The 5 Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
The 5 Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand was so good! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it at first after I read the summary. I thought it would be too sad with Hollis mourning her husband. But I’m glad I decided to give it a go. I listened to the audiobook and it was a delightful book to listen to during the last few weeks of Summer.
What is the 5 Star Weekend about?
The 5 Star Weekend is about Hollis Shaw, the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis who seemingly has a perfect life. She shares her home in Nantucket with her husband Matthew (a dreamy heart surgeon) and Caroline (her film-student daughter). On one snowy morning she and her husband get into a heated argument before he heads out to work. But then tragedy strikes. Hollis Shaw’s life changes completely when she finds out that her husband was in a fatal car accident.
Her social media and blog go dark as Hollis takes the time to grieve. But after taking time, she returns to her blog with a plan to help her cherish all of her best girl friends. She’ll host a 5 Star Weekend at her home in Nantucket. It will be an unforgettable weekend of good food, good wine, and great friends.
The rules are simple. She’ll invite one best friend from each decade of her life so far. First is Tatum, Hollis’s friend from when she was a teenager. The two of them grew up together and spent a lot of time together with their high school boyfriends. Then there’s Dru-Ann, her college roommate. Dru-Ann and Tatum may have some tension between them because of things that happened in the past, but surely they can put that aside for a weekend.
Then there’s Brooke.who she met when her daughter Caroline was younger because their kids went to school together. And finaly, there’s Gigi. Hollis has been corresponding with her, ever since Gigi first commented on her blog. She invites her on whim and everyone is immediately taken with her.
But Gigi has secrets. And as Hollis tries to get the women from the different phases of her life to get along and have fun together, she realizes this weekend may be more than she bargained for.
Who is Elin Hilderbrand?
Elin Hilderbrand is the author of many beach reads that take place in Nantucket. She is also the author of The Hotel Nantucket, which I wrote about on the blog here. Her stories are always about a woman who is going through an issue, and who has to work to solve it throughout the story. Part of the charm of her books is her depictions of island life. I love reading about the different restaurants and places to go on Nantucket. She always has amazing food descriptions and The 5 Star Weekend is no exception. Food blogger Hollis Shaw puts on quite the spread for her guests throughout The 5 Star Weekend.
What did I like about The 5 Star Weekend?
A big part of the story is Hollis moving on after her husband’s death. All of Hollis’s friends are going through something personally during the 5 star weekend. Tatum is going through a health scare. Dru-Ann’s career is in trouble, thanks to some things she has said. Brooke’s husband is just basically awful to her. And Gigi is more secretive, but she has her own issue that she’s working through.
After Matthew’s death, Hollis took her time to grieve her husband. But during the 5 star weekend, Hollis’s first love makes a reappearance in her life. Although female friendship is the main focus of the story, it was cute to read about Hollis talking again with her high school boyfriend.
What didn’t I like about The 5 Star Weekend?
Nothing, really. Some of the characters were more likable than others, but Hilderbrand has this way of writing realistically. Even if I don’t like someone (and let’s be honest… I’m talking about Brooke lol) I still feel for them, because of their back story and what they are currently going through.
Longtime fans will know what I’m talking about!
It’s very fun to read about a Blogger!
I love blogs. I’ve been reading them regularly since I was in college. I also spend a lot of time on Pinterest, looking up recipes on food blogs. So I immediately liked Hollis. The idea of her hosting a a dreamy Nantucket house party seemed like an idyllic weekend. I loved imagining Hollis’ website and it was especially cool how Hollis befriended one of her readers and invited her to come join in the party.
The Relationship between Hollis and Caroline was Realistic
A lot of books and movies like to depict perfect relationships between mothers and daughters, but that is so unrealistic. Mothers and daughters often have conflict, and Hollis and Caroline are no exception. I did think Caroline was too hard on her mother, but at the same time… she was grieving. Hollis was working to move on from her dead husband, but Caroline had lost her dad. Those are both very difficult things to go through.
Would I Recommend The 5 Star Weekend?
Of course! To be honest, this is on of my favorite of Elin Hilderbrand’s books. Hollis is a really interesting character and although the story is filled with a lot of emotional drama, it is also filled with a great deal of fun. The different women (from different walks of life) in the story make for some very interesting dialogue between characters.
Elin Hilderbrand has had a successful career publishing these stories because they are the kinds of books that women want to read. Whether she’s writing about second chances, a girls’ weekend, college friends, or other situations, she knows how to write a fun-filled summer story with an interesting plot and great character development.
I hope you enjoyed today’s book review. I tried to be vague with some of my descriptions because there are twists in this story that you won’t want ruined for you! All in all it was a great story about friendship and moving on and finding love again. I know I’ll want to read it again soon.
xo Marian
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