'The Husbands' is a clever, original and highly entertaining multiverse romantic comedy. Lauren is single, but when she returns from her best friend's hen night she discovers a strange man in her flat. Stranger still, he claims to be her husband, and even more strangely, his claim appears to be corroborated when Lauren checks her phone, photos and bills. Strangest of all, when this husband goes up to the attic, a totally different man descends who also appears to be her husband - and the same happens again, and again, and again, on a strictly one-in, one-out basis.

Lauren's 'magic attic' is a brilliant premise for a novel, and Holly Gramazio exploits this for maximum comic potential. Lauren's predicament presents a number of logistical challenge which require considerable ingenuity to resolve. How do you catch up on months or years of shared history with each new husband of which you have no recollection, let alone all the changes to your work, family and relationship in each new life? And how do you coax each husband back into the attic when you've had enough of them, when some are unwilling to return there (or even physically incapable of doing so?) Lauren gets through hundreds of husbands, and some of the funniest are the ones who only appear for a few seconds before Lauren changes her mind, their entire personalities encapsulated within a single trait :
'205 doesn't trim his nostril hair. No.
206 is wearing a hat with a little brim even though he is sitting and watching television on his own sofa. No.
207 is angry because he has an important meeting and no clean shirts, and perhaps this is fair of him, perhaps they have negotiated an equitable division of housework and the laundry has fallen to her and she has let her side of the agreement slide, but: no thank you.'

Alongside the many laughs, however, Gramazio is able to ask serious questions about love, relationships and happiness, many of which feel particularly apt in the age of dating apps and seemingly limitless choice. With a constant supply of new husbands and new lives to go with them, how can Lauren choose when to settle for one and give up on the hope of anyone better coming along? And Lauren gradually realises it is not just the husbands that change: she is also a different person in each marriage, so must also decide how much she likes the version of herself that she has become with each husband.

Despite the apparently repetitive and predictable formula, Gramazio includes plenty of surprising twists which make for gripping reading and give shape to Lauren's story and growth as a character. This deserves to become one of the biggest hits of 2024, and I can see it making a great screen adaptation too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review!

When I first started reading this book I thought I was going to dislike it. How wrong I was.

When Lauren comes home from a night out to discover she’s married she really can’t understand why she can’t remember him. She then realises that every time her husband goes into the attic a different husband comes back down. Which husband do you you choose to keep?

I really loved this book. Funny and endearing.

A great idea for a story! Lauren has been unlucky in love. She wants to find the one. When she returns home from a drunken night out, she finds a man in her house waiting for her. She has no idea who he is but he says he’s her husband! When he goes into the attic to fetch something, he disappears and another ‘husband’ descends! What follows is a great story of husbands coming and going depending on whether Lauren likes them or not. Some she sends back to the attic on the pretence of fetching something and others disappear when she would like them to stay! Very funny but poignant too!

Definitely different, Lauren has a succession of husbands, whenever one goes into the attic a different one comes down. It does make you think about what is a successful relationship, and whether you would want to change your partner if they didn't match exactly what you were after? Lauren certainly doesn't settle easily, with minor things that annoyed her triggering a need for a change. I did have to keep reading to find the final outcome, although it was a bit slow at times, but this unique story did keep me hooked right until the end.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

I really enjoyed this book! The premise was so unique and overall very entertaining. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and kept wanting to get back to read it. Some of the pacing was a bit slow in parts and I would’ve liked to get to know some of the husbands a little bit more but overall it didn’t hinder my enjoyment. I thought it was a clever and quirky read!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read!

An unusual premise for a novel - a series of husbands appear from the attic and Lauren must decide what she's really looking for in 'the one'. Funny, charming, thought-provoking and with a twist I didn't see coming, this was both an interesting and entertaining read.

It started off really well, it was fun and entertaining to see all the different husbands coming down from the Attic.
However, towards 75% of the book, it became less interesting and very repetitive.
I know it had to end at some point, but I really didn't like the end.

I really enjoyed this one - it is quirky and imaginative! I was totally captivated from the moment I picked it up and would recommend for Emily Henry fans. I really loved the writing style too.

What if your perfect husband is only a few attic steps away? For Lauren, he could be. The thing is, when Lauren went out for her friend’s hen do, she was happily single, but she comes home, there is a man in her flat, claiming that he is her husband. She is surrounded by evidence that he is right. Then he climbs into the attic to fetch something and a different husband comes down. Her attic is magic and can produce an infinite amount of husbands for Lauren. What’s a girl to do?

A novel that combines romance, humour and a multiverse is always going to be something I am interested in and for the most part The Husbands did not disappoint. I enjoyed the concept a lot and the range of husbands was hilarious. When I put the book down, I imagined what I would do in that scenario and that was pretty fun too.

The thing about metaverses though is that in fiction they can tend to get same-ish and repetitive. Here’s a sentence I never thought I would write in a review; for me the book was one hundred husbands too long. I feel like quite a lot could be edited out and achieve the same effect. I would have liked the background characters to be fleshed out a bit more.

Having said all that, I enjoyed reading the book and I thought the ending was spot on.

Fans of romance and though provoking reads should definitely add this their TBR for sure.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

I loved the premise of The Husbands, very original! For the most part, I enjoyed reading the book even if it gets a tad repetitive in some places. I like the middle part with Bohai’s coming into the story. I wish there was an explanation as to why the husband thing is happening. The book is funny and engaging, even though I expected it to be something more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion..

A seriously fun read! I actually absolutely loved this lighter read that kept me 100% engaged from beginningbto end..
What a brilliant concept: having a magic attic that every time you send your husband up into a new one emerges! It must have been so entertaining to brain storm all the different husbands and the various back stories. I am seeing Holly Gramazio at Hay Festival in May - looking forward to hearing her discuss her writing process.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This was a great read, I loved the concept. But I did feel like it dragged so on that basis I’ll have to give it three and a bit stars

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

The Husbands has a really interesting and unique premise. Lauren returns home from a party to discover a husband in her flat. Lauren learns if she doesn't like a husband she can send them off to the attic and never see them again.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book as it felt really unique and at times funny. However by the second half it got a little repetitive and I was hoping for a change in the story. It would have been great to have got to know more of the Husbands and their time together.

I liked the developing story with Carter and wish there was more of it.

The ending fell a little flat for me after so many Husbands I was expecting a big finale. Instead it kind of just fizzled out.

Overall its a fun and unique read but I would only give it 3.5 stars.

It's very original, witty and the kind of books that makes you wonder what will be next and which will be the right husband.
Well plotted and loved the storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

In a nutshell, Lauren has an attic that produces husbands. A different one every time the current one goes up there. Not only does her husband change but some aspects of her life change as well.
The husbands is like nothing I've read before. It is a really weird, hilarious and highly original idea for a book that definitely works in my world (I'm a 70 year old granny who is usually a crime and thriller fan)! So I'm sure it will work for younger readers as well.
I couldn't put this book down. I kept thinking just one more chapter, just one more husband......and another hour had past! I was a bit concerned about how she was going to wrap it all up but even this was done in a very imaginative and satisfying way. Very funny, very easy to read and very enjoyable. Recommended to all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

A Definite Book Of Fiction

In some ways like a twisted time travelers read, only it’s …. Husbands constantly changing and she’s trying to work out her own situation in life with each new husband. To be honest whilst I read to the end, it was a struggle as it was not for me. Too much chopping and changing with no purpose.

The Husbands is quirky and original and I loved it!! Thank you @vintagebooks for the ARC

Lauren is happily single, but after arriving home from her best friends hen night, she finds a strange man in her flat. Even stranger is they appear to be married. When The Husband goes into the attic to change a bulb, a brand new husband descends. Lauren has a magic attic which is seemingly producing an endless supply of new husbands. But which one is the right one? Which one should she keep?

I love both the concept of this book and the execution. It's funny, sad and thought provoking. I appreciated the parrallels drawn between the limitless supply of husbands and how people swipe left or right on modern dating apps, making quick and superficial judgements.

I liked the pace of the story too, just when things seem to be getting repetitive the author throws in a little twist to change things up. It certainly kept me reading on to find out what Lauren decides to do. I thought the end was perfect.

I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for something unique and interesting. @holly_gramazio is certainly an author I would love to read more from.

I loved this fabulous book - what perfect escapism!

Lauren comes home from a night out to find her husband waiting for her. Except she's not married! Initial chaos ensues but when Lauren realises that by sending her husband up to the attic, a different one comes down, she starts to work through them at speed, rejecting them for various, sometimes small, and often hilarious, reasons.

I really enjoyed the wider impacts of Lauren's choices, as every time she switched husband, there was an impact on everyone she knows and sometimes she would find those people weren't in her life, in that current parallel universe. She discovers that she can call into work sick - if she even works at the same place - as her sickness record will reset when she send the current spouse up the ladder to the attic, similarly, spending money she doesn't have will reset. But when her mysteriously magical life starts to become a chore, Lauren has to choose what she really wants from life and from her husband.

Such a great concept and really fun to read.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Holly Gramazio and Random House for an ARC in return for an honest review.

As an almost 70 year old grandma, I don’t think that I am in the right demographic for this book. A woman comes home to find a strange man in her home, she is married to him but doesn’t remember getting married. He goes up to the attic and comes back down - a different man! Each time the ‘husband’ goes up the ladder to the attic, he comes back a different man. The story then becomes a succession of suitable and non- suitable versions of a husband. I did not finish the book but did read the last chapter. Sadly, not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC

Oh Lauren what fun you have! This book grabbed me by the scuff of the neck and dragged me through a rollercoaster of shenanigans. What would you do if you had a magic attic that, each time a husband walked up the ladder, a new husband came down? What a unique premise and one I really enjoyed. There were some laugh out loud moments, and some poignant ones. I just hope Holly has some more ideas as I can't wait for her next book!