In Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams, two women, Mallory Dunne and Hannah Ainsworth, separated by decades and continents, find themselves linked by a mysterious family heirloom and the pursuit of second chances at love. Mallory, a single mother grappling with her son's illness, and Hannah, trapped in a loveless marriage in 1950s Egypt, navigate complex relationships and life-altering decisions. Williams intricately weaves their stories, alternating between timelines and perspectives, to create a poignant narrative rich in emotion and depth. With compelling characters, evocative settings, and a gripping plot, Husbands & Lovers is a masterful blend of historical fiction and romance that captivates from beginning to end.

Very enjoyable book you would come to expect from Beatriz Williams. It centers around a love story but there are many more elements that make this historical fiction so interesting. The dual timeline and settings in Massachusetts and Egypt keep you intrigued and turning the pages to see what’s next. I flew through this. It will make a great summer beach book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Beatriz Williams is a "Must-Read" author for me. Ever since I first found her book "The Secret Life of Violet Grant" I have obsessively read everything she has written. Her books drawn me in and I can't put them down. That was true with "Husbands & Lovers".

I love how we have parallel timelines and it comes together at the end. This one was no exception.

We are introduced to Mallory Dunne in 2022 and her son Sam who is ill and needs a kidney transplant. In the 1950s we meet Hannah who is stuck in a loveless marriage during a tumultuous time in Egypt's history. The interwoven stories had me rapidly turning the pages to see what happened next and I could not put this one down.

I really hope there is a followup to this one, as there was so much to love about this book. I already can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed Beatriz William's latest novel of historical fiction. The story alternates between Egypt in 1951 and New England in 2022. It begins in 2022 when Mallory Dunne's son had a dangerous allergic reaction and is in need of a kidney transplant. While seeking a donor, she dicovers a previously unknown relative which takes the story to Cairo and Hannah Ainsworth. Their lives and stories are woven together and so well-written and really draw the reader in. I can't recommend the author or her works enough. If you haven't read a Williams novel yet, you should! If you have, this one will not disappoint! Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

There is no one who can do alternating timelines like Beatriz Williams and throw in a contemporary timeline and I am all in!! Mallory is in need of a kidney for her son. While her and her sister begin digging up the past and find out their mother was adopted a whole new world of possibilities opens up. Meanwhile in present day, Mallory’s ex Monk is back in town and he finds out she left him 13 years ago with a broken heart and a child. What happens next will have even the biggest skeptic believing in second chances.

I first became aware of Beatriz Williams when I read a book she wrote with Lauren Willig and Karen White. Since Lauren Willig has been a must-buy author for me since The Pink Carnation, I learned to love Beatriz and Karen as well once I was exposed to the other two ladies and their work.

When I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I decided I needed to check it out. Thank you to them and Random House Ballentine Books for the chance to read this and leave a review.

This is a great story set mostly on an island full of fancy houses and rich folks. There’s a dual timeline with a heroine from the past and one from the present. The modern day heroine is a single mother whose son eats a mushroom on a dare and becomes dependent on dialysis to continue to live due to kidney damage.

The heroine of the past is a Hungarian lady who lived a brutal life during WWII and ended up as a translator for an older British man who she married. They move to Egypt during the Suez Canal crisis in the 1950s. The marriage isn’t a happy one, but she is content to stay in it as she went through a lot in her past, some of it horrific.

The dual timeline continues through most of the book and both stories were intriguing. Both heroines are likable and worth cheering on.
The modern day heroine was invited by a school mate to be the nanny one summer for his step siblings. His father hired her and she spent the summer taking care of the children and falling in love. The classmate became a rock star who is now engaged to be married. The heroine and he haven’t seen each other in many years.

Both stories were highly engrossing and enjoyable. I don’t want to say more in order to avoid spoilers. But I will say this one should definitely be read and savored. For the love stories as well as the mysteries and the Egyptian history of the Suez Canal crisis. There is a lot to love about this book.

A very enjoyable read.

I have been a fan of Williams work for a long time. I anticipate every book she writes.

I loved how the chapters are broken down by decades timelines and continents and how the story all comes together.

We follow Mallory Dunne in New England in 2022 and Hannah Ainsworth In Cairo in 1951.

Mallory is a single mother with a 10-year-old son Sam who is fighting for his life. He ate a toxic mushroom and the father is not in the picture. This was Mallory’s choice, but life intervenes and the father Monk is able to meet Sam. I adored this story. Sometimes we meet people who make a difference in our lives and we learn something. Other times, timing is off. Can they find their way back to each other? Mallory’s sister Paige has been there for her and Sam and wants to best for them.

Hannah Ainsorth’s life has been complicated. She meets a powerful diplomat and gets married but she the marriage is strained. She meets Lucien Beck a hotel manager after she is bitten by a snake. Their relationship changes and Hannah must decide about her life. Unexpected challenges face them all.

I was completely invested in all of the characters. Williams always draws me in with her books. She has a unique way of telling a story and invites you in.

Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC. I have enjoyed many Beatriz Williams novels, unfortunately this one did not hit for me. It was a story of two women told in two timelines. The stories did not tie well together for me and I felt the stories were not developed enough to provide a clear connection to past and present. I generally like the sassy attitudes of women created by Williams but these women lacked the usual spunk. Mallory was unlikable for me, with a somewhat odd storyline and last minute twist to get her back to her young adult love 13 years later.

I am relatively new to the historical fiction genre, and this book absolutely sold me on continuing to read it. This story follows Hannah through her tragic experiences during WWII, her survival of the war, and getting to Egypt and experiencing the tensions that led to the Suez Crisis. The story is dual POV switching between Hannah and Mallory, her biological granddaughter who lives in modern day New England, that doesn’t even know of her badass feminist icon grandmother’s existence. Mallory is navigating healing from her own trauma and taking care of her son who’s in desperate need of a kidney.

This is a beautiful story of how our ancestry shapes us and makes us who we are— even if we can’t even begin to understand the depth of our familial history. I loved how in depth the author went into Hannah’s story and how her life shaped the generations that followed her. I also really enjoyed seeing a happy ending for Mallory— her grandmother truly paved the path for her success.

I only took off a star because at times I found the writing a bit confusing. The timelines/flashbacks alternating in the same chapter weren’t necessarily distinct enough for smooth transitions. But this is an unedited copy— so errors were naturally expected.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this as a #NetGalleyArc!

I always love a Beatriz Williams book! I liked that this one had a story line about Egypt because it was an area of the world that I hadn’t read much about. There were a few plot holes, but overall I really liked the book and I loved Monk!

I have always loved this author’s book. Husbands and Lovers was no exception. At times I found it difficult to keep track of which characters story I was following….lots of back and forth. But found the journey of the characters fullfilling and entertaining. A great vacation read!

“Husbands & Lover” by Beatriz Williams is fantastic!!!!! This book had me spellbound to the last paragraph. The book is written with a historical component that weaves into the lives of Mallory & her family. The story goes from Hannah Vecsey in the 50’s with her complex and emotional story. To Hannah with a similar complex life story. Beatriz Williams tugs at your heart strings and makes you cheer out for these characters. A must read this summer! It comes out June 25th, order your copy now. Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Publishing for this advance read. Amazing book!

Wow, what a way to weave a story!
Please starts out with Mallory, receiving a call that her son is in critical condition in the hospital, after eating, a poisonous mushroom, which ultimately affects his kidneys
It also goes to Hannah in 1951 living in Egypt

While looking for family connections and donate kidneys for her son, Mallory sister, find out their mother was adopted
This leaves these sisters to try and peace together the pieces of the past

I could not put this book down, I especially love the storytelling part of it, and the characters are just so memorable

The only words I could come up with to describe this book are complex and enthralling.

This book follows the lives of 2 women across 3 different timelines and a family heirloom that ties them together. It is a combination of historical fiction and second chance romance and it sucks you in immediately! The story/stories were so beautifully crafted and woven together that I was glued to my seat all day reading. I cried and sighed and swooned over these characters. This was my first Beatriz Williams novel and it has left me wanting to read more of her books.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was very excited to receive the latest novel by Beatriz Williams. This one does not disappoint! The chapters alternate between Egypt right after WWII and contemporary Massachusetts. I liked both storylines and especially enjoyed the New England characters.

Husbands & Lovers is a beautifully written novel that takes you on a captivating journey! This is part historical novel, with a love story weaved through both the past and present. The seamless transitions between the 1950 Egypt timeline and the current timeline was seamless to me. I loved both characters the novel focuses on, Mallory in current day and Hannah in Egypt. I thought the characters were all well defined. I wish I could have read more about Hannah’s story but here is hoping she gets her own book one day! All the details of the settings were well done and really did make me feel like I was transported to either New England or Egypt.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on June 25, 2024.

First, a BIG thank you to Beatriz Williams, Random House & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early! This is my first Beatriz Williams & it for sure won’t be my last! I love the multiple POV’s and the different time lines! This had 3 different timelines going, which could be a lot, but it flowed wonderfully. Cairo in the 1950’s…such a gem. & I am a sucker for second-chance romance as well!

🌟 rating: 4/5
🗣️ genre: women’s fiction • historical fiction • romance
📖 pages: 384
🍾 publishing date: 6/24/2024
📝 same author as: The Summer Wives, A Hundred Summers, The Secret Life of Violet Grant

Another page turner by Beatriz Williams with locations and characters we have met in previous books. Winthrop island, family drama, historical aspects, all tied up in a nice package for a great read!

Beatriz Williams never disappoints. This story moves back and forth in time between two women , one in Cairo in 1951 and the other in New England in 2022 linked by an exotic bracelet. I enjoyed learning about a period in Cairo’s history of which I had no knowledge. This is a beautifully written novel that addresses complex issues of love and family. I thank the author and publisher for granting me the privilege of reading this advanced copy.