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emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Husbands was my first read of 2025, and honestly I hope the rest of the year stays on this track! This story kept my attention from start to finish. The FMCs development throughout the book was fun to read. The other characters are unique, offering something different to the larger storyline.
Overall, this is a wonderful story about modern dating, the constant need to see what’s out there, and learning that the grass may not always be greener on the other side.
Overall, this is a wonderful story about modern dating,
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“She doesn't always like the new versions of herself, but they help her understand the edges of who she might be.”
So, I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the premise. Magical realism is always cool. The beginning of the book is really enjoyable and the audiobook narrator is pretty great! But Lauren’s actions get more bizarre, violent, and drastic as the story continues. That would be fine if we also got some real growth for her but we don’t.
I’m genuinely a bit upset about how the Bohai storyline ended as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Stalking
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good plot, interesting concepts, funny lines throughout. Solid unexpected ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall a decent read. I had a couple of moments where I considered DNFing the book.
The book gets right into the action which is great but the first half of the book is kind of repetitive and I still don’t know why I care about the FMC or if I do at all. She eventually meets someone else in her situation and that helps the story along for a few chapters. Then it is back to more of the same where she doesn’t really seem to grow as a person outside of being tired of her situation. Thankfully she ends on what seems like a HEA. It was an interesting choice to end from a different person’s perspective but it was nice to know how they were thinking about the whole situation.
I don’t think I’d recommend this book to someone else. I waffled between 2 and 3 stars.
The book gets right into the action which is great but the first half of the book is kind of repetitive and I still don’t know why I care about the FMC or if I do at all. She eventually meets someone else in her situation and that helps the story along for a few chapters. Then it is back to more of the same where she doesn’t really seem to grow as a person outside of being tired of her situation. Thankfully she ends on what seems like a HEA. It was an interesting choice to end from a different person’s perspective but it was nice to know how they were thinking about the whole situation.
I don’t think I’d recommend this book to someone else. I waffled between 2 and 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My mediocre response to this book has more to do with my expectations for it more than the actual book. I thought I was getting a light-hearted vacation read, when I was really getting a much more thoughtful book about the choices we make and the ripple effects those choices have.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Domestic abuse
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fast, fun read that served as a great palette cleanser for me after a few books where I had to slog through.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
I thought the plot here was actually really creative - it certainly hasn't been done before - and it drew me in very quickly. I like magical realism but I actually wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did given some meh reviews I'd read.
Despite really liking it, I don't think this book would work for everyone, and I was about 75-80% of the way through before realizing that I'd been waiting for some major twist that simply wasn't going to come. You shouldn't go into this expecting a major turn of events - it's just a magical attic doing magical things, handing our main character an ever rotating cast of men of all shapes, sizes, races, and personalities - in perpetuity. That was the only part that was a bit of a "let down" for me - I was waiting for a twist or a grand explanation for a book that wasn't set up for that sort of plot.
This book was genuinely funny though and full of raw moments about what it means to be a woman and a wife in modern day society. The pacing kept me on my toes and I was surprised - as some other reviewers/readers have mentioned - that there were parts that made me oddly emotional that I was truly not expecting. I think this book can have a lot of potential takeaways and hidden messages depending on who the reader is and your life experiences. That is to say, I don't think everyone will take the same thing away from it, and I think that's a good thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Alcohol
challenging
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse