This is one of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books! While Elin's recent novels have employed interesting characters (a deceased woman in Golden Girl, a ghost in The Hotel Nantucket), Elin returns to what she does best in The Five-Star Weekend, penning a story about the relationships that shape us. Hollis Shaw, who shot to internet stardom during the pandemic, finds herself in need of support after her husband passes away unexpectedly. She hosts a "Five-Star Weekend," each star being a close friend from a different era of her life: Tatum, her lifelong friend; Dru-Ann, her college roommate; Brooke, her mom friend; and the mysterious Gigi, whom Hollis knows online but has yet to meet face-to-face. Each star bring her own baggage (in more ways than one!) to this weekend on Nantucket, and Hollis's film student daughter, Caroline, is there to capture all the tension, stories, food, and sisterhood. The star which shines the brightest through it all is Nantucket. Elin's love for the island comes through in her descriptions of its people, places, and charm, and readers see how Nantucket herself shaped Hollis as much as her friends. I love this book for focusing so intensely on the core friendships we make throughout our lives and how they sustain us even as they evolve. Five stars to The Five-Star Weekend!

I am a huge Elin Hilderbrand fan, so it pains me to say this one just wasn’t a hit for me. Of course her descriptions of summer on Nantucket and delicious food were superb as always. I also loved the familiar faces that popped up. Something about this one just felt like it was trying too hard to be “cool”. The characters felt like cliches. I miss her complex, realistic female characters (The Island & Summer of ‘69 have some of my favorites). Will I still pick up whatever Elin writes next? Of course!

The perfect beach read!…as long as you can stand unrealistic settings and lots of drama.
Unfortunately this one just seemed extra over the top for me. I loved the idea-women getting together to celebrate one’s friendship but the drama and the unrealistic “do it all” by the main character had me rolling my eyes.
Not a bad read, like I say-perfect for the beach. But if you’re looking for some heart and some depth this one isn’t it.

Eeeek. While I LOVE a good family/friend drama, the writing style felt so choppy and some parts had me cringing a bit. …”the question just hangs there like a fart” lollll what? There were SO many perspectives ( a few unnecessary) and it bounced around them in a peculiar way. Even the dang dog had a small cameo perspective. Lol again, what????

I’ve read a few of Hilderbrands others and have enjoyed them so I was excited to get back to Nantucket for summer. I was intrigued enough to finish and really liked the premise, I just didn’t love this one as much as I’d hoped.

Loved this book! I think Elin will be a new auto buy author for me! I loved this story about female friendship and the the bumps/bruises that life gives us. The writing style was clear even with all the characters and their complex backgrounds. I loved the individual stories that each women had and was excited to see their dramas unfold and I looked forward to go back to certain characters. So excited now to step back into Elin's backlog!

I eagerly anticipate Elin Hilderbrand’s newest novel every summer. The “Queen of the Beach Reads” did not disappoint. I love how Nantucket Island is both a character and narrator of the story. Her books always highlight female friendships and romantic relationships with characters that are real and flawed. This novel features a popular food blogger who has recently lost her husband to a car accident. She then curates a 5 star weekend with 4 special friends who have been part of the different eras of her life. The dramas that ensue with the gorgeous backdrop of Nantucket were classic Elin Hilderbrand. The food descriptions were mouthwatering. I did feel that the ending was a bit too neat but I was still enraptured with this vicarious trip to Nantucket. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC I exchange for an honest review of the book.

Since I have been reading the authors books once a year for many years now it almost feels like I’m getting my own sort of Nantucket vacation through her summer reads. She does such an incredible job at creating a sense of place you truly feel like you’re right beside the characters and this was no exception. She has a knack for describing food in the most mouthwatering and appealing way and I swear if I ever actually visited Nantucket for real it would be mostly for the food. Her characters are always so well drawn too, even though her books are the ultimate beach reads there’s always some depth because of her great characterization. This book had some super messy and relatable women in this group of “friends” and then you also get cameos from characters in previous books which is such a treat. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of the authors books to get you ready for summer this is a great place to start!

Elin Hilderbrand's latest novel is likely the best one I've read by her. Like many of her other titles, Nantucket itself is at times an omniscient narrator. Hollis gained fame during the pandemic when she started recording cooking videos. She's amassed quite a dedicated group of followers on her Hungry With Hollis website-everyone is eagerly awaiting her Christmas recipes but are shocked to see a notice that her husband has unexpectedly died and she doesn't know when she'll return. She struggles to connect with her college-aged daughter and drifts through the following six months. She reads about a widow who pulled together her five best friends from her lifetime to create a "five star weekend" and Hollis is determined to do the same when she returns to Nantucket for the summer. She has a history with all of her friends, except for the mysterious Gigi who she met thanks to Hungry with Hollis. It's a really enjoyable story that I found more complex and engaging than some of Hilderbrand's other titles. Great summer read.

Elin Hilderbrand is my comfort author, and The Five-Star Weekend doesn't disappoint.

I absolutely adored The Hotel Nantucket. I actually think it was Elin's best book to date. The Five-Star Weekend isn't *quite* as perfect, but it's a lovely, beachy, breath-of-fresh-air and I drank it all in like champagne.

When a popular recipe creator's husband dies, it throws everything into question. Hollis Shaw, of "Hungry With Hollis" (think Pioneer Woman vibes), has the ideal life. Successful in business, married to a heart surgeon everyone calls "Mr. Wonderful" and mother to an aspiring documentarian, Caroline. One snowy February day, Matthew (Mr. Wonderful) is killed in a car accident, and Hollis' perfect life disintegrates.

When she hears of something called the "Five Star" weekend (a two-day-getaway where a woman invites each best friend she's had throughout her life - teenage years, twenties, etc), Hollis, still raw and grieving, decides to host something similar in her family home on Nantucket.

Along for the ride - Tatum, Hollis' childhood best friend, Dru-ann, Hollis' best friend from college, Brooke, who Hollis' raised children with, and Gigi, an Internet fan of the food blog, who Hollis has never actually met in person before but has become close with online. Also there, Hollis' daughter Caroline, who she is paying to film the weekend and create content for the blog.

It's a great premise for a novel. Juicy and ripe for surprises and intrigue. Each woman is dealing with something - Tatum with the threat of breast cancer, Dru-ann with being Internet-Cancelled, Brooke with a loser husband and Gigi with something shoooocking.

There's all the hallmarks of a great Elin read here - amazing food descriptions, flowing rose, Nantucket so splendid and beachy that you could eat it, and complicated relationships and personalities, all clashing and melding and coming together and splitting apart.

My only gripe with this book is as follows [It all wrapped up so very neatly at the end. I won't say what happens just yet in this text, just in case anyone clicks on the tag accidentally, but suffice to say EVERYONE IS FINE. I would have liked to see a bit more nuance and grey area here - especially with regards to Hollis moving on with Jack (noooo) and Dru-ann (I would have adored if she say fuck them all and refused to apologise and was still cancelled - because the Internet is vicious and cancel culture is largely dangerous and apologizing never gets you *anywhere* but deeper in the hole). I thought Brooke's journey was wonderful (though the way Elin is quick to say she now no longer struggles with food was odd to say the least) and I did enjoy Tatum's happy ending. It was all just a bit too pat and neat. I know that's what we want sometimes from books but a bit of complexity would have gone a long way to making the ending feel earned. (hide spoiler)]

That is a minor quibble and it didn't make me enjoy the book any less, because Elin is magic and I just want to live on Nantucket forever and eat all the food and go on boat rides and dance at the Chicken Box and meet these people! They are delightful.

Take this book to the beach with icy rose and enjoy falling under its spell. Oh, and bring some rosemary bacon pecans. Obviously.

I loved this book. May have been one of my favorite books from Elin Hilderbrand. I just loved the friendships and backstories. And I loved the Nantucket setting as always.

Fans of Elin Hilderbrand will enjoy this book. Set on Nantucket, as to be expected. A 5 star weekend, with 5 friends from different phases of Hollis’ life.

Elin has once again managed to come up with a unique story idea while still giving the reader exactly what she wants and expects to read! Another fabulous beach read full of island scenery, friendships, some drama, a few familiar characters and some new ones we will not soon forget! If you’re a fan of any of Elin’s previous books you will not be disappointed!
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the digital ARC!

I am a huge Elin fan and was so excited to head back to Nantucket and see some familiar faces pop up, I am typically one for plot driven stories however even though Hilderbrand is more character driven I do usually enjoy her books just as much. Key word being usually. This one fell flat for me. I loved the concept of what the five star weekend meant, bringing friends from each part of your life together for a weekend even if they don’t know each other well or at all. But there was way too much cheating, too much immaturity and overall I didn’t care about what happened to any of the characters. Also found the ending wrapped up way too quickly. Overall, glad I read it but it’s not her best work

This wondrous confection of a new Nantucket novel from Hilderbrand takes a seasoned, wise look at the increasing power of women friendships as we age.

Hollis Shaw, a social media food influencer with a million followers of her lifestyle blog “Hungry with Hollis,” suddenly loses her husband in a car crash on his way to the airport. Things between them had been tense, and Hollis get thrown into an emotional tailspin ruminating on their last phone call and the impending failure of her marriage. After withdrawing into grief, she decides to decamp from her Wellesley home outside of Boston to her summer Nantucket getaway. To help herself heal, she decides to invite on significant friend from each phase of her life, along with her resentful, angry 22-year-old daughter whom she offers to pay to video the weekend for her blog. Hollis goes into mega-planning mode, conjuring up a Martha-Stewart style agenda from delicious food, gorgeous serving visuals, and had-to-get restaurant reservations. All that remains are her guests.

There’s Dru-Ann, Hollis’s roommate from college who’s now a mega-sports agent, but arrives to the island weekend in the midst of “cancel culture” with her entire career on the line based on a captured comment by her during a private conversation in a restaurant about the irresponsibility of one of her athletes that goes viral on social media. Tatum, Hollis’ estranged and former friend from high school who has stayed to live year-round on Nantucket, fearfully awaits the result of a breast biopsy. Tatum also is still reeling from Dru-Ann dissing her around Hollis’ wedding. Brooke, Hollis’ Wellesday friend from her 30’s while both were raising small children, struggles with hating her husband who faces the latest in a series of sexual harassment complaints and has lost his job. Gigi comes from Hollis’ blog community, and she’s struck up an intimate ongoing conversation with Hollis after the car accident. She also harbors an explosive secret.

Hilderbrand offers up elegantly nuanced social commentary about the current cultural infusion and the destructive power social media. She also delves deep into where each of these women find themselves in their lives, and what hurdles they need to surmount to both thrive and mature. As things during this perfectly planned weekend go off the rails, you find yourself thinking hard about your own lasting friendships and where you find yourself in your own life.

Thanks to Little Brown and Company as well as NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Hollis Shaw is a popular food blogger when her husband Matthew dies in a car accident on the way to the airport. Hollis is devasted as she and Matthew were in a heated argument when he walked out the door. Hollis, deep in grief, decides to host a Five-Star Weekend at her Nantucket home. She arranges to have one best friend from each phase of her life be present for a girl’s weekend.

I have yet to read an Elin Hilderbrand novel I did not love. What an amazing concept! I thought the premise was unique and something I would have never thought of. Of course, bringing four women from different phases of your life under one roof for the weekend is going to cause drama and boy did it ever. Some of the characters did not get along previously, and I really enjoyed learning about each one and how they fit into Hollis’ life.

The author spares no detail when describing life on Nantucket, from the delicious food and restaurants, the culture, the beach, the sunsets, and of course The Chicken Box. I loved being transported to Nantucket and I always have a warm fuzzing feeling when reading her books from the first page until the very last page.

I have been reading Elin Hilderbrand’s work for years, and I was able to finally check a trip off my bucket list in October of 2021. My husband and I traveled from California to Martha’s Vineyard, taking a day trip to Nantucket. It was magical and everything I pictured when I read her books. Swipe to see the lobster quesadilla I devoured at the Charlie Noble!

Add this one to your summer reading list! You don’t want to miss it!

Ohh my gosh. This book gave me everything. I laughed, I cried, I got mad. This is the next summer hit for sure! I loved how Elin makes you fall in love with every one of her characters, even the villain.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this new title from Elin Hilderbrand. I've read several other of her books and liked them all, so I was super excited to get an ARC for this one (thank you NetGalley!)!

Hollis Shaw is a somewhat new home and lifestyle influencer who gained a massive following during the pandemic; however her new status has led to some problems with her husband and daughter. Suddenly, her husband passes away, and now she is left to deal with her grief along with her disgruntled and grieving daughter.

After reading a blog about a "five star weekend" which entails a girls weekend with one best friend from each period of your life, Hollis decides she will host her own version with five of her friends and her daughter. Enter a colorful cast of characters! Every chapter or so, the story shifts to center around a different friend, and I found myself enjoying each of their different storylines and character developments. They each had their own plot which blended with the overarching storyline.

I thought the characters were great (and had meaningful backstories), and I enjoyed the pacing of the book as well. Most of it happens over the span of one weekend with the occasion flashback/backstory reveal, and it never got boring for me. This would be a great summer read for someone who wanted a little more depth than a typical beach book but still wanted summer vibes!

One aspect I did not enjoy so much about the book is that it is written in third person POV, and since most of what I read is in first person, that always takes me a little time to get used to.

I was very excited to get approval for another Elin Hilderbrand arc! I’ve read quite a few of her novels. I like her storytelling and feeling immersed in Nantucket. I feel that in her other books she is very talented with keeping a wide cast of characters identifiable from one another, but this one I struggled with. I noticed at 60% I was still questioning who was who. I also never developed an attachment to the ladies in this one. I did like the concept of the book. Friends from different seasons of life gathered all together for a fantastic five star weekend. Overall, a miss for me. I will still read her other works

Hollis Shaw’s has shattered. From the outside it looks good. She has a popular food blog, husband daughter, home in the city and a 2nd in Nantucket. It all stops on a snowy morning after an argument with her husband, he leaves and is killed in a car accident. Months later Hollis is still struggling when she comes across a “Five-Star Weekend.” One woman had organized a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife. Hollis decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. No one’s life is perfect and in her stars she has invited there is an overload of secrets, baggage and craziness.
Elin Hilderbrand does a wonderful job provided a great summer time novel. She leaves the reader thinking of who her 4 stars will be. The twists are sudden and surprising as well as the addition of Electra who everyone loves to hate.
Thank you, NetGalley, Little Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved another one by Elin Hilderbrand. The Five-Star Weekend is sure to be one of the favorite summer novels this year. I've enjoyed all her books, but this one is something special. Hollis Shaw is grieving the loss of her husband and decides to hold a Five-Star Weekend. She invites her "best" friend from different stages of her life. She brings together her best friend from childhood, from college, from the time her daughter was young, and a friend she's only gotten to know through her online blog.

I enjoyed getting to know all of these women - they each had a substory of their own as well as within the group. I felt I could connect with each of them.

Thank you, NetGalley, Little Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Pub date 6/13/23