3.5 rounded up for Hannah’s story. There is a lot going on timeline-wise in this book, but they are distinct and easy to keep track of. Mallory has two timelines (2008 and 2022) and Hannah’s story (1952) with flashbacks. The stories are tied together with a bracelet (that sounds gorgeous) and a secret, but otherwise are totally separate. I found Mallory’s story interesting, but predictable, while Hannah’s story could have been its own standalone novel. Granted, I’m a sucker for World War II era stories, but the take of Hannah, Hungarian born, married to an older Englishman, in Egypt after the war was not typical and I learned a lot. Her back story made me cry and I was very invested in her storyline. I’ve read a few of this author’s previous books, so it was fun to visit Winthrop Island again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

I enjoy the writing style of Beatriz Williams and have read multiple books of hers. So I was thrilled to be able to receive a copy of this book. Told in two alternating parts, this story is captivating and intriguing. First part involves Mallory Dunne, who has a young son, Sam who is her heart. When Sam has a horrific experience eating a Death Cap Mushroom at summer camp, Mallory has to confront the past in order to find a kidney for Sam. Adam Monks, is the boy, Mallory fell in love with one summer, the summer that produced Sam. Now, she has to tell Adam about a son, he never knew about. Paige, Mallory’s sister is doing genealogy research on their mother, who was adopted to see if they can find a suitable donor.

Second part involves Hannah Ainsworth, a wife of a British diplomat, they are currently posted in Cairo. Tensions are rising in Cairo, the Egyptians want their country to themselves, spies and secrets are hidden everywhere. When Hannah meets Lucien, the manager of a hotel where the Brits like to hang out, worlds collide in ways Hannah never expected.

This story shows the power of love, the power of human endurance and the lengths people go for both. This is a delightful read, so enjoyable, well written, and it flows well between the alternating timelines. The author does a wonderful job of capturing the emotions of her characters, as a reader I can appreciate the finesse of her style. Find a comfy chair, get a drink and settle in for a dang good read.

I love Beatriz Williams’ novels, and this was no exception. The three story lines were a bit difficult to follow though. Hannah’s story seemed a bit rushed and unfinished, and I could not tell how the two protagonists were connected to one another until much later in the story. A cobra bracelet family heirloom shows up in Mallory’s timeline and does not seem like anything but a bracelet. But we subsequently find that this bracelet connects Hannah and Mallory in unexpected ways. This was a deeply moving novel. I recommend this book.

Beatriz Williams does it again! Great writing! I particularly loved the current day plot with Mallory.

If you are looking for a women's fiction book with substance, look no further!

Beatriz Williams has a way that captures both history and a unique love story that captures your attention and doesn’t let go. Mallory, a single mom, gets the dreaded phone call that her son Sam has eaten a poisonous mushroom at summer camp. She deals with all the health issues with the help of her sister Paige as they await a much needed kidney for Sam. Through flashbacks we learn about Mallory’s past life and love. Another storyline is 1951 Cairo as we encounter Hannah and her tragic life and her loveless marriage. A distinctive family heirloom ties the two stories together. Switching between the two timelines was a bit confusing but I was invested in both stories but I preferred Mallory’s. I loved the way the author connected the two lives through history while entertaining with their love stories. Perfect for all her fans! #Husbands&Lovers #BeatrizWilliams #NetGalley

I have read several of Beatriz Williams book, and have enjoyed them all. This book lives up to the author's talent. Traveling between the turbulence of Cairo, Egypt in 1951 to the society life on Winthrop Island, New York in 2008, and 2022, one woman's journey to find a kidney for her ailing 11 year old son sets up revelations of family secrets long buried. This book is a lesson in history, and a lesson in love. I would highly recommend this to any fans of historic fiction, and Beatriz Williams.

I’ve read one other Beatriz Williams book, The Summer Wives (which also takes place on Winthrop Island, like this one!), so I was excited to read this ARC of her new release. Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to provide this review.

This one was a slow burn for sure, but I ended up really enjoying it! I was immediately invested in Mallory’s story in both timelines, but it took me longer to be invested in Hannah’s and to understand how the stories were connected. As soon as I got into Hannah’s story, though, man, I was hooked! I liked her background story and it’s slow uncovering more than the love story, and the last sentence of the book gave me chills.

I did predict the end of Mallory’s storyline, aside from the above mentioned last sentence, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. It was fun to read both perspectives while watching Mallory and Paige uncover things and then see some of it play out in Hannah’s story. There were a couple of small loose ends in Hannah’s story that I wish had been explained.

If you like historical fiction mixed with contemporary fiction and Beatriz William’s writing and storytelling style, I think you will absolutely enjoy this book! A solid 4 star read!

Few contemporary authors can craft a page-turner these days better than bestselling author Beatriz Williams. Not only is she prolific but her stories hook you from the start. And I have read many, many of her novels.

The two central characters are Mallory Dunne, an artistic, middle class single mom with a pre-teen boy, and rich boy Monk Adams, who happens to be Mallory's best friend from high school. The ups and downs of their relationship provide unity, passion, and angst to the novel, which is essentially a romance.

However, layered on top of that romance is SO MUCH drama. Drama that never stops! Drama that would crush an ordinary person. First, there are multiple storylines in different time periods with different characters to track. Then, sprinkled in are real events and people from history; British Colonization, World War II (both the Siege of Leningrad and the Soviet Invasion of Hungary), the beginnings of the State of Israel, and the Egyptian populace toppling of King Farouk in 1952. Wait, there's more! Including but not limited to illegitimate children, snakebite, arson, kidney transplant, murder, alcoholism, blended families, infidelity, wealth, adoption, espionage, rape, genealogy, social media, and the cult of stardom. Like I said - so much drama!

It's an enjoyable read. Not surprisingly, a real page turner! And there are both unexpected AND expected twists and turns to the plot. However, the reason I could not award it five stars is because HUSBAND AND LOVERS got to be a bit over the top for me. I increasingly wound up feeling like I was watching one of the more recent MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movies -- where the effort to top previous films goes beyond the believable and into the ridiculous.

I certainly recommend the book. And I remain a fan of this author. Just remember there is sometimes a thin line between fiction and fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy of " Husbands and Lovers". Williams was one of the first historical fiction authors that made me truly love historical fiction, and this book reiterated what a fantastic author she is. One of the things I have always enjoyed about her writing is that there are always two narrators, with one being in the present and one in the past. This story focuses on Mallory, a single mother who receives a call no mother wants to receive from her sons camp saying he swallowed a poisonous mushroom. He goes into kidney failure and she needs to find a transplant for him. The other narrator is Hannah, a Hungarian spy who is married to a man she doesn't love and desperate for another child after losing her two other children to illness. The stories take a little to merge together, but once you see how these two women are connected, you can't help but get chills. Williams has done it again.

Nobody does juicy historical fiction like Beatriz Williams! She's a master and blending drama and realistic human emotion in a way that makes her a must read and she doesn't disappoint here.

Family secrets. A secret love child. A secret adoption. How do the two connect? The story of a daughter and her decision to keep her son a secret from his father and her mother’s decision to keep her adoption from her daughters is the premise for this captivating story.

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love

The book is good from the beginning, but starts a little slow and I initially had some issues with the MCs parenting decisions. But I ended up changing my mind and appreciating the background. I flew through the second half of the book and was emotionally spent by the end! There are several stories intertwined and all were done well! There’s mystery and romance but also history! This could easily have been just another typical “summer read” filled with cliche characters and scenarios, clear heros vs. villains and perfectly wrapped up endings. It does deliver a great summer read, but there is depth both in the characters’ personalities, their feelings and their stories. One of my favorite things is the little tidbit of the cobra bracelet. I also like the cameo appearances from the Summerly books, without over explaining. These little details are what pushed this from a 4 to 5 star for me! Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes! However I did find myself not wanting to pick it up. The dual timelines at times were slightly chaotic and I found myself confused having to go check where I am at, maybe if it were told in 1st person I would have been able to identify a little better but nonetheless I did enjoy it. There was so much that happened in this book it’s hard to properly organize my thoughts but it was interesting to read the dramas of these two women’s lives!

Beatriz Williams writes juicy, long novels full of original characters caught up in life. Husbands & Lovers is part historical fiction and part contemporary fiction involving DNA and paternity. As a college student, Mallory, a commercial art student, is hired as a nanny for a family at a wealthy Connecticut beach community. She falls in love with Monk, the oldest son in the family, whom she knows from high school. Fast forward 13 years, and Mallory is raising her son, Sam, as a single mother. A parallel story is set in Egypt in the 1950s telling the story of Mallory's grandparents and mother. The two stories are tied together through the cobra bracelet Mallory received after her mother died. Husbands & Lovers is a perfect summer vacation or weekend read. Highly recommended along with Williams's previous novels.

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.

What a captivating book! Beatriz Williams has created a totally immersive story centered around two amazing, strong women. Mallory is a present-day single mother and artist with a seriously ill young son. Hannah's story is set amidst the turbulent times in Egypt during the 1950's, who finds love but is trapped in a loveless marriage. There is mystery and intrigue swirling throughout, as Mallory and her sister delve into the past to uncover their family history and secrets from the past. It is a unique blend of the two stories, Hannah’s life altering war experiences and struggle for survival, and Mallory’s determination to save her son and find a way forward for them both. The two plots twist throughout and kept me spellbound as a combination of old documents, modern technology and a golden cobra bracelet finally reveal the connection between Mallory and Hannah.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Beatriz Williams for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Husbands & Lovers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction novel. I was fascinated by grandmother, Hannah and her story in Cairo during the 1950's. This was part of history that I am not very familiar with. The writing is descriptive, filled with emotions and I felt like I was there and part of the story too. I also enjoyed equally the modern story of Mallory and her connection to Hannah along with her own family drama and decisions she makes in her life. I especially liked how the two stories are intertwined and add Ireland in between for an additional conflict.
I had difficulty keeping the characters and stories organized in my head. The author gives us pieces of the story with major parts missing. Everything eventually falls into place once the pieces fit into the big picture. It's probably just me, but I have a hard time waiting for the story to make sense. It keeps me on my toes to focus and digest all the details.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

MY OH MY!!! Where do I begin?! I have such mixed feelings about this book. While on one hand, the story boasts of mystery, drama, and romance, offering everything one could desire in a narrative! On the other hand, it suffers from an overload of multiple timelines, topics, and details, making it chaotic and diluting the story's focus. For instance, this narrative delves into the lives of two female characters across generations. One character's storyline spans two timelines, tackling themes such as health issues, family drama and secrets, secret pregnancies, divorce, single parent, affairs, adoptions, and historical events from the 1950's, including wartime settings and espionage. Not to mention, the story is told from a third person perspective. As they say, less is often more, and simplifying could improve the narrative's effectiveness. Personally, I believe separating the two narratives would allow them to stand alone as distinct stories, thereby enhancing clarity.

Overall, I am glad I read the book, though I wish it had been moe expanded upon, and the ending felt rushed and somewhat abrupt, lacking better execution. As my first read by this author, while I didn't love it, I'm still willing to give her another try.⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW. What a wonderful novel. I laughed, I cried, I stayed up late. The details in this one is what really makes this book stand out - anyone can write a slow burn, but can you write it so full of tragedy, angst, mystery and suspense that it keeps you up at night? Keeps you thinking about it while doing the dishes? Alters your mood while reading until it’s all resolved? Not every book becomes THAT real, and that’s why I love reading standout novels like this one.

Husbands & Lovers is such a beautiful multi-generational tale that feels like two totally separate stories in the first couple chapters, but then everything comes together slowly (but surely)! The cast of characters is deep, well thought out and complicated enough to keep the reader engaged. I still have so many questions about Lucien….Beatriz! Help me out!

Here’s the deal - I finished this book and immediately went to instagram to message Beatriz herself. I love letting authors know when their books rechart my life and this one did just that - I couldn’t put it down. And yes…I cried. Don’t read this on the treadmill!