I got this, because Marian Keyes said it was good, and I’m not disappointed! This is extremely funny and unique and fascinating and makes for a great bookclub discussion. I’m not even married and I spent most of my time, wondering what I would do about the husbands …

Lauren is a single woman with a magical attic which allows her to make spurious choices regarding her ever-spawning spouses. Really, that’s all that needs to be said isn’t it?

I laughed out loud while reading this at the end I felt quite sma wrench having to leave Lauren behind

Lauren comes home one night to find a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband, and all the evidence would suggest that he is right. But when the new husband goes into the attic, an entirely different man emerges who once again claims to be her husband and once again appears to be right. It seems that Lauren's attic is creating an endless supply of husbands for her.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from The Husbands, but I knew I couldn't resist that premise. I think I was expecting something like a rom-com, and there are certainly elements of that genre in The Husbands, but the story felt more like science-fiction to me. Each time a new husband descends from the attic, Lauren finds herself living in a world slightly different from the one she remembers; one where she met and married the man her attic has created. Lauren's life is slightly different each time, as her choice of husband both reflects and influences other choices she makes, like her job or haircut or the colour scheme in her flat. This also means that Lauren has to quickly try to get accustomed to a life that is very strange to her, and I found it really interesting (and very funny) how Lauren goes about this.

Although the fact that The Husbands isn't really a rom-com means that we don't get a big love story and a happy ever after, it also means that we get a story about Lauren's happiness that isn't dependent on who she marries (and, don't worry, it does have a happy ending). I loved that the story's original premise is used as a way for Lauren to find out more about herself, and what she wants out of her life. This one wasn't quite a five-star read for me, but I found it a really unique and interesting, and often very funny, story. I have lots of favourite moments, but I particularly enjoyed when the book leant into its surreal undertones; when the husbands had distinctly odd traits, or Lauren was driven to bizarre tactics. The Husbands isn't a perfect book, but I can almost guarantee you won't have read anything else like it.

This started off slowly but it picked up about half way through.
I usually prefer first person narrative so I found this book a little difficult as it was harder to connect to any characters.
The premise was fantastic but the execution didn't quite deliver for me.

It was still interesting enough though.

Wow. The first thing that springs to mind when I finished this book. It was well written, funny and had me gripped from the start. I loved the characters especially Lauren. I loved this book and will be recommended it to all friends.

A rather bizarre story of never ending husbands. Quite funny in places.
I dropped a star because I hate bad language and there is quite a lot of it.

This was a funny and original read featuring Lauren whose flat suddenly produces a husband for her and then when he goes in the attic a different one reappears and so it goes on. Starting with her confusion and fear at finding a strange man in her flat and also finding her flat looking different (it changes appearance with each husband) not to mention pictures on her mobile going back all the time they’ve been together to her gradual realisation at what is happening even if she can’t understand why. This actually has some really thoughtful observations about relationships in it as well as many varied reasons for finding the varied husbands unsuitable. Some husbands last for seconds or minutes, others days or weeks but each time Lauren finds issue whilst at the same time struggling with how to resolve the issue. The addition of Bohai as one if her husbands adds another interesting dimension and whilst this is an amusing read it could be really quite perceptive. I was unsure how this would conclude but I think it was really well thought out with hope for Lauren’s future yet! 9/10

my favourite book i have read this year! i could not put it down, loved the story, the characters and the authors way of writing.
a book i will recommend to all my friends

I was really excited to read this, because the premise is so intriguing -- a woman discovers her attic gives her a new husband every time someone goes into it! It's a premise with a huge amount of possibility and creativity and I loved that about this. It felt unique and <i>fun</i>, inventive and inviting at the same time. I also really liked that there was essentially no beating around the bush with this book: you're thrown into the action, which comes with a lot of bizarre hijinx.

I was mostly excited for the bizarre hijinx, to be honest, and there were some really fun ones throughout this. I found it compulsively readable and very easy-to-read too. I do think that a lot of people will enjoy this. It's fun and interesting. The writing style is really good too and I really thought the author was so good at quick, sharp and short descriptions which gave a real sense of place and character.

The central conceit is the whole draw to this novel and, while I liked it, I think it was also its drawback. Eventually, this got too repetitive. By the time it got to the end of the book, I was ready for Lauren to make better choices for herself. It doesn't bother me that some things didn't get explained -- listen, I'm buying the magic attic thing okay -- but I felt like I wanted something a little bit more streamlined. The themes are obvious and shine through: the paralysis of indecision, the tempting lure of life being 'greener on the other side' and the strange nature of human intimacies. I wish this had been more fleshed out and I felt that there was more character work to be done, both with the main character and the others around here, but I did enjoy it.

This seems to be a debut novel and I'm really excited to see what else the author comes out with, because I did find this enthralling, inventive and engaging. I just wish it hadn't been quite as long. I think it would have helped with a sense of stagnation here. This was clearly referenced with the main POV character and obviously is a theme but it just felt a bit much. Overall, very glad I read this and, like I say, I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for more!

I will say, I think this will REALLY hit better for people who loved The Midnight Library, for e.g., but want something a bit lighter. I enjoyed this much more than The Midnight Library because I found it wackier and more fun, with something to say but not in quite such a heavy-handed manner.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6198613326

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6188375043

Loved the premise of this book (a husband suddenly emerges from happily single Lauren's attic one night, and sticks around until she sends him back into the attic, at which point he disappears and is replaced by another husband, and so on and so forth). To begin with I was racing through it and really enjoying it, interested to see which husband Lauren would decide to stick with (or perhaps for the mystery of the magic attic to be solved). But I guess inevitably it all started to feel a bit repetitive and I found the ending really unsatisfying, moving the book from four stars to three (or maybe 3.5) right at the end. I would read books by this author again, though - although not perfect, this ticked a lot of my boxes.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I was very intrigued by this book because the blurb sounded like a unique idea. The first husband appeared straight away so there was no introduction to the plot as such, it started immediately. The second husband arrived by the end of chapter 2 so it was really a fast turnover. I thought that was unfortunate as I'd not really had chance to get to know the first one but I didn't realise that there would be many many more husbands to come.

The amount of characters was a bit of a downside as none of them were really well-rounded, even the more constant Nat, Toby and Maryam were all a bit flat. Lauren came across as being incredibly fickle, changing husbands for tiny reasons, and also very shallow. She doesn't seem to develop throughout the book at all - if anything, she seems completely adverse to it, to the point of ditching one husband because he is making her become a better person. She seems to get worse as the book goes on, becoming really annoying and unlikeable.

Overall I found the book to be easy to read and fairly engaging but disappointing. I really wanted to know why and the attic started dispensing husbands but neither of those questions are answered. There were a few unexpected twists which were good otherwise the book would have just been boring and too much of the same. I tried to work out what the end result would be but wasn't able to.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy to review.

This was an incredibly fresh premise that I was so excited to start! It was a strange concept that sounded slightly Twilight Zone-esque. It would be really fun to read this sort of plot in a horror format (but that's for a different review!)

The humour was quick-witted and the start of the book was the perfect amount of bewilderment to keep me tearing through the pages to understand what was happening. I do feel like there were perhaps *too many* husbands that were gone through (once we passed 100 I was a bit bemused) but overall it was fun and I loved to be on Lauren's journey.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, it was at times very amusing and unusual. I liked the character of Lauren and was routing for her to find what she had been looking for in this surreal and unexplained phenomenon that saw a different husband and life appear every time a partner goes in her loft. Lauren seemed much happier when she was single and in control of her own life. It was a really bizarre situation but I couldn't stop reading. Lauren certainly didnt seem to have a type, the husbands were all very different, the only similarity was the way their personalities dominated her life, from the flats decor to how she dressed. An enjoyable read that really made you think about how you'd cope in Lauren's situation.

Sadly this wasn’t the book for me.
Too much swapping and changing and I found it quite frustrating.
I knew the story was about different husbands but found it a bit senseless and couldn’t get into it enough to finish the book.

I loved this so much! It's so refreshing to see something so unique entering the category and the premise reminded me somewhat of 'Bunny' which is a title I still think about... which will be the same for The Husbands!

A truly entertaining read with a unique premise. The prose is accomplished and witty. There are moments of tenderness and yearning and the plot is well paced.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the butterfly effects and raced through it in 24 hours.

Started off incredibly entertaining as a new husband shows up over and over again like an escalator situation. It does get a little stale as the book goes on however the book as a whole is very enjoyable. Would happily recommend.

Holly Gramazio's "The Husbands" is an imaginative rollercoaster, blending genres in a way that's both refreshing and disorienting. First off, the concept is something else – imagine coming home to find a husband you don't remember marrying, and then, every time ”a husband” climbs into the attic, bam, a new husband appears.

This unique setup cleverly intertwines elements of sci-fi, romance, and even a hint of psychological thriller, especially when the husbands turn out to be less than ideal. This would translate perfectly to a miniseries for TV.

What stands out is how Gramazio, with her game design background, crafts this narrative. It's like she's using a game's logic to build the story, with each new husband adding a level of complexity. This approach keeps the narrative dynamic and unpredictable, though it does lead to some challenges in maintaining a consistent flow.

The character development, particularly Lauren's, is a bit of a mixed bag. While the story is engaging, Lauren's journey towards growth and self-awareness isn't as fleshed out as it could be. The ending feels abrupt, leaving a sense that her character arc is incomplete. However, considering this is Gramazio's debut, the inventive storytelling and engaging writing style do compensate for these narrative shortcomings.

Overall, "The Husbands" is an ambitious and entertaining read, showcasing Gramazio's creative flair. Its blend of genres and the seamless weaving of various themes make it a standout novel. Though the ending may not satisfy all, the journey through the book is engaging enough to make it a recommendable read for those who enjoy stories that aren’t afraid to get a little bit weird.

This was such an unexpected book. I cant imagine how the author came up with such an imaginative, and slightly weird, concept. The first half of the book is almost completely taken up with a revolving door situation, producing husband after husband from the attic for Lauren. I'd like to have got to know one or two of them!
I couldnt stop reading it and couldnt imagine how the author would find a way of finishing the story.
Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

I loved this. It was clever and funny and well plotted, and just when it risked becoming repetitive it upped the stakes. This book deserves to be a hit.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I was gripped from page 1 with this book, but unfortunately my attention waned. Although the storyline was interesting, it felt repetitive and like you never really found anything more out, and I didn't particularly like the protagonist. That said, the ending was heartwarming and well written.