Taylor Jenkins Reid brings her readers on an emotional ride in her romantic comedy, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. As starlet actress Evelyn Hugo recounts her rocky life to her lucky scribe, Monique Grant, the reader experiences the themes of first love and regrets, learning to suffer the pain of sacrifice to earn the pride of its prize. Monique was requested specifically from Hugo, startingly her magazine company as Monique is a new writer, a simple person with no relation to Hugo at that, or at least that is what she believes. Evelyn Hugo is a household name, working her way up from the dumps of her hometown, Hell’s Kitchen, to a double Oscar winner and divorcee of seven husbands, all of which she outlives. Monique is astounded with her life as it unravels in front of her, planning her future best-selling biography while trying to solve the question: Why did Evelyn Hugo choose her?
This is my second time reading the book and it is even greater with a reread. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an extraordinary storyteller, painting such a vivid picture of Evelyn’s story, the reader almost forgets that Evelyn is narrating her story decades after it actually happened. The romantic aspects of the story add color, but the behind-the-scenes of movies, their directors, and their stars build the foundation for this intriguing novel. Reid welcomes a new perspective of the lies fed, deals struck, and hearts broken in the thrilling life of show business. Reid performs a fantastic job in making readers wonder the authenticity in the love we see between celebrities. I agree with Reid’s proposals of the dangers in underestimating a woman, in which doubting her, gives her more leverage when she catches you by surprise. This novel helped me understand that actors and actresses continue their mask off-camera. Publicity stunts and mutualistic marriages that lack love are more common in the industry than we realize. While celebrities use their talent to wow the audience, it requires pure grit to get screentime in the first place.
This novel paves its own path by introducing the power of a woman who knows her worth and is willing to fight tooth and nail to get her name in the lights. Rereading this novel is a choice I recommend, as you notice the mannerisms of Hugo you might have missed, relive the love and loss beautifully written by Reid, and find yourself still thrown back by the plot twists and betrayals. As each facet of Hugo’s story is laid in place for the reader, the story unfolds in a way that is surprising, full of manipulation, and leaves the reader crying, laughing, and satisfied with the tying of loose ends.
