GOLDEN GIRL BY ELIN HILDERBRAND

Golden Girl is a story centered around Vivian Howe, an author of 13 novels, living on Nantucket. Vivian is the mother of three children, Willa who’s married to Rip Bonham, Carson a 20 something still living at home, and Leo who just finished his senior year of high school. Vivi, as her friends and family affectionately called her, also has an ex-husband named JP who left her for a younger woman named Amy, and her best friend through thick and thin, Savannah. Oh, and one last surprise, Vivian has a secret of her own that is written about in her final book.

One day while Vivi was out on her normal morning jog, she is killed in a hit-and-run accident. As Vivi ascends to the Beyond, she meets her guide Martha. Martha explains to Vivi what has happened and then tells her that she has until the end of summer to use three nudges to change a possible outcome for the people on earth.

If you were given three nudges who would you use them on? Interesting to think about. How many surprises do you think would confront you, namely, not knowing the people you love as well as you thought. What secrets do you think would be uncovered? How many secrets would your love ones find out about you?

As the people in Vivian’s life try and navigate life without her, you see each person deal with her loss in different ways. The effect she had on each and every one of them was significant. How does Vivi, while in the Beyond, handle the secrets she is becoming privy to and how her loss has effected everyone that cared for her? Where will Vivi use her nudges? Fortunately she has Martha to guide her.

Elin Hilderbrand‘s Golden Girl is a captivating and emotional page turner. The reader is transported to Nantucket where you literally feel and experience the beautiful views and places described within the story. There are several narrators so the reader gets a real feel for how each person is dealing with the loss of Vivi and a true understanding of the family dynamic involved.

This was a solid FOUR 🌟read for me. Surprisingly, this was the first book I’ve read by Ms. Hilderbrand even though she’s written 26 other novels and I will definitely be going back and reading some of her other books. I do believe this is a great summer read, especially because the timeline for the story occurs during this time. Without a doubt you can never go wrong with beaches, water and sunshine when it comes to a summertime read.