Like always, Beatriz Williams, did not disappoint! The novel follows two women from different time periods that have a familial connection. As with all her books, the journey these women experience is emotional, romantic, historic and mysterious.

I've read every Beatriz Williams book-- nothing says perfect beach with substance read to me like one of her novels, and I love the zingy feeling of her writing and her feisty heroines. I was especially excited about Husbands & Lovers because of part of the story being set in the present day which is unusual for her work. While I enjoyed both story lines on their own, the novel as a whole ended up feeling disjointed to me, and I wanted a bit more tie between the two. The pacing also felt rushed at the end with a lot of "oh wow! oh no!" moments crowded into the last fifty pages. I did really enjoy the sultry Egypt setting, the relationship between Mallory and Monk, and how every Beatriz William's novel compels you to keep reading. Her research is always so well done that I learn about the atrocities of different time periods but she writes in a light, zippy way that makes her novels wonderful for summer without being too dark or heavy. While this wasn't my favorite of hers, it was still a great read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I like her other books....

This was only my second Beatriz Williams but it was my favorite thus far. Dual timelines and POV keep the story moving along at a nice pace. It’s a great mix of historical fiction with a little mystery thrown in and great character development. I will definitely be picking up another Beatriz Williams novel soon.

39. Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

3/5 ⭐️

First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this ARC that publishes on 6/25. In one sentence, this book was trying to do four or five different things at once and it only succeeded in two of them. The plot follows two main heroines in different generations connected by a family heirloom. Unfortunately, there’s too many details to keep track of and little historical context given in the 1950s scenes to give the reader a solid foundation of the setting.

We follow protagonist Mallory in the 2010s in preppy Massachusetts as she navigates single motherhood with her son Sam. The father is not in the picture but was Mallory’s great love. We jump between Mallory navigating her life with a son with kidney failure and Hannah, a countess living in Egypt in the 1950s. Hannah is married to a British expat and suddenly falls in love with Lucien, a hotelier, while Cairo is on the brink of political turmoil and violence. Throughout the book, the author teases out the relationship between Hannah and Mallory and their families.

As I mentioned previously, this book attempts too much. I am unsure if I can call this a beach read, a romance, or historical fiction. The author doesn’t do a great job situating the plot points strongly in any of those genres. I think the whole narrative about the political turmoil in Egypt that Hannah was facing was rushed and unfinished and the book would have been better without it. I think readers will struggle to follow the plot unless they have political understandings of the Middle East from that era. I also hate the way some of the dialogue is written. Every time Monk opened his mouth talking about Mallory’s ass or body, I wanted to scream. The general voice of the prose didn’t work for me.

The book gets 3 stars because I wanted to see what happened at the end and the author kept me engrossed. The ending was almost a cliffhanger of sorts, which I didn’t love. This author has many other books and I think just got too ambitious with all the topics they wanted to marry together. Overall, interesting, but I wouldn’t purchase. Thanks again to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love this- 2 women in different eras that’s mysteriously tied. They both have obstacles standing in their way to find love- Honestly love being able to travel back in time in a way-

This novel mainly follows the dual timeline plan as we learn about Hannah in Egypt in 1951 (but also her experiences during the war). The other main character is Mallory, a single mother raising a 13-year-old son who needs a kidney transplant. The two timelines come together in familiar ways and some not so familiar. Hannah's story is the more interesting. For me, the biggest problem was that the dual timelines had dual timelines and sometimes there were no transitions except for an additional line break, so that it was difficult to keep track of various events and to know 'when' we were. The Mallory storyline is a fairly common romance and the Hannah portion was an interesting look at Hungary and Egypt during the war and after it, delving into politics only a little bit. There are also a few obnoxious British muckety-mucks who are there primarily to remind us of the Great British Empire days and how all the countries they "colonized" should be grateful to them. Ugh. But it was a really enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more of Beatriz Williams' work. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book early.

I really enjoyed this book. It has all the elements I enjoy: a musician, a lost love, a secret, and a few heartbreaks—plus strong, confident women. I looked forward to picking up and reading the book throughout the week. The story takes place in the present tense and in the past, and I seem to gravitate to this style of storytelling.

The book contains some history—a history I am not well versed in, particularly in Egypt during the 1950s. I was glad to gain some insight into it.

But the book is mainly about family, uncovered secrets, and, as the title suggests, husbands and lovers.

Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for an advanced copy.

I loved this story set in two different time periods and two different countries. It was hard to put down read it in three afternoons.

Husbands & Lovers- now that’s a title that will get your attention!! I loved the multiple timelines in this book and the author brings them together beautifully. This is my first book by this author but I quickly fell in love with her writing style. This one should definitely be on everyone’s TBR!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an ARC copy of this book.

I am obsessed with this book! Straight from the prologue I was hooked on the story. What a timeless, bittersweet story to read as a mother. Spanning across multiple timelines., this book took me on a journey that I’ll never forget

This is such an amazing novel. It’s set in two different time periods and follows Mallory, a single mom with an ill son and Hannah, stuck in a loveless marriage in Egypt during the 1950s. I love dual time periods and how the author makes the stories come together. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the ARC of Husbands & Lovers.

This was a really great story. I loved the historical elements and the settings in two different eras and countries to showcase different cultures and times. It was a great story of self discovery and overcoming challenges life throws at you. I sometimes found the writing style hard to follow but the story was so great I enjoyed it just the same.

Holy Mother of God. I never expected to see my hometown in a novel but there it is! I’m still giddy over it!
Ok, Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for this advance reader copy of Husband and Lovers in exchange for a fair review!
Using multiple timelines, we get a love story, a historical fiction, and DNA testing surprises all rolled into one.
I thought there was a lot going on with the multiple timelines that slowed it down for me. The Mallory/Monk story could have been one book, as could the earlier timelines. It just took me a while to latch on to one when I was really enjoying the other (I’ll let you decide). After about halfway, the book picks up and then it’s an exciting ride. A couple of characters were just blah for me and I wanted more of others.
For my particular book club, I wouldn’t choose this title, but would recommend the book to patrons.
3.5 rounded to 4

What can I say about a Beatriz Williams book other than wow! I absolutely love her writing and in my eyes she can do no wrong. But I do have to say this might be my favorite book to date. My favorite genre is historical fiction and beyond that I love a dual time line. The way Beatriz weaves these two stories together is exciting and satisfying. It’s a wonderful ride and you will enjoy every minute of it. A definite “can not put down” book!

Rounding up to 4.5. Beatriz Williams creates such vivid pictures with her writing. The love story between Monk and Mallory was perfect and I couldn't get enough of the backstory about Hannah. The varying timelines kept me engaged from the very beginning. Don't sleep on reading this one!

📚 Book Review 📚

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: June 25, 2024

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This is my first book by Williams and it won’t be my last! I had a bit of a hard time rating this because there were things I liked but things I struggled with.

I loved Hannah’s timeline but ultimately there was too much plot for me to connect fully to the story. Health issues, secret pregnancies, adoptions, historical issues in the 50’s, etc.

I would categorize this book as a drama with some historical pieces involved.

Perfect for fans of:
🖊️ 3rd person POV
📕 Three timelines
🖊️ 1950’s Egypt historical pieces
📕 Surprise pregnancies
🖊️ Family secrets
📕 Health issues
🖊️ Descriptive writing
📕 Family drama

Prior to reading Beatrix Williams new historical fiction book, Husbands and Lovers, I had not read a book by her in a few years. While, I did enjoy the plot and ultimately gave the book three stars, I found quite a bit of the book’s language crass and unnecessary
I enjoyed the characters, especially Sam, and Mallory and Paige’s relationship.
I will not spoil the ending but I was surprised by one of the developments, later in the book.
The going back and forth to Paige and Mallory’s grandmother’s story was interesting.

I know that Beatriz is a popular author. This is the first book I have read by her so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I absolutely loved the storyline of two parralell lives. Both women are strong and fierce in navigating their obstacles.
This book is absolutely fantastic and will stick with me for a long time. I am going to absolutely read another one of Beatriz’s books. I completely understand why she’s so popular! Thank you for the advanced copy!

A perfect blend of history and romance. It takes you through a journey through time and heartaches. Perfect for a lazy afternoon. Loved it easy read. Dual setting two woman separated by time. Such a page turner.