Novel Concept: 5/5
Execution of Novel Concept: 2/5

Title: 1/5
Characterization: 3/5
Dialogue: 5/5
Plot: 1/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Theme: 1/5
Prose: 4/5

Does this pass the Bechdel Test: Yes

Title
As politely as I can be the title of this book was interesting enough to drag me in and functionally useless. There aren't thirteen husbands--there are thirteen men she's been in bed with. What lured me to this book was the sheer possibility of someone falling in love, marrying, and then losing a husband twelve times. This is what makes Henry VIII so interesting--the fact that he managed six different wives. I'm at the 75% mark CONFUSED because we're only at like, husband three or four--what about the rest of them? I feel like it's misleading--it doesn't capture anything about this book.

Characterization
The only reason why this section is not lower is because Aimee Crocker is a real person and so some of this stuff really happened which helps with the believability of the character. I did not a nuance of the afterword when the author said that Aimee had a friendship with the king of Hawaii and met missionaries there--she did not say that Aimee danced the hula with the king in order to annoy them. Ergo, I am left to believe that this is Macalister's fabrication. This scene above comes off very "white savior complex." Aimee defending Hawaii Culture in conversation with the nuns speaks to her character, but her orchestrating a dance and participating in it and it successfully driving these missionaries away feels entirely fabricated. No one needed saving--no one asked to be saved. It's weird.

I have my doubts of the authenticity of Aimee as a character because of how much creative liberty was seemingly taken to portray Aimee as this flawless trailblazing feminist. And a character with no flaws is not interesting. In light research I can live with the fact that she doesn't read as a woman ahead of her times but as a woman written by someone in 2024--because in all fairness it seems Aimee seemed pretty progressive. Yet even so other people state that her wealth and privilege left her naïve and some things she'd done would be considered pretty culturally insensitive and we saw none of that in this book. In this book Aimee written to be perfect--even if she clearly comes off as an egotistical rich person who's never come down from the mountain.

Dialogue
There's nothing much to say about the dialogue itself. The conversations between people felt natural and I never felt like I was being lore dumped at.

Plot
I believe a lot of crazy things happened to a rich lady with infinite money and nothing to do but to explore. That being said, I don't know what the point of this book was. There is some truth to the occult experiences that Aimee has in the book--she reported seeing a ghostly woman when she was very young. It seems like she delved into a world of mystics and occult. But this book very much decides magic is real--which could have brought an interesting exploration into Aimee's life in regards to her occult fascination.

That's not to say The occult or witchcraft is inherently false--no. But the magics in The Occult and Witchcraft are inherently faith based--the phenomenons that are believed to occur cannot be explained by science. This is true for most religions. Catholics believe bread becomes the body--that there is a real magic taking place in that ritual. but if you tested that bread after the ritual, science it would say that it's still bread. Ergo--this magic's success is based in faith.

So in choosing that magic is real and not faith based, it can colorize the story in a unique way which I feel was not well executed. Each story is not connected to the supernatural. Narratively, we're caught between Scylla and Charybdis. On the left side you have the supernatural events and mysticism and on the right you have the messy life of a rich woman. This book tries to have both and maybe there is a way to do both but much like Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, in closely looking at one of these topics, the other topic becomes less crystalline. In the case of this book, because we're looking way more into the scandalous life of Aimee Crocker, the less solid and clear the magical realism plotline is. So when the mystical stuff does come up, it's almost like being reminded that it's there because we spend so much time away from it.

The idea of a mystic saying "Your thirteenth husband will bury you," is very cool. But ultimately, because we play semantics with what counts as a husband, I felt confused more than interested.

Atmosphere
I do believe this book was well researched--the afterword indicates that the author had a clear understanding of Aimee and her life. The rich world of an eccentric woman comes to life. It's affluent and beautiful. There is always this heir of superiority--of a world that I can never imagine because I will never be that rich.

Theme
Theme is hard to discuses in books about real people because there's no narrative intention in a real life. That being said, the book does take liberties in the exploration in the supernatural and the twist of who the thirteenth husband is at the end and I feel cheated. This book didn't say anything about anything. We didn't spend enough time with the supernatural to explore anything. Aimee does "bad" things but the novel presents itself in such a way that it almost feels excusable. Details were changed to fit the story, which means we're detached from the truth. The worst things Aimee does are barely brushed against. She lost a daughter for being unfit and then adopted children. That's fucked up. But Gladys is barely a character. We could have had a conversation about that.

Prose
The prose is readable and I seldom got lost in the plot. Structurally, though, I feel this novel is a mess. It's all over the place. The title doesn't help. It makes you think that thirteen husbands are the framework and at the midpoint I'm like "We're only on husband two?" You could have just used the word lover and it would have made more sense.

Conclusion
I feel like it would just be better to read Aimee's memoir and the biography the author speaks of. I think this novel could have been more successful being fully detached from Aimee Crocker--a story of a woman and her thirteen lovers/husbands. Of mystics and occult. Of inspired by a few interesting facts of Aimee Crocker, but fully fictionalized.

The Thirteen Husbands by Greer MacAllister

The Thirteen Husbands is based on real life Aimee Crocker who was from a wealthy family and considered a Bohemian and American mystic. She was very scandalous and known for having many lovers/husbands and throwing extravagant parties. She inherited 10 million dollars (what would essentially be about $300 million dollars today) at a very young age when her father died. Her inheritance gave her the confidence to live life her way. After her first divorce a mystic told Aimee that her thirteenth husband would bury her.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous novel The Arctic Fury so I was eager to read this one. I listened to the audio and honestly I would have preferred another narrator. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I physically read it. I did enjoy learning about Crocker and her eccentricities. All in all it was a solid read.

3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for providing an early audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

#NetGalley #greermacallister #thethirteenthhusband

I was not a fan of the narrator for this one. There were some mouth noises happening that came through that were very distracting and kept me out of the story. While I loved The Arctic Fury, I also wasn't a fan of this novel. I didn't find the character to be someone that I wanted to spend an entire book with.

Hmmmm. I do not actually know how I finished this one. The most interesting part of the book was the author's note at the end.

I had a hard time with all the jumping around within in the books, and there was a whole lot of jumping around. It was very mis-mashed and not cohesive at all.

The story was interesting at points, but it was a lot.

The narrator Suzanne Toren did a fine job. She has an older voice, which is appropriate since the book is told by an older woman, but it was not super engaging to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced audio listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story based on real-life heiress Aimee Crocker, who inherited a fortune of millions from the sudden death of her father. She spent her life looking for a romantic love, spending her money on a frivolous and lavish lifestyle. This saw her married early and divorced early, leading off a string of marriages and struggles throughout her life. The title seems a little misleading, as she doesn't actually marry 13 times, but that is explained in the story.

I found Amy's strength to ask for divorce in this time period enviable, especially with the publicity it brought her and her family. The story was well written, and the narrator (I listened to this as an audiobook) was pretty good. It actually gives of Evelyn Hugo vibes, but without as much interesting of a subject. I found Amy to be lacking character of substance and really wonder why this story was even written. After the first divorce, she just seemed to make rash and poor decisions, which never allowed her to find the love she sought.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for a review.

Aimee Crocker’s father died when she was just a young girl. He left her millions of dollars for her inheritance. As Aimee grows up, she proceeds to keep the reporters busy with her extravagance and her many husbands.

I say this quite frequently, I love a book which has me researching. And believe me, I looked this lady up right from the get go. She was eccentric, extremely rich and never let anything get in her way. I mean, she got divorced in the late 1800s, almost completely unheard of for women. She partied with kings, visited mediums, and even married into Russian nobility.

She is a fascinating character, however, this story is a bit monotonous and long. I also felt the ending is a bit rushed. But I am so glad I read it. Aimee Crocker was indeed a unique person and I am I learned about her.

The narrator, Suzanne Toren, is just ok. This is going to sound weird, but, I could hear her smacking between sentences. It is more prevalent in the first half of the book, or maybe, I just got used to it.

Need a good historical fiction based on a real, eccentric person…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Thirteenth Husband is a glorious part-fictionalization, part-biography about Aimee Crocker who was a trailblazer in the late 1800s. Truth be told, I just had to go full google and do some research after reading the book because, well, what a firecracker! I seem to be on a run of mid-19th century independant bobshells and I am here for it! So, reading the book was awesome, but listening to it? whole different experience and so well done. Suzanne Toren really captures the nuances of the characters and the era. Perfection

Aimee defines the term bohemian, and at the time, this was not the word a woman would have associated with her, but, Aimee was a very, very wealthy heiress and as such, had the money and power to stand up to soceital norms of the time, flash her snakes and pearls and go off and consult with her palm reader as to what the next day will bring.

Greer McAllister has done a brilliant job at bringing Aimee Crockett inot our consciousness again and my goodness gravy, it felt good to read about a woman that just did not give a flying fig what anyone thought. This one is defo a keeper (but certainly not what she said about her husbands, mostly)

Thank you very much to Netgalley, RBmedia | Recorded Books and the fantastic author Greer McAllister and outstading narrator Suzanne Toren for this brilliant ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

When I first picked this book to possibly listen to and review I thought the premise was intriguing. I had no idea that the woman was a real person. Heiress Aimee Crocker was just ten years old when she was left millions after her father passed way. She often didn’t care about what others thought of her as she traveled and explored the world. I loved her story and the narrator kept me interested enough to keep going!! Great read!!

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. The narrator did an excellent job bringing this fascinating story to life. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you will definitely want to check this out!

The Thirteenth Husband
Greer Macallister
The Thirteenth Husband is based on heiress Aimee Crocker (1864-1941).
In 1875 Aimee Crocker inherited ten million dollars when she was ten years old her father, Edwin B. Crocker passed away. Her mother found her behavior impossible to live with. She sent Amy to finishing school in Germany, where she met and fell in love with Prince Alexander of Saxe Weimar, a Spanish Toreador (bull fighter.) Aimee used her inheritance to live a luxurious life filled with adventure and recklessness. Aimee craved romance, love, affection and loyalty. In 1883, seventeen-year-old Amie married husband number one, Porter Ashe. The marriage was meant to be a secret but the press found out and it made front page news. She was a mother by the time she was nineteen. It was a short marriage; she tried hard to make it work but ended up asking for a divorce by the time she was twenty-three. It was a dirty divorce and custody battle.
Divorce was frowned upon during her lifetime and yet she had the courage to ask for divorces. She was famous and constantly in the spotlight. Aimee enjoyed traveling, she went to Hawaii after her first marriage ended. A medium told her that her thirteenth husband would bury her. Aimee did marry several more times, but tragedy and misfortune followed her. Aimee did what she wanted and didn’t care what people thought.
Author Greer Macallister offers readers a look at the life of heiress Aimee Crocker, a woman that lived life to the fullest despite what others thought of her.
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this unforgettable story about real life heiress Aimee Crocker. Being a history nerd myself I jumped at the chance to learn about this larger-than-life woman who was doing the complete opposite of what women were taught to do. She broke so many molds and from the beginning of the beautifully narrated novel to the very end it was a roller coaster. She took on life, love and the world with her own view. Of course, parts of this book are fiction, but it does not read like that at all. If you want to read about a woman who broke society's molds on woman, this will be your cup of tea or Aimee's preferred champagne.

Another thanks you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

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

🎧 Audiobook Review! 🎧

The Thirteenth Husband was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and RB Media. 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, in particular, the narration. 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.

What a wild ride! The author did an amazing job with researching for the book. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Aimée Crocker.A very good read!Thanks NetGallery!

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

At first I was afraid I wasn't going to like this narrator but I did. She was perfect for this one. I enjoyed this audio way more than I thought I was going too.

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, #RBMedia, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five stars from me.

Unfortunately, I have to keep this review short. I found the audiobook experience less than ideal due to the narrator's voice. The narrator's tone had an old-fashioned, prim and proper quality that felt out of place, especially during scenes where the main character, Aimee, who is not an elderly woman, is speaking or reflecting. This mismatch between the character's age and the narrator's voice made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story, as it didn't align with how I imagined the protagonist would sound. While the narrator's style might work well for other types of books, it unfortunately detracted from my enjoyment of this one.

I will definitely be checking the book out as an eBook though, because I really am excited by the premise.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Greer Macallister, and RBMedia for sending me the ALC in exchange for an honest review.





I will definitely try to pick it up as an eBook though.

Do you miss books like A Woman of Substance? I know I have, but until this novel, I had a hard time finding what that compared favorably with it. Follow Aimee across the globe in an odyssey of despair, desire and desperation

Aimee Crocker, a real-life heiress in the 1880s, defied social expectations with her extravagant lifestyle and fierce independence. This novel dives into Crocker’s world of wealth, adventure, and personal struggles, painting a portrait of a woman who lived life on her own terms.

This novel is beautifully written, wildly entertaining, and full of emotion. Crocker led a fascinating life, and this book does a great job of capturing it. The audiobook narration was well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The Thirteenth Husband, by Greer Macallister is a story based on audacious the life of 19th century American heiress Aimee Crocker. She lead an incredible, amazing, outrageous life. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, I mean you just can't make this stuff up, she was truly ahead of her time. I was absolutely wrapped through the entire story. The narrator did an superb job bringing these fascinating characters to life. This audio book is one of my all-time favorites.

The Thirteenth Husband
By: Greer Macallister
Pub date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: RBmedia
Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Heiress Aimee Crocker has led an interesting life. In the 1880s there really was no one like her. She was extremely wealthy, strong, independent and was full of mischief. She married so many times for different reasons. Convenience, love, lust or helping her or a friend to get what she wanted. She also partook in tarot reading and fortune tellers.

She really lived her life to the fullest and really did not care about what others thought of her. I did not know about Crocker, but this was not a boring novel and her life must have rolled some eyes. We only have one life, and she was truly seeking many things.

Thank you RBmedia for this gifted audio. The narrator did a fabulous job telling Crocker’s story.