I love Elin Hilderbrand books! Look forward each summer reading the latest edition.
Thank you for the early copy.
Sad this may be the last one but look forward to her work with her daughter.

While this book started out slow while we learned about each of the five stars/friends. I loved that Hollis appeared to be the main character but it was all the women and their stories/drama that really had the most impact. I loved this book, a perfect summer read.

Instant Elin Hilderbrand classic. I loved everything about this book. It felt like a great summer beach read with substance, great developed characters and lots of twists and turns. Hilderbrand always does a great job of interviewing the story with each characters perspective and this one does not disappoint. Our "main" character Hollis is a food and lifestyle blogger and I could picture several people I follow being her. She invites women from different stages of her life to celebrate a weekend of friendship and each character is quirky, flawed and fabulous in their own way. If you love other Hilderbrand books you will love this one, and even if you have never read anything by her before I think this would be a great first taste.

A summer tradition-- can't believe this is her next to last Nantucket novel. I enjoyed this one given my husband is from Wellesley where most of the off-Nantucket action takes place. Otherwise it wasn't in my top 5 of hers but still delightful!
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy.

I have read several of Elin Hilderbrand’s books over the years. A few things that I have come to rely upon when I read one of Elin’s books is that they will transport me to a place that entertains, provides me with some drama and intersperses me among characters that I can escape with. I love that her books are set in picturesque Nantucket. The Five-Star Weekend was no exception. As soon as I began reading The Five-Star Weekend, I was whisked into Hollis Shaw’s life. I found myself transported into her everyday life. That included her interactions with her devoted followers from her food blog, Hungry with Hollis, the drama in her life that included her turbulent marriage with husband, Matthew, a prominent and respected heart surgeon who had been at her side for so many years, her relationship with her impressionable young adult daughter, Caroline and just her life in general.

Hollis’s and Matthew’s marriage had been in a rut for some time. They seemed to be more like roommates than husband and wife. Somehow the magic had disappeared from their marriage and their relationship. Matthew was traveling a great deal and even when he was home Hollis and Matthew seemed to avoid each other. It was winter around holiday time and Hollis was planning their annual holiday party. Matthew informed Hollis that he would not be back in time for the party. He was traveling again. Harsh words were exchanged by both Hollis and Matthew before he closed the front door and headed to his car. Matthew’s last words to Hollis were, “You’ve changed. We’ve changed.” Hollis was still repeating that sentiment when the bell at the front door rang. She was positive that Matthew had returned to say he was sorry and that he would make sure he was home for their party but standing in front of Hollis were two policemen. Hollis was about to receive the worst news of her life. The policemen informed Hollis that Matthew had been in a fatal car accident. His car had hit a mother deer and her baby. Matthew had died instantly. Hollis became a widow that fateful day. She was so distraught that their last words they spoke to one another were in anger.

When Hollis informed her followers of Hungry with Hollis that she would be stepping back for an extended period of time so she could mourn her husband’s death, one of her followers told her about how she hosted something called a “five-star weekend” and how it had helped her come to terms with her grief and how to proceed with the rest of her life. Hollis decided that that was what she would do. She would host a “five-star weekend “ in Nantucket at her home. Hollis would include a friend from every stage of her life. Tatum would represent her childhood friend, Dru-Ann, her college roommate would represent her college years, Brooke would represent the friend during the years she raised her daughter and lived in Wellesley and Gigi would represent her newest friend from her blog who had been there for Hollis when she needed someone to talk to. Hollis also decided to invite her daughter, Caroline, to film the weekend. Her ultimate goal for the “five star weekend” was for it to help Hollis through her grief of loosing Matthew. What better way than to be surrounded by your oldest, most devoted, and cherished friends! Needless to say, Hollis’s carefully planned weekend did not go exactly as planned. What would transpire? Be prepared for surprises and unexpected secrets.

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand was delightful and entertaining from start to finish. I enjoyed the relationships Hollis and her friends had forged. All the characters made me feel like I was included in their special weekend with Hollis. I loved all the yummy food that was mentioned throughout the book. The Five-Star Weekend could be your next beach read or just a moving yet fun book for now. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for allowing me to read The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the story of a food blogger in her 50s who finds herself at a crossroads in life, and is invited to host a Five Star Weekend: the host plus four friends, one from each significant era of her life. They all come together for an eventful weekend full of crises and drama and friendship. This Hilderbrand, perhaps even more than her others, had such a strong sense of place.

This book was a 5 star read! I loved everything about this one. Elin has a way of writing that takes you right into the book and makes you feel as though you're part of these character's lives and living the story with them. Yes, her books often make great beach reads, but honestly they are so much more than that. This book is no exception and honestly moved towards the top of the list of my favorites by the author. Pick this up, and you won't be disappointed.

Elin Hilderbrand has done it again! With her 29th novel, The Five-Star Weekend, she has crafted yet another beautifully layered story that will captivate her readers.

Set on Nantucket, the story follows Hollis Shaw, a popular food blogger, who seems to have a perfect life. It's a facade though & when her husband is killed in a car accident, the cracks begin to show. Hollis finds herself lost in her grief & in an effort to get herself back on track, she decides to host a "Five Star Weekend." The idea of the weekend is to bring together all her best friends, past & present, and host an unforgettable weekend retreat for them all.

The weekend's attendees are Tatum, Hollis' childhood best friend; DruAnn, her bestie from college; Brooke, someone she was close to in her 30s, and Gigi, an internet friend who Hollis has actually never met in person before. The final attendee is Caroline, Hollis' estranged daughter. Hollis has hired her to document the five-star weekend, but is also hoping that this will be an opportunity to heal the rift between them.

The story is presented from the perspective of everyone there and I loved getting their inner thoughts as they all descended on Nantucket. It was clear each woman is struggling in her own way and that they weren’t sure what to expect from this getaway. These characters were all so well developed that it was easy to become invested in each of them.

The weekend itself was captivating as well. On the one hand, it has this nostalgic vibe as Hollis renews her friendships with these women, but then there are also some dramatic moments as old grievances are aired and secrets from the recent past surface. The weekend doesn't play out at all like Hollis expected, but it still ends up being unforgettable.

The Five-Star Weekend is an incredibly moving story about friendship and second chances, and it's also a journey of self discovery. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an engrossing beach read.

Ok so typically I am a mega fan of Elin Hilderbrand. I am extremely upset to say that this one however did not land for me. Now, there were moments that she gave me just enough to keep going but I felt like there was so much “pop culture” that it wasn’t genuine anymore. It was like it was trying too hard. There were some atmospheric moments where she captures Nantucket beautifully. I was interested in the storyline of GiGi but a lot of it was unnecessary. I truly hope this doesn’t go down as her last novel. I am appreciative to the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

It’s just not summer until I’ve read the latest Ein Hildebrand novel. There’s no better way to start the summer than beach or poolside with one of her books. The Five-Star Weekend got off to a rough start, but as I turned the pages, the book just picked up steam until the very end.

Hollis Shaw grew up in Nantucket, went off to college and only returned as a summer visitor. She meets her husband soon after college, they marry and have a daughter, Caroline. As Caroline grows older, Hollis starts a food blog and it really takes off. So much so, that her husband and daughter grow to resent it.

Then tragedy strikes, causing Hollis to rethink her entire life. She decides to have a girl’s weekend and invites a best friend from each era of her life. She includes Caroline to come along and document the weekend through photographs and film.

What makes this story pop is the fact that each woman who attends is bringing some drama along. Add to that, the fact that some of the women do not like each other. I was a bit skeptical of this at first, but things come together in a realistic and unique way.

By the end of the weekend some relationships have improved, some new friendships have been made and some old friendships have been renewed. Forgiveness is a major theme in the story and I just loved how each woman brought something uniques to the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to offer my honest review and recommend this to readers.

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand did not disappoint! This author does such a fabulous job of setting the scenery and engulfing you into the story. I mean, is it really summer if you haven't read her books! The notion of bringing together friends from various decades of your life and planning some intentional time together. Talk about a blast from the past meets your present and future self. I always look forward to this author and can't wait for more from her!

Another outstanding book from Elin Hilderbrand. It is an amazing story about women, friendships and confrontations that grip you so much that you don't want to put the book down. So many emotions run rampant throughout this book, love, envy, jealousy, loyalty, but most of all it has the overall theme of enduring friendships. This is a must read this summer at the beach.

From the outside, Hollis Shaw’s life looks perfect, as she is the successful curator of a food blog, her husband Matthew is a heart surgeon and she has a beautiful home on Nantucket. But when she and Matthew have a fight then he dies tragically in an accident, she is forced to reexamine her life. She reads of a concept called “the five star weekend” and decides to gather four friends - one from each stage of her life - together.

Elin’s books are the quintessential summer reads to me! The setting of Nantucket always plays such a heavy role and makes me wish I was at the beach. I loved the concept of a “five star weekend”, and it was amusing to see some of the drama amongst the women. Though not the perfect Hallmark-type reunion Hollis is envisioning, each of the women learned about each other and themselves. This would be a great vacation read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC! This book releases June 13, 2023.

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Her best since 28 Summers. Fun, thought provoking, interesting. Perfect for the beach...not too long or too heavy. The "ensemble cast" made this one feel like a good series to watch as well as read!

Five Stars for Five-Star Weekend! Loved Elin Hildebrand's latest novel and its twists that I was not expecting throughout! Each character's story is so well-developed that I felt invested in each one of them. Excellent read!

This is another great beach read from Elin Hilderbrand. Are you looking for an escape into other people's lives that are more complicated than yours? Pick up this book. The storyline is fun- a weekend with 5 people from the various stages of your life, from high school to the current decade. The characters are unique and each brings their own drama to the party. Hollis is the star of the show but I loved that her daughter Caroline's viewpoint was part of the story. I loved the details of the cottage and the food! Can we please get some of the recipes, Elin? Recommended for a fun, relaxing read.

Not my favorite of Elin's. I feel like there was a ton of build up for conflict, but then there just was no conflict or problem. I guess that is the point of the story, but it feels like these characters were built up to sustain and respond to major conflict, but that just did not happen in this story. Feel good, but not my favorite.

Hilderbrand is the queen of beach reads! I love the storyline of this book! If you are looking for a summer read, check out The Five-Star Weekend!

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting plot bringing together five friends from each fragment of her life. Childhood, college, middle age. I liked each of the characters and getting a good glimpse of their lives outside of the weekend away.

This is only my second Hilderbrand read. I am so glad to know that I can count on her to provide friendship, love and self-discovery in Nantucket.

Synopsis: Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The Five-Star Weekend is your perfect beach read. It’s full of friendship drama, social media surprises, and relationships. Hilderbrand’s story is set in a place where we can feel the warmth of the sun and hear the sounds of the ocean. The descriptions of fabulous food, lots of booze, and a beautiful setting make you yearn to be in Nantucket.

Hilderbrand addresses several contemporary themes: cancel culture, influencer lifestyles, and the nature of grief. Her characters are flawed. They don't always make the right decisions and Some do less-than-wonderful things. Each one is facing a challenge: money, career or relationship. And yet, despite the drama and conflicts, you can count on things ending well.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for sharing Elin Hilderbrand’s story filled with characters you will love, some you will hate, and others you will cheer on to victory.