Golden Girl
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- Create Date：2021-05-26 12:51:29
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Elin Hilderbrand
- ISBN：0316294497
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Summary
It isn't summer without a new Elin Hilderbrand novel -- and this one is another immensely satisfying page-turner from "the queen of beach reads" （New York Magazine）。
Golden Girl follows Nantucket novelist Vivi， who gets one final summer -- after she is killed in a hit-and-run accident -- to protect her secrets and learn from her mistakes while her loved ones still on earth try to solve the mystery of her death。
Vivian Howe， author of 13 beach novels and mother of three young adults， is killed in a hit and run car accident while jogging near her home in Nantucket。 She ascends to the Beyond where she's assigned to a Person named Martha， who agrees Vivi's death was unfair。 Martha allows Vivi to watch what happens below with her children， her best friend， and her ex-husband。
Martha gives Vivi the use of three "nudges" so that she might influence the outcome of events in the world of the living。 Vivi discovers her children's secrets， watches the investigation of her death （headed by Chief Ed Kapenash from The Perfect Couple） and worries about a secret from her youth， fictionalized in her novel， coming to light。
Combining Elin's trademark beach scenes， mouth-watering meals， picture-perfect homes and other Nantucket landmarks with a heartfelt message -- the people we lose never really leave us -- Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other。
Golden Girl follows Nantucket novelist Vivi， who gets one final summer -- after she is killed in a hit-and-run accident -- to protect her secrets and learn from her mistakes while her loved ones still on earth try to solve the mystery of her death。
Vivian Howe， author of 13 beach novels and mother of three young adults， is killed in a hit and run car accident while jogging near her home in Nantucket。 She ascends to the Beyond where she's assigned to a Person named Martha， who agrees Vivi's death was unfair。 Martha allows Vivi to watch what happens below with her children， her best friend， and her ex-husband。
Martha gives Vivi the use of three "nudges" so that she might influence the outcome of events in the world of the living。 Vivi discovers her children's secrets， watches the investigation of her death （headed by Chief Ed Kapenash from The Perfect Couple） and worries about a secret from her youth， fictionalized in her novel， coming to light。
Combining Elin's trademark beach scenes， mouth-watering meals， picture-perfect homes and other Nantucket landmarks with a heartfelt message -- the people we lose never really leave us -- Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other。
Reviews
Janet
，
Date reviewed/posted: May 25， 2021Publication date: June 1， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan with a kindle。！I requested and received a Date reviewed/posted: May 25， 2021Publication date: June 1， 2021When life for the entire galaxy and planet has turned on its end， you are continuing to #maskup and #lockdown to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #thirdwave （ #fourthwave #fifthwave？） is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。 Plus it is hot as all heck and nothing is more appealing than sitting in front of a fan with a kindle。！I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。On a perfect June day， Vivian Howe， author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly-grown children， is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket。 She ascends to the Beyond where she's assigned to a Person named Martha， who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer。 Vivi also is granted three “nudges” to change the outcome of events on earth， and with her daughter， Willa on her third miscarriage， Carson partying until all hours， and Leo currently “off again” with his high-maintenance girlfriend， she’ll have to think carefully where to use them。From the Beyond， Vivi watches “The Chief” Ed Kapenash investigate her death， but her greatest worry is her final book， which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation。 But when hidden truths come to light， Vivi’s family will have to sort out their past and present mistakes—with or without a nudge of help from above—while Vivi finally lets them grow without her。With all of Elin’s trademark beach scenes， mouth-watering meals， and picture-perfect homes， plus a heartfelt message—the people we lose never really leave us—Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other。Having read another librarians' ARC of this， I was delighted to be approved so I could add in my review as well。 It is not summer without Nantucket and Elin Hilderbrand！ Her latest novel was a delight to read: sun， sand， sex， family issues 。。。 all families have issues so it is nice to make fun of other people's problems， right？ （lol） I will recommend this book to friends， family， patrons， bookclubs and strangers on the tube who are reading: I find that once they figure out that I am a Canadian and not a Trump-loving MAGA-idiot they like to discuss books。 （lol！）Take this book to the beach （or your back yard， porch or balcony） and enjoy it - just wear a tonne of SPF110 as you will lose track of time as you read this。 - If we are in the 5th or 6th wave/mutation of COVID19 by then， stay inside: no tan is worth dying for。 #maddogsandenglishmenAs always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️ 。。。more
Cammie
，
Elin Hilderbrand has done it again。。。and by "it" I mean written a spectacular novel！I must admit that I was little bit wary of the premise of Golden Girl when I first heard about it some months ago--the main character was DEAD and watching her family grieve her death。 This did not sound like the lighthearted， fun， escapist beach reads that I am used to from my favorite summer novelist。 However， Golden Girl still includes the family drama， the romance， the suspense， and the BEACH that are signatu Elin Hilderbrand has done it again。。。and by "it" I mean written a spectacular novel！I must admit that I was little bit wary of the premise of Golden Girl when I first heard about it some months ago--the main character was DEAD and watching her family grieve her death。 This did not sound like the lighthearted， fun， escapist beach reads that I am used to from my favorite summer novelist。 However， Golden Girl still includes the family drama， the romance， the suspense， and the BEACH that are signatures of Hilderbrand's writing。 As Willa， Carson， and Leo deal with their mother's death， they each find themselves and discover that they can and will survive without her （most likely because of her）。 The suspense created when Vivian's past crashed into the present when her book， Golden Girl， was published was so clever too。 I really hope that Elin writes a short story to update readers in about a year because I really want to know what happens with Willa， Carson， and Leo after this next year of finding themselves following their mother's death。 I think that's a good possibility considering she's done that for her last two summer novels。 （Fingers crossed！） 。。。more
Alicia
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I still remember picking up my first Elin Hilderbrand book while on summer vacation with my family in Florida。 IT was a mass market paperback copy of Nantucket Nights and since that day， I have been hooked on Elin Hidlrerband and dreaming of a vacation one day to Nantucket during the summer。 One of the favorite parts of summer for me is grabbing her new book on release day and spending a weekend at the pool being transported to Nantucket。 Lately， I've got a fun October blast of Nantucket， but no I still remember picking up my first Elin Hilderbrand book while on summer vacation with my family in Florida。 IT was a mass market paperback copy of Nantucket Nights and since that day， I have been hooked on Elin Hidlrerband and dreaming of a vacation one day to Nantucket during the summer。 One of the favorite parts of summer for me is grabbing her new book on release day and spending a weekend at the pool being transported to Nantucket。 Lately， I've got a fun October blast of Nantucket， but nothing sounds as heavenly as Nantucket during the summer。Golden Girl did not disappoint。I almost balked at the description because I'm not much for "supernatural" books， but I think Ms。 Hilderbrand made it blend perfectly with the story and not too heavy hands or overly religious。 The story was intriguing and the perfect beach read。 A little mystery， some family drama set against a familiar backdrop。 I appreciated the characters from past novels and even the tidbits of the Black History of Nantucket。 I devoured this book quickly during a weekend as I wanted to know who hit Vivi and felt like part of the family and wanted to see how the summer turned out for everyone。 I hope we get to see Willa， Carson， and Leo （ and maybe even Amy） in a new books。******Spoiler Alert**********I did think the Cruz/Leo storyline felt a little forced。 I wanted to root for them， but they built them as so brother like during the first part， that it seemed a little out of place 。。。more
Gea
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Written in Elin Hildebrand's unique style， Golden Girl offers an unusual and emotional perspective on life for those left behind after a loss。 It's a time of second chances for Vivi Howe's 3 children after she is tragically killed in a hit and run accident。 Vivi" is allowed three "nudges" that will alter the decisions and lives of her three children。and others。 A really great read， except I do hope the citizens of Nantucket don't do as much drunk driving as is depicted in this book！ Written in Elin Hildebrand's unique style， Golden Girl offers an unusual and emotional perspective on life for those left behind after a loss。 It's a time of second chances for Vivi Howe's 3 children after she is tragically killed in a hit and run accident。 Vivi" is allowed three "nudges" that will alter the decisions and lives of her three children。and others。 A really great read， except I do hope the citizens of Nantucket don't do as much drunk driving as is depicted in this book！ 。。。more
Theresa
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Every time I read an Elin Hilderbrand book， I think， "This is the best one！" I don't think her books can get any better。。。and then。。。I read the next one。Golden Girl is the story of Vivi， a divorced Nantucket writer and mother of three。 Sound like anyone we know？ I am DYING for the Target edition of this book to come out because there is an essay on how much of this story is true。 I feel like Elin gave us a glimpse into her life and who she is with this book。 Vivi is vivacious and fun and doesn' Every time I read an Elin Hilderbrand book， I think， "This is the best one！" I don't think her books can get any better。。。and then。。。I read the next one。Golden Girl is the story of Vivi， a divorced Nantucket writer and mother of three。 Sound like anyone we know？ I am DYING for the Target edition of this book to come out because there is an essay on how much of this story is true。 I feel like Elin gave us a glimpse into her life and who she is with this book。 Vivi is vivacious and fun and doesn't come from money but her college roommate invites her to Nantucket and she goes and falls in love with it and with a particular guy。 They get married and have a family。 She writes books。 And one day， she is out running and gets hit by a car。 This story touched on what it means to be Black in America。 It was light， but it was there and I appreciated it。 。。。more
Dakota
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Different than other novels I've read by Hilderbrand， Golden Girl had a fantastical element to it which was odd at first but I soon grew to enjoy it。 I became completely invested in the Howe family and needed to know who hit Vivi。 Listening to this on audio was enjoyable and kept my attention which typically takes a good audiobook to do so。 I think Hilderbrand fans will like this one even if it is a little different than her usual novels。 But with the sights and sounds of Nantucket， you still ge Different than other novels I've read by Hilderbrand， Golden Girl had a fantastical element to it which was odd at first but I soon grew to enjoy it。 I became completely invested in the Howe family and needed to know who hit Vivi。 Listening to this on audio was enjoyable and kept my attention which typically takes a good audiobook to do so。 I think Hilderbrand fans will like this one even if it is a little different than her usual novels。 But with the sights and sounds of Nantucket， you still get the feel of summertime and a little mystery to go along with it。 。。。more
Dina
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So grateful for an ARC of this book。 It broke me out of my reading slump。 It was nice to visit Nantucket again through one of her lovely books。
Patricia Romero
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Is it even summer if we don’t have a beach read from Hilderbrand？Ah， but this one broke my heart。 And the main character reminds me of the author！Vivian Howe is the author of 13 books， she lives in Nantucket， has three children， all young adults and in a second she is killed in a hit and run。 She is taken by a woman named Martha to the Beyond。 She will be Vivi’s person。 She lets Vivi have the summer to watch her kids and she allows her three nudges。She watches her friends and children deal with Is it even summer if we don’t have a beach read from Hilderbrand？Ah， but this one broke my heart。 And the main character reminds me of the author！Vivian Howe is the author of 13 books， she lives in Nantucket， has three children， all young adults and in a second she is killed in a hit and run。 She is taken by a woman named Martha to the Beyond。 She will be Vivi’s person。 She lets Vivi have the summer to watch her kids and she allows her three nudges。She watches her friends and children deal with her death。 She watches the investigation。 She longs to go back。The nudges are for influencing the outcome of things in real-time。 She worries about her children hurting and her secrets coming out。This had all the charm of Nantucket and all of the emotions you could imagine yourself feeling if you were in her shoes。 I cried so hard during this book and I will do it all over again！NetGalley/June 1st， 2021 by Little， Brown， and Company 。。。more
Debbie Carreiro
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As an avid reader of Elin’s this has to be one of her very best。 I had so many emotions with this one。 It is a reminder to always take the high road， and live like it’s your last day。
Alicia
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I think this is one my most favorite Elin Hildebrand books！ I really enjoyed the main protagonist， Vivi， as she deals with her own death from above and seeing the love for her kids shine through。 I finished this on Mother's Day morning and even though the plot is sad， the story is very uplifting。 I feel it shows the effect we， as moms， have on our kids and how much they have on us。 Very enjoyable！ I think this is one my most favorite Elin Hildebrand books！ I really enjoyed the main protagonist， Vivi， as she deals with her own death from above and seeing the love for her kids shine through。 I finished this on Mother's Day morning and even though the plot is sad， the story is very uplifting。 I feel it shows the effect we， as moms， have on our kids and how much they have on us。 Very enjoyable！ 。。。more
Rae
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Loved this book！ I thought it might be depressing。 It was the opposite！ I became very invested the the entire family。 I hope this will become a new series！
Emmy Griffith
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For so long， I’ve said that The Blue Bistro is my favorite standalone Elin Hilderbrand; that slot now has a serious competitor with her new release， Golden Girl。 When Vivian Howe， beloved author of beach read bestsellers 😉， is killed in a hit and run， she is granted the rest of summer to watch over her （nearly） grown children and use 3 “nudges” to change outcomes。This book really hit home for me as a mom; how will I be remembered by my children？ How will they cope without me？ While I have been f For so long， I’ve said that The Blue Bistro is my favorite standalone Elin Hilderbrand; that slot now has a serious competitor with her new release， Golden Girl。 When Vivian Howe， beloved author of beach read bestsellers 😉， is killed in a hit and run， she is granted the rest of summer to watch over her （nearly） grown children and use 3 “nudges” to change outcomes。This book really hit home for me as a mom; how will I be remembered by my children？ How will they cope without me？ While I have been fortunate to not deal with the loss of a parent myself， the grief from her children felt very real and raw。In addition to following Vivian’s kids as they learn to live in a world without her in it， we also follow Chief Ed Kapenash （who you will recognize from other books if you’re an Elin fan！） as he tries to solve the mystery of the hit and run。 Family drama and dynamics， love stories， and friendship， all set in Nantucket （which always serves as a character itself in her books！） - this one was a 5 star read for me。 Get your tissues ready。CW - loss of a parent， drug use 。。。more
Julia | gameofreading
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Elin Hilderbrand delivers again！ Every time I think Elin can't get any better or have a new angle in a Nantucket story， she proves me wrong！ This was a great story of a family who lost their mother in a tragic accident， but she didn't go too far。 It really made me feel like loved ones I've lost have been watching over me and nudging me in the exact right direction。 Another 5 star， perfect summer read from the queen of summer reads！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exc Elin Hilderbrand delivers again！ Every time I think Elin can't get any better or have a new angle in a Nantucket story， she proves me wrong！ This was a great story of a family who lost their mother in a tragic accident， but she didn't go too far。 It really made me feel like loved ones I've lost have been watching over me and nudging me in the exact right direction。 Another 5 star， perfect summer read from the queen of summer reads！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tiffany Breyne
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Like all EH books， this one reliably has a lot of characters and overlapping storylines， which I generally love in a book。 While I didenjoy it， it sometimes felt like there too much going on。 There were so many main characters that I often thought， "I haven't heard from [character] in awhile。" With the nonlinear plot， a murder mystery， and a grieving family， there's a lot packed into this book。 Still worth a read for EH/family saga fans。 Like all EH books， this one reliably has a lot of characters and overlapping storylines， which I generally love in a book。 While I didenjoy it， it sometimes felt like there too much going on。 There were so many main characters that I often thought， "I haven't heard from [character] in awhile。" With the nonlinear plot， a murder mystery， and a grieving family， there's a lot packed into this book。 Still worth a read for EH/family saga fans。 。。。more
Pam Page
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This is by far my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book。 Despite it taking place on Nantucket， it is different than her regular beach reads （which I love also）。 I loved the way Elin kept me wondering about Vivi's past and her death throughout the entire book。 So enjoyable from start to finish！ This is by far my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book。 Despite it taking place on Nantucket， it is different than her regular beach reads （which I love also）。 I loved the way Elin kept me wondering about Vivi's past and her death throughout the entire book。 So enjoyable from start to finish！ 。。。more
Lisa M
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Elin hits a new high with Golden Girl。 It is one of the most beautifully written books I have read。 The author reminds us just how precious life and family is， and how we shouldn’t take either for granted。 There is a bit of a murder mystery on Nantucket， as beloved author Vivi Howe is killed by a hit and run driver。 Definitely a summer must read！ Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this wonderful ARC。
Beth
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I'm a Hiderbrand fan and look forward to her Nantucket novels every summer。 Her latest doesn't disappoint。When 50-something Nantucket novelists Vivian Howe is hit by a car when out for daily morning run， her death and the search for the hit and run driver sets off a fat-reaching chain of events。 We hear from Vivian in heaven limbo and from those she left behind。 There are fun literary references， not only to Hilderbrand's own books but also to other writers and the book world in general。 The dra I'm a Hiderbrand fan and look forward to her Nantucket novels every summer。 Her latest doesn't disappoint。When 50-something Nantucket novelists Vivian Howe is hit by a car when out for daily morning run， her death and the search for the hit and run driver sets off a fat-reaching chain of events。 We hear from Vivian in heaven limbo and from those she left behind。 There are fun literary references， not only to Hilderbrand's own books but also to other writers and the book world in general。 The drama， the food， the relationships， the satisfactory ending -- put this on your summer reading list。Audiobook fans will be relieved that Erin Bennett was available to narrate。 She and Hilderbrand make a perfect audiobook marriage。 。。。more
Nicole Toft
，
Hilderbrand does not disappoint。 I enjoyed the hell out this novel set in Nantucket。 Our main character， Vivi， gets killed in a hit and run in the very beginning of the book， but she remains our main character because she is allowed to watch her family for the summer and has three nudges to help them along if they need it。 The aftermath of Vivi’s death causes chaos and heartbreak for her daughters， Willa and Carson， and her son， Leo。 Throw in her ex-husband， her best friend， her ex-boyfriend and Hilderbrand does not disappoint。 I enjoyed the hell out this novel set in Nantucket。 Our main character， Vivi， gets killed in a hit and run in the very beginning of the book， but she remains our main character because she is allowed to watch her family for the summer and has three nudges to help them along if they need it。 The aftermath of Vivi’s death causes chaos and heartbreak for her daughters， Willa and Carson， and her son， Leo。 Throw in her ex-husband， her best friend， her ex-boyfriend and the muster of who hit her into the mix， and the reader has a page-turner of a novel。 。。。more
Jodi Golis
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This is my favorite Elin Hilderbrand ever！ I was hooked from the beginning。 This book， as a woman and as mother especially， was everything I never new I wanted and needed！ Famous author， Vivi Howe， is victim of a hit and run but is able to spend the summer watching and “nudging” her loved ones。 Elin touched all my mom buttons - What will happen when I’m gone and not able to do everything？ And maybe some nostalgic buttons - Does my high school boyfriend think of me fondly （and could possibly have This is my favorite Elin Hilderbrand ever！ I was hooked from the beginning。 This book， as a woman and as mother especially， was everything I never new I wanted and needed！ Famous author， Vivi Howe， is victim of a hit and run but is able to spend the summer watching and “nudging” her loved ones。 Elin touched all my mom buttons - What will happen when I’m gone and not able to do everything？ And maybe some nostalgic buttons - Does my high school boyfriend think of me fondly （and could possibly have written a love song about us 30 years ago！？！） I Hope everyone reading this review loved this book as much as I did！ 。。。more
Laura Jones
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I'm sure I say this every time I read a new Elin Hilderbrand novel， but I'm going to say it once again。 This is my new favorite Elin Hilderbrand book。 It carries all of Elin's trademark drama， scandal， and beach read goodness， while also being set in Nantucket， the place her readers have come to know and love through her novels。 In Golden Girl， we see well known Nantucket restaurants and shops which Elin herself frequents， such as Mitchell's Book Corner and The Chicken Box。 The main character in I'm sure I say this every time I read a new Elin Hilderbrand novel， but I'm going to say it once again。 This is my new favorite Elin Hilderbrand book。 It carries all of Elin's trademark drama， scandal， and beach read goodness， while also being set in Nantucket， the place her readers have come to know and love through her novels。 In Golden Girl， we see well known Nantucket restaurants and shops which Elin herself frequents， such as Mitchell's Book Corner and The Chicken Box。 The main character in this book， Vivian Howe， has so many similarities to Elin herself， that it was almost eerie to read the book， imagining Elin as Vivian。 it got me wondering if any of the backstory about Vivian was based on Elin's actual backstory。 Like Elin， Vivian is divorced and has 3 children， lives on Nantucket， and has authored over a dozen beach reads。 They even drink the same Veuve Clicquot champagne， wear Jessica Hicks jewelry and love Mystique sandals。 It's been a joy to follow Elin on her social media for so many years and be able to recognize all of her favorite things that are loved by her characters。 She even has Vivian recommend two books to another character near the end of the novel that Elin herself recommend to her readers on her social media - Hamnet and Sea Wife。 I read both and loved them， based upon Elin's recommendation！ Very cool to see little sprinkles of Elin's life shine through in the dynamically drawn character of Vivian。 New York Times bestselling author， Vivian Howe is in her 50's， living her best life in Nantucket， anxiously anticipating the release of her new beach read titled Golden Girl， when she is killed tragically in a hit and run accident while out on her daily run through the neighborhood。 After such a sudden， heartbreaking loss， Vivi's family， best friend Savannah， ex-husband， recent boyfriend， and the whole Nantucket community are reeling， as they try to piece together what really happened to their very own Golden Girl。 Hilderbrand's beloved character， Chief Ed Kapenash makes an appearance in Golden Girl， as he works to investigate the hit and run and bring closure to Vivi's family。 Meanwhile in the Beyond， Vivi， is assigned to a lady named Martha who will be her "Person，" helping her through the summer and allowing her three nudges as she watches over her children for one final summer before joining the Heavenly Choir。 Martha and her backstory is a bit of hoot in itself， causing me to laugh out loud when it was revealed。 Secrets are uncovered as Vivi watched over her three children， Willa， Carson， and Leo。 Each have their own drama going on， causing Vivi to be rather selective in the use of her motherly nudges from the Beyond。 Hilderbrand's 27th novel， Golden Girl is a beautiful tribute to honor those who are gone too soon。 It's also a love letter to both summer time and Nantucket。 There are both hilarious and heartfelt moments。 There is also tender romance， scandalous affairs， and complicated sibling relationships， which all combine to make a compulsively binge-able novel。 Golden Girl is truly Elin at her finest。 Absolutely adored this book and I hope you do as well。 Thank you to LibroFM and Hachette Audio for providing me with an early listening copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lisa Konet
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This was the best stand alone Elin Hilderbrand novel I have read in a long time！ It weaves many Nantucket families and those outsiders who have become longtime natives with family， death， grief， lies and so much more。 This was not predictable in any point and I was beginning to figure out towards the end， like it should be， who was responsible for tragedy。VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as 'the summer read" even if it is not quite summer yet。 A must read if you also love Elin Hilderbrand books。 Just wow This was the best stand alone Elin Hilderbrand novel I have read in a long time！ It weaves many Nantucket families and those outsiders who have become longtime natives with family， death， grief， lies and so much more。 This was not predictable in any point and I was beginning to figure out towards the end， like it should be， who was responsible for tragedy。VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as 'the summer read" even if it is not quite summer yet。 A must read if you also love Elin Hilderbrand books。 Just wow。 I took my time reading this because I wanted to enjoy it。Thanks to Netgalley， Elin Hilderbrand and Little Brown & Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 6/1/21 。。。more
Kelly Faulkner
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Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review。 This book lived up to every expectation I had for it。 The story line had a lot of characters， as most of Elin’s books do， but yet again I found myself loving each of them。 The formatting of so many different chapters/character point of views kept my interested peaked so much that I couldn’t put it down。 The story in itself was heart breaking， exciting， and a little suspenseful as Vivi watched over and occasionally guided her fam Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review。 This book lived up to every expectation I had for it。 The story line had a lot of characters， as most of Elin’s books do， but yet again I found myself loving each of them。 The formatting of so many different chapters/character point of views kept my interested peaked so much that I couldn’t put it down。 The story in itself was heart breaking， exciting， and a little suspenseful as Vivi watched over and occasionally guided her family and friends through the summer。 It made me want to call my family and tell them how much I love them。 。。。more
Michelle
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A creative and entertaining family drama with mystery， this novel is full of interesting plot lines。 Elin Hilderbrand creates believable characters and I never figured out the mystery （but liked the resolution）！ The novel handles grief， past choices， love and family relationships。 The perspective of Vivi from death （and what that world looks like） is different， but I liked the creativity of it and what it allowed us （the readers） to see！ This is a well crafted work and was a satisfying and compe A creative and entertaining family drama with mystery， this novel is full of interesting plot lines。 Elin Hilderbrand creates believable characters and I never figured out the mystery （but liked the resolution）！ The novel handles grief， past choices， love and family relationships。 The perspective of Vivi from death （and what that world looks like） is different， but I liked the creativity of it and what it allowed us （the readers） to see！ This is a well crafted work and was a satisfying and compelling read。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I liked this a lot。 A minimal amount of dramatic plot compared to her other books （I'm looking at you Night Road）。 But also not as fluffy as some of her other beach reads （I see you Winter Street series）。 A quick read， enjoyable characters。 I liked this a lot。 A minimal amount of dramatic plot compared to her other books （I'm looking at you Night Road）。 But also not as fluffy as some of her other beach reads （I see you Winter Street series）。 A quick read， enjoyable characters。 。。。more
Tara | Booktenders
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4。5 / 5 stars rounded up！ I predict this will be the ‘It Book’ of Summer 2021。 The premise is sublime。 A Nantucket novelist arrives in Heaven after she is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident。 There she is given one last summer to watch （and nudge） what happens below with her children， her ex-husband， and even an old high school boyfriend。 I devoured it。 Read this when you are in the mood for a whimsical story that is also a charming celebration of life。 It is a ‘beach read’ version of the 4。5 / 5 stars rounded up！ I predict this will be the ‘It Book’ of Summer 2021。 The premise is sublime。 A Nantucket novelist arrives in Heaven after she is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident。 There she is given one last summer to watch （and nudge） what happens below with her children， her ex-husband， and even an old high school boyfriend。 I devoured it。 Read this when you are in the mood for a whimsical story that is also a charming celebration of life。 It is a ‘beach read’ version of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life。 Best paired with a bottle of Cliff Lede Cabarnet and bourbon-marinated steak tips。 XO， Tara 。。。more
Linda Quinn
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Vivi is at the height of her career and finally in a good place in her life。 Her house， the Money Pit is coming along， she's about to be a grandmother and it's the beginning of summer on Nantucket。 When she is killed， she ends up in an in-between place where she can watch her family and use "nudges" to help them on their way to life without her。 This is bound to be a big summer hit， as anything by Hilderbrand is。 Vivi is at the height of her career and finally in a good place in her life。 Her house， the Money Pit is coming along， she's about to be a grandmother and it's the beginning of summer on Nantucket。 When she is killed， she ends up in an in-between place where she can watch her family and use "nudges" to help them on their way to life without her。 This is bound to be a big summer hit， as anything by Hilderbrand is。 。。。more
Lauren
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“She was magic，” Carson told him。“But she was my mom so I took her for granted。 I didn’t understand how lucky I was to have her until she was gone。”I lost my mom on July 22， 2019。 I lost her， truthfully， many years before she actually left this Earth。 Before those hard times， she was my best friend and favorite person。 Those are the memories I cling to。 I think anyone who has experienced a great loss will understand the feeling of your life being split into the before/after of that event。 This n “She was magic，” Carson told him。“But she was my mom so I took her for granted。 I didn’t understand how lucky I was to have her until she was gone。”I lost my mom on July 22， 2019。 I lost her， truthfully， many years before she actually left this Earth。 Before those hard times， she was my best friend and favorite person。 Those are the memories I cling to。 I think anyone who has experienced a great loss will understand the feeling of your life being split into the before/after of that event。 This novel really captures this and it made me feel close to my mom again。This book has an amazing cast of well developed characters complete with flaws and realism and cameos from characters past- which I won’t spoil。 I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll keep this brief。 I’ve read most of Elin’s books and this one is now in the top 3。 The setting is always one of my favorite parts- with “Nantucket” as a Greek Chorus type narrator once again- which I love。 This book reads a little differently， though。 This one is deeper， in my opinion， and hit a little closer to home for me than some others。 It has a supernatural/spiritual element that is new to her novels and I didn’t know if I would like it， but I was foolish to doubt Elin。 She’s got this。 Always。 Final thoughts: I’m still crying。 I absolutely loved this book。 This is one I will probably reread。 This was an arc， but I will be buying the hardcover the day it comes out: June 1， 2021。 Save the date。 Get your tissues。 Don’t plan to do anything else for a few hours。 Five glorious beachy stars wrapped in a Hermès scarf！！！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️#readersofig #booksofig #NetGalley #GoldenGirl#bookhoarder #bookhaul #beachreads #bookstack #june2021pubday #goodreadschallenge2021 #readabook #bookaesthetic #bookworms #readingisfundamental #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookshelves #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagrammers #becauseofreading #littlebrownandcompany #newbooks #bookworms #bookshelves #tearjerker 。。。more
Brittany
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Every year I look forward to a new beach read， and Golden Girl does not disappoint--I absolutely could not put this one down！ In Hilderbrand's latest standalone， art imitates life; Golden Girl is about a 50-something Nantucket novelist with three almost-grown children and an emotionally immature ex-husband。 In the first chapter， Vivi is killed in a hit-and-run accident while out for her morning run。 The premise sounds grim， but this book is anything but depressing。 Vivi and her celestial guide， Every year I look forward to a new beach read， and Golden Girl does not disappoint--I absolutely could not put this one down！ In Hilderbrand's latest standalone， art imitates life; Golden Girl is about a 50-something Nantucket novelist with three almost-grown children and an emotionally immature ex-husband。 In the first chapter， Vivi is killed in a hit-and-run accident while out for her morning run。 The premise sounds grim， but this book is anything but depressing。 Vivi and her celestial guide， Martha， watch over her loved ones from the great beyond， and Vivi is granted three "nudges" to help guide her loved ones during the summer。 There is just something about Hilderbrand's writing that is totally engrossing and fast-paced; the shifting POV and short chapters will keep you turning the pages as you learn each character's back stories and secrets。 Police Chief Ed Kapanesh plays a key role in this book， as he investigates the mystery of the hit-and-run driver， but the best part about Golden Girl is the author's message that love lives on forever。 Thanks so much to Little， Brown， and Company for the librarian preview through Netgalley！ 。。。more
Stephanie
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If you're a white lady， these books are escapism at its finest。 Everyone has just enough money （which is typically a lot）， the women are always perfectly independent （maybe happily married， maybe happily divorced）， moms have meaningful relationships with their children， everyone knows everyone and shares just the right amount of gossip， and the food and wine descriptions are divine。 Living as the heroine of a Hilderbrand novel would be amazing。。。 And totally， totally soaked in privilege。 It's ra If you're a white lady， these books are escapism at its finest。 Everyone has just enough money （which is typically a lot）， the women are always perfectly independent （maybe happily married， maybe happily divorced）， moms have meaningful relationships with their children， everyone knows everyone and shares just the right amount of gossip， and the food and wine descriptions are divine。 Living as the heroine of a Hilderbrand novel would be amazing。。。 And totally， totally soaked in privilege。 It's rare that the characters recognize their privilege， or that Hilderbrand even acknowledges they have it， and it's never been as problematic as it is in GOLDEN GIRL。 We have the first characters of color I can remember in a Hilderbrand novel， and they are of course not as wealthy or as connected or as able to float through life and presented as though they need saving。 The way Cruz's character and storyline are handled is the novelistic equivalent of putting a BLM sign on the front lawn and calling it good -- there's such an opportunity to really investigate what it's like to be a person of color in this world， and Hilderbrand tips the hat to it （systemic racism exists！）， never really to return， leaving the reader to wonder why she brought it up at all。 。。。more
Lacey
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One of her best！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Golden Girl
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Golden Girl&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Golden Girl&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0