Based on a real life debutante of the late 1800's and early 1900's, The Thirteenth Husband follows Aimee Crocker throughout her life of travels, love affairs, and scandal.

Thank You NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc!

I did not enjoy this book at all.

Not because of anything the author did … the writing was easy to read & fast paced, the research was obviously well done & quite thorough & the way that history was melded with fiction was nicely put together.

It’s just that, I really hated this character.

She is heralded as a free spirit & a trailblazer for breaking the mold for women … but I found her to be self-centered, immature, rebellious just for the sake of being rebellious & quite frankly lost to the enth degree. To put it simply, a spoiled & bored party girl of an heiress with money to burn & no care for others … not even her own children. They didn’t like her either.

I had never heard of Aimee Crocker before this book & after learning who she was, I don’t come away from her story a better person or inspired by her life in any way … the only emotion I take away from these pages is pity.

And the ending was just awful ... sigh. I get the cleverness of it but, really? Nope.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister
Historical Fiction
3.5/5.0
Publication date: Aug 6, 2024

Aimee Crocker was a real-life heiress in the late 1800s. That was said to have been ahead of her time. This is a take on her story, and it gave Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but a bit more cheeky, and like we were watching/reading a reality TV version of Aimee's life.

We follow Aimee's wild experiences in her life from her late teens to her death including all of her lavish parties, travels and relationships. Aimee is a self-prolcaimed flirt, and the author does a great job crafting banter. Aimee was also my favorite type of character to read: female in history doing exactly what her society tells her not to; in the 1800s, Aimee is a more than once divorcee, has tatoos, etc.

After finishing the book I'd describe it as a whirlwind. The pages turned easily for me through the first two-thirds of the book because I couldn't believe what would happen next, knowing this is an historically accurate story of the main character. However, later in the book it started to feel quite repetitive, waiting for the usual "aha" moment characters usually come to.

I typically do not love magical realism, but I do understand the *dash* of magical realism, here, to propel the story through Aimee's experienced tragedies/losses.

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #Sourcebooks #GreerMacallister #TheThirteenthHusband #AmyCrocker #AimeeCrocker

Posted on Goodreads on 8/4/24: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6728757342
Posted on Instagram on 8/4/24: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-QWWEeuU1v/?img_index=1

So I appreciate being able to read and review this ahead of schedule and I did finish this, but I struggle with how to rate this. Like is it a well written story and a heartfelt memoir style story steeped in magical realism? Yes it is. Did I mostly enjoy it? Also yes, but unfortunately I didn't love it. I think I was looking for this to be a similar vibe to the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and it kind of was, but it felt very superficial. I wanted to go deeper into the drama with each of the husbands.

This book has Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. I liked the fact that it's based on a real person. Aimee takes us around the world with her and her many husbands. There's also an element of suspense which I won't go into further detail to avoid any spoilers. For anyone who likes historical fiction this would be a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks | Landmark for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer McAllister, The book starts with Amy Crocker telling us about the three things that changed her life the lady in white the fortuneteller in Spain and the tabloids and then she proceeds to tell us the story about her first scandalous marriage and of the ones that came after. The title of the book mainly tells you the plot but it doesn’t describe how Miss Crocker was definitely a woman ahead of her time when tattoos weren’t even fashionable her and her third husband got matching what was called Tata graphs and of course it was a scandal many things she did in life became or was meant to be scandalous. Oh I couldn’t wait to read this book and although I was a little bit disappointed because I found Amy Crocker to be in the book an unbelievable character I think she was in love with being in love but that doesn’t take away from the tragedies she suffered to the mistakes she made. She was even a horrible mother something she blamed on her newborn. The good thing I can say about this book is it was mostly historically accurate with the exception of the paranormal events which IDK if that happened… But I don’t think it added to the narrative at all. Miss Crocker had a very adventurous well lived life and don’t think that it added anything extra to the story. I do recommend this book for those who love historical fiction is the author is one of the best when it comes to this genre unfortunately I didn’t like this one as much as I liked others she has written but still worth a read.#NetGalley, #Sourcebooks, #GrierMcAllister, #TheThirteenthHusband, #AmyCrocker,

Before this book, I had never heard of the heiress Aimee Crocker before. I didn't know what I was missing. She led the most fascinating life, and this author has done a fantastic job in showcasing it in this historical fiction novel. Her father died right after her tenth birthday, leaving her a multi-millionaire. She eloped at 18 with someone who claimed to have won her hand in marriage at a poker game. Although that marriage did not last, it didn't deter her from trying again....and again. She lived all over the globe, embraced Buddhism, loved to visit mediums & spiritualists, survived a train crash, married five times in five different decades with each man being in his twenties, owned a pet boa constrictor , and had a ten-year affair with occultist Aleister Crowley, just to name a few of her more notable accomplishments. She was frequently making headlines, and usually not in a good way. But, boy did she know how to have fun! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Aimee was delightful and I was transfixed with the stories of her adventures & misdeeds. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you will definitely want to check this out!

I just could not get too excited about this book: It started off a little interesting for the first few chapters.
It felt like one big party for Aimee with her lavish lifestyle. I do think it’s a well written book and I’m usually a fan of this author’s books. However this one just wasn’t for me

"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."

Oh yes, though I think I might have leaned into the Bly Manor vibe more in hyping this...

This is the fictional telling of the real-life heiress Aimee Crocker who led a life of great wealth, public love and marriage, multiple romances, crazy adventures, visions, and pain. I appreciated the author's note at the end, as it was hard to wrap my brain around all that Crocker encountered.

Thank you Sourcebooks for my #gifted ARC and thank you Recorded Books for my #gifted ALC of The Thirteenth Husband! #TheThirteenthHusband #GreerMacallister #sourcebooks #sourcebookslandmark #RecordedBooks #rbmedia #SuzanneToren

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐮𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★

The Thirteenth Husband is based on Aimee Crocker, the real-life heiress who inherited a fortune after her father died. She married young and divorced shortly after. She was eccentric and very independent and made her way through numerous relationships and traveled while spending lots and lots of money. I found this story to be fascinating. As a historical fiction lover, I loved learning about Aimee Crocker and found this book to be so interesting. I found myself googling information along the way to learn more. Crocker truly was larger than life in the late 1800s and I really felt like the author did a great job researching her life and sharing her unique story.

🎧I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Suzanne Toren. I really enjoyed my time listening to Toren and thought that she was very dynamic. This was my first time listening to an audiobook narrated by Toren and I would definitely listen to more by her in the future. I felt like she was very engaging and I enjoyed my time listening to Toren bring Aimee Crocker’s story to life.

Posted on Goodreads on August 1, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around August 1, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 6, 2024
**-will post on designated date

The Thirteenth Husband
By: Greer Macallister
Narrated By: Suzanne Toren
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars


The Thirteenth Husband was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Release Date: 8/6/24

The Thirteenth Husband follows Aimee Crocker, an heiress who lives a public and scandalous life. I didn’t realize this was based on a real person, and was surprised to learn that it was. Aimee truly lived in a way that, while in modern times may not be that odd, was very out of the ordinary for her time.

I did enjoy this book, I just found the book to be a bit slow at times. I was curious about the story, but I also was not so engaged that I had to know what would happen next. I did enjoy the travel aspect of the story, as I always love books with travel.

Still, I can see where plenty of people will enjoy this book. It was good for me, just not great.

Another excellent story by an author I am beginning to throughly enjoy.

This book is so different from the last one I read by this author. Though still a historical book. This one is about a woman. A woman named Amy/Aimee. Set back in the late 1800s and when women had very few rights. To ask for a divorce was just not done. Only a man could get a divorce. But it seems that Aimee got a few in her lifetime.

Amy/Aimee Crocker became a muliti-millionaire at the age of ten. Her father died of a heart attack and from there it seems her life is set. Set to go from one man to another. Possibly, or in my opinion, looking for love. A love that she didn't get from her dad because of him dying while she was so young. Of course he doted on her up until that death. Her mother I felt was a bit cold and her sister was just a jerk. My opinions on all of that but it seems that was how it was.

Amy was told that her thirteenth husband would bury her. A fortune teller told her this and she didn't forget it. Now when her father died she claimed to have seen a woman in white in her dreams. As her life progressed she dreamed of this strange women before a few disasters and deaths. Amy married her first husband kind of quickly. Supposedly he won the ability to ask her to marry him in a poker game. Needless to say that marriage was the start of Amy's long line of men. He was a jerk. They had a daughter together after which he seemed to want nothing to do with her or the child. Though he did kidnap said child.

Amy traveled extensively. All over the world. She met and went to bed with several men. She only fell in love with one man. True love that is. Even though she married a few times and had so many lovers her third husband was the one that she totally fell in love with. The one that seemed to complete her. Unfortunately he died and she was left with two children that they adopted. She grieved for him. Though eventually she did move on with life. She went through some very strange times. Met some strange men and was hurt in many ways. But she persevered.

Amy/Aimee lived a long and eventful life. She wrote some books about her life. She was treated like she was nothing for being a divorced woman. She was loved because she had money. She had children. She had what seems like a fulfilling life. The one thing I thought throughout this book was that her loss at such an early life layered the blueprint for her entire life. Looking for a strong love. A person who would be totally devoted to her. At least that is how it made me feel.

Well researched. Well written. I had no idea this woman Aimee Crocker existed. This was a very interesting story. I enjoyed it. It did make me cry in places and gasp in others. I felt bad for Amy/Aimee. But I also saw her as strong in many ways. She saw what she wanted and went for it. Even at the expense of not having female friends.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Sourcebooks/Landmark, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five stars from me.

4.5 stars

I had never heard of real-life heiress Aimee Crocker before reading this amazing historical fiction novel. Based on her life, this novel, set in the 1880s up to the early 20th century, is a fascinating look at a woman ahead of her time, who broke social conventions and dared to live her life as she wanted, full of adventure, passion and heartbreak. She traveled the world, studied Buddhism, lived in Japan, and dabbled in mysticism and the occult, all the while searching for love and fulfillment. Her great wealth - her father died when she was ten, leaving his fortune to her - afforded her this unconventional lifestyle.

Based on extensive research, the novel is told from Aimee’s point of view which made it read like a memoir. We witness her many marriages and divorces, her search for love, her troubled relationship with her mother and sister, and her resilience, all while living in the glare of the tabloid press and the harsh judgment of high society. A really fascinating look at the life of a strong woman who lived life on her terms.

I picked up this novel even though I had no idea who Aimee Crocker as I enjoy this author’s books and I am so glad I did. It is well-written with a plot that kept me invested, and a twist at the end (which I must admit I am not sure I quite loved).

This novel did what I love about historical fiction- it informed, engaged, captivated, and made me feel like I was living in the world of the characters.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Aimee Crocker was a woman far ahead of her time. Greer Macallister's novel The Thirteenth Husband tells Aimee's story directly from Amy herself. Made a millionaire very young by her father's death, Aimee lived life on her terms - from having runaway romances with a matador and a German Prince as a teen, to traveling the world - and marrying many men along the way. Macallister spotlights a woman history has forgotten but should remember. The Thirteenth Husband - and it's subject - captivates and titlates and readers will be charmed and shocked by Crocker, a modern woman by her, and today's standards.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister was a fascinating, albeit random, novel. Told in first person, the book details the eccentric life of Aimee Crocker, an heiress in the late 1880s and early turn of the century. Crocker's life was filled with adventure, bad romance and a bit of mysticism. All in all I found this novel (and Crocker's life) to be very interesting but bizarre, and had to wikipedia a few points.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the opportunity to read this novel.

In the 1880s, it became clear that Aimee Crocker was a force to be reckoned with. When she was ten years old, she inherited $10 million. As she grew, this free-spirited woman shocked the public and the media who loved to write about her. A series of marriages didn't stop her from traveling the globe and experiencing life on her own terms. Intrigued by spirituality, a fortune teller predicted that she would have thirteen husbands. Aimee's journeys to India, Japan, Paris and beyond offered her thrilling adventures and an ongoing pursuit of love and lust.

Greer Macalister's novel The Thirteenth Husband is inspired by the life of heiress Aimee Crocker, a woman most people have probably never heard of. I appreciated Aimee's defiance against societal norms, although many of her actions were too over-the-top to truly like her. Since the book is based on a real person, this is not the fault of the author as the story is well presented. I'm glad to have read it and have since sought more info online. Macallister presented many of Aimee's exploits into her story yet amazingly, even more sensational behavior didn't make it into the book. Fans of historical fiction about strong, resilient women may want to check it out.

3.5 stars.

This was a fun read. It is loosely based on the life of heiress Aimee Crocker. We follow her as she marries for passion, becomes a mother and then a divorcee, all at a time that just didn’t happen. And then there are more husbands and lovers. All throughout, you see the truly privileged life she and others around her live. It was interesting to read about the lifestyles of the time.

I loved it! This was such a refreshing and enjoyable read. Aimee Crocker, a real-life Heiress, serves as the inspiration for this story. She inherited a fortune at 10 and went on to marry, give birth, and divorce by 23. Just to make it clear, she wasn’t married 13 times, but keep reading to understand the importance of that number. I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging and interesting read, especially Greer Macallister’s portrayal of Aimee Crocker. You will love this is one if you like historical fiction based on real historical figures!

Thanks to NeGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister. I love historical fiction centering on strong independent interesting women. Aimee Crocker is all that and more. Loved this book.