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Cover of The Five-Star Weekend by Elin HilderbrandThe Five-Star Weekend
New · Fiction, Family

The Five-Star Weekend

by Elin Hilderbrand
2023 · 400 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Hollis Shaw, a popular food blogger, is shattered when her husband dies in a car accident right after a fight. To heal, she invites her best friend from each stage of her life, childhood, high school, college and middle age, to a weekend at her house on Nantucket. The women don't know each other, and they all bring secrets.

Why it's worth reading

It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Hilderbrand is the queen of the beach read, and this one is about friendship.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's light, with grief at its center and some infidelity.

By the numbers

69.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers42 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller71 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2023
Shortlisted
Goodreads Choice (fiction) finalist (2023)

Reads as

Moving

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Quick answers

Is The Five-Star Weekend worth reading?

Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #1,319 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Five-Star Weekend about?

Hollis Shaw, a popular food blogger, is shattered when her husband dies in a car accident right after a fight. To heal, she invites her best friend from each stage of her life, childhood, high school, college and middle age, to a weekend at her house on Nantucket. The women don't know each other, and they all bring secrets.

How long does it take to read The Five-Star Weekend?

About 10 hours (400 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Five-Star Weekend?

If you liked it, try The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune or Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry.