The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Article Written By: Lindsey

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Atria Books, 2017 

Category & Genre: Young adult romantic historical fiction

Page number: 400

Tropes: Soulmate bond, social status, forbidden/secret love, old Hollywood, lifestory retelling, weaponized sex

Synopsis from the book jacket:

"Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself ... Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn's life unfolds, revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love, Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn's story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways."

Why did I choose this book to read?

I saw a lot of rave reviews for this book on social media. TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, you name it; there were tons of reviews, comments, and conversations about this book. In addition, some of the thoughts of the public in reference to this book were shock at some of the controversial content and themes the novel displays. So, I wanted to see if it was as good as everyone seemed to make it out to be and whether or not it pushed social conventions and social acceptability to the limit.

What did I like about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?

I was kept on the edge of my seat. I found myself never knowing what to expect as I read. It was a plethora of emotions that could change in a single sentence. I don’t know if it was the fact that this is a type of drama, and maybe I’m just a gossip who likes knowing other people’s secrets, but I was so captivated, and my attention never wavered, so much so that I finished the book within a day. Simply speaking, I couldn’t put it down! 

I liked the boundaries that it pushed. It’s a controversial thing to write about the LGBT community and for a woman to use sex and sensuality as a weapon. 

Where did The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo go wrong for me?

I found it hard to connect with the characters, especially Evelyn. We get her inner monologue throughout the story, but she comes off super cold and unfeeling which is odd for a main character. And even some of the feelings she does show almost give off a forced aura to them or they seem unrealistic, too sugary and surface level.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

“Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box, Monique. Don’t do that.”

“You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are until someone stands behind you and says, “It’s OK, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.””

“But I like you this way. I like you impure and scrappy and formidable. I like the Evelyn Hugo who sees the world for what it is and then goes out there and wrestles what she wants out of it.”

My character connection…

I love Harry Cameron. He was the best husband and gave Evelyn a real chance to be happy and have the life she wanted. Their friendship was strong since day one and only flourished as their lives progressed. Harry is everything a best friend should be; he is supportive of her decisions, accepting of who she is as a person, and gives her sound and emotionally intelligent advice throughout their friendship. I appreciated that their friendship doesn’t change, whether in or outside of marriage.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Final Verdict:

If you like a compelling drama, this book is for you. I would read this again, its compelling and emotional without being over done, which is hard to do. It’s not cheesy, the way that some romances can be, and it talks about very real struggles within relationships as well as society.