Nobody does juicy historical fiction like Beatriz Williams! She's a master and blending drama and realistic human emotion in a way that makes her a must read and she doesn't disappoint here.

Family secrets. A secret love child. A secret adoption. How do the two connect? The story of a daughter and her decision to keep her son a secret from his father and her mother’s decision to keep her adoption from her daughters is the premise for this captivating story.

Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love

The book is good from the beginning, but starts a little slow and I initially had some issues with the MCs parenting decisions. But I ended up changing my mind and appreciating the background. I flew through the second half of the book and was emotionally spent by the end! There are several stories intertwined and all were done well! There’s mystery and romance but also history! This could easily have been just another typical “summer read” filled with cliche characters and scenarios, clear heros vs. villains and perfectly wrapped up endings. It does deliver a great summer read, but there is depth both in the characters’ personalities, their feelings and their stories. One of my favorite things is the little tidbit of the cobra bracelet. I also like the cameo appearances from the Summerly books, without over explaining. These little details are what pushed this from a 4 to 5 star for me! Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes! However I did find myself not wanting to pick it up. The dual timelines at times were slightly chaotic and I found myself confused having to go check where I am at, maybe if it were told in 1st person I would have been able to identify a little better but nonetheless I did enjoy it. There was so much that happened in this book it’s hard to properly organize my thoughts but it was interesting to read the dramas of these two women’s lives!

Beatriz Williams writes juicy, long novels full of original characters caught up in life. Husbands & Lovers is part historical fiction and part contemporary fiction involving DNA and paternity. As a college student, Mallory, a commercial art student, is hired as a nanny for a family at a wealthy Connecticut beach community. She falls in love with Monk, the oldest son in the family, whom she knows from high school. Fast forward 13 years, and Mallory is raising her son, Sam, as a single mother. A parallel story is set in Egypt in the 1950s telling the story of Mallory's grandparents and mother. The two stories are tied together through the cobra bracelet Mallory received after her mother died. Husbands & Lovers is a perfect summer vacation or weekend read. Highly recommended along with Williams's previous novels.

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.

What a captivating book! Beatriz Williams has created a totally immersive story centered around two amazing, strong women. Mallory is a present-day single mother and artist with a seriously ill young son. Hannah's story is set amidst the turbulent times in Egypt during the 1950's, who finds love but is trapped in a loveless marriage. There is mystery and intrigue swirling throughout, as Mallory and her sister delve into the past to uncover their family history and secrets from the past. It is a unique blend of the two stories, Hannah’s life altering war experiences and struggle for survival, and Mallory’s determination to save her son and find a way forward for them both. The two plots twist throughout and kept me spellbound as a combination of old documents, modern technology and a golden cobra bracelet finally reveal the connection between Mallory and Hannah.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Beatriz Williams for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Husbands & Lovers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction novel. I was fascinated by grandmother, Hannah and her story in Cairo during the 1950's. This was part of history that I am not very familiar with. The writing is descriptive, filled with emotions and I felt like I was there and part of the story too. I also enjoyed equally the modern story of Mallory and her connection to Hannah along with her own family drama and decisions she makes in her life. I especially liked how the two stories are intertwined and add Ireland in between for an additional conflict.
I had difficulty keeping the characters and stories organized in my head. The author gives us pieces of the story with major parts missing. Everything eventually falls into place once the pieces fit into the big picture. It's probably just me, but I have a hard time waiting for the story to make sense. It keeps me on my toes to focus and digest all the details.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

MY OH MY!!! Where do I begin?! I have such mixed feelings about this book. While on one hand, the story boasts of mystery, drama, and romance, offering everything one could desire in a narrative! On the other hand, it suffers from an overload of multiple timelines, topics, and details, making it chaotic and diluting the story's focus. For instance, this narrative delves into the lives of two female characters across generations. One character's storyline spans two timelines, tackling themes such as health issues, family drama and secrets, secret pregnancies, divorce, single parent, affairs, adoptions, and historical events from the 1950's, including wartime settings and espionage. Not to mention, the story is told from a third person perspective. As they say, less is often more, and simplifying could improve the narrative's effectiveness. Personally, I believe separating the two narratives would allow them to stand alone as distinct stories, thereby enhancing clarity.

Overall, I am glad I read the book, though I wish it had been moe expanded upon, and the ending felt rushed and somewhat abrupt, lacking better execution. As my first read by this author, while I didn't love it, I'm still willing to give her another try.⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW. What a wonderful novel. I laughed, I cried, I stayed up late. The details in this one is what really makes this book stand out - anyone can write a slow burn, but can you write it so full of tragedy, angst, mystery and suspense that it keeps you up at night? Keeps you thinking about it while doing the dishes? Alters your mood while reading until it’s all resolved? Not every book becomes THAT real, and that’s why I love reading standout novels like this one.

Husbands & Lovers is such a beautiful multi-generational tale that feels like two totally separate stories in the first couple chapters, but then everything comes together slowly (but surely)! The cast of characters is deep, well thought out and complicated enough to keep the reader engaged. I still have so many questions about Lucien….Beatriz! Help me out!

Here’s the deal - I finished this book and immediately went to instagram to message Beatriz herself. I love letting authors know when their books rechart my life and this one did just that - I couldn’t put it down. And yes…I cried. Don’t read this on the treadmill!

loved the current/recent timelines
historical timeline was a bit tough to follow when there was a random flashback

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

I can’t resist a Beatriz Williams novel and this one is chockful of some of my favorite elements—a dual timeline, romance, and well-drawn characters.

The current day timeline follows Mallory, a single mother whose son is extremely ill. For an important reason, she’s done all she can to hide the identity of her son’s father. But the boy’s dire need for a kidney and unforeseen circumstances force her to rethink that decision. The other timeline follows Hannah, a woman stuck in a loveless marriage during the tumultuous environment of Egypt in the 1950s.

Both women are strong, flawed, appealing, and interesting—as are the other characters. There were times I wanted to yell at them for making such poor decisions. But isn’t that how life is? Frustrating, complicated, joyful, and fraught with regrets.

The historical period is especially fascinating too. I love anything Egyptian and anything about the ‘50s, so it’s a double hitter. And the 2022 storyline explores celebrity, the lives of the privileged in New England, and being a single parent.

You’ll enjoy getting lost in yet another Williams’ winner. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors. I have read many of her books. I just knew I was going to love this book.
This book is an amazing story of two women 70 years apart, who paths are woven together united by an heirloom.
Mallory is a single Mom who spent her youth one summer on Winthrop Island. Mallory and Monk were teenage lovers. They hadn’t seen his other for 14 years.
A tragic event tore them apart. Mallory and Monk meet again.

Egypt 1952 Hannah is a Hungarian refugee married to a British diplomat. Hannah’s story is not a happy one as we learn of her life during World War II and then in Cairo living a loveless marriage.
The two stories are beautifully woven together by remarkable bracelet. Mallory discovers that she was adopted, and that the bracelet that her mother left her has ties to Egypt.
This was a captivating story. A real page turner. I couldn’t put it down
I was very fortunate to receive this advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House -Ballantine Books.
Highly recommended.

This was a fantastic story from beginning to end.. Dual POV from two women whose lives are intertwined in a dramatic way. Fun twists with likeable strong female characters .from different decades. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC

Five stars! I am just blown away, what a fantastic and unforgettable journey this book took me on. This is my first book by Beatriz Williams, and I will absolutely be reading more of her novels in the future.

We follow the lives of Mallory Dunne in 2022, and Hannah Ainsworth in 1951; entangled in a world woven together thread by thread. I could not put this book down. From the streets of Cairo, to the beaches of New England, I was spellbound.

What a beautiful love story for these characters.

I cannot wait to tell others about this book!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams. There are several story lines in this book. Mallory is a single mother and her son needs a kidney transplant. While spending the summer with her sister and her family, she sees her boyfriend from the past, who is now a huge rock star, and who is also the father of her son (he does not know). There is also a past story of the sisters’ grandmother, who lived in Egypt, and had secrets of her own. It was a fun story, kind of a beach read but with a little more to it. #husbands&lovers #beatrizwilliams #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

This was an interesting, enjoyable, engaging, and quick read. Likeable characters and interesting story lines.

Williams’ riveting dual timeline story follows single mother Mallory, whose gravely ill son Sam is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, and Harriet, an unhappily married Englishwoman in 1950s Cairo who has a scandalous affair with hotel manager Lucien. The two storylines converge as Mallory searches for a kidney donor: can she reconnect with Sam’s father, her king-lost love, now a major rock star and about to be married, who doesn’t know he has a son? What about her mother’s family? DNA has just revealed she’s adopted; is there any way to find them? Well developed characters highlight this richly emotional story, sure to appeal to Williams’ many fans as well as readers of Kate Morton and Nicola Cornick.

This is a story that will stick with you! I loved the dual plotlines of current day New England and 1950's Egypt. There was such a contrast, but so many things that are still the same. I was rooting for Monk and Mallory the whole time. I loved the happy ending!