THE HUSBANDS

‘The Husbands’ is an original and funny debut novel based on the premise that ‘you wait for The One… then 203 come along at once’. Already snapped up by a TV production company for release on apple TV+ and starring Juno Temple, famed for her cheeky 'Keeley Jones' character in Ted Lasso.

Lauren is a young modern singleton who returns to her London flat from a boozy hen night to discover a strange man waiting on her landing at the top of the stairs claiming to be her husband. She scrolls through her phone to find the evidence. It’s true. But after his detour back to the attic to change a lightbulb a quite different husband descends. Lauren’s attic, she slowly realises is magical, creating an endless stream of husbands. And it is not only her husbands that are transformed, but also her flat, her fortune, career and lifestyle which is reimagined with every new partner.

Whilst this is clearly a ‘rom com meets fantasy’ fiction, the novel presents some relevant and philosophical musings on modern day romance and the dating scene. As Lauren tries to enjoy her husbands she also takes time out to re-experience dating, exploring the equally infinite possibilities that are associated with the plethora of dating apps and meet up experiences.

And with so much choice, we can as readers empathise with Lauren’s dilemma. We all may know an Amos, but amongst the cast of husbands, there’s
Carter - the one she wants to keep for her best friend’s wedding when sparks definitely fly!
Felix - whose mysterious wealth enables her to be a lady of leisure and why not?
Zach Ephron - (not the famous one) who falls down the attic ladder setting off a different logistical problem for Lauren
Or maybe one of the other fleeting ‘husbands’ whose looks, habits or lifestyle appeal, for the moment, but not forever.

The readers will definitely have a favourite and it certainly ignited conversations in book club and a lot of what ifs …

If you enjoyed Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library' or 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid (both reviewed in the library), this is a fun and easy holiday read.