Book · 2017
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A reclusive Old Hollywood icon finally agrees to tell her real story, husband by husband, but insists on giving it only to an unknown magazine writer.
What does Reddit think of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?
The harshest and warmest reactions in this dataset both hit hard. One r/suggestmeabook comment (↑542) says the book was bad enough to revive a Goodreads account dormant since 2017, for the sole purpose of leaving it a negative review, a specific, almost admirable level of spite. Another (↑347), from the same sub, writes that it's "shockingly deep" and singles out a cousin who "doesn't usually read anything" finishing it in one to three days. Nothing in between: no displayed comment lands on lukewarm. r/horrorlit contributes one honestly funny data point (↑226), a reader who requested The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and got recommended this instead, confused enough to write a paragraph about the mix-up. r/RomanceBooks and r/YAlit carry real volume too, more than the suggestmeabook-and-booksuggestions split usually leaves for a single title. The title itself, evidently, causes more mix-ups than most.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A book that produces strong reactions in both directions, not lukewarm ones
- · The most memorable pan is about reviving a dormant account just to write it
- · Recurring title confusion with The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
- · Meaningful crossover into r/RomanceBooks and r/YAlit, not just the two generalist subs
Common praise
- + One reader calls it shockingly deep and says a cousin who 'doesn't usually read anything' finished it in one to three days (↑347).
- + It shows up on the same sapphic/wlw megalist that keeps hitting Reddit's comment size limit, treated as genre-defining company (↑421).
- + A commenter recommends it for readers going through a hard stretch, filed right next to Julia Child's memoir as comfort reading (↑273).
Common criticism
- − One commenter says it was bad enough to revive a Goodreads account unused since 2017, purely to leave it a negative review (↑542).
- − An r/horrorlit reader mistook it for The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and spent a paragraph confused about the swap (↑226).
- − The reactions in this sample skip the middle entirely, nobody displayed here is lukewarm on it.
Who it's for
If Old Hollywood secrets told husband by husband sounds appealing, r/suggestmeabook's warmest comment calls it deep enough to convert a non-reader in days (↑347). Expect strong opinions either way, this sample skips lukewarm entirely, including one reader committed enough to revive a dead Goodreads account just to pan it (↑542). Double-check the title before you buy it; one r/horrorlit reader ordered the wrong Evelyn book entirely and didn't notice until they were confused partway through (↑226). Romance and YA readers show up here more than the usual suggestmeabook-only crowd, so the crossover appeal is real.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“the seven husbands of evelyn hugo singlehandedly inspired me to revive my goodreads account i haven’t used since 2017 just so i could leave a negative review
“My cousin, my partner, and I all read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in 1-3 days this past month. That book is excellent. Shockingly deep, deals with identity and relationships and family. Just a really really good read. Side note: this cousin doesn’t usually read anything.
“I accidentally read "the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" after being recommended "the Seven and 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle." I was... so confused. I was like, "this isn't terrible but I never would have guessed that that particular friend would recommend this particular book. Then I figured it…
“The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Reads like trashy reality tv and is my guilty pleasure.
“If I remember correctly, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo doesn't mention anything obviously LGBTQ. And as you can tell from the title, it kinda makes you assume there is nothing LGBTQ+ about it. I read it last year because of the hype and I must say that it very much lives up to that hype. It was …
“{{The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo}} Went into this one blind, expected none of it, finished it in one sitting.
“The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo has a Bisexual woman as the main character and her main love interest is a woman (that's slight spoilers but nothing you wouldn't find out by looking up a review of the book) it also happens to be my favourite book of all time
“"The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo" got popular recently but it feels average at best to me
“the seven husbands of evelyn hugo!! really worth the hype 🥺
“7husbands of evelyn hugo! Not a literary masterpiece but super enjoyable to read. I really liked the characters.
“Seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Not for me.
“The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Six of Crows duology and Song of Achilles are all some of my favorite books to this day
“For me it was **The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo** I was expeting so much more given the reviews and how everybody was talking about it
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was my favorite. Some close seconds are Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and The Vanishing Half
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. There are many twists and turns in the story, but the ending really packed a punch!
Convinced? Pick up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
What else does r/suggestmeabook read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — frequently asked
Is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo actually good, or is Reddit just hyping it?+
Opinions split hard, no middle ground shown. One r/suggestmeabook comment (↑347) calls it deep enough to hook a non-reader in days, while another (↑542) says it was bad enough to revive a dormant Goodreads account purely to leave a negative review. Both are real reactions in this sample.
Do people confuse The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with a different book?+
Yes, at least once in this sample. An r/horrorlit reader (↑226) requested The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and got recommended this instead, confused enough about the mix-up to write about it.
Is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo worth reading if I'm going through a hard time?+
One commenter thinks so. An r/suggestmeabook list (↑273) built around books for when "life is all a bit too heavy" includes it alongside Julia Child's memoir, framing it as comfort reading rather than a difficult one to push through.
Is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo popular outside r/suggestmeabook?+
More than most books in this catalogue. r/RomanceBooks and r/YAlit both carry meaningful mention volume here, not just passing references, putting it in real crossover territory beyond the two generalist subs that usually dominate.