This book was a treat to read. A true beach read. Vivian Howe's life tragically ends abruptly but she is gifted the chance to nudge her loved ones from the afterlife. This story could've easily been very sad, but Hilderbrand managed to turn it into a tribute to Vivian's life without too much sadness.

Golden Girl was wonderful! It was completely different than any of Elin Hilderbrand's other books, but it was such a great story. Elin does a remarkable job every year when she writes about Nantucket. She allows the reader the opportunity to live vicariously through her books. The story, while angsty at times, was such a great read about families and their struggles when losing an important member. Watching the loved ones of the deceased family member is hard, but the main character gets to do that, right after the accident from the afterlife. If you love Elin Hilderbrand, you can't miss this one. If you haven't read Elin Hilderbrand before, I am so jealous, because you can start TODAY! Elin hit it out of the park with this one! Thank you Little, Brown and Company, NetGalley, and Elin Hilderbrand for an ARC of this book. My honest review was given in trade.

Remember the last book you read that you literally couldn’t put down? Well, clear your schedule because you’re going to feel the same way about GOLDEN GIRL by Elin Hildebrand.

This tale of a successful Nantucket based novelist who, while out for her usual morning jog, is hit by a car and killed - awakening to find herself in a “heaven of sorts” where her guardian angel provides her with 75 days to view the effect of her death on family and friends before she is required to “move on” to the next stage in her journey. Oh, and did I mention she also provided with three “nudges” that can be used to sway the outcome of certain events in the lives of her children and friends. (Decisions, decisions…….when to use those three nudges).

The result is an occasionally amusing and often poignant ride from this underrated and tremendously gifted storyteller as she rivets her readers from start to finish by providing a stunning reminder that life is precious and fragile and that while a single moment can forever alter multiple lives, she is also quick to show us that in this delicate balance…….there is always hope.

Elin HIlderbrand can do no wrong! I couldn't put this novel down as I was fully immersed with the Howe family. When Vivian Howe tragically dies, she has an afterlife experience that allows her to observe her family and friends from afar. There, she learns her family's secrets while her family discovers some new information about their mother. I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book!

Although a bit different feel than her other summer books, I absolutely loved this one. It follows the story after someone has passed- but gets the chance to watch their loved ones for a summer. Vivian learns lots of secrets her family has been keeping, while allowed to give some “nudges” to possibly change the outcomes of 3 situations.

I loved this one! It received 5 glowing stars from me! It had a completely unique concept that I’ve never read before! It contained elements of mystery, deception, the afterlife, and the unconditional love of a mother. I couldn’t wait to read what would happen next! I would highly recommend this one!

This might be my favorite of Elin Hilderbrand's books. Vivi is killed in a hit and run, but gets the summer to watch over her life and three nudges to change the course of events. I love how Nantucket is a character in Hilderbrand's novels.

Definitely one of Elin Hilderbrand's best books in a while! I have read quite a few of her novels and they all have just been OK for me but this one I enjoyed the characters, the plot and felt like it kept me interested enough until the end. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it felt too much like she was writing about herself since the main character was a novelist who wrote books set on Nantucket, she is divorced and has three kids - exactly like Elin. Obviously there are differences in the characters and Elin and some of the plot but it just felt a little funny to me knowing what I know about the author.

I know I’m in the minority with this one. Let me make it clear I love Elon Hilderbrand and 90% of her books, this just wasn’t one of them…
Golden Girl is a story that like most of Hildeebrand’s sweeps you away to the idyllic Nantucket Island and into the life of novelist Vivian Howe, a mother of three, who after being killed in a hit-and-run accident is given one last summer to watch over those she loves and granted three small nudges to alter events on earth before she must finally accept her fate and pass over to the other side.
The writing of this book was great and classic Hildebrand. My only issue is the story itself was not for me. I’m not one for super natural twists especially for a beach read like this. I struggled to get through it. Because of the fantasy factors I even had a hard time relating to the characters.
However if you are one who enjoys the added little sci for super natural in a book this one could very well be for you. It just wasn’t for me.

Once again, Elin Hilderbrand comes out with a must-read beach read. I think this will hit the sweet spot for many readers as a favorite summer read.

Vivian Howe, an accomplished Nantucket novelist, is hit by a car one morning while she’s out for her daily jog. The first person to stop and help is her son’s best friend and he traumatized by the event.

As Vivian dies, an angel named Martha is sent to greet her and educate her on what to expect. Martha tells Vivian she is allowed three nudges. Since Vivian left behind three adult children, she is very relieved about this and considers carefully how she can use these nudges to help her children.

Meanwhile the police chief is investigating the hit and run, but he is not convinced about the identity of the driver, so he continues to investigate until he’s on the right track.

As the story progresses, Vivian thinks back over her past and the mistakes she made and the pivotal moments of her life. One incident in particular has haunted her and with the help of Martha, Vivian can see how things have worked together for good, even though it did not seem so at the time.

As for her children, Vivian watches over them from above and learns that they will band together and each child will find their own way without her presence on earth. Letting go is hard, but the story handled the topic with such a positive and heartfelt vibe.

I loved this and read it while at the beach. Perfect story to read with you toes in the sand!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Co. for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

This was my first taste of Elin Hilderbrand and I was hooked from page 1. Good characters, fast paced engaging plot. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I will be reading more by this author, who I highly recommend.

Stancie Chamberlain

Elin is one of my go-tos and favourite summer reads. I look forward to her novels every summer. Though I can appreciate the reasoning and sentiment behind writing thisnone, it missed the mark for me. I found the plot to be a bit slow moving. The start of the book was a lot of "telling" or connecting pieces for the reader rather than allowing a story to unfold. I also thought that the novel touched on a lot of important topics (fertility issues, sexuality, race) that I wasn't expecting for a lighter summer read and thought it was too much or too lightly considered. Regardless, I'll continue reading her books but this one wasn't a favourite of mine.

Thanks to Little, Brown, and Company and NetGalley for an ARC of Golden Girl in exchange for my honest opinion. The first half of the book was a struggle for me to read, as supernatural elements and fake autobiographical content wasn't what I expected/wanted when I picked up the latest from Elin! But the second half picked up, and I found myself more invested in the characters and story. Overall, I would recommend it to others but with the caveat that it isn't the light, fun, typical beach read you may expect from Elin Hilderbrand!

It’s just not summer without a trip to Nantucket with a Elin Hilderbrand novel. As I sit here mopping my tears after finishing her newest novel Golden Girl, I'm reflecting over all the past summer novels that she has written and I have to say hands-down this is the best one. Vivi is a writer, a mom of three, who graduated college and created a life for herself on Nantucket. When she’s the victim of a hit and run, she has to watch everything from the “green room” in heaven as her children move on with their lives without her. She meets a person kind a like an angel that gives her three nudges to try to help her loved ones move in the right direction. Her family grows closer as her killer is revealed. It truly was one of her best books so far.

I received an advanced copy of Golden Girl from NetGalley and Elin Hilderbrand does it again. I enjoyed reading about Viv's family on the island of Nantucket. Viv is killed in an accident and the story proceeds as she "looks down" on her loved ones with the opportunity to give them a nudge to make sure they are making good choices for themselves. I thought it was a fun, summer read.

I absolutely loved this one. Elin Hilderbrand just served me a heaping dose of sorrow, heartbreak, discovery, love, and recovery. She has never let me down. I also noticed a few typos that I was sure would’ve been caught before publishing but when my pre-order arrived, they hadn’t been corrected.

As a fan of EH, I have read almost all of her books. This latest one is written from a very different perspective and it’s done quite well. As usual, EH keeps it moving and exciting. All the characters are likable. There is a nice undertone of humor throughout even though the overall situation is sad. There are some good plot twists and surprises here. This could be one of my favorite EH books so far!

What if you were able to watch the aftermath of your death? That’s just how the new novel from Elin Hilderbrand unfolds- famous author Vivian Howe is killed in a hit and run. She is given the summer to watch her family from the beyond to see how they manage their grief. This is a heart wrenching story I couldn’t put down. Perfect for long summer nights and book club conversations. A summer must read!

I always enjoy Hilderbrand’s books, but after reading the description of this one I began it with trepidation. While it seems like it will be a downer (it begins with the tragic death if the main character,) it was entertaining and contained all of the author’s normal themes: families, friendship and of course, life on Nantucket.

Vivi Howe is the queen of the beach reads. Her career and her life revolve around summer, specifically summer on Nantucket. And it was a summer morning, just a month away from the launch of her next book when Vivi is hit by a car and killed. Vivi spends the next three months watching her three kids from the "beyond." She gets to watch them until Labor Day and gets three "nudges" that she can give if she finds them steering off course. Leo is her youngest, a recent high school graduate. Carson is the middle child and struggling to find her place in life. Willa is the oldest, and the most settled of Vivi's three children. Willa is recently married and trying hard to start her own family. All three kids are struggling with Vivi's death, but it is Willa who reaches out to a poster on Vivi's memorial page who says that he was Vivi's high school boyfriend. Willa discovers that their mother had an entire life that they knew nothing about. Will the kids be okay and find their way without Vivi?



Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of the beach reads. Her career centers on summers on Nantucket. So it was fun to see that the main character of Golden Girl is also an author. I am not sure how much of it was autobiographical, but Vivi Howe seems to have elements of the life I imagine that EH leads. It was easy to like Vivi, even though she had not led a perfect life. And it was easy to like her kids, in all of their destructive grief. Her ex was an ass, though. And I am glad that he was her ex. I wasn't all that shocked by the big revelation in the end. I had it figured out fairly early on - both of the twists - but it was nice to get the confirmation that I was right. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS



Bottom Line -To me, there are some things that just define summer. Watermelon, baseball, and Elin Hilderbrand novels. I know EH isn't planning on writing books forever, but as long as she publishes her writing, I will read it.



Details:

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
On Twitter
Pages: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Publication Date: 6/1/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the free book in exchange for an honest review.