I have very, very mixed feelings about this book. 

Evelyn Hugo is an intensely interesting character, from her background, to her personality, to her relationships. She isn’t charming nor even likeable: she’s intriguing and makes you want to learn more about her. She’s the perfect main character for what the book tries to do. 

But here’s the thing: Dominique Grant is senselessly boring. This is the first time I find myself skipping through parts of a book—all of Dominique’s chapters, including the ones with Evelyn, when I just read the dialogues—because whereas I wanted to know more about Evelyn, I wish I knew less about Dominique. The author made her so boring, so bland, so mundane, so unmemorable I can only wonder how she could have also created Evelyn (or Harry, Celia, Don, etc.).

The way the book was focused, aka it being an interview between Evelyn and Dominique happening in the midst of Dominique’s much, much boring life, was a huge miss. It would’ve been better if it was Evelyn herself writing her autobiography. Similar things have been done before with great success (Isabel Allende’s Violeta will always break my heart). We didn’t need another character that, truly, had very little to contribute and who shrunk beside Evelyn.

Also, I have issues with the ending.

I expected Evelyn to die, but her line about wanting the world to know, particularly, that she was bisexual and Celia was the love of her life? That her seven husbands were just husbands? I might’ve read a different book, but Harry wasn’t ‘just a husband’. He was Evelyn’s best friend, soul mate and the true love of her life—never mind how platonic.

I disliked Evelyn and Celia’s relationship. Rather, I disliked how it was made to be this great thing that overrode every other relationship (besides Connor ig, not that she was in the book much) Evelyn went through. They were in a toxic relationship, okay? Celia was immensely jealous and biphobic towards Evelyn for the vast majority of the book. Evelyn was constantly breaking Celia’s heart. I don’t care that they were wives, I care that theirs wasn’t a pure love, because it was stained with toxicity.

Harry, however? He was always there for Evelyn. Literally from the very beginning and very end. My favourite part of the book was him and Evelyn deciding to get married and having Connor together. I don’t ship them or anything, but they’re a beautiful ode to friendship and that’s what I’m taking away from this book: the friendship aspect, since the romance department was disappointing beyond words.

On the topic of Harry. I don’t care that he was in a relationship with Dominique’s father. Honestly. The grand reveal wasn’t worth the pain of her chapters and just her meh-ness.