Wow!! Wow!! Wow!! This book was unbelievable good. I enjoyed every minute of it and didn’t want it to end. I am a new reader for this author and had been hearing a lot about this book. I’m so happy that I read it.

TW/// Sexual assault, Rape

This was a real roller coaster of changed ratings for me.
This book starts off with such a zany, kooky situation happening that it literally made me say, "Huh??" out loud.
The whole impetus for the plot of the novel is the fact that the main character's son eats a bad mushroom at summer camp and almost dies.

Now, obviously that can happen, but it just immediately set me off on what ended up being a scavenger hunt to find the tone of this novel.

Was it serious literary fiction, or a humorous romp? Was this supposed to be more soap-operaey? I never quite figured that out.
A lot of the more serious details that would have given this novel more of a backbone and made me identify with, and root for, the characters, just weren't present.

I didn't like Mallory. I didn't particularly understand why anyone did, even without the fact that she didn't tell the father of her child that he had a son for 13 years and then only told him because he accidentally found out.
Without a strong reason (like if he was abusive or a criminal) that's objectively shitty behavior.
And hey, I can get behind a protag who is paying for something shitty that she did in the past.
Only Mallory never really...paid? Monk forgave her pretty quickly even before finding out the dark secret that led to her leaving without a goodbye.
He kept jokingly calling her "Miss Integrity" and I was like...why? She stole your son for 13 years. She cheated on her boyfriend to get with you and then cheated on ANOTHER guy to get back with you later on. Where is the integrity in that? I'm confused.

But, truthfully, Mallory comes by that deceitful streak honestly, because the story alternates between her and her grandmother who also cheated on her husband.
It turns out that Mallory's mother was adopted, and that her grandparents were not her mother's biological parents.
Mallory's actual grandmother, Hannah got pregnant with a baby via an affair that she had while she was living with her English diplomat husband in Cario and he took her to Ireland to have the baby and give it up for adoption.
The part where Mallory and her sister visit Ireland to find the convent where their mother was born is the worst part of the book.
I have no idea why the author decided to drag the proud nation of Ireland into this story since it doesn't seem like she did much research before including a section about the Magdalene Laundries that was just really out of place and borderline offensive.

I am not from Ireland, and it's entirely possible that someone who is from Ireland would have a different take on this but I got to the part where the author referred to driving by a sign with an "unpronounceable Gaelic name" and just thought that left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Referring to a native language that was stolen from its speakers as "unpronounceable" just rubbed me the wrong way.
Also, it's not Gaelic, it's Gaeilge, which is the name that the Irish use to refer to their language. That may be a small detail but it just feels like a basic respect thing to me.

I was really looking forward to this book and was really excited to get an arc of it, but it ended up letting me down. I'm not usually a huge lover of Literary Fiction so maybe it's my own fault for letting my expectations get too high!
Either way, one star.

Well written historical fiction. My first read by Beatriz Williams, but, not my last. The characters are phenomenal. Each one touches just the right tone for this storyline. Mallery and Monks love story is timeless. Hannah and her courage to persevere is thought provoking. Must read. Highly recommend.
I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

Beatriz Williams has done a wonderful job with ‘Husbands & Lovers. This story takes you from Cairo Egypt in the 1950’s to Mystic, CT, Cape Cod, MA and fictional Winthrop Island in the LI Sound in the 21st century. Ms. Williams has added romance, espionage and stardom to create an enjoyable read.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an unexpected 5 stars read for me. I have cried so so much and felt even more that i had to give it five stars. This was so heartbreaking and bittersweet yet such an incredible story. The struggle and the growth characters go through really impacted me.
I am so happy i gave it a chance. Highly recommend!

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I enjoy it even more when the story is set in multiple timelines and POV. Our modern-day FMC Mallory is a single mom of a boy in need of a kidney transplant with no viable matches. Our 1950's post-war FMC Hannah is living in Cairo, Egypt with her much older husband. Both characters have heartbreaking back-stories. The convergence of the storylines had me holding my breath at times. While Mallory and her sister, Paige, work to unravel a family secret, Mallory is coming to terms with the events that led up to her unexpected pregnancy and the decisions she made in the aftermath. As a side note, if you work in the world of organ transplant, you will need to call on your powers of "willing suspension of disbelief". A solid read for fans of the genre.

A captivating novel that weaves together the lives of two women across decades and continents. The story is timeless and bittersweet. The characters are engaging and grapple with complex moral dilemmas.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Husbands and Lovers is an intensely historical search for ancestors and answers with emphasis on romance then and now. The importance of DNA and its results to save a life is at the forefront throughout. keeps you mystified throughout never losing interest on the hidden secrets of generations.

Mallory Dunne and Wealthy ,Monk Adams have been friends since private school. They are leading separate lives at two different colleges. Thus ,Mallory was surprised when Monk asked her to be a nanny for the summer to his young step siblings. She left her boyfriend to spend the summer at Winthrope Island and live at Monk’s family beach house. Monk and Mallory realize they are more than friends, and fall deeply in love. Mallory suddenly leaves, and Monk is bewildered and devastated Thirteen years later, Mallory’s son, Sam, needs a kidney transplant, and Mallory is desperate to find a donor .
In the second storyline, Mallory’s. sister, Paige, while trying to locate a donor for Sam, discovers their mother was adopted in Ireland. As she discovers her mother’s genetic heritage, secrets of the past are revealed. The two stories merge into the present with stunning revelations and heartache

Whatever you do, STOP and read this book!

Husbands and Lovers follow two different women, decades apart. We start of the book with Mallory's story. She is a single mom, who has a sick son in need of a kidney transplant. Then, we go into Hannah's story who is in Egypt in the early 50s. Both of these women are faced into obstacles and in the end come out even stronger.

Beatriz Williams is a new-to-me author. Although historical fiction is not my favorite genre, I truly enjoyed this book. The way she described each period, the characters and their feelings, I truly felt like I was there with them. The hopeless romantic in me wanted more of Mallory and Monk's story in the beginning, but towards the end I really felt for Hannah and all that she had to overcome.

After research of this author, I definitely need to head back to Winthrop Island!

Thank you Random House for the ARC.

This was my first book by Beatriz Williams. It was also a book that got me out of a reading slump. I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. It was hard to put down, I was completely engrossed in the characters and story. We have two timelines, one in New England in 2022, and the other in Cairo, Egypt in 1951. The story was huge on character development, which I love. I absolutely loved Hannah and her time Cairo. Reading it, took me right there. I felt the chemistry between her and Lucien. Mallory and Monk's story got a tad little far fetched at times, but it didn't really bother me. This has everything you need in a romance.....dual timelines, two stories that flashback to the past, a little bit of spice, atmospheric writing, and a story that will tug at your heartstrings. I loved this. I cannot wait to read more by this author. 5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors, but I did not feel this one lived up to her other books. It is told through two timelines. I enjoyed both stories, but they did not always seem to link together. There was also the use of derogatory language, which I did not feel was necessary. It felt like I was reading a romance and an historical fiction story, and they did not go together. I think they could have been two separate books. With that being said, I enjoyed the characters, and thought they were very well developed. Beatriz Williams is still one of my favorite authors, and I will continue to read her books.

I am a big fan of Beatriz Williams and her latest novel, Husbands & Lovers, definitely measures up to her usual high standard. Told over three time lines and from multiple POVs, I thought it might be a bit confusing but Williams pulls it all together beautifully.

Story line #1: Mallory is a single parent to her 10 year old son Sam who is in need of a new kidney. Her sister Paige tries to persuade Mallory to get in touch with Sam’s father, Monk, to see if he is a match. Mallory has not seen Monk since before Sam’s birth and Monk is not aware he has a son. When Mallory and Monk have a chance encounter, Monk has become a famous singer and engaged to be married.
Story Line #2: Hannah is a Hungarian refugee who is now the wife of an English diplomat. Hannah’s life had been nothing but turmoil and loss before she married her new husband. Now, haw far will se go to get what she wants most, a baby.

Husbands & Lovers is part historical fiction and part romance. The characters are feisty, fun and realistic. The story lines are captivating and draw you in from the very beginning. I will be eagerly awaiting the next Beatriz Williams novel but in the meantime, you won’t want to miss this one. Happy reading.

✨Review✨

Beatriz Williams knows how to write a great book. I really enjoyed her book Summer Wives and was very excited to get an advanced copy of this. Two woman who are from different times but are untied by a heirloom of their family. This one got me from the very start. A newly single mom gets the WORST phone call- her son ate a poisonous mushroom while he was away at summer camp and is airlifted to the hospital. As she searches for a donor kidney she digs into her moms adoption from an Irish orphanages. As well as confront her sons dad who is a famous singer-songwriter that she didn’t plan to reunite with. Beatriz grips the reader from the beginning and keeps the pages turning with full anticipation. I was so attached to the main character as she was on this wild journey- I love a book that takes you to another place and makes you feel the characters heart in such a deep way. Add this to your TBR lists for a great summer read. It comes out June 24. Thank you @netgalley @authorbeatriz @randomhouse for the advance copy of this phenomenal book! #netgalley #beatrizwilliams #husbandsandlovers

I've always been a fan of Beatriz Williams. Loved this book. I enjoyed both timelines but just thought the timelines weren't very connected.

In another masterful blending of the past and present Beatriz Williams tells the story of Mallory Dunne, a single mother whose son has a near death encounter with accidental poisoning that leaves his kidneys compromised. Reluctant to involve his father, who is out of the picture, Mallory and her sister begin to dig into their family's heritage hoping to find a donor. Things get confusing when they realize that their mother was adopted, and the only tie they may have to the truth is an unique cobra shaped bracelet that Mallory inherited from her mother that belonged to her biological grandmother. The sisters try to unravel this mystery to understand their family ties and perhaps to find a donor for Mallory's son.

Shift to Cairo, in 1951 where war refugee Hannah Ainsworth now lives a comfortable life with her husband a wealthy British diplomat assigned to Egypt. He may not be the love of her life, but she is safe and comfortable in the marriage. An affair with the dashing manager of a hotel in the city leaves Hannah pregnant and in danger as the situation in Egypt becomes more perilous for foreigners. Hannah survives the violence while her lover is killed, but she is taken to an orphanage where the only gift she has to give her child is a safe home in the United States and a stunning bracelet that holds clues to her family story.

As the mysteries unfold and Mallory learns about her grandmother's past, her own past emerges with the return of her son's dad into their lives. The reasons that their relationship ended are revealed and doors are opened for new relationships to be formed. All of the characters are fully realized and relatable, and the story pulls you along until all of the mysteries are made clear. Beatriz Williams always immerses the reader in time and place and Husbands and Lovers is a wonderful gift to her fans.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From publisher Random House: 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. 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.
Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair. 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.
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My review: I liked the different timelines in this book. It was not confusing as some novels are and they began to mesh together and make sense just a little at a time, and I loved each cliffhanger in one timeline when it switched to another. I was very interested in the modern day limb of the story and really wanted to know about Mallory and her path. I needed her to find happiness. The big reveal seemed imminent but the final conclusion made me teary.
Monk and Mallory and their summer love was heartwarming. Their banter was fabulous, so college kid-like. The Cairo storyline was full of mystery and I help my brethren for Hannah.
Husbands & Lovers was suspenseful, interesting, sweet, and intriguing. I felt for the characters in the past-Hannah and Lucien. And I hoped for Monk, Mallory, Sam and Paige in the present.
I highly recommend this book. Great drama and romance. If you like historical fiction you'll like this as well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 stars...maybe even 6. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

I kind of went into this one blind and was nervous because the start of it was so not what the actual book was about. I mean, it was but it wasn’t sad. In fact, this book was amazing and I was rooting for Mallory and Monk the entire way through. I loved how the dual timelines kind of lined up in a roundabout way, that love a parent has for their child even if the worst of circumstances. The bombshell that Mallory kept from Monk and the reason why she left him kind of blew me away and I didn’t see it coming at all. The happy ending was just what I needed though…

Absolutely loooooooved this book!

I am a huge fan of Beatriz Williams and once again she did not disappoint with another beautifully written novel. This is the story of two women in two different time frames and different lands, that have the common bond of a beautiful bracelet. The novel opens in New England in the year 2022, introducing the reader to Mallory, a single mother trying to raise her young son Sam who has eaten a poisonous mushroom and is now in need of a new kidney. The story then jumps to the 1950’s in Cairo where the reader meets Hannah. She is unhappily married to a powerful diplomat when she meets Lucien, a hotel manager and her life will never be the same again. Both stories are full of love, loss, and ultimately survival against all odds. The two tales converge and bring this novel to an absolutely perfect and completely satisfying ending. This was a five star read for me.

Each winter I grow antsy waiting for the next historical fiction from Beatriz Williams. So I was delighted to get my hands on an eGalley of Husbands and Lovers from Random House and Ballantine Books.

Continuing in the dual timeline format, Husbands and Lovers follows Mallory in present-day and 2008 as well as Hannah in 1950s Egypt. Mallory is confronting the memory of her former lover and father of her child (although he never knew about his son) as she cares for the boy who needs a kidney transplant. In the search for a genetic match, Mallory and her sister discover that their mother was adopted. Naturally, they go digging in their genealogy. Hannah is living in Cairo as the much younger wife of a British diplomat. But as tensions rise in Egypt, Hannah begins an affair with a spy for Israel.

All of Williams' books have tangential ties to each other, but this one was a bit harder for me to place. Some of the names on Winthrop Island were familiar to me but I couldn't quite place them. I suppose that means I'll have to reread some of them. (Oh, darn!) And if I'm being honest, I desperately miss the Schuylers.

Mallory's story had me hooked early on. And Winthrop Island is an incredible setting. Hannah's story, on the other hand, seemed a bit underdeveloped. She seemed to jump into an affair with Lucien Beck without any thought. It took me by surprise so early in the book. These two stories seemed the least dependent on each other in all of Williams' oeuvre. These could have been two separate books. And yet, I could not put this book down. It was a true page-turner.