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Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand Book Review


Reasons for Reading This Book:

As a member of The Readheads podcast book club I am always putting their book recommendations on my to read list. One of the recommended books was Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand. Oddly enough it wasn't the concept of the book that caught my attention it was the title. While working in Boston, MA I visited a used book store. I went in with books that I was looking to buy and this was one of them. Lucky for me they had one copy left. I went into this book with little to no expectations. I knew it was a summery beachy read and was excited to read it during the start of the summer.

Content of This Book:

Vivian Howe is a Nantucket novelist who has one summer to protect her secrets while her loved ones on Earth learn to live without her. Vivi is killed in a hit-and-run while on her morning run. Upon her death she entered the Beyond, where she meets Martha. Vivi is granted one last summer to watch what happens on Earth. She is also given three "nudges' to change the outcome of events down below. Vivi left three children behind. Her eldest Willa has had three miscarriages. Carson her middle child is the wild party child. And her youngest Leo is dealing with his high-maintenance girlfriend before he leaves for college. Vivi is also able to watch as the Chief works on her case. Following her death her final novel is published, Golden Girl. This book contains secrets from her childhood that have the potential to ruin her reputation. Secrets come to light and nudges are used. Read to see how this story plays out. 

What I Liked About This Book: 

In my opinion this was the perfect book to read to kick off summer. The use of multiple narrators aided in depicting and explaining the various storylines and how each character related back to the main story line of Vivi and her death. I loved the structure of the book. Having each character narrate their sectioned and their lives' provided character development. I personally was a fan of not having numbered chapters, it would have distracted and messed up the flow that the chosen structure provided. The detail in this book was immaculate. This book provided the perfect amount of detail for the reader to picture how the characters looked, the scenery, and so much more. The level of detail in this book is one of my favorite things about it. It is also what made it so enjoyable to read. I find that some authors choose to focus on a detail that they carry throughout the book. I think that the detail that Elin Hilderbrand chose is music and songs. I loved the included of song titles and artists. It set the scene and made it personable. It is hard for me to describe but I had the best and most enjoyable time reading this book. The writing flowed and was consistent from start to finish. The characters were reliable narrators and truly opened up and shared every thought and emotion with the reader. I also just loved the concept that Vivi was able to watch her loved ones following her death. This not only helped her but also the ones she left behind. 

What I Disliked About This Book:

Having the Chief narrate his sections of the story progressed the investigation and provided the reader with information on Vivi's case. With that there were long stretches of the story where the Chief was not included and the main focus was on other storylines and not the case. I would have preferred in the Chief had regular small sections with little updates instead of becoming a large part in different chunks of the book. Some readers might be put off by the length of the book. I am personally a slow reader. The length of this book was not a problem for me as it is an easy and enjoyable read that you fly through. 

Would I Recommend This Book?

Without a doubt yes!! I am so glad that I have my own copy so I can loan it to those in my life who I think would also enjoy it. This is a perfect book for a road trip, vocation, and flight. I say go get yourself a copy it is so worth the read!!

Check out my book reviews for 2022!!


Check out my book reviews for 2021!!


Check out my book reviews for 2020!!

Check out my book reviews for 2019!!


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