The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

I was speechless after finishing this book. It took me completely out of my own life and brought me to its world in a way I hadn't been in a long time.

No spoilies, but your heart will break into a thousand pieces, get put back together, and then break all over again. The world of old Hollywood glamour will draw you in, and the story of Evelyn and her husbands will keep you there. I promise.

Treat yourself to the audiobook, as well. The narrators (Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan, and Robin Miles) are marvelous.

I’m a big fan of Old Hollywood, and I previously published a biography of the iconoclastic and classic film actress Jean Arthur. So, I naturally gravitated to this novel about a 79-year-old Hollywood star looking back over her colorful and controversial life and career. I found more substance and character development in this fictional tale than you’ll find in most “true” movie star memoirs.

The book is narrated alternatively through the eyes of the book’s subject, Evelyn Hugo, and her youthful journalist-interviewer. Neither of them shies from exposing Evelyn’s flaws and miscues over many decades (and seven husbands), yet in… show more.

It was a creative, dishy, scandalous, and moving tour through Old Hollywood.

It felt like we, as readers, got to witness some of the most glamorous and sensationally secretive moments of the world’s most beloved and iconic movie star as she navigated her career in film, her many fractious relationships, and her tumultuous journey to find love—with others and, ultimately, with herself.

I don't care about Hollywood, or the stars. I haven't ever watched the Oscars. But the story was so deep, so complex, and captured the personality of this one unique woman - and so, all women.

Beautifully written, I feel like I lived the story. Read it in two days and didn’t want it to end.

Compelling (adj.): evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

It’s a favorite word in my vocabulary. But I'm compelled (ironically) to remove it from past reviews. This novel sets a new benchmark for this word's literary meaning.

This story addresses controversial topics that keep the reader thinking while considering their own stance on societal issues. There is language and sexual undertones throughout this novel, but it’s done in a respectful manner that adds tone and depth to the characters instead of detracting from them.

If you're looking for a story that helps to find yourself amidst the… show more.

The story of a faded starlet, recounting her tales of Hollywood (including her seven husbands) to a journalist, this novel is crammed full of the gossip and scandal so deliciously acquainted with the Old Hollywood scene.

I have to confess, part of the attraction of old movies and Old Hollywood movie stars for me is the amount of scandalous stories attached to them all, and this novel immerses the readers perfectly into the Hollywood of the 50s through to the 80s.   

Another book I read while writing my book, by another Swiftie author: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This novel chronicles the story of an up-and-coming journalist who interviews an elderly former Hollywood starlet about fame, scandals, and love. Insightful and evocative, and a look underneath the layers of a celebrity’s public persona, I devoured this book in one sitting. When a fan of the book tweeted the author, asking if the story could be inspired by the life and times of Taylor Swift, TJR replied “oh most certainly.” 

This book shines a spotlight on the luscious glamor of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the price women were asked to pay to stand in it. It chronicles Evelyn’s drive to fulfill her career dreams under a magnifying glass and the concessions she is forced to make to keep her celebrity status. The contrast between this feisty superstar and the journalist who is tasked with writing her story is beautifully executed and the choice between fame and the freedom to choose authentic love is one that sticks with you. 

This novel takes place in present-day Los Angeles and 1950s to 1980s Old Hollywood. The aging and reclusive movie star Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. A newly-divorced magazine reporter, Monique, listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. I loved this novel because of its unique structure, which includes fictional snippets of newspapers, magazines, and gossip columns. Also, Taylor Jenkins Reid writes complex characters with heart, and Evelyn Hugo feels so alive on the page, she could be real. The story of Evelyn’s seven husbands is both heartbreaking and… show more.