I am a big fan of Beatriz Williams and her latest novel, Husbands & Lovers, definitely measures up to her usual high standard. Told over three time lines and from multiple POVs, I thought it might be a bit confusing but Williams pulls it all together beautifully.

Story line #1: Mallory is a single parent to her 10 year old son Sam who is in need of a new kidney. Her sister Paige tries to persuade Mallory to get in touch with Sam’s father, Monk, to see if he is a match. Mallory has not seen Monk since before Sam’s birth and Monk is not aware he has a son. When Mallory and Monk have a chance encounter, Monk has become a famous singer and engaged to be married.
Story Line #2: Hannah is a Hungarian refugee who is now the wife of an English diplomat. Hannah’s life had been nothing but turmoil and loss before she married her new husband. Now, haw far will se go to get what she wants most, a baby.

Husbands & Lovers is part historical fiction and part romance. The characters are feisty, fun and realistic. The story lines are captivating and draw you in from the very beginning. I will be eagerly awaiting the next Beatriz Williams novel but in the meantime, you won’t want to miss this one. Happy reading.

✨Review✨

Beatriz Williams knows how to write a great book. I really enjoyed her book Summer Wives and was very excited to get an advanced copy of this. Two woman who are from different times but are untied by a heirloom of their family. This one got me from the very start. A newly single mom gets the WORST phone call- her son ate a poisonous mushroom while he was away at summer camp and is airlifted to the hospital. As she searches for a donor kidney she digs into her moms adoption from an Irish orphanages. As well as confront her sons dad who is a famous singer-songwriter that she didn’t plan to reunite with. Beatriz grips the reader from the beginning and keeps the pages turning with full anticipation. I was so attached to the main character as she was on this wild journey- I love a book that takes you to another place and makes you feel the characters heart in such a deep way. Add this to your TBR lists for a great summer read. It comes out June 24. Thank you @netgalley @authorbeatriz @randomhouse for the advance copy of this phenomenal book! #netgalley #beatrizwilliams #husbandsandlovers

I've always been a fan of Beatriz Williams. Loved this book. I enjoyed both timelines but just thought the timelines weren't very connected.

In another masterful blending of the past and present Beatriz Williams tells the story of Mallory Dunne, a single mother whose son has a near death encounter with accidental poisoning that leaves his kidneys compromised. Reluctant to involve his father, who is out of the picture, Mallory and her sister begin to dig into their family's heritage hoping to find a donor. Things get confusing when they realize that their mother was adopted, and the only tie they may have to the truth is an unique cobra shaped bracelet that Mallory inherited from her mother that belonged to her biological grandmother. The sisters try to unravel this mystery to understand their family ties and perhaps to find a donor for Mallory's son.

Shift to Cairo, in 1951 where war refugee Hannah Ainsworth now lives a comfortable life with her husband a wealthy British diplomat assigned to Egypt. He may not be the love of her life, but she is safe and comfortable in the marriage. An affair with the dashing manager of a hotel in the city leaves Hannah pregnant and in danger as the situation in Egypt becomes more perilous for foreigners. Hannah survives the violence while her lover is killed, but she is taken to an orphanage where the only gift she has to give her child is a safe home in the United States and a stunning bracelet that holds clues to her family story.

As the mysteries unfold and Mallory learns about her grandmother's past, her own past emerges with the return of her son's dad into their lives. The reasons that their relationship ended are revealed and doors are opened for new relationships to be formed. All of the characters are fully realized and relatable, and the story pulls you along until all of the mysteries are made clear. Beatriz Williams always immerses the reader in time and place and Husbands and Lovers is a wonderful gift to her fans.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From publisher Random House: New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning. Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams.
Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair. A pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.
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My review: I liked the different timelines in this book. It was not confusing as some novels are and they began to mesh together and make sense just a little at a time, and I loved each cliffhanger in one timeline when it switched to another. I was very interested in the modern day limb of the story and really wanted to know about Mallory and her path. I needed her to find happiness. The big reveal seemed imminent but the final conclusion made me teary.
Monk and Mallory and their summer love was heartwarming. Their banter was fabulous, so college kid-like. The Cairo storyline was full of mystery and I help my brethren for Hannah.
Husbands & Lovers was suspenseful, interesting, sweet, and intriguing. I felt for the characters in the past-Hannah and Lucien. And I hoped for Monk, Mallory, Sam and Paige in the present.
I highly recommend this book. Great drama and romance. If you like historical fiction you'll like this as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars...maybe even 6. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

I kind of went into this one blind and was nervous because the start of it was so not what the actual book was about. I mean, it was but it wasn’t sad. In fact, this book was amazing and I was rooting for Mallory and Monk the entire way through. I loved how the dual timelines kind of lined up in a roundabout way, that love a parent has for their child even if the worst of circumstances. The bombshell that Mallory kept from Monk and the reason why she left him kind of blew me away and I didn’t see it coming at all. The happy ending was just what I needed though…

Absolutely loooooooved this book!

I am a huge fan of Beatriz Williams and once again she did not disappoint with another beautifully written novel. This is the story of two women in two different time frames and different lands, that have the common bond of a beautiful bracelet. The novel opens in New England in the year 2022, introducing the reader to Mallory, a single mother trying to raise her young son Sam who has eaten a poisonous mushroom and is now in need of a new kidney. The story then jumps to the 1950’s in Cairo where the reader meets Hannah. She is unhappily married to a powerful diplomat when she meets Lucien, a hotel manager and her life will never be the same again. Both stories are full of love, loss, and ultimately survival against all odds. The two tales converge and bring this novel to an absolutely perfect and completely satisfying ending. This was a five star read for me.

Each winter I grow antsy waiting for the next historical fiction from Beatriz Williams. So I was delighted to get my hands on an eGalley of Husbands and Lovers from Random House and Ballantine Books.

Continuing in the dual timeline format, Husbands and Lovers follows Mallory in present-day and 2008 as well as Hannah in 1950s Egypt. Mallory is confronting the memory of her former lover and father of her child (although he never knew about his son) as she cares for the boy who needs a kidney transplant. In the search for a genetic match, Mallory and her sister discover that their mother was adopted. Naturally, they go digging in their genealogy. Hannah is living in Cairo as the much younger wife of a British diplomat. But as tensions rise in Egypt, Hannah begins an affair with a spy for Israel.

All of Williams' books have tangential ties to each other, but this one was a bit harder for me to place. Some of the names on Winthrop Island were familiar to me but I couldn't quite place them. I suppose that means I'll have to reread some of them. (Oh, darn!) And if I'm being honest, I desperately miss the Schuylers.

Mallory's story had me hooked early on. And Winthrop Island is an incredible setting. Hannah's story, on the other hand, seemed a bit underdeveloped. She seemed to jump into an affair with Lucien Beck without any thought. It took me by surprise so early in the book. These two stories seemed the least dependent on each other in all of Williams' oeuvre. These could have been two separate books. And yet, I could not put this book down. It was a true page-turner.

LovedLovedLoved Husbands and Lovers!! Best book I've read this year!

There are two story lines going on in this book. First, Mallory's 13 year old son is physically challenged, and his dad was never around, so Mallory must work and care for her son alone, except from some emotional support from her sister Paige. Mallory reconnects with an old friend and we go back and forth in time as we learn about her relationship with "Monk", who is now a top pop star.

Second, in 1952, Hannah is staying in Cairo, and trying to exist with a detached husband, and an interesting lover from her hotel. We learn about some factual wartime history.

This book weaves the two stories together in time. Ultimately, they converge in a magnificent manner, with a wonderfully satisfying and beautiful ending. It is incredibly compelling - I read it in record time!

Highly recommend!!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Husbands and Lovers.

“Husbands and Lovers” is a historical fiction book by Beatriz Williams. I really have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really liked the chapters about Hannah’s history; she was Hungarian, she was married to a British diplomat after WWII; she gave a child up for adoption in Ireland (which seemed odd). But Hannah’s story was given so little coverage in this book that I felt let down. The bulk of the story focuses on Mallory in two timelines - one is in 2022 (as a single mother to Sam) and the other in 2008 (college student). I both liked and disliked Mallory - I understand the independent, I can do it on my own without help - though she needed assistance from her sister - it also bugged me at times. I think Monk would be an interesting person to know - and not just because he’s famous - but he seemed more “real” and balanced than Mallory did in the book. So, yep, mixed feelings - I’m glad I read the book, but I don’t feel like I need to re-read the book. The book did kinda leave room for a potential sequel - so that was rather interesting. Overall 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Ballentine and the author Beatriz Williams for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beatriz Williams is an auto-buy author for me. I love how she takes an event from history and puts her own spin on it. I learned so much about Cairo in this book. I had to stop many times to google different areas and events she was explaining.

A dual timeline what eventually comes together? Sign me up!

If you've read Ms. Williams in the past and enjoyed her work you will definitely like this one.

Wow! This book blew me away! The parallel story lines of Hannah and Mallory, including Mallory’s past and present day stories are written so well. I was vested in each woman. The men were intriguing also. The ending was perfect! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! I will definitely read more by Beatriz.

What an amazing story. The author weaves multiple stories and timelines together seamlessly. This was a story of true love, secrets, and family.
There was one very cringeworthy portion of the book: trigger warning but it explained some of the devastation and subsequent behaviors.
I could have lived without that but that being said, the rest of the book was lovely.

Thank you Ballantine/ Random House and NetGalley for providing this book for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

As someone who absolutely devours Beatriz Williams’ books, this was one of my most anticipated of the year. That's why it’s so hard for me to say this; this book was.. fine. I don’t know if I hyped it up too much in my head or if it was actually just a true let down but either way, this book was not for me.
I always love when the POV is split among multiple people and I feel like it works in this book to a point. There were cliffhangers at the end of some chapters that made me absolutely devastated when it flipped POV and I had to wait to see what happened next. There were also parts of this book that I was so glad when the POV switched because the MC was being annoying or unrealistic (to me). The characters felt hard to connect with and the book felt like it was dragging in a few spots. It was so hard for me to root for Mallory because she just… sucks. I feel like I needed more emotion to actually believe what she was saying. Her character felt flat and it really bothered me.

One of the big things about this book that was weird for me was that I have read almost all of Beatriz’s work and I feel like this is the most “open door” book she has written. (Maybe it’s just been too long since I read some others and I’m mistaken?) The sex scenes felt awkward and one of them in particular gave me the ick when he was asking her to stop and she kept going.

This is not to say there weren’t adorable and great parts of the book but the other parts vastly outweighed them and when I think back on the book, it’s unfortunately the not great parts that stick out more in my mind.

There are also a TON of TWs I feel need to be mentioned and this is in no way an exhaustive list: affairs, derogatory language, murder, Death of children, infant death mentioned, War, Death of a parent, racial profiling, deliberate deception of pregnant women/ new mothers, involuntary adoption, kidnapping, torture, death of a loved one, arson, burning of bodies, intentional deception, alcoholism, rape and non consent

I loved this book!! The characters were interesting; i really cared about them! I wasn’t sure what to think about the presentation of the stories at first but it didn’t take long to get sucked in to all their lives. I enjoyed the historical connections and was so happy with the ending! A great read!!

This novel is the perfect summer read! It follows two different women during two different time periods - Mallory Dunne is a woman who shares a past with a famous musician - Monk Adams. We get to experience Mallory and Monk's story in the novel through flashbacks to the summer of 2008 when she is a nanny for Monk's step siblings on Winthrop Island and Monk is not yet famous. Fast forward to 2022 and Mallory is now a single mother and Monk is one of the most famous musicians in the world - what happened in the 14 years between 2008 and present between them?

Hannah Ainsworth is the wife of a British diplomat living in Cairo in 1952. She is a woman who harbors some secrets - who was she before coming to live in Cairo? Now that she is in Cairo she has struck up a dangerous liaison with a handsome man working at the Shepherd's Hotel - Lucien Beck. What path will this set her on and how does her story intertwine with Mallory's?

This was the first Beatriz Williams book I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked reading about the different settings - Cairo and Winthrop Island - I haven't read a lot of books with the setting of Egypt so it was refreshing to read about some history that I didn't previously know. I could easily picture the characters and became invested in both Mallory and Hannah's stories. .I was rooting for Mallory and Monk and riveted to Hannah's story and all that had happened to her. When I got to about halfway through the book I couldn't put it down - I had to finish it. I had to know how both women's stories turned out and how it all ultimately tied together. This would be the perfect book to read on the beach or curled up on your couch - it did not disappoint!

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for providing me the digital copy for my honest review.

This story takes place in two time periods; present day and in the 1950's. The main characters are grandmother and granddaughter.
I enjoyed the present day story of Monk and Mallory more than Hannah and Lucien's story. This was two love stories and discovery of heritage that was not known to the present day characters. The storytelling by Ms. Williams is done wonderfully and I enjoyed the history that was shared about Egypt as well as the deep dive into tracing your ancestry. There were times when I didn't understand if Mallory was dreaming some of the story or "remembering" it in the retelling and so it threw me for a loop when it jumped from a scene in which one of the main characters is in a coma and then the next chapter they are not and it takes awhile to understand that all is right with that character.... maybe that was just me but that transition didn't work for me.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book and couldn't put it down. The Egypt history was so intriguing and I find myself wanting to do research on the history of the area. I loved the dueling timelines, and I was just so riveted in every page.

And the surprises in the current timeline with Mallory and Monk......what a love story that you FELT in every word. It brought back being a teenager, it made you feel the sand, the sun, the salt of the summer.....sigh.....simply amazing.

I've already told everyone I know about this one, it was beyond a 5 star

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I devoured Beatriz William’s latest book. Husbands and Lovers is an inter woven dual-time line story. Hannan Ainsworth a Hungarian WWII survivor in a loveless marriage with an English diplomat in post-war Egypt. Mallory Dunne is a single Mom with a teenage son that needs a new kidney. A long time ago Mallory ended a romance with her son’s father under mysterious circumstances. A unique bracelet ties the two timelines together. Both stories are riveting. I could not turn the pages fast enough. I adored this book and was hugely disappointed when it ended. This is fantastic book. If you have never read Beatriz Williams, treat yourself and order a copy today. If you are already a fan, you will love Beatriz Williams’ latest work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for an early read in exchange for a fair review.