The prologue of this book hits like a truck.

It was unexpected; guess I should have read a bit more ahead of time.

Remember the beginning of Up? You know, the sweet kids' movie? With the beginning that makes an adult sob like a broken child?

The prologue of this book hits like that. Like all the air has been sucked from the room. I needed a moment to collect myself (and stop the tears) before moving on.

I love Mallory and Paige. Their banter is possibly the best part of this book.
"It's better than denial."
"Who's in denial?"
"It ain't just a river in Egypt, right?"

And there it is, the other half of the story - Egypt - and layers of family secrets. So many layers. (More tears, obviously.)

Gorgeously written, with depth and feeling.

4.5 stars

I’ll be reading more of her books stat!

▪️ historical fiction
▪️ dual story lines
▪️ college love turned rock star
▪️ second chance romance

And so much more! Just read this one, you won’t be disappointed.

Beatriz Williams never fails to pull the reader right into a story, no matter the time period, no matter the locale, and I love her for it!

Two women in two different times periods are trying to rebuild their lives. One single mother is doing her best to raise her thirteen-year-old son in the era of influencers. Her boy desperately needs a new kidney after one choice mistake and is on dialysis multiple times a week while waiting for a donor. The other is a woman traumatized by her wartime experience looking for a new future with her British diplomat husband in Cairo. Though he isn’t the man of her dreams, he is safe and that’s all she can hope for at this point.

These two women are linked by a mysterious family heirloom that brings up more questions than answers, and even more painful memories. Their relationships with their “husbands and lovers” have defined their paths in life and shaped their personalities for better or worse. Both women are both emotionally fragile because of their trauma, but wear their bravery like armor to the world—protecting themselves from further pain.

This hybrid historical fiction/women’s fiction book was very hard to put down, and as someone who usually likes the “past” timeline in dual timeline novels, I actually enjoyed both very much. The alternating chapters jumping between characters and timelines makes it incredibly challenging to say, “just one more chapter”.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballatine Books, and of course the author Beatriz Williams for the advanced copy of the book. Husbands & Lovers is out now—get it packed in that beach bag! All opinions are my own.

straight fiction isn't what i usually read, especially when you add historical elements, so this was just okay. well written though and gorgeous cover. i honestly think if i read this physically i would've liked it better.

Sometimes I take a break from historical fiction, but whenever I come back to it, it feels like coming home. That homecoming feeling has its place in Husbands & Lovers. It is in two points of view, but also takes place in alternating timelines. Hannah has a mysterious past that she hides while in Egypt with her English husband in the 1950s, while Mallory's story takes place in 2008 and 2022. Her present day life brings her back to the island where she fell in love, and to the man who stole her heart and gave her the world.

I loved the genealogical aspect to this story, as well as the idea that a second chance exists for us all. This was a lovely book with a lot of heart to it.

Another winner of a multi-timeline book from Beatriz Williams. In the 1950s, it’s the story of Hannah, who is married to an older British man and is with him at his posting in Cairo, but finds herself drawn to the hotel manager - and there are also flashbacks to her life before and during WWII in Hungary. And in the present day, it’s the story of Mallory, single mom to a 13 year old whose father she never told she was pregnant, and is now a famous singer - along with flashbacks to their younger years and their relationships.

So, I have read all of Beatriz Williams’ books and this this was a bit of a departure for her in some ways - very few of her books have modern day storylines, and this is the only one I can think of where the modern day story had more prominence. What it has in common with her other books, however, is giving her characters interesting stories which simultaneously have real stakes, while also being on the lighter side for historical fiction. This also was her third book set on fictional Winthrop Island, and while it definitely can be read on its own, there are some little easter eggs to books The Beach at Summerly and Summer Wives (probably more than I even caught.) An enjoyable read and one I really didn’t want to put down!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for this advanced reader's copy. I was really into historical fiction some time back and read a bunch of Beatriz William's books, but I haven't read any in a while, so it was nice to dip back in. This was a fantastic book to go back in with. There is a dual timeline story here which wraps up nicely in the end. Mallory receives a phone call that is needed now as her 10-yr old son, Sam is being airlifted from summer camp after eating a deadly mushroom. Sam is fighting for his life and needs a kidney donor. Mallory now must confront two major secrets from her past- the summer romance with her childhood best friend who is now a famous singer-songwriter, that resulted in the birth of Sam, and her mother's adoption from an Irish orphanage in 1952 and the unique snake bracelet she was given. This book was a tangled web of emotions and how secrets and miscommunication can harm people.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Beatriz Williams for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Husbands and Lovers; my review reflects my honest opinion. I enjoyed this book, although I had a difficult time getting into Hannah's story, however ultimately it became a compelling storyline for me. The story illustrates familial strength and love, the power of past loves and the challenges and rewards of caring for a child with special needs. While fiction there are fairly accurate historical incidents well represented throughout the novel. Kudos to Beatriz Williams for a well-crafted and developed read.
3.5 stars.

Wow! I knew going into this book I was already going to love it because of the author, but can I say new favorite? The beautiful writing strung along with multiple points of views, two (maybe three) incredible characters, including one I extremely resonated with, packaged up with mysterious lovers made this book one I started and finished in one sitting. This book kept me thinking during and after its conclusion. I can already see it becoming an instant favorite to so many other reader such as myself.

Beatriz Williams once again reminds us what Historical Fiction should be. Husbands & Lovers is the top read of the summer!

With multiple timelines and POVs, Williams brings us to Cairo in 1951. Hannah Alistair, wife of a diplomat finds herself in a love affair. In 2022 New England, Mallory Dunne is navigating life as a single mother. These women's stories keep you up late reading one more chapter.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Beatriz William’s books are among my favorites so I eagerly began Husbands & Lovers. She wove a tale of a grandmother, Hannah, living in Cairo in the 1950’s and her granddaughter, Mallory, many years later. I was immediately immersed in Mallory’s life and then my heart stopped with the news about her son, Sam. Her dilemma rings so true and I could not put the book down. Her crush on Monk as a teenager and then her relationship with him brought memories flooding back to an earlier time in my own life. I have to admit to predicting what ended their relationship. I frequently found myself in the “what if” state, thinking about the situations Mallory found herself in. So loved her interactions with Lee, especially when she defended Grace. I felt so very at home with the gorgeous setting of New England beaches, as I grew up summering on Cape Cod and Maine beaches.
When Hannah transported the story to Cairo in the 1950’s I was intrigued by the way she dealt with her sorry excuse of a husband. No wonder her head was turned by Lucien. Loved learning a bit about Cairo and the political unrest of that time frame. With the addition of spies…fascinating for sure.
The beautiful bracelet became the tie that bonded Hannah and Mallory and brought the two storylines together so seamlessly. This fabulous read was so very enjoyable and I highly recommend it.
Many many thanks to Beatriz Williams, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just published incredible read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was a super fun multi timeline read perfect to pack in your beach bag. It reminded me somewhat. of The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis, which is being released next year, but I've already been lucky enough to read as an arc last month. I guess historical fiction set in Egypt must be all the rage right now. But I would definitely read more books like this. I also think this is possibly Beatriz Williams best book yet. I highly recommend this book!



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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I really enjoyed this one from Beatriz Williams. Following two different time lines, you follow Hannah (set in Cairo in the 1950s) and Mallory (set in New England 2022) and their overlapping stories. I love a story set up this way and finding how the two women are connected. This was no exception and was so well done. I loved both characters and thought they were both well written. This was definitely more of a fiction story of love and redemption versus historical fiction, but there were aspects of the history with Hannah's story. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and im here for everything Williams writes. Big thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced e-copy.

WOWOWOW this was great. Loved the dual timelines but slightly preferred the present timeline. Love a second chance romance and this one was so powerful! What a fantastic story. Highly recommend.

I read Husbands & Lovers as an advanced released copy from @netgalley. I loooove @authorbeatriz’s books so I was super excited to receive this one!

Mallory’s son Sam is at summer camp when she gets a dreaded call. Sam has been rushed to the hospital - on a dare, he had ingested a poisonous mushroom. He ends up in kidney failure and on dialysis, on the list of a kidney transplant.

The family gets tested to see if they’ll be a good match, but no luck. Except for Sam’s dad. He doesn’t know Sam exists. Monk Adams and Mallory had one summer together, way before he became a world famous pop star. But now he’s getting married to someone else, on that same small island where they fell in love.

Mallory also tries to discover more about her mom’s family by sending in a DNA test kit. She learns that her mother was adopted as a baby and travels to an Irish orphanage to hear her birth story.

This was a 4/5 for me! It just hit the shelves this week.

#bookstagram #stlbookstagram #husbandsandlovers #beatrizwilliams #netgalley #paperhearts

💭 MY THOUGHTS: Wow, wow, wow! This is my newest book crush! Mallory and Hannah are very unique heroines who both make a lot of, umm, interesting decisions but ultimately ones they feel are right to protect their hearts and allow them to move forward in heartbreaking situations. At times I found myself eagerly reading through the 1952 story with Hannah to get to Mallory’s story mostly because I really adore Monk *swoon* and wanted to find out what the heck happened between them.

I’m making a plea to @authorbeatriz - can there be a second book focusing on Paige?? I’d love to know the rest of her story. And there’s so much more to explore after where it left off in 1952.

Read for:
💟 Two Epic Love Stories
⌛️ Multiple Timelines - 1952, 2008, 2022
🤐 Family Secrets
❤️‍🩹 Heartbreak & Redemption
🫂 Second Chance Romance
💪 Badass Heroines
📍 Egypt // New England Beaches

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice level: 🌶️/ 5

Quick and Dirty
-contemporary romance with historical flashbacks
-messy family drama
-coastal New England setting and vibes
-not your typical BW book
-open door, 🌶️🌶️/5 spice
-well narrated by Helen Laser and Caroline Hewitt

“Two women—separated by decades and continents and united by an exotic family heirloom—reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel.”

What Worked
I’m not going to lie; I was NOT digging this book at first (more on that below). But once I wrapped my mind around what the book WAS NOT, I began to enjoy the story a lot more. Mallory and Monk’s romance was everything I wanted in a contemporary romance: messy, passionate, authentic, and bittersweet. I’m not a rom-com girlie; I need my relationships to come with some 💩 on the side (Talking at Night, Half-Blown Rose, Trespasses, Diva, etc). And BW delivers in a big way with the downfall and reunion of Mallory and Monk. I was so caught up in their drama that I was frustrated when the story shifted gears back to the historical timeline. Needless to say, I loved this romance. It was exactly what I wanted from a summer beach read!

What Didn’t Work
Now for the hammer. 🔨
This was not a histfic. Sure, there is a historical timeline that ties in nicely with the story, but it felt unnecessary, distracting, and frivolous. I think many of my mutuals will dislike the cheating storyline arc in Hannah’s story. I don’t usually get my feathers ruffled about cheating, but this just felt icky. I was also taken aback (at first) by the spice level and the language (plenty of F 💣 in this one), so buyer beware. But, as I said before, once I got over what it wasn’t, I enjoyed most of what it was.

Read This If
If you enjoyed Meant to Be by Emily Griffin, you will love this one!

There is not a Beatriz Williams book I don't love so I new this story was going to be special. However, I did not realize the emotional toll that "Husbands and Lovers" was going to take on me. I really enjoyed the two places in time going on (3 technically) and how they were interwoven at the end. I have to admit that throughout the story I was not relating to Mallory and could not understand her actions as a young adult. However, once I reached the end of the story it all made sense and I completely understood her storyline and he internal struggle. One of my favorite reads of the year for sure.

Another compelling read from Beatriz Williams! Mallory is a single mom with a chronically ill son. We slowly learn about her past and the choices she made. Much of the story takes place in the New England resort beach towns and adds to the overall feel of the story without focusing on the rich. One can relate to the characters from present day..

We also have a story unraveling in 1950s Egypt which ends up compelling Mallory and her sister to do some research to learn about their family history. The story from Egypt is interesting but one does have some trouble connecting to the characters during that time frame. Much of the circumstances are a follow up to World War 2 and that is woven into the story.

Present day features Mallory coming to terms with and old flame and it is an enjoyable part of the story. I enjoyed all the present day characters and the struggles they had. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

I’ve always enjoyed Beatriz Williams’ books, and this one did not disappoint. Her characters are so well-developed and witty – strong, no-nonsense female characters who know their minds. This book alternates between Hannah, in 1950s Cairo, and Mallory, in 2020s New England.

The opening scene was so well-written, emotionally charged, and perfectly described – I was hooked immediately and had a hard time putting this book down from there. The perfect beach read for summer!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance copy in exchange for honest review. 5 stars, strongly recommend!