The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: The Sunday Times Bestseller Paperback – 14 Oct. 2021

Great holiday/vacation/summer read - I highly recommend it to everyone 😃nine more words are required for this post - no spoilers!

I felt like I was reading and old black and white movie I really enjoyed this book and would recommend

I picked a copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo up years ago when it was first published. I am not sure where I have been or what I have been doing, but I am sad to say that the book has been sat on my bookcase collecting dust until recently.I am in no way exaggerating when I say that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a masterpiece. I fell in love with the characters, the writing, the story building, and the pace of the book. Seemingly modelled after movie legend Marilyn Monroe, Evelyn feels dynamic and authentic. She is a woman who dominates the page and draws you into her life with the promise of glamour, sex, romance, and sacrifice.Through Evelyn we gain an unabashed insight into the often dark and exploitative world of Hollywood and the silent suffering of women who dare to venture within. Sexual exploitation and domestic violence are topics Reid does not shy away from. Exploring Evelyn’s rise to fame is anything but glamorous or endorsed. It showcases the real and raw, the often difficult methods women have to implore to reach the top, as their male counterparts benefit from their exploitation. The book deals with serious issues both women in the 1950’s and in todays society face, and it does so in a manner that’s impactful and sensitive.The plot is broken down and revealed in various parts of Evelyn’s life, all of which begins with the marriage to one of her husbands. When it comes to men, Evelyn’s not had much luck. However, the men are not the main romantic subplot in this book. It’s the love story that’s going on between Evelyn and her co-star Celia. The title of the novel purposely misleads you to think that Evelyn is a promiscuous dater and a serial monogamist. However, we learn that the opposite is in fact true. The reader watches as Evelyn and Celia navigate the restrictions of a queer relationship in the 1950’s as they hide their love for each other from one another and the watchful eye of the public. I absolutely love that there is lesbian and bisexual representation in this novel and how it has not shied away from bringing queer issues up to the surface.Even to this day, I still think about Evelyn and her memorable life. The book helped me realise that life is too short to do what other people expect from you. You should always go after what you want, and do what makes you happy. You should also tell all your loved ones how much you love them, before it’s too late. The book almost feels like a life-lesson from a famous and well-known fictional actress, who seemingly has it all, but in the end, has nothing, and she knows it.

Amazing book - I found this on a shelf on holiday and was instantly hooked! I definitely recommend this book.

This book has been all over TikTok for a few years now and so it has always been on my radar, but I had just never gotten around to reading it. Finally, I just gave in and bought a copy because I wanted to read Carrie Soto and I heard you should start with Seven Husbands. Boy, am I glad that I finally started reading this book. I went into it not knowing what to expect because I have heard both good and bad reviews about this book, but I am happy that I stuck it out so I could form my own opinion.I went into this book not expecting much as I’ve never read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid before. I also haven’t read many books on the publishing industry so I don’t have much contextual knowledge on the background of this book but I still greatly enjoyed reading it. I actually recently read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, which has ignited a desire to read more about the publishing industry.The story starts with Monique Grant, a writer for an online company called Vivant who dreams of making a name for herself. She is called into her boss’ office to discuss a potential interview job. The Hollywood starlet, Evelyn Hugo, who has vehemently refused to sit for an interview for decades, has asked to be interviewed by Monique. Of course, Monique takes the job because she would be a fool not to. When she arrives, Monique finds that it is not just some article that she is being asked to write, no, Evelyn wants Monique to write her biography. A tell-all expose about her rise to fame in Hollywood, life as a ‘60s starlet, and the stories behind her seven marriages. As Monique learns more about Evelyn’s life, she starts to realise that she was chosen to write this book for a reason and she may not be able to walk away once she finds out.The more I read, the more I wanted to consume this book completely. The book alternates between Monique in the present-day sitting in Evelyn’s office and trying to navigate her own life, and chapters from Evelyn’s perspective as she looks back on the past. It was cleverly done and I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the first of Evelyn’s chapters. I read this book in sections; I read up until the story changed to another husband and then stopped to digest what I’d just read. It made it easier to separate each husband’s character otherwise I know I would have gotten confused trying to differentiate each of them. After finishing this book, I can see why it got so many mixed reviews; despite everything you learn about Evelyn, she says doesn’t regret what she did, which many would consider to make her a bad person/character. Personally, I thought this made her seem more realistic and human. Evelyn shows you what it means to be human; that a person can’t be just good or bad, that we have our flaws and that we can also have our merits. I am glad that this was the first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I read. It has made me excited to read more of her works.I am wavering between four and five stars for my rating for several reasons. Firstly, I haven’t read a book like this before, which is a point in its favour. Usually, if a book makes me feel really emotional or even makes me cry, then it would instantly get an extra star added to its rating. I did not cry while reading this. However, I was unable to put this book down once I got to husband number two. Evelyn Hugo felt like a real person to me while learning her story.So, after thinking about it, I think this book deserves five stars.