Mallory is a single mother who lives in Massachusetts with her son, Sam. The book begins with a phone call from her son’s summer camp with the news that he ate a poisonous mushroom and was in critical condition. Her struggle to save her son leads us back in time to Cairo in 1952. The story then proceeds to Hannah, a married woman who crosses paths with a hotel manager and her life changes forever. This is a story about love and the sacrifices made for love. It is filled with strong women who know what they want, care deeply for their loved ones, and will fight for them at whatever cost. A moving and engaging story.

I've read a few of Beatriz Williams' books and I have seen her grow as a wonderful author of historical fiction. This is by far the best book. I love both protangists - Hannah and Mallory have two distinct voices and personalties and I enjoyed trying to figure out how their stories would intersect. And it kept me guessing! Both strong females, both mothers and lovers, their stories move along and they kept this reader engaged 100%. WIllaims is an accomplised storyteller and her characters have depth as we watch them mature with age. In addition, I feel like the actual writing has improved so much. Thanks to NetGalley and to the author for allowing me to read this early. I will be singing its praises and looking forward to the author's next book.

One of the best books I’ve ever read! I could not put it down. I devoured this in 2 days! The characters, the beach, and the relatable timelines, all added to my enjoyment. I adored these characters and I hope Beatriz Williams uses them in books to come!

This book has a lot of complexity and layers like all of Beatriz Williams’ books. Women with interconnected, multi-generational connections that all in the end seem to mesh together. I loved the evolving relationship and slow burn between Monk and Mallory. The history she weaves in for Hannah’s story was so interesting, and added a deapth and richness. I just wish there had been a little more as to how she went from Ireland to the US. The side story of Paige’s sister’s husband I felt was unnecessary but overall I loved it and thought it was another winner from Beatriz.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for our honest review. We love all of Beatriz Williams books and will read anything she puts out. We felt so lucky to get our hands on this one before its publishing date (June 25th, 2024). Along The Infinite Sea has been our long-standing favorite, but Husbands and Lovers might just be its rival!

In her usual fashion, Beatriz Williams includes a dual timeline that reads back and forth with ease. She’s really quite a pro at this in all of her works. We were very invested in both female MC’s and their timelines.

We typically learn something new during the historical fiction bits, and this time we found ourselves in 1950’s Cairo, Egypt with MC Hannah. The aftermath of WW2 is discussed often, but rarely from this geographical perspective. Hannah is harboring devastating secrets and this knowledge is key to Mallory’s timeline over 70 years later.

Mallory is holding on to a few secrets of her own. We couldn’t figure out what event would be big enough for Mallory to have the fear that she did when she decided to keep such a big secret. When we did discover the depth of her reasoning our hearts ached for her. At the very same time, the East Coast beach backdrop made this a light, quick read where we were rooting for multiple love stories. This will be perfect for a summer release date—be ready to take Husbands and Lovers on your next summer vacation!

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel “Husbands and Lovers.” The novel has two protagonists from two different time periods and locations. The first time period is the present day interspersed with flashbacks to 2008. The protagonist is Mallory Dunne, a single mother of young teenage son, Sam, who eats a poisonous mushroom at summer camp and has kidney failure as a result. His father, Monk Adams, was Mallory’s high school best friend turned lover over the summer of 2008 at Winthrop Island, a fictitious island at the eastern end of Long Island Sound. Monk never knew she became pregnant that summer and now he is a world famous musician. Their paths cross again in 2022, when they are both once again on Winthrop Island. He is there to plan his wedding to Lennox Lassiter, a wealthy lifestyle influencer who has known Monk since they were children. Seeing Monk again, Mallory realizes that she still has feelings for him. Mallory’s sister urges her to let Monk know that Sam is his son so that he might be able to donate a kidney to him, but for some reason, Mallory is reluctant to do so.

The second time period is 1951-1952 and the protagonist is Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian refugee who married an older British diplomat now stationed with her in Cairo, Egypt. While in Cairo, Hannah has an affair with Lucien Beck, the assistant hotel manager at Shepheard’s Hotel, a famous gathering place for British diplomats and becomes pregnant by him. This narrative also includes flashbacks to Hannah’s past during World War II in the soon to be Soviet occupied Hungary. As the two protagonists’ stories alternate in the narrative, the connection between the two is gradually revealed until the surprising conclusion during the last quarter of the book.

The book was full of interesting, well-realized characters, with witty dialog and beautiful descriptions of the various settings. The post war Egyptian portion was well-researched and came alive with the author’s descriptive prose. I highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans who appreciate well-written prose and well-drawn characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing me an ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderfully written and thoroughly enjoyable! This tale of families, relationships and how your future can be so influenced by your past will take you on a journey you are not soon to forget. I wish Winthrop an island was a real place so I could visit but I am not sure it could live up to the picture Beatriz Williams has painted in my head.

This book was good. There was romance and second chances, yes, but that wasn't all it centered around. There was drama, family secrets, history, etc.
The book went back and forth between 1951 and 2022. We follow Mallory in 2022 and her grandmother in 1951. We see both of their struggles and both of their love stories. I enjoyed both of their stories, although I think I enjoyed following Hannah a little bit more.
This is the first Beatriz Williams book that I have read and i would definitely look for more.

Read if you like a romance that is about more than just getting the MC's together, drama, political history, adoption stories, and a touch of espionage.

Thank you, @netgalley and @randomhouse for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The only thing that I wish this book would've done is to flush out the ending of Mallory and Hannah's stories more but ultimately I did enjoy it.

Beatriz Williams is one of my go to author. I know that I am not going to be disappointed. This book continues to prove my theory.

This book is a dual timeline and the story of two very strong women. Hannah has survived untold horrors and Mallory has secrets she too is keeping. Hannah's story takes place in Egypt in 1951-52. Mallory's story is 2008, 2019, and 2022. I felt so much for both of these women.

Mallory is a single mom whose life changes with a single phone call. She is lucky to have an older sister that is able to help in a crisis. We learn more about who is the father of Mallory's son as the story unfolds. And to say that having a famous ex is heartbreaking is an understatement. I truly felt the heartache and anguish that Mallory must have felt seeing the headline and tabloids. Sam, Mallory's son, needs a kidney. In the search for a way to find him a kidney, Paige discovers that their mother was adopted from Ireland in 1952. The bracelet Mallory now wears was giving to her by her birth mother. So Paige does a DNA test to see if some long lost cousin could give Sam a kidney. These is where the stories overlap.

Paige and Mallory take a trip to Winthrope Island to enjoy some time away for summer. Mallory runs into non other than her long lost lover and her son's father Monk. Sparks fly and questions are asked. Why did Mallory leave? Why didn't she tell Monk about Sam?

There is so much love and heart break in this book. It was a fantastic read with some twist and turns. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballentine Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC.

I was drawn into this story from page one. Beatriz Williams is one of my auto read authors and flawlessly blends the carefree nature of summer with the realness outside that bubble. And yes, New England in the summer is one of my favorite settings.

The multiple time periods and POVs follow two women as layers of secrets are peeled away.

I am working to keep this spoiler free - this is not just an easy, breezy beach read. There are no second chances without answering to the past.

Mallory, Hannah, Monk and Sam are going to be living rent free in my head for a long time.

Loved this story!! This will be one of my favorite reads this year. The story of Mallory and Hannah taking place with a dual timeline and in Egypt! Read it in a day! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Beatriz Williams outdoes herself with her 2024 book of the summer: Husbands & Lovers. She creates two vivid, unique settings of a modern New England beach town and post-WWII Cairo.

Williams writes amazing characters and this book is no different. My favorite character is from the Cairo piece: Hannah Ainsworth. Her cobra imagery is really special and she keeps it going throughout the novel. I also really enjoyed the relationship of the sisters: Mallory and Paige. It was easy to emphasize with them as they experience life and its tribulations.

I love when writers do the switching time periods/characters, tying the plots together, where the reader discovers the connection in the end. This one is especially exquisite. Post-WWII Cairo was especially incredible because it's not your typical historical fiction setting but it falls in line with all other historical fiction of WWII. It tells a different perspective (Africa/Middle East) that is relatable to lovers of WWII historical fiction and nuanced since it's a different area (not France/England/Poland) but at a similar time The lavishness of the British in post-WWII Cairo was especially gorgeous.

I would highly recommend Husbands & Lovers to any book lover, especially if you like historical fiction and the switching of people/perspectives, with multiple mysteries that are finally understood at the end. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advance copy. First of all, I want to say how much I love the cover for this book. It is so timeless, eye catching and perfect for summer. I have read and enjoyed countless books from author Beatriz Williams. This one just wasn’t a favorite. The pacing was too slow for me. Williams usually has characters that are full of spark and jump off the page. These characters felt dull in comparison. Williams is still a favorite author and I have no doubt this book will find many fans.

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors. Her rich language and characters keep me involved as a reader. This book is of particular interest because of the two very different stories that eventually meet each other: one taking place in Egypt and the other in New England, the wealth of Winthrop Island. I could indulge myself int he heat and pyramids in Egypt of 1940-1950's and then return to contemporary New England. Mallory has grown up to find what she thought was true is not true. Her mother kept secrets. Mallory is keeping secrets from her son.
We know that secrets are a source of mistrust and miscommunication. Very interesting story--

this was a nice read! exactly what i was expecting, a bit formulaic but enjoyable nonetheless. 3/5 stars from me.

Parallel stories about two women who face difficult obstacles but are strong. I enjoyed the modern storyline most because it was the story of a mother's love and was set in a time that I could relate to. The story of the 1950's in Egypt was also compelling because of the dynamic of the protagonist dealing with men who may have not had her best interests at heart. Both stories drew me in from the beginning and kept me enthralled.

Husbands And Lovers is an engaging and gratifying book, that will attract the readers of historical fiction, and drama. It is a book that examines the influence and the cost of love, and the challenges of family. It is a book that commends the strength and the adaptability of women, and the bravery of the human spirit. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a skillfully constructed and captivating story, with realistic characters, and a rich and varied historical setting.

A formulaic
but extremely quick, fun and
enjoyable read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



I wrote haiku reviews but am happy to provide more feedback!

What a treat to read a new Beatriz Williams. I have read it twice already I enjoyed it so much. Mark your calendars for June!

5 ⭐️

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.


Let me just start with the simple fact that I absolutely devoured this book. I loved the dual timelines, the characters oh my heavens were so lovable & imperfect all at the same time.

Monk was hands down my favorite, he encompassed this incredibly talented musician with some tulmoltuous family drama. But even though the odds were against him he made it to be a legendary music star.

There are so many captivating elements to this book. Mallory is a lovely young girl who is the nanny for monks dad’s children, but as you may guess.. monk & Mallory fall head over heels. Life throws them some very difficult hard balls. They end up not speaking for years, but Mallory has quite a lot to fill monk in on. I’ll leave the rest for you to learn, but it is absolutely positively a must read!