I loved this book! I was hooked from page one! Mallory is a single mother and her son needs a kidney after he eats a mushroom at summer camp. Hannah is married to a man she doesn’t love in 1950’s Cairo. The women are decades apart but their stories come together through love and loss and the choices they make along the way. I will be reading more my Beatriz Williams!

This latest novel by Beatriz Williams, Husbands and Lovers, was a book that I chose to read out of my normal genre. Husbands and Lovers is read in dual times between the 1950's and 2022. It's a current romance/historical romance rolled into one. This book offers a whirlwind of narratives, with a plot that's as diverse as its characters. While the multitude of storylines keeps you engaged, at times, it feels like there's a bit too much going on. There have been some wonderful reviews about the book so I gave it a shot. It's a very secular story, so really not for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! So excited to get approved for this book by Beatriz- it went to the top of my pile!! Wow!! I was drawn in from the beginning and could not put this book down!! Different time lines and the stories of women were weaved together. Mallory and Monk's story from 2008 and 2022, Hannah's story set in Cairo in 1951. Mallory and Monk were young and in love until something happened... fast forward to 2022 with Mallory and their son who is now in need of a kidney! Hannah is Mallory's grandma - who was put in Cairo by circumstance with her husband and I did learn some history of what was going on in Cairo at the time. Overall the book is a must and I definitely recommend!!

The premise was interesting, but I was unable to connect with the characters. The title and cover don't seem to be a good fit for the story. The multiple timelines just felt like Williams was trying to do too much. They may have worked better as two separate books.

I have such mixed feelings about this book, but the good outweighed the bad.

What I liked: the overall story, Paige and Mallory’’s relationship, Monk overall, most of the twist and turns, the dual timeline, multiple POVs, the final conclusion

What I didn’t like: sometimes the dialogue felt clunky, the pacing wasn’t right—nothing would happen for long stretches then all of the sudden everything is happening at once, missing sections of time, the big revelation at the end

The women between these pages were forced into unthinkable situations. Hannah lost an entire family. Mallory has a son that needs a kidney, her son’s father is now an international singer ,songwriter and doesn’t know his son exists. The tread that binds starts in Cairo in the 1950’s and culminates with revelations spilled today. It’s a great read.

3.5 star read for me. I have read this author many times and enjoy her writing style. However, this is a multi timeline story and sometimes I was thrown with what time and place I was at with either Hannah's or Mallory's storyline, as within the chapter and timeline, the reader is placed into a characters "flashback". Because there were so many storylines, I felt the ending was rushed to have it all come together. Overall, I did enjoy the writing and the storylines of Hannah and Mallory.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the perfect book for people who want to dabble in historical fiction but don’t want to commit to an ENTIRE book. I loved it! I am not much of a historical fiction reader (maybe 2 books a year if that), but this was the perfect balance of contemporary and historical fiction. Williams does a wonderful job of world building in both warn torn Europe, European influenced Egypt, and the old money families that rule Cape Cod. It also has an air of mystery to it as well. I found myself continuously wanting to turn the page to see how the two main characters stories (60 plus years apart) would intersect. My only qualm about the book was that the ending felt rushed and that I wanted more from the Hannah story line. I feel like I didn’t get closure from her story and got more than needed from Mallorys.

Mallory is a single mother with a 13 year old sick son. Her son recently ate a poisonous mushroom at summer camp and is in need of a kidney transplant. Mallory is desperate for answers on where she can find a transplant for her son. Her sister insists on reaching out to his birth father, but she wants nothing to do with him. She wants answers and her sister INSISTS they begin to search through a DNA match portal. Mallory doesn’t want to and thinks of another piece of her history that could help: her cobra bracelet from Ancient Egypt.

Hannah is a Hungarian refugee married to a misogynist, elitist English prick. They met at a refugee camp, where she chose comfort and wealth over love. They move to Cairo to appease her husbands health as he needs a dry climate. She begins to explore with the other English locals, and one man specifically who lives at the hotel. They begin to get closer and closer, until Hannah begins to question her marriage.

Both Mallory and Hannah have multiple love stories in this book, so be prepared to keep track of their men and children (ha!). Also, get ready to look for clues about how the two story lines intersect.

A definite 2024 read for all!
Thank you to Ballantine Books for the ARC!

THIS BOOK!! This one is going to stay with me awhile...

Synopsis: This is a multiple timeline story. Mallory, in the present, is a single mom that gets an urgent medical call from her son's summer camp. This emergency drives her and her son's father, famous singer Monk Adams, to speak again for the first time in many years. Hannah, in the past (post WWII), starts out her story face to face with a cobra in Cairo, Egypt. She is in Cairo with her British diplomat husband among many other diplomat families. The two timelines mirror each other in escalating drama and intertwine as well.

TW: rape, child loss, war
Recommended for: fans of historical fiction, women's fiction

What I liked:
This book had me completely hooked from the first chapter. I could not put it down. I found the stories in both timelines to be compelling which is not always the case. I was also intrigued by the fact that each timeline had a past and present as well - explaining the hurts of the "present" by laying out the events of the "past." I also really love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. I had not read previously a book taking place in 1950s Egypt.

What I didn't like:
I would have loved a little more closure at the end (without spoilers). Also, (not a complaint) the suspense between timelines was intense! I had to remind myself not to skim the next chapter just to find resolution.

Ultimately, I will be telling everyone about this book - it is definitely my favorite book this year and will be hard to top.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I think I have read every Beatriz Williams book, and while this isn't her best it was one of her better ones.

This was really three stories, with alternating chapters of each storyline. Two of the three connected well (since they were the same characters but at different times). While the third storyline did connect with the other two, I felt like it didn't connect strongly enough.

I loved the characters. The atmosphere of the New England storylines was great but it needed work with the Egypt storyline. There were some plot points that could have been expanded on more.

Beatriz, can we give Sedge his own book? Because I loved him immediately and felt bad for him at the end.

I thought this book would be one I’d really enjoy based on the summary, but I’m not sure it’s the right read for me at this time. The story is told in two perspectives with alternating time periods. It’s a bit of a slow start and I struggled to connect with the characters, so I’m stopping about 1/4 of the way through. I think I might enjoy it more in audiobook format; once it’s published, if there’s an audiobook option, I plan to give it another try!

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Beatriz Williams for a free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I have loved other books by Williams and this book grabbed my attention right from the start. The two time period that alternate in the book kept me engaged and curious as I couldn't wait to learn more about each character. It was the perfect blend of history and pop culture. This is a book you won't want to end although the ending will leave you smiling for days.

“Husbands and Lovers” opens on the worst day of any mother’s life: Mallory Dunne is driving frantically to her hospitalized son’s bedside, unsure if he will live or die. An incident at sleepaway camp has left 10 year old Sam in a coma, and leaves Mallory questioning many of her life choices. Without providing any spoilers - multiple storylines, characters, and time periods made for a propulsive plot that had me racing thru the book in just one day - and then wishing for a sequel, or a prequel, so I could read more about all of these characters! Also, while the title “Husbands and Lovers” suggests a novel focused solely or primarily on the romantic bond, this novel also examines skillfully and in depth the bond between mothers and children. This was a 5-star read for me and my favorite Beatriz Williams novel to date! I would highly recommend to all historical fiction lovers!! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ebook! #HusbandsLovers #NetGalley #HusbandsandsLovers

Beatriz Williams is a master. This was my first by her and will NOT be my last. Wow. The writing and story telling, the way she transported you to a visual place that was so real in your mind. Master work!

I love Beatriz Williams! This book has some of the same characters and locations as a couple of her other books and it's fun to go back to Summerly! A great story about love and coming home.

CAUTION: SPOILERS!

This book immediately hooked me from the start! I was quickly drawn into Mallory's story (more so than Hannah's, although her story was intriguing as well). It was definitely a quick read going back and forth between the two timelines, often ending on cliff hangers at the end of one character's story. The entire book, I pondered, what could have possibly happened to Mallory that would create such distance between a couple who so clearly loves each other that she would not reach out to Monk when she got pregnant, and the answer was very much a surprise to me. I found it challenging at times following what was going along as sometimes in one character's story it jumped back in time and then back to present without any warning. That would probably be my biggest critique, but also possibly some addition on who exactly drove Hannah to the orphanage in Ireland and which woman tried to pick her up a week after she delivered. I assumed it was her actual husband who drove her, not Lucien. She did not seem to have any alliances with other female characters, so I don't know why a woman would try to pick her up from the orphanage a week after she left. I feel like we could have used more information and closure on what exactly happened to Hannah and Lucien in the end. Hannah's story was heartbreaking and sometimes difficult to read and think about as a mother myself. How she continued to survive in her present, I do not know. I can understand why a woman like that would be so damaged and would choose to marry a much older man for security. Overall though, a great book, a quick read, and wonderful characters that you rooted for. A wonderful, historically-rich romance.

Another Home run for Beatriz Williams. This dual timeline novel has it all, love, loss, regrets, and secrets.

I enjoyed Mallory’ and Monk ‘s story. It’s sweet, sad and kept me up well past my bedtime. Hannah’s story broke my heart, The more you learn, the more you realize what a resilient woman she is. They are both strong female characters who struggle through, making some very hard choices. Their stories come together at the end beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Beatriz Williams for the opportunity to read this arc.

Oh my god, where to even begin? I’ve been a fan of Beatriz Williams for a while so I was very excited to read Husbands and Lovers and it did NOT disappoint. I felt like I was reading two different stories but in the best way. I love the call back to characters from previous books and loved the dual narrative and honestly couldn’t wait to see what happened in both past and present. While this has the historical fiction element, there was also the feel good summer read element (which makes the release time of this novel perfect). I loved that part of it takes place in Egypt, as I feel like the post WW2 era never really focuses on this part of the world, and was interested to learn more about the political climate between the Arabs, Jews, and Brits/other Europeans. I also loved Mallory and Monk - yes, they are both flawed but in ways that feel forgivable. This book made me laugh and cry - I highly recommend this one!

This book is about different generations of one family. Hannah is alive during and after World War II. Chapters document her life with her husband and her affair with an spy while living in Egypt. Other chapters follow Mallory, a single mom, and her son, Sam. Several years earlier, Sam ate poisonous mushrooms while at camp. Monk Adams, a famous rockstar, is Sam's father was never in his life. They had a relationship the summer Mallory got pregnant with Sam, but Mallory disappears for an unknown reason from Monk's life.

The two sisters, Mallory and Paige, have found out that their mother, Hannah, was adopted after she passed away. Paige convinces Mallory to seek out Monk in order to find a kidney donor for her son. In the midst of this visit to her past, she finds out Monk is still in love with her. The sisters also find out more about their mother's past by visiting the mother's home where her grandmother gave birth.

In the end, Monk is able to donate a kidney to Sam, but does it secretively. It also comes out that Mallory was sexually assaulted by Monk's father the last night she was nannying for his kids. Mallory and Monk end up rekindling their relationship from college and become engaged to be married. Paige finds an brother of their mothers from Hungary.

Don’t you just hate when you have a certain authors books sitting on your TBR pile and you discover just how amazing her books really are?? That’s exactly what happened with Beatriz Williams. Thankfully Netgalley and the publishers of her newest book allowed me to read an advanced copy and I got to discover just how amazing this author truly is.

Williams’ newest book focuses on two women separated by many decades but each facing their fair amount of challenges. Hannah is in a loveless marriage after the love of her life is killed and ends up in Egypt
With her husband during WW2. Mallory is a single mom who is trying to keep her son healthy after he goes into
Kidney failure from eating a poisonous mushroom. As both women’s story unfolded I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I became invested in both women and found myself loving this book by the end. The actually history woven into this book as well was part of history I wasn’t very aware of, which only made the story even better.

Thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.