I finished this in 2 days. If I didn’t have to work it would have only been 1 day.

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors so getting an ARC from NetGalley was huge for me. Every book I have read, I have enjoyed. This one definitely hit all my expectations and more.

I loved how Williams intertwined the stories together. I was hooked on Mallory from the start and learning about her son Sam. Then Hannah comes in with another salacious tale that I’m hooked on as well. Each end to the chapter had me hooked.

I am obsessed with Monkfish and Pinks and could happily live in their story forever.

The cobra bracelet tying it all together 😍

Please read this book and all of Beatriz Williams books. She is a master at historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I am picky with historical fiction but this one kept me entertained all the way through! Great read.

I love when a historical fiction writer intertwines 2 story arcs, one on present day, and one in the past. At first, the reader is left to wonder what Ties these people together. Over time, the thread that binds is slowly revealed. Beatriz Williams is a master at this art, weaving the relationships of Mallory, Paige, Monk and Sam in the present with the past of Hannah and Lucien. And Hannah and her previous life in Hungary. The story left me wanting a sequel!

I loved this book from the very beginning and it just kept getting better and better! This book was everything I could ask for - a little mix of all the best genres/tropes.
-Historical fiction
-Contemporary romance
-Lost love
-Family history mystery
-Second chance romance
-‘Why did you leave?’

I immediately fell for Mallory and Monk and was having visceral reactions to things that were happening in the ‘current’ timeline. Talking about other relationships left my stomach reeling and my mind blaring ‘NO!’. I loved getting 3 different timelines, also. I feel like in other books, that could’ve have come across as a lot to follow but Beatriz laid it out so well that I was never confused or overwhelmed. I found myself looking forward to every timeline and never wanting to ‘rush back’ to a certain one. The twist of ‘what happened’ caught me by surprise, which is hard nowadays.

My only qualm is that I just want more Monkfish and Pinks 😭

I loved this book! Such a great story that I will be recommending to others!

There are a few storylines to follow, but they are all connected and the plot of each storyline was so interesting that it makes it easy to follow and keeps you engaged the whole time! I loved all of the characters and I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4½⭐️✨
HUSBANDS AND LOVERS
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: historical fiction
📖 384 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🍄 🇪🇬🐍🎤🏖️🔥🩷🥹🇮🇪
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/25/2024

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @ballantinebooks for the #gifted copy!

Oh I loved it! @BeatrizWilliams hits another home run with this captivating novel! Set in an era rich with intrigue, the narrative deftly weaves together the lives of Mallory & Hannah, keeping you hooked with every twist & turn. I was so eager to see how the storylines connected & thoroughly enjoyed each women’s story.

The strong opening scene sets the tone for a riveting journey through history, while the emotional depth of the characters had me tearing up & gasping in equal measure. Williams' meticulous research shines through, offering a fascinating glimpse into a lesser-known period. Such a beautiful story, so make sure to mark your calendar for 6/25/24!!

In 2022 New England, Mallory Dunne's life turns upside down when her son Sam falls critically ill from a poisonous mushroom, prompting her to delve into her past for a kidney donor. Amidst this search, Mallory confronts two haunting secrets: her mother's adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952 & her own past romance with childhood friend Monk Adams, a renowned singer-songwriter, shattered by betrayal. Meanwhile, in 1951 Cairo, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth, recovering from wartime tragedy, embarks on a passionate affair with a hotel manager amidst a backdrop of revolution, leading to an act of sacrifice with far-reaching consequences. As these two narratives intertwine, they unravel a tale of love, loss, & resilience spanning generations.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ multiple timelines
◽️ dual POV
◽️ found family
◽️ second chance romance
◽️ first love

This novel tells intertwining tales - Hannah lives in 1950's Egypt and is married to a British diplomat. Mallory's tale is current day Massachusetts - she is a single mother of a teenage son. Mallory's tale toggles between present day and 2008 when she fell in love with Monk Adams while working as a nanny. As the their stories unfold you get wrapped up into the mystery of Hannah's life and Mallory learning more about her past while managing upheavals in her present. This book had me riveted and I stayed up entirely too late to finish it. I must admit that the ending felt a bit rushed but that could be because I wanted more. This will definitely be a book you will want in your beach bag this summer.

•Plot: 3/5 (I feel like Stefon from SNL because this book had it all. Secret love child, Israeli spies, kidney transplants, a love square…)

•Characters: 3/5 (Mallory definitely suffers from Not Like the Other Girls Syndrome. I really liked her sister Paige, though.)

•Writing: 3/5 (Like most of Williams’ books, this one has a dual timeline- well, triple timeline, I guess. I preferred the more current one to the ones in the past.)


•Ending: 3/5 (Mixed on this…I didn’t like the lead up to the conclusion, but I *loved* the last page.)

This book was kinda bonkers, but I liked it? It’s like a soap opera. Definitely recommend as a frothy beach read. Special thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC.

In “Husbands + Lovers,” Beatriz Williams elevates the summer beach read to a new level. Not only is it the quintessential sweet tale of seaside romance (salt air, hole-in-the-wall bars, young love, sisterhood, etc etc), but also single parenthood, tough decisions, regret, and even history (learned new things about post-WWII Egyptian / Israeli conflict). There’s nothing new about a dual-timeline romance with an illicit tinge, but this one is an excellent summer read for 2024.

CONTENT: language, an affair (ooop), short sex scenes (def not PG-13, but not the *worst*), assault (told as a flashback, not graphic)… basically I wouldn’t recommend this to my pastor’s wife. 🤣

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!

I love anything this author writes but this was absolutely no exception. This might be my new favorite by her! The storyline was so unique and I loved that so much of the current timeline was focused on timely events and pop-culture (influencers, dna tests etc). I also found myself learning about Hungary and Cairo history long after I finished.

This was my first book by Beatriz but this inspired me to read get others. This was a great love story with many twists. I absolutely loved it as you got into the story line of Mallory, Monk and Sam I could not put it down. I absolutely loved the tie to her grandmothers story.

It took me a little bit to get into the "older" story timeline, but by the middle of the story, I was very invested in each of the dual stories being told throughout this novel. When a chapter would end and the timeline would shift, I would groan because I wanted to keep going with what I had just been reading... until a few paragraphs in, I was re-immersed in the OTHER timeline and then that would repeat at the end of the chapter again. I've read a few other Beatriz Williams books before, but this one has been my favorite yet! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

A little intrigue and is told in both past and present. Will keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommend. Looking forward to more by this author.

Wow, this book was impossible to put down. Husbands and Lovers has three unique storylines, well-developed likable characters and enough mystery to keep you turning pages. I truly didn’t want this story to end. Beatriz Williams has a way of telling a story that makes you wish it was all true. This read just shot to the top of my favorites list for historical fiction this year.

*urgently adds all Beatriz Williams novels to my holds list at the library*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book.

In Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams, two women, Mallory Dunne and Hannah Ainsworth, separated by decades and continents, find themselves linked by a mysterious family heirloom and the pursuit of second chances at love. Mallory, a single mother grappling with her son's illness, and Hannah, trapped in a loveless marriage in 1950s Egypt, navigate complex relationships and life-altering decisions. Williams intricately weaves their stories, alternating between timelines and perspectives, to create a poignant narrative rich in emotion and depth. With compelling characters, evocative settings, and a gripping plot, Husbands & Lovers is a masterful blend of historical fiction and romance that captivates from beginning to end.

Very enjoyable book you would come to expect from Beatriz Williams. It centers around a love story but there are many more elements that make this historical fiction so interesting. The dual timeline and settings in Massachusetts and Egypt keep you intrigued and turning the pages to see what’s next. I flew through this. It will make a great summer beach book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Beatriz Williams is a "Must-Read" author for me. Ever since I first found her book "The Secret Life of Violet Grant" I have obsessively read everything she has written. Her books drawn me in and I can't put them down. That was true with "Husbands & Lovers".

I love how we have parallel timelines and it comes together at the end. This one was no exception.

We are introduced to Mallory Dunne in 2022 and her son Sam who is ill and needs a kidney transplant. In the 1950s we meet Hannah who is stuck in a loveless marriage during a tumultuous time in Egypt's history. The interwoven stories had me rapidly turning the pages to see what happened next and I could not put this one down.

I really hope there is a followup to this one, as there was so much to love about this book. I already can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed Beatriz William's latest novel of historical fiction. The story alternates between Egypt in 1951 and New England in 2022. It begins in 2022 when Mallory Dunne's son had a dangerous allergic reaction and is in need of a kidney transplant. While seeking a donor, she dicovers a previously unknown relative which takes the story to Cairo and Hannah Ainsworth. Their lives and stories are woven together and so well-written and really draw the reader in. I can't recommend the author or her works enough. If you haven't read a Williams novel yet, you should! If you have, this one will not disappoint! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

There is no one who can do alternating timelines like Beatriz Williams and throw in a contemporary timeline and I am all in!! Mallory is in need of a kidney for her son. While her and her sister begin digging up the past and find out their mother was adopted a whole new world of possibilities opens up. Meanwhile in present day, Mallory’s ex Monk is back in town and he finds out she left him 13 years ago with a broken heart and a child. What happens next will have even the biggest skeptic believing in second chances.

I first became aware of Beatriz Williams when I read a book she wrote with Lauren Willig and Karen White. Since Lauren Willig has been a must-buy author for me since The Pink Carnation, I learned to love Beatriz and Karen as well once I was exposed to the other two ladies and their work.

When I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I decided I needed to check it out. Thank you to them and Random House Ballentine Books for the chance to read this and leave a review.

This is a great story set mostly on an island full of fancy houses and rich folks. There’s a dual timeline with a heroine from the past and one from the present. The modern day heroine is a single mother whose son eats a mushroom on a dare and becomes dependent on dialysis to continue to live due to kidney damage.

The heroine of the past is a Hungarian lady who lived a brutal life during WWII and ended up as a translator for an older British man who she married. They move to Egypt during the Suez Canal crisis in the 1950s. The marriage isn’t a happy one, but she is content to stay in it as she went through a lot in her past, some of it horrific.

The dual timeline continues through most of the book and both stories were intriguing. Both heroines are likable and worth cheering on.
The modern day heroine was invited by a school mate to be the nanny one summer for his step siblings. His father hired her and she spent the summer taking care of the children and falling in love. The classmate became a rock star who is now engaged to be married. The heroine and he haven’t seen each other in many years.

Both stories were highly engrossing and enjoyable. I don’t want to say more in order to avoid spoilers. But I will say this one should definitely be read and savored. For the love stories as well as the mysteries and the Egyptian history of the Suez Canal crisis. There is a lot to love about this book.

A very enjoyable read.