Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Husbands

I first heard about this book through Book of the Month.
"The Husbands" is a debut novel that follows Lauren. After an incredible night out, Lauren returns home to be greeted by her adoring husband, Michael. The only problem with this scene is that she is not married. Lauren does not understand what is going on, but she does not have long to get used to Michael, because when he goes into the attic to change a lightbulb, he disappears and a new husband is in his place.
This was such an interesting idea for a novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. Lauren is single, but she is enjoying her life, at least she thought so. What I appreciated most about this story is how as Lauren meets more husbands, she learns more about herself. She meets some great guys, and she meets some scary men that she has to trick to get back in the attic, but through it all, she learns what she actually wants from life, and I thought that was absolutely beautiful.
This idea that there are infinite possibilities about paths we can take with our life is beautiful. Something as seemingly infinitesimal as pick from one great guy or another really could have crazy ramifications on a person's life. I also really appreciated how this was represented in the novel. Picking one husband over another had obvious implications on Lauren's life, but it also impacted the people around her. When she is with one husband, her beloved nephew is never born. A different husband means her friendships are not as close as she thought.
This was a cozy, fun book that I highly recommend.

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heytherekaity's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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kermittuesday's review

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funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved it. It has a similar premise to The Midnight Library but I liked it much better than ML. I really wasn’t sure how it would wrap up and I think it was the perfect ending. I loved that even though there was mention of Lauren’s “type”, by and large she didn’t have one, physically or personality wise. I think that’s a good message. I also liked how it started small and then… escalated. Would read again, may even purchase though I’m generally a library lady.

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subbasileia's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

Husbands is a fine book, with some insightful nuances, hilarious jokes, and notable character growth. Unfortunately, it suffers from missing the forest to appreciate the trees, leaving my fairly unsatisfied with its sudden ending.

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cesca_natalia's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Holly Gramazio are doing God's work with her debut novel of The Husbands.

I decide to read this, at first, solely because of the cover art. It's pretty, stunning, gives off 70's vintage art & with the word "husbands" falling down from the attic, it's so aesthetically pleasing. I'd say if this doesn't end up well, at least the cover art looks cute.

The Husbands were told from 3rd POV where us, as a reader, meet Lauren, drunk & half panic after saw a male stranger inside her flat whom later she found out was her husband which she somehow totally forgot about. In the morning, before she could confronted the stranger, he was gone & replaced by another male stranger which happened to be another husband of her.

This part of Lauren's husband magically change & an attic were a part of it is the one which baffled me a lot. This idea is uniquely authentic & very thought-provoking; all I'm thinking every time is "when will this end? and how? and why?"

From the character itself, Lauren, as our main, were giving a very astonishing & wonderful development; through the book, we follow her journey, her question & confusion regarding everything that happened in her life & from the girl craved for a perfect husband & perfect love life to girl whose satisfied & felt enough with her life, Holly Gramazio definitely did an amazing job.

The Husbands, in my opinion, is more of a story of women's self-journey to find herself rather than trying to find the perfect untainted husbands. The Husbands in here were acted as her "bridge" or "equipment" for her to achieve those self-discovery. And I think it's so nice of Holly to create this book; I certainly could relate with Lauren's story & couldn't wait to read more from her in the future.

This masterpiece is 5 out of 5; I totally recommended this for all of you to read

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thecriticalreader's review

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funny lighthearted 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? No

4.0

The Run-Down: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is an entertaining exploration of a creative hypothetical.

Review:

What if you got to explore parallel universes in which you get married? A single woman named Lauren unexpectedly finds herself in this position when she comes home one day to find a strange man in her house who claims to be her husband. Despite Lauren’s protests to the contrary, everything in her life—her family, her house decorations, her text history in her phone—point to her being married. When the husband goes up into the attic, a new husband appears. Lauren discovers that every time a husband goes up into the attic, a new one will appear and her life shifts to a parallel universe in which she is married to that man. The book wastes no time in kicking off the plot (she meets the first husband on the very first page), and Lauren starts exploring married life with men she doesn’t remember.

The Husbands has the sort of premise that could easily turn existential or preachy, but the book keeps things simple: you get what the blurb promises, which is new husbands spawning out of the attic and the shenanigans that follow. Gramazio does an excellent job conveying sufficient realism for suspension of disbelief without getting bogged down in plot complications or metaphysics. For example, the main character responds to her situation with an appropriate level of confusion and alarm, but she also adapts quickly to the attic husbands. In fact, Lauren displays a refreshing wit and levelheadedness in the face of this strange scenario (although she loses it a bit toward the end and makes some deeply questionable choices). The fast-paced plot, original premise, and sprinkling of humor result in a fun, if not particularly memorable, reading experience.

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beate251's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren is single but one day she comes home and there is a man in her flat, and he's her husband, as countless photos prove. Somehow her attic acts like a magic husband portal, and as soon as she sends one back, a new one emerges. Why is never explained - Lauren just has to deal with a neverending stream of blokes.

I'm not sure whether the prospect of an endless supply of husbands from the loft is thrilling or disturbing - especially as they feel like arranged marriages, but with a great return guarantee - you don't like the way he chews? Just send him into the attic.

A new husband always means a new life - sometimes it's only subtle wall colour changes, sometimes more profound. The people around her, neighbours, friends, family seem to stay the same at least.

Unfortunately, it brings out the worst in Lauren, she hardly goes to work anymore as she knows she can just reboot her life with the next guy, and if there is just the tiniest problem, she just sends the current husband into the attic, consequence-free.

I really started to dislike Lauren - she makes no attempt to be a good wife, just judges her husbands and sends them back, sometimes within minutes. Her life becomes an exhausting, chaotic mess. I doubt she remembers anymore where she is supposed to work nor how much money she has or what her husband's name is. In all this, she never seems to once fall in love with any of them, though she likes some more than others. The situation is becoming a curse and she knows she needs to take drastic action if she ever wants this scenario to end.

This is a debut novel and for that it's quite accomplished but maybe we could have had more time with fewer husbands to make it less repetitive. The ending is a bit abrupt, and I can't say we get a great love story - just a resigned "love the one you're with" realisation. Points for originality though.

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astoriareader's review

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adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

SYNOPSIS

One night, Lauren returns home to her flat in London and discovers a man who claims to be her husband.
Despite having no recollection of him, evidence suggests they've been together for years.
Meanwhile, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb, but suddenly disappears.
In his place, a new man appears, and a new, slightly altered life forms around Lauren.
She soon realizes that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, leaving her questioning what the right path and perfect match might be.

MY THOUGHTS

Very unique plot. From the start, I was intrigued by what would happen. Major kudos to the author for creativity.
Thoughtful and witty. Enjoyed the writing.
Blends several genres (contemporary, sci-fi, literary fiction)
Explores interesting concepts, like seemingly endless choices & overanalyzing your decisions.
Lauren’s partner choice also impacts other areas of her life. Close friends, jobs, hobbies, decor, and all aspects of her life are different, depending on the husband that emerges from the attic.
My only complaint is it got a bit repetitive in some sections, and I think it could’ve been shorter

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️one of a kind premise; good palate cleansing read.

Thanks to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on April 2, 2024.

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