Publishers Weekly
04/15/2024
In the engrossing latest from Williams (The Beach at Summerly), a single mother reconnects with her son’s father and learns the troubling story of her mother’s adoption. In the present day, Mallory Dunne’s 13-year-old son, Sam, needs a kidney transplant. Three years earlier, Sam’s kidneys were damaged after he ate poisonous mushrooms at a summer camp. Paige, Mallory’s sister, suggests Mallory contact her ex-boyfriend Monk Adams, now a world-famous Grammy-winning singer, who may be Sam’s father, to determine if he’s a potential donor match. In a parallel narrative set in 1951 Cairo, Hannah Ainsworth, wife of aging British diplomat Alistair Ainsworth, embarks on an affair with Lucien Beck, a handsome assistant hotel manager. After Hannah gets pregnant, Alistair forces her to give up the baby for adoption at an Irish orphanage. Back in the present, Mallory briefs Monk about Sam, and their rekindled friendship causes him to recognize the flaws in his relationship with the woman he plans to marry. Hannah’s and Mallory’s parallel stories of unexpected pregnancy and painful decisions converge in a cathartic scene in Ireland, where Mallory and Paige travel to visit the orphanage where their deceased mother was sent, connecting their story to Hannah’s in a way that is unsurprising but moving. Historical fiction fans will be riveted. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, CAA. (June)
From the Publisher
I loved Husbands & Lovers and devoured it in one delicious gulp. I was so invested in Mallory and Monk. It’s my favorite kind of page-turner—unputdownable!”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Doves
“In the latest work by historical fiction master storyteller Beatriz Williams, two timelines breathlessly intertwine to form a tale full of passion, hope, and heartbreaking family secrets. As much a poignant and intimate examination of the human heart as a globe-trotting sweep of decades and wide-reaching locales, this one packs the sultry and stunning punch that readers of Williams have come to relish. You will feel the salty ocean air of Winthrop summer nights as you read, as well as the furious white heat of the roiling Cairo streets—and you’ll savor every page of it.”—Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
“The masterful Williams spins a story that spans continents and eras, and it takes readers on a page-turning ride encompassing intoxicating youthful romance, forbidden wartime love, betrayal, espionage, life-eroding secrets, and a mother’s boundless love for her child. Reminding us of the interconnectivity of the past and present and the enduring power of love, Husbands & Lovers is stunning.”—Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Personal Librarian
“From sunny Cape Cod beaches to 1950s Cairo, I loved being immersed in the lives and loves of Beatriz Williams’s complex characters. This novel has it all: a single mother with a secret, a passionate affair against the backdrop of World War Two, and a child so wonderful (and in so much danger) that I stayed up until three in the morning to make sure he would survive. This is sweeping, sumptuous, and utterly enthralling.”—Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
“[A] captivating novel of love and love lost . . . With well-drawn characters and sweeping drama, Williams’ latest is a gripping journey as secrets and hidden desires are exposed.”—Booklist
Library Journal
05/01/2024
In 1945, Hannah Ainsworth helps a much older Englishman when he needs a translator while interrogating prisoners of war. Impressed with her beauty and brains, he proposes. Six years later in Cairo, Lucien, a man with dangerous secrets, rekindles Hannah's interest in life, but at what cost? In the summer of 2019, Mallory gets an emergency call from Camp Winnipesaukee after her 10-year-old son Sam eats a poisonous mushroom. Sam is on dialysis but the search for a kidney isn't going well; it might be time for Mallory to contact the man who doesn't know that Sam is his child. Being able to tell a story from distinct timelines decades apart, incorporating factual historical details within a fictional family's framework, and creating emotionally engaging characters are some of Williams's (The Beach at Summerly) superpowers. This book's uncommon viewpoint of the Middle East post-World War II could inspire readers' further exploration and add depth for book groups. Williams's fans will recognize characters and locations from previous novels. Readers might guess how the novel's contemporary plot connects to the historical one, but there are satisfying surprises waiting. VERDICT Fans of Lauren Willig, Kate Morton, and Kristin Harmel will enjoy.—Stacey Hayman
Kirkus Reviews
2024-04-20
The stories of two women separated by time and circumstance but connected through DNA.
Mallory Dunne’s life is complicated. Her 13-year-old son, Sam, is on dialysis after eating a poisoned mushroom at summer camp when he was 10. Her mom died a couple of years before that when hiking on Machu Picchu, leaving Mallory a mysterious and beautiful cobra-shaped bracelet that Mallory wears every day. Oh, and Sam is secretly the son of Monk Adams, a famous musician with whom Mallory was madly in love throughout high school and college. Mallory left Monk the day before the two planned to travel the country together, never telling him that he’s a father. But her sister, Paige, who believes Monk could be a kidney match for Sam, is pressuring her to tell Monk the truth. When Paige convinces Mallory to go to the fictional Winthrop Island in Long Island Sound where Monk is staying—he’s there planning his wedding to vapid Instagram influencer Lennox Lassiter—Sam’s parents reunite, and Mallory must come to terms with her past. The sisters also recently found out that their mother was adopted, so Paige goes on a genealogical journey to find out where they came from. Mallory’s story alternates with that of the sisters’ biological grandmother, Hannah, who lives in post–World War II Egypt and whose story is slowly revealed. While there are certainly sweet, sexy, and even poignant moments, particularly in Mallory and Monk’s early years, the book tries to pack in way too much. Hannah’s entire plot, while clearly well researched, feels underdeveloped, and Williams would’ve been better served using that time to add more depth to Mallory and Monk’s relationship.
Beach read meets maudlin historical fiction.
