Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Book Review

Title:- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author:- Taylor Jenkins Reid

Date published:- June 13th 2017

No. of pages:- 389 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Women’s Fiction

Setting:- New York, Los Angeles,

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

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.

This book has been in my TBR list for a long time and I finally decided to read this book. This is the fourth book I have read by the same author, Taylor Jenkins Reid and let’s say, Reid has become one of my favorite authors and I always made sure to read all her books.

And this book is no execption.

Evelyn Hugo is a yesteryear star, a sex symbol in the Hollywood industry during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and she was known to have married seven times. Now on present day, Monique is a struggling journalist who is working for Vivant, a leading magazine in New York. When Hugo specifically asks for Monique to interview her, Monique was shocked and surprised. Hugo then tells her own life story to Monique–starting from the fact when she left New York to pursue a career as an actress Hollywood and talks about deceit, betrayal and love…

This book was actually well written. The book touched about domestic abuse, the time when homosexuality was considered shameful and of course being a sex icon in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I like how Evelyn Hugo and Monique slowly build a closeness between the two, how Hugo met her husbands, her reasons for failure of her marriages and of course her only true love. The book is also realistic in someways and you feel like you are drawn into the glamor of Hollywood and competition. Reid always knows how to captivate the readers and feel like they are part of the story.

I also like the fact that some of her stories are connected to her other stories–Hugo’s second husband is Mick Riva, who is one of the main characters in Malibu Rising.

Overall is it worth the hype? I believe it is! Worth 4 stars!