Well developed, well-nourished characters that you truly connect with. I enjoyed the book from start to finish. It is a dual timeline that was easy to follow. It was quite an enjoyable read. Thanks to a NetGalley and Ballantine for the free egalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

I ultimately DNF this book. I enjoyed the synopsis, but I wasn't able to get into the story. I will try again though, I feel like I just picked it up at the wrong time- the worst part of being a mood reader.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this book and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised! It’s part historical fiction and part contemporary fiction with a great romance thrown in.
It’s 2022 and Mallory Dunne is a single Mom to 13 year old Sam. Sam needs a new kidney and Mallory has exhausted her search. She knows there’s one more person she can ask, Sam’s dad, but she hasn’t seen or spoken to him in 14 years and isn’t sure how easy reaching out now will. In another storyline it’s 1951 and Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth is with her diplomat husband in Egypt. She has an affair with the hotel manager and when things in Cairo get dangerous she has to decide which man she will go with.
While Hannah’s story helps with Mallory’s I found those parts to be unnecessarily. I actually think this would have been a fabulous book with just Mallory’s story. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the Jewish representation in Hannah’s line and I found my heart breaking at the parts of the forming of Israel, what with everything going on there today. I had to laugh sadly at the line “Arabs only unite in their hatred of Israel” because 70 years later that is still so true.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Williams’ books.
Thank you to. NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. Husbands and Lovers hit the shelves on June 25th.

A literal masterpiece. This book got me out of my book slump and has me so eager to find another 5 star read. Husband and Lovers follows two characters from a historical and modern timeline, but the modern timeline also splits between her younger self and present self. The way the author is able to tell us three different storylines without this ever being confusing is such a testament to their talent.

The plots were amazing and unlike anything I've ever read before. The reclamation of lost loves in completely different contexts! >>> I adored Mallory's story just a little more than Hannah's. I'm not really a historical girlie, but even so I enjoyed those sections of the book. Just when I thought I had all the details. we learn about what Mallory has went through and everything changes.

I could not put this down and highly contemplated coming to work late just to be able to finish it! Finished it on my lunchbreak, so all was well! Cannot recommend this book enough.

I don't really think the cover art matches this story, though I know authors don't get much say in that.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This takes places in New England in 2022 and Cairo in 1951. You will experience heartbreak and redemption and find characters struggling with issues of class, and privilege. Secrets are confronted and ties are made. Well written with characters you want to know more about.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a multigerational tale that seamlessly blends romance, intrigue, and family drama, spanning from the streets of revolution-era Cairo in the 1950's to the upscale world of modern New England. It is a novel of two women - Mallory Dunne and Hannah Ainsworth - connected across time by love, loss, and past betrayals.

Mallory is a single mother whose life revolves around her critically ill son, Sam. As she seeks a kidney donor to save her child, Mallory must also grapple with the painful truths from her won past. Mallory had an intense romance with a singer-songwriter who captured her heart in her youth. She is also is looking into the truth of her mother's adoption from a notorious Irish orphanage. Mallory's narrative is raw and urgent, colored by the desperation o fa mother fighting for her child's future while revisiting the ghosts of her past love.

Hannah's story takes us back to 1951, when as a Hungarian refugee, she has rebuilt her life through marriage to a British diplomat in Cairo. Yet her carefully constructed world is thrown into turmoil when she embarks on an affair with a mysterious hotel manager, igniting passion and danger in equal measure. The book captures the tension in post-war Egypt, filled with espionage and political unrest and interweaves it with Hannah's personal tragedy and eventual sacrifice.

The heat and intensity of 1950's Cairo, with its political tensions, contrasts with the privileged atmosphere of present-day New England. The book explores themes of love, betrayal, motherhood, and consequences of choices made in moments of passion. Husbands and Lovers is a novel about second chances and hope that redemption can be found. This book is for fans of historical fiction and family sagas. This is a memorable book that I hope you enjoy reading.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of Husbands and Lovers. #NetGalley #BeatrizWilliams #HusbandsAndLovers

Husbands & Lovers is an intriguing book which tells the stories of two women from different periods of time, both ironically dealing with similar issues. The book's appeal is as the two stories begin to intertwine, the reader starts to understand the connections these two women have as well as the pain and suffering they have both been through which wonderfully creates two sadly beautiful stories in one.

Mallory Dunne is a single parent. Her son's name is Sam. She has never, ever revealed who is his father. The year is 2022 and Mallory and Sam experience every parent's nightmare. Something happens to Sam. It's very bad.

Meanwhile, Hannah Ainsworth is in Cairo. The year 1955. Married to a wealthy man she dislikes, but having been born in Hungary and fled there, has no choice but to continue in the marriage. She meets and falls in love with the worker of the hotel they are staying, named Lucien. He's very secretive but impossibly charming. He changes her life forever.

Mallory, who is barely making ends meet, decides to go on vactation with her sister Paige where they had spent many happy years. Never having told anybody who the father of Sam was, is shocked that he is actually there as well. He is a superstar musician now, and is there planning his wedding.

Hannah wants nothing more than to have a child, something she tells her lover Lucien. Before she fled Hungary, she had the perfect life and lost it all. When she gets pregnant, she tells her husband it is his. He doesn't believe her and banishes her just as the city of Cairo is being burned down. Somehow Hannah must find her way out.

Mallory sees instantly that Monk knows he is Sam's father and now must begin to make very difficult choices. Does he let him into Sam's life? Does she answer his questions as to why she left so suddenly when they were so in love?

But the most wonderful mystery which is encompassed by both stories is a bracelet which was passed down from who? and left for Mallory's mother and after she died was given to Mallory. But why Mallory? Her mother was closer to her sister. What does this bracelet have to do with their family?

As all the moving parts come together in Husbands & Lovers it will tell the wondrous story of hidden love, loss and privilege and so many secrets. Some of them lurk in the dark corners hoping to never be revealed while some look innocent but are more than one person care bear. The stories in the book are both spellbinding, and you will be amazed at the connections which these women and the men they have chosen to fall in love with.

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #BeatrizWilliams #Husbands&Lovers for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams in exchange for a honest review.This is a wonderful piece of historical and contemporary fiction.I have read many of Ms Williams’ ’ books and this one does not disappoint.Full of drama and a long kept secret, this is the story of Mallory a young woman with a son who requires dialysis because of a poisoning incident who returns to the summer town of her child’s father Monk Adams in search of a kidney to save her son.She is keeping a long held secret that threatens to be exposed.This book also tells the story of Hannah , a young Hungarian woman who has experienced unimaginable tragedy during the war and is rebuilding her life with her titled husband in Egyptian 1952 when war breaks out.She has been having an illicit affair with a hotel concierge and the result will once again blow her world apart.Read the book to see how these women and their lives are entwined .A real un-put-downanble book.

I devoured this book on our summer vacation! The characters are engaging and the dual timeline was not too distracting…. I truly kept turning the pages needing to find what happened next. I found this to be another great book by Beatriz Williams that I would recommend to all my friends. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

5 stars. As a disclaimer, I rarely give 5 stars to any book but this blew me out of the water. Captivating with the multiple storylines, this kept me on the edge of my seat desperately needing to know more. My mouth dropped open with the last sentence. Incredibly well done and i can't wait to recommend this to everyone i know.

I read/listened to Husbands & Lovers while on vacation and really enjoyed it! Beatriz Williams is always an auto read for me and this is one of my new favorites of hers. I really loved Mallory's story-line but it was fun to see how her story and Hannah's in the 1950's connected. I heartily recommend Husband & Lovers and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 25 June 2024

Beatriz Williams has done it again has done a splendid job of taking the reader through time--and place to tell a story. There are three stories (two of which can immediately tied together), but the third seems out of left field. I kept looking for the connection, even though it took awhile, that made the discovery even more exciting. The relationship between Mallory and her sister Paige was so real and satisfying and Mallory's relationship with her son would warm any mother's heart. My only complaint (and it is very tiny one), is with all the stories swirling around the Paige and her husband storyline could maybe have been left out? The three timelines, to me, seemed realistic (actually four is you count Hannah's early life), especially the story in Egypt, which might be unfamiliar to most readers. For a little bit of humor I enjoyed Paige and Mallory's trip to Ireland to visit a convent, even though there was sadness the Mother Superior made me smile. I can't wait for the next novel from Ms. Williams.

It took me forever to read this one; it felt very disconnected to me. A lot of potential, but mediocre delivery.

Thank you Net Galley & to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Delightful!! This was rich and drama filled. I felt transported and like I was physically part of the scenes and plot.

This was an OK book to me. I think it would be good for a book club, but it just didn't resonate with me. Not sure why, but I had a hard time getting into the story.

I can always count on Beatriz Williams to deliver a heartfelt women’s fiction that will keep me enthralled and take me on a roller coaster of emotions.

I have read a few of Williams previous novels and she does a remarkable job at setting the scene. Her historical markers are spot on; from events her characters are experiencing to the music or car model they are driving each addition brings the reader to that moment in time. Her characters are well written and well developed. Unfortunately, the plot itself is just tired. I feel like I have read this story a million times. Teenage lovers get pregnant and reconnect later in life. Oh and of course he's rich. Obstacles must be overcome before happy ever after. I want something new.

A compelling dual-timeline novel that intertwines the lives of two women separated by decades but connected through family secrets and personal struggles.

In 2022, Mallory Dunne is a single mother grappling with her son Sam’s need for a kidney transplant and the resurfacing of her past romance with Monk Adams. Her journey to find a donor leads her to confront long-buried secrets about her mother’s adoption and her own unresolved feelings.

Meanwhile, in 1951 Cairo, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth navigates a complex web of love and espionage. Her passionate affair with a hotel manager amidst the backdrop of political turmoil brings to light sacrifices that resonate through generations.

Meissner masterfully balances historical detail with emotional depth, creating a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. The characters are richly developed, and the plot unfolds with a perfect blend of suspense and sentiment. This novel is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family.

I highly recommend you add this to your TBR, If you enjoy stories that weave together past and present with a touch of historical intrigue.

Sometimes, novels with dual timelines frustrate me. This was honestly the case for about the first 1/3 of this book. However, it was a well used writing device that really worked well for the story in the long run. Mallory, Hannah, and the secondary characters were all well written and the storyline revolving around the revolution in Egypt and DNA gave the storyline lots of interesting secrets.

Husbands & Lovers starts out intense!! Mallory receives news that her son has eaten a very poisonous mushroom while at summer camp. He ends up needing a kidney transplant but they need to find a suitable donor which is not Mallory, the sister and theres no contact with the biological father of Sam. Mallory discovers her mother was adopted which is another lead to finding a donor and brings in the 1950s Cairo timeline.

Husbands & Lovers alternates between the two timelines.
I think I would have loved this more if this only had one timeline, the present. The timelines didnt tie together as well as they could have.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.