I heard from so many people that this book was amazing, that i'd love it, maybe it was over hyped for me. I did enjoy it but i didn't love it unfortunately. I enjoyed a lot of the historical elements of the story, those based on the real life female film starts of the 1950's. But then there were so many bits of the book that i felt dragged, Evelyn really did go through a lot but she liked to go on about it too. I knew that there was going to be some kind of twist relating to Monique, there was a lot of reference to it throughout the book. However when the actual twist was revealed i was less than shocked.

I think overall i was in the same boat as Monique in that she was drawn to Evelyn for her beauty, glamour, fragility. But at the same time i was repulsed by her and that fact that she just seemed to use so many people including those she loved just to get that one step up from where she was. I felt sad for her too, she just didn't ever seem to be happy with what she had, it was all about getting more money, more fame and i guess more security given the life she had been born into.

This book was perfect. I kept seeing everywhere and people talked about how much they loved it. It scared me little because there was a hype. But it was amazing. I loved Evelyn Hugo. While i reading this book i wanted to check all the films and actors. It felt real like reading real Hollywood actress life. Thank you for this copy. Taylor Jenkins Reid is my new favourite author.

This book popped up for request on Netgalley and I thought I’d give it a go after all of the hype and good reviews. This isn’t a book I’d typically go for myself but after reading so much fantasy lately I thought it would be a nice change-up. Before getting in to it I only knew the very basics of what the story was about and was pleasantly surprised at how much more there was to it.

I actually decided to listen to the audio book for it as it was available on scridb and I had heard that the audiobook was really well done as most of the story is interview-style and I’m really glad I did. It didn’t take long before I was completely immersed in these characters and this story telling it was hard to believe that this wasn’t a real autobiography. I really wanted to know about Evelyn’s life and the people in it but I was not prepared for how emotionally draining at times it could be. With domestic and sexual abuse and deaths, it was a real rollercoaster and had me tearing up several times.

There were quite a few twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting but life just isn’t straight forward, movie star or not. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story even if it was hard at times, I liked how it ended even if it was somewhat controversial, I was satisfied with it and am interested in picking up Taylor’s new book ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ which is also interview-style. I would recommend everyone read this book.

In brief:
- Diverse characters, particularly in terms of race
- Father/daughter relationship for Monique seems to be an important factor
- Evelyn has always been determined to get what she wants, and used her looks as a way of getting it (but not necessarily wanting to)
- Evelyn is a victim of abuse
- A lot on how fake/carefully constructed Hollywood actors' lives were
- Like the different styles of writing - newspaper/magazine/blog articles, Monique's perspective, Evelyn's accounts
- Spoilers for Little Women
- Descriptions of outfits help root the glamour/time
- Really feel for all the characters that have to hide their true sexualities
- Discussion of sexuality (attraction and desire) is good
- Heartbreaking moments

This book blew me away ... taking the reader back to the golden age of film we meet iconic actress Evelyn Hugo who has found just the person to write the story of her life and her seven marriages - brilliant twists. This book makes the reader feel like they are in the era of Evelyn the red carpet events the glamorous movie sets and the turbulent love life. I loved it definitely 5 stars ⭐️

Born Evelyn Herrera, a Cuban American woman dyes her hair blonde and takes advantage of what nature has given her to marry and escape to Hollywood in the 50s. Rechristened Evelyn Hugo she marries up and becomes a huge star of silver screen. At the end of her life Evelyn decides to gift the authorship of her biography to Monique Grant, an unknown writer. What has caused Evelyn to do this and what secrets is she finally prepared to reveal.
As far as populist fiction goes, this is the sort of slightly more intelligent 'airport beach read' that exists. The plot is deeply predictable but it is written with a genuine verve. The stories about homosexuality in Hollywood and the public eye are rather heavy-handed but well-meaning. Overall it's a very entertaining read which manages to rise above being mere candy floss without really troubling the reader. If one is in the mood for a bit of escapism that doesn't tax the brain then this is a really good option.

I feel like I was the last person on earth who hadn’t read this book and I am so glad I finally did. That said, it took me a while to finish this because there was a bit in the middle that dragged for me – however, man, does Taylor Jenkins Reid ever pull it back together after the 50% mark. From that point onwards, I was so very invested.

On the surface, this is the story of Evelyn Hugo’s seven marriages as told to Monique, a rather inexperienced journalist getting the chance of her lifetime to write a memoir to one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. But more than that, this book is the portrait of woman who honestly and gracefully bares her all to the world here. And I adored Evelyn so very much. She is by far my favourite part of this book; she is ruthless and ambitious but unflinchingly honest in her own portrayal. I could not help but root for her as she made her way in the minefield that is Hollywood. Whenever the storyline strayed from her, I was eager to get back to her and get to know her better. Monique on the other hand did not always work for me as the person through whose lens we are getting the story.

Told in effortless prose that compelled me to keep reading, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her story without unnecessary flourish in a way that let her main character shine and her side characters dazzle. I adored Harry beyond measure and thought Celia was wonderfully flawed but incredibly compelling. The ending ripped my heart out but I am so glad to have finally read this.

“It’s always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly.”

Well this book was a roller coaster for me! I started off thinking I was going to really enjoy this book, then something happened that rubbed me up the wrong way and I thought I am going to hate the book, then the last half I couldn't put down and I even cried at the end.

So the plot:
Monique Grant is a low level writer for a magazine, having lost her dad at an early age and going through a pending divorce she really wants to make it big with the magazine, one day her boss Frankie calls her to her office and says that Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo is selling off some of her best know gowns in a charity auction for cancer after loosing her daughter to the disease, and Evelyn has approached the magazine to do a piece about it and has asked for Monique and Monique only, the stakes are high & Monique knows she has to do this and do it well, however when arriving at Evelyn's mansion it appears that Evelyn has no interest in doing a piece in the magazine about the auction and instead wants Monique to write her biography, we then follow the story of Evelyn's life from her early days trying to make it big, to her seven husbands and finally we find out who truly was the love of her life.

This story had a lot of depth to it, Evelyn was an awful, selfish and self serving human being, she would do what ever it took to get what she wanted with no regard to who she hurt a long the way, we watched time and time again as she hurt the people she loved in order for her own personal gain , I was finding it hard to like Evelyn at all and to be honest was getting tired of her behaviour when she did something I could never forgive she faked her own miscarriage, she did this to save her career however on the next page she is drinking wine and celebrating with a friend because the trick worked, this is the part that rubbed me up the wrong way, as someone who knows how painful and life altering a miscarriage can be I felt like this was dealt with with not a lot of sensitivity, I was really hoping that at least some point the author would rectify this but it never came, after reading this section I was left upset and angry and felt like an issue like miscarriage was almost made into a trivial matter! however that being said I still really enjoyed this books, I thought the sections in the book dealing with what it was like to be LGBT at the time not only in Hollywood but in normal society was dealt with really well and I really felt for the characters who couldn't be true to themselves and fully be with the person the loved because of the repercussions. I felt that as we spent more time with Evelyn and her story we really got to see her change and mature and start to think about her actions, the ending of this book really had me in tears and there was some beautiful quotes in the last section alone. I think this book would make a good beach read as it's one you won't be able to put down.

I really want to give this book around a 4.5 stars but because of the whole section about the miscarriage and how it effected me on a personal level I am not able to, however it is still a strong and very good read.

“When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things, you take things.” .

The story of Evelyn Hugo, movie star and legend of Hollywood, her 7 marriages and her one true love. Wow, what a story. Loved everything about it. In fact I binge read it today until I was finished it. Having loved this book and Daisy Jones and the Six, I think Taylor Jenkins Reid is possibly my new favourite author.

This book is worth every bit of the hype surrounding it. I finished it a couple weeks ago and I am still ruminating about it. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo poses the fundamental question of what makes a life well-lived and addresses it well within the premise of a journalist writing the biography of a fictional aging screen legend (analogous to a star like Elizabeth Taylor). Along the way, it tackles topics like families, sexual orientation, and racial identity. The story is quite engaging as you wonder why Hugo picks that particular journalist to pour out her heart.
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster UK / Washington Square Press, and the author Taylor Jenkins Reid for an electronic review copy.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy of this book.

This is a book that so many have talked about on blogs and booktube, especially the latter that what I say/write is bound to be somewhat repetitive but I shall do a review as I do usually all the same. For those who didn’t know already, this book is about Evelyn Hugo, a successful Hollywood star in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s who has gone through ups and down in her career, even won an Oscar, and has also had a personal life that has held the public’s attention, perhaps even more so than her film career, specifically the fact that she was married seven times. In the book, she seeks out Monique Grant, a young writer/journalist with a magazine Vivant, one somewhere at the bottom of the ladder, and agrees to tell her and only her the whole story of her life. Needless to say those at Vivant and Monique herself are shocked, but Evelyn won’t reveal the reason till she is ready to. And so Evelyn begins telling Monique her tale, from humble beginnings, in fact a rather precarious existence, to stardom, the “bold” decisions she took in her life and career, and of course, how she came to meet and marry each of her seven husbands. Alongside we also learn about Monique and her life, and her interactions with Evelyn certainly impact on how she handles the situations that she has to confront. The story is told in both their “voices”, interspersed with reports/articles from magazines/gossip columns, and blogs.

This book turned out quite different from what I expected, though honestly I am not really sure if I went into it with any specific expectations. Anyway, Evelyn’s story is of one who will do all it takes, anything it takes to achieve her dreams, and she is not one who regrets the decisions she makes. But while one may achieve the glamour, the fame, and the power, does it necessarily translate to happiness—no it doesn’t. And what Evelyn’s story also shows us is that all of this doesn’t put us above or take us away from the issues that any human being may have to face, and it may perhaps be harder in that position to deal with them than for an “ordinary” human being. Hollywood, the movies, are a place of illusion making, something I thought came through well in Evelyn Waugh’s The Loving Spirit. And it does much more so in this book, the illusions that need to be created and maintained, and the price that they come at—which makes you wonder why people go after them at all, when none of it, the fame or money are really worth it in the end. Still, Evelyn’s story—the struggles she had to undergo, not so much in her career though it had its share too, but to find personal happiness made for very interesting reading, and definitely did have me hooked on. Yet, I felt the bigger “hook” for me in this book was the “mystery” element of why she had chosen Monique to reveal her story to—that was what really kept me reading. Another aspect I enjoyed in the book was the clippings from gossip columns/papers and blogs that were scattered between the chapters—the blog with its comments, and especially the writing style in the older columns—I thought these were very nicely done. Overall, this was a very good read for me but I didn’t find that I loved it quite to the extent that some others have—in other words a 4/4.25 stars but not a full five but only because it didn’t have come completely enamoured.

Heard so much from my book buddies across the pond. Such an easy read-but saying that it gives you food for thought.
Be prepared to go on an emotional rollercoaster
Thank you to both NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for my eARC of this book in exchange for honest unbiased review

Wow, I’ve literally just finished this book but I can already tell that it’s one that’s going to stay with me for a while. It doesn’t make for the most comfortable of reads. Much like main protagonist Evelyn Hugo it’s brutally honest, unapologetic and morally grey but it’s also incredibly powerful, moving and compelling. It may have started out a little slow and I wasn’t sure it would live up to expectations but by the end I was an emotional wreck.

This is the story of a life, Hollywood screen legend Evelyn Hugo’s life (and loves) to be exact. She may be getting older and has been out of the public eye for some time but she has that special something that draws everyone to her. When Monique Grant, a relatively unknown magazine reporter, is invited to interview the elusive star no one knows why but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for her to find out the truth behind the scandals and the press stories, to discover the reasons why her marriages didn’t last and who the real love of Evelyn’s life was.

As Evelyn tells her story to Monique it becomes clear that she has picked Monique for a reason, that there is some connection between them. As Monique hears Evelyn’s story and discovers a shocking truth it makes her reevaluate her own life and beliefs.

I have to admit I found Evelyn’s story fascinating. It begins in the 1950’s when she’s in her teens, living in Hells Kitchen and follows her to the glamour of early Hollywood where, through sheer force of will and perseverance, she gets her big break in the movies. She trades on her looks and transforms herself into the person she needs to be to become someone in a world that doesn’t want her. She learns to play the game, she falls in love, discovers others aren’t always who they seem, has her heart broken, loses everything that matters and wins it back. It’s a truly compelling story of a wonderfully complex character.

From reading other reviews it does seem like a lot of people really don’t like Evelyn but I have to confess I admired her. Yes, she’s selfish and ruthless and does the wrong thing a lot of the time but she owns her actions which is something I love. She doesn’t apologize for them and she doesn’t regret them. She knows exactly who she is and what she’s willing to do.

When I was starting this book I did wonder if seven husbands was a bit much, if it would be too many characters and relationships for me to become invested in any particular one, or if I would even remember each husband but they’re so well crafted that they can’t help but be memorable and every one of them brought something to the story.

I will say that Harry Cameron, husband five and Evelyn’s best friend, was far and away my favourite. He’s not without his own demons but the relationship between them is truly something to be envied even if it isn’t necessarily romantic love. The others are a bit of a mixed bag. A couple seem like they could be the real thing, some of which become disappointments, there are marriages of convenience (usually Evelyn’s convenience) and there are unexpected true partnerships which redefine what love and family really means.

Interspersed among these stories of Evelyn is Monique in the present day. She isn’t necessarily the strongest character, she’s trying to get over the break up of her own marriage and lacking confidence, but she really grows throughout the story as she learns from Evelyn. So much so that by the end I was cheering her on and completely heartbroken when she finds out the truth about why Evelyn picked her to write her story.

I am so glad that I picked up this book. It isn’t my usual type of read but the writing is truly wonderful (I’ve highlighted a lot) and it has some very powerful messages throughout while remaining a compelling story. This was my first book by Reid but it definitely won’t be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. This has in no way influenced my review.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a book that kept me hooked from the beginning.
Monique a writer with a magazine is astonished that the movie star Evelyn Hugo has asked for her to come to her house to interviewer her for a magazine article.
Evelyn tells Monique that she would like her to write a book about her life, career, marriages and secrets.
This is a tale of Hollywood and the people who will do and say anything for fame and fortune. Everything is for show and most of it is fake.
I enjoyed this book and found the characters complex and interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for my e-copy n exchange for an honest review.

3,5 Stars

This book is a mixed bag for me. I did not expect it to be mainly a love story. I also anticipated hearing more about the “old Hollywood” and how it all worked. But there is just a little bit of it in the book. The main focus is on the tumultuous love life of Evelyn.

Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood legend. She is living a reclusive life now in New York. But suddenly she wants to get her biography written and she chooses Monique to write it. Monique is still struggling in her job and she does not know why Evelyn chooses her. But of course she wants to do it. So Monique comes to Evelyn’s apartment every day and listens to her story.

I enjoyed the book because of the writing style. It is an easy read and I became also fascinated by the ruthless character of Evelyn. But I am not as thrilled as many other readers. This is mainly because I am not a huge fan of love stories and that is what this book is. It is wrapped in a bit of old movie star glamour but at the end it is all about that one true love in Evelyn’s life.

Evelyn is a very complex and lifelike character. She is the reason I give 3,5 stars. She is really something and I liked her. But all other characters fall flat. Monique has almost no personality. She asks Evelyn all the time stupid questions and I was wondering why on earth Evelyn chooses her to write her story. But of course there is a connection and a “twist” which reveals everything.

I think this was just not the perfect book for me personally because there are many raving reviews out there. I am not over the moon but it was an easy and also entertaining read.

This is an gem of a read from Taylor Jenkins Reid and fully deserving of all the plaudits it is receiving. Evelyn Hugo is a woman consumed by ruthless ambition that allowed her to transcend her background from Hell's Kitchen with immigrant Cuban parents and sweep her way into Hollywood, forging a career that saw her rise to unprecedented heights in tinsel town as a unrivalled film star. Becoming a recluse, and now 79 years old, the indomitable, larger than life, Evelyn finally has nothing standing in her way and is now preparing to tell all about her glamorous and scandalous life. For no apparent reason, she has chosen the little known reporter, Monique Grant, on Vivant magazine to interview her. With her life in troubled disarray, Monique intends to grasp this opportunity to further her ambitions, with little awareness of the impact this interview will have on her.

We learn of the Hollywood of this era, of Evelyn's seven husbands, the position of women at this time and forbidden love. It is a story of friendship, secrets, lies, abuse, betrayal and sacrifice as the flawed Evelyn pours forth an unapologetic and truthful account of her tumultuous life as a connection develops between her and Monique. Reid does beautiful and mesmerising storytelling with complex, nuanced and multilayered characterisation. This is a must read, an emotionally heart wrenching novel that will not fail to grip the reader. It portrays in detail what it took for a woman to succeed in the Hollywood of this era. Just brilliant! Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

“It shouldn’t be wrong, to love you. How can it be wrong?”
“It’s not wrong, sweetheart. It’s not,” I said.
“They’re wrong.”

The first thing I wanted to do after finishing ‘The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid was to watch every single Evelyn Hugo movie ever made, to google her name to see her stunning beauty and her wonderful fashion sense, to read every news article written about her and then I came to the earth shattering realisation that she isn’t real!

I am left in total awe of Reid for leaving me feeling this way but also totally heartbroken at the same time.

‘The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ tells the full, uncensored story of Hollywood’s most famous leading lady Evelyn Hugo. It leaves no stone unturned in her personal and professional life and although some of her actions are immoral, illegal and sometimes just downright nasty you cannot help but fall head over heels for her.

Evelyn came from a broken home. Her mother past away when she was young and her father was an abusive drunk. This is what gave Evelyn the dedication to get herself out of Hell’s kitchen and living amongst the stars in Hollywood no matter the costs. Evelyn used sex, her body, people who loved her and broke the law to get where she needed to be but her biggest secret and scandal throughout all of her life was one she has kept hidden until now and that is, Who was Evelyn Hugo’s one true love?

I don’t want to give any more of the story away as I went in completely blind and would recommend others to do so. This story is so heartbreaking at times it made me cry but it is also such a feel good tale and makes you feel empowered as a woman.

I recommend this book to everyone as there is no other book like it out there and I want to read it over and over and over again.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh WOW! I have a new favorite author. THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO is the very first book I've read by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I definitely want to read more! To say that this book really hooked me is an understatement. I had an ecopy of this book, but I also listened to the audio version while at work and I do hope I did a good job. It's not easy when you find books like this. Everything around you gets a bit fuzzy. I always think a really good audiobook should you leave you a bit exhausted. You have gotten so into the story that it feels like you know the characters personally. And, this book felt like this!

Also, the title. LOVED it because it tells the life of Evelyn Hugo, every man represents a part of Evelyn's life. However, there is one person that is constant in her life, the great love of Evelyn Hugo. And that person, well I don't want to give the story away so I won't say more than it's all so bloody tragic. In many ways is Evelyn Hugo's life just a fictional as her movies. I loved this book. One of the best I've read this year! Can't wait to read DAISY JONES &THE SIX!

Evelyn Hugo is a famous actress who is perhaps best known for the number of times she has been married. She doesn't give interviews but as she gets older, agrees to do one biography with an up and coming journalist. We see every event from both the way the media saw it and the way Evelyn tells the journalist. I'm a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins-Reid and while I found this different to her other novels I absolutely loved it. It's a really unique story and wonderfully told. The book is funny and addictive and I can't recommend it highly enough!

I wasn't sure what to expect from "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", but it was recommended on youtube, and I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" is a wonderful historical novel, spanning more than five decades in the life of one wonderfully complex woman, Evelyn Hugo, who unapologetically goes for what she wants and doesn't allow anything or anybody to hold her back. The supporting cast is wonderfully drawn as well and I was invested in Evelyn's personal relationships with them, her decisions, losses, and gains regarding them.

The framing narrative was a good choice, and I liked how the stories intersected and especially how the ending plays out.

The representation in this novel is great as well and I love how all the characters are allowed to be complex and multi-layered and how nobody is portrayed as a saint. Instead, every character has flaws, feels really human, and, as a result, their decisions have a real weight behind them that feels natural.

Overall, this is one of the best novels I have read this years so far and I would love to see more characters as complex, human, and flawed as Evelyn Hugo.