Single mother Mallory Dunne and her son have been tackling the world together for a long time. But when 10-year-old Sam ingests a poisonous mushroom at summer camp, everything changes. He survives but is in need of a new kidney. Mallory’s sister, Paige, steps in to help not only with medical bills but with other aspects of their life, especially after their mother passes away.

As Mallory and Paige navigate Sam’s medical needs and process their mother's death, they discover their mother was adopted from an Irish orphanage --- a family mystery that opens up possibilities for Sam’s future and a potential kidney transplant. This option is much-needed since Mallory doesn’t want to contact Sam’s father, famous musician Monk Adams.

"HUSBANDS & LOVERS is a book that doesn’t leave you even after you put it down. I was drawn back to these characters as I needed to know what would happen, how they would react, and, in some cases, how they would heal and find their footing again."

Mallory and Monk were high school friends and stayed in touch through college. One summer, Mallory takes Monk up on the offer to nanny his younger siblings at his family’s beach compound in New England. When their friendship turns into more, their plans for a future together abruptly change after an agonizing betrayal that Mallory refuses to talk about. This leaves everyone, especially Monk, wondering what truly happened that summer.

Playing out in the past is another story of love and betrayal that took place in Cairo, Egypt, in 1951. After the conclusion of World War II, Hannah Ainsworth finds herself stationed in Cairo with her new husband, a British diplomat. There is much that Hannah never shared with him, and he has never asked, allowing her to create a new life and identity through the facade of their loveless marriage. What she’s hiding from him is loss --- her life, her husband and her children, all brutally taken from her in Hungary during the war.

Hannah narrowly survived the war and is now barely living her new life, not allowing herself to feel anything for anyone. Until she meets Lucien Beck, a hotel manager with a mysterious background. Hannah allows herself to fall in love with him, bringing back memories of her previous life and making her feel alive again. When a revolution erupts in Cairo, Hannah is once more forced to make impossible decisions.

HUSBANDS & LOVERS is a book that doesn’t leave you even after you put it down. I was drawn back to these characters as I needed to know what would happen, how they would react, and, in some cases, how they would heal and find their footing again. I was so invested that I reread the last few pages several times, wanting more words to magically appear and for the novel to continue. All of the love stories here are heartbreaking to an extent and feel very real --- so real, in fact, that you might find yourself wiping away stray tears.

The beach features heavily in Beatriz Williams' memorable novel, but you certainly don’t need a beach or a vacation day to enjoy it. If you’re like me, you’ll just devour it wherever you are --- and you'll want more.