Child, I know exactly why my daughter recommended this book now.
When she suggested The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I thought I knew what I was getting. I expected a juicy Hollywood story about a glamorous actress who married a lot of times. Honestly, that would have been interesting enough. I pictured an Elizabeth Taylor type of character, not because the stories were the same, but because both women married multiple times and lived very public lives.
However, the plot twists kept coming. Every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, something unexpected happened. Then another surprise appeared. Then another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Before long, I was completely invested in Evelyn’s life and trying to figure out what was really going on.
By that point, I understood why so many people love this book. More importantly, I understood why my daughter thought I would enjoy it.
🍑📚 It Was As Juicy As A Full Season Of Real Housewives
One of the first things I thought after finishing this book was that it was as juicy as a full season of Real Housewives.
There are secrets, betrayals, complicated relationships, public images, private realities, and enough twists to keep you fully invested in what happens next. More than once, I found myself wondering what in the world would happen next.
What surprised me was the depth of the story. I expected celebrity drama, multiple marriages, and plenty of scandal. Instead, I found myself thinking about friendship, identity, sacrifice, ambition, and love. The book delivered all the Hollywood drama I expected while also giving me something much deeper to reflect on.
If you enjoy stories about fascinating public figures and the lives they live behind the headlines, you might also enjoy my blog, The Most Iconic RHOA Moments You Have To See. The stories are very different. However, both remind us that what the public sees is rarely the entire story.
🎧✨ My Audiobook Experience
I listened to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on Audible, and overall I enjoyed the experience.
The narrator sounded familiar to me. However, Monique sounded older than I imagined she would sound. It wasn’t a major issue, but it was something I noticed early in the book.
Monique actually kept me listening at first. I wanted to know why Evelyn Hugo chose this particular reporter to tell her story. That question stayed with me throughout the book. Every time I thought I was getting closer to the answer, another twist pulled me in a different direction.
I ended up listening to the book twice. During the second listen, I caught details that I completely missed the first time. I also noticed some excellent foreshadowing. Taylor Jenkins Reid hides clues throughout those early chapters, and once you know where the story is going, those clues become much easier to spot.
As someone who enjoys clever storytelling, I appreciated that.
🎬✨ Why I Loved The Old Hollywood Setting
One of my favorite things about this book was the setting. As I listened, I imagined movie premieres, gossip columnists, luxury hotels, and all the glamour that came with classic Hollywood. More than once, I tried to figure out who Evelyn Hugo might have been inspired by.
At first, my mind drifted toward Elizabeth Taylor because of the multiple marriages. However, the longer I listened, the more I realized Evelyn didn’t feel like Elizabeth Taylor at all. She felt like her own person. She had her own ambitions, her own motivations, and her own complicated journey through life.
What also made the setting interesting was realizing that this wasn’t ancient history. Some of the stars from that era remained part of popular culture for decades. Because of that, many of the social pressures and expectations discussed in the book felt much closer than I expected.
Listening to Evelyn reflect on her life also reminded me of the HBO series Hacks starring Jean Smart. The stories are very different. However, both explore what happens when a successful woman looks back on her life, her relationships, and the image she spent years creating for the public.
❤️✨ Why Evelyn Became My Favorite Character
Without question, Evelyn was the character I connected with most. What I admired about her was her grit. No matter what circumstances she faced, she seemed determined to make the most of the situation. She was smart, savvy, ambitious, and willing to do whatever it took to accomplish her goals.
As a woman, I respected that. I cheered her on many times because she refused to let circumstances define her. Now, that doesn’t mean I always agreed with her choices. Child, there were definitely moments when I wanted to stop the audiobook and say, “Girl, what are you doing?” If you’ve read the book, then you probably know exactly what I mean.
Those moments didn’t make me like her less. Instead, they made me more invested in her story. The characters who frustrate us are often the ones we care about most.
One thing I appreciated throughout the book was Evelyn’s honesty with herself. She was honest about who she loved and how she loved. Even when the world around her made things complicated, she seemed very clear about her own heart.
I connected most with watching Evelyn evolve over the course of her life. I didn’t see a woman becoming someone completely different. Instead, I watched a young woman grow older, gain experience, make mistakes, learn lessons, and eventually look back on her life with greater wisdom.
As I listened, I found myself thinking about my own life and my relationship with Michael. We started our love story as teenagers, and here I am approaching 60 years old. Over those decades, we’ve loved, grown, changed, and experienced life together.
Obviously, my story looks nothing like Evelyn Hugo’s story. However, there was something familiar about watching someone figure out who they are, learn what matters most, and discover how love evolves over time.
I thought I was getting a story about a woman who married a lot of times, and honestly that would have been interesting enough. Instead, I found myself reflecting on life, love, friendship, growth, and the many ways people change over the course of a lifetime.
❤️💍 Harry Is The Husband I Remember Most
Of all seven husbands, Harry is the one who stayed with me the most. When people talk about this book, they often focus on the romances, the marriages, and the Hollywood drama. While all of those things matter, I found myself paying close attention to the friendship between Harry and Evelyn. In many ways, I think they shared the kind of soulmate relationship many people hope to find in life.
Now, before anyone comes after me, I know they weren’t a traditional romantic couple. However, their relationship was built on trust, loyalty, understanding, and genuine love. They accepted each other completely, flaws and all. More importantly, they showed up for each other when it mattered most.
As I listened to their story, I found myself thinking about Michael. In fact, I feel very blessed because Michael is kind of my Harry. We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve grown up together. We understand each other. When I think about what makes a relationship last, friendship is always near the top of the list.
That’s one reason Harry’s story affected me so deeply. He wasn’t simply one of Evelyn’s husbands. He was one of the most important people in her life. Without giving away spoilers, let’s just say there was a particular Harry-related moment that had me sitting there thinking, “Child, what in the world?” Then, after the shock wore off, I found myself thinking, “And that’s love.”
🌈❤️ Why This Story Hit Me Differently During Pride Month
Since June is Pride Month, I would be doing this review a disservice if I didn’t talk about one of the themes that affected me most.
One thing that caught me off guard was the extent people had to go to in order to hide who they loved. Intellectually, I already knew some of that history. However, seeing it through the eyes of characters I cared about made it feel much more personal.
The beard relationships were real. The secret relationships were real. The fear was real. People risked careers, relationships, opportunities, and sometimes even their freedom simply because they loved the “wrong” person according to society.
As I listened, I felt both sad and frustrated. I was sad because of what people endured during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. At the same time, I felt frustrated because some of those same conversations seem to be resurfacing today. We should be moving forward, not revisiting old battles.
One thing this book did for me was deepen my appreciation for the LGBTQ+ experience. The older I get, the more important it becomes to me to send out as much love as possible. I truly believe love is love. I also believe that understanding another person’s journey helps us become better human beings.
That’s one reason Evelyn and Celia’s story stayed with me. Their relationship was complicated, beautiful, frustrating, heartbreaking, and deeply human all at the same time. More importantly, it reminded me that love often asks people to be brave, especially when the world isn’t ready to accept who they are.
Because this review is publishing during Pride Month, it also felt like the perfect opportunity to highlight the CupofMood Pride Collection. In particular, I couldn’t stop thinking about Evelyn and Celia when I looked at the Love Is Love Pride Mug. Their relationship sits at the emotional heart of this novel, and that message feels like a perfect reflection of one of the book’s strongest themes.
🌈💖 The New Evelyn Hugo Collection At CupofMood
As I reflected on this book, I realized something interesting. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo isn’t really about seven husbands.
Yes, the marriages matter. Yes, the Hollywood drama matters. However, when I finished the book and thought about what stayed with me most, I kept coming back to themes like love, friendship, identity, loyalty, sacrifice, and authenticity.
That’s exactly what inspired me to create a new Evelyn Hugo Collection at CupofMood. The collection blends wedding-inspired drinkware with Pride-themed pieces that reflect the deeper themes of the novel. At the center of the collection are the Love Is Love Pride Mug and the Love Is Equal Mug. Together, they represent one of the most memorable relationships in the story and the belief that love should never have to hide.
Alongside those Pride pieces, the collection also includes wedding-inspired mugs and glasses that reflect the public image Evelyn carefully built throughout her life. In many ways, that contrast between public image and private reality is one of the themes that makes this book so unforgettable.
As you read the review, I’d love for you to think about this question:
If you could sit down and have coffee with Evelyn Hugo, what would you ask her?
Honestly, I think that’s one of the most interesting questions this book leaves behind.
🔍📚 The Mystery That Kept Me Listening
If I had to identify the one thing that kept me listening from beginning to end, it would have to be the connection between Monique and Evelyn.
From the very beginning, I kept asking myself the same question: Why Monique? Why had this legendary Hollywood actress chosen this particular reporter to tell her story? That question stayed in the back of my mind throughout the entire book. Meanwhile, Taylor Jenkins Reid kept introducing fascinating characters, complicated relationships, and plot twists that distracted me just long enough to keep me guessing.
By the time I got close to the ending, I was still trying to figure it out. That’s one of the things I appreciated most about the storytelling. The mystery never disappeared. Instead, it quietly followed the reader through every chapter until everything finally came together.
👀✨ The Foreshadowing Is Better The Second Time Around
One thing I didn’t fully appreciate until my second listen was just how much foreshadowing is hidden throughout the story.
The first time through, I was so focused on Evelyn, the husbands, the relationships, and the mystery surrounding Monique that some of the clues completely slipped past me. Once I knew where the story was heading, I started noticing little details and subtle hints that suddenly carried much more meaning. In fact, if you’re someone who enjoys clever storytelling, I highly recommend paying close attention to those opening chapters.
The funny thing is that many of the clues seem perfectly ordinary at first. Later, however, you realize the author was quietly preparing you for things to come all along. I always appreciate when an author trusts readers enough to leave breadcrumbs throughout the story instead of explaining everything directly.
🎀🎁📖 The Ending Was The Perfect Bow On A Wonderfully Presented Gift
The ending is probably what stayed with me most after my first listen. Without giving anything away, everything finally comes together in a way that felt satisfying, emotional, and completely earned. Nothing felt forced and nothing felt rushed. Instead, the ending felt like the perfect bow on a wonderfully presented gift.
When I finished the book the first time, I found myself thinking about everything that had happened and how carefully the story had been constructed. Then, when I listened a second time, I appreciated the ending even more because I could see how many pieces had been set into motion long before they paid off.
For me, that’s always a sign of strong storytelling.
☕❓ A Question For Fellow Readers
One question kept coming back to me while writing this review, and I’d love to hear your answer.
If you could sit down and have coffee with Evelyn Hugo, what would you ask her? Would you ask about love, fame, one of the seven husbands, or whether all the sacrifices were worth it? Personally, I think that’s one reason this book stays with readers. Long after the final chapter ends, there are still conversations worth having.
☕📚🔥 The Final Sip
When my daughter recommended The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I expected a juicy Hollywood story about a woman who had been married a lot of times. Honestly, that would have been interesting enough.
Instead, I got a story filled with fascinating characters, surprising twists, meaningful friendships, unforgettable love stories, and thoughtful reflections on identity, sacrifice, and personal growth. I admired Evelyn’s grit, connected with her journey through life, loved the friendship between Harry and Evelyn, and appreciated the deeper look at the LGBTQ+ experience. Most of all, I found myself completely invested in discovering how all the pieces fit together.
That’s why, using my CupofMood Book Rating System, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo earns my highest rating:
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Burned My Fingers! 😍🔥
I absolutely loved this book. If you’re looking for a novel filled with memorable characters, emotional depth, Old Hollywood glamour, and enough twists to keep you guessing, I highly recommend giving this one a try.
And when you’re finished, don’t forget to visit the new Evelyn Hugo Collection and the CupofMood Pride Collection. Both celebrate some of the themes that made this story so memorable and meaningful.
Until Next Time,
Namaste,
Khadeeja