If you are looking for a great summer read, pick up “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.”

There are very few authors that can transport you into a new world and make you feel like you are the actual character. In this instance, Reid places us in Evelyn Hugo‘s shoes and makes us feel like we are a famous Hollywood starlet during the golden age of Hollywood.  We see and feel what it means to be a rich and famous actress over the last 60 years.

From the roles of her youth to the changing of roles as she grows older, we see the risks she takes to remain on top.  What happens off screen is just as important to her success as what happens on screen.

The most unique part of Hugo’s story is seeing how a woman succeeds in Hollywood.  A woman’s success depends on who she is married to.  For Evelyn, she starts out marrying a man who gets her out of Hell’s Kitchen and into Hollywood.  The men that follow help her star status skyrocket, all the while hiding her true love…the one she will never be able to marry.

The question that follows Evelyn in the end is which of her seven husbands did she love the most?  The answer will surprise you.

The Story

Evelyn selects a young reporter named Monique to tell her story in an upcoming magazine article.  Monique is an important character in this, having  just come off of a breakup with her husband.  She is lost and grieving when this opportunity pops up to cover this story.

Evelyn, though, invites Monique to do this story under false pretenses.  Instead of a magazine cover story, she offers her the rights to a tell all book.  There is a reason why she selects this young woman to confess all to.  She is trying to tell her how their lives are intertwined without coming out and saying so in the beginning.  We are left to judge in the end whether Evelyn is a good or evil person. and whether this opportunity she gave to Monique is a great chance at success in the end.

Thoughts

I received an advance copy from Simon & Schuster and fell in love with the story.  I told the author everything I loved about her book while she signed another copy for me at the Book Expo.  Ironically, if you are a Popsugar Must Have subscriber, this book is in the June boxes (which means I have three copies now).

Simply put, I love this book.  Reid is masterful in her storytelling.  There are very few artists that can paint a picture of someone so well that you feel like you are the character.

I felt like I was Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood starlet wearing an emerald green dress at the Oscars.  I felt her loves, mistakes and heartaches.  I felt the pain she felt, and asked myself if I was in her shoes, would I do things the same way?  The answer is yes.

After I turned the last page, I put the book down and realized that I took a little bit of Evelyn’s strength with me.  She taught me how to succeed in life.  That was the good I took from her story.

I always wondered if most of these marriages and relationships in Hollywood are staged to help people advance their careers.  This little glimpse into Tinseltown is almost like an exposé into how things really work there (i.e. the answer is YES, some are staged, some are real).

Of all the books I’ve read so far this year, this one is by far one of my favorites.  A must read for this summer.  I plan on adding the autographed copy to my library and sharing the other two copies with my friends.  It is such a great read.  It will not disappoint those who love celebrities and the good old glamour of Hollywood.

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Simon & Schuster.  This post contains affiliate links.  If you click on a link, I may receive some form of compensation.]