The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
How would you rate the story of your life? What grade would you give those you’ve met, loved, and lost? In her latest novel, The Five-Star Weekend (Back Bay Books), author Elin Hilderbrand explores how our friendships shape the lives we live, the people we become and the effect they have on our capacity to forgive.
Hollis Shaw has the perfect life. As a successful food blogger and surgeon’s wife, she’s part of society’s upper echelon, a place where she always wanted to be. But, after her husband, Matthew, dies in a car accident and Hollis replays their last argument, she has no choice but to face the truth. Admitting their marriage was strained isn’t easy, but neither is trying to connect with a daughter who is just as broken as she is.
Seven months later, lost and hurting, Hollis takes a break from blogging and returns to First Light, the Shaw family summer home on Nantucket. But First Light isn’t just a vacation home. It’s also where Hollis grew up and where she formed the bonds that she thought would last a lifetime. Now, with her husband gone and her daughter, Caroline, not speaking to her, Hollis devises a plan to lift her out of her depressive funk. The solution? A Five-Star weekend on her favorite island with friends from each phase of her life. What could be better than being surrounded by the women that know her best?
With the best of intentions, Hollis sets out to create a superior, high-quality experience that nobody will ever forget. She invites Tatum, a friend from childhood and surrogate sister, Dru-Ann, a high-powered sports agent and partner-in-crime from her college days, and Brooke, an enthusiastic mother-of-two from her present life. Hollis even invites Gigi, a stranger but also a recent confidant she met through her website. When Caroline, a film student at NYU, agrees to join them and film the weekend for her mother’s website, Hollis is sure it will be a first-rate weekend.
Who knew that being in the lap of luxury could be so … uncomfortable? Hollis is always prepared, but not even she could have predicted all the twists and turns the weekend would take. Can she find common ground with an old friend awaiting news concerning a health scare? What about helping Tatum and Dru-Ann make amends after years of bickering? Will Brooke ever come to terms with her insecurities, and will her daughter finally stop using her as a punching bag? The only one that’s drama-free is Gigi, but even she seems like she’s hiding something.
When her first love from high school suddenly makes an appearance, Hollis wonders if she’ll have to come up with her own rating-system for the weekend. Will they all make it through unscathed, or is The Five-Star Weekend already beyond saving?
This wasn’t my first Hilderbrand novel, and it certainly won’t be the last. Hilderbrand’s recipe is simple, but with a unique flavor profile that always leaves you wanting more. She infuses her characters with only the best ingredients, showcasing their boldness and bringing them to life as they navigate the conflict.
Told through alternating points of view, Hilderbrand shares each woman’s story in a manner that’s both intriguing and engrossing. You’ll be encouraged rather than discouraged by the switch and anticipate the moments she weaves their thoughts together as readily as you would a gift under the tree on Christmas morning. I loved that Hollis Shaw wasn’t the only character I rooted for and had no problem letting the Fab Five lead me through their own journeys of self-discovery. Each woman had her own challenge to overcome, and I appreciated their flaws just as much as their strengths. There’s something oh-so-satisfying about relating to real characters that makes you ask yourself, “What would I do?”
I know what you should do. Cleanse your palate this summer with Hilderbrand’s latest hit. While you’re at it, give yourself a little five-star treatment all your own and wash it down with a glass of Prosecco on the beach.
Hollis Shaw would want you to.
Publish Date: June 13, 2023
Genre: Fiction
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Page Count: 384 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 9780316258777
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