Reneé and Jean- Paul are proprietors of the Live your Life bed and breakfast in North Carolina. Cassidy and Rosalie, mother and daughter are on a mother/ daughter road trip.
Henry and Lucy are friends with Adam & Sienna. They're about to tell their friends that their marriage is over. Leo, an actor and Penny come to Live Your Life inn to celebrate with their friends.
The twists and turns of this book were absolutely amazing. I loved all the characters and the twists

Master storyteller and long-time-favorite author Rochelle B. Weinstein delivers a stunning masterpiece with her latest emotionally stirring, beautifully written novel—WE ARE MADE OF STARS.

It is exquisite, flawless, and a work of art. Rochelle is one of the top contemporary fiction writers out today. So, if you have not read her books, this would be one you do not want to miss! Fellow book friends, excuse me, but I get a little lengthy and wordy about the books I adore.

Beneath the stars, the secrets of eight strangers come to light.

Come and join eight strangers in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina at a charming bed and breakfast where your mouth will water with the finest food, wine, and delectables. You will want to book your stay and gather around the dining table with these newfound memorable friends you will come to love and cherish.

Meet the characters

~Vis Ta Vie Inn Owners & Host:
Reneé & Jean-Paul De La Rue
Vilas, North Carolina, mountains
I loved these two!

They are a formidable team. They turned their brainchild into a charming B&B nestled in the rolling hills of Vilas, North Carolina, where eight guests check into the stately farmhouse each week. They named her Vis Ta Vie, French for "live your life," because they were living theirs.

From the lovely antiques and their collectibles from trips to Itay and France, this is their sanctuary, which they escape, recharge, and reboot. They have built a life around their passion for food, wine, and breathtaking scenery. Creating a place for guests to unplug and restore.

Is this going to be an extraordinary week? Could this be the end of the era or the birth of something new?

Meet the guests:

~Leo & Penny
Hollywood Celebrities

~Lucy & Henry
Therapist | Astronomer

~Sienna & Adam
Mom/Lawyer | Sports Agent

~Cassidy & Rosalie
Single Mom | Teen Daughter

Everyone, including the owners, is going through a change and hiding secrets. Their guests, Hollywood celebrities Leo and Penny, were married at the Inn and are celebrating their silver anniversary. But is it a celebration or a possible divorce?

Lucy is a therapist married to Henry, the astronomer, who has his head in the stars with their issues.

Sienna is a current stay-at-home mom (former lawyer) and married to egotistic and charismatic sports agent Adam. They seem perfect on the exterior but quite the opposite behind closed doors.

To shake things up and make things very surprising and engaging, the two who will be front and center are Cassidy and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosaline. Cassidy, a single mom, struggles to connect with her teenage daughter while Rosaline navigates the complexities of adolescence and her mom. She often has to be the parent. You got to love Rosaline!

Told from alternating POVs, from Day One to Day Seven.
Jean-Paul, Cassidy, Rosaline, Henry, Cassidy, Sienna, and Penny.

The stage is set for a week of betrayals, lies, deceit, guilt, secrets, regret, and shocking truths when each secret begins unraveling.

Prepare for a wild roller coaster ride with unpredictable twists and surprises you did not see coming. Hang on!

The author shines as bright as the stars in this intense, captivating, compelling, and suspenseful journey with some magic, lovely metaphors, and deep human connections.

My thoughts...

Oh, how I loved this book! Top 5 Books of 2025

I have been a long-time Rochelle fan and have read all her books. Each one is a favorite, but WE ARE MADE OF STARS stands apart and tops the charts—my absolute all-time favorite of hers. The author is at the Top of her game! I would love to see a movie or TV series based on the novel.

You will cry, laugh, and stay up until 7 am until the last satisfying page is turned. It is a dazzling novel, and her passion is reflected throughout each page as she pours love from her heart and soul into this novel. She adores this area, and it shows. All her efforts do not go unnoticed. The characters will remain with you long after the book ends. I am still thinking of them.

WE ARE MADE OF STARS is like no other book you will ever read. This would be it if you could read only one book this year.

Each day opens with a menu, from the first, second, main course, dessert and wine/champagne pairings. Your mouth will be watering, and foodies will enjoy this one. Well done, Rochelle!

If you think relationship conflicts cannot be solved. Read this book. There is hope even in your darkest hour if only you communicate and tell what is in your heart. It is refreshing to see everyone telling their darkest secrets.

This heartwarming tale is lyrical, powerful, full of wisdom, secrets, loss, disappointments, and regrets. But it also explores life’s messiness, relationships, friendship, and family; ultimately, it's uplifting, hopeful, and inspiring. It's a story of the power of love, second chances, forgiveness, and redemption.

I hope there is a sequel, as I would love to catch up with this fabulous cast of characters (minus Adam). The setting, the lovely metaphors, and its relation to the stars are awe-inspiring.

I loved this book! It resonated with me for many reasons that the author will understand. We both share a love of S. Florida and the NC Mountains. (both with two sons). I also grew up in North Carolina and have spent many memorable times in the NC mountains. My sons attended NC mountain colleges, so I have spent much time in Banner Elk, Boone, Blowing Rock, and the surrounding areas. I miss those days.

Get this gem on your TBR list now; however, block out the time because there is no stopping when you start!

Recs...

WE ARE MADE OF STARS is fans of the author and those who enjoy literary fiction mixed with suspense, family dynamics, and contemporary women's fiction with complex relationships and second chances. Also, for fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Sally Hepworth, Patti Callahan Henry, Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Strout, T. Greenwood, and Nicholas Sparks.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. I also pre-ordered the paperback copy for my home library (I wish it came in hardcover). I can't wait to see this beautiful cover - a fitting title.

This is my 96th book read in 2025 YTD, and it is only February, but I am sure it will top my list for 2025 at year-end. It is unforgettable and unputdownable.

I requested the audiobook, as I am sure it will be fantastic with this talented cast. Brilliance Audio declined me (I get approval from all the audiobook publishers but not from them). It might be worth an email. I will have to wait until it comes out to listen, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025
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Personal note - see my blog for more about this area and my connection. I miss the NC mountains! Thank you, Rochelle, for the fabulous journey.

There’s a small inn called Vis Ta Vie where many people visit each year. But this year everyone is on edge with shocking secrets and much chaos ensues. Each person is struggling, yet somehow by the end of the week, things are looking up.

I loved Weinstein's newest release, We Are Made of Stars, which releases on 2/25/25!

Situated in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina is a magical inn where guests immerse themselves into nature, curated food experiences, and connections with one another. The Vis Ta Vie inn is Jean-Paul and Renee's life passion, yet faulty investment decision has them on the cusp of bankruptcy.

This book follows the inn's owners and guests over one week in the summer; lifelong college roommates and friends, Lucy and Henry meet annually with Sienna and Adam, but both couples are hiding secrets. Movie star and heartthrob Leo promised to return with his estranged wife Penny for their 25th wedding anniversary despite how tragedy and fame are pulling apart their marriage. And Rosalie, a teen, has dragged her single mother in the hopes of locating her unknown father.

Told between multiple POVs, Weinstein weaves the narratives of each guest together into a tapestry representative of all of life's experiences. Love, friendship, loss, secrets, grief, jealously, lust, and healing. The characters are flawed, yet fully fleshed out with growth worth rooting for; I enjoyed every second of my stay in the Inn, especially as a NC native and having spent time myself at many of the landmarks referenced by Weinstein. Readers from all walks and stages in life will find a thread of connection to this heartwarming story!

Secrets, lies, affairs, grief and so much more come to light over the course of the week as a group of people stay at a charming B&B for its last run before closing. Told from alternating POV, the guests are different ages with complicated and contentious relationships (often interconnected in surprising ways). This was full of drama but also lots of heart. I liked it and thought it was also good on audio. Would recommend for fans of authors like Jennifer Weiner, Elyssa Friedman or Abbi Waxman. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This beautiful story takes place over a week at Vis Ta Vie Inn. I wish it was a real place because I would make a reservation.

The chapters are told from different POVs. I enjoyed the character development, it was like peeling an onion. I loved how the characters have flaws & faults and during there time at the Inn learn to forgive, become better versions of themselves or move on. This is a book that shows you parts of yourself. It feels real and authentic. This is my first book by Rochelle B. Weinstein and will not be my last. I’m going to check out her other books.

“And when you raise your head toward the sky, you find the magic.”

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an emotional, beautiful book that highlighted so many different aspects of the human experience.

THOUGHTS 💭
💫 The writing was poetic and pulled you into the city of Vilas, North Carolina and these characters’ lives - there were so many quotes I highlighted not necessarily for their content, but for their beauty.
💫 I loved reading about these characters and their overlapping stories; with multiple POVs, we see that every character is dealing with something and the atmosphere at the inn seems to bring them clarity.
💫 Comparison is the thief of joy. This was a good reminder that not everything is always as it seems.
💫 The menus that Jean-Paul puts together sound absolutely divine! I would visit this inn and eat at his table any time.
💫 This book was a good reminder that the human condition is messy; that by giving people around us (especially those we love) some grace can go a long way to happiness and understanding and love.
💫 There were surprises and life-changing moments and heartbreaks and new beginnings. I felt the full range of emotions while reading this book and I loved watching the changes in these characters from the first page to the last.

Thanks so much to Rochelle B. Weinstein, Publishing, and Get Red PR for the beautiful PR package for this amazing book!

📚 ARC BOOK TOUR BOOK REVIEW 📚

We Are Made Of Stars
By Rochelle B. Weinstein
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Massive thank yous to Lake Union Publishing, BookSparks, and Rochelle B. Weinstein for inviting me to be a part of the #WRC2025 book tour and for this #gifted copy of the book in exchange for my honest review, and to NetGalley as well for this #gifted e-ARC!

📚MY REVIEW:

Be still, my heart. It's been a while since a book has been so beautiful that it's caused tears to fall from my eyes like this, but We Are Made Of Stars, by Rochelle B. Weinstein, has made it happen. What an incredible read!

This is an emotionally-charged and heavily character-driven novel about love, friendship, relationships, forgiveness, and the truths of what we hide from others because we think our authentic selves aren't worthy of love. This story is all about the secrets we keep from those who love us the most and the masks we wear in the hopes of feigning perfection.

Jean-Paul and Renee are the owners of Vis Ta Vie, a beautiful bed-and-breakfast nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. Guests return year after year, always wanting to recapture the nostalgia and happy memories of past visits. There's a sense of chosen family here at the B & B, and the upcoming week-long visit and its guests - the focus of the book - will be an extraordinary week, for sure.

Chapters were told from alternating POVs of the book's characters, which created a much greater understanding of their individual inner workings. The alternating POVs also really helped to lay a foundation for the myriad of ways the character's storylines eventually intersected in surprising and beautiful ways.

I was immediately pulled into the lives of these beautifully-written characters, and I remained captivated by their stories throughout the book. The trajectory of each character's storyline demonstrated genuine humanity, with their flaws and personality traits being authentically relatable either to myself or someone in my circle. There was just a sense of relatability in these pages that felt so real -- I tagged several pages so I could return to particularly poignant passages again and again in the future.

If you're a fan of character-driven stories that pack an emotional punch and will fill your heart, I highly recommend Weinstein's upcoming novel. It's available for purchase on February 25th - and I can't wait for everyone else to fall in love with this story just as I have.

#WeAreMadeOfStars #RochelleBWeinstein #LakeUnionAuthors #BookSparks #WRC2025 #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #fivestarreads #mustreads #booklover #bookaddict #womensfiction

Wow! Rochelle B. Weinstein, the Author of “We Are Made of Stars” has written an intriguing and captivating novel out of this world. I loved everything about this well written story, and used Kleenex for both happy and sad tears. The genres for this novel are Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Later in Life Fiction, Women’s Friendship Fiction and Domestic Fiction. The author vividly describes the setting and the various foods at Vis Ta Vie Inn, where some people make a yearly visit to recharge and relax. Rochelle B. Weinstein describes her dramatic and colorful characters as complex, complicated, and quirky. Most of the same characters revisit this Inn run by Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue. This very well maybe the last year that Renee and Jean-Paul keep the inn open. The cast of characters are Hollywood celebrities, a therapist and an astronomer, an attorney and sports agent. Added to this list is a mother and 15 year old daughter.

There are betrayals, lies, and secrets.. These visitors have deep dark problems, and motivations that can be questionable. The author discusses the importance of second chances, forgiveness, communication, truth, honesty, the importance of family, friends, love and hope. Rochelle B. Weinstein says, “”Vis Ta Vie”-live your life, captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light, even after the magic fades.”

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, heartfelt and memorable novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance coy of this book.

This was an OK, light and unrealistic read. The scene setting takes up half of the book which I think is too much. Of course everyone has a secret and these are mentioned but we are more than half way through the book before things start to be revealed. There is repetition - Penny's issue with Clare and Jean Paul and Renee's problems with the inn are told more than once without any further development. When the secrets are revealed they are quite mundane and in my opinion insufficient to make such fusses over. I kept getting getting mixed up with characters and could never remember who Penny was.

In a different sort of book Jean Paul could have been a predator but here, he seems just a bit too good to be true. I would say only Rosalie (bit of a brat), Cassidy (bit of a poor soul) and enthusiastic Henry stand out. What is the point, for instance, of Simone?

I was not very interested in any of the characters and not very interested in their problems. either No spoilers, but the ending is just too neat for me.

Not as good as the blurb suggests.

This book features an ensemble of 11 characters who come together for a week at a secluded inn in North Carolina and is told from multiple points of view. I enjoyed all of the characters except for 2. Rochelle gives us lots of twists and turns along the way, some predictable and some not so much. I loved where everyone ended up at the end of book but I would have loved a One Year Later Epilogue to see where everyone ended up after going back home.

This is my second book by Rochelle and won’t be my last.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Contemporary Fiction

3 couples and a mother/daughter duo come stay at a small inn. We get the point of views from all of the people staying at the inn and the couple running the inn. All of their stories are complicated and overlap. This story is well done. I’ve read other stories like this and this one was top tier.


#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyarc

This was a beautifully written story filled with drama, secrets, and second chances. Set at the charming Vis Ta Vie inn, the book follows several couples facing personal struggles while the innkeepers, Reneé and Jean-Paul, prepare to say goodbye to their beloved home. Each character brings their own challenges, regrets, and hopes, making for an emotional and engaging read.
I loved the setting—it felt like a character itself, holding onto memories and offering new beginnings. While there were many perspectives, they flowed well, though I wished for a deeper connection with fewer characters. The themes of forgiveness, love, and personal growth were well explored, making the book both thought-provoking and heartwarming.
Overall, We Are Made of Stars is a moving and reflective read that keeps you turning the pages. If you enjoy stories about relationships, self-discovery, and healing, this book is worth picking up!

Surprising And Unexpected Yet Powerful. Following Weinstein on social media, I know she was writing this book shortly after the Hamas attacks on Israel in late 2023. As I finished reading this text (that I've had on my Kindle for a couple of months or so even now), Hamas had been parading the caskets of several babies they had murdered earlier in the day. Given that the Surfside Condo collapse in Miami a few years ago now - where Weinstein's family personally knew a few of the victims - clearly contributed quite a bit of emotional heft to the book she was writing at the time, I expected the same to be true here, as Weinstein is quite vocal (yet, to be clear, not preachy) about her Jewish faith and support of the State of Israel. (Haters, go the fuck away. While I've only known Weinstein online to date, she is truly a great person in my own interactions with her, no matter what your own political beliefs may be - and we *do* disagree quite substantially politically.)

So that is the background I approached this story with, my own "baggage" I brought into the Drift, even as I generally approach each and every book with a blank slate - and indeed knew *nothing* about this book beyond its title and that Weinstein had written it when I agreed to read and review it, and even when reading it this remained all that I knew (plus that it releases next week so I needed to hurry up with the reading and reviewing!).

What I actually found here was, as I noted in the title of the review, quite surprising and unexpected - for some reason I expected at least one blatantly Jewish character, if not every single protagonist in the book, to be honest, along with a much more blatantly Jewish plot, along the lines of say Jean Meltzer's books... even though I know from prior reading that this isn't really Weinstein's style. What I *actually* got here was a powerful tale of several flawed duos within families - mostly husbands and wives going trying to work through some level of trauma within their relationship, but also a powerful story (that takes a more prominent role later in the text) between a mother and her daughter.

While there are a total of ten main characters and the story *is* told from multiple perspectives (yes, I know there are readers who don't like that either - if you're at least willing to try it, this is a *really* good one to try with), Weinstein (and, perhaps, her editors) made the smart choice of limiting our number of perspectives to just a few, and never both halves of any of the five duos. This helps both story cohesion and progression, as even with chapter based perspective switches, at least this way we aren't getting first person views of both sides of the dynamic in question.

And the traumas that are happening here... even without being explicitly tied into anything overly "real-world", they're at the same time all too real. I don't want to detail them here due to spoiler potential, but I will note that Weinstein truly shines here in just how real and relatable she manages to make pretty well everything about all of these interweaving secrets and dynamics, and the pacing is done particularly well such that some surprises are tossed in early, others are late and seemingly out of nowhere (yet fit perfectly), and still others are teased well with what becomes for me at least a perfectly satisfactory payoff.

Overall truly a powerful and well written story, exactly what Weinstein is known for, and one that will have the room quite dusty at several different points - you've been warned about that too, now. ;) This is one that will leave you with that beautiful "wow, what did I just read" feeling (in the best possible ways) and will hopefully show you a path through even your own struggles.

Very much recommended.

The Vis Ta Vie inn has loomed large in the lives of those who have come to spend the last week there before it closes. This is told from multiple POVS- there are couples, a group of friends, and so on- and there are of course secrets and lies. And there's a few surprises as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The large cast makes it a little difficult to feel particularly invested in any one of them but it's still a good read.

I loved the setting of this book - a beautiful inn, hiding its own secrets. This was an eclectic cast of characters - told in their very different point of views. I enjoyed the diversity and perspectives, but I kind of wish there were fewer of them. Although I felt like I got to know all the characters, I think I would have been even more invested if I truly felt as if the characters were my friends. I loved that there was some drama, betrayals, some mystery behind each character's story and opportunities. A story about second chances, forgiveness and even the bright side of life, even when handed a bunch of lemons. Overall, a truly fascinating book that someone flowed despite the very different characters and POVs.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

This was a story packed full of drama and secrets. Renee and Jean-Paul run the Vis Ta Vie, an Inn that they are going to have to sell soon due to financial struggles. They have one last week with guests and expect it to be extraordinary. Half of their 8 guests have been yearly repeat visitors, a couple are coming back as promised to celebrate 25 years of marriage and 2 are new guests. Every single one of these guests and their hosts have some sort of secret that will come to light through their week stay. I loved the transformation of the characters as the story unfolds. I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: February 25, 2025

At this inn, relationships are perfectly flawed, be it friendships, spouses, or mother and daughter. We watch how fractured they become, and how time away can heal a lot of wounds.

It always feels good to tuck into a book of Weinstein’s and let the hours fade away, lost to the storyline and characters. Overall, a very moving read.

Guests converge at the Vis Ta Vie inn for a weekend. The couple who own the inn are struggling to determine if there is any way to keep the doors open after losing their savings. The group of guests consists of 4 old college friends, a couple on the verge of divorce and a mother daughter duo - all the relationships are in some sort of crisis. Each comes to the inn with a connection to it, some have visited annually, some had important moments occur there. During the weekend secrets and past betrayals are revealed as the guests and the inn keepers support each other and try to fix broken relationships as well as begin new ones.

The set up of this one was a bit slow only because all of the characters, their histories and their connection to each other and the inn had to be introduced to the reader. I always enjoy a story where characters' lives intertwine in ways you cannot see at the onset of the novel. This one worked for me, I became invested in the characters and their relationships and I cared where their storyline would take them. Some things were a tad predictable but I it didn’t take away from my reading enjoyment. I thought the audiobook was great, but with so many characters and storylines, it was great to have the book to read as well. These guests brought their baggage to the inn and I enjoyed unpacking it.

Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the ARC to review

We Are Made of Stars, by Rochelle B. Weinstein, tells the story of one week at an isolated inn, known for its exceptional food and the loving care it provides its guests. The innkeeper is a master chef, and he and his wife own and operate the inn. Several of the guests are regulars, and some are not. Almost all have secrets and issues that give the story its tensions. Weinstein manages to rotate POV among the characters without losing continuity or interest. This is a story that will leave you feeling good about flawed human nature and the power of redemption. I highly recommend and thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was a pleasure!