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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I gave it a three which apparently means "I like it" but I'm not sure that is true. I am giving it three stars because it kept my attention and I finished it in two days but I'm not sure how I actually feel about the book.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Marguerite Beale receives a phone call from her goddaughter, Renata Knox that she is on Nantucket and coming to visit. Renata has been forbidden to see Marguerite by her father for her whole life. Renata’s father has always loved her too much and felt too responsible for her and Renata feels as though he is weighing her down. Renata’s mother, Candace died when she was only three years old. Marguerite was Candace’s best friend.
Renata, recently engaged is on the island to visit her fiancé, Cade’s parents. She has overlooked the obvious objections that it was too soon and she was too young to get married, but can she continue to overlook these things?
Marguerite has pretty much been the island recluse for the last fourteen years. She used to be a famous chef and have a very popular restaurant, but after Candace’s death, Marguerite punished herself by becoming a hermit.
When Renata calls, old feelings rise to the surface for Marguerite. “There was a twinge on Marguerite’s heart, like someone tugging on the corner of a blanket, threatening to throw back the covers and expose it all.” Marguerite begins to feel all the things she has forbidden herself to feel for the past fourteen years.
There is a lot of drama on the island and secrets are revealed one by one. This is your typical juicy, summer read from one of my favorite author’s, Elin Hilderbrand.
This book starts slow, but then I was all the way in. You can definitely tell this is one of Hilderbrand's earlier works, as she was not as polished as she is now about describing people, but this book still charms! I love any type of food description in books, and this one has some great ones. A story about friendship and growing up, the juxtaposition of the two main character's lives was interesting. This was a very realistic book in terms of people's choices.
I thoroughly enjoy Elin’s style of writing. Though there were many twists in this novel I predicted, it was still enjoyable until the very end. This is a great story of love, loss, and finding oneself. I look forward to reading more novels by her!
I liked this book well enough to feel some strong emotions while reading it, but in the end it is slightly unsatisfying. The characters are interesting, and I especially enjoyed reading about all the food and the food preparation. And I felt devastated when Renata called to tell Marguerite she wouldn't make it to dinner. And it was the dinner part that troubled me the most--not necessarily the fact that Renata wouldn't hear her mother's history.
I found the trip to Morocco implausible. It seems to come out of nowhere and I couldn't recall a basis for it. It just seems bizarre that Candace would pull that plan out of her hat so soon after getting married and become so indignant when the others don't take her seriously.
And the big "reveal," while not surprising, was unbelievable. It was hard for me to believe that Marguerite would spring that news on Candace in that way. She had to know that it wouldn't go over well.
I did like Hilderbrand's writing style and I would like to try one or more of her other books. It was easy to picture Nantucket, even though I've never been there.
I found the trip to Morocco implausible. It seems to come out of nowhere and I couldn't recall a basis for it. It just seems bizarre that Candace would pull that plan out of her hat so soon after getting married and become so indignant when the others don't take her seriously.
And the big "reveal," while not surprising, was unbelievable. It was hard for me to believe that Marguerite would spring that news on Candace in that way. She had to know that it wouldn't go over well.
I did like Hilderbrand's writing style and I would like to try one or more of her other books. It was easy to picture Nantucket, even though I've never been there.
I was given this book from my good friend Jen. We both are obsessed with Elin Hilderbrand so I was shocked that she was giving me her copy of this book. This book was one of the few Elin Hilderbrand books thatI hadn't gotten to yet. Jen told me this book wasn't exactly her favorite and then I saw some reviews from other friends that didn't really enjoy it either. So I put off reading it for a while and just let it sit on my shelf. I highly regret it because I really enjoyed this book! It takes place over the span of a day, but it has a lot of flash backs. I think Elin Hilderbrand was really trying to reach a deeper tone with this novel and I really enjoyed it.
Elin Hilderbrand is one of my favorite authors, but this was not one of my favorite books by her. This book focuses on one weekend, where long time secrets that were buried, come to surface. I felt like this book dragged on a little longer than necessary. It was okay, but I wouldn’t recommend if it’s your first time reading her books.
I was originally going to start out saying that while good, this was my least favorite Elin Hilderbrand book. Compared to the others I've read, this one moved very slow.
After finishing, this one was amazing! The slow burn was absolutely worth it. Such a wonderful story about love and time and forgiveness.
I've been to Martha's Vineyard and I love all things New England. Ms. Hilderbrand's books have me waiting for summer to plan a trip to Nantucket.
After finishing, this one was amazing! The slow burn was absolutely worth it. Such a wonderful story about love and time and forgiveness.
I've been to Martha's Vineyard and I love all things New England. Ms. Hilderbrand's books have me waiting for summer to plan a trip to Nantucket.
Not my favorite Hilderbrand. A bit draggy in places which is unfortunate bc she gets into some interesting territory here. Pushing the boundaries on intimate friendships btw women.