Within the first 10 pages I knew this was going to be a 5 star read. This. Was. Amazing.
Synopsis: Think of a Marilyn Monroe type figure; super mysterious, sought after and sexualized. That is our Evelyn Hugo. A glamorous movie icon who has decided to come out of hiding in her 70's to give a tell-all interview to a seemingly random and unknown magazine writer. Giving Monique this exclusive biography will jumpstart her journalistic career and she is determined to get it right as she listens to Evelyn share all the details of her seven marriages and how she clawed her way to the top of Hollywood's food chain.
Plot: I don't think there is a perfect way to describe this book in all its glory, you will simply just have to read it. There is so much intrigue with story Evelyn shares, captivating from the very beginning. I began this not knowing where it was going to go, but I quickly became obsessed and flew through it. This is much more than just a mysterious seven-marriage love story. Reid writes about Hugo's hardships, ruthless ambition, her unexpected friendships, hard loss and forbidden love. Even with all of that, the twist at the end? Wow. Totally was not expecting it, and loved it. Not only a deep character study, but very plot driven as well as we learn about every year of Evelyns life in the spotlight.
Characters: Evelyn is the best worst character ever. I love her, even though she is kind of a terrible person. To me, that is the point though, to write real characters with real flaws, and Hugo is just that. She is cutthroat and determined but beyond that, such an interesting mind to be inside. Monique was definitely more of a secondary character for me but I still really appreciated her and her struggles as she worked through them with Evelyns unknowing guidance. When reading about Evelyn's life we are introduced to so many characters, and that can easily get muddy and end up with really shallow character storylines. This was not that. Reid made every character's voice so clear, which made going though Evelyns life feel real. Every character introduced had a purpose and was super fascinating.
Please read. Just wow. TJR is now an auto-buy author just from this story alone. I cannot wait to dive into Daisy Jones and the Six.
5/5 stars, duh.
I loved Seven Husbands, the storyline was so glamorous but at the same time humanized and like you said, real and believable! I couldn’t help but dislike Evelyn a tad, but she still most definitely earned my respect. I also LOVE how Reid connects her characters across her novels. Her new novel Malibu Rising is about one of Evelyn’s exes Mika Riva, and his kids.