Mallory Dunne is doing her best as a single mother to a teenage son awaiting a kidney transplant. His father isn't in the picture and she has few living relatives. With her sister she works to uncover her family history in the hope of finding a match. The secrets from the past all come out when her son's father comes back into her life and she discovers that her mom was adopted from an Irish convent orphanage. Uncovering the truth will be difficult and painful but she will do anything if it means she can save her son's life.

Beatriz Williams has done it again. This might be one of my favorites by Williams. She is the master of the back and forth between time periods to create a full story. I love trying to figure out how the story will all tie together in the end. Her character development is also spectacular. I felt myself fully absorbed into their world. I also loved the return to Winthrop Island!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the ARC of Husbands & Lovers.

This was a beautiful woven tapestry of a tale about a woman who needs to find a medical donor for her son, and finds out some family secrets that just might help her get it. I appreciated the way the stories from both time periods were told in alternating chapters so there was no confusion. The humor, while at some points maybe a little cheesy for my taste, was cleverly dispersed throughout to keep it somewhat light, but you may want tissues ready just in case you're a big baby like me!

I had such high hopes for this when I picked it up and read that prologue!!!! My gosh what a way to start! But by the time I got a few chapters in, this main character had me feeling all kinds of ick. This one wasn’t for me unfortunately.

This one jumped around between too many timelines for me. Never really got into the characters or their stories because of that.

Beatriz Williams covers new ground with her first novel featuring a modern-day story that alternates with the 1950s in Cairo. Two seemingly unrelated women are facing struggles of their own. A single-mother, Mallory receives a call from her son's summer camp that will cause her to face the ghosts of her past. In Cairo, Hannah is recovering from the horrors she faced in war-torn Europe and enjoying a diplomatic post her husband received when she encounters a charming hotel manager. While the layers are slowly pulled back, readers are drawn into the story of these unique women who sacrifice nearly everything for their families. The stories collide when the past is revealed and Williams has another hit on her hands.
I loved her foray into present-day storytelling and fans will love her latest release. It's a slow burn that once ignited won't be put out.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

"Husbands & Lovers" by Beatriz Williams is a fast-paced story that weaves together the lives of two amazing women.

In New England, Mallory Dunne struggles as a single mother searching for a kidney donor for her son Sam, while confronting her past love with childhood friend Monk Adams.

In 1950s Cairo, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth navigates a loveless marriage and a passionate affair amidst political intrigue.

The story is told in alternating timelines and takes you from the calm beaches of New England to the lively streets of Cairo. The connection between Mallory and Hannah is revealed through a mysterious heirloom bracelet. This book kept me so engaged—I finished it in one day! I will definitely read more from Beatriz Williams. Highly recommended!

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this eARC.

I loved this novel, thick with secrets and drama, told in dual timelines, current time, and Cairo in the late 1940's. "Husbands & Lovers" by Beatriz Williams is very well layered, revealed and resolved story with excellent characters and great twists. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher. All opinions are my own.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams tells two stories of women making their way in the world, one in the current day and one following WWII. I enjoyed both stories which were often told in alternating chapters and the author has a skill for ending a chapter in a place where you want to come back to it. The real talent of the book is making us care about the characters and she does a nice job of mixing some history in with some romance and some topical stories about adoptions.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and think others will too. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Husbands and Lovers in exchange for an honest opinion. This book is available now.

"Husbands & Lovers" by Beatriz Williams is a captivating and complex novel that delves into the lives of two women, their relationships, and the secrets they keep. Set in the glamorous world of 1960s New York City, the story follows the intertwined lives of two women, Kate and Amanda, as they navigate love, betrayal, and the complexities of marriage. Williams expertly weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives, creating a rich and engaging narrative that keeps readers hooked until the very end. With its lush prose, compelling characters, and intricate plot twists, "Husbands & Lovers" is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and complex relationship dramas.

This was one of my top reads this year! An incredible novel set in two different time periods, it tells the stories of two remarkable women. The first follows Mallory, a single mom whose son desperately needs a kidney transplant. The second follows Hannah, living in 1950s Egypt, stuck in a loveless marriage during a tumultuous period in the country’s history. Both women are strong but face enormous challenges, including whether or not to follow their hearts.

I can't recommend this book enough. I still find myself thinking about it and hope there might be a follow-up because I don’t want to stop reading about these characters. There was so much to love in this book. The settings, one in New England and the other in Egypt, were captivating and transported me from one continent to the next. The struggles both women faced and how they overcame so much were inspiring. The writing kept me hooked, and each chapter left me eager for more. This is a fantastic book, and I look forward to reading more by Beatriz Williams.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC. I am so grateful for the opportunity, as this was a fantastic read!

Thank you Net Galley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for early access to this book. I am a huge fan of this author and was grateful to obtain an ARC! It was very interesting to learn about the conflict in Egypt as well as Hannah’s background. I usually love the past storylines more from this authors stories but really loved the present story of Mallory & Monk how everything connected. It was also fun with the familiar places mentioned as well as the local mentions as I’m from Massachusetts. I felt the story really came together well and I love the unexpected surprise at the end.

I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who loves family drama set in two timelines. In the present day, we meet Mallory, whose son faces a health crisis and needs a new kidney, but his father doesn't know he exists. Mallory never told Monk that he had a child, and there's a reason why. Trying to find a donor for her son means she needs to dig into her mother's adoption to find her birth family and, hopefully, a match. This leads to 1951 when we Meet Hannah. She takes us on a ride of intrigue as she navigates a revolution with two different men.

How do these timelines tie together? Will Mallory finally tell Monk about his son? Will she share why she never told him in the first place? I could not put this down! Such a great read!

Wow! Blown away! I’m not typically interested in historical fiction, but the timelines of past and present engrossed me from the very first page! I found the characters to be likable and was rooting for them throughout the book. And I learned a lot of about Cairo back in the 50s! The ending was my favorite! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Ohhh this book had all the twists and turns. I loved it and was so excited for how it ended but whoa the journey along the way. It was everything I know to expect from Beatriz Williams and more.
Mallory gets the kind of call no mother wants to get and years later, they're still dealing with the ramifications of that call. However, it isn't until that summer when she's confronted with reconnecting with her son's father does she have to deal with some big truths from her past, including what made them go their separate ways.

In a different timeline, an ambassador's wife is experiencing the unrest in Cairo during the building of the Suez Canal and how the Egyptians feel about the colonization going on in their country. The way the timelines come together is intriguing and has the Williams magic with the ability to use history in a blended mirror with current affairs or timelines.

#arc
#netgalley
#husbandsandlovers

This was a great book. I loved the 2 time lines and intertwined stories. It was hard to put down as I was cheering for the lovets.

First off I love Beatriz Williams she is a wonderful story writer and makes me wanna always one more chapter one, more chapter! She draws you in and captures your soul!

This story brings us to the time in Egypt right as Israel became a country. When the British were still a big in the city of Cairo. We meet Hannah who is a Hungary refugee who is married to a British diplomat, who gets in to bed with a man who is a dangerous man in deed.

We meet Mallory who is an artist in present day with her sister Paige, and Sam who is in desperate need of a kidney transplant and monk, Sam’s father, huge rockstar and the man Mallory is in love with. When searching for a donor they come to find their mother was adopted and the secrets of what happen in Cairo
Years ago come out.

4.5 stars rounded up

I’ll be honest- I don’t normally love historical fiction romance but I LOVED Husbands and Lovers. I felt so connected to all the characters and deeply invested. What a beautiful book.

Like many of her novels, this one has dual timelines (kind of 3) and multiple POVs.

Mallory’s story spans her college years where she falls in love with her summer fling, Monk (now a famous musician) and the present where she is the single mother of a son with a serious kidney affliction. Desperate for a kidney for her son, there are no family matches. A chance encounter leads her to follow the trail of a bracelet given to her by her mother which leads to the revelation that her mother was adopted. Mallory hopes to find more about her mother in the hopes of finding a match for her son but also to uncover unknown family history.

Return to the 1950’s where Hannah has put her painful past behind her and is married to an older wealthy tycoon but also finds herself falling in love with a local in Colonial Egypt. A tragic incident in Cairo brings that affair abruptly to a halt and changes the course of Hannah’s life yet again.

As you might be able to guess, these storylines collide in a predictable manner, but the journey is perfect for those who love romance in their historical fiction. What I normally love about her novels is how heavy the historical content often is and this one was much more multiple love stories than historical. But her characters are always well developed and the storylines kept me invested.

Thank you to @ballantinecorp and @netgalley for this review copy

Fantastic historical fiction/romance/genre bending deep read. I recommend going into this one blind, it is worth all of the hype.

This book was a combination of my two favorite genres: historical fiction and contemporary romance. The book has dual storylines in multiple time frames. The storylines run parallel to each other for most of the book but you know early on that they will intersect at some point. This builds anticipation and I quickly became invested in both storylines. However....the connection felt very loose to me. Each could have stood independently of the other, been removed totally from the book, and it would not have impacted the outcome of either story. At the start, I was more drawn to Mallory's story. I had a hard time engaging in Hannah's story but that changed about halfway through the book. Her story is heartbreaking... absolutely soul crushing. How she was able to go on after all she had been through is the definition of resilience. Mallory’s story is also told in a dual timeline so you end up with three timelines in this story. I did not expect young Mallory’s story to go where it did. It was definitely a surprise. Individually, I loved both plots equally but together, they confused me. My rating for plot and storyline is 4 stars.

On to the characters... I enjoyed getting to know these characters. Hannah felt a little standoffish at first, hard to get to know, but you understand why later in the story so I felt this was intentional. Mallory was sweet but almost too sweet. She was so accommodating to everyone about everything. I just wanted her to get mad. She felt so passive, internalizing every situation. I was so confused by her motives to keep Sam and Monk apart. I sort of understood later but it was frustrating that so much time was lost. I think she realizes the error of her ways a little later on. Monk...**sigh**...I loved his character. He was probably my favorite. He loved Mallory so much but I also felt that he handled things a little too calmly as well. I wanted him to be angry. I was angry for him. I think a little conflict over the situation would have created the tension that the story didn’t really have. Overall, the characters were relatable, well developed and showed growth throughout the story. They felt real even if their reactions were a little unrealistic. Character rating 4.5 stars

Writing style: For the most part this was an easy read. The narrative flowed well, the dialogue was easy and natural, and the back story really helped to build the characters and anticipation for the storyline. There were some parts that I felt droned on and I found myself wanting to skim. I also wish the 2 stories would have been better connected. Rating 4 stars.

Overall, this was a solid read. It is my first by Beatriz Williams but it won't be my last. I would definitely recommend it to both my historical fiction lovers and my contemporary romance lovers. Overall rating 4 stars.