The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Release Date: June 13, 2017

Length: 389 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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**** My Review****

To be truly honest, I avoided The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for a long time. I don’t even know why. Sometimes when a book becomes ultra-popular, it automatically turns me off. Ultra-popular books come with high expectations. Maybe I don’t want to be disappointed if it doesn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe I just want to be different from others…

But I got it as a gift and after a few months of sitting on my shelf, I decided it was time to give it a chance. To see if The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo lives up to the hype….

Evelyn Hugo, the famous Hollywood legend is about to tell her story. After so many years of silence, the diva finally decides to speak her truths. All scandals, her glamorous lifestyle, and every well-hidden secret will be revealed. But who is the real person who will be honored to gather all that precious information and share it with the world?

The young journalist Monique is her chosen one. But no one can understand why, not even Monique herself, even though she is delighted by this great opportunity. After several not so happy moments, luck is on her side now.

When Evelyn opens the door to her luxury suite, she invites her on an unforgettable journey that has the power to change her life completely. And forever.

As the interview begins, so begins their ride full of fun and funny incidents, but also emotional ones that slowly tear the heart apart. The glamorous sixties, La La Land, all the shine of old Hollywood poured into the lines. Private and professional moments, feelings, meeting her husbands, her desires and pain.. the threads slowly unravel until the discovery of the great secrets that hide the truth about the real Evelyn and her choices…

And the birth of an unexpected closeness and friendship, so many similarities, but time is slowly running out. The interview is about to end, like many other things…

To begin with, I was not disappointed, on the contrary, I somehow enjoyed this whole glamorous trip to old Hollywood and the author’s exceptional writing style. Present moments, flashbacks in the past, changing perspectives between the two characters, the depiction of the periods, detailed descriptions… Everything is so beautifully woven, that the reader just has to sit comfortably and enjoy the story.

Furthermore, the characters are incredibly well developed. It felt like I was reading a real story. I even checked online if she was real. Just in case.

Evelyn is quite a complex character, with enough flaws and traits that I don’t really like, but as you get to know her more, you feel some affection and respect for her character. Her power and uniqueness are something that cannot be denied. You can hate her, you can love her, but you just have to accept her for who she is.

Monique is such a pleasant character and fits perfectly into the whole story. The dynamic between her and Evelyn is just great, and I loved that we learn the truth through Monique’s eyes.

Emotions are perfectly woven through the lines. As we slowly learn the truth, we suffer along with Evelyn, we rejoice in her good things and feel her difficulties…

I also liked how the themes of sexual orientation and the position of women were handled for the period in which Evelyn’s life is set. Anyone who reads The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will not be able to resist comparing that life with the freedoms we enjoy today. Maybe that’s why this book is so popular. As a reminder of all the sacrifices and sufferings that people once endured.

The more I think about it, the more I am amazed at the way the author has handled the problematic themes in this book. And not only did she manage, but she also created a story that is so compelling that it pulls the reader into her world from the first pages.

Are you interested in an unforgettable ride through the golden years of Hollywood? Then The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a must-read for you. This quite an exciting and convincing story will pull you into its world right from the beginning, And after reading it, you will want to check if the main heroine existed. That’s how skillful this author is. A true storyteller…