Question: Do you enjoy dual-timeline stories? Sometimes, they can feel like two separate novellas rather than a cohesive novel. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this narrative style.

Now, for my review of Husbands & Lovers, a novel that intertwines two timelines. In the present day, we follow Mallory Dunne, an artist and single mother raising Sam, her 13-year-old son. Sam, who suffered an accident years ago, desperately needs a kidney transplant. When Mallory's sister, Paige, discovers that their late mother was adopted from an Irish orphanage, it opens up new possibilities for finding a donor match. Meanwhile, Mallory has refused to contact Sam's birth father, now a famous figure, who is unaware of Sam's existence. Adding to the mystery, Mallory inherits a cobra bracelet that her mother always wore. A design school friend can tell that the bracelet most likely came from Egypt.

The second timeline transports us to Egypt in the early 1950s. Here, we meet Hannah, a scarred Hungarian war refugee married to a dull British diplomat. Hannah's encounter with a cobra in a garden sets off a series of life-changing events. As expected in dual-timeline stories, these two narratives eventually intertwine.

Beatriz Williams is one of the most beautiful, talented writers of historical fiction. I love everything she writes.

This novel is so good! I was grabbed and sucked in from the first chapter. This historical fiction jumps back and forth from the past to the future and from two main POVs with a glimpse from other characters side. Mallory Dunne, New England 2008-2022, Hannah Ainsworth, Cairo 1951. Their lovers and family.

I really loved Mallory’s story of lost love at a young age, the love she has for her son and her hilarious banter with her sister. Mallory’s son is sick and needs a transplant but no one is a match. Her sister Paige wants her to find the boys father to see if he maybe a match and Mallory is 100% against it. We walk down memory lane to see all the events leading to Mallory tragic lost of her great love. In the middle of trying to figure out how to help him, Mallory and her sister find out their mother was adopted. Mallory wants to take the lead and see if maybe there are more family members who could be a match.

Hannah Ainsworth, is a refugee married to a British man. They end up living in Cairo for his job. Hannah is bitten by a very poisonous snake and saved by Lucien Beck the hotel manager. As her relationship flourish with Lucien she is caught between the two men in her life and must make decisions. Especially, now that she is pregnant.

This novel will make you laugh and cry and root for love and healing. I have to say it’s one of my favorite historical fictions of the year and will make my top 5 list.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books and Beatriz Williams for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Husband and Lovers comes out June 25,2024

This book is a tale of two women separated by time and continents are united by a unique heirloom. This is a sweeping saga that spans decades. I had a little trouble keeping all the characters and timelines straight at first but later, it all came together beautifully. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I highly recommend it.

Beatriz Williams always spins a good yarn, and HUSBANDS & LOVERS is no exception. At the core are two love stories—one between contemporary couple Mallory and her rock star former beau, Monk, and the other between a woman named Hannah and her two lovers. One is her husband Janos, killed in concentration camp during World War II, and the other a hotel employee in post-war Cairo. A family health crisis uncovers the unlikely connection between Hannah and Mallory.

Because Williams has used the locales of Summerly and Winthrop Island in previous books, I wondered if I was supposed to know any of these characters from previous books, but there is only one slight connection that is of no consequence. HUSBANDS & LOVERS stands on its own. I am a little tired of dual timelines, but I still enjoyed the book, and would recommend to others.

Dual timelines either work or they don't and this one works. I was invested in both story lines and loved how they came together. Williams is the queen of historical fiction and she does it yet again... solid!

Thank you @randomhouse, @authorbeatriz and @netgalley for the advanced copy of Husbands and Lovers. This book was incredibly special.
Husbands and lovers had everything- infidelity, rockstars, spies, assassins, wealthy vacationers, and the possibility of second chances. Set in dual timelines, two women live very different lives.

Hannah has suffered the wrath of WWII and is now living a lavish lifestyle in 1951 Cairo, Egypt with her older husband, though there is now some political unrest in Egypt. Hannah has endured far more than the average housewife, which comes with her many secret she keeps insides.

In 2022 USA, single mom Mallory is forced to revisit her past and research her ancestry after a tragic event derails her life. Mallory and her sister Paige discover their late mother was adopted leaving them to discover big surprises in their lineage.

The character development was incredible. I loved Mallory’s character the most, but Paige, Sam, Monk, Hannah, Lucien, Grace, and Aunt Barbara were also people I’d love to have in my life. A lot happened in this book. Sometimes I felt like I was reading several books at once, actually. Husbands and Lovers gives a nod to wealthy summer New England living, while spreading light on grief and horrific challenges.

✨ Genre: Historical Fiction & Contemporary Fiction both
♥️ Steamy rating: Pretty Spicy
⚠️ Profanity: High

Triggers: Death of parent, kidney transplant, renal failure, rape, alcoholism, drug use, infidelity, war, riots,fire, murder, abuse of power, death of a child, death of a spouse/lover, Cancer, heart attack, and bullying

I am still feeling the "feels" after reading Husbands & Lovers. No one does multiple timelines and interweaving stories better than Beatriz Williams. Summer love, life during WW2, and Egypt in the early 50s are all recreated beautifully and painfully. The stories can tear your heart out and then make you blissful as the characters act and react.

This was my first Beatriz Williams book. It won’t be my last! What a great book!
This was a dual time zone book with 2008 in the US and 1952 in Egypt.
The story is about two sisters, their family secrets, love, and romance in 2008 in the US.
The Egypt part was about a woman who was married to a British Diplomat during the Revolution.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was not familiar with Beatriz Williams as an author but her talent is clear. A multi-generational story about women and the men and sons they love. Two tales in one—a mother searching for a kidney for her son and a passionate love story set in 1951. What women do for the people they love! I enjoyed this book especially finding the love story of Mallory and Monk. The secrets we keep as women!

Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy!

I was pleasantly surprised to see Beatriz Williams put out something like contemporary women's fiction. I have always been a big fan of her historical novels, and typically race to get my hands on them as soon as they are released. This one is no different! It is a dual timeline story, with the first set in present day New England and the second in 1950's Egypt. It always fascinates me how authors can do a book like this, and still manage to create depth in both timelines and connect them so seamlessly. In this story, a mother is desperate to find her teenage son a kidney so she sends in her DNA to Ancestry.com to try to locate some relatives that might be a match. That's where the other characters' story come into play. It has a little romance, some surprises, and lots of drama. It was a fast-paced story that I couldn't put down. It would be a good option for summer reading!

Just what the doctor ordered for summer reading to escape and relax. Williams scores another home run. What more can be said.

Absolutely amazing!!! Beatriz is one of my favorite authors! This book did not disappoint! I loved the dual timelines and how she brought everything together! Absolutely a masterpiece!

This was my first Beatriz Williams book and it won't be my last. I absolutely loved this book. The book had a lot of family secrets and unexpected twists that weren't predictable. I loved Mallory and her love for her son. Having 3 sons myself her story and love for her son really resonated with me. The only thing I wish I had done differently was read this book all at once, instead of a little bit here and there but that was my fault. I love the way the book ended and how everything came together in the end. I will be adding Beatriz Williams to my list of authors I love to read. Thank you NetGalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for my opinion.

Husbands and Lovers was five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! Thank you Net Galley, Ballentine Books and Beatriz Williams for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so invested in all of the characters. It hops timelines, but in the best way. It’s set in current day, 2008 and 1952 and Beatriz makes it easy to keep track of.

The historical fiction is based around Egypt in 1952 and the Revolution that took place. The heartbreak and decisions made then affected the present day characters in the most beautiful way. It was an unraveling that I was here for!

Betrayal, forbidden love, spies, mother’s love, young love….this has it all. I especially liked how Beatriz wrote dialogue for the different eras. I could, literally, picture this as a movie set in 1950s black and white, as well as current colorful and sunny.

Read this one!

I’m not typically a historical fiction fan but with the roller coaster of twists and emotions I loved it and found it truly engaging the whole time. I would classify this as a must reads to my friends when asked for a recommendation.

I LOVE Beatriz Williams and this was another delightful read. I loved the characters and the mystery of the past - it was woven together so well. My only issues were the language - the F word was just a little too prevalent and I didn’t feel like it added anything. And the ending felt like just slowly wrapping up a package with a pretty bow. But overall I thought it was so wonderful!

I loved reading the reviews because we all loved the present story best. It is fun to go back in time, but sometimes just one line is enough. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. Only knocking off a star because I enjoyed the present day timeline more than the past.

I loved the modern day story line, but just lost interest every time it switched back to the grandmother's storyline. It was an interesting premise and well executed, so I think it was just me.

Thank you @netgalley, @randomhouse, and Ballantine Books for giving me to opportunity to read and review an eARC copy of this book.

This was my first book of Beatriz Williams', and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a definite page turner for me - I finished it in one day.

This is a story that focuses on two women, their family secrets, and love and romance. First, we're introduced to single mom, Mallory, who is barely making ends meet to care for her 10-year old son, Sam. She receive news that while at summer camp, Sam was poisoned by toxic mushrooms, which eventually leads to him needing a kidney transplant. Sam's father, the now famous singer/songwriter Monk Adams, is not an options, as Mallory hasn't seen him since her summer working for his family in 2008. Monk is engaged to be married to a famous influencer, so Mallory has no interest in rekindling their relationship or friendship now.

In her search for potential kidney donors, Mallory discovers that her mother was adopted, which leads her to believe that there may be other family members who could help. This introduces to us to Hannah Ainsworth's timeline in Cairo, 1951. Hannah, married to a British diplomat, is bitten by a snake and is saved by hotel manager Lucien Beck. This event leads to a passionate relationship with Lucien where she is later forced to choose between two life paths.

I enjoyed both timelines, although Mallory and Monk's story seemed a bit more engaging. Hannah's timeline reminded me a bit of Casablanca for some reason. Although this story was set post WWII, the setting and love affair gave off a similar feeling. I found this to be an easy read - it was captivating and really enjoyable. Be sure to read with tissues - there both highs and lows in this story but I highly recommend it. Add this to your summer reading list if you like historical fiction or romance.