The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

*spoiler-free*

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the first book I have read by Taylor Jenkins Reid after seeing this book take over social media. Although first published in 2017, Reid recently took Bookstagram and BookTok by storm, and so I was intrigued to see if her writing lived up to the hype. This book tells the story of reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo and how she made her claim to fame. She trusts an unknown magazine reporter for the Vivant, Monique Grant, to write her story in the truest and rawest form.

This book definitely lived up to my expectations as Reid’s style of writing is captivating and easy to follow. Initially, I was apprehensive that the book may feel repetitive as there were seven husbands we needed to learn about, but each story is well executed. The book is separated between Hugo’s telling of events and the present day where Monique is working to pull this story together. There are hints of Monique’s personal life that work well with Hugo’s character being dissected, revealing just how much influence Hugo can have on others. Monique is just as confused as the reader as to why Hugo picked her to tell her story, but this is explored well and revealed dramatically towards the end of the book.

Even with Hugo’s first marriage, it is clear how strong-willed she is. Nothing will get in her way in terms of getting want she wants, and so it is no surprise that she fell into celebrity culture headfirst. This book delves into the good, the bad and the ugly of Hollywood and the sacrifices hopeful artists must make to crack the industry. Reid cleverly discusses sensitive topics such as abuse, racism, and sexuality through many characters’ lenses to give the reader an accurate representation of these issues at the time. For example, the exploration of having to hide one’s sexuality was prevalent throughout this book, as well as the impact of the aids pandemic. There is also the theme around the complexity of love, both romantically and platonically, exploring the great distinction between sex and sexuality. Hugo herself is not afraid to admit that she used her body to get into the industry, but this does not shadow her perspective of what love and intimacy are, and how she does deserve this.

People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them when you stand in front of them bare and their response is ‘you’re safe with me’ – that’s intimacy.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The second half of the book becomes more and more heart-breaking, which made it increasingly difficult to put the book down. Reid perfected the pacing of this book; most of the chapters are short which encouraged me to keep the page-turning and meant I read a lot of this book in big chunks. Throughout the book, there are snippets of magazine articles from the time which were interesting to read. As the media is so paramount in celebrity culture, it was fitting that this was added into the book to give the media’s perspective on certain affairs.

Whilst there were many characters added throughout the story, this did not become overwhelming and each of Hugo’s lovers were so different and fascinating to learn about. Hugo and Harry Cameron were definitely one of my favourite pairs, and so I was glad that their relationship grew and developed. Hugo herself is such a complex character who I loved and hated for so many different reasons. Hugo captivates everyone around her and even as a reader, this remains true. The plot twist at the end reinforces Hugo’s love for those around her, and that she has no regrets for any of her actions which were done to protect those closest to her and her family.

Hugo could have easily been a real person as Reid writes her so authentically and so it is no surprise to me how successful this book has been. I am very excited to read other books by Reid, such as Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones & The Six, and I hope I love her other books as much as this one. I also liked how at the end of this book, there are discussion questions listed which is a nice touch especially if you are a part of a book club. I would recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to anyone looking for an exciting, gripping fiction read around celebrity culture.

5/5 stars