The Book Nook Chronicles

Erica’s Experience

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Genre: Fiction

Page Count: 385

Publication Date: June 1, 2017

Interested? Buy The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo here

---

Review

I have to thank my mother-in-law for finally convincing me to read my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book. I’ve been eying Daisy Jones & The Six for quite some time now, but have tried to prioritize the books I’ve already purchased for the last few months. My in-laws were visiting in mid-July when we started chatting about our current reads. She brought up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo nonchalantly, and I made a mental note to add it to my list.

Literally the next weekend, I was in the Saint Louis airport, having just finished Snowflake by Louise Nealon. I was in desperate need of something to preoccupy myself during my short flight to Chicago. Naturally, there was nothing else to do but go into the Hudson News stand and buy a paperback. Evelyn was front and center in her signature emerald green and I knew I had to buy it.

After reading this book in full, I’m making two notes to myself—1) always add my mother-in-law’s recommendations to the TBR list and 2) Hunt down the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s titles and read them ASAP.

I threw this book back like a cheap bottle of Winking Owl in my early 20s. Broken into seven husband-specific sections, I can only categorize this book as an elevated beach read. Reid’s writing style is digestible and conversational; filled with girl power and scandal. And yet, her overall message will have you thinking about the invisible pains of women and the LGBTQ+ community for days after you finished it.

The main character, actress Evelyn Hugo, is a flawed boss-ass bitch. By finding a way to turn marriage transactional, she elevates herself to unthinkable stardom. The funniest part about this book is how irrelevant her husbands are. They are her life chapters and nothing more. Evelyn is the true source of her power and becomes a part of the Hollywood elite all on her own—using these men as stepping stones to freedom. The only husband that deserves any kudos is the brilliant, kindhearted, tortured Harry Cameron.

While the bonds of matrimony hold no real significance in this book, the power of human connection is still a driving force. Hugo’s relationships with her husband Harry Cameron and fellow kindred spirit, Celia St. James, show the power behind finding the people who truly see you. It can often be the only way to survive.

If starlets like Rita Hayworth, Debbie Reynolds, and Elizabeth Taylor fascinate you—I promise you’ll like this book. If you’re a believer in the gray bits in life, in the moments that make us humbly human, and in the self-made tribes we find along the way? You’re going to love it.

---

You can purchase The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo here.