Grab Your Edition Golden Girl Devised By Elin Hilderbrand Presented As Interactive EBook

storytelling if you don't think too deep into it, The audio read by Erin Bennett was really good and she makes,hours fly by without you knowing,

I like the beginning of this book with whodunit mystery and tightknit characters, This is a story about Vivi or is it EH, an author who died and becomes an angel looking down from heaven, I like Vivi and her angel mentor, But true to form, the story leans towards family drama and infidelity then there are gazillion characters that I stop paying close attention to the names,

I started to hate this book when one of the characters becomes a suspect, Now a beach read becomes a voice formovements in the headlines, It's annoying when the author drips SJ in her novel while a reader just wants an escape, to be posted on blog: sitelink . .

What If, You Could Look Down on Your Family From the Great Beyond and Impact Their Decisions

Vivian Vivi Howe is a successful Nantucket novelist who is extremely close to her family when a hitandrun accident strikes her down, killing her instantly.
Her family is, of course, crestfallen, Little do they know that Vivi has been granted the ability to view her family from the Beyond and to guide them usingnudges in case they take the wrong path.


Willa is the eldest, happily married, pregnant again, and desperately hoping this time it sticks, Without her mother, Willa is left trying to pick up the pieces,

Carson is the middle child, a bartender at an upscale bar on Nantucket, who was going down the wrong path before losing her mother and is now selfdestructing on booze, drugs, and a secret affair.


Leo, the youngest, is angry and lost, Not knowing where to turn, he is taking out his pain on those who dont deserve it,

A bit of a different story for Elin Hilderbrand, as this one has a paranormal element to it, it was still filled with love, family, friendship, and lots of life lessons.
While I had a bit of a hard time connecting since I dont believe the premise is possible, I found the “What If” idea of it quite compelling.

.Stars

Thank you to my local library for loaning me a copy of the audiobook and to NetGalley and Little Brown and Co for the arc,

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram, Stars

Ok that was good! I'm not usually a fan of the betweenlifeanddeath thing so I almost didn't even read this one but because I like all of Elin Hilderbrand's other books, I chose to stick with it.
And I'm glad I did!!,stars

It's a beautiful day in Nantucket, Novelist and mother of three, Vivian Howe is out for a run near her home, Unfortunately, she is killed in a hit and run, After her death she is assigned Martha, who allows Vivi to watch what occurs for one last summer, She is given three "nudges" to change the outcome of what happens on earth, She watches her three children, Willa, Carson and Leo, All of which have things going on in their lives that well, a mother worries about,


Vivi learns the secrets of her children, protects her own and follows the investigation into the hit and run which killed her led by “The Chief” Ed Kapenash.
She also worries about her novel which contains a secret from her youth,

I have been all over the place with the rating of this book, Although it is well written, it was slow at times and although I enjoyed it, I wish it has moved faster, Having said that, I liked the idea of watching from above, that our deceased loved ones are watching over us, the learning of secrets, and the giving of "nudges".


As the other books I have read by her, I found this to be well written and enjoyable, I just didn't seem to enjoy it as much as other reviewers so please read their reviews as well,

An enjoyable beach read,

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, All the thoughts and opinions are my own,

Read more of my reviews at sitelinkwww, openbookposts. com

It's officially summer now that I've read the newest EH book! I'm a huge EH fan she inspired my first trip to Nantucket, and I fell in love with the island and everything about it but that being said, I've been very critical of her last few books frankly, they just weren't that great.
I'm happy to say though, Golden Girl renewed my love of EH, and left my googling BampB's for a return trip to Nantucket this summer,

Maybe it's because my dad has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness and treatment does not seem to be working, and every day I'm facing the reality that my time with him is short but a book based on the premise of our departed loved ones watching over us, giving us a "nudge" every once in awhile, warmed my heart.
The book begins with the untimely death of Nantucket author, Vivian Howe, but while she may be deceased, she has not departed, as she is ushered into a fascinating although maybe a tad flippant version of the afterlife.
Vivi is given three months to watch over her loved ones from a viewing room above, and she is also given three "nudges" to use in that timeframe, where she can influence events that happen below.
While it sounds a bit hokey, I thought is was a very clever way of unfolding the story of Vivi, her three children, and her exhusband, Hilderbrand is at her best in this one with her descriptions of Nantucket my favorite part being all the sandwich references I need to take another trip to Nantucket just to try out those sandwiches!, characters that you feel good rooting for, and a compelling, tearjerker plot.


The only two gripes I had with it revolved around the fact that Hilderbrand based the protagonist, Vivi, loosely or not so loosely on her own life, and I thought at times it came across as a bit smug and pretentious.
The second gripe being the "whodunnit", It was actually very easy to figure out, as Hilderbrand goes out of her way to make this character reprehensible in so many ways, so you automatically assume this character is the guilty party.
I think it would have been a bit more authentic and moving if it had been a sympathetic character, as good people make bad choices too,

Overall though, a moving story that is definitely more than just a beach read, I loved the life lessons each family member learned, and how their lives played out after the death of their mother,stars! Golden Girl is a love story, an intelligent beach read, and in my opinion, semiautobiographical,

Vivian Vivi Howe, is a fiftyoneyearold author living on the beautiful of Nantucket, divorced and mother of three children, Shes fit, vivacious and involved with island life and just that right amount in her kids lives,

Shes given the privilege of separating herself from her life, sort of like an outofbody experience, and watching her family and friends lives go on their course.
Dont worry about the how shes doing this right now because it doesnt matter, Imagine yourself though, if you were able to do this, watch from a far, like that proverbial, fly on the wall, Wouldnt you want to step in and stop one of your kids from making a mistake or whispering in their ear, “no, stop, think about this first,” Even your best friend helping choose a date, or a trip, wouldnt you like a bit of influence Sometimes, right

Vivi gets this privilege, but she must give up something in return, but she gains an enormous amount of respect for her family, her children and their individual choices and needs.
She finds it is truly all about love,

Now, go read Golden Girl with this in mind and you will cherish the most important part,

Thank you Netgalley, Little, Brown and Co, and Elin Hilderbrand

Note: I met Elin tonight at JosephBeth Booksellers, and it was wonderful! Shes warm and personable and gave a great talk and discussion, Had my books signed too!"Eventually, all of them are going to have to learn to live without you, This summer is going to end, Summer always ends. " Elin Hilderbrand, Golden Girl

In her twentyseventh novel, Elin Hilderbrand tries something new, she's written "beach reads" "escapist novels" simple love stories, she tried her hand at a murder mystery a few years ago with The Perfect Couple, and this year, Hilderbrand has decided to tackle a paranormal element.
and shockingly, it kinda works, This book is also a murder mystery, and if you're a fan of EH, the Chief Ed Kapenash is back with his witty observations and sharp dialogue,

The setup of Golden Girl is relatively simple, Vivian Howe is a successful New York Times bestselling author who is divorced and has three children, and lives on Nantucket writing beach novels about Nantucket.
. . wink wink nudge nudge . . and then she is murdered in chapter two in a freak hit and run accident where she ascends to the above and meets Martha, her Person, who is assigned to help her transcend to heaven.
. . Martha gives Vivi a summer viewing window to look down on Nantucket on her grieving family and make three "nudges" to push her family members in the right direction to change the course of there lives, before she must face the fact that the summer will eventually end, and her family must accept that Vivi has died and things will never be the same.


I liked the novel alot, it made me happy somehow, a book about the power of forgiveness and grief, and the struggles that a family has to overcome when they face the very sudden loss of a loved one.
If you've ever lost someone to a freak accident, I think this book will connect with you on many levels, The book was heavy and full of dark topics that we've now come to expect Hilderbrand to tackle,

I don't think the murderer was a big surprise, I guessed who it was the minute the first red herring clue was dropped and I was right, but, I don't think that was Elin's point in writing this book, She doesn't want you to read the book trying to find out who murdered Vivi, She wants you to read this book and know that life does get better, Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes, we can't change destiny, This is going to be a very poignant read for many people this year in the trying times of COVID,

Does the book have some flaws Yes, It's too long could have been wrapped up quicker, and there's too many flashback scenes to Vivi's past, but at the same time, I loved every one of those scenes, they are what gave Vivi's character so much heart and made you root for her, So the book is probably a,, but it's expertly written and was exactly the book I needed to read today, and I finished it in underhours, so it's getting theth star! My favorite Hilderbrand remainsSummers,

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for the advanced copy of GOLDEN GIRL,

EDIT: HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THE QUEEN, EH! Go get that next number one, Elin! I going to put this one in the it shouldnt have been written category.
The characters are unlikeable, everyones priorities are morally flawed, and the whole story line is just ridiculous,.rounded up.

Vivian Howe is a best selling author of beach novels, Shes divorced from JP and they have three grown up children, Early one morning shes killed in a hit and run and she ascends into The Beyond where she is greeted by Hermès scarf wearing Martha, Shes grantedVWs viewing windows in a limited time period and three nudges to influence outcomes on earth, She has to use them wisely to help her children who have more issues than she knows, The story is told via several perspectives in the

present and the past,

This is a well written novel which combines the mystery of who killed Vivi which is investigated by Nantucket Police Chief Ed Kapenash who is a repeat character and its about overcoming grief, confronting the truth and acknowledging the past which is where the title comes in.
I really like the premise and the imaginative way The Beyond plays out as we learn Vivi's secrets as well as those of her family and where their truth lies.
I enjoy how Martha gets her precious and valuable Hermès scarves which is admirable justice! The characters are good although they are all flawed in some way but that does tend to make them more interesting.
The insights into Vivi are good and you also come to realise that shes been too busy with her career to notice whats really going on in her childrens lives.
I like their points of view and understanding just how damaged they are to a lesser or greater degree and all are struggling with issues, The family dynamics are good and not just in Vivi's immediate family either, It does have a bit of everything, theres some humour to alleviate some of the heaviness, theres romance and scandalous affairs, theres the nostalgia of first love, theres a bit of suspense and of course, the mystery of the car driver which in the end doesnt come as much of a surprise.
The Nantucket setting is, of course, wonderful!

However, on the negative side its very slow in places and I find my mind wandering and its way too long.
There are multiple points of view and Im not entirely convinced that all are needed,

Overall, I really enjoyedSummers but dont find that this one grabs me in the same way despite loving the premise,

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc in return for an honest review, .