The glamour of Old Hollywood and revelations about long-buried secrets, all perfectly packaged in a celebrity tell-all — there’s a reason readers can’t stop thinking about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2017 novel is one-of-a-kind, but that doesn’t mean other stories won’t evoke the same emotions and intrigue.
If you’re wondering what to read after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (while you await the confirmed movie adaptation), dive into this list. The plots here touch on high society and Hollywood, racial inequity and gender bias, and women trying to make their way in an unfair world. They run the gamut of themes and settings — some historical fiction, some modern — but they have one thing in common: incredible storytelling.
If you’re unsure where to start, try Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? — one of the most popular releases in 2023 that will strike a chord if you liked Reid’s novel.
1. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
In the Golden Age of Cinema, a young Chinese American woman will do anything in her pursuit of fame, even indulge in some sinister magic. If you love the magnetism of Old Hollywood, strong queer protagonists, and a seamless blend of the real and the surreal, Vo’s novel is a show-stopper.
2. Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Reid kicked off her career — which includes blockbusters like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six — with this heartbreaking love story.
Ben and Elsie have an electric chemistry and whirlwind romance that comes to an end when Ben is struck by a truck on his bike only nine days into their marriage. Instead of a life with Ben at her side, Elsie finds herself navigating the loss alongside his mother, Susan, and the two form a touching connection.
3. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul
A sweeping debut on how racism and misogyny alter our stories and shape future generations, this novel begins with the death of an elderly Hollywood starlet. When a shocking secret is found in her old journals, it shakes her wealthy Black neighbors, the St. John sisters, to the core.
Kitty’s reflections reveal the many ways women and people of color had to sacrifice their identities and dignities to be seen, in cinema and beyond. These themes and the dual-timeline Hollywood setting make this book undeniably similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
4. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Skillfully alternating between 1960s Italy and present-day Los Angeles, this charming hit weaves together the romance between an innkeeper and a starlet, Italy and Hollywood, failure and fame.
Like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Beautiful Ruins appeals to hopeless romantics and fans of Hollywood classics.
5. The Work Wife by Alison B. Hart
Hollywood glitz proves to be a gaudy smokescreen hiding exploitative, sexist structures in this exhilarating debut.
Told over the course of one chaotic day, the book follows three women — Zanne, the titular work wife; Holly, the current wife; and Phoebe, the ex-wife — as they confront the sacrifices they’ve made while propping up the career of director Ted Stabler. It’s a fast-paced, feminist tour de force.
6. In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce
Like Jenkins Reid’s book, this novel captures the irresistible pull Old Hollywood had on culture — particularly, the promise it had to progress racial equality for Black Americans.
In the Face of the Sun follows Daisy from her days as a maid and start as a journalist in 1928, to her experiences with the civil rights movement and helping her niece escape an abusive husband in 1968. The perils of being Black in America are always front and center, no matter the decade, but the focus is on building a better tomorrow.
7. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
Thursday is one of Seth’s three wives, but of late is dissatisfied with the isolation that comes with the terms of their polygamist life. When Thursday meets up with one of Seth’s other spouses, going against the rules of their relationship, Thursday’s rosy reality begins to crumble.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets psychological thrillers like Memento in this wild ride.
8. The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee
Nothing encapsulates the allure of Hollywood more than the iconic Marilyn Monroe, and in this historical novel, the actress plays a small but pivotal role.
Just after the Korean War, Alice J. Kim becomes Marilyn’s interpreter for the star’s four-day stint entertaining American troops in Seoul. This brush with glamour prompts a deep reflection on the gruesomeness of Alice’s recent past.
9. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Waters’ debut is often recommended by Redditers discussing LGBTQ+ books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It’s a historical fiction that explores sapphic awakening and gender roles in the music halls of Victorian England.
A saga of Dickensian proportions, Tipping the Velvet follows Nancy Astley, who falls for a male-impersonating performer named Kitty Butler and subsequently follows her to London.
10. Sister Stardust by Jane Green
Green transports readers to the Swinging Sixties, where an ordinary girl gets caught up in the whirlwind of fame and fortune. In this historical novel, Claire has been looking for something more and seemingly finds it in Morocco, where her path crosses with style icon Talitha Getty.
Sister Stardust is an expansive, immersive trip from rural Dorset to rowdy London to beautiful Marrakesh.
11. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
Witness the adventures of Afro-Punk sensation Opal and “goofy white English boy” Nev, a two-person 1970s band with a devoted cult following. This poignant tale delivers more than good times and great beats.
Rock-and-roll meets social justice when the pair suffers a violent backlash to Opal’s activism against racism and misogyny. Walton’s debut novel is a stirring reminder to raise your voice for what you believe.
