Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a multi-POV story that could have used fewer characters and tangential stories. It took me at least half the book to keep all the characters straight in my head. I enjoyed some of the stories and then felt others were kind of thrown in for no reason. For example, the whole thing with Henry’s dad being a con artist and stealing money from folks was just unnecessary and underdeveloped. The author could have shown the cracks in Henry and Lucy’s marriage without that unnecessary side quest. Overall, the book is well-written and moves quickly, but some of the fluff could be removed.

There’s something magical about Rochelle B. Weinstein’s latest novel, WE ARE MADE OF STARS. Set at the picturesque Vis Ta Vie inn, she introduces us to Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue, the longtime innkeepers who are in danger of losing their beloved property after being swindled out of their life savings.

Their guests have troubles of their own. Lies, secrets, and betrayals threaten to destroy their carefully crafted facades. Relationships are fraying and choices loom.

This journey of discovery and redemption isn’t always easy or comfortable, but it illustrates that light can exist in darkness.

I alternated between the digital and audio versions. The full cast narration by Stephanie Németh-Parker, Ron Butler, David de Vries, Megan Tusing, Aasne Vigesaa, and Emily Lawrence is a delight and added to my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the advance copies in exchange for my unbiased review.

Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue have run a charming inn, Vis ta Vie, in the North Carolina mountains for years. Now, after bad investments, the couple may have to close the inn. On what may be their final weekend, their guests are couples who have vacationed there before. They are: Leo, a movie star, and his wife Penny, whose long term marriage may be ending; Lucy and Henry, whose marriage is ending and the obnoxious sports agent Adam and his beautiful wife Sienna, They are joined by single mother Cassidy and her difficult Goth daughter Rosalie.

We are Made of Stars is a beautifully written character driven novel that reads like a play or movie. Rochelle B. Weinstein shows what her characters are dealing with privately and how it differs from their public behavior. In a breathtaking mountain setting, secrets are revealed, and some problems are solved. We are Made of Stars is drama at its best. 5stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Rochelle B. Weinstein for this ARC.

Mountain getaway Vis Ta Vie Inn promises an escape from real life. The picturesque setting, exquisite food, and welcoming hosts are ready this week for 2 couples harboring mountains of secrets and lies a Hollywood duo in the midst of a scandal, and a narcissistic single mother and her moody 15 year old daughter.⁣
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Not one of these 8 guests, nor the couple who owns the property, could have ever imagined what storms the week would bring. ⁣
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This is one of those books that invites you along on a trip that packs more baggage than an airport terminal. The amount these guests are carrying is enough to weigh anyone down, and it had me firmly planted in my seat as I could not look away. It had a hold on me from the very beginning, had me fully invested in everyones lives, and by the end - I didn’t want to let any of them go. It’s one of those books where you find yourself months later wondering what each and every character is up to, how they’ve grown, and where they’ve ended up in life.⁣
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We Are Made of Stars gets ALL the stars from me. It’s packed with endless emotion while still feeling lighthearted and optimistic - and even quite snarky and hilarious at times. You come away from it feeling as if you’ve spent a week making new friends, embracing (or ditching!) your baggage, and staring up at the stars - all while learning to find joy in just living your life the best you can.

In this character driven story, three married couples and a single mother with her teenage daughter, stay at an Inn in the mountains of North Carolina, run by a couple who are in a dire financial situation. During their stay, they all discover things about themselves, each other and the ties that bind them. There were some lovely elements to the story and some unexpected discoveries, but I found it hard to connect to most of the characters as they were quite dull, with the exception of Rosalie, the teenager who loves to push her limits with her mum! It wasn't a book that I struggled to put down; it was enjoyable, but didn't draw me in and make me feel part of the character's lives.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rochelle B. Weinstein and Lake Union for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The De La Rue’s are about to close their home and inn, Vis Ta Vie. Their last group of guests include several couples, a single mother and her daughter, and all have their secrets and truths to reveal.

I loved that this was multi characters and perspectives and they were all so different. It was interesting that some of them knew each other, yet some didn’t. That’s a little different than a lot of “get away to another location” stories I’ve been reading lately. The characters were all well developed and had a lot of different issues going on, which took time to reveal. This story is full of twists and surprises, but also great food descriptions so don’t read when hungry!

“Whatever reason guests landed at Vis Ta Vie - the decor, the beauty of the grounds, the food - the rate vulnerability felt in a private enclave made magic.”

We Are Made of Stars comes out 2/25.

Taking place over a week in a vacation getaway called Vis Ta Vie, this book is a multi-POV that focuses on the intertwining lives of Vis Ta Vie’s owners Renèe and Jean-Paul, actor Leo and his estranged wife Penny, mother and teenage daughter Cassidy and Rosalie, and friends since college couples Sienna & Adam and Lucy & Henry.

While most are strangers at the beginning, events have been put in motion that will soon change all of their lives and bring some together while irreparably tearing others apart.

The short chapters and intriguing plot kept me reading quickly, I wanted to know everyone’s secrets and what the consequences of the secrets would be. And while sometimes a multi POV book with so many characters can get confusing, this one was done so well I easily followed everyone’s separate stories and really enjoyed them all. The characters felt so genuinely human, with all of their desires and faults and terrible decisions.

I highly recommend this title for anyone who enjoys fiction with multiple characters and secrets exposed.

This book is so beautifully written. Rochelle Weinstein just has a way of transporting to you into the book and makes you feel like you are living every moment with the characters. It was moving and relatable. This book was full of love, anger, resentment, second chances, finding your truth. I don't think we as people ever stop evolving and as we age and grow so do our needs. This author just has a way of making you realize we are all human, there is no perfect life, there is no perfect relationship and love is worth fighting for.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing arc.

I really enjoyed this fast paced drama! I like how the characters were all connected and the story was easy to keep up with and understand. I will definitely be recommending this story to others.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for sending me this book for review. Opinions are mine.
I've been a huge fan of Rochelle B. Weinstein since discovering her books back at the end of 2023 and I was so happy to receive an ARC of her newest book We Are Made of Stars.

I never read book blurbs so when I started reading the book I didn’t know what direction the plot will take and at first it was hard for me to keep track on all the different characters but a few chapters in I was able to better tracks everyone's name and their role in the story.
Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue are the owners of the Vis Ta Vie inn and they have to make the hard decisions to close their believed inn after losing all their money in an investment scam.
During the upcoming week they will host 8 different guests, 3 couples that have been coming to the inn for years and a mother and daughter.

I don't want to give too much information about the plot so I will say that all the characters in this book are complex and far from being perfect and the more I learned about them the more I enjoyed reading. The book deals with some heavy subjects and show us readers how our life can be changed in a moment.

I really enjoyed the interaction between all the characters and discovering the secrets, fears and underrating what made them all arrive to the inn on the same week.

The writing was amazing and I just wanted to keep reading to know more and more.

We Are Made of Stars is a beautiful story about love, friendships , second chance and forgiveness.

I have read and will continue to read every book Rochelle Weinstein writes. We’ve been friends since before she wrote her first book.
When it comes to the genre, “women’s fiction” ….. “comfort-snuggling”
….. reading….
I say this with ALL HONESTY….
ANY NOVEL by Rochelle fits-the-bill!!!!
Each of her previous books kept me turning pages — kept me interested— kept me thinking — kept me feeling — (always involved in her storytelling), and kept me contemplating life issues (again and again).
She writes about ‘real life’ scenarios…(about things that are important to all people)…..
….meaningful relationships, belonging and connectedness through family and friends, love, support, empathy, personal growth, fulfillment, purpose and meaning, self-actualization, learning and growth, contribution and impact, values and ethics, as well as our health (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)….
This is Rochelle’s eighth book - I’ve read and cherished THEM ALL!!
We always meet a cast of characters that we get to know well …. with people who are familiar, and perhaps a few less familiar….
but often ‘feel’ like our family or friends.
Her characters have challenges and obstacles to overcome. They have hope and aren’t sissy’s.
Each of her previous books was engaging and deeply satisfying:
“What We Leave Behind”
“ The Morning After”
“Where We Fall”
“Somebody’s Daughter”
“This Is Not How It Ends”
“When We Let Go”
“What You Do To Me”

Our world is scary, chaotic, maddening and confusing these days ….
Reminding me/us….books like:
“We Are Made of Stars” is the perfect antidote ….the perfect book to melt into, escape into, allowing us to put aside our current woes, our own daily stressors and issues.
I gained new perspectives about the complexities of life through our character’s eyes.
“We Are Made Of Stars” allowed me to focus on empathy. It also allowed me to slow down.
My own mind needed rest from my yucky-personal issues—(my goodness—this new book by Rochelle helped tremendously).
I wasn’t even planning on reading it this soon. But I had a hunch: to jump this novel to the top of my reading list. Hallelujah!
Great choice!!
I was reminded that we each have strength…. I mean, *really reminded*, and not just jargon.
We each are resilient human beings…..(ha! whether we want to be or not….we are definitely able resilient souls).
There will always be brighter days ahead…..
Also….
I’m reminded that healthy-loving-functional relationships always help lighten the heavy burdens of life.
It’s affirmative:
💕LOVE💕 is at the heart of “We Are Made Of Stars”.

Rochelle‘s dedication:
“This one’s for the readers. You make it all worthwhile”.
THANK YOU, Rochelle!!!
Right back at ya….
…..you add storytelling enjoyment with depth, purpose and meaning.
You, my friend, make it all worthwhile to read your books.

Meet the prime cast of characters in “We Are Made OF Stars”: [the bare-bone basics… just the tip of the iceberg info.]
….Jean Paul & Renee De La Rue (owners of Vis Ta Vie Inn:….an upscale luxurious mountain getaway retreat).
Jean-Paul De La Rue has outstanding culinary skills; he prepares all the meals. He and Renee turned their brainchild - years ago - into a charming Bread-n-Breakfast Inn in the rolling Hills of Vilas, North Carolina.
Jean-Paul and Renee carefully planned foods that facilitates connections “beyond manufactured personalities”.
“Renee’s superpower is stripping strangers of their facades, digging deep into their cores”.

….Cassidy Banks - single mother - and her fifteen-year-old daughter Rosalie (Rosie).
They don’t share the same closeness which Cassidy had shared with her own mother.
Cassidy wished she shared spa days and gym workouts with her daughter.
Rosalie is more a “Glam Goth Beauty”. She would rather keep her nose in a fantasy novel, closed off in her room with headphones. Rosalie is smart…..with a slight rebellious edge.
Cassidy has been raising her daughter alone. It’s not been easy. But they have an annual trip together, which is always non-negotiable.
Cassidy is a forty-four-year old woman who is “grossly underweight. Rosalie judges her mother for her determination to maintain her college weight, even if it kills her.
Cassidy thinks her daughter, Rosie has a rigid personality and an anemic social life.
She thinks Rosie’s purple hair, color is insubordinate. And that her achromatic choice of clothes might be a sign of depression.
Their mother-daughter conversations are often battlegrounds.
It puzzled Cassidy though when Rosalie apologized to her mother for making her come the inn—(with exceptional French food), when she knows her mother primarily only eats lettuce.
Rosalie herself is a great cook. She values masterful culinary creativity.

….Henry & Lucy Rose-Wall. This is their thirteenth annual getaway week at the Vis Ta Vie Inn.
Henry worked at Atlantis’s planetarium. His affinity for the galaxy is shared with Renee De La Rue. When Henry visits the resort year after year, he and Renee’ spend hours discussing the moon cycles.
For years, Henry tried to interest his wife, Lucy, with the rhythm of space, and the marvel of the infinite galaxy, but it was a language that was pretty much lost on her.
Lucy (Luce to Henry), was a therapist. Despite recent issues that Henry and Lucy had been having, Lucy was so beautiful that she was hard for Henry to resist.

….Adam & Sienna Kravitz. (Ken & Barbie beauties)
Adam and Sienna are Henry and Lucy’s closest friends since college days.
They’re practically family.
Adam is a sports agent. He always has tickets to the best sporting events. Lucy is a stay-at-home-mom.

….Leo & Penny Shay (Lucy is their daughter).
We learn about the complexity of Leo and Penny’s relationship from the first introduction of them.

The “extraordinary weeks” for the guests should be a sanctuary…..an escape from the pressures of life. A place to recharge. Reboot.
Jean-Paul is worried.
“Building a life around a passion for food, wine, and breathtaking scenery once seemed romantic. Creating a place to unplug and restore diminished reserves now feels terribly foolish”.
However…Simone, Jean-Paul’s niece announces the guests have arrived . . .

*Let the Games Begin* … or shall we day let the drama unfold….

Many universal themes are explored - told from multiple points of views.
There is love, loss, marriage, financial issues, parenting, withholds, secrets, misunderstandings, relationships tested, infertility, friendships, infidelity, betrayal, jealousy, eating disorders, addictions, injuries, celebrity status, etc.

…There are the beautiful surroundings…..
….There is scrumptious foods ….and wines …. and lovely hiking trails.
[a sample meal]:
….Salade d’endivrs au roquefort,
….Croque monsieur bites
….Roasted leg of lamb with brown butter and cauliflower cream for classic French jus
….Highbush blueberry clafoutis Veuve Clicquot champagne Chateau Pavie-Decesse Saint-Emilson

“Everyone at the inn has a past, a story. And when they gather, they become pieces of a puzzle, fitting together to make a much bigger picture”.

“Whatever reason guests landed at Vis Ta Vie—the decor, the beauty of the grounds, the food—the rare vulnerability felt in a private enclave . . . . *made magic*”.

…Beautiful writing….
….Thought-provoking storytelling ….
….Emotionally reflective
….Lessons and understanding and forgiving ….
….Completely enveloped and surrounded by love.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title.

This story is really layered with multiple POV's and multiple characters. Four different couples and a mother/daughter pair spend a week at an in inn notorious for reuniting people and healing what's been broken.
Throughout the week, the author examines all different dynamics of relationships highlighting opposite ends of the spectrum.

My favorite couple was Leo and Penny, a Hollywood couple who have been coming to the Inn for years. They find themselves entangled in a cheating scandal threatening to tear up their marriage. Years of love can be ruined by rumors, ill-timed pictures, and complacency.

The bottom line is that every relationship has its secrets and weaknesses. The week highlights the cracks in the relationships to allow reflection, healing, and moving forward.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. There's something special about Rochelle B Weinstein's writing and this is the cream of the crop! She has a way of interweaving a story that unfolds so intricately that you really don't see the connections coming...akin to how This is Us unfolds if you've ever watched the show. A group of strangers descend upon a bed and breakfast property for a week. They arrive with literal baggage of every kind - emotional, physical, etc. buttoned up, showing their good sides. By the end of the week, all secrets have been revealed and the group is bonded for life. I savored this one!

Thank you @getredprbooks and @rochelleweinstein for my #gifted copy of We Are Made of Stars! #wearemadeofstars #lakeunion #bookclubbooks #rochelleweinstein

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟓★

Rochelle Weinstein has written a beautiful novel about love, loss, and second chances. We Are Made of Stars follows eight guests, which include three couples and a mother and daughter duo over the course of a week at the beautiful Vis Ta Vie Inn. The Inn, which is owned by Reneé and Jean-Paul in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, which includes gourmet meals, offers guests an escape from reality for a week.

Over the week, secrets, regrets, and truths will revealed, and their lives intertwined in unexpected ways. Told through multiple points of views, I devoured this book. Not only did Weinstein create the perfect setting, but she created perfect characters that you could not help but feel so invested in as you read their stories. The character development in this book was unlike anything I’ve read before. When I first started, reading, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep track of all of the characters, but it was so easy with how well written and developed each character was, thanks to the strong writing skills of Weinstein! This was such a page turner but also one I just wanted to savor at the same time. Such a beautiful book with so many lovely messages. Rochelle Weinstein is such an amazing storyteller and this book was truly breathtaking.

Posted on Goodreads on February 5, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 6, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 25, 2025
**-will post on designated date

WE ARE MADE OF STARS by @rochellebweinstein was enchanting! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book follows Jean-Paul and Reneé at their remote inn through a week of entertaining guests. The character list is a motley crew including: Hollywood celebs, a mother daughter combo, a therapist , an astronomer, lawyer, sports agent and a stay at home mom! Each guest chose Vis Ta Vie Inn for their getaway week for various reasons. The common thread is that most are hiding a secret and are about to shock everyone as the the secrets unfold. Jean-Paul is just wanting an extraordinary week and he wish may come true.

This book had a amazing first and last line - it made me turn page after page as I tried to figure out how the stars all align! 🌟 Mixed in with the betrayal, regrets and truths you will find impeccable food and musical references.

Thank you Rochelle for sharing an ARC with Beyond The Pages - it’s on the move to the next impatient reader. This book is out February 25 but available today for Pre-order.

Can’t wait til February?!? Pick up What You Do to Me while you wait.

Secrets abound as a getaway for couples, and a mother daughter bring all this to a head. Secret agendas, secrets and grudges held!

As the week progresses, we learn more and more about the guests!

“We Are Made of Stars” takes place during a drama-filled week at a picturesque Inn where four best friends return to relive the good old days. They are joined by four strangers and all of them will become fast friends by the time the week is over. Who wouldn’t want to spend a week at “Vis Ta Vie”, a beautiful Inn deep in the North Carolina countryside? The name means “Live Your Life” which is what we all should do but sometimes things don’t turn out the way we planned. The guests will be enjoying delicious food, brisk hikes in the mountains and quiet nights looking up at the starry sky. Will they be able to forget about life for a while, or will the drama and heartbreak of reality be too much for them to deal with?

Ms.Weinstein’s characters spoke to me from the very first page and I wanted to know all about them; their secrets, their fears, their favorite songs, and whatever else they wanted to share. Sienna and Adam and Lucy and Henry had been friends since college, Cassidy and her daughter Rosalie (who has a great, big secret) arrived from Chicago, and Penny and Leo, who were married at the Inn 25 years ago, just wanted to enjoy the week without fighting. I held my breath as secrets were revealed, bonds were broken and hearts were shattered. I never knew what could possibly happen next, but what I did know was that I didn’t want the book to end. I read to escape so I can immerse myself in someone else’s life, while also visiting new places, and becoming part of the drama. These characters, with their complicated lives, certainly had me entertained, and isn’t that why we all read in the first place?

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for sending me this book for review. Opinions are mine.
“Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family.”
I love books that have an ensemble cast and that’s what Rochelle B. Weinstein has done here. This novel follows a cast of ten characters – the two owners and eight guests during a week at the Vis Ta Vie Inn in North Carolina.
Their guests include three couples in crisis: Hollywood celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
The owners of the Inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good.
The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths.
This is definitely a character-driven book with Rochelle Weinstein having written it from the point of view of six of the characters. It takes a minute to get all of the characters straight but she manages to create independent, well-defined individuals, and the book is better for seeing it through the eyes of multiple people. I love books set at hold estates and I enjoyed reading about the inn and of course the gourmet meals prepared by Jean-Paul, with the menu at the beginning of each day. This book definitely has some moments of sorrow as well so be prepared.
3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4

WE ARE MADE OF STARS by Rochelle B Weinstein (Out February 25th)

Oh, how I loved this book. It's my favorite one of hers yet!

Reneé and Jean-Paul’s bittersweet decision to close their inn sets the stage for a week full of drama, secrets, and surprising moments of connection.

From Hollywood stars on the verge of divorce to couples struggling to find their way back to each other, every relationship was compelling and layered. Even the side characters, like the teenage Rosalie, brought so much depth and heart to the story.
The characters felt so real, and I truly cared about each of their journeys.

What I loved most was the way this book explored love—not just the romantic kind but the messy, imperfect love that carries people through tough times. It’s heartfelt, emotional, and full of hope. If you enjoy character-driven stories about love and resilience, you’ll adore this one!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @amazonPublishing for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.