The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 389

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

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 is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.



My Review

I had been seeing this book everywhere and of course had the FOMO (fear of missing out). Evelyn is Hollywood royalty, over the decades she has been actress extraordinaire but also had her fair share of scandals/gossip/hit pieces in the news. The book opens with Monique, a very little cog for a big magazine whose having personal issues (relationship) and her career isn't close to where she wants it. Yeah she is working for a huge glossy mag but writing nothing much more than puff pieces. When she is named to interview the elusive Evelyn Hugo she knows this can change her career trajectory but she doesn't know it will change her whole life.

The book jumps in time a bit, easy to follow, from present day the interviews with Monique to Evelyn telling her life stories taking us back to when it all first happened. The book gives me Marilyn Monroe/Liz Taylor style vibes, behind the scenes for the climb in Hollywood. It covers some hard topics too, dv, abuse, violence, LGB representation and the hardships lesbians/gay individuals face let alone when under scrutiny of the whole world in a time where sexuality was kept hidden/discriminated against.

You can completely loose yourself in this, it has scandal, bad behaviour, people more interested in profit than peoples welfare. How fickle the world of fame is, how corrupt money is, how bad the press treat celebs - quick to tear them down but lift them up depending on what they can spin. It is wild, dark, shocking, entertaining - a whole load of drama! 4.5/5 for me this time, perfect for zoning out, poolside reading or just a day on the couch, easily a read in one sitting type book!

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DRC (Netgalley) - Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Publisher - Washington Square Press

Blurb from Goodreads

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twenty something and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.



My Review

The story starts in June, present day, when Elsie and Ben are very much in love and only 9 days since they got married. When Ben nips out to get something for Elsie and is killed, Elsie finds her whole world collapsing, we follow her journey through grief and reliving how they met to present day. The story flips from now, the after math of the accident, to months previous when they first met and their relationship progression.

Aw I really liked this story, total chick lit type novel. It has a bit of everything in it, grief is a big part of the story as Elsie is having to learn to adjust to life without her husband. As they had a whirlwind romance and very quick marriage they hadn't met everyone in each others lives which poses additional difficulties for Elsie. From reactions from his friends and family, to her own, Elsie faces all the issues that comes with the loss of a loved one as well as additional issues you would hope never to encounter.

The present is really sad and anyone who has lost someone will be able to identify with her behavior and actions as she grieves. The recent past on how they met and how their relationship progresses is cute, childish, romantic and fairly sweet although I think a few cynical readers may be irked by some of it but I really liked it.

The story has many layers to it, I felt, aside from the grief and romance, you have trust issues, learning to work through obstacles I am sure many of us have faced at one time. Friendship, jealousy, anger and the amazing ability, we humans have, to pick ourselves up and rebuild our life when the rug has been pulled from under us.

I would recommend this book to anyone to be honest, it is a good wee read and had life not got in the way I would have got through it in one sitting easily. The characters are likable, brought to life well and can I just say, I loved Ben and George Callahan, although George doesn't appear in the book often, he has a strong presence and offers much to the story.

For a debut novel I think it is very well put together, it covers many important issues and is a great wee tale that I didn't want to put down. I will definitely keep an eye out for this authors future work, 4/5 for me this time. Thank you so much to Netgalley for introducing me to a new author and providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. You can buy Forever, Interrupted now in paperback format and ebook now from all good retailers.

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