“People have so closely followed the most intricate details of the fake story of my life.”
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was sent to me by Booksparks as part of their summer reading challenge. It was one of my most anticipated books of the summer (I’m a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid – I really enjoyed One True Loves – see my review here) and it is probably one of my favorite books this year.
Hollywood legend, Evelyn Hugo, recounts her seven marriages for her memoir. The memoir is to be published posthumously – and having the rights to publish it would be any aspiring writer’s dream. When Monique Grant, an inexperienced journalist with big dreams, is given the incredible opportunity to write Evelyn Hugo’s memoir, she can’t believe it.
Told in chronological order of her marriages - beginning with husband number one and moving through husband number seven, Evelyn recounts her journey from humble beginnings in Hells Kitchen to Oscar gold. She’s unabashedly unapologetic and opportunistic in her endeavors –exchanging her virginity for a ride to Hollywood, a string of strategic marriages prompted by Hollywood executives, hiding her Cuban roots by bleaching her hair blonde and using her body as a means to move up the Hollywood ladder – every facet of Evelyn’s life is rife with triumph and tragedy.
As Monique records the events in Evelyn’s own words she finds that Evelyn's private life was very different from the curated image she projected to the rest of the world. And as she unearths the real story behind each of Evelyn’s seven husbands she asks the question everyone wants an answer to:
Who did you love the most?
This book is heart breaking, tender and poignant. The style is different than Taylor Jenkins Reid’s other books, as is the tone. But in a good way. The writing is compelling and I was completely absorbed in Evelyn’s story, her motivations and the people she surrounded herself with. It’s a timely novel that I found to be both relevant and heart rendering – I highly recommend.
Buy It
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