The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Spoiler-Free Book Review

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Standalone | 388 Pages | Pub. 2017

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at a Glance

• Overall Rating: ★★★★★
• Heroine: She gets what she wants
• Steaminess: like walking in Houston humidity
• Timeliness: Right for our political climate
• Emotional: Sobs into wine

Pairs Well With

Dry Martini

• 2 ½ oz. gin
• ½ oz. dry vermouth
• 1 dash orange bitters

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Our Review

I have seen this book everywhere lately. It was highly recommended by a few bloggers that I trust and admire, so even though this is not my normal genre, I had to give it a try.

ALWAYS trust your friends. They did not lead me astray. (Or maybe trust my friends?)

This is an important book. And I don’t use that term lightly.

Reid brings to light more social issues than you can imagine in a fluid and beautiful story. The vision of Hollywood glam that she paints is raw and honest. The reality of men being untouchable and women asking for it if they dressed or acted a certain way was visceral. Or told they were cold if they chose their career over a family. It’s easy to relate this to life now, where women have made great strides, but are still judged for not having children or even for choosing to stay home with them. Reid showed that there is no balance in the expectations set for women back then or even in today’s society.

“Isn’t it awfully convenient, that when men make the rules, the one thing that’s looked down on the most is the one thing that would bear them the greatest threat? Imagine if every single woman wanted something when she gave up her body. You’d all be ruling the place.”

Evelyn is the most unapologetic character I have read. On one hand she is a role model for all of us feminists, but she is also a terrible person who does horrible things to protect the people she loves. But when she loves, truly loves, it is deeply and without fail. She is such a terrific and flawed person and has so much to teach Monique and the rest of us.

“The world doesn’t give things, you take things. If you learn one thing from me, it should probably by that.”

The journey we follow through Evelyn’s life is so beautifully written that it sucks you in. The news articles spread throughout add flair and excitement, enhancing the feeling of old Hollywood and demonstrating the effect that the media has on individuals and relationships.

And oh, these relationships are full of crazy. I can’t fully address all of the social issues or the relationships without spoiling, so I will skirt around them a little.

“I love you so much that when I sometimes look at all the crazy fan mail you get, I think, Well that makes sense. I want to collect her eyelashes too.”

I said that when Evelyn loved, it was serious and intense. She has seven husbands, but she certainly didn’t love them all. The question we ask ourselves is “who is Evelyn’s true love?” I think that she really had two. One romantic and the other a true soul mate and friend. She had the best of all worlds when it came to love and I adored reading these two from beginning to end.

“Go if it hurts. Go if it’s time. Just go knowing you were loved, that I will never forget you, that you will live in everything Connor and I do. Go knowing I told you all my secrets. Because you were my best friend.”

This was a gorgeous story and if you haven’t read it, then I strongly suggest that you do. Even if, like me, it’s not in your usual genres.

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Have you read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Let us know what you thought in the comments!

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