The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ LGBTQ+ Rep

➮ Flowing narrative

➮ Forbidden soulmates

➮ Immoral MC

Synopsis

This story dives into the wild tale of Evelyn Hugo. A woman who will get what she wants, no matter what it takes. In doing so, she accumulated a surprising number of husbands, all of which she outlived. The one to be able to tell her story? Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter. This opportunity is the chance of a lifetime for Monique to get her career off the ground, but why her?

Best Quote From the Book

“It's always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly."

LGBTQ+ Representation

4/5 🌈

In an attempt to avoid too many major spoilers, this part of my review will not be all that in-depth. A number of the main characters in the story are LGBTQ+ and must live with the fact that the world is not yet ready for public queer relationships. The sacrifices made in the story are akin to many stories of people who had to keep their true feelings and desires hidden from the world in order to create a difference in it. 

My Thoughts

This story became a five-star for me not long after I read it because I am confident that I will not be forgetting it any time soon. Evelyn and Monique's story gives a glimpse into how money cannot buy happiness but it can certainly change what are considered problems in your life. Even in the lives of the rich and famous, it can be truly challenging to balance what is important for you versus what is important for your place in the world. Reid does an excellent job of making Monique and Evelyn's relationship as stilted but comforting as it should be. I found myself thinking throughout the story "Ah yes that is so perfectly Evelyn" based on the various things she did. Reid is one of the best I have read so far in terms of creating a fleshed-out character with flaws that are easy to predict in a comfortable way. As if you've witnessed these characters for much longer than a single book. 

The entire time it felt like I was sitting down for a nice chat with Evelyn, letting her ramble on about notable moments in her life. Instead of feeling like an omnipotent person observing what happens to the characters, it feels like Evelyn and Monique are in the room with me. I'm sure this effect was strengthed because I was listening to the audiobook. The narrators did an excellent job keeping the entire book feeling conversational. 

Can I take a moment to say, the plot twist at the end had me reeling. It truly tied all of the loose ends together in a neat little bow and brought everything into focus. I will keep my thoughts at that as to avoid spoilers but this is honestly just me highly recommending this book. 

My favorite part of this book other than the conversational aspect is the lesson it teaches readers at the end. As I'm sure you can tell by the title, Evelyn is not the most blessed in the successful love story department. Despite this, she learned the value of unconventional loves. Whether this is platonic, a non-traditional relationship, a familial bond, or a soulmate that is simply your best friend. It is okay to want to spend your life with someone (or multiple people) that you are not romantically attracted to. What works for your life and fulfills you is more than enough. It doesn't have to be considered settling just because it doesn't fit in the traditional box. Even if this desire changes throughout your life, that is okay too. Accept your life will have phases and what is the best for you in one phase may not be the best for you in the next. 

In sum, read this book. Even if you do not love it, I can promise it is an entertaining read that provides many valuable life lessons in a genuine way. You should especially heed my recommendation because I am not usually the biggest fan of historical novels. I am sold on Evelyn's story and it is one I will be thinking about a while longer.