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Quick answer: If you liked The Five-Star Weekend, read Elin Hilderbrand's Summer of '69 and The Perfect Couple, then The Hotel Nantucket, Golden Girl and Big Little Lies. All are breezy, emotional novels about friendship, secrets and summer settings.
Elin Hilderbrand's 2023 novel follows Hollis Shaw, a food blogger whose husband has died, as she invites a handful of friends from different parts of her life to a weekend of fun and reflection. It is warm, funny and a little sad. The books below offer similar mixes of friendship, grief and sunny settings.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer of '69 | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | seaside nostalgia |
| The Perfect Couple | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | Nantucket wedding |
| The Hotel Nantucket | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | island hotel |
| Golden Girl | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | afterlife and family |
| 28 Summers | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | long affair |
| Barefoot | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | friendship on the beach |
| The Identicals | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | twin sisters |
| Winter Street | Elin Hilderbrand | Adult | family Christmas |
| Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty | Adult | suburban secrets |
| Beach Read | Emily Henry | Adult | writers in love |
| Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid | Adult | party gone wrong |
| The Guest List | Lucy Foley | Adult | wedding murder |
| The Last Thing He Told Me | Laura Dave | Adult | family mystery |
| Firefly Lane | Kristin Hannah | Adult | best friends for decades |
| The Summer Place | Jenna Bush Hager | Adult | family wedding |
1. Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
A Nantucket family spends a turbulent summer in 1969. Warm and vivid.
Best for: seaside nostalgia.
2. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
A body is found on the morning of an island wedding. Light and twisty.
Best for: Nantucket wedding.
3. The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
A restored hotel hides secrets and a ghost. Breezy.
Best for: island hotel.
4. Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
A writer watches her family from beyond the grave. Funny and moving.
Best for: afterlife and family.
5. 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
A couple meets once a year for decades. Romantic and bittersweet.
Best for: long affair.
6. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
Three women spend a summer on Nantucket. Light and warm.
Best for: friendship on the beach.
7. The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
Twin sisters swap islands and lives. Fun and cosy.
Best for: twin sisters.
8. Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand
A family gathers for a troubled holiday on Nantucket. Cosy and funny.
Best for: family Christmas.
9. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Three mothers are drawn into a death. Funny, sharp and twisty.
Best for: suburban secrets.
10. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Two rival authors swap genres for a summer. Sharp and sweet.
Best for: writers in love.
11. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Four siblings throw a legendary party in 1983. Breezy and emotional.
Best for: party gone wrong.
12. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A wedding on an Irish island turns deadly. Dramatic and well plotted.
Best for: wedding murder.
13. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
A woman searches for the truth after her husband vanishes. Fast and emotional.
Best for: family mystery.
14. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Two girls become best friends in the 1970s and stay close. Warm.
Best for: best friends for decades.
15. The Summer Place by Jenna Bush Hager
A family gathers for a Maine wedding. Sweet and light.
Best for: family wedding.
How to Choose
For more Hilderbrand begin with The Perfect Couple or Summer of '69. For island and beach stories choose The Hotel Nantucket, Barefoot or The Identicals. For friendship and loss pick Firefly Lane or Golden Girl. For twisty summer reads try Big Little Lies or The Guest List. The Five-Star Weekend is light and emotional, so these picks suit holiday reading. Hilderbrand is known as the queen of the beach read, with a new novel almost every summer, and her Nantucket settings are a draw in themselves. Her books are widely available as audiobooks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Five-Star Weekend about?
A widow invites friends from different parts of her life for a weekend of reflection.
Who wrote it?
Elin Hilderbrand.
When was it published?
2023.
Is it a beach read?
Yes.
Is it a standalone?
Yes.
Is it sad?
It deals with grief, but is warm and funny.
Is it part of a series?
No, it is a standalone.
What should I read next?
Try The Perfect Couple or Summer of '69.
Which book here is best for afterlife and family?
Try Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand, which suits readers looking for afterlife and family.
Which book here is best for twin sisters?
Try The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand, which suits readers looking for twin sisters.
Which book here is best for writers in love?
Try Beach Read by Emily Henry, which suits readers looking for writers in love.
Which book here is best for family mystery?
Try The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, which suits readers looking for family mystery.
Which book here is best for Nantucket wedding?
Try The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand, which suits readers looking for Nantucket wedding.
Which book here is best for long affair?
Try 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand, which suits readers looking for long affair.
Which book here is best for family Christmas?
Try Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand, which suits readers looking for family Christmas.