I'd say 3.5 stars actually. I let it be 4 stars based on the home girl aspect - the protagonists grew up on the Main Line and there were a lot of fun references to the area. But the main character of Meredith was pretty unsympathetic and cartoonish IMHO. She's portrayed as very intelligent (Princ...
Far too much jumping around between too many story lines and no solid development of relationships within the story. A taste of this and a taste of that but no real feel for or personal connection anyone in the book. I feel like the story line itself was engaging. But I never really knew anyone ...
It was hard to love any of the characters in this book because they all had so many flaws, but it made for an interesting story. I think I liked Phoebe the best - she had a lot of tragic things happen to her, way more than most of the group, but she is the one that handled the loss of their fri...
Jenna and Stuart are getting married. The family members are gathering for this wonderful day. Before Jenna's mother passed away, she left a notebook outlining the perfect wedding for Jenna. There are so many dynamics to the blended family. There is lots of drama and mixed emotions as the weddi...
Disappointing read. First off, the Goodreads description gives a plot point that comes out 70% into the book. I suppose that beef is more with Goodreads than the actual book. I've read a couple of Hilderbrand's novels in the past, and I would describe them as fluffy beach romances. Hilderbrand us...
I read this little book for book club. It follows a family and the story changes perspective throughout--rotating between the characters. At first I found this a bit annoying, but after a while I enjoyed it. The story opens just before Christmas with Kelley, the owner of a bed and breakfast, c...
A brief glimpse into the heart and mind of someone that feels she has lost the love for her husband. While the narrator continues to ask her self "Where does love come from? And where does it go?", I found myself thinking of the Buddah's teachings on the origin of life. Life is not created, nor i...
I dunno who the (expletive) titled this book, but they were on crack.A frustrating read. Hilderbrand apparently operates under the delusion that a book takes only a few stock characters and a hint of mysterious mystery that isn't explained until the very end, bake at 500 degrees for fifteen minut...
After having loved Hilderbrand's books, Silver Girl, Barefoot, The Island, etc. I am on a mission to read all of Hilderbrand’s books! Which led me to The Blue Bistro and just like her others this book did not disappoint! In fact I think this is one of my top favorites from her thus far. I hav...
(CAUTION: SPOILERS)NO!! No,no,no,no,no....I just finished this book and feel like throwing it through a wall! What a waste of a perfectly good Sunday afternoon! I don't like to give a book a one star rating but I had no choice on this one. I am so frustrated and irritated right now! I hope that ...
Alright, if you would delete all pages from about 30% to 75% this book might have gotten 4 stars. First off, no one can identify with these characters. The women are all totally pessimistic and broken, the children are your typical American kids: spoiled brats and all the men have macho-man issue...
As in other books by Elin Hildebrand, what drew me into this book is her picturesque description of Nantucket Island, as well as an authentic inside view on how people live their lives there. Summer People touches upon the disparity between year-round Islanders and wealthy "Summer People" who rec...
I picked up Beach Club, Hilderbrand's first Nantucket novel. It's the story of Mack Peterson, a man whose parents died way too soon and sent him adrift on a journey to find himself. Problem is he's taking his sweet time much to his girlfriend's chagrin. Maribel wants Mack to grow up, make some de...
At the bottom of her list are terrorist attacks, random shootings, and… the election. Margaret has to fight off her indifference on a daily basis. She has been on familiar terms with the past three presidents and her overwhelming emotion toward them wasn’t awe or admiration, it was pity. Being pr...
Every year when the Carmichael family drove their Ford Country Squire into the darkened hold of the boat, Beth used to say it was like being swallowed by a whale. She had found the ride on the steamship romantic, literary, and possibly also biblical (she would have been thinking of Jonah, right?)...
Three weeks out, it looked like she would be driving to New Haven with two seniors from Owl, but she didn’t know how to announce this fact to Clendenin without making him uncomfortable. Though he tried to hide it, he clearly became threatened every time Dabney mentioned another boy’s name. Dabney...
After the meeting with Isabelle French and the committee, Claire walked away thinking, I am done with Lock Dixon. It was all adolescent nonsense, anyway, and what were they doing, two reasonable, married adults? Claire climbed in bed with Jason and thought, I am happy here. I am happy! That Lock ...
The moon, which had been fat and full the night of the bonfire, was now a waning crescent, which made Tate sad. Tomorrow there would be four days left, and the next day three—and then they would start to pack up. Across the water, the lights of Nantucket twinkled.Barrett!What was he doing tonight...
“Do you want to sit?” she said. “No,” he said. Then he changed his mind: “Actually, yes.” He moved to the chair and sat down, his left leg straight out in front of him in its cast. She didn’t know how to start. She sort of felt like she should thank him for coming. He said, “Jesus Christ, Meter, ...