Thanks so much Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley.

Three years ago, Mallory received a call that her son had eaten poisonous mushrooms. Now she's searching for a donor kidney and must face two secrets - her mom's adoption from an Irish orphanage and a summer romance from 14 years ago with a now famous pop star.

I love Beatriz Williams. I really liked this book and my favorite bits were the storylines in the present. Williams does such a fantastic job of creating characters that are meaningful and memorable. What a great read!

Love loved this story and it had me grabbing for it every chance I got. Beatriz Williams has a way of telling a story that makes you want to read everything she writes. I loved the character development and enjoyed the dialing storylines.

Like all Beatriz Williams books - Husbands and Lovers was a lovely blend of present and past, relatable characters and sweet romance. Both stories were not only intriguing and well written but easy to jump into and I rushed back to the book every time I put it down. Mallory was lovable but real and Hannah had depth that slowly revealed itself as the book went on. I enjoyed jumping across years to learn about their stories and can’t wait to see how their plot lines transport into future books!

HUSBANDS & LOVERS
BY: BEATRIZ WILLIAMS

About 4.5 Stars Happily Rounded Up!

I first discovered what a gifted and talented writer and storyteller Beatriz Williams is when I read and reviewed an early ARC of her Historical fiction novel called, "Her Last Flight." I absolutely fell in love with her writing during that time and it remains to this day my favorite historical fiction novels of her work. With her latest novel, called "Husbands & Lovers," I grew to see what a master accomplished author she truly is when I got towards the ending of this one and understood her approach. Prior to getting towards the ending, I couldn't see the relevance of the middle timeline of her and Monk's back story while I knew it all was connected. I saw this one a lot differently and I still consider this to have three distinct time lines, as opposed to only two, despite the other reviewers calling it a duel timeline novel and I will explain why in my next paragraphs.

The novel begins with Mallory driving frantically to reach her only child Sam at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in New Hampshire. Mallory is a single parent who knows viscerally that her ten year old son is critically ill. She is freaking out because she isn't sure how bad off her son is. I think that every parent can relate to how desperate Mallory is feeling since her mind has run through the worst case scenario. She becomes beyond frustrated when she just wants to get to see Sam and she is met with the bureaucratic process of producing her identification and proof of health insurance at a time when she doesn't know if she will reach Sam on time. When she finally is brought to see her son she learns that he has ingested the death cap mushroom, which turns out to be quite serious. When the medical staff inquires about Sam's father both sisters say something like, "He's not in the picture."

Her sister Paige meets her at the hospital and it fast forwards three years to where they are staying together on Cape Cod, Massachusetts where Sam is getting dialysis three times per week because the mushroom has damaged his kidneys. Paige has turned their childhood family vacation home into an opulent, high end renovated paradise with state of the art sub zero refrigerator and the place screams of luxury. Paige unlike Mallory has married a hugely successful husband that has allowed her to upgrade the cottage to accommodate both sisters children and Paige's husband Jake who travels from work to spend weekends there. Paige who is Sam's Aunt has been doing research on the family members who could be a tissue match to donate Sam a kidney mentions that their deceased mother was adopted which is news to both Paige and Mallory. Paige mentions telling Monk who was romantically involved with Mallory one Summer while they were in college and who Mallory never told him that he is Sam's father. Paige urges Mallory to tell Monk now since he could possibly be a tissue match and he could donate Sam a new kidney. Mallory is resistant to the idea of approaching the famous and successful rock star, that he is Sam's father after all of this time. She feels it would be wrong to spring the news to Monk that he is a father and say something like "BTW Sam needs one of your kidneys if you're a match."

The alternate timeline that everyone is referring to is both 1951 and 1952 in Egypt, where Hannah Ainsworth and her British diplomat husband are staying when Hannah gets bitten by a Cobra. Lucien who is also staying at the same hotel acts fast to come to Hannah's aid. Lucien who works at the same hotel in Egypt, happened to be in the same area as Hannah, and he prevented the Cobra's two fangs from penetrating too deeply into Hannah's hand which saves her life. She is hospitalized but recovers from what could've been a deadly bite. Since Mallory's deceased mother left her a golden cuff bracelet of a Cobra with two emerald eyes and a ruby tongue as her inheritance, along with Hannah getting bit by a Cobra was strong imagery that held clues to a connection to Mallory. Since it has already been established that Mallory and Paige's mother was adopted I knew that Hannah was somehow the nexus, but for a great part of the novel this timeline's rich historical details remain vague. Any regular reader is going to conclude that the further one progresses into the novel the gaps will be provided. Beatriz Williams does a fantastic job at keeping the reader in suspense by only providing these links to a bare minimum for a great deal of the novel. Common sense informs that eventually when this author decides to connect all of the dots she will do so. In the meantime, the allure lies in the reader not knowing all of the particulars placing Beatriz Williams fully driving the narrative forward at the tempo of her choosing.

The third timeline circles back to also bit by bit inform the reader of college aged Monk and Mallory's arc of how and when they went from friends, to their month-long romance. Mallory was hired as the nanny to Monk's father and his step-mother's twins. It actually takes place during the Summer and this was my least favorite part, which I grew to fully appreciate its significance only towards the conclusion of the novel, with one grand whopper of a revelation. It explores the progression of Monk playing at a bar named Mo's with the gradual expansion of his audience and filling this bar with fans coming to the Island in New York with greater numbers from the mainland. Upon reflection, Beatriz Williams brilliance in her accomplishment with this novel was actually in her command of slowly developing all three timelines of a pace of her choosing. She is never predictable in her disseminating slowly increments of her plot, which builds throughout with just enough added information unveiling outward to adding to the newest layer.

At first I yearned for the storytelling to stay in the present which was my favorite. When the other two timelines presented themselves I was certain the present tense, first person would be the driving force to propel the action forward. I know now that the fulfilling ending which turned this into a five star reading experience needed the background in the other two timelines to reach such a highly satisfying crescendo and excellent conclusion. It did take patience because each time it circled back to the past, it felt as if the momentum and pacing onward ceased. Not so much the 1951 and 1952 Egyptian sections felt like going backwards, but the college era Monk and Mallory backstory did slow the pacing for me for most of the novel. It shouldn't have felt that way as the conception of Sam and the romance were integral to the present every bit as much. This had fooled me so much which is highly satisfying to be shocked and in the very best of ways when the final pages coalesced and rewarded me with its stunning conclusion. "Husbands & Lovers," has only affirmed to me why Beatriz Williams hit this one out of the ballpark and has proved to me, yet again, that she is a top five favorite author. I LOVED IT! I Highly, Highly recommend this! Husbands & Lovers most definitely is a top contender for tied position, if not surpassed it-my favorite of Beatriz Williams, "Her Last Flight."

Here is the link to my favorite Historical fiction novel by Beatriz Williams, called, "Her Last Flight."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3350766052

Publication Date: June 25, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Beatriz Williams and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Ballantine Books for generously providing me with my fantastic eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Husbands&Lovers #BeatrizWilliams #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is my first book I've read by Beatriz Williams and holy cow it did not disappoint! I was hooked from start to finish, and have since done a deep dive into her oeuvre. I like that this book has jumps between two women’s stories / timelines, so we get some both historical and contemporary fiction. I was obsessed with Mallory and Monk’s love story!!

Husbands and Lovers
by Beatriz Williams
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
Random House- Ballantine
Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is my first book I've read by Williams as a solo author. I have read many books she has written with other authors and have always enjoyed them!
Williams did not disappoint. This is a well written book.
Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—reclaim family secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.
Loved it and highly recommend this dual timeline novel.
5 stars

Husbands & Lovers is my first solo read from Beatriz Williams and I enjoyed it a lot. I had a feeling I would since I have liked the books she has written with White and Willig, but it was nice to affirm it. Williams wove an interesting tale that alternated between past and present. 

Williams's writing was addictive and easy to read. I liked how the present was in first person and the past was in third person. It truly made the book feel like there were two timelines going on. As someone who favors first person narration, I did tend to connect more to the present storyline than the past. I found it more interesting and entertaining for the most part. 

The present revolved around Mallory Dunne. She came across as a no-nonsense woman whose first priority was her son. Her son's kidney disease made that even more apparent. Her relationship with her sister was always a bright spot in this book for me. I enjoyed how they were searching for their mother's adoption history together. I found Mallory's past and present relationship with Monk Adams interesting and also a little frustrating. Mallory had a lot of secrets she was keeping, and some were buried deep. I liked her, but I didn't truly understand her reasoning for keeping her son's paternity a secret until a shocking reveal. 

The past was all about Hannah Ainsworth. Hannah has been keeping secrets buried just like Mallory. One of her secrets is building as her story does. The other come out in bits and pieces throughout her story. With every new revelation, I felt sorrier and sadder for her. I didn't love some of the choices she made, but her losses made me understand them more. Williams did a great job tying the past to the present. The bracelet was a cool way to do it. 

When I got to the ending of Husband & Lovers, I felt a little conflicted. While I loved it for the most part, there were a few of things that kept me from giving it 5 stars. First, the romance of the story. Mallory and Monk's love for each other was something I felt strongly in their past. Their present was where I questioned it. I could feel the lingering emotions, care, and attraction from the past, but I was missing romance in the present. There's an HEA, but the true romantic build up to it was lacking. Second, is what I'll call extra side characters. One was Sedge. He didn't really add anything to the story and felt like wasted time. Third, I'm still not sure how I feel about the shocker from Mallory's past and the reason her life took the turns it did. 

Overall, Husbands & Lovers was a great read. I enjoyed the two timelines and the drama. Williams managed to shock me with her revelations and that is not something many authors can do these days. I do recommend checking out trigger warnings for this book if there is anything you are super sensitive about. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Another brilliant novel by one of the best historical fiction storytellers out there, Beatriz Williams. True to form, in Husbands and Lovers Ms. Williams travels effortlessly through two very different timelines, creating a beautiful tale of family, love, intrigue and the glue that bonds us and holds us all together. Set in glorious locations with whip-smart characters, this book will definitely entertain and delight its audience.

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a perfect blending of romance, family drama, and historical fiction. Set in two vastly different timelines - present day New England and 1950s Cairo, this book features two exceptionally strong female main characters.

Ms. Williams takes the reader on a journey that examines love, sacrifice, acceptance, forgiveness, identity, and destiny. We meet Mallory, a single mother of a chronically ill child, and Hannah, a British diplomat’s wife. The criss crossing of their stories separated by seventy years is masterfully woven into the fabric of this book.

I love that Ms. Williams brings us back to Summerly, the setting of two earlier books. She also transports us to post-WWII Egypt and the convents of Ireland where lives were permanently altered. Husbands & Lovers is a page turner that grabbed my attention and held it until the very last word.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my review.

As a long time fan of Beatriz Williams, I was eager to dig into her to be released Husband & Lovers, which hooked me from the very first page and kept me engaged to the end.

Set in present day New England and 1951 Cairo, Egypt this dual time frame novel intricately weaves the story of single mother Mallory Dunne and Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth. The reader is taken on a journey from the heartbreak of WWII to the beginning of the revolution in Egypt through present day and shows how the ties that bind us, and the love and loss we suffer, make us who we are.

A beautiful story of love, loss, redemption, and the human spirit, this is one not to be missed.

TW: child loss, sexual assault

This novel will take you around the world!

Mallory Dunne has a sick child and a mysterious past. As she searches (and waits) for a kidney donor for her son she is pushed by her sister to seek out the father of her child as well as track down any potential relatives by researching her deceased mother's life. Her sister drags her home to the cape where so much went wrong years ago.

Through flashbacks to Cairo in the 50's via a a character named Hannah and Mallory's life 15 years ago with her first love Monk, we are treated to excellent stories of women doing the absolute best they can in situations that leave few choices. Mallory, Monk, and Hannah are characters you aren't soon to forget. There's some action, some adventure, espionage, romance, and of course, mystery. This book has it all, grab it! #husbands&lovers #beatrizwilliams
#RandomHouse

Another winning book by Beatriz Williams. Two women, two different time periods set up this storyline. Taking place in both Egypt and New England, the story links these characters together. I especially loved the storyline about Egypt, I did not know much about what happened there in the 1950's. It is obvious that the author researched this part throughly. I had the chance to meet this author last summer at a book signing, I will continue to recommend her to my friends.

Two strong female characters. Fantastic setting. Intricate plot that keeps you reading. I finished this novel in 2 days and I continue to think about the world and the characters.

In 2022, Mallory has a son (whose father happens to be a famous singer whom is also the love of her life from her college days) who goes to summer camp and eats a poisonous mushroom causing permanent kidney failure. When Mallory’s mother dies suddenly, Mallory and her sister find out that their mother was adopted. Enter Hannah. Hannah lives in Cairo, Egypt in the 1950s after WW2 and is in a marriage of convenience. When the handsome man at the hotel takes an interest in her, it starts a chain reaction.

Will the son get a kidney? Will Mallory and her long lost love get back together? Will Mallory and her sister find out who their biological family is?

Fun ride and I’m sure this will make all the summer reading lists. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

In <i>Husbands and Lovers </i> Beatriz Williams does what she does best: weaving together the stories of different women in different eras and circumstances. I very much enjoyed reading about the main characters and their lives. They are all interesting people that seem very real. As always, the plot unfolds beautifully, and of course there’s a touch of romance as well. I don’t think anyone does this better than Beatriz Williams.

Like all of Beatriz’s other books, this one I couldn’t put down. I loved the flashing back and forth and the different story lines. This was an excellent read!

Husbands and Lovers is set in two different time periods. The almost present-day story follows Mallory, a single mom whose son needs a kidney transplant. The earlier story follows Hannah who is in Egypt during the 1950s while stuck in a loveless marriage during a turbulent time the country's history. Both women are strong, and as the story unfolds, we learn of the connection between the two.

The settings - one in New England and the other in Egypt - were fascinating to read about and were replete with vivid imagery and details. Mallory and Hannah were amazing characters. Although early in the story I found myself frustrated with some of their choices, as the narrative unfolds, I came to understand why they did what they did. The author smoothly transitions between time periods.

As a side note, this is not her first novel set on Winthrop Island. The Beach at Summerly provides connections with some of the characters in this book. However, they are two separate novels and you do not need to read one to enjoy the other!

Thank you to Ms. Williams, Ballantine Books, and Random House for an advance e-reader copy of this book!

Great book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. A intriguing read that spans decades and explores love and family. And not to forget a dreaded mushroom!

*Big thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.

Well, that was FUN. I’m telling you, this book (Kinlde) refused to let me put it down. Attached at the hip!

You can pretty much count on anything by this author being a home run. To which, this read was no exception. Loved so much about it- the settings, the characters, the dual timelines. Everything I’ve come to expect from BW was up front and center. There were two issues I encountered that distracted me to the point of annoyance:

1) The change in timelines/ setting weren’t clearly divided leading to a lot of confusion on my part, not to mention rereading of many paragraphs. Perhaps this was due to an ARC unpolished copy? Not sure. Frustrating nonetheless.

2) Without spoiling, there’s a portion taking place in a hospital that splices at a critical point. When we jump back to this timeline, the hospital scene in completely over and it’s months down the road which lead to a) reader confusion b) major frustration & c) a broken bond to the story. Which sounds cheesy and over the top, but it’s true.

Overall, it’s a beautiful book and majorly worth the read. Just a few tweaks would make it even better!

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a fantastic dual timeline novel, told by an incredibly talented author. 1950s Cairo and 2022 Winthrop Island were brought to life and populated with characters that felt entirely real. I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't be pulled from my ereader until I reached the end. But now I miss Hannah and Mallory so much! Highly recommend!!!

Another five-star book for Beatriz Williams! I absolutely LOVED Husbands & Lovers! I read this in November and the book doesn't come out until June so I'm a huge fan of Beatriz!

A little more romance than historical fiction I enjoyed this dual timeline book set in New England in the present/mid 2000s and Egypt in the 1950s. I equally enjoyed both storylines but I want a second book about Hannah! I loved that Winthrop Island was partially the setting for the more modern storyline.

The theme of Husbands & Lovers was there for both women and there were the surprises you expect to see in a Beatriz Williams book. There is a lot going on between the two women and different time periods but it all seamlessly comes together.

Do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR!

A huge huge thanks to Random House/Ballantine for an advanced copy!