Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Husbands

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

25 reviews

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.

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daniellekat's review against another edition

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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.

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raekit's review

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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idesofmarch's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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greatestheights's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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blissofalife's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective 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

5.0

A new favorite for sure! Gramazio artfully explores the "what if?" thought exercise to the extreme. I saw so much of myself in Lauren, and couldn't help but wonder if I would go to similar extremes were I in her position. I thought the added details of the apartment changing with each husband and an entire history rewrite were brilliant! I felt her relief, her grief, and her mounting frustration and desperation. Her burnout was nearly palpable.

The ending was satisfying, I think it was the perfect solution and provided a clean wrap-up of events. Part of me hopes that there will be a sequel where we get to explore the final decision and its aftermath, and part of me recognizes how perfect this was as a stand-alone novel. I look forward reading any future works by Holly Gramazio!

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queenginger's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

What a ride.

I absolutely loved the concept for this book. I was hooked from page one.

The tonality and witty style kept me coming back for more.

I grew to love Lauren. I sympathized with her. I cried with her. I got annoyed with her many times. But I still had love for her by the end. What a well written character.

I was curious how the story would finish and I suppose it makes sense. It has definitely left me with questions, but I’m sort of excited to answer them with myself as time goes on.

Let’s just say I’m keeping my partner away from any sort of attics. New fear unlocked.

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