ARC Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Recommended Read!

“Evelyn Hugo is one of those fictional characters that come only once in a while and truly touch your heart.”
~ Under the Covers

So who is Evelyn Hugo and why has she had seven husbands?  The title definitely caught my attention when it was first revealed.  And lets face it, if Taylor Jenkins Reid is writing it… then I’m reading it.  So while I didn’t really pay much attention as to the blurb or idea behind this book, I went into it quite blind.  And let me tell you… this wasn’t quite what I expected and I was still blown away.

Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood star.  Think of a mix of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.  She’s now 79 years old and everyone in her life is no longer around, which is the perfect time for her to come clean and tell the world what really went on behind the scenes in her life and the truth about her much talked about seven husbands.  She picks an unknown journalist to tell her story and as these two women meet every day while Evelyn unravels the mysteries of her life for us, I was truly captivated.  Mesmerized, even.  Evelyn Hugo is one of those fictional characters that come only once in a while and truly touch your heart.  I truly cared for her, suffered her losses and heartaches with her, even learned from her.  In the end, I wanted nothing more than for her to be real because I felt as though she was.  I wanted to turn that last page and then go watch one of her old movies.

She’s a bit ruthless and unrepentant.  Strong, independent and determined.  No, she’s not entirely a good person.  As a matter of fact, most of her life she’s done very questionable things.  She knows it, and she’s not sorry.  She’s self-centered and egotistical.  She’s made so many tough choices in her life and that strength at her core was enchanting.  I get choked up just thinking about her again.  If you are a fan of the True Hollywood Stories then this book will be for you.  Evelyn doesn’t skimp on the details about the Hollywood lifestyle starting from the 1950s all the way through today.  She talks about her work and her passion for it, friendships, race, identity, love.  Love that comes in many different ways and every time marks her life.

I truly think you should just crack this book open and experience it.  No spoilers, no expectations.  Just let it sweep you off your feet, because I’m pretty sure it will.  I even figured out way ahead of time why the journalist was picked to write her tell all book, and even with that I was still so wrapped up in this story that it didn’t even bother me.

There is something special in the way that Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story, and it captivates me every time.  Her storytelling is simply masterful.  This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year because of that and it did not disappoint.  One of my favorite books of the year so far, by far.  While this book is more women’s fiction than her previous books, which have a bigger focus on the romance, Evelyn Hugo carried this story so well that it transcended genres and just made me feel.  And quite frankly, I just fell in love with her.

In the end, I was nothing more than a huge blubbering, sobbing mess.  I cried until my eyes were puffy and my heart felt heavy.  And I loved every second of it.  I think this will be a hit this summer and highly suggest you add it to your poolside reading list.

 

[about-author author=”Taylor Jenkins Reid”]

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