"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"
Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review written by Diana Iozzia



"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" is a book that I had wanted to read for a very long time. I found myself reading many spoiler-free reviews, looking at hauls that included it, staring at it on the library shelves, so I finally decided to borrow it from the library and read it. Boy. This is one of those books that you don't find often. The ones that have so much heart, love, and soul that comes across just when you need it, like serendipity or fate or just some other man-made emotion.

Taylor Jenkins Reid creates new stories from old ideas. Evelyn Hugo is not the first aging actress character, so gorgeous with her glamour, elegance, and past sex appeal. Monique Grant is not the first desperate news reporter who gets picked to write a fantastic story. However, Reid breathes life into these characters, makes them feel like they truly exist, and also makes us care about characters that some people would normally overlook.

In the same vein of old Hollywood glamour, Evelyn Hugo has the intrigue and wonder of fictional greats like Norma Desmond but also encapsulates the true glamour of Bette Davis, Liz Taylor, Joan Crawford, Eva Peron, and many more. There's also a little bit of this novel that reminds me of Andi and Miranda's relationship in "The Devil Wears Prada". Evelyn has chosen Monique to write her life story, with the hook that many fans, celebrities, and news mediums have wanted to know: Why seven husbands? Who is her real, true love?

The pages unfold as a book within a book, as Evelyn speaks to the reader. We also have a small frame story, that includes a first person perspective from Monique, as she develops a friendship and kinship with Evelyn.

Evelyn tells her story, of sadness, of abuse, of love, of ambition. She tells us how she made it to the top, how she stayed there, how she fell, and why she chose to fall. We have an excellent cast of characters, who all provide the motivation and drive for Evelyn to continue. Two of the greatest characters that were present in her life were Harry, her manager, and Celia, a fellow actress and friend. Reveals about all of the characters show Evelyn's life behind closed doors and off-screen. We fall in love with Evelyn. We feel our hearts break with Evelyn.

The most important reveal of the story is something that I won't tell you in this review. Her great love story cannot be revealed her, but I tell you that you must read this novel. I urge you to find a copy and read as soon as you can. This book will stay with me for some time. When I find a new book and consider its impact on me, I know it'll be a favorite if I tell everyone about it, if I plan to buy a copy, and if I plan to read this book again. I can tell you that this is definitely a new favorite.

Lastly, I want to mention that there is a large and well-written amount of LGBT representation in this book. As a member of the community, I personally find this book to be a great representation and felt very comfortable with the portrayal of these characters.

Please read this book.