Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: The Sunday Times Bestseller

Top positive review

Addictive and Special

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2021

Wow! Where do I start with this book! I enjoyed EVERY. SINGLE. WORD! It was hard to put down and when I did I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again!

An historical love story with a bisexual narrator, a famous old Hollywood actress, and all of her seven marriages. It tells the story of Evelyn, who wants to be famous, who learns early on in life that to get what she wants she has to play the part in every sense of the word. Now in her seventies Evelyn wants to share her life story with journalist Monique who has been personally picked by Evelyn. A tell all memoir about her life and her rise to fame. The glitz and glam of old Hollywood, the manipulation, the scandal, Hollywood cover ups, having to conform to society norms of the time and what it meant to be gay/bisexual during that time period.

It felt like non fiction. Like I was reading about Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor. Everything was so detailed. All the characters felt so real. Evelyn is flawed, ambitious and strong. A completely unapologetic character, manipulative and selfish who I loved! There are times she will frustrate you as a reader, but she is compelling and unforgettable! And with each husband she captivated me more with her spell.

The real reason for Evelyn picking Monique is intriguing and kept me hooked in the present day story telling. Evelyn’s rollercoaster life flows chronologically over the years and covers topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, female empowerment, sexuality, found family, motherhood and love. It is as much a story about Evelyn as it is about Harry and Celia’s life too. These two characters completely had my heart. I went on as much of an emotional journey with them as I did with Evelyn.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is without a doubt, a fantastic story teller. The way she writes her characters and their lives is addictive and very special.

Enough of my gushing. Remember. Life is short. Life is precious. Live life without regret. Hold loved ones tightly. Love who you love. Make memories to last a life time. Laugh. But most of all be unapologetically you! Always! ❤️

33 people found this helpful

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Mojo

Yawn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2019

Not for me this one, I was looking for something a little lighter to read, lighter is what I got! Just a very vapid tale about a shallow bunch of people. I didn't like either of the central characters, they had nothing interesting to say. Life, loss, regret - maybe so but these characters are so one dimensional nothing has any deep meaning or emotional content that truly hits. At times I found the narrative to be somewhat juvenile, ultimately just horribly superficial trying to be meaningful. No plot surprises at all just cliches.

101 people found this helpful

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Chelley Toy - TalesOfYesterday

Addictive and Special

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2021

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33 people found this helpful

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Amazing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2019

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was one of my favourite books of 2018. It centres on the life and times of Evelyn Hugo – an award winning movie star – and it charts her way to success; the good times, the bad times and the times when life was so hard it was unbearable. Not only does Taylor Jenkins Reid take you on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey through Evelyn’s life but she also looks at the hypocrisy of Hollywood during its golden age, it looks at the LGBT community and its rise to prominence and it looks behind the screen at the lives of Hollywood actresses – the parts that they don’t want us to see.

This is the first book that I have read by Taylor Jenkins Reid but it certainly won’t be the last.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is available now.

46 people found this helpful

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V_Nerdbooks

This book deserves ALL of the hype and then some!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2019

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I kept seeing this book pop up everywhere and everyone is loving it, so, even though it is not my usual type of story, i jumped in without reading the blurb.

This book deserves ALL of the hype and then some!!

I cannot recommend this book of perfection enough, honestly, it is just so beautiful.

Evelyn Hugo is an icon to a lot of people, she was the style icon for women and men around the world, Women wanted to look like her, and men wanted to bed her, and lots did.

She was Hollywood's 50's glamour girl, a movie star, a sex symbol - think Marilyn Monroe / Jayne Mansfield / Elizabeth Taylor.

When budding journalist Monique gets a call at work for her to visit Evelyn, well she jumps at the chance just like anyone would.

The request is for Monique... JUST Monique, but why her?

Deciding that she wants Monique to write her memoirs, Evelyn then tells us the story of her rise in Hollywood, and the thing that everyone wants to know, out of her 7 husbands, who was the greatest love of her life?

This gets answered in spades and we learn a hell of a lot about Evelyn, sometimes, not so good things about her.

We learn about her using her strengths *cough* Boobs *cough* to get herself ahead in the business, we learn about her actually falling in love and who with, we learn about an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love.

We learn that, even though Hollywood is this glamorous place that we all seem to view through rose tinted glasses, it actually is a place that strips you of your own self, your heritage, your name, even the people who you are "supposed" to be in love with.

Oh how I cried reading/listening to this, by the time you have read to near the end of the book, Evelyn feels like a real person, i even googled her because i thought that she was an old Hollywood actress (spoiler, she isn't)

🎧🎧 - Narrated by the always wonderful Julia Whelan and 2 new-to-me narrators Alma Cuervo and Robin Miles, this was one of the best books i have listened to in a long long time.

If you really want to read something that is going to become a best BEST seller, and i have absolutely no doubt a movie for sure, then you should pick up this stunning piece of gorgeousness

24 people found this helpful

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JB Johnston

Wish I could give it more than 5 stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2022

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Monique Grant writes for a Magazine and is unexpectedly presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Handpicked by Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo to write her biography, Monique finds herself drawn into the life of the legend that was Evelyn Hugo. A life that would ultimately impact her own. Despite her own marriage falling apart, Monique is allowed into the world of Evelyn who discusses her rise from unknown poor girl from Hell's Kitchen, and her marriages along the way that charted her rise to fame and notoriety. However, Evelyn has one or two surprises in store for Monique that will not only shock her but the rest of the world. It seems Evelyn Hugo was more than the image she portrayed. Evelyn Hugo has secrets that she now wants the world to know about. Evelyn Hugo no longer wants to hide the truth.

To say that this book blew me away is an complete understatement. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting when I picked up the book. I'd seen it talked about a few times in some of the online reading groups I'm in and to be honest I did wonder if it would live up to the hype. It totally did. I was lucky enough to be purely self indulgent and took the book with me when I went to a writing retreat for a few days. The story was as breath-taking as the view from my window. And it was heart-breaking too.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the type of book that's difficult to write a review on without giving away too much. So, I won't. The pure joy of finding out the secrets that the book holds should never be denied to anyone. That being said, the book is a whirlwind of emotion, Hollywood glam, lies, deceit and one of the greatest love stories ever told. A love that spans the decades. But, be prepared for the characters to jump out of the page and totally claim your heart. At first Evelyn Hugo is viewed as a vacuous and ruthless young woman who will do and say anything to find fame. She wants her name in lights. She needs to escape the hell that her life was and she will do that all all costs, leaving a trail of heartache and scandal along the way. However, as we get to gain a little more insight into just what makes her tick and the things she must endure, she becomes so much more than the career obsessed starlet. She's a woman of courage who is capable of the most intense love. I think I fell in love with her a little myself. Harry Cameron, her producer is possibly one of the greatest secondary characters ever. Everyone needs a Harry in their life.

This is an excellently written book that is hard to put down. It's an emotive book that looks at issues that were prevalent during Evelyn's lifetime and still are today. Issues that stifled her and kept her one true love from her. I absolutely loved it. By the end of it I was ugly crying! This book broke me! It made me want to hug the greatest love of my life just that little bit tighter. It opened my eyes and made me want to stand up for injustice. This book is so much more than just a story. Its a lesson and an important one at that. Always be who you're supposed to be. Never hide. Hold your head high and love fiercely. Highly highly recommend.

3 people found this helpful

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Suzey Ingold

easy read—and it was

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 November 2017

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I expected this to be an enjoyable, easy read—and it was, but there was also a lot more to it than I had expected to find. I thought I had the twist predicted from the start, and I did and I didn't, so while the ending didn't come as a surprise, the importance of Monique to Evelyn was not at all what I had seen coming. I would mention that I found it a little jarring every time I was pulled back into Monique's story and the husband plotline felt a little irrelevant (if it was supposed to serve as a parallel to Evelyn's stories, it sort of fell flat) and, rather, I found the most engaging parts of the narrative to be those of Evelyn's life. There's a lot of different things crammed into this book and, in general, I think certain sensitive subjects were handled fairly well. Overall, this book exceeded my expectations and made for a thoroughly gripping read.

14 people found this helpful

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Casey Williams

One of my favourites of 2020!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 December 2020

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‘My heart was never in the craft of acting, only in the proving. Proving my power, proving my worth, proving my talent.’

CW: domestic abuse, death/grief, homophobia/biphobia, racism, abortion & suicide

I struggle to write reviews for a book I really love because instead of giving you all the information you need to get you to pick this book up, all I can do is very messily gush about it and it’s characters

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is such a remarkable novel and one of my favourites of the year. This is a very well developed character driven story told by Evelyn herself while she is being interviewed by Monique.

We get insight into her life, from being just an ordinary young girl with dreams to becoming a Hollywood star, and let’s not forget her seven husbands. Evelyn Hugo is such an exquisite character that you will never forget and it’s so intriguing to learn about her life as a Cuban bisexual making her way to the top in Hollywood, especially in the time era it’s set within. Along the way you learn about the ups and downs of Evelyn’s life and also learn about each individual husband who some you will loathe and some you will totally adore *cough* Cameron.

‘I’m bisexual. Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box’

There is also a little sneaky plot twist at the end that completely caught me by surprise which added to the whole enjoyment of the story, not that it needed it because Evelyn’s life is so intriguing and if they ever turned this book into a show I would so want to play Evelyn Hugo and have a little taste of the life she lived

Taylor Jenkins Reid did and amazing job with this story and her writing is so good and enjoyable. Her prose is so beautiful and descriptive and I did not get bored throughout the whole time reading it. I would definitely be up to reading more of her works in the very near future and see what other amazing characters she has created.

One person found this helpful

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The Sleepy Reader

I loved this book, it will stay with me for a long time to come!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 January 2022

Verified Purchase

I saw this book all over social media and has mixed thoughts about reading it. Then I was in a bookstore, and someone recommended it to her daughter, so I decided to give it a chance. I didn’t expect much as I don’t like celebrity life.

Wow! This was unexpectedly amazing! A historical love story with an underlying hidden thread. This has a bisexual narrator and is a fascinating read of someone’s life which could be non-fiction. Evelyn is an award-winning movie star, and the story chronicles her life and many loves. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an emotional journey that also looks at the hypocrisy of Hollywood, the LGBTQ+ community and the changes over the decades.

Evelyn is unashamedly flawed, strong and ambitious. She is also manipulative and selfish, but I loved her. Monique is similar to Evelyn but less manipulative and selfish. Monique is strong and brave, especially in the last few chapters. Harry and Celia were probably my favourite characters overall.

The end few chapters completely changed the book for me. Of course, I enjoyed the rest, but I loved the ending.

I unexpectedly loved this book. I didn’t expect to enjoy it but wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The reviews were great, but I don’t enjoy celebrity life, as I said before. In fact, I can’t think of much worse!

However, despite being a celebrity, this was more about Evelyn’s life and challenges, with the biggest being Monique and her father.

This book will stay with me for a long time to come. The challenges, relationships, loss and compassion, made it an excellent read.

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So Many Books

A favourite.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2022

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Possibly my favourite book of the year so far, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo will be a hard act to follow. From humble beginnings and losing her mother at a young age, Evelyn Herrera hauls herself out of the tough district of Hell’s Kitchen to become the sweetheart of Hollywood’s golden age. Charting the ups and downs of a life well lived, Evelyn finally relates to journalist, Monique, the story of her life. The loves, the loses and the seven husbands who saw her through her turbulent life. She also tells the story of her true love, the one she kept secret for a lifetime.

So atmospheric is this story you could almost be a fly on the wall, watching Evelyn’s life as it unfolds, walking in the footsteps of the Hollywood elite. The glitz and glamour of it all is magical. You could almost hear every champagne cork popped, every swish of the expensive fabric of beautiful cocktail dresses, hear the click of paparazzi cameras and be blinded by their flash as Evelyn claws her way to the top.

After such a long and illustrious career, undeniable star of the 50’s silver screen and eventually becoming an oscar winner, Evelyn reaches her 79th year and pours out her long held secrets, including the one no one would have seen coming. At the end of it all, whatever Evelyn did, she did it for love. At times heart wrenching, this book leaves you hugging it to your chest as you turn the final page and really feeling as if you’ve parted with a very dear friend.

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Erin Kirsty

4.5 stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2021

Verified Purchase

This is the first book of @tjenkinsreid’s that I’ve read although I have quite a few lined up on my kindle. I’m really looking forward to starting Malibu Rising (that beautiful cover!) but noticed someone mention that Evelyn Hugo appears in it so I thought I’d start there, and let me tell you I was blown away!

Usually with a new to me author it takes me a little while to settle into the writing style however I was completely captivated from the first page. I think the fact that the story got straight down to business of the main plot right away pulled me in and hooked me until the very end.

The story, as the title alludes to, follows Evelyn Hugo recounting her marriages to her seven husbands. She’s recounting those relationships to a journalist she’s enlisted to write her memoir. Most of the narrative comes from Evelyn as she reminisces about her past and the chapters are interspersed with the present where Evelyn is being interviewed and the relationship she is building with Monique.

I found this to be a real page turner covering Hollywood glamour and the gritty behind the scenes of what it was like for Evelyn to be a star at that time. The story explores LGBT+ relationships and touches on the difficulties people faced through the years.

Throughout I had this feeling that I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, I knew something was coming I just couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly what was going to be revealed and when it finally was I gasped out loud and immediately text Kirsty like wtf!

Having read this I’m now so excited to read more from Taylor starting with Malibu Rising.

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beckirabbit

The Best Book Ever!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 August 2022

Verified Purchase

(No spoilers)
I absolutely loved reading this book😍
This was such a fascinating read as a result of the iconic, glamorous Hollywood imagery created throughout this incredible book.
This deserved all of the hype that it received! I would certainly recommend!
I never cry in books…but I just admit that I did release a few tears in this book!!!
Evelyn’s life is truly compelling to read, and you learn the truth about why she actually had 7 husbands…
PLEASE READ IT❤️

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