The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This author’s books have been hit or miss for me. This one, I enjoyed! Coming next summer. Until then I enjoyed The Summer Wives and Along the Infinite Sea.

This was one of my top reads this year! An amazing novel set in two different time periods. The first story follows Mallory, who is a single mom, whose son is ill and in need of a kidney transplant. The other story follows Hannah who is in Egypt during the 1950s while stuck in a loveless marriage during a tumultuous time in Egypt's history. Both women are strong but have huge obstacles to overcome including whether to follow their heart or not.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I find myself still thinking about it. I really hope that there might be a follow up book as 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 fascinating to read about and transported me from one continent to the next. As well as what they both went through and how they were able to over come so much. I also loved the way the book was written. As soon as I finished a chapter I wanted to read 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 as this was a fantastic read!

4.5, rounded up. This is my first time reading Beatriz Williams and I can already say, she may well be on her way to joining the ranks of Kristin Hannah and Taylor Jenkins Reid (for me).
Husbands & Lovers weaves together generations of women, following multiple threads within the lives of Mallory (both as a teenager and as an adult) and her grandmother, Hannah, to create a sort of familial epic. It's the perfect marriage of history and romance, with Williams giving just the right amount of detail while managing to never stray too far into the weeds, nor into becoming too sentimental. I kept finding myself alternating between wishing I could stay in Mallory's storyline longer, but then feeling similarly when I was in Hannah's story. The only fault I could give it is that I did find myself occasionally confused in Hannah's timeline, as the story jumps between her relationship with her husband and Lucien Beck, as well as a prior lover. I'm not sure the prior lover was necessary, as it made things just a bit too complicated, given all of the other threads that were being woven simultaneously. But at the same time, it did add a depth to Hannah that I enjoyed as a reader.
I would definitely recommend this book and hope it finds success in the market upon its release.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I’m a big fan of Beatrix Williams. It was also nice to be back on Winthrop Island. Mallory Dunne is a single mom with a 10-year-old son. Her sister, Paige, is a take charge kind of girl. So, when tragedy strikes, she jumps right in to support her sister and rallied the troops. The sisterly dynamic is all over the place but the way they support each other is amazing. Mallory’s lover from the past re-appears and meets his son. The bonding between father and son is touching. Mallory and Monk must navigate their new relationship. Then a scandal hits Paige and her husband which throws everything into a world of chaos. Meanwhile, the sisters have found out their mother was adopted. The dual timeline brings the past and present together. All in all, this was a great read and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC copy.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book by one of my favorite authors! This is a cross generational/timeline story of Mallory, her sister Paige and their discoveries about their Mom/Grandma after a family tragedy. But it's also the story of Mallory's current love situation with her son's father from the past/present. I liked how the past/present stories intertwined. I loved the female characters the most..Mallory, Hannah. The beautiful East Coast/beach side setting was also enchanting. I really enjoyed this drama!

What a great return to Winthrop Island and the world of Beatriz Williams! Husbands & Lovers is a stand-alone novel, but like many of Beatriz Williams novels there are references characters from other books set on Winthrop Island. Also similar to previous novels, the past and present storylines weave together an irresistible plot and you can't predict what's coming next.

The book starts in present day with Mallory Dunne, a single mother whose son Sam is away at sleepaway camp. In 1951, Hannah Ainsworth follows her husband on assignment to Egypt which is reeling with political unrest and turmoil. Finally, in 2008, we see Mallory again -- this time working as a nanny to the Adams family on Winthrop Island. Her relationship with Monk Adams grows, and we learn that by the later Mallory chapters Monk is a huge rockstar. The characters are incredibly well fleshed-out, and I loved seeing Mallory and Monk grow as the book progressed.

While it seems there is a lot going on, Beatriz Williams seamlessly brings these stories together. There's espionage, love affairs, post-WWII intrigue, and more. I really enjoyed having parts of Hannah's story flashback to Hungary during the war -- so much of historical fiction set in WWII is focused on Western Europe and the UK, and I enjoyed learning more about the dual threats of the Red Army and Nazis that Hungary faced.

While the Schuyler Sister series might be my favorite of all her novels, this comes in a close second! I think it's the strongest of her most recent work, and I really enjoyed the complex plot. I read it all in one sitting as I had to know how it ended!

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book! I'm so glad I get to continue to read one of my favorite authors.

Husband’s and Lovers was my first introduction to Beatriz Williams, and I will certainly be back for more! 4.5 ⭐️

This dual timeline is set on the fictional Winthrop Island in 2022 and in Cairo, Egypt in the 1950s. While both Mallory and Hannah’s stories were absolutely lovely and heartbreaking, I found myself more invested in Mallory’s chronicle. Hannah’s life absolutely devastated me and I noticed I sometimes rushed through her chapters to get back to Mallory and Monk. The overall flow of the book made it hard to put down, as nearly every chapter ended in a big reveal or cliff hanger. Sometimes the timeline took extra brain power to follow, especially within chapters, but I felt exceptionally connected to and invested in Mallory and Hannah thanks to their many flashbacks.

In other news, Monk Adams is my new book boyfriend and I doubt few will ever compare! A favorite quote:

“It hurts, Pink. Like a pain in my chest, like it's too much to hold. Like I'm going to lose you.” 🥹

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy of this book! I will be highly recommending this book come June 2024!

The voice is strong, the premise is interesting, and it reads well. I stopped after chapter 2 (5%) but probably a solid three to four stars for the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Gosh, I loved Husbands & Lovers! It was hard to put this book down. I have read a handful of Beatriz Williams novels and enjoyed them all - although I think this might be my favorite. It's a love story at heart, but also a fascinating look at a slice of history (Egypt immediately following WWII) and paternity incidents.

2022: Mallory is a single mom. Her son, Sam, eats a death cap mushroom while at sleep-away camp and ends up with kidney disease. Sam's dad is 'out of the picture' and it takes us a while to learn exactly why.

2008: Mallory falls in love with Sam's father in a whirlwind summer romance. I'll leave it there because it takes almost the entire book to find out why that romance ended.

1951-1952: Hannah Ainsworth is a Hungarian refugee. She married a wealthy British diplomat after World War II ended and has found herself stationed in Egypt, living a bourgeois expat lifestyle.

We follow the love affairs of both Mallory and Hannah, traveling back and forth between 2022, 2008 and 1951. The story is a slow burn, each chapter is long, going deep into the plot at hand. I was deeply invested in the individual stories, feeling like the end of each chapter was a cliffhanger that left me eager to know what happened next. It takes time to know how they're all connected. My only complaint about this novel was, in fact, how long it took to get to the next section. Books like this sometimes make me want to read each story in its entirety, rather than swapping from story to story. I imagine, since this was an ARC, that some of this might improve with the final edits, helping to move things along a little more quickly.

I love a smart romance, with history and strong, likable characters. I felt this one in my heart and spirit. I also love a special piece of statement jewelry; this book features one I wish I could see in person! Highly recommended, I will definitely be telling friends about this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite description:
"A woman sat pin-straight on the fraying bench seat, wearing a pink linen blouse and pearls, rusty blond hair, inquisitive blue eyes, cheekbones on loan from a carpenter."

Husbands and Lovers is a novel about second chances. There are two story lines -Hannah, who lives in Cairo in the early 50s, and Mallory, a single-mom in New England, whose story goes back and forth between 2008 and current day. Both women are connected by a bracelet, and their stories come together towards the end of the book.

I loved Mallory and Monk’s story and found both characters very likable. I was captivated by their relationship, their devotion for each other, their chemistry, and was curious till the end about what had drawn them apart. That said, I also found Hannah’s story mesmerizing, and I was glad her backstory was different from what I was expecting.

As with all of Beatriz William’s books, the descriptions are rich and the characters are strong. I got transported to Winthrop Island and Cairo, and I really enjoyed the plot, which kept me engaged from beginning to end, and up until late at night. This may be my new favorite book by Beatriz Williams.

Thank you to Random House Publishing -Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you for this ARC! What a treat to read. Definitely one of my favorite reads in November. The end of each chapter and the movement among story lines of Mallory as a young adult, Mallory as an adult and Sam’s mom, Hannah before/during the war and Egypt Hannah kept me enthralled in this story and it was very difficult to put down.

I adored Mallory and Monk’s love story and the search to find out about Mallory and Paige’s family history. The devastating heartbreak that Hannah experienced. Sam’s journey to health.

It’s difficult to put into words. So glad I got the chance to read this one. Can’t wait to check out more from Beatriz Williams.

I'm a big fan of Beatriz Williams and was thrilled to be sent this E-ARC of her latest novel. It is so ambitious, and as I've come to expect, well researched and written, and it worked! Two love stories set 70 years apart united by a mysterious family heirloom. It is part present day second chance romance, famous person/normal person romance (with its own dual timelines), and part historical fiction set in Cairo during the start of the Egyptian revolution, with elements of unwed mothers and family secrets. I preferred the contemporary romance between Monk and Mallory, but loved how the stories became interwoven and the loose ends were tied up in the end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Consider pre-ordering! Publish date: 6/25/24

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beatriz Williams cemented herself as an auto-buy for me a while ago. And once again, this one is perfect! Told in alternating timelines of Mallory in present day Winthrop Island and Hannah jn 1950s Egypt, she weaves am extraordinary tale of true love, loss, and unimaginable heartbreak. The timelines are incredibly easy to keep up with and weave together beautifully. Perfect for fans of historical and contemporary. romance, this book is absolute perfection! One of the best if not the best love story I've read all year! It grabs you at page 1 and doesn't let go! I can't recommend this highly enough.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Beatriz Williams, and Ballantine Press. 🩷

I love Beatriz Williams and her latest, Husbands and Lovers did not disappoint! This story is told in 2 different timelines that intersect throughout the book and then come together at the end. I loved the present day story and I loved the past story and the way they flowed throughout the book. I couldn't put this down from the first page to the last. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to net galley for the arch in exchange for an honest review.

Beatriz Williams, as I have come to expect, has written another amazing novel. Her latest, Husbands & Lovers is a convergence of two timelines, modern-day New York and 1950s Egypt. As usual, she includes many historical situations to provide an informative and entertaining read.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I finished this book three minutes ago- that is how excited I am to write this review. Wow. What a great story. There are two timelines that are followed- Egypt in the 1950s and a modern day island off of New York. There is so much happening here in both timelines and they culminate together at the end. I don’t want to give anything away but encourage all to read this. This will be one of my top books read this year, possibly next to the Lioness. I am going to rush out now and look up more books from this author because i am blown away.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

This is the first book written by Beatriz Williams that I have read, but it will not be my last.

This story begins with Mallory's young son ingesting a toxic mushroom and requiring a kidney transplant. She never told his father of his existence and now contemplates reaching out to see if he would be a donor for her son. The second timeline describes Hannah who is living in Cairo with her British diplomat husband. The two timelines describe the women's lives, loves, tragedies and sacrifices. The writing was wonderful and pulled me into both of their stories. The intersecting of the timelines was great and very interesting.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Beatriz Williams’ writing for a while because of the way she makes history come alive in her novels and because of her well developed characters. I received an ARC of her new book, Husbands & Lovers, yesterday, and the only reason I didn’t finish it on the same day was I downloaded it to my Kindle in the evening. I couldn’t wait to get up and finish it this morning. This may be my favorite Williams’ book yet.

There are two parallel stories, one contemporary and one taking place in 1950’s Egypt. The contemporary story mostly takes place on fictional Winthrop Island, off the Connecticut shore. We meet single mother Mallory and the challenges she faces with her 13 year old son’s failing kidneys. If that sounds depressing, it really isn’t as we see the support she gets from her sister and both of their can-do attitudes. Other than Mallory, most of the characters come from great wealth, and Williams lets us peer into the everyday lives of that class. We also see how and why the two main characters fall in love with each other as teens and appreciate their special bond. They are good people and we root for their happiness as other characters and life events separate them.

The story of Hannah, married to a British Foreign Officer, in Egypt is equally engrossing. The sights and sounds of Cairo and environs come alive on the page.

The two stories are connected and all come together in a most satisfying ending. Along the way, we meet a rock star, spies, and a narcissistic social media influencer. This novel is a rollicking good read with humor, heart, and romance.

I'm a big fan of Beatriz Williams, so was thrilled to be able to read Husbands and Lovers early. Thank you Random House! Beatriz's strong female leads are always interesting, complicated, and exciting characters. Her grasp of history and research details are amazing and I always learn something from her books. Husbands and Lovers is her third book set on Winthrop Island, but you don't have to have read the others to enjoy this book. The dual timeline was great and I was engaged in both stories. I didn't want the book to end. Read this with your book group...there'll be endless discussions.