This author writes books that really pull you in and pull at your heartstrings. They usually have all the feels included too. This one is no different and is possibly her best to date. I thoroughly enjoyed "Somebody's Daughter" and "This Is Not How It Ends." I look forward to reading quite a few more.

Jean-Paul and Renee own the Inn.
Penny and Leo, Leo is an actor. They are headed for divorce over something with another woman. Leo swears he is innocent,
Cassidy and her daughter Rosalie. I loved Rosalie more than any other character. He just touched my heart. Rosalie has a big secret she needs to share with her mother.
Henry is married to Lucy. Henry has secrets but he has no idea how much they affect it will have on Jean-Paul and Renee. Lucy has a huge secret.
Adam and Sienna are married. Adam has done something bad but he doesn't want anyone to ever know.
Lucy and Sienna have been best friends for a very long time.

There are three couples and a mother/daughter along with the Inn owners. The story is told by each person. The couples have a few secrets they are not really wanting to share. While two of the couples are best friends they still won't share some of their secrets. But you can bet they are revealed. And things take a big turn.

Things are revealed that will cause breakups. Other things will make some think about how important their life together really is. Is it worth fighting for? A lot is going on and it makes this story so good. Nothing is hard to follow and the story flows along at a good pace. You get to know each character and how they feel about things. There was only one that I honestly hated from the start and one that never grew on me. Adam bragged to much and Cassidy was not a good mother. I guess she may have grown on me a tiny bit but I still didn't much like her.

This book hits on subjects that may be a little hard. The loss of a child. Miscarriage. Drugs and alcohol. Divorce. Reconciliation. And a few more things. It's truly such a good book. From the very start to the very last word I was hooked. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnionPublishing, for this ARC.

Book review: 4.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: contemporary fiction
Themes: enduring love, betrayal, secrets and lies, bonds that burn like the stars
📖 Read if you like: Pineapple Street, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe

“We promise to peel onions, literal and figurative, while creative connections and reflection.”

Happy Pub day to this true star of modern storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

This book made me hungry. Hallmarking the days at Vis Ta Vie with the daily menu was a clever day to whet our appetites for all the drama the day would bring. It also just gave me some ideas on dishes I wanted to make. I enjoyed that food and dining together was a part of this journey as 5 pairs of couples, friends, lovers and family are brought together at a quaint little inn in the mountains.

The De La Rues are the sweet owners of the inn, but are facing financial ruin after an erroneous choice. A Hollywood couple separated after a tabloid incident and deciding on a divorce. A therapist and astronomer who no longer know how to communicate in the wake of a family tear. A seemingly perfect couple who care more about how their relationship looks than the relationship itself. And a self-absorbed mother and surly goth daughter who couldn’t be more different than day and night. For one week the De La Rues together with their photographer niece will host these eight guests and what will be served is far more than anyone expected.

Brimming with unsaid things these relationships will all undergo their own Tasmania devil when secrets are revealed and each must choose whether their stars will die or if they will find each other again in the darkness. It was the quintessential dinner party gone awry with drama soaked wine spilling from lips and glasses alike. Although most of the revelations could be easily spotted, I could not get enough of the journey!

I liked all the little facts about space as an analogy to life and relationships. It was also interesting to have so many flawed and unlikeable people together with those that are charming, but equally faulted. Imperfect people worthy of second chances. It felt relatable and raw with characters I really felt like I knew.

All the little hurts and trauma that turn normal people into monsters if only for a moment. Full of betrayals, regrets and unexpected surprises it was a heart breaking and heart healing read. An ode to love when all the light has seemingly faded. Like one long therapy session this was both thoughtful and uncomfortable, but with the power to change perspectives.

Beautifully written novel with an ensemble of interesting and unique characters. Set in a small bed and breakfast, run by Renee and Jean Paul, three couples and a mother and daughter arrive to spend a week that will end up impacting all their futures. Between lies, betrayals, secrets and the challenges of life, every character will undergo some kind of emotional journey. I definitely recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love a book that pairs a great story and interesting characters along with gourmet meals and menus that feature the best of haute cuisine. WE ARE MADE OF STARS by Rochelle B. Weinstein is just such a novel.

Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue are ready to host one more culinary-centered weekend before they must close their quaint inn. Their final group of guests includes three unique couples and a mother and daughter in need of relationship counseling. Throughout the story, and often after a few glasses of wine, secrets are revealed and a flame of romance is relit. In the passing of the week, their lives become interwoven with some unexpected results. I loved meeting these characters, each with his or her flaw.

This is my first time reading a book by Rochelle Weinstein, but I love how she draws her readers with the drama among her characters and the way the tension grows as the story progresses. Readers are given a front row seat at what occurs behind closed doors. This is a good, strong, and interesting story.

She is definitely one of my favorite authors and this book was no different. I absolutely loved every second of it! I highly recommend it to everyone!

We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle Weinstein is a story of love, loss, betrayal, secrets, lies and second chances that takes place at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family. This story is told from multiple viewpoints with all of the various couples at the inn being represented with a POV from either one or both of them. The beautiful Vis Ta Vie Inn is the powerful setting for the diverse cast of characters whose goal is to leave the pressures of their real lives behind for a week.

With shocking truths and in-depth characters, the mysteriousness of the secrets each person was keeping was explored: marriage, infidelity, parenting, paternity, regret, and the price tag of celebrity. The week would test their relationships as they seek truth, get past grudges, trust issues and tragedy. Magic happens at the Vis Ta Vie Inn through the food, wine, togetherness, and ultimately, love. The way that this all came together kept me completely engaged, guessing at the outcomes, and highly invested in every character.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #LakeUnion #WeAreMadeofStars

This is a powerful read and great exploration of relationships and the idea of hopes and expectations for self and others. I was easily engrossed in the story and writing… waiting to see how each person might grow and where the plot would take me. I loved the characters and the idea of escaping the world for a bit in order to figure some stuff out. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family…”

Truthfully, my level of distraction in this endless January has not been good for my reading life. Yet, I opened We Are Made of Stars and found an escape. If that’s not literary magic, I’m not sure what is!

You’ve heard of locked room plots, and this is similar though a drama, rather than mystery. Jean-Paul and Reneé run a boutique inn, Vis Ta Vie, known for bringing people together with excellent food and wine, in a beautiful North Carolina setting. On what will be the final week of their ownership, three couples and a mother daughter pair arrive as guests.

Over the course of a week, relationships are tested, secrets revealed, and bonds are formed and broken. The way that this all came together kept me completely engaged, guessing at the outcomes, and highly invested in every character (well, except one - when you read this, you’ll know!). This would make an excellent book club selection!

CR:
ED, infidelity, child neglect, financial loss, death of a child (in past), infertility, serious accident/injury

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC***

I read this one within a day. I was invested from the first few pages and was genuinely curious about how the interwoven stories would tie together in the end. If you think you know, you don’t. Each character was intriguing for different reasons. I loved the fact that Lucy was a therapist. As a former therapist, her character was written well and her depiction as a therapist with both her “professional speak”, conversation and way of relating rang true to me. Nothing is more annoying than reading a novel or watching a show depicting a therapist whereby I spend the entire time thinking that, “this would never happen”. There were aspects of the storyline that were almost too far-fetched for me but I chose to play along. Solid 4.5 stars. This was a quick read but that doesn’t mean that it lacks depth. There was depth and this is certainly worth the read.

BOOK: We Are Made of Stars
AUTHOR: Rochelle B. Weinstein
PUB DATE: TODAY!! February 25, 2025, by Lake Union Publishing
PAGES: 363
RATING: 5 stars
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

A H U G E Thank You to @netgalley, @LakeUnionPublishing, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!

MEMORABLE QUOTE: “Henry’s describing the universe as a metaphor for life, how we’re all made of stars and an energy that pulls us near and far, how the final frontier means possibility, facing the unknown.”

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I devoured this advanced reader’s copy just as I would have devoured the delectable, 4-course daily menus mentioned at the beginning of chapters! I appreciated the world-building of the characters as well as the author’s descriptive writing style. This one will tug at your heartstrings as it focuses on love and family. This was my first book by Rochelle B. Weinstein, and it won’t be the last. It was captivating from beginning to end!

Thank you @getredprbooks @lakeunionpublishing @netgalley and @rochellebweinstein
for the #gifted book.

"The stars are dreams and goals, and the constellations are the connections that shape our story."

WE ARE MADE OF STARS is a beautifully written character driven story that took place over one week at the Vis Ta Vie Inn - "Live Your Life". Told in multiple POV we get to know each of the characters. There are secrets, lies, betrays and each is struggling with relationships. I was invested in these characters as they became friends and found family and loved how their lives intertwined at the end.

Each day is started by the menu for the day. The Inn is a place I would like to visit. The food, the beautiful mountain hikes, waterfalls and quiet starry nights. This book gave me all the feels and the shocking twists kept me turning the pages. I didn't want this story to end because I wanted to spend more time with these characters. WE ARE MADE OF STARS has become my favorite book by Rochelle. If you like character driven stories filled with heartbreak and drama, then you will live WE ARE MADE OF STARS.

This is a well written literary novel that puts 8 people together in an inn for one week, all of whom have secrets and all of whom are good people trying to do better despite the challenges life throws at them. It is enjoyable and fast paced and I recommend it for fans of the White Lotus (although these characters are much better behaved!). Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

White Lotus meets Nine Perfect Strangers, this novel focuses on the complexity of relationships - between partners, between friends, between family.

In a week at a beautiful b&b (named Vis Ta Vie) in mountains of North Carolina, secrets are exposed, revelations come forward, and the lives of ten people are changed forever.

Rochelle perfectly captures what it means to be human. All of the characters are flawed, but working towards being the best version of themselves. The pacing is just right, with each perspective switch giving you a further glance “behind the curtain” and into the characters’ hearts.

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 love a story with a large cast of characters and I also love foodie fiction and this had both, a total win for me! Despite so many characters each one had a distinct voice and was very well developed, some I loved some not so much but they all felt authentic and well drawn. The inn itself sounded so quaint and charming and the food descriptions made me wanna head there asap, everything sounded incredible. This is quite the mix of genres, there’s something for everyone and my favorite part was the mystery element as you realized just about everyone is protecting a secret. There were so many shocking surprises, I love a juicy secret, so this was a blast! Try this if you like family drama, sordid secrets and excellent writing.

I love Rochelle Weinstein books and this one is a 5-star read. So many twists and turns that I absolutely loved.

Rochelle B. Weinstein writes beautifully. For me, there were a few too many storylines in this one and I didn't feel like they were distinct enough. There is weight to the stories and while I didn't necessarily feel like I got to know each of the characters as much as I liked, I thought they were interesting.

In her latest novel, "We Are Made of Star", Rochelle B. Weinstein takes us to the picturesque mountain retreat of the Vis Ta Vie Inn, run by Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue. The couple faces the difficult decision of permanently closing their beloved bed and breakfast. Over a pivotal week, the inn hosts three couples in crisis and a single mother with her teenage daughter, each struggling with their personal challenges.
Weinstein explores themes of love, loss, betrayal, and second chances. Each character embarks on a journey of self-discovery, highlighting how relationships can evolve and heal through understanding and forgiveness.

The characters are crafted with depth and authenticity. Their stories intertwine organically, creating a rich and engaging narrative. Weinstein's writing is fluid and captivating, with vivid descriptions that transport the reader to the heart of the North Carolina mountains. The third-person perspective provides a comprehensive view of the interpersonal dynamics, allowing readers to connect emotionally with each character.

"We Are Made of Stars" is a novel that sensitively explores the complexities of human relationships and personal struggles. Rochelle B. Weinstein delivers a compelling story that invites reflection on love, forgiveness, and resilience. This book is recommended for those who enjoy emotionally rich narratives set in evocative landscapes.

This book deserves all the stars in the sky. I felt everything and cried so many happy tears. I wish I could read it again for the first time, but I'm glad I have a copy to reread whenever life gets to be a little too much. It's about choosing love and trusting yourself and your loved ones. It's about forgiveness, understanding, compassion, empathy, and grace. It's about found family and creating your circle of love. It's about finding the beauty in life and dancing in the rain. The audiobook is phenomenal and I loved every minute of it. Shine bright.

What an emotional rollercoaster!
This story made me think about love, relationships, and how even when things fall apart, there’s always a chance to find healing. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you finish.
Definitely worth the read if you're into deep, character-driven stories.

I LOVED "We Are Made of Stars" by Rochelle B. Weinstein! a wonderful novel about a group of people at a luxury retreat, supporting each other as well as experiencing trauma, betrayal, health scares, financial ruin and relationships. Just excellent! Thank you NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.