The Five-Star Weekend
by Elin Hilderbrand
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
Little Brown
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book. It was just what I needed on this bitterly gloomy and cold Indiana day. I have read all of Hilderbrand's books and I do believe this is my favorite.
It kept me guessing and I didn't even suspect the ending. Loved it!!
Thanks for allowing me this joy to recommend this book!
5 stars.

Another winning novel by my favorite, Queen of the Beach Reads,” Elin Hilderbrand. As always, I loved this yearly visit to Nantucket. Most of all I found it fascinating to explore the gravitational pull between wife and mistress. This novel centers around newly widowed Hollis and her celebration of life after her trauma. Hollis has decided to invite important women in her life to a FIVE-STAR weekend at her posh Nantucket home.

One of the guests is a fascinating woman who Hollis has only known virtually, but since they seem to have so much in common, she is invited along with old friends. Sadly, the thing they had most in common was Hollis’ late husband! Each of the women has her own story, all interesting and engaging.

I found the subplot of wife/mistress fascinating. I understand playing “what did he ever see in her?” as the mistress seeks to unravel the mysteries of the man she loves. As a reader, I was waiting for secrets to be revealed.

Another subplot was the tense relationship between Holllis and her daughter. To add a bit more fluff to the story, Hollis has the opportunity to meet her long term high school boyfriend again. I hope the reader can remeet them again when we pay another visit to Nantucket.

Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful ARC. I highly recommend it to my readers. This will be hard to beat for the best summer read of 2023.

Another hit from my favorite author! The Five Star Weekend follows a group of loosely connected friends as they come together for a weekend gathering. I love that this plot focuses on adult friendships and how they can ebb and flow through time. Very real and raw and relatable. As always, I binged this book quickly and now have a year to wait for her next!

Elin's books are always fun to read and discuss, but this one hit me a little deeper. It's a book I can't wait to share with friends and talk about with a book club. For me, the joy of celebrating friendships from different phases of one's life, the sadness of grief and the messiness of possible forgiveness all came together in a compelling way