This book had such an interesting premise I was so excited to read it. It alternates between two women’s stories that are inextricably linked. Mallory is in modern day New England. She’s an artist, who after a tragic accident, is caring for her teenage son who needs a kidney transplant. She isn’t a match but is trying as hard as possible to avoid reaching out to the estranged father, who doesn’t know her son exists— and also happens to be a famous musician. The other woman is Hannah, a Hungarian refugee living in post-war 1952 Cairo, Egypt, adjusting to her life married to a British Diplomat. Hannah is bitten by a snake and her life is changed forever.

I thought both timelines and characters were well developed, but rooted for Mallory’s story a bit more and felt like there was so much to uncover there, that the entire book could have been from her POV both past + present.

However, it was still a fabulous read with lots of twists and turns. I loved the themes of love, loss, grief, endurance, identity and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

I love a good historical fiction novel and this didn’t disappoint with a unique locale (Egypt), and a modern timeline that captured my attention quickly. I had a hard time putting this book down as the character’s story arcs progressed and mysteries were revealed.

My only issue was some of the “flashbacks” came on suddenly in the chapters and confused me for a minute.

An excellent summer read!

Overall, I enjoyed this story. I liked the characters, some more than others. I rooted for them too find the love and answers they were seeking. As some other reviews have stated, the chapters varied from different POV and timelines. For the most part it flowed smoothly and was easy to follow. At times the plot dragged on and things became confusing.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams was an ARC provided by NetGalley. This book’s publisher is by Ballantine Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. The publishing release date is set for June 25, 2024.

I enjoyed this novel and the alternating chapters with generational storylines at the end hoping they mesh at some point. Unfortunately because of the alternating chapters, this book took me longer than usual to complete.

We have a storyline of the grandmother who has a couple marriages and an affair; the granddaughter is attempting to locate genetic information on family, since her own mother appears to have been adopted. The information is important as an accidental consumption of a poisoned mushroom has caused her young son, Sam, to need kidney dialysis to live.

Love stories of the three generations provide drama all through book. A good family plot line. The one twist at the end was believable and the last page was heart warming.

4/5 stars

This book was amazing.

It grabbed my attention from the start. The two different timelines made it impossible to put down. It’s a great mix of historical fiction and romance.

Hannah’s parts of the book were excellent. You felt for her and hoped the best. I rooted for Mallory to find love and happiness the whole book.

Such a great read!

Very enjoyable read. This book beautifully interweaves the stories of Mallory and Hannah.. though for those who prefer linear rads, I would advise against it. The characters shift from chapter to chapter, and the timelines moves back and forth chapter to chapter, even sometimes in the middle of chapters. I lover stories that do that but many do not. Sometime I felt the written could have been condensed, the dialog would ramble on and on, longer than needed, and if Monk hung his hand on the back of his neck one more time I was going to scream.

This is one of those stories that takes place in two time periods and locations. The story opens in 2022 New England where a mother struggles to find a kidney donor for her son. The search opens up secrets of the past. The second story line takes place in 1950s Cairo. Here a woman is finding love amidst an atmosphere of intrigue and unrest. To find how the two are related you will need to read the book.

Beatriz Williams is such a strong writer. I have never read one of her books and was in awe of her ability to immediately grab the reader’s attention and elicit an emotional response. Jumping back and forth between two female leads across decades and oceans can be difficult, but Beatriz did it seamlessly. I was fortunate to have the time to read this in one day – something I don’t always have the attention span to do. But the fast pacing, colorful descriptions, and language allowed me to devour this story. While a few details annoyed me throughout, especially at the end, this was still a solid four stars.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Mallory is a single mother to a ten-year-old boy in 2022 in New England when he ingests a deathly mushroom at camp, leaving him needing a new kidney. Life continues for the next two years, with the need to find a donor steadily increasing, and taking a DNA test to find additional matches becomes crucial. Flashback to Cairo, Egypt, in 1951, Hannah, a Hungarian refugee, is married to a British diplomat for stability (and not love). When the war creeps into Egypt, and Hannah finds herself pregnant with her lover’s baby, decisions that affect an entire genetic line are made.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy. I will post the review on my Instagram page two weeks before publication and again in my stories on the publication date. I will additionally add the review to Goodreads.

After the prologue of this book, I had no idea the journey it would take me on. The romance between the characters was beautiful in both the past and the present. The historical piece set in Egypt was unlike any other book I have read before. I loved every second of this book!

This is a tale of two women. Mallory needs a kidney for her son, whose kidneys were injured after accidentally eating a poison mushroom. Her best resort is to face her son’s father, a famous singer named Monk with whom she had a fling long ago in college before he became famous. Hannah is a Hungarian refugee after World War II who is married to an English diplomat. While they are living in Cairo, her husband becomes enamored with a spy, and Hannah falls for Lucien, their driver and guide. The interesting stories of these two women intertwine and are told through multiple timelines. I have enjoyed other books by Beatriz Williams, and I generally love multiple timelines, but I found this novel to be good but definitely not great — mostly because the switching between storylines and timelines seemed pretty disjointed. I also had a hard time relating to Mallory’s character, and although I admire that the author generally develops rather strong and sassy female characters, Mallory was just too much for me. All in all, though, this was a good read.

Husbands & Lovers is the first book I’ve read by Beatriz Williams, and I am a fan! This book included historical events, mystery, love, betrayal, all the attributes that make a book a page-turner!
I loved the way the different storylines were weaved together to show the big picture. The characters were well written and developed. I, personally, could’ve done without so much cursing, but I realize is not a big deal to most.
Really enjoyed the book!! Thank you!

Took a bit too keep the two main characters straight as this book goes back and forth between them.
Overall I liked it but hard to stay invested at times.

This was a bit different to me than other Beatriz Williams books. More of the story was on present day, with only smaller flashbacks to the historical period in the 1950s. It was all woven together well, just not exactly what I expected. That said, I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

Rating: 4 Stars

I devoured this book. Beatriz Williams is a comfort read for me - she writes beautiful characters, suspenseful plots, and (generally) happy endings. This book was no different.

I did have a few quibbles with the story structure. For once (you never hear me say this but) I wish the past timeline just... wasn't there. Flashing back between 2008 and 2022 for Mallory's story was enough to keep me engaged, and I didn't really need Egypt in 1952. The connection between the two timelines was not a big enough plot line in Mallory's story to make me want to keep reading the Egypt part.

That being said, Mallory's timeline was WONDERFUL. I loved everything about it. I didn't want it to end, and when I got to the last 10% of the book, I realized that Beatriz Williams had even more surprises in store. Such a fun book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this Advanced Reader's Copy. Thoughts and opinions were all my own. This book publishes on June 25th.

Thank you Net Galley for a fabulous read, Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams. This book was one of my favorite reads so far this year. The story spanned two different time periods, in Egypt and New England.

The characters in both stories were lovable, and their experiences mirrored each other. I love historical fiction, and enjoyed this story.

I can’t wait for this book to release. It was one of my favorite by Beatriz Williams!

"Husbands & Lovers" took me on an incredible journey! Imagine blending New England charm with Egyptian intrigue—how awesome is that?

First of all, Mallory and Hannah are such captivating heroines. Sure, they make some questionable decisions early on, but as their stories unfold, everything starts to click. The settings are amazing too! From New England's beaches to Cairo's streets, the vivid descriptions had me completely absorbed.

The romance between Mallory and Monk is both magical and heartbreaking, their connection so strong it spans years. Hannah's story is equally captivating, filled with both passion and sacrifice. The twists and turns in their narratives kept me on the edge of my seat, always guessing what would happen next.

The book is full of family secrets and surprising twists that kept me hooked until the final page. And it dives into deep themes like heartbreak, redemption, and betrayal—so well done.

Honestly, "Husbands & Lovers" is a must-read. It has everything—romance, mystery, drama—wrapped up in an addictive package. I can't wait to explore more of Beatriz Williams's work after this!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Beatriz Williams is one of my go-to authors for historical fiction. Her characters are always so well-developed and her settings are always vividly described. Husbands and Lovers was no different. Impeccably researched and well-written, I was immediately immersed in the story. I also liked the connection to some of her previous works. My only complaint is sometimes the time jumps were a little difficult to follow. Other than that, this was another win for Ms. Williams! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review.

I always enjoy Beatriz Williams books. Her characters are relatable and sympathetic. However, as much as her writing was up to her usual enjoyability, the plot had too many unrealistic twists and turn. I don’t see it as her best work.

I’ve been a Beatriz Williams’ fan for about ten years so when I saw she was releasing a book this summer, I knew I had to add it to my list. Then I read the synopsis and was completely sold. The story follows two women separated not only by decades, but also by continents, but their stories are pulled together by a family heirloom they have both worn. Hannah Ainsworth has come out of WW2 as a Hungarian refugee making a new life for herself as wife to a British diplomat in Cairo in 1951. Mallory Dunne is dealing with being a single mother in Connecticut in 2022. Both of them have complex relationships with the men in their lives, their husbands and lovers. When Mallory’s son is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, we learn about his father and her former love, as well as her family’s history as they look for a match.

Williams has absolutely nailed it with this one and I have no doubt this will be one of the best reads of the summer. I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating narration split between Hannah and Mallory’s stories. I also loved the other characters who fleshed out the story, specifically Mallory’s sister. Williams paints such descriptive worlds that you feel transported between post-war Egypt and the present day coast of New England. If you are a fan of Williams already, you’ll love this one. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, but enjoy dual timeline novels with strong female characters, I think you’ll highly enjoy it. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story is told in a then and now format with then taking place in Cairo, Egypt 1951 and now taking place in New England 2022 with swings back to 2008. I did enjoy both eras of this book but probably the now segments a little more. I did not care for this author's style of writing as it was confusing at times and I found myself backtracking to try to figure out who was speaking. I also felt there were some loose ends that were not tied up at the end. Despite those issues, I did enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballentine for the ARC of this book.