Summer Reading Challenge 2017: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Chrissy’s review)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
written by Taylor Jenkins Reid
published by Atria Books, 2017

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Target, Walmart, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book? I did enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid’s newest release, but not as much as I have loved Ms. Reid’s other books. It was a departure from her usual style, in my opinion, but it was a decent story.

As I mentioned, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a different style from Ms. Reid’s other books, but it was a story that kept me turning pages. I have to say I didn’t find Evelyn’s story that surprising or heartwarming or intriguing. It read like a lot of other celebrity biographies . . . a lot of information and background but no real depth or feeling. I didn’t feel for Evelyn. I didn’t really like her. But I think that was the point. Evelyn didn’t want the readers to like her, and she made that clear from the beginning.

However, I wanted to know why Evelyn chose Monique to write her biography. Why did she choose a relatively new writer to release her story? I also would have liked to know more about Monique. We learned a little bit along the way, but I wanted to know more.

So, while I did enjoy Evelyn’s story, I don’t think it had the emotional punch or thought-provoking situations that Ms. Reid’s other books had. And I missed that.

 

Would I recommend it? If you are a Hollywood fan or a fan of Ms. Reid, then I would recommend this book, but not as your first Taylor Jenkins Reid book. Start with any of her previous books.

 

About the book – from Goodreads: From Taylor Jenkins Reid comes an unforgettable and sweeping novel about one classic film actress’s relentless rise to the top—the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

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 in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating 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 takes—to face the truth.

 

 

 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on June 18, 2017.