The Husbands

I liked this book way more than I thought I would. I haven't laughed out loud so much from a book in awhile, which, ok, might be because I tend to read a lot of dystopian sci fi, but it really was funny.

3.5 entertaining but felt way too long. bohai was cool. lauren was alright.the carter stuff gave me sooooo much second hand embarrassment.

this book is very mixed for me. i appreciate a lot of what it was trying to say but i was soooooo bored. like at first this concept was cool and i adore the concept. but it got extremely repetitive. i know it was to make a point but that doesn't lessen the fact, it bored me. i also felt like while we spent so much time with the main character, we still never really got to know her. i feel like i could read the most boring, repetitive book in the world, but as long as it has a character i find interesting in it, i'll love it. but this lacked that. the main character was never really flushed out. i will say i did really enjoy the ending of the book a lot but besides that and the concept, this was really a slog to get through.

I would take 1/2 star off if I could. I was fully absorbed the whole way through but feel like the ending could use one more chapter. It was sweet, but too up in the air to make me feel fully satisfied. I didn't feel cheated, I wanted just a bit more time with the characters.

Fun and light-hearted. I love how Lauren kept going through husbands. Definite read for those that just want something light. Would read this author again.

It had its moments, but the gimmick of the changing husbands got old fast and I found the entire premise (and ending) frustrating.

What a bore. I was excited for a new take on multiple possibilities/outcomes, but this was poorly executed. Lauren felt very flat and had no personality, interests, or ambition so we never got to know her as a character, and she changed out husbands every 24 hours (usually less) so there was no need to get to know anyone! Had to force myself to get through the book at times. There's no need for this book to be as long as it is - Lauren kept looking for greener grass on a planet that doesn't even have grass. Not to mention she was okay with drugging someone, and stalking/forcing a person to like her. Yikes.

I really loved this. The ending was a bit abrupt, but the general premise and execution was still a winner. I've never read anything like this before, which I appreciate.

Absolutely hilarious light sci fi, with a plot that keeps jutting forward just as you think you've figured it out.

Our protagonist, Lauren, makes her way home from a friend's bachelorette party, clambering into her apartment drunk with a painted succulent in hand. Only to find a man in her home. Not just a man, but her husband Michael.

The only (albeit fundamental) issue is that Lauren has never seen this man in her life, let alone married him. Shortly thereafter, he goes into the attic to change a lightbulb he noticed went out. When he comes down from the attic, he's a different man. A different husband.

Lauren finds herself caught in an endless loop of inescapable, ever changing men who some version of herself pledged her life to. Time continues to pass, but normalcy passes her by, as each new husband changes her life, sometimes in small ways, and other times massively. The attic keeps blipping away men and the lives that came with them before she can get her bearings.

This was a really fun read with an ending that kind of sucker punched me. The premise allowed Gramazio to explore the inherent risks of vulnerability, trust, and love, without feeling trite. I also appreciated its long-running jokes and diversity. Wonderful audiobook narration, as well.

For fans of...I don't even know, actually. It is pretty unique. But I liked it so much!

I loved the premise of this book but it was dragged out entirely too long. I wish we had gotten to know more husbands with one to root for but by the end I wasn't even rooting for Lauren.

Please don't read Holly Gramazio's debut novel if you are looking for a rom-com (the publisher categorizes it as Women's Fiction but IMO the cover begs to differ). Although there are several funny scenes and the overall tone is satirical, if you (like me) are a romance reader you will be sorely disappointed. The revolving door of husbands becomes repetitive by the novel's midpoint, and there aren't enough significant events that deviate from that process to compensate. Fiction is full of stories that appeal to our curiosity around how our lives would have turned out if we made different choices (e.g., [b:Maybe in Another Life 23492661 Maybe in Another Life Taylor Jenkins Reid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1424970519l/23492661.SY75.jpg 43082842], [b:Sliding Doors 4859702 Sliding Doors Peter Howitt https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1336333585l/4859702.SY75.jpg 4925023] etc.), but The Husbands trades quality for quantity. I raced through the book to see if Lauren's magical attic would ever stop spitting out spouses, but it was an intellectual curiosity, not an emotional one.There is a lot of positive buzz around this book, so maybe I'm an old-fashioned softie who doesn't appreciate 21st century novels. YMMV if you can see the book as brilliant commentary on The Way We Live Now and not feel personally invested in the outcome.

Right book, right time. Very plot driven and what a fun plot! “Sending people to the attic” is now a staple in my lexicon