Happy Thursday, friends! It’s time for BOOK CLUB #8!
I always love the 22nd because that means WE CHAT BOOKS!!
Okay, just to recap, so far this year, our book club has read and reviewed…
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. If you’ve read the book and want to participate in that conversation, you can visit that post HERE to comment/review/be a part of that book.
Before we get to today’s book, let’s revisit the “rules” of Shay’s Book Club:
Here are the details:
1: On the 22nd of each month, I will share a BONUS blog post that is only about the book we read together that month. So, if it falls on a weekend, look for it that day, if it falls on a Tuesday, expect a food post, a normal lifestyle post AND third post just for the book review discussion.
2: I picked the 22nd because I want this post to come out BEFORE our normal monthly BOOK REVIEW POSTS. I will still share my normal monthly book reviews (where I average 4 to 6 books a month) at the end of each month. I will reference said “book of the month”, but I will not be reviewing it on that post, I will be linking back to the BOOK CLUB POST. Why? Because I want all of the content about the one specific book club book in one spot instead of spread out over multiple spots.
3: Each month at the end of the Book Club blog post, I will share what the book will be for the following month. This will give everyone one month to read this one particular book.
4: Let’s be real, I’m going to try to pick new/popular/relevant books every month, but I’m also going to pick books that speak to me. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share them with me. I’m going to *try* and make the books different genres each month. I would love for us to read a variety of fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, chick lit, thrillers, etc this year. That’s the *goal*.
5: What are the rules of the book club? I know a lot of book clubs have rules and perhaps I’ll add some as we go, but basically, if you want to read along with us, we’d love to have you and on the 22nd we’ll dive a little deeper in the comment section here about that one particular book. Easy as that! That post is the one place where we’ll discuss the book so that all thoughts/opinions/questions/etc can be in one location.
6: In this blog post and in the comment section, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING SPOILERS. If you are interested in reading this book, you might not want to read below this line. In AUGUST’S BOOK REVIEW later this month, I will give a quick recap and let you know if I recommend the book or not, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to wait until that official BOOK REVIEW because there will be no spoilers and based on that, you can decide whether or not to read the book. Anything below this though will include spoilers as everyone commenting here has already read the book.
Make sense?
Here we go!
This month’s novel was…
…Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams.
I’m in a bad mood about this one.
A very bad mood.
I gave this book 3 Stars just because I know it’s “fair” but my annoyance meter wanted to give it 2 Stars.
I love Beatriz Williams. She is without a doubt one of my very favorite authors. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating…
In 2016, I named her book A Hundred Summers my 3rd Favorite Book of the Year (out of 62).
In 2017, I named her book The Secret Life of Violet Grant my 3rd Favorite Book of the Year (out of 62).
And in 2021, I named her book Our Woman in Moscow my FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR (out of 59). And in between all of those, I’ve read just about (if not all) of her books and without a doubt, this one was the “least Beatriz Williams Beatriz Williams” book.
I couldn’t even focus on the book as I was so annoyed it was so “not Beatriz Williams-ish”. Am I crazy? Am I the only one? This was the first Beatriz Williams book that Erika has ever read, and when she told me she liked it, I kept saying “But you should read the others, they are so much better!”.
Needless to say, this review is jaded, biased and written by someone annoyed 😉 .
Okay, so per usual, this novel does toggle between two different people/time periods (which is quintessential Beatriz Williams) but where I tend to think both halves of the story are super meaty and dripping in historical fiction that moves me at my core (hello, Our Woman in Moscow!) …at least one of these stories seemed pretty fluffy, unrealistic and boring.
There. I said it.
I had a realllllllly hard time thinking Mallory’s son needed a kidney transplant and, knowing the baby’s father might be a match, simply would “do anything” for her son other than straight up reach out to him. Clearly, my babies’ daddy lives in my house, so I’m not saying that I “know” what I would do in that situation, but based on Mallory’s situation, reaching out to famous nice guy seemed like an easier choice to me than randomly bumping into him on a beach as he comes out of the water. It all just seemed a wee too farfetched. Speaking of farfetched, I thought Monk’s relationship with Lee was as well (it certainly wrapped up all nice and neat with a bow). It was all too predicable/simple/just not meaty enough for me. I also didn’t love how the sexual abuse by Mr. Adams was kind of just glossed over. He was dead. It was done. I needed more resolution from him than some letter she received. Basically, half of the book really annoyed me.
I preferred the other half of the book more…but…it still just didn’t “do it” for me. Yes, yes, yes, I should have stopped comparing it to other Beatriz Williams books, but sorry, I couldn’t help myself. To be honest, I didn’t find Hannah that endearing accept, of course, my favorite parts of the book with her and Janos. That storyline felt more authentic to a typical Williams novel. There were moments with the Hannah/Lucien/Beck triangle that I got caught up in (especially at the end, of course!), but for the most part, I kept waiting for the big hook, and it never came.
Agh. I would love to know if I’m being totally too hard on this book or if anyone else felt the same way.
If I would have read the book and not known the author, I just wouldn’t have said Beatriz Williams. I missed the rich history woven into every single plotline. I missed the big hooks that grab you and make you have to keep reading. I missed the female leads that I cheer loudly for and who win in the end. I just thought this one was okay.
I am so curious to read your thoughts in the comment section.
Whew!
Okay, so what are we going to read next month?! We are going to read…
…By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult.
That’s it for Book Club #8! I can’t wait to discuss below! Head to the comment section to share your thoughts! xx
Elspeth says
I have this book on my to be read list! I always love these book club discussions! Thanks for hosting!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Sarah Nienhuis says
I also only give it 3 stars but for a different reason – I don’t like how the 2 stories finally merged to not be that climactic. I think I wanted to see them find a relative who would donate the kidney, bring it full circle. The second plot didn’t really fit the main story at all and seemed pointless to me. I did enjoy the story of lost love finding each other again so that kept me reading. I think maybe Shay and I are opposite over which story we enjoyed more lol – either way, I agree this book didn’t do it for me.
Becky says
This was my first book by this author. I rated it 4/5. I found myself having to do a lot of Googling during the 1950’s parts to understand the historical context. I usually like Jodi Picault books, looking forward to September.
Laura says
I liked this book! That said, I haven’t read any of her others. So perhaps I will feel differently after trying another one. I do think there were weaknesses in the Mallory story (all the ones you mentioned) but the ending satisfied me. My main complaint comes from the fact that I listened to this as an audiobook. Do your research so you can pronounce our oddly pronounced Massachusett towns correctly! Lol!
Carly says
Also, the flashback within a flashback in the audiobook threw me off every time! I had no idea what was happening ;).
Stacy says
I loved this book, it maybe because I listened to the audio on a very long car trip this summer, but it was just so good. It was the perfect kind of read I needed at the time. Do I think it was far fetched about the kidney etc. yes – but I still really liked it! I loved all the description in the book – it started off so well and while I honestly wish there were two books one past and one present – it was exactly what I needed to read when I read it !
Susan Jeffries says
This was our book club selection for August too. It was also the first book I read by this author. I thought the two stories were interesting enough but not tied together well at all. I also found the modern plot to be unbelievable. I will try one of her other books since you loved them but this was a generous 3 star for me.
Amy Azza says
Prior to this book, I have read all of Beatriz Williams other books and DEVOURED them. I read this one in early August and forgot about it. It was blah and I think you’re being generous with a three star rating. Nothing was memorable about this book, and I felt utterly disappointed that such a brilliant author wrote this garbage.
Mix and Match Mama says
I feel so validated right now.
Mary says
I agree completely with you! I forgot all about it until I saw this post I had to really think about what the story was about!
Amy Connor says
I love most of Beatriz Williams books, but it was a struggle to read this one. I look forward to her new books and was so disappointed.
Amy Azza says
Also, as a mom, you would do anything for your child, so I too found it so far fetched that she wouldn’t reach out to Monk to see if he was a kidney match. The whole book just stank.
Kelly Bowles says
I did not love the book really at all until the end. I did like how it ended, but that’s about it. The only reason I kept reading is because Erika said keep reading. 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
She really needs to read the other ones, right?!
Kelly Townsend says
I didn’t love it. It took a while in the beginning to get me interested but then it went quicker. I love BW books and I agree with you that this wasn’t her normal style but I just read it as anyone’s books so that didn’t bug me as much. It just wasn’t my favorite for sure. And I agree about the whole abuse scene. That’s a big deal and was just blown over.
Gretchen says
I agree totally! I adore Beatriz Williams but this one was thin! The ending was abrupt, and it just seemed too easy. Good but not great like her typical books.
Ashley says
I enjoyed this book and agree that a 3 star review is accurate. My issue was the Hannah story felt like it was going to have this big reconciliation moment at the end and then all of the sudden it was just over and her long lost son was suddenly in Mallory’s house. I also agree that if she had any inkling that Monk could be a match she would have reached out sooner, even if she thought the baby could be his dads. The ending just felt rushed and confusing with all of the loose ends tied up too quickly.
Jessica says
I am a Beatriz Williams junkie and typically adore all her books. I felt this one was a total departure from her other books… perhaps she was trying to set up more depth for future stories on Winthrop Island ? Who knows…. That being said. I didn’t love that it as Beatriz Williams book. I have always found her books to be weightier and the plot lines typically have better intersections then this one did. However, had the book been written by another author, I would’ve thought it was great.
The book one it’s own, pretty good. The book compared to so many others this author has written, not so much.
nonetheless, I’m still thrilled Mallory and Monk ended up together 🙂
sandi says
Beatriz Williams writes such thoughtful and intricate books that it is disappointing when a story doesn’t live up to her standard. My favorite three books of hers are the Schuyler Sisters novels, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, Tiny Little Things and Along the Infinite Sea (don’t we all wish we had a daughter named Pepper!). All the Ways We Said Goodbye was amazing as was Her Last Flight. If you have not read Beatriz Williams and you liked this one, you will LOVE her others.
Yolanda McLean says
Thank you for sharing all these titles, I just jotted a note to look for them. Hopefully my library has them in audio.
Virginia says
This was just okay. I did not care for it too much. I felt like the stories weren’t connected well and the historical part as a standalone book would have been far more interesting to me. I didn’t know much about Egypt during this timeframe, except what was referenced on The Crown, but I would like to know more!
Tabitha Coker says
Listen. You perfectly described how I felt about this book. I KEPT waiting for it to be similar to any of her other books, that I absolutely love! Not sure what happened with this one, but you’re totally right in your review.
Meghan says
Shay, I couldn’t agree with you more. I kept waiting for the book to get better, but it never did. The connection between the two story lines seemed to be a big stretch and her not contacting Monk to see if he would donate a kidney seemed absolutely ridiculous. Not only would parent do anything for their child, but, she still had feelings for Monk and he had treated her so kindly In the past- So of course, he would have said yes! And even so, the chances of him being a match are so high because he is Sam’s actual dad… Anyway… One question I did have the whole time was why she walked away from him… The answer to that was extremely abrupt. Abuse is not something To be thrown in there so carelessly; it is a very traumatic thing that Mallory went through and should have been given more than just a quick mention. As someone who has never read one of her books before, this does not have me wanting to read another one… However! Shay, you have gotten me back into reading! I Used to devour books, but went through a horrific abusive divorce and lost my focus… I could not finish a book to save my life for like four years… I love your blog and adore your book club and can’t wait to read the September book!
Michelle says
I have not read other Beatriz Williams books and I still gave it a 3/5. As a mom, I can’t imagine that she would hesitate contacting the birth father to be tested! It’s not like it was a cold her kid had…HE NEEDED A KIDNEY! Good grief! That alone put me in a bad mood about the whole book but the rest was still just Ehh. Wouldn’t say it was the worst book I’ve ever read (I did finish it) but wouldn’t say it will be very memorable either.
Mix and Match Mama says
READ THE OTHER ONES I MENTIONED!!!! Please, please!! Read those! 🙂
K.K. says
I’m definitely going to give her other books that you love a shot!!!
Courtney says
GAH! As a huge, loyal fan of Beatriz Williams, I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one who thought this was so NOT her and so flat. It lacked depth. I missed her usual integration of rich history. I wasn’t a fan of how Hannah’s storyline just STOPPED (yes, it was wrapped up by Mallory’s line but what a missed opportunity to go deeper into Hannah’s thoughts/feelings/experience!) I thought the unraveling of Paige’s marriage was not necessary for the story. And I 100% agree that, even with the history, Mallory just flat out refused to reach out to Monk re: the kidney despite wanting to do anything/everything to help her son; and that the abuse by Mr. Adams was kind of just glossed over – this is big!! The Hannah side of the story danced around being true, amazing BW but needed to go further; and the Mallory side was just a failed attempt at being a summertime drama, easy, beach-read. (<- hurts to say but it's true!)
Sigh. 3 stars to Husbands & Lovers.
Mikayla Amsden says
I gave this book 5 stars! I really loved it! Although I felt a bit the opposite about the two story lines, I was enthralled with Mallory and thought the other half was dull at some points. I was so worried Monk got into a car accident or something crazy and died and that’s how he got the kidney but her ending was better! I’m a sucker for a happy ending tied in a neat bow!
Lisa says
This must be why I fall asleep every time I pick it up so I wasn’t able to finish it by today!!! I feel wrong ending a book mid-read, but this might be the one.
Jen W says
Wow, ok I haven’t read any of her other books so I thought we were all coming in here loving the book haha. I also thought it was odd she wouldn’t have just reached out to Monk after all this time, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the story lines! I need to go back to her other books and read some of those.
Jana says
As my kids would say, it was “mid.” Overall, I eventually got into the story and liked it. The Hannah story took me a while to get into. As a mom, it’s definitely hard to relate to why she didn’t immediately exhaust the most obvious resource to (perhaps) save her child’s life. However, as an empath, you can also see she was always trying to “protect” Monk, as well. It was a power struggle between the two loves of her lives. She wasn’t doing ‘right’ by either, but doing what she thought was best (especially since she thought the Mr. Adams (Monk’s dad) could possibly be the father). I think we all find ourselves in those predicaments sometimes.
Tabitha Coker says
Ohhhhh…. I also forgot about this. What was the deal with her sister’s husband’s affair? I don’t understand why it was even mentioned without digging in deeper. OK. I’m done. 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I AGREE!!!!
Deb says
I liked the book until the rape. I didn’t see that coming! I agree about not contacting Monk as any mother would move heaven and earth to heal her child. Looking forward to the September book.
Addy Robinson says
I totally agree… It was entertaining enough but I did not love it. Beyond the son needing a kidney, she deprived him of having a relationship with his dad his entire life. The sexual abuse piece was a bombshell that I didn’t anticipate, and made it more complicated, but ultimately she was selfish in putting herself far above the good of her son. It is the same sentiment behind what bothered me a lot about The Many Lives of Mama Love, too.
Debbie Hibbert says
I agree with your ⭐⭐⭐ Shay. I liked the book, but most of the Mallory section was not my favorite. I loved the ending with how the two sides of the book came together … but getting to that point … meh! As for the Hannah portion – was it just me, or were there A LOT of individuals to keep track of??? I felt like each time it flipped back to Hannah it was a bit confusing to remind myself who everyone was! Overall I liked this book, but it wouldn’t necessarily be one I’d recommend to others.
Thanks for this book club, Shay. I’ve never done one before🙂
Laura says
Your review is spot on for me. I love Beatriz Williams books so much. I love historical fiction and she is one of my top authors for that genre. This book almost didn’t feel like it was written by her! The modern day part felt so forced and not that realistic. My favorite part was Hannah’s first marriage. Thanks for doing a book club!
Michelle says
I give this book 3 stars. This was the 1st book I read by this author. I liked it but didn’t love it. I felt the 2 stories didn’t blend well together. It was also too far fetched. It felt like some of the story lines were just thrown in there without going into more detail. I look forward to reading next month’s book.
Danielle says
I have read and loved all of Beatriz Williams’ books, but I agree that this one was not my favorite. I went to see her at a book signing in Dallas last month, and I think I remember her saying that this book was with a new publisher and they were encouraging her to go in a more contemporary direction with her writing. I always enjoy her historical storylines the best. I have already read By Any Other Name and loved it, so I hope you will, too.
Kay says
I agree that it was a total departure from her norm. And I did miss the super witty and charming female leads she typically has.
In the author’s notes, she talks about how this was her first time writing in the present time. So I guess I do give her credit for trying a whole new adventure and taking a risk! It’s kind of how actors get cast in the same role again and again and they want people to see the breadth of their talent. So I do give her a lot of credit for trying a new direction.
I actually really liked this book! I definitely agree that her other books are “better” but I truly did enjoy this one and thought it was a good read.
Sarah says
I am also a huge Beatriz Williams fan. Overall, this one kept me reading, but it fell flat in many ways. I was annoyed that she didn’t contact Monk about the kidney, but more annoyed that he wasn’t more upset with her about not telling him. That seemed very unrealistic, and I was waiting for the deep conversation about it. The relationship with Sedge seemed out of the blue and unnecessary. All of a sudden he’s undressing her on the beach without much development ahead of that. The worst was the revelation about the father. It was too glossed over and I just didn’t enjoy that addition to the story line. It was definitely a different Williams reading experience!
Colleen says
I agree 100% with this review. I had actually forgotten what this book was about, but I knew I didn’t like it as much as her others. I agree with the Mallory situation – she should have reached out to Monk if she was willing to do “anything” for her son. I gave it 3/5 stars as well, but I really should have done 2/5. For those of you they haven’t read any other Beatriz Williams books, go read Our Woman in Moscow – so good!
Leticia says
4 stars
It took me awhile to get into the story. Some parts I wasn’t sure where in time I was at! But I persevered and found myself getting more invested in the story.
I had guessed something very bad had happened for Mallory to run and break all contact. I loved the sister’s relationship, and I agree that Jake’s affair was an unnecessary distraction to the story.
But Karoly, his appearance at the end, made me cry! I was so touched that not only had he survived, but that Hannah was able to find him. Loved that.
Leslie says
This one was a harder start for me. I didn’t get in to it until about page 140. I feel like Hannah’s story could have been written a little “beefier”. Over all it was just ok to me. It was my first Beatrize Williams book, so now I hestitate to read others but if you all say they are normally better……
Melinda Marona says
I also love Beatriz William’s book. All the ones I have read have all been recommended by you! I would give it a 3.5. From the very beginning I had a hard time wanting to pick it up. At night in bed is my reading time & a couple of nights I thought scrolling through instagram would be more enjoyable. I think it did pick up about 1/4 way in. It seemed like it would have been better if it had been two books. I will always read her new books as I love her style, but this has been my least favorite.
Becca says
Oh wow. This is the first book of hers I’ve read and I loved it. Told my friends to read it. I finished 2 days ago and already forgot the story til this recap. I tend to only remember the books that break by heart and I’m sobbing at the end. Going to try some of her other books.
Karen says
I concur with your review, but further all the F Bombs that were thrown by the characters were unnecessary for me. It seemed every conversation had to have at least one and it really got on my nerves. I don’t speak to my family or friends that way. Maybe this is expected now to seem relevant, but it is a sad commentary on our times if so. Of course I’m in my 70s and times are different now, but I went to university in the 1960s and never even heard this much vulgarity at protest marches. That said I love your book reviews.
Laci says
I liked the ending, but overall the book was slow for me..