**Husbands & Lovers** by Beatriz Williams is such a sweeping, emotional, and completely absorbing read. I loved how it moved between modern-day New England and 1950s Cairo, weaving together family secrets, romance, and all the complicated choices we make for love. The characters feel so real and layered — you’ll root for them and ache for them at the same time. It’s got that perfect mix of heart, history, and a little bit of intrigue that keeps you turning pages late into the night. If you love rich, multi-generational stories with strong women at the center, this one is such a treat!

Beatriz Williams' Husbands & Lovers is an absolute must-read that truly delivers everything she does so well. This author has become one of my favorites, and this book certainly solidifies that!
You'll find all the elements that make her historical fiction dramas so compelling here, including those fun reoccurring characters that tie her universe together. What makes this one particularly great is how she expertly weaves intertwined storylines from different eras. This layered approach keeps you totally hooked, as you jump between captivating periods, seeing how past events ripple through time and impact characters in surprising ways. It's a rich, engaging read that gives you that perfect blend of historical intrigue and satisfying emotional drama. Definitely pick it up!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Every exchange between human beings is a bargain of some kind. Actual treasure or moral treasure, it’s all the same. You agree on your price and make the transaction.”


I'm not sure why I waited so long to dive into Husbands & Lovers. I've had this ARC for a very long time and only decided to jump into it because the audiobook was available. Life has been a little hectic lately and audiobooks are always a win in my eyes. They are just so easy to listen to while doing chores, working, or who knows what else.

And that's exactly how I devoured this in one day. I'd say one sitting... but how often was I actually sitting today? Not that much (just in case you were wondering). Anyways, this was so freaking good that I couldn't even pause the dang book! I absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next and how this was all going to end.

In this, you will meet a lot of people but the book mostly focuses on Mallory and Hannah. Within two to three timelines, you see them grow and fall in love. Sure, mistakes were made here and there. Fights happened along the way too. And yet, they lived.

On top of that, they are figuring out their family and where they came from. It's fascinating when people find out someone was adopted at one point in their family tree. So, to try and figure out where a parent came from and if they have other family out there was just interesting. I'm not sure how I would handle the news if it were me. Probably freak out.

In the end, this was so good and I'm annoyed that I waited so long to read this. I mean, listen to it. Ugh, I won't make that mistake ever again. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book from Beatriz.

♾️ multiple timelines
🐍 family heirloom
🌏 historical fiction
🧍‍♀️ single mom FMC
🍄 child on dialysis
🎸 music star MMC

Here’s to another novel I requested based on all the hype I saw on Bookstagram. Requested on a whim, meaning I literally didn’t even look at the blurb.

It was a slow start for me but about halfway through I started becoming invested in Mallory’s family background and where she came from and what she would eventually find out.

This was my first Beatriz Williams novel but it won’t be my last. She is a pro at multiple timelines and historical fiction, two of my favorite things.

Despite being separated by time and distance, artist Mallory and Hungarian refugee Hannah both discover second chances at love. How are their two stories related, and where did Mallory's beloved family heirloom—a jewel-studded cobra bracelet—originate?

Alternating between 1951 and 2022, I was entranced by this story from start to finish. As always, this author's writing style was conversational and absorbing. For some reason, the present day storyline felt different to me than her past books (maybe because I'm used to her sticking with historical fiction), but ironically, I especially enjoyed the present day storyline. The love, chemistry, and friendship between Mallory and rock-star Monk was palpable and beautiful.

"It's important to know where you came from... It's a part of you. But it doesn't have to define you. They give you the paper and ink, but you write the story yourself." - Mallory to Monk

Location: Mystic, Connecticut; 1951 Cairo, Egypt; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Winthrop Island, New York

The story alternates between Mallory Dunne in 2022 New England—navigating single motherhood, a son in need of a kidney transplant, and a long-lost love—and Hannah Ainsworth in 1951 Cairo, a Hungarian refugee caught in a web of espionage, passion, and sacrifice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this lovely ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams in exchange for my honest review and feedback. Beatriz Williams is always at the top of my TBR pile the minute she releases a new book and this time I was lucky to get it ahead of all my friends and family! This book is amazing and draws you in right from the very first page and holds you tight until the very last sentence. I loved everything about this and can't wait for all of my friends to read this! SOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

Elegant and layered with tension, this one balances historical intrigue with emotional complexity. The dual timelines interwove beautifully. Williams delivers her signature glamour and depth. Compulsively readable.

Wow, this book had me crying in the end. I loved the jumps from different times between Hannah and Mallory. As I was finishing I was thinking “darn, I really felt like she missed something with not circling back to something with the grandmother Hannah” then BAM. So phenomenal. I can’t wait to recommend to others and read more from this author.

This book was great. Main character is likeable and you want to root for her. This book keeps you wanting more.

This is an interesting saga that takes the reader from revolutionary Egypt to the present day. I actually learned quite a bit about Egypt during the 1950s during their revolution. I love historical fiction that actually teaches as well as entertains!

This is worth reading, 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Did not get to read - have way too many books on the shelf. Need to clear some out. Hope to get to this one in the future though.

This historical (and contemporary) fiction about two women across time united by a family heirloom was a very engaging read! In 2022, Mallory Dunne is searching for a kidney donor who could offer her son a chance at a normal life. In 1951, Hannah Ainsworth is a post war refugee trying to create a new life for herself. I have really enjoyed Beatriz William's writing in the past, and this one also really hold up. The story is engaging and her prose made me want to keep reading throughout. I read this book in one day, which is not unheard of for me, but is rare for a historical fiction! Usually I feel like I like the historical timeline more, and even though I did like this one, I was more drawn to the present timeline. I really liked both Mallory and Hannah and felt the characters in both timelines were really well developed. This book is definitely emotional at time. I loved a the romantic subplot (as I do in most books!) and I felt like along with the family story, the romance added depth to the overall arc of the characters. I enjoyed this historical fiction and will definitely picking up more books from Williams.

Husbands and Lovers is a beautifully written novel. I loved it from the very first page.

The story unfolds through two timelines. One narrative is set in 1950s Egypt, where Hannah, trapped in a loveless marriage to a British aristocrat, finds herself amidst the political upheaval of Egypt’s revolt against British rule. The other storyline follows Hannah’s granddaughter, Mallory. Mallory has no knowledge of her grandmother’s past, adding a layer of mystery and discovery.

This emotional historical fiction novel is truly captivating. I highly recommend this book!

Beatriz Williams writes a solid historical fiction story. This is perfect, accessible writing for the summer. I really enjoyed it.

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams
4/5 🌟

This was such a journey and at times a bit slow but the overall arc was worth the pacing. I really enjoy the bits of history seeped into the past and how it was a journey of heritage and generations.

Mallory is a single mom of a son Sam who eats a nearly deadly mushroom at a sleep away camp. Her sister Page is helping her with the aftermath while Sam needs a kidney they both test and are not a match so they begin the journey to discover more about their bloodline. Their mother was adopted so it’s always been a mystery and now that she’s gone they use DNA test to trace her story. We flipped back in time to Hanna’s storyline, which is their grandmother. She was married and having an affair with a mysterious man in Cairo after WWII.

Present day, Mallory is telling her story about Monk and her relationship, which ultimately resulted in Sam. This was such a lovely young love story with so much promise, then dashed by Monk’s dad. There was a lot going on in every aspect of the story, but it does all connect and we have a satisfying/happy ending.

This story was heartbreaking & hopeful. I am not usually a historical fiction person but this one kept me hooked the whole time thanks to the dual timelines. I also really enjoy Beatriz Williams’ writing. Highly recommend!

A great book with historical settings. The characters were memorable with a lot of different trauma. It helps you reflect on happy book and grow from this.

Why did I wait so long to read Husbands & Lovers? Beatriz Williams' books have been on so many must-read lists, yet I hadn't picked one up yet. This book made me want to read her entire backlist.

Told in a dual timeline, we follow Mallory and Hannah as they navigate love, loss and tragedy. Mallory fell in love with her high school crush during a college-era summer on the coast, and it felt like the perfect relationship. However, the timeline skips forward 14 years and we discover that she has a 13-year-old son who has never known his father. Something happened that summer that Mallory has kept secret, and her heart has been closed ever since.

Hannah is a diplomat living in Cairo, married to a wealthy Englishman. She becomes wrapped up in an affair with the hotel manager, and eventually becomes pregnant. Her life is one loss after another, and she loses the love of her life more than once.

The writing in this novel was spectacular! It took me some time to get ensconced in Hannah's storyline, yet once I did I couldn't stop reading. Mallory was intriguing from the get-go, and I adored her love story with Monk Adams. My one quip is that Spindrift was referenced numerous time and it felt like a beverage ad at times. There was so much to this book: romance, secrets, genealogy, family relationships, self-discovery, and more. I couldn't get enough of the story and savored every page. I can't wait to read more from Beatriz Williams!

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams is a beautifully crafted novel that intertwines the lives of two women across different eras and continents. The story follows Mallory Dunne in 2022 New England, grappling with her son's health crisis and uncovering family secrets, and Hannah Ainsworth in 1951 Cairo, navigating love and intrigue amidst political turmoil. Williams' rich character development and dual timelines create a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged. The novel's exploration of love, sacrifice, and resilience is both poignant and thought-provoking. While some plot twists may feel predictable, the emotional depth and historical detail make this book a rewarding read. Overall, it's a heartfelt story that fans of historical fiction and romance will thoroughly enjoy.