Books › The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
464 pages
A dazzling, unapologetic plunge into Old Hollywood glamour that peels back the scandalous headlines to reveal a devastating, decades-spanning queer love story.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like sitting in a velvet armchair while a legendary movie star pours you a drink and tells you her deepest, most scandalous secrets. It is a propulsive, glittering experience that perfectly balances the intoxicating allure of Old Hollywood with a deeply grounded, emotional core. The narrative moves at an addictive clip, structured around the men who made the headlines, but the true heartbeat of the story lies in the quiet, hidden moments between the flashbulbs. The prose is conversational and intimate, drawing you into a world of ruthless ambition, calculated sacrifices, and fierce, forbidden love. It is an absolute feast for readers who crave sweeping, character-driven dramas that leave you both dazzled and utterly heartbroken by the final page.
- Mood
- glamorous
- nostalgic
- melancholic
- dramatic
- Tone
- confessional
- unapologetic
- intimate
- bittersweet
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- the price of fame · hidden queer history · ruthless ambition · sacrifices for love · female agency
- The writing
- Accessible, conversational, and highly engaging, reading exactly like a juicy, high-end celebrity memoir.
- The arc
- Begins as a dazzling, scandalous celebrity tell-all and deepens into a profoundly moving, heartbreaking exploration of lifelong sacrifice and hidden love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave sweeping, character-driven drama, Old Hollywood glamour, and tear-jerking, decades-long romances.
Content notes
- homophobia
- domestic abuse
- grief
- suicide
- death of a loved one
About the book
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 near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.
Written with Reid's signature talent for creating "complex, likable characters" (Real Simple), this is a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth
Description from Open Library.
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