Oh, Kyle. Sweet, naive Kyle. I just wanted to shake some sense into him. This book is a page turner, with an endearing story that’s hard to put down. Despite being larger than life, the characters were believably realistic - you definitely will hate the bad guys and cheer for the good guys. I d this imaginative expose of the seedy side of Hollywood, with just enough reality to make you believe it could be torn from the headlines at any given moment. The only complaint for me is that the American characters are speaking in a British dialect and it takes me out of the story. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review2 s Julie Morris662 60

This book is a really interesting mix of murder mystery, road trip novel and romance that covers some serious issues at the same time as developing a sparky relationship between the central characters. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything quite it before and, whilst it wasn’t without minor faults, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Teacher-slash-wannabe actor, Kyle, receives a mysterious phone call relating to a lost weekend in Vegas and believes it may provide his ticket to the big time so he immediately jumps on a plane, no questions asked. This pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book. The set up obviously opens the door to inevitable setbacks and disappointments which provide all the entertainment for the novel, but also my only real gripe – but more of that later.

Kyle runs headlong into the dark side of Hollywood – a hot topic in the media over recent years and one which bears exploring – and embarks on a campaign to undercover the truth about the situation he has become embroiled in. this leads to a cross-country road trip through some of the less-explored areas of rural America in the company of a hot, young movie star. I’ll leave any detail about what happens to the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent on this developing relationship as the pair traverse the miles, I think it showed a real understanding of how human beings interact, – it’s always complicated.

The mystery part of the story in effectively gripping and it unfolds in an intriguing and engaging way, I was hooked throughout, and there were many, many read herrings. Maybe even a shade too many, I got to the point where things had taken a turn so many times, I ceased to believe anything anyone is saying.

Which leads me to my only real problem with the book. Kyle is so naive to the point where he almost ceases to be credible. The first few times he is overly trusting you can excuse. And then some more because he so desperately wants to believe a certain person is genuine. About then it kind of gets a bit ridiculous. He’s been conned so many times he must surely be getting cynical and wary but it doesn’t happen. It did start to stretch my credulity almost to breaking point.

However, in the end, it did not ultimately undermine my enjoyment of the book. The mix of mystery, romance, issues explored, character development, settings and the author’s voice produced something that felt fresh and original and kept me wanting to read to the end. After all, perfection is boring and unrealistic, flaws are what make everything interesting and this book really gave me a lot to think about. I haven’t read anything by this author before but I would definitely go on to read more. When you read the amount I do, I am always looking for a book that will be memorable after I’ve finished reading it, and Husbands meets this bride for sure, I’d definitely recommend it.1 Joyfully Jay8,105 473

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

This story is … a romp. It’s silly, it’s over the top, and it’s cluttered with contrivances and conveniences all dancing around the open secret that is the abuse of children in Hollywood. Noah was 15 when he left Texas on a bus and headed for LA, 15 when he fell for a thirty-something director, and 15 when he started attending the parties as an offering. There he met Tyler, a young man in the same situation he was in. The two of them became friends, and perhaps lovers, and even had a plan to escape Biedermeier … but somehow Tyler ended up dead and Noah was too afraid to defy Biedermeier or his fixer. And now Noah’s trapped, and engaged, and soon to be married to the man who groomed him, abused him, and sold him.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.


elizabeth1 Stephanie7 1 follower

4 Stars – Binge-worthy and engaging, but…

Thank you to NetGalley and Spring Street Books for providing me with an ARC of “Husbands: Love and Lies in La-La Land” by Mo Fanning in exchange for an honest review.

I had a really hard time rating this one.

You’d think a book you binge through the night into the early morning hours would be an easy 5 stars, right? And I certainly did. Binge it, that is. It was past 2am and my eyes were stinging from staring at the screen too long when I finally reached the last words of Husbands and could go to sleep without my mind whirring in anticipation of whether Kyle was careening towards a train wreck of an ending or if the ridiculous man would find his way out of all the trouble he’d gotten himself into.

That alone should be testament to what Fanning has achieved here.

That being said, I still had some issues with it. The biggest being that if I were browsing the shelves at a bookstore and this one caught my eye, I’d have put it back down after reading the prologue and missed out on a wonderfully entertaining narrative.

The writing in the prologue is brusque and choppy. It does a fair job at emulating the kind of lack of focus that can come with inebriation, but the execution is off somehow; which is to say that as a point of first contact with the book, I had no idea if this was just the way Fanning writes.

Those first few pages are critical for me in choosing what to invest my time in. More often than not I can get a feel for whether something will work for me in the first couple paragraphs. In this respect, "Husbands" fails spectacularly.

Even into the first chapter I was on the fence about continuing. It does start strong, don’t get me wrong. The opening lines are punchy, full of personality, and just do a wonderful job at establishing the narrative voice. The character work here is certainly one of the book’s best selling points. Even the supporting characters feel distinct.

But there was something about the pacing and the section breaks that just didn’t work for me in the first chapter. Too fast maybe? It has that quality of writing where you just know there are things you have to write to get to the stuff you actually want to write.

It wasn’t until chapter 2 that I really felt sold on the story and settled in for the ride. And don’t ask me why, but this is the moment that really caught me:

“You’re going to abandon our friendship this? The next time you see me, I might be on stage at an awards show, thanking Jesus and everyone who believed in me. Thanking you.”
She stares straight ahead, pretending not to hear.
“What if I agree to buy coffee and doughnuts?”
Milly groans and climbs out of the cab while I mutter thanks to the God of sugar-coated, deep-fried dough.

It’s just the perfect combination of petulance and humor. I could practically see the eye-roll and sigh. And it had the feeling of being the kind of thing that’s happened between these two numerous times over the course of their friendship, serving to flesh out their characters and history beyond what the scope of the text would otherwise have allowed. It’s a great example of writing that effectively shows more than it tells.

From there I was pretty much flipping pages (or scrolling in this case). The narrative really finds its stride and I was hooked right until the end.

There are a lot of other things I could say about "Husbands," nitpicky things about the speed and way that the relationship develops, or the kinds of drama unfolding with how utterly idiotic Kyle seems as he puts his trust in complete strangers. Situational bonding is always hit or miss with me, and based on Kyle’s characterization it makes perfect sense for him to bend under pressure or to really want to believe that not everyone is going to betray him. I think those sorts of things could easily work for other readers as they, at times, didn’t for me.

Still, Fanning achieves a lot with "Husbands," managing to deal with the sensitive issue of exploitation of minors in the film industry with a deft hand. Noah’s feelings are complicated and messy and both make a whole lot of sense and don’t at the same time. I truly appreciate that he isn’t just reduced to the role of “victim” and that the issue is given the gravity it deserves.

Overall, I enjoyed Husbands and would recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging read with riveting characters and a wild ride of ups and downs and deception galore!netgalley Amorina CarltonAuthor 1 book24

I haven't read much dark romance. If my currently medically induced slightly unreliable (hopefully all will be well soon!) memory serves me well, this is only my third one. And only one has been particularly dark. Two, including this one, have been quite comedic. If this and the previous have been any indicator, dark rom-coms might be a checkmark for me. To be fair, this book had an advantage.

This is my third Mo Fanning book, and each one has gotten stronger. I haven't read all of his books, but a fourth sits on my ever-growing TBR list. It's definitely on my reading bucket list, so it'll get read. Let me go knock on some wood. Luckily, I got a nice wooden desk recently at the Salvation Army for such occasions. But even still, Fanning's books could never be accused of being formulaic. There is romance, heartbreak, and dark humor, but otherwise, they could well have been written by completely different people if you just consider the content.

He does, however, have a distinct prose all his own, that is quite delightful. He can turn a humourous phrase that can lighten a difficult moment - though in this one, the main character's humor is that delightful kind of humor that is often ill-timed, snarky, and self-defeating. It's charming, but causes him no end of trouble. ... stole my heart from the moment the story opened. While I predicted the story was going to turn out bad, I couldn't have predicted how bad or how it would all turn out if I'd had a crystal ball and a full deck of blessed tarot cards.

The title confused me for a long time, and I'm not sure if I interpreted it the way the author meant it, but in the end, art - whatever the medium - is a conversation between the artist and the interpreter. The artist means what they mean, but as with any conversation, the other person in the conversation might not take it the same way. The way I read, interpret, internalize, and love/enjoy/perceive a book or other piece of art is completely different from how anyone else does it. This particular one was as beautiful as the Hollywood actors who filled its pages, but also as dark as the seedy underbelly of the film industry that has been expanded and explored over the past few years and inspired multiple documentaries, films, and books this.

The author's foray and interpretation of this cultural event is intense, meaningful, and important. It is also timely with it being Pride month. The #MeToo movement has been so important, and it isn't over. But it is also important to understand that other young people are being exploited and none of it is okay. These people are all sons and daughters and brothers and sisters of someone. I look forward to reading more by Fanning - both the book already sitting in my TBR - and whatever he pens next!

Who's It For?

If you love a dark romance with a good dose of dark comedy, you'll love this one. If you've read others of Fanning's books you'll love this one as well. He always serves up dark comedy in his works. Snarky characters face difficult times as best they can. Finding love in often the strangest of places. This dark, MLM rom-com with (spoiler) a HEA will delight all romance lovers' hearts. But it does tackle quite serious topics, so as always, be sure to check the content warnings.

Content Warnings: Pedophilia, Child Abuse, Murder, Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Betrayal, Coercion, Sexual Assault/Abuse, Death by Overdose, Legal Battles Amanda Dingman118 2

Kyle Macdonald is a 28 year old teacher in London, lives with his parents, and just got out of a once promising relationship. Single and wanting to change his career path, he's stuck, until he randomly gets a call from someone in Hollywood claiming Kyle is needed in LA, as he is told he is married to currently comatose Aaron Biedermeier, a top-dog director. Instead of ignoring it, Kyle hops on a plane to LA, hoping this phone call will land him an acting gig in Hollywood that will transform his life and make him famous. Upon arrival, Kyle is thrown into disarray, not knowing who he can trust or why he was actually needed in LA.

After a few hours in LA, Kyle begins uncovering abuse and underage sexual allegations pertaining to his "husband," Aaron Biedermeier. Invested, Kyle dives deeper, hoping to find the truth of what is actually happening in Hollywood. What can Kyle do to stop this from happening to other young boys? Is he in too deep? Who can he really trust?

Let's just say I binged the heck out of this book. I started it, blinked, and was already halfway through. The writing really drags you in (in the best way!), and you want to read it all in one sitting to find out what happens to Kyle and if he's able to get out of the mess he accidentally got himself into.

However, there were some problems in the beginning of the book that I think could be dealbreakers for some. Mostly, the prologue and the first chapter are all over the place. Don't get me started, the book starts off strong, but boy is it confusing. It took me a few pages to understand what I was even reading. I also had no idea if the main character was a boy or a girl, which, okay, not always important, but was important here. And then Kyle gets to Hollywood, and I'm confused again. There are so many names thrown at you that you don't know who is what and what is happening. I had to piece some of it together myself, and then once I finally got it all in order, it was smooth sailing from there. Then I was truly invested and couldn't wait to read on to uncover what happens.

I also thoroughly enjoyed that this book was based on a topic that is not. talked. about. enough. I understand it's a very difficult and dense topic to just casually write a book about, but the sexual abuse of young Hollywood stars is unfortunately not uncommon, and awareness on the topic is important. Fanning clearly thought about this book from multiple angles and layers, and it shows within the pages, especially with Noah Winters, who is a victim that doesn't trust his emotions. He was more than just a side character, as he had his own voice and depth, which was powerful.

People who enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave will love this book. Binge worthy and well-written! 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Riven109 6

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to NetGalley, the publishing house, and Mo Fanning for providing me with an ARC copy of "Husbands Love and Lies in La-La Land." This was an incredibly riveting read that had me hooked from start to finish.

Fanning's writing is nothing short of engaging, drawing me into the glamorous yet dark world of Hollywood with each turn of the page. Despite the occasional pacing issues, particularly at the start, the overall narrative remained powerful and compelling, keeping me eagerly turning pages whenever I could steal a moment away from work.

One of the standout elements of the book for me was the characters, particularly Noah. Fanning has crafted these characters with such intricacy and depth that they feel real people, each with their own flaws, desires, and complexities. I felt I was watching a film play out as I read through the dialogue. Noah, in particular, exceeded my expectations, evolving into a multifaceted character who added layers of depth to the story.

What sets "Husbands" apart is its unique take on the trials and tribulations and dark experiences of Hollywood and the film industry. Fanning skillfully weaves together elements of mystery, romance, and drama, creating a narrative that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of the physical copy so that I can jump into this captivating story again. "Husbands" is a triumph of storytelling, and I have no doubt that it will captivate readers with its blend of glamour, intrigue, suspense, and heart. Lisbeth Ivies41

If I were hard pressed to find a comparison for Husbands, I would have to reach across mediums, a mix of both a movie and a show. Part While You Were Sleeping because of both the obvious similarity in a pseudo-husband being in a coma while other relationships blossom, but also because the bright moments are so heartfelt they feel they belong in a Sandra Bullock movie. The other part would be Baby Reindeer. The dark part of comedy is prevalent as well as what lengths some people will go to or endure in the pursuit of fame.

Reality provides a mirror to Husbands as well. The fictional director central to the plot can best be described by a reference the novel uses more than once: Har-Gay Weinstein. Not only does it showcase some of the wonderfully irreverent humor throughout, it's a warning for some of the plot elements present. The reader will be exposed to some of the seedier sides of Hollywood and all the extortion present there, both monetarily and sexually. The echoing trauma from being a part of that machine also contributes heavily to the plot.

While the characterizations are near perfect, none of the actual characters are. The flaws and vices, even of the two main characters, aren't hidden and are actually relevant to the story itself. From getting drunk married in Vegas to an attempted road trip in a foreign country without his passport, the point of view character has plenty of external obstacles. Yet, despite having to wrangle with himself too, there's a stubborn sense of optimism that makes it hard not to cheer for.

A practically flawless novel on the technical front too (only a handful of punctuation issues), I can't recommend Husbands enough for those who enjoy heavier elements mixed in with their humor.2024 fiction lgbtqa Sonja Charters1,349 78

This is the third book I've read by this author and quite honestly, Mo is my new auto buy author after absolutely blowing me away once again!

I don't know how, but Mo just writes the most amazing characters who jump off the page and embed themselves right inside your heart!
Aside from all of Kyle's flaws - I just wanted to take him under my wing and help him along this journey.

I loved the development of the relationship between Kyle and Noah. Despite everything else that was going on, I was rooting for them to fall in love and have something good come out of all this mess.

I always know that Mo's books will take me on an emotional ride and this was no exception.
I was completely immersed in the whole journey and it was great to see a storyline that involved the grubbier side of Hollywood - we all know it's there....but mwdia only shows us the glitz and the glamour! So this was really refreshing.

As ever, through all the darkness and emotion, the humour shines through too, breaking down the tension when it's most needed.

My only complaint is that I become so invested, that when I finally reach the final page, I really don't want it to end!
This book (as with the others) will be on my mind for quite some time - and I can see myself wanting to re-read it too!

I'm already excited and can't wait to see what is in store for us with Mo's next book.
Loved this so much! Naturalbri (Bri Wignall)1,146 110

Being a teacher myself, I felt an instant pull to this book, especially as I already had the feels for the main character, with his down and out luck, in the blurb, and who doesn't love a wee love story that starts with some sleuthing your way through a relationship problem?

I instantly d the main character. He was flawed, open and very honest about life and where he was at this point. It made it so easy to feel for him and to connect with him. I couldn't hold it against him when he took advantage of an opportunity And went abroad, especially if it gave him opportunities. 

I enjoyed the way the book unfolded, with the brilliant things that took place, as they tried to unfold the web that tangled up the marriage and the life of his so called parter. I was also rather in love with the accidental, happen when you weren't looking love as well. It just flowed so nicely and really rounded out this lovely book. I thoroughly d the darker, interesting tale this book took as well. Just overall great read. Zoe B 258 3

This was such an engaging and entertaining read with great dialogue between characters which really stood out for me. The characters in particular Kyle and Noah had so much depth. Noah’s complexity and Kyle’s naivety at his trust in strangers was sometimes frustrating but intriguing at the same time but i was rooting all the way for them to fall in love with each other!
I found the narrative very powerful and compelling all the way through showing the darker side of Hollywood (think a gay Epstein!) and without taking anything away from this side of the story, Mo has seamlessly included humour and romance into the more pleasant side of the story.

With some surprises along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this road trip to La La Land and will be checking out Mo’s other books.

If you are looking for a read that is multi layered, that offers something different and has romance, mystery, drama, ambition, glamour and murder, I recommend you add this to your TBR. Nina Craig681 7

Kyle is having a hard time, he is twenty-eight, currently single and back living at his parent’s house. But a phone call could change everything, and his luck may turn around.

But things aren’t as simple as they seem; the Hollywood life isn’t all stars and sparkle. Having to uncover the past and look deeper into the dark side of fame is not what Kyle expected, but who can he trust? And is it possible to find love along the way?

This was a book that I could not put down, I struggled slightly in the beginning chapters but once I got into it, the narrative kept a pace that left me wanting to know what happens next.

I was truly invested in these characters and love Kyle’s innocence and naivety but also his growth as the narrative continues, I was rooting for Kyle and Noah throughout.

This novel was an intriguing narrative exploring themes such as sexual abuse, mystery and murder and is one I really enjoyed. Mystic KT236 13

This was a true chance encounter romance - Kyle our main character marries a Hollywood Director in Vegas and comes home after being assured that the marriage will be annulled. This then leads to a twisty tale of husbands, fiancés and lawyers when he receives a call to say he is still married and his husband is in a coma. Kyle then goes on an adventure and meets Noah, this leads to a tension filled story. Kyle falls in love and learns to trust another person only to have the rug pulled out from under him. Mo Fanning has lead me through the pages and i didn't want to put this down until the last page - then when i got to the last page i was left wanting more of Kyle's story. Please, Please write a sequel.2024-books love-book-tours Charlotte177 8

This was a really great book, which was perfect for Pride month. Although it's a work of fiction, I think it exposes the darker side of the acting world, LaLa land and fame.

I loved Kyle. I'm pretty sure that if I woke up and found out I'd drunkly got married 6 years ago, my first thought would be to take legal advice. But Kyle decides this is the leg-up his career needs and flies off to Hollywood. I also loved his humour and his naivety.

I loved travelling with Kyle and Noah whilst they tried to separate the truth from the lies.

This was my first book by Mo Fanning. But it definitely won't be my last.crime fiction lgb-fiction ...more Victoria Bennett37 2

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