Mallory is dealing with a health crisis with her son that leads her to question whether she should reconnect with her son's dad (who doesn't know he exists and is now a famous musician.) Hannah is married to a British diplomat in post WWII Cairo. Both women must make life changing choices and have to decide what is best for their survival. Cairo, Ireland, and summer on the East Coast all add to the flavor of this layered novel.

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite historical fiction writers and probably the one who actually got me into historical fiction long ago. Her books are always reliably full of well-drawn characters and interesting plots. They are not completely predictable (like many historical fiction books) and often have quiet tie ins to previous books. I loved that this one had a modern day setting and then two other timelines. The setting of Cairo, and later Ireland, were unique and smartly used and although it sounds complicated to keep up with the multiple timelines, it was not. This was very readable, and a perfect balance of a beach read and some historical fiction drama.

I think this is one of Williams' stronger books and definitely recalled an old favorite, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, while reading this one. If you haven't read Williams, this is a great place to start, and if you have, you won't be disappointed by this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Mallory Dunne, a single mother desperate for a kidney donor to give her son a chance at a normal life, is forced to confront secrets in her own past in order to achieve the best chance at finding a match. Decades earlier, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth is living in Cairo with her British diplomat husband, trying to survive the tragedy of her past, when she finds herself drawn into a game of spies and intrigue, resulting in a sacrifice that will echo down generations.

Beatriz Williams has been an auto-buy author for me for a while now, and her historical fiction books are one of the main reasons why I got back into reading a few years back. There’s something about how she makes her main characters so intriguing that makes you really care about the stories being told about them. She also has made a little interconnected universe of characters in her books, which I love when authors do. Unfortunately, since I’ve read most of her books a while back, I feel as though I may have missed a few connections in this one, which to be honest just makes me want to re-read some of them, since I loved them that much. I will say that The Beach at Summerly, her last book, was a bit of a flop for me, so I was nervous going into this one, worried that it’d be the same, but this one holds up to the standard that I expect from a book by Williams. It was multiple timeline, multiple POV, with the timelines feeding off one another and interweaving so you were drawn in to the same mysteries and intrigues that the characters in the book were. I love the way that she writes women in history as strong and independent women to make use of the resources that they are give in life to make up for the barriers that stand in their ways. One of the hallmarks of a good historical fiction book that utilizes multiple timelines is when I’m sad to leave one timeline behind for another, but by the end of the new chapter, you’re sad to leave that timeline for the other again, which kept happening to me in this book! I recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction who like a little romance with their history!

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this free eARC for my honest review!!

I ate this book up. I loved the idea of 1950s Cairo & glam mixed with a modern day sleepy New England island. There is something about having the perfect setting for a book that hooks me. This book is multiple POVs but feels very cohesive throughout. I was not left unsatisfied and everything tied together well. There’s so many cliffhangers that keep you pushing through but she never leaves you guessing for too long. Incredibly well written, highly recommend and will be adding more of her books to my TBR.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This book was so good I couldn't put it down!!! Husbands & Lovers is a dual time line story and it is woven together beautifully. Mallory and her son Sam are told in the present in New England and in the past we follow Hannah in Cairo in the early 1950's. Both stories drew me in and I loved all the strong women. I am so sad that I finished the book and the characters will stay with me for quite a while. Definitely a wonderful story and honestly one I wish wouldn't have ended. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book of dual timelines - WWII-era Egypt and modern-day Cape Cod - mixed with romance, discovering more about your family, and just general drama. A perfect beach read with a bit of substance and a lot going on to keep your mind busy and entertained.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were deep and likeable, and the story was very engaging. I loved the historical tie ins too, as the author often has.

"Love is not a bargain . . ."

Have you ever been absolutely smitten by a novel before?! I was SMITTEN! I thought about this book when I wasn't reading and couldn't wait to pick it back up.

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a MUST READ. Following several storylines from 1951-52, 2008 and 2022, this book centers around Hannah and Mallory, and a cobra bracelet that connects them both. Hannah Ainsworth is married to a British Diplomat with a desk job in Cairo, Egypt due to his health. After a near death experience with a cobra, where she is saved by hotel manager Lucien Beck - a love affair begins. When she realizes she is pregnant, Hannah has a choice to make about her future.

Fast-forward to 2022, Mallory is living with her son, Sam, that has kidney failure after eating a bad mushroom at camp. His father, a famous musician, doesn't know he exists until a meeting on Winthrop Island, where the uncanny resemblance and timeline leave Monk with no doubt that he is his child. So why the secrets? Why did Mallory never tell Monk that he was a father? And where does Hannah and Lucien come into play with all of this?

I was so invested in this historical fiction meets romance novel! While I loved every part, I really looked forward to the sections that involved Monk - I fell in love with Monk and Mallory! What a real-age book about all the different ups and downs with love, marriage, commitment, affairs, and divorce. I think Paige, Mallory's sister, was my favorite character!

This was my first book by Williams but it will NOT be my last. I will quickly find another one of her novels and I'm sure I will devour it just as much I did this one. I will highly be recommending this author and this novel - it was captivating, alluring, engaging and thought-provoking. I also feel like I learned some about Egypt and the middle east after the war. This was an easy 5 stars! This book comes out on June 25, 2024 - go preorder it NOW!

Thank you NetGalley for this spectacular arc - by far one of the best books I have read this year!

"Life's supposed to be hard. You have to fight for what you love."

This was such an interesting story. It covered a large span of time, which each chapter focused on. I wasn't sure how it would all come together in the end, but the author weaved the story just so.

I will admit, I got confused at times, trying to remember who everyone was as the chapters jumped through time. I did figure it out, though, and very much enjoyed the overall story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beatriz Williams does it again with this book! Husbands and Lovers is her third book that takes us to the families of Winthrop Island, with multi-generational twist.

Williams’s book begins in 2022 New England with an introduction of one of our main characters, Mallory, as she learns that her son has eaten a poison mushroom and will need a new kidney. Next, the story brings us to 1952 Egypt to meet Hannah, a diplomates wife staying in Cairo.

The plot unfolds masterfully as we go back and forth between these two women’s, learning about their lives, lovers, and the unearthed connections between them (will not write more on that as to avoid spoilers).

Plots with multiple MCs, timelines, and flashbacks can sometimes be more confusing than they are worth, but I did not feel that way with this book. It was so well handled, and I was hooked from the very first chapter.

After reading The Summer Wives a few years ago, I was excited to read this book and thrilled to have the opportunity to review it! I found myself looking forward to reading this book every day. I couldn’t get enough!

Husbands and Lovers is a book I will recommend endlessly! I cannot wait for others to have the opportunity to dive into this story.

Beatriz Williams always writes amazing books with historical background that are entertaining. Husbands and Lovers was an entertwining tale that kept me wanting more. I was engaged with this book through its entirety.

I was so excited to get a copy of this book. I enjoy Beatriz Williams' books so much and this one was no different. This one is about two struggling women but who are living at different times in history. I enjoy historical fiction about two heroines connected by a family heirloom. Mallory and Hannah were both such great characters that we got to learn more and more about as the book went on through their stories and a handful of perspective chapters from their romantic partners. Bouncing back and forth from present day New England to post World War II Cairo, you see the choices the characters made and how those choices impacted their lives. I appreciate that the historical setting is just past World War II and not a World War II set book as I feel that has been overdone in literature. Overall, I enjoyed this one and will definitely recommend it to others.

I absolutely loved this book! As a longtime reader and fan of Beatriz Williams, I knew I'd enjoy this, but it's now my favorite of all her books. The various storylines are woven seamlessly throughout. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, coastal settings, and a bit of intrigue. This author never disappoints.

This was my first Beatriz Williams book and I will definitely pick up another! This story is set with 2 storylines, one more present and one from the past in Egypt. At first it’s hard to see how they will make sense together, but as the story unfolds it becomes evident. While I enjoyed the current storyline the most, by the end of the book I was glued to what happened with each woman in each time. The surprises kept coming, and I was truly rooting for all the strong women in this story! I stayed up way too late to finish this and it did not disappoint.


I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy thanks to Random House, Netgalley and the author.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a novel that spans generations. It is a tale of love lost revealing lots of secrets and surprises. It kept my interest the entire time reading it

"Two women - separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom - reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.

New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads - her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory's forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother's adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams - one of the world's most beloved singer-songwriters - a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.

Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself - marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah's longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men...and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands and Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England.

Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues - of privilege, class, and the female experience - inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life."

There's nothing that says summer like a Beatriz Williams book. I mean it, just look at that cover!

5 out of 5 stars!

2 women, from separate times and continents, are somehow connected. Mallory Dune, from New England in 2022 just got the call every parent dreads. Her son, Sam, is fighting for his life in the hospital after eating a death cap mushroom that is highly toxic. Since the incident, Mallory has been searching for someone who will donate a kidney as Sam’s is shutting down. But, she would do anything for her son. Including talking to a famous singer-songwriter, Monk Adams. Who she had a romance with 14 years ago. Along the way, she uncovers a family secret that unravels more than finding a donor.

Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian in Cairo in 1951, had a huge change in her life. She has gone from a refugee to being a wife of a wealthy British diplomat. But since having a passionate affair, she is no longer afraid of her past life. In fact, she starts to embrace it. But as tensions rise in Egypt, so does her love life. And, a sacrifice will have to be made that will have lasting effects for generations.

“Husbands & Lovers” is my first book by Beatriz Williams, but it won’t be my last. I am telling you right now, this is the beach read of 2024. I was so captivated by this book, I couldn’t put it down. It has everything everyone could want. Not only 1, but 2 romances. It has 2 storylines; historical fiction, comedy, mystery, suspense, and twists I didn’t see coming. I was truly sad when I finished this book because I could have read more about each storyline for chapters to come!

The romances in this book were heartbreaking, passionate, and felt so realistic. Like I said, not only do you get one, but you get 2 romance storylines in this novel. Each chapter changes time and perspective. So it switches between Hannah’s in 1951, Mallory in 2008, and Mallory in 2022. These storylines work so well together and end with such a cliffhanger! You will keep telling yourself, “one more chapter…”

I loved both main characters, Hannah and Mallory. They were smart, charming, realistic women who had such feminine energy. I honestly liked all the characters in this novel, they all played such important parts and executed their characters perfectly. Mallory has a sister, Paige, and their relationship as sisters was incredible. I think Paige brought a lot to the story and was the perfect sidekick for Mallory.

I felt like I understood more of Mallory’s story, due to being unfamiliar with the history of Egypt in 1951. But, I think the author did a great job of giving the reader enough information to understand what was going on. In fact, if you don’t already know what happened in Egypt around that time, I recommend not researching for more of a twist. Either way, I loved the historical component and felt like it fit in perfectly with the other storylines.
I felt like I had no idea what was going to be happening in this novel. You think you have an idea with the synopsis hinting at multiple things, but the twists that came in this book shocked me. The mystery in the book took it to another level.

Pick up “Husbands & Lovers” by Beatriz Williams on June 25th, 2024!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Beatriz Williams, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars!

Review will be published on Goodreads on 6/10/24, my instagram account @mycuppacoffee_books on June 10th and also on Amazon on publication date June 25th.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6553876704

Two women, in two different eras, and from three different timelines, fight for love and family in this beautiful book from Beatriz Williams.

Cairo Egypt 1951- Hannah, a Hungarian, is married to an elderly British diplomat, but falls in love with Lucien. Hannah really wants a baby but as she navigates her affair with Lucian, she must also try to keep herself safe in a politically charged and dangerous post war Egypt.

New York June 2008- Mallory and Monk are friends from school and she gets a job for the summer as a nanny to Monk's young siblings. This timeline follows Monk and Malloy’s love story in the summer of 2008 and shows not only how they fell in love but also explains what tore them apart.

Summer 2022 Mallory’s son, Sam, is in kidney failure after ingesting a death cap mushroom at summer camp 3 years prior. While trying to find a suitable donor she must come face to face with her son's father, now famous musician, Monk Adams. Meanwhile, her sister Paige finds a shocking discovery that their mother was adopted. They start exploring their newfound family while also wanting to find a donor who may be a match to Sam.

Usually when a book goes between timelines I gravitate towards the one that I'm most interested in but I loved all three timelines and was eager to see what happened in each era. Hannah's story was sad but she was so strong and brave it was encouraging to watch her navigate her life and discover all she had been through in her past already. Malloy and Monk's love story was beautiful but also heartbreaking. The fact they had an opportunity at a second chance gave me all the feels and I loved that he was able to connect with his son and become a part of his life.

The book weaves together a story of family, love and loss and the lengths at which people go to save the ones they cherish.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Beatriz Williams- first time reader! Would recommend and read her again.
Genre: Romance, historical fiction

#bookstagram #BeatrizWilliams #HusbandsAndLovers #Fiction #HistoricalFiction #Romance #NetGalley

Beatriz Williams’ latest is a combination of historical fiction and romance and doesn’t disappoint. Multiple timelines and amazing characters make this a book that was hard to put down.
The main characters are Mallory, a single parent of ten year old Sam. Mallory has two timelines; the present and her teen/college years, where she and Monk , an aspiring musician, spend a wonderful summer on the beaches of New England. . We also meet Hannah, who lives in Cairo, Egypt with her diplomat husband Allistair , during the 1950’s. Hannah is in a loveless marriage and meets Lucien, who has some secrets of his own. We learn of their connection through a beautiful family heirloom that Mallory owns.
The book is so well written, I felt as if I traveled from New England to the dusty streets of Cairo as I read. Tragedy, triumph and secrets take the reader on a fabulous journey . I’m hoping that there might be a sequel to this, so we can continue to follow the characters on their journeys to love and happiness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this advanced copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five Stars all the way!! Beatriz Williams has never let me down and Husbands & Lovers was no exception to this. No one does a dual timeline like her. I loved both of these plots individually but I was so invested in seeing how they intertwined throughout the book. I really enjoyed Mallory’s dynamic with Monk and found myself rooting for them the entire time, and really enjoyed how her storyline also flipped back and forth in time, almost giving The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes. Hannah’s storyline kept me guessing the entire time and when I tell you my jaw dropped at the cobra bracelet ending. I can’t say enough good things about this book- definitely one of the best reads of the year for me and can’t wait to see this book get all of the praise that it deserves!