Stop What You’re Doing: I've Found Your New Favorite Book

After finally rekindling my love for reading, I’ve just finished Taylor Jenkins-Reid’s ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. And wow, what a ride. The book explores the life of fictional actress Evelyn Hugo and her rise to fame from Hell’s Kitchen to Hollywood. I say fictional, but her character felt so real the book left me wanting to watch her movies that I still wish really existed. On the surface, it looks like your average tale of old Hollywood scandal. What the book is really about, runs much deeper. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, loss, sacrifice, and tragedy.

Despite what the title may suggest, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo doesn’t actually focus so much on the husbands, but rather Evelyn herself, where we quickly learn that there is much more to her than meets the eye. On finishing the book, I was left with that empty feeling you get after becoming so absorbed in the book you’re reading. I wanted to stay in Evelyn’s world just a little bit longer. It features beautiful symbolism, and throughout the pages, Evelyn teaches the reader valuable lessons on love, life, and loss.

Here’s your spoiler-free review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and why I can promise you that this will be one of the best romance books you’ll ever read:

TAYLOR JENKINS REID

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

When an unknown journalist is hand-picked to tell the glamorous and scandalous truth of one of Hollywood’s biggest icons, she can’t help but wonder why she was chosen, but she's determined to do her story justice. She listens as the actress recounts decades of her fascinating life (including her seven husbands along the way) and soon discovers that there is a deeper connection between them.

Page Count: 391

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“When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The word doesn’t give things, you take things.” The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

A Thoughtful Exploration Of Women’s Sexuality

Sexuality itself is one of the primary themes of this book, and Taylor Reid Jenkins puts the spotlight on women’s sexuality in particular. The subject itself is controversial–in our society, respectable women are not to express their desires. They are made to please, and not to be pleased. They are meant to be desirable but are not allowed to desire.

And Jenkins explores the hypocrisy of this mindset with a protagonist who is unafraid to break out of this narrative. From the very beginning, we see how society tries to use Evelyn’s own beauty against her; at the mere age of 14, she is led to believe that she must give her body if she wanted something.

We see Evelyn try to grow out of this mentality, and not without some serious struggles. I loved watching Evelyn slowly learn to see her worth and own her sexuality. Throughout the whole book, Evelyn is unapologetic, making bold choices and refusing to be shamed for them.

And I absolutely loved it. Smash the patriarchy sweetheart!

A Heartbreakingly Beautiful Romance

I want to make it clear that The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo is so much more than a love story. But romance is still the central element of the novel, and it is the most heartbreakingly beautiful, realistic, masterfully written love story that I have ever read.

I am serious, fellow bookworms. You might want to keep a box of tissues near you. And a stress ball. And maybe some ice cream too. By the time you are done with the book, the bittersweet romance that Evelyn experienced will make you weep!

As you can tell by the title, Evelyn gets married seven times throughout her life, and each marriage shows the reader all the different kinds of complicated, messy, and beautiful relationships that people can experience in their lifetimes.

Some of these relationships will make you shudder. Some will make you cry. Some will give you the warmest, fuzzy feelings in your stomach. And with each and every relationship, Jenkins explores how there are no “good guys” or “bad guys”; she shows us that even the best of us have our dark sides.

Sweeping, Immersive Storytelling With Realistic Characters

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an amazing storyteller and this book is the proof. The story is divided into chapters for each of her marriages, and each of these chapters begins with a moniker that describes Evelyn’s at-the-time husband in a few words. It also sets the tone of the chapters from early on, so you are left with anticipation for what will happen next and shocked when the unexpected happens. Suffice to say, reading this book was one hell of a roller-coaster ride, even when the monikers gave me clues on what to expect.

And of course, what really makes this book stand out are the characters. Jenkins gives us two very different leading characters – we have Monique, who is incredibly relatable, and we have Evelyn, who consistently scandalizes the readers with her choices.

Authentic Representation Of The Struggles Of Queer People, Women And People Of Color

The representation of diversity in this book was both authentic and so thought-provoking. You get to see the struggles of those in the LGBTQ+ community. There are many off-handed comments that, although mentioned lightly in dialogues, really make you realize the struggles of people of color (particularly women) in a world dominated by white male privilege.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo also highlights the important issue of gay rights and those in the LGBTQ community. As a bisexual woman in Hollywood, Evelyn felt that she could not expose who she truly was (and her love for Cecilia) without risking everything that she had worked so hard to gain. Both Evelyn and Harry went to great lengths to hide who they truly were and it would stand to reason that there were many more Hollywood actors and actresses during the same period hiding for fear of public scrutiny. Of all of the relationships in the book, the extra special bond shared between Harry, Evelyn, Cecilia, and John, speaks volumes to the purity of love.

While the public perception of those in the LGBTQ community has shifted since the 50’s and 60’s, there is still plenty of work to be done today. As we evolve as a society, we have become more accepting of our individual differences, but it would be naive to think that there are not still those that we feel they cannot expose their true identities.

And then there is the thought-provoking discussion on identity and self-awareness. Both Evelyn and Monique often have to struggle claiming their identities as women of color in a society where only white people are visible and valued.

Minor spoiler: Evelyn literally has to give up on her mother language, change her color and practice her accent before she is considered for important roles in films. Meanwhile, Monique often shares her frustrations of explaining to people how she is biracial and not just a black woman. It was both fascinating and a little heartbreaking to see these two women trying to assert their true identities in a world that is all-too-willing to label them and fit them in a box.

An Immersive, Glittering World Of Old Hollywood

I am not kidding when I say this book is glamorous. With Jenkin’s immersive narration style and a cast of realistic characters who are climbing up the ladder of fame and glory, you get to dive deep into the glittering world of the rich and the privileged in Hollywood. The whole time I was reading this book, I felt like I was living Evelyn’s glamorous life in her shoes and was completely transported away.

What I also found really clever was how occasionally Jenkins would take a break from the glamor and bring the reader back to reality by switching to Monique’s perspective and her simpler, ordinary life. This back-and-forth really helps the reader to relate to a character whose experiences are familiar while making our other protagonist Evelyn seem truly larger than life.

A Deep Exploration Of Power Dynamics

This is another very big theme in The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo. Throughout the novel, Jenkins shows the imbalance of power between men and women in society in the most eye-opening way. We see how women’s career opportunities in Hollywood rely too greatly on their age and appearance–factors that should be affecting men’s opportunities similarly, and yet, women are the ones who pay the greater price.

The same imbalance of power is seen in a few of Evelyn’s marriage is well. And while most of it is seen through the lens of Hollywood, the fact remains that it is a reality for women everywhere, no matter how successful or beautiful they are.

There is so much more that this book has to offer its readers. I could go on and on. Needless to say, this is a book that is a MUST READ for everyone, no matter what genre you are most comfortable with. If I were to make a list of books that deeply resonated with me, The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo would be at the top of the list.

Final Thoughts

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a detailed look into not just the lives of the rich and famous, but of the underbelly of society as a whole. It brings important themes to light with complex, well-written characters who the reader grows with throughout the book. Evelyn is simultaneously the heroine and the villain — the character you want to root for and the character you want to hate. But ultimately, Taylor Jenkins Reid weaves an intoxicating tale of the profoundly human Hugo that you can’t put down. This book is a can’t-miss.