Husbands and Lovers was not quite what I expected from the blurb! But it was better! The two timelines merged seamlessly and made sense. I didn't feel like I was being jerked around on a ride of cliffhangers, jumping from one timeline to another; instead, the drama and characters were well developed and flowed.

Mallory's timeline is set in the present, and she has her own past to deal with. Hannah, set in the 1950's, is definitely more colorful of a timeline, but I enjoyed them both.

Solidly written and would be enjoyable by book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. #sponsored

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I really enjoyed the intertwined timeline of 1950s Hannah in Egypt and the current day storyline of Mallory. As the story unfolds you are swept up in understanding how decisions of the past shape the present.
I found the story intriguing and it kept me reading for sure. I did find the Hannah chapters a bit of a slog as there was a heavier lean into the history of conflict at that time in Egypt that I am not sure needed all the detail. That being said, I was definitely a fan of the romantic storyline for Hannah and maybe just didn’t need the historical fiction.
I do think this book will be a hit with many audiences and can’t wait for this one to hit shelves. Mark your calendars now!
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader edition

Beatriz Williams's "Husbands & Lovers" weaves together the lives of two women across time, exploring themes of love, betrayal, and the complexities of family. Set in both contemporary New England and 1950s Cairo, the novel follows Mallory Dunne, a single mother searching for a kidney donor for her son, and Hannah Ainsworth, a Hungarian refugee navigating a passionate affair in Egypt.

I enjoyed the book overall, particularly the Mallory storyline. While it leaned a bit more toward a Hallmark-style narrative than I typically prefer, there were enough intriguing elements to keep me engaged. I found the exploration of how secrets from the past can resurface through DNA testing and genealogy research to be particularly fascinating.

However, I felt that the transitions between scenes were often abrupt, sometimes including significant time jumps without clear indication. This occasionally led to confusion and required me to re-read sections to understand what had occurred. Additionally, while the Mallory storyline was well-developed, I found the Hannah storyline to be less compelling.

Despite these issues, "Husbands & Lovers" is a pleasant read with a poignant and beautifully voiced narrative. I would rate it 3.75 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy stories of heartbreak, redemption, and the complexities of family dynamics.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @randomhouse for approving my request for the #advancedreaderscopy of @authorbeatriz new book! Surprisingly this is the first book by #beatrizwilliams I have read but will now be adding all her books to my #tobereadpile. #HusbandsLovers starts in the present day with Mallory Dunne and a medical emergency that means her sister stays financially and emotionally involved in her life. From that plot line we also get a glimpse into Mallory’s earlier love story with her best friend from high school, Monk Adams, who is now a famous musician. Farther in the past, we get to know Hannah Ainsworth who is a WWII refugee that is now married to a British diplomat in 1951 Cairo. All three timelines are equally interesting and masterly woven together to conclude the story. The settings are so well described I found myself looking them up on Google Maps to follow the character’s journeys. This ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ will be published at the end of June and must be added to your #summerreadinglist! 📚📚📚 #netgalley #netgalleyrecommendations #my2024readingchallenge #bookstagram #bookrecommendations2024

One of my favorite historical fiction writers. These Summer Wives is one of my absolute favorites so I was so excited to get her latest read. A beach read at its finest, set in the summer. Historical fiction vibe while still being relevant to today’s times. Just perfection in every way

Beatriz Williams has made her way on my list of "I will read anything by this author"
This new cross generational book does not disappoint.

Mallory is raising her son Sam on her own and he has health problems that have led to needing dialysis. She has not informed his now famous father of his existence, but circumstances of his health have become so severe that her sister keeps encouraging her to let him help. When she discovers that her mother was adopted, it opens up a new avenue she can explore to get Sam the help he needs for a transplant.

Hannah lives in Cairo in the 1950's and has an affair with a local manager of the hotel. She becomes pregnant and through a bunch of events--including a devastating fire- her child is given for adoption.

We follow these strong women through trying circumstances while they remain brave and follow their heart. I love how Williams can always capture the best of what it means to be a woman in control of her own destiny. The glimpses we get into the minds of the men in this book add a lot of depth to the story as well.

Another great book by Beatriz Williams. Always a pleasure to read her amazing stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this amazing book.

Excellent writing. Not my normal read (what with the language and open door romance), nor is it typical of Williams' prior books. But I ended up being drawn into the 2 story lines, the love story, and I love and appreicate the way the book wrapped up.

This was a close DNF for me. There are two storylines (and three timelines technically), and I had no idea what the point was going to be until I hit 50%… and that is problematic. I really disliked Hannah’s story line (set around the 1950s in Egypt mainly) but loved Mallory’s (present day) so that means I only enjoyed half the book. I just didn’t feel like we needed so much backstory about Hannah for it to really have only a slight relevance throughout and mainly at the very end. The combining of two storylines just felt forced.

Short summary:Two women separated by decades are tied together in more ways than one. Both rediscovering themselves and finding love again.

This book unexpectedly had a hold on me. This is my first book by the author but wouldn’t be my last! The story is focused around Mallory who is a single mom to a 13 year old who needs a kidney in 2022 and Hannah the wife of a British diplomat during the 1950’s in a loveless marriage. Reading this book was like reading 2 romance books at once. I was mostly invested in Mallory’s story however Hannah’s story was touching to see all she endured. Seeing how they were connected in the end is always the best part.

While I guessed some of the connections it didn’t affect the impact of the story for me. There were times Hannah’s chapters seemed to drag with all the historical info….but this is historical fiction🤷🏾‍♀️Also I think I was just anxious to read more about Mallory. Overall a great read and definitely recommending to add this to your TBR for its June pub date.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC copy.

⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️

I love Beatriz Williams’ writing so much, and her books are always a summertime treat. I was thrilled to get a pre-release NetGalley copy and dove in immediately! Husbands & Lovers follows 2 intertwining timelines: Mallory, a single mom in 2022 whose son ate a dangerous mushroom & is now in need of a new kidney; and Hannah, a Hungarian woman married to an English diplomat who starts up an affair while in Egypt in 1952. Through the course of the novel, we learn about each woman’s history - their lovers and families, their struggles, and the unexpected event that ties the two women’s stories together.

I would have given this 5 stars, as I was fully immersed & couldn’t put this down, but the ending was a bit rushed and I felt like it was a mad dash to tie up loose ends. Other than that, this was a really lovely book that’s perfect for summer, as most of it takes place in the New England seaside.

This is going to be a perfect summer read. I absolutely loved Mallory and Monk's story. I enjoyed reading the current and past stories of how their relationship developed over the many years. I didn't care for Hannah's story as much; I just didn't feel as emotionally connected to her and her story. But of course, it was nice to see how Hannah and Mallory's story came together at the end. A few parts of the plot were predictable in my opinion but the "twist" at the end was shocking to me and maybe almost unnecessary?? But all in all, it was a great read. This was my first by Beatriz Williams but I would love to read more from her.

this book was executed sooooo well!!!! exquisite writing and a plot that really sucks the reader in. this one was sooo hard to put down!!!!!!!

Beatriz Williams is known for her historical fiction novels with titles such as "The Summer Wives" and "The Golden Hour," and "Husband's & Lover's" does not disappoint. I always enjoy the way she weaves the present with the past. One would never know that single mom, Mallory, in present day 2022, living in contemporary New England has a past that intertwines with Hannah, a Hungarian refugee from the 1950s who survived tragedy in the war and then a revolution in Cairo. But their past sorrows and heartbreak do weave a powerful story of love, loss, and betrayal. Thank you, Penguin Random House, for approving my request to read this ARC. The story was a can't put down, and it has stayed with me for a long time. I have read many books by Beatriz Williams and have attended many more of her book signings, and I enjoy listening to how she develops the narrative for such memorable stories.

Beatriz Williams writes this book full of lost families, betrayals, lost love and finding each other again. The story is wrote in duel timelines and follows the story of grandmother Hannah in Cairo Egypt. Hannah has such a tragic story. The present story follows Mallory. The present story takes place in Winthrop island. At times the dueling story is hard to follow. However in the end it makes sense why the book was wrote in separate story lines. It was a decent read and interesting though I wish it gave a little more background on Hannah’s story.

While I am not typically one who enjoys historical fiction this book marries the past and the present in such a captivating way that I wasn’t able to put it down.

The book follows the lives of 2 women, one in the past and one in the present day, whose lives appear drastically different but as the story unravels you find them to be significantly interconnected.

While each woman’s story can stand on its own, this book calls you to think about your relationship to the past and the indirect influence it has on your life.

The story also tackles some difficult and devastating topics both past and present and it is empowering to read how these women overcome their circumstances.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

JTH

I can honestly say that pretty much anything this author writes I usually like, and this was no exception. While it was not one of my favorite of hers, it definitely held my interest. The story is written in two different timelines – one that takes place currently on a fictional island in New England and the other that takes place in Cairo in the 1950s. I have to admit I liked the story that takes place in Cairo much more than the other one, but I think it was mainly because of the historical aspect and setting. I also liked this character, Hannah, much more than the other character, Molly. I found Molly to be annoying and self-centered. Lots of family secrets in both stories and unexpected twists. I loved how the author connected the two different stories at the end which even though I saw coming was still a nice ending to the story.
Thank you in advance to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

***Thank you to Net Galley for an Advanced Reader Copy****

This is the perfect book for summer travel/beach season. I started it on a plane flight initially and held it until another 5 hour flight a couple of weeks later because I wanted to read it uninterrupted. There’s love, there’s history, there’s intrigue and even a little drama. If you are familiar with Beatriz Williams, this may remind you of A Hundred Summers or Tiny Little Thing (which just happen to be my two favorites by her). If you are unfamiliar it’s a great gateway book into this author who keeps growing and changing with every novel she writes.

Once again Beatriz Williams comes through with a winner. The two main female characters drew me in immediately. I couldn't put the book down because I had to find out what happened to them.

Williams hits it out of the park with this historic fiction novel. A little intrigue, a little romance, mixed in with some family drama. I could not put this book down.

this is my first Beatriz Williams book and i have to say i’ve really enjoyed it. The story, the characters, how beautifully written it was, i simply couldn’t put it down. i thoroughly enjoyed that the book was written in dual pov which allowed us to explore different parts of hannah’s and mallory’s lives. i will definitely be reading more of beatriz’s books after this one.