"You can be sorry about something and not regret it"
I'm going to start by saying that I absolutely adored this book. I gave it five stars, and it's definitely my favourite book of the year so far. I finished it a couple of days ago, and while I've started another read, I still find myself thinking about Evelyn's story and the impact it's left on me.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is an adult historical fiction novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. In it, we meet reclusive former movie star and 60s icon Evelyn Hugo, who is finally ready to share her life's story. Monique Grant, a journalist hoping for her big break, is contacted to write an authorised biography all about Evelyn. The question on everybody's mind is: out of her seven husbands, who was the love of Evelyn Hugo's life? But Monique also has another question - why did Evelyn choose her, an unknown reporter, for the task? Evelyn promises to answer every single burning question, but only when she's ready...
First of all, Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to write phenomenal characters. Not only did they all seem like real people, but they seemed like people I've actually known. You get to understand the characters in this novel in such an intimate way that it feels like you've actually met them before. It's safe to say that a lot of the characters are pretty unlikeable, but as a reader, you get to understand where they're coming from in a way that makes you think, "hmm, I get that", even if you don't necessarily agree with their actions.
Character work isn't the only thing Ms Reid does very well, however. The atmosphere throughout this novel made it all seem so much more realistic. You get insights into the hardships of fame and the truths behind glamour and financial success. The setting was completely brought to life, in my opinion, and that was most definitely because of Reid's writing. Something I loved about this book is that while you're given quite a bit of description - enough to help you fully picture the scene - it is balanced out with a lot of dialogue. Now, I know some people don't really enjoy dialogue-heavy stories, so that may be something to keep in mind, but I absolutely love dialogue. The more the merrier, in my opinion.
The plot was also very well paced, in my opinion. Though this is very much a character-driven book, the story still kept me intrigued - and the reveals were so worth it! I was shocked multiple times throughout the book, and I also teared up about five times throughout, which feels very rare for me. The story takes you places, and that is something I highly appreciate in a novel. It's one of those books that leave me thinking at the end, and those tend to be some of my absolute favourites.
Basically, I highly recommend you give this book a read if you haven't already. It will tug on your heartstrings, is full of POC and LGBTQ+ rep, and is all around just a beautiful book. Let me know if you've read it / if you've decided to pick it up!
Casey