Elin Hilderbrand is well-known for being the “queen of beach reads.” Titles like Summer of ‘69, 28 Summers, Trouble in Paradise…you get the idea. Every once in a while, I want something escapist, pretty much guaranteed to have a happy ending, and NOT focused on any of the current “issues” that are like a tsunami whenever we turn on the news. Not my genre, but I was hoping that her latest, Golden Girl. would be just the thing to sink into (thank you, Little, Brown and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review). 

Vivian Howe, a successful novelist, is the Golden Girl. She is killed in a hit-and-run accident on her home island of Nantiucket. OK, I’m still there. Then she ascends to the Beyond and finds Martha, who tells her she can spend one last summer watching from “above” and seeing whether she can gently nudge her three children in the direction of “good decisions.”

Wait, what? So there her family is, grieving their loss, and she’s on the other side, trying to steer them the way she thinks would be in their best interest? Huh. I kept reading. Then — OK, I admit it–I gave up. DNF. Just not for me. But clearly this in right in Ms. Hilderbrand’s lane: tugs at the heartstrings, evokes emotions including both the warm & fuzzy ones and the sad/tearful ones. 

I’m fairly certain anyone who enjoys a “beach read”or “women’s fiction” (whatever THAT is) or who has become a fan of Ms. Hilderbrand will love this one. I can only go three stars, but that’s just me. Not my thing — but I know several people to whom I will recommend it! BEACH READ LOVERS, THIS IS FOR YOU!