Beatriz Willams did it again! Husbands & Lovers follows two women in different timelines as they grapple with life altering choices and how those decisions impact the ones they love. The first timeline is set in Cairo 1951/1952 follows an ex-Hungarian countess, now wife of a British diplomat as she struggles to fit into her new role. The second and third timelines follow Mallory Dunne in the summer of 2008 and the summer of 2022.

It was fun to read a modern day story arc from Williams and it was storyline I found the most interesting and wanted to continue reading. I found the Cairo storyline to be slower and some of the flashbacks confusing in relation to the timeline of that story.

Another great story from Williams! I see myself coming back to Husbands & Lovers for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

I always love Beatriz William's books for the summer. She does a great job of building two strong female characters with alternating timelines and locations. I loved hearing Hannah's side of the story about post WWII Cairo. I also enjoyed Mallory's east coast timeline and how it intertwined with Beatriz's previous book.

The only thing I wished about this book is that it was longer. I feel like we could have delved into Hannah's story a bit deeper. I feel like it rapped up too quickly.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book and would recommend to others.

I DNF’d at 20%. I couldn’t get invested in Mallory because of her recklessness and selfishness towards her child’s life & Hannah’s segments just confused me. A hit and a miss.

Big fan of historical romance over here & this did not disappoint! Modern day and past timelines intertwine in the most beautifully heartbreaking ways. This was an easy, un-put-downable read. I can see this being a top book of the summer!

I feel I'm in the minority on this one, but.I didn't care for this story much at all. I found both women rather unlikable and abrasive, and had an especially hard time connecting with Mallory. As such, most of the plot points didn't land for me because I wasn't invested in the characters. I didn't quite finish this one (I'm around 50%), but I don't feel compelled to continue. Glad most others seem to be enjoying it more than I did!

Another hit from Beatrice Williams! Told in alternating timelines, I loved how these characters and stories were woven together.. I loved the depiction of the setting and felt like I really knew the characters throughout.

Thank you Random House Ballantine & NetGalley for the ARC!

Husbands and Lovers was a book I was really excited for, but I definitely had some struggles with it. There was inflammatory language I wasn't prepared for, as well as some themes I wish I had known about ahead of time. I did enjoy the format of the story, with the dual perspectives and going back and forth in time. I love Beatriz Williams but this wasn't my favorite of hers.

Thank you again for the ARC!

What a perfect summer read! Told in alternate timelines, the tales weave and intertwine creating a love story that will leave you breathless. Beatriz Williams knows how to tell a tale, engage her reader and break a few hearts along the way. Rich, well developed characters and breathtaking locales. Calling all book clubs! Not to be missed!

WOW-EE what a trip! This story really had everything - love, heartbreak, family relationships, secrets, lies, twists... The beautiful summer setting in a beautiful area, similar to the authors other books; it's a perfect summer read.

I really liked this book. I've read a few others of hers and really enjoyed them as well. BW does great with the setting/description as well as character development. I liked hearing from the 2 different time periods and finding out how they connected to each other. Even though it was kind of assumed, it was still a beautiful connection.

Beatriz Williams really can do no wrong in my eyes. I love that she's also started a little Cape Code literary universe with this, the beach at summerly, and the sister wives. The setting is just so perfect.

I adored this book. It was not perfect, but the parts of it that were close to perfect really make this an outstanding read. Unusual for Williams, or many historical fiction I have read lately, this book took place in 3 timelines (four, actually when you think about it). Two of the time lines are more present and one is set in 1950s Egypt. The present timelines are what make this book sing, while the storyline set in Egypt, while good, didn't really feel like it was actually necessary to tell this story. This history of the place is interesting, but Williams didn't really spend all that much time there, or even on the events of the time, save for one critical moment. While I understand the perceived need to include it, to give context to the "paternity issue" that helped spur this story on, we find out so much more from the present.

Still, the strength of those present storylines outweighs anything negative about the past. I would truly love another book with these characters, even if it wasn't historical fiction.

I loved this book so much. The history aspect was something I surprisingly enjoyed. The plot captured my attention and once I started reading I wasn’t able to put it down. I’m also a sucker for a second chance romance.

Thank you so much to Beatriz Williams, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Husbands & Lovers! I enjoyed it!

The novel was both historical fiction and a contemporary romance, with a triple timeline between the main characters, Monk and Mallory, and who is later revealed as Mallory’s grandmother, Hannah. While I was engrossed in Monk and Mallory’s story, I did feel like Hannah’s chapters dragged a bit. I found myself reading them just to get through to the next Monk/Mal scene.

I loved the premise of Hannah’s chapters, though. And reading how Mallory and Paige investigated their mother’s parentage was so interesting. BUT THAT TWIST WITH MONK AT THE END!!! I seriously did not see that coming.

This was my first Beatriz Williams novel, but I am already looking into her backlog of books and adding them to my TBR. Thank you again for this advanced copy, with the novel out June 25th!

I was mesmerized by this story. It captivated me right from the beginning with the story of how single mom Mallory, whose son Sam received a life threatening injury at camp, exemplified a deeply caring parent. As the background story unfolded about Mallory"s past summer youth romance, her complex upbringing, and Sam's parentage, I found myself immersed in her life. How she navigates her new future after Sam's diagnosis and also running into her teenage crush is intriguing. Additionally, there was another story within this story of Mallory's mother, whom Mallory and her sister discover was adopted. Baffled, Mallory has an Egyptian bracelet of a serpent which could be the link to that mystery. Williams did a fine job of bringing the characters to life and creating empathy for their plight as they struggled with complex issues of family, class diversity, and trauma. This is a love story of redemption and second chances. I loved it. Many thanks to #netgalley, #beatrizwilliams, #husbands&lovers, #ballantinebooks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have enjoyed a number of books by Beatriz Williams. This one did not disappoint. It is well constructed in a dual timeline format with the connection being a gold cobra bracelet that Mallory, in the current day time line, has inherited from her mother. Her mother received it from her mother in a set of circumstances that are told in the second timeline. The characters were all engaging, whether likable or not. The author brought them to life on the page. I could picture every place described in the book. It was a well paced, enjoyable read.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a complimentary copy of this novel!!!

This novel is about two heroines, separated by decades…Hannah, 1950’s Cairo, Egypt and Mallory, whose timeline alternates between 2008 New York and present day 2022 New York and Boston. Both women are linked by a mysterious Egyptian family heirloom. Mallory and her sister, Paige, after their mother passed away, discover that she was adopted as they are going through her papers. So this puts them in a quest to find the truth and they travel to Ireland to try to unravel the mystery. While this is going on, Mallory is also dealing with her son, Sam, a 12-year-old boy whose kidneys are failing, and in need of a transplant. No one is a match for him and Mallory refuses to reach out to the last possible familial match, Monk, Sam’s father. Monk is a famous singer and has no knowledge he has a son. But the past secrets and lies will catch up to Monk and Mallory and all the truths will finally come out once and for all!

I really enjoyed this novel!!! It is full of intrigue, family secrets and lies, betrayals, mystery, Egyptian heirlooms, and love lost and found again. I can’t recommend this novel enough! 5 stars for me!!!!

AVAILABLE June 25, 2024!

Another beautiful book by Williams. Epic love stories and loved learning about the Egyptian revolution. The New England setting is always a favorite. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy!

This was difficult to read. I feel the cover is misleading. This is "not" a fun summer read as the cover implies. The book needs to come with a warning in front "explilct rape scene" for people that cannot be subject to such descriptions . its very disturbing and the publisher should know better. I have read the author before and was very disappointed in this book. The subject is very sad as the main character has a sick son in need of a transplant. The book thankfully dual timelines. The dual timelines mesh together eventually according to her story but this woman's story is depressing and sad throughout. If your looking for a uplifting read this is not it. If your disturbed by explilct unnecessary violence against women then don't read this. I rate it two stars for unnecessary violence against women.
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Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Beautiful but painful story. I struggled a bit with Hannah’s POV in the beginning. Fast paced once you get close 50%.
2.5 POVs, first and third person POVs, and multiple timelines!

Historical and Contemporary romance in one!

The best and my favorite love story was a father’s love. ❤️

Señor Gato song = Soft Kitty

Check trigger warnings

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantineand NetGalley for the ARC!

This was my first Beatriz Williams book and I am so excited to read more of her work now. This was so interesting with a mix of timeline POVs from strong female characters and historical fiction thrown in.