This was my first time reading the work of Beatriz Williams and I can honestly say I'm in awe!

Husbands & Lovers" is not just a love story; it is a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. Williams does an excellent job at creating really well developed characters and relationships. Those characters are only brought more to life with Williams' talent for blending historical richness with captivating storytelling.

After reading this novel, I can't wait to check out Williams' other works. I had such a fun time with this book!

Thank you so much Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC. My review will also be posted on GoodRead closer to the launch of the book.

fun work about the similar paths that people take throughout life. tysm for the ARC. i would recommend this thing.

Mallory’s a single Mom who’s son goes off to summer camp and unaware eats a death cap mushroom on a dare that renders him in need of a kidney transplant. His Dad doesn’t know about him and is a famous singer.. at the same time her Mom passes away and she finds out her Mom was adopted. She and her sister go on a 23 and me DNA search for answers about her grandmother while she grapples with the thought of reaching out to his Dad to see if they are a match for the new kidney. I loved the history of the grandmothers life in Egypt and Hungary, but also the development of the characters made me feel the mother’s desperation, the aches of first love, and the curiosity for answers about family. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Random House Publishing for the ARC. I will publish to Amazon, Goodreads and my Bookstagram as we get close to publication day.

This is a book with actually 3 timelines. I didn’t particularly care for the Egyptian storyline and the characters in it. I did not find any of them to be very likable. The more current characters and storyline I thought were going to be predictable but there were enough twists to hold my interest and to want to keep reading so I ended up liking the novel. Probably would not go out of my way to recommend, but if asked I would say it was enjoyable but not a must read.

Thank you #Netgalley for the arc e-book. This is a bold, complex book about several relationships (as the title alludes to, some are marriages, others are not). All of the relationships are imperfect for various reasons; trauma, toxic masculinity, poor communication, etc. There are multiple timelines, and the Egypt timeline was a bit harder to follow because it jumps back to Hannah in Hungary quite a bit- I would have liked more spy scenes than love scenes.
I enjoyed Mallory’s timeline, especially Sam. Mallory was a closed book for much of the book and while that was frustrating, when we finally understand her reasoning her character makes much more sense. By the end I was surprised by how much the author packs in this book. It’s a lot. This is pretty steamy and at times the sex was overkill and didn’t add to the story. That said, overall I enjoyed both timelines and the genealogy search that bridges the gap.

Husbands & Lovers is a book that I feel like I should have loved but I only somewhat enjoyed. Beatriz Williams blends different time periods, family drama and relationships that should all factor into a story I would love but it never seems to rise above just an ok for me.

Beautiful story!! This was my first from Beatriz Williams and I’ll be adding more to my TBR list.

While it did take a few chapters to get into the 1950’s portion of the story, I was hooked on the present timeline right away. I couldn’t put this one down once I understood what was happening in both timelines. The characters came together beautifully and I finished wanting more of Monk and Mallory’s story!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book!! The only real flaw to me was how Lucien and Hannah came together. It seemed to come out of nowhere.

I could not get into this book, unfortunately. It just was not for me. I felt like the beginning was drawn out and I could not connect with the characters. I tried coming back to this book after a few days and I failed to get into it.

This is sure to be THE book of the summer! Beatriz Williams is an amazing author, but she really dazzles in this latest book! I absolutely loved the multiple timelines of stories that drove this book. Just as you learn something about one of the characters at a certain moment, you are then thrust into a completely different moment in time. I especially loved the contemporary storyline, which is not usually a feature of Beatriz's books, but it worked so well and was honestly my favorite of the multiple stories. This not only made it a fast-paced read but also kept me guessing until the end! Highly recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

LOVED! I have been a Beatriz Williams fan for years and this was one of my favorite of hers. I loved the way it mixed generations and the relationship with Mallory and Monk felt so heartfelt. This is a big win for me!

If you love one, you’ll love them all. This one is like all the others, good plot lines, relatable characters and a more passionate man than exists in real life. The stories are addictive, you may know how it’ll end. but it’s a fun, light, genuinely enjoyable read. I always look forward to her books and this one is just the same. Now I eagerly await the next one!

4.5 stars
HIGHLY recommend

Wow, Beatriz Williams knocks it out of the park AGAIN. I loved this dual timeline of Mallory (contemporary timelines) and Hannah (1950s Cairo with flashbacks). The best part was that I knew next to nothing about Egypt during the building of the Suez Canal and it was very thought-provoking and the colonialism angle was horrible to me.

This novel made me think about what makes us who we are. Our assumed identity may not be our real identity. What about a paternity or maternal incident occurring and disrupting who we thought our ancestors were? This is exactly what happens in this historical novel. Thought it twists and turns and throws a few curveballs and cliffhangers!

A great beach or pool read for THIS summer!

I am not a huge historical fiction reader, so when I heard Beatriz Williams was releasing a novel with a contemporary timeline, I knew I had to get my hands on it. This story was so unique and the way it unfolded kept me captivated with each page - in both the past and present timelines.

And on a side note, I'll never eat a wild mushroom again!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Husbands and Lovers alternates between two time periods: present day Massachusetts, and Egypt during the second world war. Williams weaves in some of the families we have met in her previous novels, and this adds context and texture to the story. This is a substantial read that is also fairly fast-paced.

Husbands and Lovers is a really compelling and interesting read that I know will be a best seller. It’s one part historical fiction and another part family drama with a dash of romance and intrigue.

The story is told mostly from two perspectives: Mallory Dunne, a single mom on an island in Connecticut in modern day and Hannah Ainsworth, wife of an English diplomat, in post war Egypt in the 1950s. Their stories are woven together and the intersection of their lives is just so intricate and vivid and complex and the end had me searching for the next chapters.

I do echo other reviewers in my wish that Hannah’s story were more fleshed out in the pages. I’d have happily read a hundred or two more pages to have some level of resolution for her from her POV rather than what we find out from present day. I did very much appreciate the ending in that respect.

Personally, the storyline was well done and I enjoyed it, but the spicy bits were unexpected, often bordering on vulgar, and (in my opinion) unnecessary to the telling of a great story.

I’d like to thank Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I could not set this book down! Both timelines were equally enchanting and engaging. The characters and relationships were so well written it was hard not to be invested in the story. Mallory and her sister Paige’s relationship was so relatable, it was gave the story additional depth. Monks adoration for Mallory gave you the warm fuzzies. Hannah and Lucien’s interactions were hypnotizing. The 1950s Cairo timeline and the 2022 fictional Winthrop Island were beautifully intertwined and I really enjoyed the ending. Overall would recommend this highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this one! I am a HUGE Beatriz Williams fan. This seems like a departure from her typical style (more below) and yet I really loved it. 4.5/5 stars for me.
This is told in two POV's: Mallory (a single mother of an immunocompromised son in the coastal northeast) and Hannah (a Hungarian wealthy WW2 survivor in Egypt). It is also told in three timelines: 1950's Egypt through Hannah's eyes, and 2008 and current day through Mallory's eyes. This is a lot less historical and a lot more of a modern romance than Williams' typically writes, but it really works. Mallory and her love interest, Monk, are really well developed. The chemistry jumps off the page, the steamy scenes are plot driven and effective, and their current day tension is really palpable. I also thought Hannah's storyline was really intriguing: I had JUST finished another book about Egypt during this timeframe, so it was really interesting to hear about the same places again. Hannah was so lost and so strong simultaneously: she comes off as just another wealthy diplomats wife, but she is SO much more.

I do wish the connection between the two stories was a bit stronger, but by the end I found I really didn't care: I loved them both enough to see past the small string. I also felt just slightly bad for Lennox, she was definitely built to solely be unlikeable, and normally I like to see a bit more development there. But honestly this book was just addicting!

I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction but every now and then a book comes along that grabs me and doesn’t let go. Husbands and Lovers doesn’t let go. This book is enchanting and mesmerizing. 5 stars.

This was my first Beatriz Williams novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Husbands & Lovers is part historical fiction, part love story with a family mystery thrown in. Told in dual timelines by Mallory, a single mom in 2022 and Hannah, a married woman in Egypt in the early 1950’s; two strong women who were able to live their lives and follow their hearts. The scenes are set so vividly it had me feeling as if I was actually there and I was able to identify with the characters and their dilemmas. I would definitely recommend this book to any historical fiction and/or romance fan! Thank you to Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.