Attractive cover and a great author. I guess I expected more? This isn’t a favorite. At the end I learned it’s based on an actual person and events. But still, it felt long and drawn out. This book received great reviews but it is not my cup of tea.

Interesting characters experiencing things I will likely never experience or even visit places I’ll never get to. And Amy Crocker traveled via boat! I think I’d actually prefer that over a plane any day. However, she seemed to relish in visiting the different cultures regardless of how long it took to get there.

Amy, or later, Aimée, is a wealthy socialite whose reputation is tarnished by the journalists who pick apart her life of divorce and lifestyle. She sees a white ghostly of a woman just before death appears in her life. It scares her.

The long drawn out series of events finally comes together in the last few chapters when it all makes more sense. But it still isn’t my kind of book. I’ve read Greer Macallister before and enjoyed it. I found myself struggling to get through this one though.

I give this book 3 out of 5 tiaras as it took me longer than expected to read and I forced myself to read through to the end. it may be your kind of book; it just isn’t on my list of good books. Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for access to this work.

Based on the little known, real-life heiress Aimee Crocker who was a woman who defied convention to live life on her own terms. After inheriting an enormous sum at a very young age, Aimee went on to live a life of adventure, travel and love when women of her time did little more than live in the shadows of their husbands. As a fan of interesting historical woman and the gilded age, this was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. The Thirteenth Husband is based on the true story of American heiress Aimee Crocker. I found myself bored with the plot and decided to not continue with the story.

A captivating historical fiction novel that follows the life of real-life heiress Aimee Crocker, known for her scandalous and adventurous life in the 1880s.

After inheriting a fortune following her father’s mysterious death, Aimee embarks on a journey across four continents, amassing wealth and husbands along the way. Her life is haunted by a sinister specter, the Woman in White, who appears before every tragedy.

The novel explores themes of wealth, independence, supernatural elements, and personal tragedy.

Macallister’s engaging and descriptive writing style, combined with a blend of historical detail and fictional drama, brings Aimee’s story to life. Told from Aimee’s perspective, the narrative offers a mix of public scandal and private pain, making it a compelling read about a strong, independent woman navigating a life filled with adventure, wealth, and mystery.

I am a big fan of Greer MacAllister’s books. Her novel, Woman 99, is one of my all-time favorite historical fiction books.

Her latest is out entitled, The Thirteenth Husband. Based on a real named heiress Aimee Crocker, and her many relationships. The fact this is a real person in history was fascinating. Aimee inherited ten million dollars at age ten! Life can never be exactly normal when that happens. And for Aimee, it wasn’t.

I liked reading about her explorations, especially during a time when women weren’t encouraged to be adventurous.

Based on a real woman from history, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Haunting of Hill House in this fictional tell-all narrated by the glamorous Aimee Crocker, revealing everything from her mischievous days in German finishing school to dinners with Hawaiian royalty to lavish Astor parties in Manhattan. But behind Aimee’s public notoriety, there’s private pain.

When Aimee is ten years old, as the night dips into the witching hour, the Woman in White appears to her. Minutes later, Aimee’s father is dead — and Aimee inherits a fortune. But the Woman in White never really leaves Aimee, appearing as a sinister specter before every tragedy in her life. Despite Aimee’s wealth, her cross-continental travels, and her increasingly shocking progression through husbands, Aimee is haunted by the unidentifiable Woman’s mysterious motivations.

Tearing through millions of dollars, four continents, and a hearty collection of husbands, real-life heiress Aimee Crocker blazed an unbelievable trail of public scandal, private tragedy, and the kind of strong independent woman the 1880s had never seen. Her life was stranger than fiction and brighter than the stars, and she whirled through her days as if she was being chased by something larger than herself. Greer Macallister brilliantly takes us into her world and spins a tale that you won’t soon forget.

I just finished The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister - Narrated by Suzanne Toran and here are my thoughts.


Aimee Crocker is an unlikely millionaire. After her father passes and leaves her a vast portion of his wealth, Aimee has the world at her feet. Except marriage is all a woman is good for but Aimee is a force to be reckoned with. She sees a figure the night before her father dies and nothing's the same after. With the dark pull of the occult and magic, Aimee tries to shed the disasters that befall her but no matter how she reinvents herself, fate has a way of balancing her scales.

This book was so well done! I didn’t know what to expect when I read the synopsis but it wasn’t this work of art.

Aimee is wild! She doesn’t want to be what society dictates and she has the money to be whatever she wants and weather the scandal. I liked her. She is fierce and honest with a lot of sass. We pretty much see her whole life through this book and you can see how everything that happens to her, moulds her into a slightly different person.

The storyline was absolutely amazing and I loved the balance of character development and plot. It’s not often done with such panache but I loved every moment. I listened to the audio (I loved it) and I read along with my kindle for parts too. It was brilliant no matter how I read it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone but especially if you love a more mystical historical fiction.

4.5 stars. Thank you @netgalley and @bookmarked for my gifted ALC and ARC.

#thethirteenthhusband #greermacallister #historicalfiction #alc #arc #netgalley #audiobooklover #bookstagrammer #bookishblog #readersofig #igreads #instagramreader #sourcebooks

First line: I arrived in Spain fresh off the boat from Hawaii, twenty-three years old and reeling from my first divorce, in search of a woman I didn’t know was already dead.

Summary: Just minutes before the death of her father, Aimee Crocker sees the mysterious Woman in White, who will continue to appear before each tragedy of her life. But rather than let these dark omens control her, she uses her inherited fortune to live a lifestyle the women of her day could not even imagine. She travels the world, accumulates husbands and creates scandal with her nonconformist lifestyle. And as her life progresses she continues to see the Woman in White who seems to have a secret she is still not ready to share with Aimee.

My Thoughts: Greer Macallister is a fantastic writer. Her debut novel, The Magician’s Lie, was superb. She has written many good stories with strong willed women. This one is no different. Aimee is a based on a real life heiress who lived life on her own terms. She married who and when she wanted. She traveled the world and lived freely in all types of society. Her life was truly perfect for a historical fiction novel.

I found it a very interesting read leading me to look up facts and pictures online of the people involved. In a time when women were limited in nearly every aspect of their lives, Aimee defied convention. At times the story seemed to stall but it was still worth reading and learning about this fascinating woman.

To be honest this book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It is based on the real life story of Aimee who inherited a lot of money when she was young and spent a lot of money while she was growing up. She went through a lot of husbands and lovers, but was always concerned about a fortune told to her which said her thirteenth husband would bury her. Despite Aimee doing some amazing things, especially for a woman at that time, I found the book quite bland. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

American heiress Aimee Crocker lived an unorthodox life: a fan of the theater, a wife to many many men, and a believer in the mystical. Her lifestyle did not fit the social caste she heralded from, and her mother in particular was not a fan of her antics.

Though hard to believe some of Aimee’s exploits, it shouldn’t surprise the reader as she literally had all the money and time in the world to do as she pleased, especially once she gained the moniker of divorcee. Her laissez faire attitude about life was unconventional for a woman of her time period, and though she seemed to care a little about what was published about her, it was not enough to change her behavior.

Somewhat misleading, Aimee did not have thirteen actual husbands, a fact I wondered about when seventy five percent of the way through the novel we were only at husband four or five. Though Aimee is somewhat intriguing in theory, I quickly tired of her behavior and privilege and found her exceedingly annoying.

It’s obvious the amount of research Greer Macallister put into the novel and care crafting her novel, but it was not enough for me to like Aimee Crocker. I much preferred Artic Fury, Macallister’s previous novel, as the women of that story were far more inspiring and brave.

Thank you to NetGalley, Recorded Books, and author Greer Macallister for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Thirteenth Husband is out now! All opinions are my own.

Greer Macallister has created a fascinating character in Aimee Crocker. "Rich woman behaving badly" isn't my favorite trope, but I found the main character fun and compelling instead of annoying and spoiled. Her life is lived on her own terms for better or worse, and it's quite a ride. If you enjoy Gilded Age fiction this will be right up your alley. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Amy (Aimee) Crocker -- a multimillionaire heiress of the late 1800s who refused to play by the rules -- is the fascinating subject of this historical novel. Through the first-person narration, we follow Amy from childhood to late in life, seeing her adventures and many marriages. It's a terrific read, and for me, an introduction to someone I hadn't heard of, but who I now want to know much more about. Highly recommended.

The story is written in the first person and is based on real-life heiress Aimee Crocker, resulting in a wild, unthinkable narrative of a powerful, independent woman who the 1880s had never seen before and had no idea what to make of her scandalous choices and actions. She begins her story in the middle. Aimee emphasizes that this isn't the story of a poor, little, rich girl. She used the wealth she had to achieve her goals; she subsequently learned it was her only source of power. According to society, women had little influence over their own lives, whereas men ruled the world.

She understands that money may bring freedom and joy, but genuine love is difficult to find. Despite her efforts, she frequently falls short of her goals. She wants to be true to herself, but money cannot buy honesty or loyalty from herself or others. She is supposed to have supernatural talents (hence her sightings of a ghost in a white dress).

The novel's plot incorporates spirituality, tragedy, and mysticism through the use of tara cards and hypnosis. It's spicy in parts, with a sprinkle of foul language. This woman was ahead of her time. I like what the author said about Aimee Crocker. “This woman “jam-packed” far more exploits into her life than I could possibly fit into this novel. Some of the wildest stories on these pages were either drawn directly from or inspired by the historical record.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St Laurent
TBCN: Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog: https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I loved the first half of the book. The narrative was engaging and the premise was wow! However, it lost traction as the story progressed. I understand that it was inspired by the life of Aimee Crocker and that the author tried to put in the facts that she considered most relevant and verifiable as far as possible.

I think that the second half of the book was not as attractive to me as the first because I already had an inkling of how the novel would end and that, if it did, I wouldn't like it. Well, I was right.

I really enjoyed learning a little about the life of a woman who was so attacked by the press, whose life seemed to be public knowledge and who in one way or another, tried to dominate the narrative around herself. I admire that.

I tried to view the events in historical context, and while I felt the ending to Aimee's arc was fitting for a character who was always defined by her company (whose rumors and fantasies were considered true and never likely to be disproven, and who always sought to understand her own life and future through the lens of others), I wasn't thrilled with the execution.

I think about everything that happened and the things Aimee had to overcome, but I can't seem to like the second half of the book.

I think I've seen this film before 🥲 and I didn't like the ending 🎶

It reminded me of Paulo Coelho's stories (sorry not sorry) and left me feeling a little bit cheated.

Thanks @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this historical fiction, you don't want to stop reading the story and that for this type of genre is very positive. First time reading the author and I hope it's not the last.

Title:  The Thirteenth Husband
Author:  Greer Macallister       
Genre:  Historical fiction      
Rating:  4 out of 5

Based on a real woman from history, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Haunting of Hill House in this fictional tell-all narrated by the glamorous Aimee Crocker, revealing everything from her mischievous days in German finishing school to dinners with Hawaiian royalty to lavish Astor parties in Manhattan. But behind Aimee’s public notoriety, there’s private pain.

When Aimee is ten years old, as the night dips into the witching hour, the Woman in White appears to her. Minutes later, Aimee’s father is dead—and Aimee inherits a fortune. But the Woman in White never really leaves Aimee, appearing as a sinister specter before every tragedy in her life. Despite Aimee’s wealth, her cross-continental travels, and her increasingly shocking progression through husbands, Aimee is haunted by the unidentifiable Woman’s mysterious motivations. 

Tearing through millions of dollars, four continents, and a hearty collection of husbands, real-life heiress Aimee Crocker blazed an unbelievable trail of public scandal, private tragedy, and the kind of strong independent woman the 1880s had never seen. Her life was stranger than fiction and brighter than the stars, and she whirled through her days as if she was being chased by something larger than herself. Greer Macallister brilliantly takes us into her world and spins a tale that you won't soon forget.

This was a surprisingly (to me) engrossing read, although it felt a bit slow in spots. Aimee was an interesting character for sure, well ahead of her time culturally and socially. I enjoyed her point-of-view and found her adventures interesting. While the first part of her life was explored in depth, the later part of it was glossed over and rushed through, and that made the second part of the book feel a bit lacking.

Greer Macallister lives in Boston. The Thirteenth Husband is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks/Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)

Aimee Crocker was the Kim Kardashian of her day- starting in the 1880's. She was an heiress with many husbands and even more romantic entanglements. She was constantly misrepresented in the newspapers but also didn't care what people said about her. And wow did she do some modern things! Multiple divorces, LGBTQ friends (and even a husband), traveled the world and learned about other cultures and religions, had some very spicy sex- and wrote about it, and constantly sought out the advance of mediums. She was very active and led a full life- this is an instance where the historical fiction account is so crazy that some things couldn't even be made up.

If you like The Social Graces book or The Gilded Age tv show, this book is for you. Just be warned that you'll never keep up with Aimee!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Not going to lie, I was not able to finish this one. It was very slow and I got about 2/3 through and then just gave up. Thank you for the opportunity!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story tells of a real woman Aimee Crocker who became an heiress as a young child. She is a fascinating woman who rebels against societal standards in the 1800's. She is a spirited and gutsy woman who lives her life to the fullest taking the reader on her journeys to continents, interacting with high society, through her relationships with lovers and of course many husbands. It has all that I enjoy in a book: love, scandals, as well as some added mysticism, and all the while from the perspective of a complicated character that you connect with, who you root for and who lives her life in a gutsy way that most of us wish we ourselves could do.
I enjoy greatly this author's writing. It is beautiful and poetic. I love historical fiction as it provides the reader with history, but also and most importantly to me fiction. This book and the author do this extremely well. I will continue to read any work this author shares with us. If you are a fan of historical fiction or if you just enjoy an exquisitely written and entertaining read, I highly recommend this read.
My thanks to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks/Landmark for the opportunity to read this novel.

I typically don’t read HF but this one captivated me. I wasn’t familiar with the heiress Aimee Crocker, but I admit to being intrigued with how the 1% lived especially during the 1880s so this was the perfect novel to pick up. Amy/Aimee was every bit as frivolous as the papers made her out to be: the story was like a mashup of Crazy Rich Asians (except she’s Caucasian) and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (except that she was already born rich and well, she supposedly had thirteen husbands). I shook my head numerous times at the excesses and her rebeliousness. But more than the lavish parties and jetsetting from one country to another, I was deeply interested to find out if she indeed ended up with thirteen husbands and if yes, how and why?! Towards the end, I found myself grudgingly respecting her —- she stood her ground and did not let any body or any circumstances defeat her. She was daring and fierce, a real badass, and ahead of her time when she was alive. I’m not saying she’s a role model because my golly, she had so many faults too! But atleast, she stayed true to herself until the end and for that, I laud her. I’m really glad I took a break from my thrillers and got to read this. Thank you @bookmarked for the oppotunity to enjoy this by sending me the digital ARC!

She was a woman determined to make her own choices.

This is a fictionalized account of the life of Aimée Crocker, born Amy Isabella Crocker in 1864 and who would eventually bear the last names of five husbands. At the age of ten she experienced the first of many bouts of unfavorable publicity in the press when her father dies and she inherits $10 million, unthinkable to most people of the time. Although her mother and older sister Jennie also were left a similar amount of money, only Aimée was a child at the time (and a female child at that). She grew up extraordinarily wealthy and was consequently able to do things that in those days most women could not or would net even dare to attempt, including drawing the disapproval of society as a whole. The fictionalized Aimée narrates the novel, and its premise as it bounces back and forth chronologically is that she was haunted by three things throughout her life. The first was the tabloid press, who loved to detail both her lavish lifestyle and her many eyebrow-raising exploits (many of which even had a kernel of truth to them). The second was the prophecy of a Spanish fortune teller that she should be careful about getting married as she would do so thirteen times and would be buried by her thirteenth husband. Given that she was 23 at the time and had already been married once and suffered through a very nasty and very public divorce, that type of pronouncement would seem quite a daunting proposition. The third and final thing that would haunt Aimée was an almost literal haunting, a woman in white who would appear to her (often though not always in her dreams) who seemed to regularly utter a snippet of a phrase that would augur the death of someone in her life. The reader is treated to a romp across the world, from California to Hawaii, to major cities across Europe and Asia, all while consuming untold gallons of champagne and indulging in affairs and flirtations, as Aimée learns to appreciate other cultures, falls in and out of love, and generally indulges her every whim. In the end, would she be able to triumph over the things that haunted her? Discover who or what the woman in white really was? Who would her thirteenth husband be, and what exactly would it mean that he buried her?
When I opened The Thirteenth Husband I had never heard of Aimée Crocker, although I had certainly heard about other “poor little rich girls” like Gloria Vanderbilt and Barbara Hutton. The life that this particular woman of means lived held elements of those other two ladies’ experiences, and then went beyond. Mingling with the King of the Sandwich Islands (ie, Hawaii) and occultist Aleister Crowley, regularly marrying men in their twenties even when she was. In her forties and more, narrowly missing sailing on the fatal Titanic voyage (thanks, perhaps, to a cryptic warning from the woman in white?), and running to palm readers and other mystic soothsayers the way a 21st century counterpart might visit a psychiatrist to determine courses of action throughout her life…..Aimée was quite a character. Author Greer Macallister bases the story told in these pages on many actual facts and occurrences, sometimes shifting dates or places to keep the narration contained, and it is a fascinating look at a woman who lived life on her own terms regardless of the cost to her reputation and pocketbook. Money can smooth many paths but can not hold tragedy and pain completely at bay, as Aimée would discover. With the story told. In the first person, I found that the character was not as fully developed as it might have been but her tale was an entertaining read nonetheless. Readers of Marie Benedict, Fiona Davis and Allison Pataki would likely find this an enjoyable addition to their TBR pile, as would people interested in women who live their lives using their own rule book. My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark for allowing me access to an early copy of the novel, and introducing me to a woman who lived quite an amazing life.