Thursday, May 25, 2023

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

 

The Beach Read Queen Elin Hilderbrand is back with The Five-Star Weekend coming out June 13. Nantucket native Hollis Shaw really needs a boost to restart her life after the death of her husband in a car accident.



Modeling her girls’ weekend after an influencer, she invites someone from each stage of her life: Tatum, her best gal pal growing up; Dru-Ann, her college roommate, and Brooke, her friend from her married life in Boston where her husband was a heart surgeon. She adds a newcomer, Gigi, who she has grown close to on social media where Hollis has a very popular blog.

All was not rosy when Matthew died as the couple had been growing apart. In addition, since her blog has become so popular, her daughter Caroline and Matthew have joined forces leaving Hollis out of a lot of activities. To draw Caroline closer, Hollis asks her daughter to film and photograph the weekend.

Hollis is the consummate hostess providing all the meals and activities on her dime, entertaining the “stars” joining her at her summer place in Nantucket. Tatum has a surprise for Hollis in the form of her first love, Jack Finigan, which stirs up romantic feelings for the pair.

The “stars” are not without their own problems: Tatum is concerned about a lump in her breast, Dru-Ann’s career is on the rocks, Brooke is ready to divorce her husband after yet another inappropriate relationship at work, and newcomer Gigi has many secrets that intersect with Hollis’ life. Add to the mix that Tatum and Dru-Ann have been at odds since Hollis’ wedding years ago, and Brooke is insecure about being around Hollis’ longtime  friends.

How can this weekend turn out well with Tatum and Dru-Ann sparring? What can Hollis do to keep Brooke pumped up with all her insecurities? What devastating news does Gigi have that promises to spoil the fresh start Hollis is hoping for? Can an old love heal a broken heart?

Elin Hilderbrand has traveled widely before settling in Nantucket, the setting for many of her books. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the fiction workshop at the University of Iowa, Elin plans to retire in 2024 saying she “deliberately wants to quit while there’s still an appetite for her writing.”

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting May 25, 2023.

I would like to thank Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

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