A review by thereadinghammock
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

challenging emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was worth the hype it got. Any time I see big hype on Bookstagram/Tok, I get nervous that the book won't live up to the reputation that preceded it, but I was hooked from the start. I loved Evelyn's matter-of-fact confidence of a woman with nothing left to lose at the end of a long life and infamous career in show business. I loved flipping back and forth between present day chapters between Monique and Evelyn, the dictation chapters Evelyn narrated to Monique, and the tabloid excerpts of the headlines Evelyn wanted the public to see (especially in juxtaposition against what we now knew to be true).

Evelyn's take-no-shit attitude rubs off on Monique quickly in their sessions, giving her the confidence to take her life by the horns that she didn't realize she'd been lacking so much of. Feeling some parallels to her own impending divorce, Monique recognizes that Evelyn has a motive behind every action she takes and is waiting for the shoe to drop in their sessions as to why Evelyn needed Monique to be the author of this book. And she kept that hook baited like she did her entire career. Revealing just enough to keep you continually interested and wanting more, then sucker punching you with the reality of what her decisions have led to.

I adored the friendship Evelyn and Harry had; truly the definition of a friendship soulmate. Both being able to be their authentic selves with the other. Celia and Evelyn were such a roller coaster of highs and lows and bringing out the best and worst in each other. You hurt with Evelyn when she realized how big she screwed up each time, but as a woman who did whatever she had to do to protect herself for so long, braking those habits, even for the ones you love, can be extremely difficult. As much as this story focuses on the romances (or lack thereof) across her life, this story is not a romance. The ending s not happily ever after. It's happily bittersweet at best. But it fits and feels appropriate, given the context within the layers of this story.

While seeing Evelyn finally get as close a happily ever after she could, knowing it basically came at the expense of Harry and Celia's lives was heartbreaking. For Harry to have died in that accident--WITH MONIQUE'S FATHER TURNING OUT TO BE HIS NEW LOVER OF ALL PEOPLE--just when he thought he'd found love again. I was devastated. Then to finally get her HEA with Celia, but knowing it had an expiration date; truly heartbreaking. Knowing she got to say goodbye to all the most important people in her life as they passed--Harry, Celia, and then her daughter--was so bittersweet.
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