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queenginger's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
What a ride.
I absolutely loved the concept for this book. I was hooked from page one.
The tonality and witty style kept me coming back for more.
I grew to love Lauren. I sympathized with her. I cried with her. I got annoyed with her many times. But I still had love for her by the end. What a well written character.
I was curious how the story would finish and I suppose it makes sense. It has definitely left me with questions, but I’m sort of excited to answer them with myself as time goes on.
Let’s just say I’m keeping my partner away from any sort of attics. New fear unlocked.
I absolutely loved the concept for this book. I was hooked from page one.
The tonality and witty style kept me coming back for more.
I grew to love Lauren. I sympathized with her. I cried with her. I got annoyed with her many times. But I still had love for her by the end. What a well written character.
I was curious how the story would finish and I suppose it makes sense. It has definitely left me with questions, but I’m sort of excited to answer them with myself as time goes on.
Let’s just say I’m keeping my partner away from any sort of attics. New fear unlocked.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Toxic relationship
torturedreadersdept's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Dysphoria, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Infidelity, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, and Stalking
spaghettireads's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Grief, and Pregnancy
mandi_lea's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical content, Drug use, Abandonment, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, and Stalking
lovelymisanthrope's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I first heard about this book through Book of the Month.
"The Husbands" is a debut novel that follows Lauren. After an incredible night out, Lauren returns home to be greeted by her adoring husband, Michael. The only problem with this scene is that she is not married. Lauren does not understand what is going on, but she does not have long to get used to Michael, because when he goes into the attic to change a lightbulb, he disappears and a new husband is in his place.
This was such an interesting idea for a novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. Lauren is single, but she is enjoying her life, at least she thought so. What I appreciated most about this story is how as Lauren meets more husbands, she learns more about herself. She meets some great guys, and she meets some scary men that she has to trick to get back in the attic, but through it all, she learns what she actually wants from life, and I thought that was absolutely beautiful.
This idea that there are infinite possibilities about paths we can take with our life is beautiful. Something as seemingly infinitesimal as pick from one great guy or another really could have crazy ramifications on a person's life. I also really appreciated how this was represented in the novel. Picking one husband over another had obvious implications on Lauren's life, but it also impacted the people around her. When she is with one husband, her beloved nephew is never born. A different husband means her friendships are not as close as she thought.
This was a cozy, fun book that I highly recommend.
"The Husbands" is a debut novel that follows Lauren. After an incredible night out, Lauren returns home to be greeted by her adoring husband, Michael. The only problem with this scene is that she is not married. Lauren does not understand what is going on, but she does not have long to get used to Michael, because when he goes into the attic to change a lightbulb, he disappears and a new husband is in his place.
This was such an interesting idea for a novel, and I really enjoyed reading it. Lauren is single, but she is enjoying her life, at least she thought so. What I appreciated most about this story is how as Lauren meets more husbands, she learns more about herself. She meets some great guys, and she meets some scary men that she has to trick to get back in the attic, but through it all, she learns what she actually wants from life, and I thought that was absolutely beautiful.
This idea that there are infinite possibilities about paths we can take with our life is beautiful. Something as seemingly infinitesimal as pick from one great guy or another really could have crazy ramifications on a person's life. I also really appreciated how this was represented in the novel. Picking one husband over another had obvious implications on Lauren's life, but it also impacted the people around her. When she is with one husband, her beloved nephew is never born. A different husband means her friendships are not as close as she thought.
This was a cozy, fun book that I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Death
aileensbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
thecriticalreader's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Run-Down: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is an entertaining exploration of a creative hypothetical.
Review:
What if you got to explore parallel universes in which you get married? A single woman named Lauren unexpectedly finds herself in this position when she comes home one day to find a strange man in her house who claims to be her husband. Despite Lauren’s protests to the contrary, everything in her life—her family, her house decorations, her text history in her phone—point to her being married. When the husband goes up into the attic, a new husband appears. Lauren discovers that every time a husband goes up into the attic, a new one will appear and her life shifts to a parallel universe in which she is married to that man. The book wastes no time in kicking off the plot (she meets the first husband on the very first page), and Lauren starts exploring married life with men she doesn’t remember.
The Husbands has the sort of premise that could easily turn existential or preachy, but the book keeps things simple: you get what the blurb promises, which is new husbands spawning out of the attic and the shenanigans that follow. Gramazio does an excellent job conveying sufficient realism for suspension of disbelief without getting bogged down in plot complications or metaphysics. For example, the main character responds to her situation with an appropriate level of confusion and alarm, but she also adapts quickly to the attic husbands. In fact, Lauren displays a refreshing wit and levelheadedness in the face of this strange scenario (although she loses it a bit toward the end and makes some deeply questionable choices). The fast-paced plot, original premise, and sprinkling of humor result in a fun, if not particularly memorable, reading experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Sexual content, Vomit, and Drug use
Minor: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
lawsonemmae's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was like watching a good movie, and ultimately reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day. It’s wry and delightful while also deeply existential and emotional. At times, I could feel my heart racing. This book accomplishes so much. I was immersed in this real-feeling fantastical situation. I ADORE this book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
lorialdenholuta's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm a sucker for a good book blurb. I know how hard it can be to write one that's short while also compelling. "Do you take this man? No? What about this one?" did it for me. I even managed to ignore "A Novel" on the cover - I usually shy away from novels who proclaim themselves to be such, as that means I'm likely to be entering the realm of Literary Fiction, which can be tedious stuff.
But the blurb hooked me, and in no time I'd settled into my favorite reading spot, cracked into the book, and was willing to give it my afternoon. It's a longish book, so it took three of my afternoons to reach a conclusion I'd grown to greedily anticipate as I had absolutely no clue how this situation could be resolved.
While the premise may sound cute and fairy tale-ish, it's anything but. Our protagonist and perpetual new bride in old marriages is Lauren. How her attic turned into a reality-changing space that switches out not only husbands but entire realities isn't known, and not important. What IS important are the people it affects. That's Lauren, her endless parade of husbands, and also Lauren's family, friends, workplaces, and neighbors.
As the novelty of being able to change husbands as soon as one becomes annoying wears off, Lauren's rationalization and actions become darker, more cynical. When she thinks she may have found 'the one' to stick with... well I won't go into details because following the escalation of events is most of the fun.
Most of the people in this story, and there are many, are a mess. Author Holly Gramazio doesn't flinch away from showing people at their absolute worst, when the situations call for it. And you'll recognize people you know, and even yourself among them. In a nutshell, The Husbands is a scathing commentary on modern-day relationships. It shines a scolding light on how we treat hook-ups, dating, and marriage.
My thanks to author Holly Gramazio, Doubleday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
But the blurb hooked me, and in no time I'd settled into my favorite reading spot, cracked into the book, and was willing to give it my afternoon. It's a longish book, so it took three of my afternoons to reach a conclusion I'd grown to greedily anticipate as I had absolutely no clue how this situation could be resolved.
While the premise may sound cute and fairy tale-ish, it's anything but. Our protagonist and perpetual new bride in old marriages is Lauren. How her attic turned into a reality-changing space that switches out not only husbands but entire realities isn't known, and not important. What IS important are the people it affects. That's Lauren, her endless parade of husbands, and also Lauren's family, friends, workplaces, and neighbors.
As the novelty of being able to change husbands as soon as one becomes annoying wears off, Lauren's rationalization and actions become darker, more cynical. When she thinks she may have found 'the one' to stick with... well I won't go into details because following the escalation of events is most of the fun.
Most of the people in this story, and there are many, are a mess. Author Holly Gramazio doesn't flinch away from showing people at their absolute worst, when the situations call for it. And you'll recognize people you know, and even yourself among them. In a nutshell, The Husbands is a scathing commentary on modern-day relationships. It shines a scolding light on how we treat hook-ups, dating, and marriage.
My thanks to author Holly Gramazio, Doubleday Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit
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