The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: A Novel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the New York Times bestselling author of Atmosphere and Daisy Jones & the Six—an entrancing and “wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet” (PopSugar) as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

“Fascinating, emotional and will be hard to put down. For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is her best work yet.” —Associated Press

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

“Heartbreaking, yet beautiful” (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is “Tinseltown drama at its finest” (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.

You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

Praise for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo:

“Riveting, heart-wrenching, and full of Old Hollywood glamour, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of the most captivating reads of 2017.” ― Buzzfeed

"A novel of Old Hollywood that's simultaneously gossipy and poignant. Look no further for the glamour, ambition and shocking secrets your beach-blanket sessions demand." ― People

“Come for the glam old Hollywood vibes; stay for a touching tale of a young reporter and a silver-screen legend.” ― Cosmopolitan

"In her mesmerizing tale, Taylor Jenkins Reid explores Hollywood’s heyday with a heroine akin to Elizabeth Taylor. Movie icon Evelyn Hugo, now a recluse at 79, unfurls the story of her glamorous life and her scandalous seven marriages." ― Us Weekly

“The epic adventures Evelyn creates over the course of a lifetime will leave every female reader mesmerized. This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama.” ― PopSugar

“If you're looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read — as long as you're prepared to cry off all your sunscreen, because this book gets *emotional*. Each of Evelyn's marriages comes with its own hurt and heartbreak, from infidelity and betrayal to domestic abuse. But running throughout Evelyn's tumultuous life is one great love that will leave you sobbing into the pages.” ― Bustle

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is more than escapism fiction sweeping its audience back to an era when show biz glamour danced with real-life intrigue, romantic entanglements and perceived impropriety. With memorable characters rivaling any Hollywood blockbuster, Taylor Jenkins Reid marries themes of loyalty, betrayal, friendship and love into a soaring, fast-paced and gripping performance. It leaves readers asking if they are merely role-playing with those they love or being true to an authentic self.” ― Shelf Awareness, starred review

"[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo] is fascinating, emotional and will be hard to put down. For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is her best work yet." ― Associated Press

"A spellbinding novel about love, glamour and the price of fame." -- Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of First Comes Love

"In her latest mesmerizing tale, Reid transports readers back to Hollywood’s heyday with a heroine in the likes of — but more intriguing than — Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Katherine Hepburn. Yes, Evelyn Hugo is the glamorous idol you admire, but she’s also the relentless fighter you aspire to be. Her life’s story is heartbreaking, yet beautiful and will keep readers captivated until the very last page." -- Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a captivating and emotionally layered novel about fame, identity, love, and the price of ambition. The story follows Evelyn Hugo, a reclusive Hollywood legend who decides, in her old age, to finally tell the truth about her glamorous yet tumultuous life. She chooses Monique Grant, a relatively unknown journalist, to write her biography—a decision that surprises both Monique and the reader. As Evelyn recounts her extraordinary story, she reveals the truth about her seven husbands, her struggles as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and the secrets she’s kept hidden for decades. Through this deeply human narration, the novel explores what it means to pursue one’s dreams at any cost, and what sacrifices true love sometimes demands.

The novel begins with Monique Grant, who is surprised when Evelyn Hugo reaches out to specifically request her to write her biography. Monique’s life is far from glamorous—her career is stagnant, and her marriage is in shambles—so being chosen for such an extraordinary opportunity seems both baffling and exciting. When they finally meet, Evelyn, now in her late seventies, is still striking and commanding. She promises Monique exclusive rights to her life story, under one condition: it will only be published after her death. As Evelyn begins to speak, the narrative shifts into her past, and the reader is swept into the dazzling yet cutthroat world of 1950s Hollywood.

Evelyn Hugo was born Evelyn Elena Herrera in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, the daughter of Cuban immigrants. From a young age, she is determined to escape her impoverished upbringing and the abuse of her father. Her beauty becomes her most powerful weapon, and she quickly learns how to leverage it to climb her way into Hollywood. She changes her name, dyes her hair blonde, and reinvents herself as a sultry bombshell. But as Evelyn tells Monique her story, it becomes clear that her transformation came with emotional costs. Every husband she had, every decision she made, was part of a calculated effort to survive in an industry that often treated women as disposable.

Her first marriage, to Ernie Diaz, was a stepping stone—an escape route from her difficult home life and a way to reach Los Angeles. She married him not out of love, but necessity. Once she arrived in Hollywood and started her career, she divorced Ernie and married Don Adler, a handsome actor who helped her career flourish. However, Don was abusive, and Evelyn realized that her rise to fame came at a higher personal price than she imagined. Her third husband, Mick Riva, was a famous singer, and that marriage was a short-lived publicity stunt meant to repair Evelyn’s image after she was publicly shamed for a scandal. These early marriages set the tone for her life—each one was strategic, carefully used to build her career and control her public image in a world that constantly tried to define her.

As Evelyn continues her story, she reveals her deepest secret—the love of her life was not any of her husbands, but fellow actress Celia St. James. Their relationship began while they were young and rising stars, working together in a movie that catapulted them both to fame. Despite their powerful chemistry and deep affection, their love had to remain hidden because homosexuality was taboo in mid-century Hollywood. Evelyn married men to protect her public image while sustaining her secret relationship with Celia in private. This part of the story becomes the emotional core of the novel, as Evelyn’s manipulative yet tender nature is laid bare. Her love for Celia was real and intense, but Evelyn’s ambition and fear of losing everything often led her to make choices that hurt them both.

Throughout her seven marriages—to Ernie Diaz, Don Adler, Mick Riva, Rex North, Harry Cameron, Max Girard, and Robert Jamison—Evelyn’s motivations evolved. Some of these marriages were for love, some for convenience, and others purely for survival. Among them, her marriage to Harry Cameron, her fifth husband and best friend, stands out as one built on genuine affection and mutual understanding. Harry was secretly gay, and their relationship became a safe partnership in which both protected each other’s secrets. They adopted a daughter, Connor, and together built a quiet stability that Evelyn cherished. However, tragedy struck when Harry died in a car accident, which devastated her and forever changed her perspective on fame and love. This loss forced Evelyn to confront the emptiness that her success could not fill and her inability to hold onto the people who truly mattered to her.

Celia and Evelyn’s relationship endured years of separation and reconciliation, marked by jealousy, miscommunication, and societal constraints. When they finally reunite in their later years, they find some peace together before Celia’s death from a terminal illness. This final stage of Evelyn’s life brings her both serenity and sorrow, as she reflects on what she gained and lost in her relentless pursuit of control and recognition. For Monique, as the listener to this story, Evelyn’s confessions become more than just an assignment—they become a mirror reflecting her own struggles with identity, purpose, and morality.

As Evelyn’s tale nears its end, Monique discovers the heartbreaking twist that connects them: Evelyn was indirectly responsible for the death of Monique’s father. Years earlier, in the car accident that killed Harry Cameron, Evelyn protected the reputation of Celia and Harry by covering up the fact that Monique’s father was also in the car—and that he survived long enough for Evelyn to make a choice that ensured the truth would never come out. This revelation shakes Monique to her core, forcing her to reconcile Evelyn’s ruthlessness with the vulnerability she has come to see in her. Evelyn admits that choosing Monique was deliberate—she wanted to pass on her story to someone who would understand the complexities of morality and forgiveness.

By the end of the novel, Evelyn Hugo has laid herself bare—not as a saint, but as a woman who did what she thought she had to in order to survive in a world that demanded her to be both flawless and ruthless. Monique leaves transformed, recognizing that Evelyn’s story is one of both power and regret. The once-glamorous icon is revealed to be a deeply human figure who longed for love and acceptance as much as fame and recognition.

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” ultimately becomes a story about the cost of ambition, the fluidity of love, and the fragility of truth. Taylor Jenkins Reid masterfully blends glamour with emotion, weaving a narrative that is both dazzling and deeply melancholic. Evelyn’s life, with all its contradictions and complexities, reminds readers that even the most glittering lives are often built on heartbreak and compromise. Her legacy, much like the novel itself, encourages reflection on what it truly means to live authentically—and what we sacrifice along the way to be remembered.