The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

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My first foray into Elin Hilderbrand's sunshiny Nantucket-based novels was Barefoot. This was her sixth novel, and I loved it so much that I read the previous 5 backlist titles. Since then, she's written 19 other novels. Among my favorites are The Castaways and 28 Summers.

The Five-Star Weekend is an event born out of a tragedy. Hollis Shaw suddenly loses her husband Matthew, and in spite of this tragedy, she finds something called the "Five-Star Weekend." Hollis is a popular food blogger, so she knows a thing or two about five-star food and entertainment. She invites one friend from every stage of her life: Tatum, her childhood best friend; Dru-Ann, her college roommate; Brooke, her fellow busy mom; and Gigi, a new friend she has connected with on her site.

Anyone who's ever read an EH book knows there will be tons of Nantucket name-dropping. Businesses, restaurants, etc. Descriptions of the island itself that would make any beachgoer swoon. And the FOOD descriptions. They are beyond mouthwatering—I need the recipe for the bacon and rosemary pecans ASAP! My favorite part of any book, however, is the connections between the characters. We certainly take a dive into the history Hollis has with each of her friends, and we combat some roadblocks along the way. Each character is struggling, and EH isn't afraid to touch sensitive topics like sexuality, cancer, death, betrayal, cheating, and even identity.

I loved this book simply for the reason that it was entertaining and delicious from start to finish. The female friendships, the food, and the character development—all of it was spot-on.

While EH has recently decided to retire from writing, I will certainly miss looking forward to a new beach book each summer. Nantucket climbs higher and higher on my bucket list every time I read these books! I am so ready for summer!

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