Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Los siete maridos de Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

28 reviews

vinyadoggeroo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Loved this book, couldn't put it down. Want to reread it again after the reveal at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming, Death, Abortion, and Death of parent

Ok I got tired of classifying which trigger warnings are minor or major so put almost all of them as moderate. Based on the trigger list the book might seem intimidating

mrperfectlyfine3000's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Murder

whenmalanereads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

"I know the world prefers a woman who doesn't know her power, but I'm sick of that."
"The world doesn't give you things, you takes things."
"That's what I traded my virginity for...a ride to Hollywood."
"And it will be the tragedy of my life that I cannot love you enough to make you mine."
"Make them pay you what they would pay a white man."


I have to be very honest.  I started this book with the paperback copy and I couldn't get into it. It was slow-paced and I abandoned it for another book. This was last year. 

I'm happy to say I came back and finished the book. Clearly. Just in audio book format. I REALLY loved the audio book. I adored the narrators and I was very endeared with the voice of Evelyn. It in a way reminded me of my nanny's voice. The way words would be inflected and the way the sassy attitude comes out in tone of voice. 

I always loved the idea of this book and I'm glad I circled back to it sometime later. I found the old Hollywood glamour fun and exciting. I would think I knew where it was going and then be wrong. Which I appreciate in a book. Though about halfway through I did figure it all out. 

While I didn't particularly connect with any one character, I found myself being drawn to almost all of them. Except Don. Iykyk. 

I found times where the book was quite sad and I found times where I was laughing to myself. It was such a descriptive book that I really felt immersed into the world of Evelyn Hugo. I felt like I could have been at an Oscars event or on the red carpet or being a fan seeing her in an ice cream shop.

I thought her love for her friends and lovers was so genuine even though she could sometimes be going astray and I would find myself thinking "Oh my god Evelyn. Don't do that." It was interesting that Evelyn would go to the lengths she did to be with her one true love. 

I fiercely recommend this book. It is well worth the hype and you won't regret it. While I do recommend it in audio book form, I think however you prefer to partake you won't be disappointed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

alyliann's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Had low expectations going in, god was I wrong.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Biphobia, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

fanboyriot's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-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

Read For:

Bi Icon

Sapphic

Actress MC

Old Hollywood Setting

Interview Style Storytelling

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this but this was not it but not in a bad way.  I’ve had this book for so long that I kind of went into this knowing nothing.  

I loved how this was told, the interview, and the old newspaper articles, it isn’t something I read often so it was kinda cool.  This book definitely has a charm to it, the world of old Hollywood and the dreams and damage it caused.  There were happy moments, a little spice, and some good old angst as well.

Evelyn was an icon and while she might not have been a good person she sure was captivating and the life of the party.  You either wanted to be her or be with her.  She kind of gave off Marilyn Monroe vibes.

The line at the end: 

“Doesn’t it bother you?  That your husbands have become such a headline story, so often mentioned, that they have nearly eclipsed your work and yourself?  That all anyone talks about when they talk about you are the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo?”

And her answer was quintessential Evelyn.

“No,” she told me.  “Because they are just husbands.  I am Evelyn Hugo.  And anyway, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife.”

      - (Chapter 69, Page 385)

I waited the whole book to read that line alone and it was so worth it.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ (4.5/5)

Release Date: 13, June 2017

POV: First Person

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Rep:  Bisexual (MC), Lesbian (LI), Gay SCs, Latinx MC 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, and Abandonment

dirty_queer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder

mirandyli's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Do you want to read about the completely unrelatable struggles of famous white lesbian/bisexual millionaires? Do you want to read about the struggles people of color face, from the POV of a white author? If so, this is the book for you. 

Evelyn is so ashamed of her identities, to the point of changing her name and dying her hair blonde to hide the fact that she's Cuban, and eloping with a man to show the press she isn't in a relationship with Celia. She manipulates everyone around her and is not afraid to admit it. She does anything she can to be on top. As a result, she has millions of dollars but almost no friends, and she doesn't give a cent back to people like her until Harry and Celia decide to donate anonymously to the gay rights movement. She leaves her abusive husband and doesn't warn his next wife, despite knowing that she is being abused. Then she does a movie with him to boost his career.

You can tell this was written by a very privileged white woman. "Brilliant, Kindhearted, Tortured Harry Cameron???" Excuse me, but he isn't that kindhearted considering he drunkenly killed Monique's dad! And Evelyn covers it up - a white woman covering up the murder of a Black man to protect his white murderer. And Evelyn claims to think that giving Monique the rights to her life story is not her trying to make up for that, but because she is wrapping up all her loose ends before she dies. Evelyn barely shows any remorse for it, and Monique forgives her. Excuse me what??? In the end Monique describes Evelyn as "complicated." She is not complicated. She is self-serving and evil.

It seems like Evelyn and Monique were just characters created for diversity points. They are so unrealistically written.  Monique's biracial struggles are very obviously written by a white person. She marries a white man and feels secure that he'll never consider her "Black enough." Lmao what??? Evelyn even encourages Monique to do whatever it takes to get to the top. This is not what solidarity looks like. 

I relate to the struggle of being closeted. I even relate to the second-gen struggle of being ashamed of one's heritage. But if I'm gonna read a book written about these struggles, especially one written by a white woman, I would rather read about someone who doesn't feel shame about who they are. I definitely don't want to read a book about a person of color stepping on the backs of other people of color to get to the top.

I probably would have stopped reading this but I forced myself to finish it because it was on hold at the library. I honestly don't get the hype. This book was unrealistic at best and repugnantly offensive at worst. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

lucille_c's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kunma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The storyline of this book is really good, but there were a few parts that needed work, like when

Evelyn made up the scenario of her miscarriage, it obviously wasn't believable in any way because it wasn't even logical. It's not like the doctor would know before her she had a miscarriage.

That's why I'm only giving it 4.5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide, Blood, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

katiem716's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, and Murder