The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister is the story of Aimee Crocker, one of the heirs to the Crocker empire. She was ten years old when her father died and she inherited 10 million dollars. That amount of money is mind boggling and at such a young age will ultimately change the trajectory of her life. We hear about her young mischievous ways at boarding school in Germany. We hear about the tension between her and her sister. Two completely different woman with different views on how to be a Crocker. Her relationship with her mother and how special that was and then her adult life. Her first marriage and the relationships that followed. Aimee Crocker was clearly a very different woman of her time. I love a good historical story but this one just fell short for me. Even with listening to this story, more like a list of her life. It was just a run through and it was a bit boring. Even with her fiery behavior, this book just fell flat. I kept listening because, I wanted to know how her life ended. She spent millions of dollars, traveled the world and still she was so unhappy. Suzanne Torren did an excellent job narrating. But this really wasn’t the book for me. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy for an honest review. It is always a pleasure to listen and review books.

The protagonist is too spoiled. And the jumping around from husband to husband in the chronology is unnecessary. It feels like Macallister was throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if that would make her character enticing. I DNF'd around 20%.

The audio of this book was so well done! I felt that the first half was more compelling than the second, but had such a great time reading this one.

"The Thirteenth Husband" is a captivating novel that reveals the complex life of Aimee, an heiress haunted by a prophetic message. The narrative is rich with excitement as it delves into the impact of various men in Aimee's life, shaping her into the woman she becomes. Throughout the story, Aimee relentlessly pursues a spirit in a quest for answers, culminating in a satisfying twist.

On the whole, the novel offers an engaging read. However, the protagonist's character appears somewhat purposeless, spending her life chasing after spirits. Her questionable choices in relationships paint her as a privileged individual with a lack of direction. Despite this, her life story is undeniably entertaining and adds depth to the narrative. I extend my gratitude to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this intriguing novel.

⭐️⭐️ It was OK, I can see why some loved it
Aimee Crocker had a bunch of money and married a bunch of men. She just couldn't make a relationship work and was a lot of drama. I tried but couldn't really get into this. I chose it because I love historical fiction, but there just wasn't enough historical for me and too much emotional erraticness.

The narrator, Suzanne Toren, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension, and the appropriate accent.

Thank you to RB Media, NetGalley, and author Greer Macallister for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Thirteenth Husband is out August 6, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars.

Spoiled, self-centered, very rich socialite marries a bunch of times, the end.

This is the story of a real life wealthy socialite, Amiee Crocker, who married multiple men (not thirteen) all of which ended in flames. I was intrigued to read this book based on it being a biography meets historic fiction about a rebellious woman who did not care what anyone thought of her. What I got was a person who comes across as very flat and vapid, contributing little to the world. Her big scandal was courting, bedding and marrying a lot of men in the early 1900s. She is self-absorbed, taking zero accountability for her behavior in any scenario and if it wasn't for her money she would not have anything of importance. There are moments intrigue sprinkled through out, like a train crash during her honeymoon, but the majority of the novel is the starting and ending of her romantic relationships. After a while it becomes incredibly repetitive and frankly boring. It is told from Amiee's POV and based on the character portrayal, I would assume she would have it no other way, because no one else mattered. I do not understand the title of Thirteenth Husband as she did not marry thirteen times. The pace is monotonous. I'm not sure if it is the character or the writing that failed this story but it was a pass.

I had the audio version read by Suzanne Toren. Her voice comes across as older which works for a character looking back over her life but it is very one note. There are few level changes and no character distinctions. I did not enjoy the audio book.

A moving and captivating historical fiction novel about a strong young woman and her many husbands. Great on audio narrated by Suzanne Toren and perfect for fans of books like The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo or The Liz Taylor ring. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is a story based on a real life heiress named Aimee Crocker. She was a multi-millionaire heiress of the late 1800s who refused to play by the rules. I normally love historical fiction but this did not hold my appeal like I wanted. Although well written, I got bored with all of her relationship issues. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing people need to know is that this book is based on a real person and focuses on real things that happened to her. Her life was so outrageous that I would say they were unbelievably if they hadn’t actually happened! It was nice to read about a woman who was in control of her own life back when many women were not.

„If I could live it again, this very long life of mine, I would love to do so!“
Amy Isabella Crocker inherited a fortune as a child but she was also a woman born in 1864 ... can she live life on her own terms? It was so interesting to read @theladygreer 's depiction of a highly unconventional life defying all rules and standard but also a life adrift. Aimee as she wants to be called is not the most likable of characters and the author resists the temptation to paint her as such (as is so often done when looking at the past) and instead paints her as a complex person, somebody aware (at least to a certain extent) of their immense privilege but still inclined to use money to get out of self caused problems and scrapes and into whatever caught her fancy. Self-indulgent as an impulse. Her treatment of her children seemed bordering on cruel until I reflected on the time and the changes to child rearing within the last 150 years - the amount of time children take up in the lives of their parents has greatly increased and it would not do to judge her by the standards of today.
Still... in the end I was left questioning whether she was ever truly content or whether she was just stuffing her life full of excitement of all sorts so as to never rest and think - reflect. I felt a bit sorry for the poor little rich girl who experienced it all but was never truly satisfied.
I knew the Crocker museum from the time I spent in law school in Sacramento but Amy/Aimee Crocker was a figure unknown to me and I loved reading about and around her (of course I googled quite a few of the characters she meets) and the author's note was a fabulous addition to my reading !
I mixed reading and listening to this one and the audio was so very well done !

Thoroughly enjoyable.
First off, loved the narrator.
Really enjoyed the life story of Aimee Crocker but 4 stars and not 5 because I feel like we know the story but never really got to know her deep down on an emotional level. Very interesting and would recommend.

I enjoyed this book and how the narrative was written. I did cry a bit during certain parts so there was a bit of sadness mixed with humor! Would definitely recommend!

Greer Macallister presents a mystical interpretation of the life of American heiress Aimee Crocker in The Thirteenth Husband.

This fictionalized version of Aimee's story is told from the historical figure's perspective as she recounts her life to an unknown audience. Macallister gives her protagonist a witty, vivacious, and wry voice that gives such life to Aimee. It felt like I was being told a series of stories by a fascinating new friend who had a well-lived life, with a side of the supernatural. Aimee was an incredibly engaging character to follow.

The mean difficulty was that as complex and lovable as Aimee was, we barely got to know the characters who came in and out of her life. That makes sense given the narrative structure. This still ruined the enjoyment for me since the primary stakes were in what happened to the other characters because we know our protagonist got through well enough to tell her story.

For another issue, I do think that the title is a cheat. The author's not at the end gives a bit of historical context for it. But it's not enough to stop the title from being misleading since expectations are created that won't even be halfway filled.

I'm rating this a 3.5, but rounding up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This historial fiction book is loosely based on the true story of Aimee Crocker. Crocker is the epitome of a women being true to herself while appearing to be behaving very badly. I enjoyed her chutzpah and zest for life. Very entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story about historical women behaving badly is one of my favorite tropes. This novel of Aimee Crocker did not disappoint. And as good historical fiction does it sent me down the rabbit hole to learn more. Exotic locations, interesting relationships and more kept me interested and entertained.

Review will be on Litsy, IG and Amazon

Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RB Media for my copy of The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister Narrated by Suzanne Toren in exchange for an honest review. It published August 6, 2024.
First off, Suzanne Toren did an excellent job reading this book, such talent, I would listen to anything she narrates!
This book was a wild ride following Aimee Crocker's wild life. It was a little too wild for me at times, there were some scenes that were a little too sexually explicit for me, and there was a lot of stuff about the occult that just wasn't for me. However, skipping over those parts didn't make me feel like I missed out on the overall story. That being said, the writing was very well-done, and the story was engaging and interesting.

I loved this book so much! Aimee Crocker inherited a small fortune upon her father’s death at ten years old. She was told by a fortune teller she would be married 13 times and the 13th husband would bury her. This book goes thru all her relationships over time and is very similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

thanks for letting me try. I have enjoyed GM's previous work but this one just didn't land for me this time. I look forward to what's next

This was so easy to listen too and a lovely story. Suzanne Toren did a fantastic job of narrating and everything flowed very smoothly.

I don't know how historically accurate everything was but it felt very true to the times and was easy to believe. I now want to know the real story which is always the sign of a well written adaptation for me. Aimee's story was so interesting and I love what Greer did with it.

The Thirteenth Husband is based on the true story of Heiress, Aimee Crocker. I loved this book. I dragged it out so I could savor the words longer.

It may not be for everyone, but I found Aimee complex and mesmerizing, especially for that time period.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a strong female lead mixed with a historical setting.