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maggies's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This to be one of the most interesting setups I've read recently. With that title, it's easy to imagine The Husbands is a romance, but it is emphatically not. A little bit parallel universes, a little bit philosophical examination of the power of choice and fate. I never connected with Lauren, or maybe I connected too much, since I can see myself behaving similarly (if my attic ever started producing an endless supply of husbands) and it's not a flattering image. Highly recommended, just the same!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
kathleenivy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Alcohol, and Classism
kmdowling90's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
baileyanabella's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really really enjoyed this when I really didn't expect to! The girls were right, it's a banger. I was immediately so invested in the story. Lauren comes home from a night out drinking with friends to a strange man in her house claiming to be her husband, but she's never met him before and when she left for the outing, she was single and living alone. What would you do??
One of my favorite things about this book was Lauren's authenticity. I felt like her reactions to these crazy magic scenarios were very real, whether it works out for the best or not. She cycles through husband after husband testing the limits of her suddenly magical attic's ability to start her world right over while time continues to pass. She tries on many different lives and versions of herself. It's fascinating and very fun, sometimes stressful to go through those experiences with her, and it's fascinating to watch her figure out what she truly wants. It raises questions like 'How do we learn to be happy with what we have rather than concerned with the things we want to change? How can we be certain those changes would truly make our lives better?'
Good read. Enjoyed the audiobook a lot, the narrator did a fantastic job with the many accents and expressive speech that I think added a lot.
One of my favorite things about this book was Lauren's authenticity. I felt like her reactions to these crazy magic scenarios were very real, whether it works out for the best or not. She cycles through husband after husband testing the limits of her suddenly magical attic's ability to start her world right over while time continues to pass. She tries on many different lives and versions of herself. It's fascinating and very fun, sometimes stressful to go through those experiences with her, and it's fascinating to watch her figure out what she truly wants. It raises questions like 'How do we learn to be happy with what we have rather than concerned with the things we want to change? How can we be certain those changes would truly make our lives better?'
Good read. Enjoyed the audiobook a lot, the narrator did a fantastic job with the many accents and expressive speech that I think added a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy
kirstenw's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A very clever and unique plot. Lighthearted and funny at times, but also dealing with serious relationship issues that make you think.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity and Violence
shelbae_smirth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
vaykay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Generally enjoyed reading it. I read this in tandem with my partner, which meant we would laugh over the jokes together. Good humor, good insight on diverse versions of men. Lauren is boring, and I felt that the twist at the climax made me realize we don't really know who Lauren is at all. I couldn't make sense of most of her actions, and the ending served as a reminder of her selfishness. This is a perfect example of either too short or too long; this could've been a novella or it must be 400+ pages long. Unfortunately, the last 100 pages felt rushed and as if the author just needed Lauren to do whatever (and very extreme things) just to rush the plot toward the finish line. Disappointing with little payoff. I enjoyed the tone and the characters as well as the concept and setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident and Pregnancy
daniellekat's review against another edition
The premise of this held potential, but omg this was boring. SO REPETITIVE. The main character was dull and unlikeable and the writing was plain. Even getting to the point where Lauren meets Bohai couldn't keep me interested. I think this could have worked as a short story but over 350 pages of this is nuts.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
marmelb's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use and Infidelity
deannamullican's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is marketed as “funny” and “laugh out loud” — which I disagree with. There is humor, but in the way life has humor. This is not a comedy. It gets a bit dark.
The dark themes make sense to me because, for the past year, Lauren has been experiencing this wild, weird and stressful thing that she can’t explain to anyone or stop.
I get a sense of her increasing stress, which leads her to make some very bad decisions. Ultimately, she stops this cycle the only way she knows how. Was it a good decision? Probably not. But what else could she do?
I’ve seen a lot of people critique that the story is repetitive. Imagine how Lauren felt!
The dark themes make sense to me because, for the past year, Lauren has been experiencing this wild, weird and stressful thing that she can’t explain to anyone or stop.
I get a sense of her increasing stress, which leads her to make some very bad decisions. Ultimately, she stops this cycle the only way she knows how. Was it a good decision? Probably not. But what else could she do?
I’ve seen a lot of people critique that the story is repetitive. Imagine how Lauren felt!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury