Monday, November 20, 2017

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5 Star

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.




Kathryn - 5 Star

A completely absorbing read that kept me on my toes from start to finish. I actually kept checking to see how many more pages were left to make sure I wasn't almost finished!  I am really a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid and as her novels become more and more diverse she'll amass an even larger fan base as you never quite know what she'll tackle next.

Firstly I couldn't believe this woman could indeed have seven husbands but as we followed her life from teenager to senior citizen it made a lot more sense! An exuberant character, Evelyn is exactly what you'd want from an actress whose popularity spanned decades. What made the novel though were the relationships she formed with friends and lovers throughout her life.  She respected others and in turn earned the respect and loyalty of some very special people.  It's also interesting that we were given a taste into the process of becoming an actor, the hoops to jump through, the horrific pitfalls of sexuality and it's "expectations".  It's a timely novel. I wonder if it will reinforce the voice of women?  I hope so, with all my heart. 

The plot and development are fast paced and Evelyn moves around a lot and changes her life frequently so the reader is always kept on their toes. I liked that the author covered so many types of love and that each was explored with respect.  I hope this book makes into many hands and others enjoy it as much as I did.


Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for our review copy.  All opinions are our own.


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1 comment:

  1. Yes! I loved this book as well - it was so riveting! After this I read Maybe in Another Life and I plan to read Taylor Jenkins Reid's other books as well.

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