4.5 Stars.

This book was a wonderful adventure, a dual timeline historical fiction novel with lovely romantic throughlines. From current day New England to 1950s Cairo (with some side trips to Ireland, Hungary and England), I was thoroughly engaged with the characters as well as the historical narrative. I have read and enjoyed Beatriz Williams novels before and I love how she set the scenes, brought depth to both stories, and connected both timelines in this novel.

The current day timeline follows a second chance romance between Mallory and Monk, former high school lovers who meet again after 14 years. Mallory is a single mom of a boy with significant medical needs and Monk has become a famous musician who is unaware he has a son. I loved their storyline in particular! In 1950s Cairo during the Egyptian revolution, Hannah is a Hungarian refugee now married to an English diplomat, but in love and having an affair with Lucien, a spy for the Musad. Williams does a very nice job of connecting these stories, starting with a distinctive family heirloom.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have recommended it to family and friends!

Thank you Ballantine Books for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don't love every historical fiction book i read but I love when two stories in two alternative timelines are told and the reader is constantly drawn in trying to figure out how they are connected throughout the course of the novel. Williams does a fantastic job of weaving these two worlds together throughout the course of this book. The way it unfolded kept me captivated from beginning to end.

Every book I read by Beatriz Williams just gets better than the last! This is the latest installment set mostly on Winthrop Island and there are a few recognizable characters. I loved the dual timeline and the setting in Egypt was super interesting, I haven’t read anything else set there. Some of the story was a bit predictable but there were some huge surprises, too, and they were so well done. I loved these love stories so much. They were so engrossing and complex. I couldn’t read this any faster but I wanted it to last as long as possible. Five easy stars!

I absolutely loved this book. When a book has multiple storylines, I often find myself playing favorites and counting the chapters until I am reunited with my favorite character. I loved both storylines equally and had a major book hangover when I finished. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, this is one for you!

I love how Beatriz Williams weaves a dual timeline together with multiple storylines. Her trademark story weaving is in “Husbands and Lovers,” too. There are story threads until the last sentence. The last sentence… left me wanting to jump into the book and follow these characters in their imaginary lives after the book ended. Beatriz, I love every book and always crave more.

The story follows two women, both mothers, who have made difficult choices about how to live life and raise their children. Surprises are around every corner for both of them. They are connected by a single heirloom, a gold bracelet. But how did it end up in New England from Egypt?

Thank you for a copy, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

Husbands and Lovers is a wild ride!!

In this story, we follow two women: Hannah, a wife living in Cairo, Egypt with her husband post WWII and Mallory, living in New England in modern day. Their two stories are connected by a family heirloom given to Mallory by her mother. As the story goes on, we learn about their lives and unravel the mystery of how these two women are connected, along with their Husbands…and lovers.

I thought both of these stories were compelling, but I thought the connecting of the two together wasn’t well executed. I definitely enjoyed Mallory’s story more, heartbreaking as aspects of it is. I also was a bit frustrated that we didn’t get one last chapter of Hannah’s story.

Overall, the storytelling was good, but felt like the execution was bit lacking.

I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t happen. The two story lines felt like 2 separate books that barely had a connection. They did connect but it seemed very minor and not very important to the plot. Mallory’s story line kept me reading and could’ve been a book all on its own. I also felt the going back and forth between the chapters and even inside the chapters to be very confusing and hard to follow.

A Compelling Story of Family Secrets

SUMMARY
Cairo 1951 - Hannah Ainsworth has seen the worst of mankind in the war. After her husband was killed, she had to reinvent herself. She married an aging British diplomat stationed in Cairo. There, she also meets a handsome hotel manager who sparks her interest. As revolution threatens the city, Hannah becomes pregnant and caught between two politically opposed and opinionated men.

New England 2022 - Mallory Dunne’s 10-year-old son, Sam, needs a liver transplant. Three years ago, he had eaten a poisonous mushroom while at a summer camp, and his kidney never recovered. The search for a transplant match is underway with no success. Sam’s father, Monk Adams, is now a famous rock star and unaware of his son’s existence. To find out if he is a match, Mallory is forced to confront her past intense romance with Monk. In their search for a donor, Mallory and her sister also discover another family secret. Their own birth mother had been adopted from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952.

REVIEW

This adroit book packs a lot of substance. It features two compelling stories of family secrets over sixty years apart. The atmospheric writing cleverly captured the essence of Cairo in 1951 and New England in 2022.

I loved how the chapters were smartly structured and clearly labeled, making the story easy to follow. While both stories were intriguing, I really appreciated Mallory Dunne's story the most. The two stories are linked by a beautiful serpent bracelet and brought together at the end. I felt the ending was somewhat rushed and it left me wanting more. Perhaps the rest of the story will be in another book by the beloved author Beatriz Williams.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Random House Publishing Ballantine
Published Jun 25, 2024
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Wow, what a different type of historical fiction and I absolutely loved it. I loved all of the strong female characters as I usually do, but somehow this author made all of them jump out of the page. This is the first time I have read this author and really enjoyed her writing style. I enjoyed and I’m surprised how easy I found it to follow three different timelines.

I have not read any books yet about Egypt during the time of World War II and found this very interesting. It is certainly something that people do not write about that much. How in the world she put this time. And the story into a current day love story is just Remarkable. I will be recommending this to many people, including my Small Town library and my book club. Frankly, I will be recommending it to anybody who will be willing to listen to me!

I will not ruin the book for people or release any spoilers, but I’m always a sucker for a good love story do love when things end on a happy note.

I also found her speaking at the end about the paternity incident that is happening with all of the DNA software we have now quite interesting. It is truly amazing how she put so many different type of ideas together. I enjoyed reading the authors note at the end to be able to wrap my head around that journey that she had.

I would like to say thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy. This is the first time I have been granted the ability to do that and I am very thankful. I am hoping that my review will lead to others reading this truly entertaining book.

What a wonderful book. It feels like you’re reading two separate stories at first, but they’re beautifully woven together as the book progresses.

I found myself feeling a little annoyed initially at trying to understand Mallory’s motivations for keep Sam from his father, but you uncover the reason and it’s so succinct, yet powerful.

I was certain some of these storylines would leave loose ends, but the ending was my version of perfect and you have some closure for everything.

With that said, I would love to know was comes next for Mallory, Monk, and other characters.

Beatriz Williams does a great job weaving the lives of two female characters from different continents and different timeframes. These strong women face issues of privilege and class with elements of love, heartbreak and sacrifice.

Mallory Williams is a single mother, dealing with a ten-year-old son who needs a kidney replacement because of a dare to eat a toxic death cap mushroom. Through Mallory’s story of current day, 2022 and her past, the reader learns about her childhood best friend, Monk Adams, who is now a famous singer-songwriter. During their time together as childhood friends, their relationship blossomed into a summer romance but never became more. Additionally, Mallory is trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s adoption from an Irish orphanage in the early 1950s.

The other focus is on Hannah Ainsworth a Hungarian refugee, who is married to a British diplomat. In 1951, Hannah and her husband are living in Cairo, while he serves his diplomatic role. During this time, Hannah develops a romantic relationship with Lucien Beck, manager of the hotel where they are staying. Diplomatic challenges in Egypt and Hannah’s relationships will eventually come to a dangerous head.

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed within this review are my own.

#Husbands&Lovers #BeatrizWilliams

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and feel the title is an absolute disservice to the important content! Husbands and Lovers feels like a romance novel filled with drivel. Instead, I read a novel filled with complex characters who had to navigate some pretty difficult and multifaceted situations. Mallory may seem quite pedestrian and unlikable in the beginning, especially when she will not contact her son’s father even though it is medically necessary. However, there is a whole other layer to her decision making on this that is not revealed until much later. Once this is revealed my estimation of her increases immensely.

This novel progresses across three timelines and focuses on two characters, Mallory and Hannah. Hannah’s timeline is from 1951 and it is important to establishing where Mallory and her sister really come from. I enjoyed learning about Hannah even though this felt like a completely separate story it comes together nicely in the end. Mallory evolves from two timelines in 2008 and 2022. 2008 establishes a young Mallory who is infatuated with Monk and what leads to their eventual breakup. 2022 is present day Mallory who is navigating how to help her ill son and the eventual revelation of his parentage.

The story also focuses on a few important societal issues, including violence against women. Despite the seriousness of many of the situations presented, the ending ultimately comes together nicely with a feel-good vibe.

This book had such an interesting premise I was so excited to read it. It alternates between two women’s stories that are inextricably linked. Mallory is in modern day New England. She’s an artist, who after a tragic accident, is caring for her teenage son who needs a kidney transplant. She isn’t a match but is trying as hard as possible to avoid reaching out to the estranged father, who doesn’t know her son exists— and also happens to be a famous musician. The other woman is Hannah, a Hungarian refugee living in post-war 1952 Cairo, Egypt, adjusting to her life married to a British Diplomat. Hannah is bitten by a snake and her life is changed forever.

I thought both timelines and characters were well developed, but rooted for Mallory’s story a bit more and felt like there was so much to uncover there, that the entire book could have been from her POV both past + present.

However, it was still a fabulous read with lots of twists and turns. I loved the themes of love, loss, grief, endurance, identity and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

I love a good historical fiction novel and this didn’t disappoint with a unique locale (Egypt), and a modern timeline that captured my attention quickly. I had a hard time putting this book down as the character’s story arcs progressed and mysteries were revealed.

My only issue was some of the “flashbacks” came on suddenly in the chapters and confused me for a minute.

An excellent summer read!

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters, some more than others. I rooted for them too find the love and answers they were seeking. As some other reviews have stated, the chapters varied from different POV and timelines. For the most part it flowed smoothly and was easy to follow. At times the plot dragged on and things became confusing.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams was an ARC provided by NetGalley. This book’s publisher is by Ballantine Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. The publishing release date is set for June 25, 2024.

I enjoyed this novel and the alternating chapters with generational storylines at the end hoping they mesh at some point. Unfortunately because of the alternating chapters, this book took me longer than usual to complete.

We have a storyline of the grandmother who has a couple marriages and an affair; the granddaughter is attempting to locate genetic information on family, since her own mother appears to have been adopted. The information is important as an accidental consumption of a poisoned mushroom has caused her young son, Sam, to need kidney dialysis to live.

Love stories of the three generations provide drama all through book. A good family plot line. The one twist at the end was believable and the last page was heart warming.

4/5 stars

This book was amazing.

It grabbed my attention from the start. The two different timelines made it impossible to put down. It’s a great mix of historical fiction and romance.

Hannah’s parts of the book were excellent. You felt for her and hoped the best. I rooted for Mallory to find love and happiness the whole book.

Such a great read!

Very enjoyable read. This book beautifully interweaves the stories of Mallory and Hannah.. though for those who prefer linear rads, I would advise against it. The characters shift from chapter to chapter, and the timelines moves back and forth chapter to chapter, even sometimes in the middle of chapters. I lover stories that do that but many do not. Sometime I felt the written could have been condensed, the dialog would ramble on and on, longer than needed, and if Monk hung his hand on the back of his neck one more time I was going to scream.

This is one of those stories that takes place in two time periods and locations. The story opens in 2022 New England where a mother struggles to find a kidney donor for her son. The search opens up secrets of the past. The second story line takes place in 1950s Cairo. Here a woman is finding love amidst an atmosphere of intrigue and unrest. To find how the two are related you will need to read the book.

Beatriz Williams is such a strong writer. I have never read one of her books and was in awe of her ability to immediately grab the reader’s attention and elicit an emotional response. Jumping back and forth between two female leads across decades and oceans can be difficult, but Beatriz did it seamlessly. I was fortunate to have the time to read this in one day – something I don’t always have the attention span to do. But the fast pacing, colorful descriptions, and language allowed me to devour this story. While a few details annoyed me throughout, especially at the end, this was still a solid four stars.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Mallory is a single mother to a ten-year-old boy in 2022 in New England when he ingests a deathly mushroom at camp, leaving him needing a new kidney. Life continues for the next two years, with the need to find a donor steadily increasing, and taking a DNA test to find additional matches becomes crucial. Flashback to Cairo, Egypt, in 1951, Hannah, a Hungarian refugee, is married to a British diplomat for stability (and not love). When the war creeps into Egypt, and Hannah finds herself pregnant with her lover’s baby, decisions that affect an entire genetic line are made.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. I will post the review on my Instagram page two weeks before publication and again in my stories on the publication date. I will additionally add the review to Goodreads.