INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA’S APRIL BOOK CLUB PICK • The Husbands delights in asking: how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options? (“A bottomless champagne flute of a novel —The Washington Post)
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
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"A great light read that has an interesting concept! If only dating was as easy as a husband falling out of an attic!"
— Cassidy (5/5)
Must read summer novel
"This is a surprising delightful and crative novel. PErfect for summer readiing by a pool or a beach."
— Howard (4/5)
Wonderful Premise, Just Poorly Executed
"Our book club chose this title recently, and when I was pitched the book I was initially intrigued. Having now read it, I can say that it fell short in what I consider the important ways - character development and sustaining a readers engagement. I think the main issue for me, was that I never felt connected to the protagonist. She was neither likeable nor unlikeable, she just came across as shallow - as both a person and in terms of the development of her character. Even if this is meant to just be a light and fun read, it would have still been nice to get a better sense of who the protagonist was - so that I would care more about the revolving door of husbands coming through her attic."
— D. C. (2/5)
Great story, a bit of a whimsical concept with some deeper roots.
"Great story, a bit of a whimsical concept with some deeper roots."
— Jacklyn B. (4/5)
Intriguing
"Not usually my favourite genre but I enjoyed"
— Talia (3/5)
Entertaining
"This is a “can’t put this book down” kind of read. Very entertaining, and may even make an entertaining movie."
— Mandy (4/5)
Unique storyline
"I thought this was an interesting concept and one of the more unique stories I had read in a while. I know others haven't like the ending but I thought it worked well ans left you with things to contemplate."
— RustyBooks (4/5)
Bit of a disappointment
"The premise of this book is what caught my attention. A woman has different husbands coming through her attic. It’s almost like some of the husbands have something that would make the perfect husband and then others have negative qualities that you don’t want in a husband. I found it slow at times. The characters didn’t grab me which for me is important. This book though if adapted properly could make a good rom-com movie."
— Mary (3/5)
Very fun summer reading
"This was a great summer read. The main premise borrows from Groundhog Day, but in the modern world of dating apps. It was mostly lighthearted, but did have a bit of depth to the insights of the main character. If you like Marian Keyes or Jill Mansell, this would be a fun read for you."
— SuzieQ (4/5)
Ground Hog Day with a twist
"I enjoyed this very much. It reminded me of the Midnight Library and Life after Life, about a woman that kept going back to life to try and alter history. All have similar vibes. And all great reads"
— Jackie (5/5)
Q&A
Published date: Mar 18, 2025
Language: English
No. of Pages: 352
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
ISBN: 9780385699051
Dimensions:
5.18" W x
0.71" L x
7.94" H
"Brilliant, hilarious, surprising and wise. I devoured it." —Naomi Alderman, New York Times bestselling author of The Power and The Future
"The Husbands is WONDERFUL: fresh, original, hugely entertaining and oddly comforting. . . . I laughed out loud countless times. . . . [This] was the most fun I’ve had reading in the longest time. It is an utter delight." —Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups
"The Husbands is a wily and wonderful exploration of modern decision-making, kaleidoscopic and bright and very, very funny."—Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had
"Such a brilliant concept. It’s funny and emotional, but also gets to grip with the thorny issues of commitment and romance—and what love really means—in a totally innovative way. The most hilarious, fascinating and revealing novel you will read this year. It’s going to be the bookclub hit of 2024." —Keith Stuart, author of The Boy Made of Blocks and The Frequency of Us
"One of the funniest debuts published in years. In a publishing landscape awash with clever concepts, the video game designer Holly Gramazio has not only come up with the most ingenious conceit, she has summoned the humour and sophistication to pull it off." —Times (UK)
"Gramazio’s often comedic fantasy rom-com proceeds from an unlikely premise, but the plot allows the author to explore current attitudes and approaches to dating, and mating from a fresh perspective: given the infinite variety of people in the world, how can you know “the one” when there may be a better one just around the corner (or descending the attic staircase)? . . . the makings of a comic miniseries are all here. A fun take on a big question."—Kirkus Reviews
"Hilarious. . . . This delightful fantasy is both funny and philosophical as it asks readers to consider if a person can ever be sure if they have taken the right path or found the right spouse." —Booklist
"This book is a match made in heaven for readers in search of a zippy read." —Star Tribune
"There’s something delightfully addictive about Holly Gramazio’s fiction debut, The Husbands, a bottomless champagne flute of a novel (with no hangover)." —Washington Post
"A rare combination of the truly hilarious and profound." —NPR
HOLLY GRAMAZIO is a writer, game designer and curator from Adelaide, currently based in London. She founded the experimental games festival Now Play This, and wrote the script for the award-winning indie videogame Dicey Dungeons. She’s particularly interested in rules, play, cities, gardens, games that get people acting creatively, and art that gets people interacting with their surroundings in new ways. The Husbands is her first novel.
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