Book Review: Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

“For me, what happens on social media is like a tree falling in a forest on the other side of the world. Besides, ignorance is bliss.”

Beatriz Williams, Husbands & Lovers

Review:

It’s been a while since a prologue gripped me as much as the beginning of Husbands & Lovers. 10/10 hook for sure. Had this book solely followed the modern storyline I think this could have been a five-star read. 

After a summer camp incident involving a poisonous mushroom, Mallory’s son Sam is in need of a new kidney. With no matches in her immediate family, the obvious choice could potentially be Sam’s father — someone Mallory has spent the last decade trying to forget. 

This historical portion of the book is set in the 1950s, centering on Hannah, a Hungarian refugee living in Cairo torn between two men, one of them the father of her baby. 

Though the two storylines do of course tie together, Hannah’s portion had little significance in the long run. It was a separate story next to Mallory and Monk’s story which was far more fleshed out. I struggled through the historical timeline, especially given Mallory has a number of flashbacks into the past. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Amazing hook in the prologue.
• A page-turner in places.

What I didn’t like:

• The historical timeline felt shoehorned into the modern timeline and didn’t add anything to the main story.
• The ending was unsettling in a way. It’s meant to be, but if you think about the longevity and potential, it was a weird place to be.

Afterthoughts:

This was a buddy read with my friend Skylar!

Where to buy the book: