. This marks the third book by the talented Beatriz Williams set on Winthrop Island, reminiscent of Fisher's Island on the Eastern end of the Long Island Sound. Williams skillfully weaves a modern narrative with a story set during an interesting historical period. Like her other historical works, there is mystery and intrigue. I have read all of Williams' books including her collaborations with authors Karen White and Lauren Willig. She's a great storyteller and I am delighted to have another book of hers to recommend.

Big thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC of the latest by Beatriz Williams - a very covetable book!

I was intrigued by the premise, and there was a lot about this that I enjoyed. Admittedly, I was much more taken by the present-day timeline than the the 1950s one - though once that picked up I got invested. It did feel like things went a bit off the rails with the some of the final reveals.

It was quite enjoyable and readable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Husbands and Lovers
By: Beatriz Williams
Publisher: Random House Publishing-Ballantine
Pub Date: 6/25/24
This was the perfect combination of historical romance and romance! This story flips between the 1950’s and 2022. As you learn about both women and their histories that span several decades you come to see how parallel their stories are. Both fighting against forces that seem to be out of their control. I tried putting it down but ended up pulling an all nighter just to work out the story!
Hannah is struggling to rebuild her life after WWII took her husband and children. She married again in the 1950s. Mallory is trying to find normalcy in 2022. Mallory walked away from the love of her young life only to find herself pregnant and a single mom.
Their connection is deeper than Mallory knows and finding what that link is keeps the story moving. I can’t suggest this book anymore! Thanks to Random House Ballantine, Beatriz Williams and NetGalley for this ARC!

I always enjoy books by Beatriz Williams and this was no exception. It’s told in several different timelines, following two women at different times in their lives. Hannah’s story started out slower and less interesting than Mallory’s for me, but I was quickly drawn into the lives of both women and couldn’t wait to see how their stories ended.

I enjoyed this book from the start. Told in two timelines, the book almost seems like two different books in one. I loved reading each timeline, but found myself annoyed when there was a timeline switch, leaving me with a bit of a cliffhanger. Great motivator to keep reading!

In the present day, readers meet Monk and Mallory, two friends that evolve into romantic partners. Monk is a dropout college student who pursues his love of music, eventually becoming a star. Mallory is a talented artist that endures a traumatic event that causes her to leave Monk suddenly, breaking his heart and hers. Their story was so sad, but so sweet and eventually one of happiness.

In the timeline from the past, readers meet Hannah, a Hungarian woman who has been through traumatic times during the war and lost her entire family. When she meets an older man who is a British diplomat, she jumps at the chance to marry him and for safety and security and to forget her terrible past.

A family heirloom, left to Mallory by her mother, is the reason these two stories merge. Family history and DNA are front and center for the connection that brings the story to a wonderful ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to write an honest review and recommend this to others readers who love historical fiction, romance and a bit of mystery.

Thisbook caught my attention right from the grt go. The book follow Mallory Dunne, who just found out her son had an accident at summer camp and rushes to his side.

The book goes back and forth between 3 timelines. In the 1950s, following Mallorys grandmother, in 2008, the summer her son was conceived while dating before he was famous pop star, Monk Adams, and in 2022. Lately, I've been tiring of the different timelines in every fiction book lately, but for this one it made sense.

I related to Mallory right away, how first loves make you feel like nothing else matters. And I enjoyed the present timeline and past timeline.

This author likes to write in multiple timelines. This book is no exception. It is first a love story but also a bit of a mystery. The book will appeal to those who are interested in genealogy and DNA, and brings to light the term paternity incident. Paternity incidents are becoming more common as people get their DNA tested and find out their father was actually not their biological father. Timeline 1: 2008, Mallory and Monk fall in love after high school. Then, as their relationship grows Mallory cuts all ties to Monk. The reason why does not become apparent until the end of the book. Timeline 2: 2022, Mallory has a 14 year old son, Sam, who is on dialysis after eating a death cap. Sam does not know who his father is but if Mallory can find a relative, Sam may be able to get a kidney donor. Mallory does not want to contact Monk about his son and a DNA/genealogy search is conducted. Timeline 3: 1951, Hannah and Alistair, who is in the British government are living in Cairo. Hannah has had a sad life, living in Hungary during WWII.
It may sound confusing but it really is not. Quite a good book and one I recommend to Beatriz Williams readers. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for the ebook ARC. This review is entirely mine. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was SO amazing. I had a hard time liking the oldest story line (Hannah). But after half the book I was thoroughly invested in all 3 main plots. I couldn’t read this book fast enough there hasn’t been a book in a while that I wasn’t able to put down but this was definitely one! Highly recommend. P.S hoping for a book 2 even though it likely won’t happen.

I had a difficult time with this book in the beginning. There are at least 4 timelines, and they must be followed as the ending, which is wonderful ties everything together.
There are at least 3 heartbreaking love stories, and I did wonder how they would finally come together.
We first meet Mallory in 2022, but we see her as a teenager in 2008, so we slowly, very slowly, learn her background.
We then go to 1951 in Egypt, which was the most interesting timeline for me, as what happens in Egypt at that time still has repercussions in Israel and the rest of the Middle East today.
We now meet Hannah Ainsworth,who is a Hungarian, married to a British diplomat working in the foreign office in Cairo. We learn part of her backstory when she meets her husband and works as a translator at the Nuremberg trials.
We eventually go even further back in time to learn about her life, which brings us full circle to the ending.
There is so much more, including the story of Mallory's son, Sam, her mother, and her strong bond with her sister,not to mention Sam's father. We also get a side trip to a convent in Ireland where we learn the history of the terrible lives of unwed mothers who toiled their through their pregnancies and then had their babies torn from their arms and adopted, and sometimes told their babies had died.
Three generations of women, each with strengths and many secrets. Well worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is my honest review.

This is so good -- I didn't love the last book I read by this author but I was so intrigued by the blurb that I had to try this one. And I couldn't put it down. In fact, I'm still thinking about it days later, which is rare when you read 200+ books a year. I almost am ready to re-read this one. Something about the characters and the story and the way in which this book was written absolutely captivated me. If you like epic love stories and/or historical fiction, give this one a read!

Husbands & Lovers comes out next week on June 25, 2024, and you can purchase HERE! I love this book!!
I kissed Sam goodbye on a Saturday morning toward the end of June, and the call that changed my life came the following Friday afternoon.

Actually, the call came in twice. I'd stepped away from my desk to do some gardening. I remember the tomatoes were growing like crazy that summer, the roses exploding on their bushes.

Everything so abundant. Sometimes, when I'm stuck on an idea, I find it helps to walk away for a bit and do something else, something with your hands, something useful, and that knot in your mind will loosen and unwind into the bread dough or the soap suds or the stacks of folded clothes.

Every Beatriz Williams book I read just gets better and better. They’re always brilliantly researched, with captivating characters and compelling stories, often spanning generations. In Husbands & Lovers we’re returning to Winthrop Island in 2008 and 2022 for Mallory’s story and 1952 Cairo for her mother’s story, the timelines connected by a family heirloom piece of jewelry. Mallory and her sister Paige are researching their mother’s life in 2022 after her death a few years prior, trying to establish the history of the stunning gold cobra bracelet that was left to Mallory, all while dealing with her son’s failing kidneys as a single mother. Back in 2008, we find her acting as a nanny to her best friend Monk’s family on Winthrop Island over the summer, leading up the event that sends her running, and results in the future as her a single mother and no longer in contact with Monk, who has since become a world-renowned musician. Back in 1952 Cairo, we meet her grandmother Hannah, and see through her eyes post-war Egypt and the events leading up to her arrival in Egypt from her previous life in Hungary. How did she end up giving birth to a child in a convent in Ireland and giving up her child for adoption, one who ends up in America? Filled with rich history and lots of connections between the past and present to keep readers engaged, this book was a true joy to read.

I love this book. Beatriz Williams is my favorite historical fiction writer and her books often feel like the start of summer for me. While reading, I felt like I crawled into the book pages and could see it all happening as clearly as if I was living it myself (a pretty normal experience when reading a Williams book).

Husbands & Lovers is told across three timeframes — 1950s in Cairo where we meet Hannah, the wife of a British diplomat who begins an affair with the hotel manager, 2008 on Winthrop Island (setting of The Beach at Summerly and The Sister Wives) where Mallory and Monk Adams embark on a steamy summer romance, and 2022 in Winthrop Island where Mallory returns with their child who needs a new kidney after eating a mushroom and where Monk is getting married (he doesn’t know about the child…). I love the way Williams weaves the storylines together and every time I finished a chapter, I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next.

I can’t get Monk Adams out of my head. He’s my favorite of all the men in Williams’s books. I just love him. Of all the books I’ve read by Williams, this felt most like A Hundred Summers, which I loved.

I’m on a mission to read Williams’s entire backlist. Like with Emily Henry and her books, I only find a book that feels like Beatriz Williams when I read a book by her. The voice is so unique.

Beatriz Williams never fails to deliver a 5 star read - and I found myself thinking about this one even days after finishing it.

Two different timelines, two different women, both struggling to rebuild their lives. The characters just really made me love them and this book sucked me right into the storyline, a well balanced mix of romance and historical fiction. Such a great addition to Williams' collection of novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I FLEW through this book. I started it on audio on the way to a softball tournament and then bounced between the audio and the print copy all afternoon while watching games. I could not put it down.

The multiple timelines could have been confusing but gave such great depth to the story and to the connections between characters. Set in her traditional New England but also in Egypt, this story of finding yourself, overcoming very hard life circumstances and finding your own way is addicting. It's a smidge steamier than Williams previous books, but the connections she builds between people in relationships and how she makes us root for them as a couple is just so good. She surprised me and kept me reading even when I knew I needed to stop.

This is my first book by Beatrix Williams, although I have many on my shelf. Story follows two women, Hannah, a refugee from Hungary, loveless marriage in the 50’s, set in Egypt. Mallory, a single mom in New England, with a dual timeline of her own, son with medical issues.

Hannah was a complex character, she had been thru so much, you couldn’t help but feel for her. As much as I initially didn’t care for this storyline, I ended up enjoying the historical and personal backgrounds. Mallory, I started out really liking her, but after a while I found her somewhat self centered. I loved the relationship between Mallory and Paige (her sister). The author did a great job of tying intricate puzzle pieces together. I look forward to diving into Ms. Williams previous books. I look forward to discussing this book with my some of ARC Enabler friends tomorrow.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I loved this story! It was so well done and the writing was wonderful. I could not put it down and it was a perfect vacation read!

This book by Beatriz Williams lives up to what I have come to expect from her writing. It starts strong, but by the fifth chapter, it is all going downhill. I always get roped in, but then the momentum dies, and I stop desiring to read the book. Needless to say, I couldn't finish this one because I became bored with the story and the characters.