The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins- Reid

SUMMARY: 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows Monique Grant, a writer for the popular magazine Vivant, and Evelyn Hugo, former Hollywood It-girl. Monique is mysteriously requested by name to interview Evelyn, a reclusive and secretive Hollywood star who hasn’t been interviewed in years. But when Monique arrives for the meet-up she is met with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity….the chance to write Evelyn Hugo’s multi-million dollar biography. Throughout the book, Evelyn reveals all her life stories, the secrets and scandals, the glitz and the glamour, and of course all 7 husbands. But she also shares about her tragedy and loss, beauty and friendship, and the forbidden secret affair with the one true love of her life. 

Before their time is over Evelyn reveals not only her story, but also how her and Monique’s lives were tragically intertwined long before the book began. 

REVIEW: 

Overall, I would give this book 4.5/5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and found it to be incredibly fascinating. The writing was well-done, though at times I found it to be a bit redundant. Monique’s character is a perfect example of this, her chapters started off strong but as the book went on her parts became very mundane and repetitive.  I often found myself forgetting about her existence until she interrupted the most climactic scenes, which led to her becoming more of a nuisance than a meaningful character. On the other hand, I did really enjoy her character arc and how Evelyn’s influence on her was shown. Monique started the book very shy and timid, but as the book went on and she spent more time with Ev she became far more confident and sure of herself. 

Moreover, I thought that Evelyn was beautifully written and interesting. She was not at all a good person, often acting greedy and manipulative, but something about her was still charming and lovable. Despite all the questionable and sometimes awful things she does, I still found myself rooting for her. Evelyn’s journey from being a poor girl in Hell’s Kitchen to the highest-paid actress in Hollywood was awe-inspiring, and the way she always carried herself with such confidence and grace made her one of my favorites. She was clearly inspired by real-life icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, and her story often conveys the more tragic dark side of Hollywood. Due to the fact that she was a Cuban, LGBTQ+ woman in 1950’s Hollywood, she was often mistreated and felt like she had to hide a part of herself which made her quite a somber character, despite the seemingly exciting life she led. 

My final remarks would be that I thought this book was excellent. It was fun and engaging, but also melancholy and at times downright upsetting. To say it’s a rollercoaster of emotions would be an understatement, after all following a woman’s whole seventy-plus years of life in a mere 385 pages is sure to raise more than a few strong feelings. The plot was quick and the characters compelling, which made it hard to ever put down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested, but be aware it does contain more mature subject matter so I recommend checking trigger warnings before reading (!!)

• Maryalice :D