What an incredible debut. "The Husbands" is unique and exciting, I can't wait for more people to get to experience this book. Gramazio has such a natural, kinetic voice. I cannot wait to read more from her.

When Lauren returns home one night after her best friend’s bachelorette party (hen party bc she’s British) , she’s greeted by her husband Michael, except she wasn’t married when she left for the party, nor has she ever met Michael before. However, how her apartment looks, photos and friends tell a different story. But then when he goes up to the attic to grab something, he’s gone and a new husband comes down, and everything changes, her apartment decor, photos, her clothes etc. She realizes rather quickly that her attic is is a husband portal and every time the current husband goes up a new one, and a slightly altered (sometimes very altered) life comes down. The men are real and exist in the world and they are all choices, good and bad, she could have made in her life, and each choice affects her life and the people in her life in very different ways.


I know this one is getting mixed reviews but once I understood what the author was trying to convey I really enjoyed it (the middle was a bit slow but I was still very engaged). Lauren’s personal choices (i.e. who she married) had far reaching effects, almost everything changed at some point with very few stable concepts (some ancillary relationships were so solid they remained so regardless of Lauren’s influence while other were married to different people depending on Lauren’s choices) - it was almost like the time travel butterfly effect but with spousal choice. I thought it was a creative book with a fun spin on how we fall in love and how we make choices in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC to review

4.25 stars

I wanted to love this book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. I didn't really feel a connection to Lauren, the main character, so I think that was a lot of it. The beginning of the book was a bit too impersonal for my taste, since I knew very little about Lauren and the husbands were rapidly changing. We do end up getting to know Lauren a lot better as the story progresses, but I just never felt a real connection. The premise was definitely a unique and interesting investigation into "what if," with the paranormal twist of the magic attic, seeing how ending up with different spouses changed Lauren's life in different ways. I think I was secretly hoping for something that was more comedic or romantic, so this book just wasn't quite what I was expecting. It wasn't a bad read, just not quite the right book for me.

Thank you to Doubleday Books | Doubleday and NetGalley for the advance review copy of The Husbands. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

The Husbands
By Holly Gramazio
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

⭐️: 3.5/5

When Lauren comes home from a party to her flat in London, she is surprised when there is a man already there, and according to her phone pictures and updated decor, that man is her husband. While trying to come to terms with how she can have a husband that she does not recall ever meeting, much less marrying, he goes up into the attic to change a lightbulb and another, different husband appears in his place. Coming to the realization that her attic is producing an infinite supply of husbands whenever one goes up, she faces the questions of how this is happening, and how to make it stop.

A magic, husband producing attic is quite a novel idea for a book. The time/genre bending qualities of this book, and its commentary on how we make decisions about our lives given the multitude of choices we are faced with every day in the modern world is certainly interesting, but I felt that for much of the book, the execution was slightly lacking. I’m the first to admit that I find Groundhog Day themed time loop movies exhausting to watch, and that’s just watching. When books play on this time loop phenomenon, I find myself skimming to get to something that resonates, since the repetitive nature of the over-and-over-ness of the plot is just grating and quite honestly, boring. Although this concept is slightly different than a time loop, they occupy that same place of repetitiveness when it comes to reading about it, and I found the first part of this book to be a slog to get through, even if it was at times funny and entertaining. Eventually, I got more into the premise and it improved, and it was definitely a thought provoking book, even if the main character Lauren remained a little annoying and unlikable. I think it is ultimately hard to keep a book with this type of premise interesting, since it relies on being a bit circular. Ultimately, not a plot I think I’d choose to read again, but not a bad read overall either.

Thank you to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for this free eARC!!

Lauren is a single woman dreading having to go to her best friend's wedding without a date, when suddenly a husband appears coming down her attic ladder. When he goes back up, a new husband descends, and so on. Lauren spends the next year cycling through hundreds of husbands, trying to find the perfect match. While ambitious, the main premise doesn't really work - new husbands, and new lives, but the larger world around her seldom changes. When she meets someone else in similar circumstances, her "resets" don't affect him at all and vice versa. The suspension of disbelief was a bit too difficult for me to handle. Additionally, all of the new circumstances and new husbands over the course of a few hundred pages really seemed to prevent the protagonist from experiencing any personal growth, until everything comes to a big climax at the end.

This was one of my most anticipated reads, and it delivered. A real blast! There isn’t much character development, but it’s just a fun, quirky story. Perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered what other paths life could have taken. I’m realizing magical realism might be one of my favorite genres.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is a fabulously creative, debut novel filled with romance, humor and a bit of magic. Basically Lauren comes home to her apartment one night after a girls' night to find a strange man living there and some of her apartment furniture just a little different. Eventually she realizes that her attic contains a bit of magic (or mystery depending on your perspective) and switches the men out every time they climb up the ladder. So begins the endless parade of men coming into Lauren's life as she has to decide how much time she wants to spend with each, and what they exactly "bring to the table".

As I said, a wonderfully original idea, but the ever revolving door of "husbands" leaves the reader with whiplash. In the beginning it is fun and non-consequential for Lauren to meet and direct these men in and out of her life, but the reader doesn't get much of a chance to connect with any of the men, and after awhile the in and out of characters gets tedious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Publishing for the chance to read this novel.

“When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married”.

I liked the story well enough, not quite what I expected. I wish there had been less husbands and more getting to know them and maybe even why/how this is happening. Didn't know how it would end and felt it ended abruptly, It was a quick read, good for an at the beach, fun kind of book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The concept of a magical attic bringing new husbands into and out of life hoping for the perfect husband to appear was a bit of a stretch for me. I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. I found it interesting when a husband would stick around for a week or so. The husbands that came and went within minutes and hours were like swiping on a dating app. Each time a new husband appeared, family would know him and be able to relate stories. If you could start over and be married to old boyfriends, would you? How would your life be changed?

This book was great. I loved the suspense and mystery of it. The concept, what-ifs, and characters interwining together to create a good story

Thank you to @doubledaybooks and @netgalley for this #gifted danced digital copy.

“The Husbands” by Holly Gramazio, is a truly unique storyline where Lauren arrives home after a celebration as discovers she now has a husband. Or rather a magical attic that produces an endless supply of husbands.

This debut novel has a great concept and started off strong, with a mystery feel. However the books became repetitive relatively quickly. Initially Gramazio did a good job at developing the characters, but I didn’t continue to see that throughout the book in either the main character or any of the secondary characters. I applaud the theme of how do you know if you have taken the right path, but see the authors gaming background with infinite lives and leveling up rather than character growth. Overall, an interesting and unique book that had the right concept, but missed the mark for me.

The Husbands had a very unique premise. One day Lauren arrives home and has a husband! She has no idea who he is but there are pictures of him on her phone, text messages back and forth and her friends and family know him. We soon learn that Lauren has a magic attic. One husband goes up, another comes down. She doesn't like the husband, up he goes! This goes on throughout the whole book. In all honesty, it got kind of old. I kept waiting for character development, a love story...something!?!

There was a sweet friendship development when Lauren meets Bohai who is one of the husbands and travels through various door meeting his partners.

Overall, this gets a 3 for uniqueness but this one won't be memorable for me 😟

Well, this is one heck of a fun read, but it’s also a poignant and wonderful one. The Husbands is a surreal, sprightly and delightful sci-fi-ish romcom that takes a look at what happens when one woman is beset by a bunch of possible futures – and future husbands.

Lauren Strickland comes home slightly buzzed from her best friend Elena’s hen party, and is alarmed to be confronted by a handsome man. He claims he’s her husband – and, more shockingly, all evidence, including the memories of her friends and the pictures in her house (which has now been transfigured) point to this being true. Then one day her husband goes into the attic to change a lightbulb… and comes down as an entirely different person.

It’s not just the husband in question who shifts each time he goes up into the attic – her life, her plans, her job, her ambitions, most of her friends, the décor, and the worlds of her sister and downstairs neighbors also shift in time with the attic’s mischief. At first, Lauren just trades up husbands rapidly in her quest to find a date for Elena’s wedding; but eventually she finds herself exchanging husbands on a whim, turning them out whenever they present the least bit of annoyance to her, or sometimes for no reason at all.

But then the possibility of love tempts Lauren. What can she do about the attic if she’s found it, and is this Mr. truly Mr. Right?

The Husbands is, of course, a metaphor for the deathless pursuit of sex and love, and it’s thought-provoking and touching, funny and wry. It covers every aspect of the romantic experience from every angle. If you don’t dive into the novel expecting a grand solution to the mystery set before Lauren, you’ll find yourself quite content to live beside her, even as her missish quest for the right man makes her seem unlovable. But that is the ultimate point.

The supporting characters are fantastic, my favorite being Bodhi, Lauren’s only confidant in the matter of the husbands. Every other character feels truly well-drawn - well, at least the ones we spend time with. This is a romance in love with the idea of finding the right ‘one’, rather than a story about a real romance – so don’t get attached to any of those husbands. I loved the London neighborhood the author plunges her into, and while I wanted to know much more about the magical system that keeps Lauren bound to the place, I was also content simply to let it happen and the mystery be. So many tones intermarry in this novel – there are horror and suspense elements, character study, romance, comedy and drama.

There is a great Shel Silverstein poem called Almost Perfect, which this story and Lauren’s quest for the perfect husband absolutely reminded me of. Her almost-but-not-quite journey through romance is compelling, shocking, funny, touching. The Husbands is one of the best novels of the year.

Love the premise of the book, but I admit after soooo many husbands and no real character development for Lauren, I liked it a little bit less than I thought I would. About 40% in, she has an epiphany which lead me to believe she’d make a go of it with one husband. Instead, it became just more. The ending leaves some questions unanswered, and that may be the author’s intent. Solid debut, but not sure it was a good fit for me as a reader.

The Husbands is a clever, unique look at choices, marriage and what-ifs. Lots of laughs while navigating life's dilemmas. Much thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to read this wonderful eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing an eARC of this book!

Lauren comes home from a hen do (bachelorette party) for her best friend expecting to have a normal night. But when she gets to her flat, she finds that she now has a husband…who she has never met. While first freaked out, Lauren learns that things are about to get weirder: when her new husband goes into the attic, a burst of light and energy happens and a new husband comes down. The same thing continues to happen: one husband goes into the attic, another one comes down. Lauren has met the husbands…but what is she going to do now?

This was a WILD ride! I really like these types of stories that either mess with time or, in this case, multiverses. I will say that this story felt a little less cohesive, especially because there are a string of so many different husbands to meet! I would have liked it to have more of a connection, but I do think it reflects the randomness of life! (I guess that’s loaf! 🍞 #iykyk)

A fun and unique premise but it unfortunately wasn't executed as well as I had hoped. It lagged a bit in the middle and there were just so many husbands that it was quantity over quality with the plot. And it just ended without much closure/resolve with the main character.

Absolutely delightful, I'm almost sad to be finished. Equally fun and thought provoking, Lauren's cycle through husbands was at times hilarious and at times maddening as it felt like both the character and reader were never going to get off the ride.

Folks, I may have just read my favorite book of 2024! I generally don't even like magical realism, but Holly Gramazio made it thought-provoking, comical, and heart-warming. Fans of Kevin Wilson (Nothing to See Here) will definitely want to check it out.

The author took such a unique spin on the time loop/Sliding Doors/Groundhog's Day concept. It would be perfect as a book club pick - lots to discuss and unpack!

Lauren was an amazing female main character. She was relatable and funny. I found myself reading half the book in one day just to find out who she picks in the end.


Bottom line: Fun, creative, a true can't miss book!

Lauren is shocked when one day, a man climbs down from her attic claiming to be her husband...but Laruen isn't married. Except, when she goes through her phone and asks her friends, they all claim to know the husband Michael. Then, Michael goes into the attic and a new husband appears. This happens over and over and over. Lauren has a magic attic that spits out husbands! Despite a seemingly endless supply, Lauren wants to figure out when to stop trading in husbands.


This is not the type of book that I normally read, but I had a good time reading it and the characters were so interesting. Talk about a complex woman - Lauren becomes more unhinged with each new husband. What would you do if the world reset itself every time you sent someone into the attic? There are no repercussions, long-term, for blowing her bank account, acting embarrassingly, or even hurting herself or someone else. It was interesting to see Lauren come to the realization that a perfect, unflawed man, unfortunately, doesn't exist, and marriage is about making the best of it with the person you chose.

My library will definitely be purchasing this book.