Helpful Score: 5
Meredith Martin Delinn led a privleged life. Until, that is, her husband Fred was convicted by the feds for running a ponzi scheme and stealing billions of dollars from his clients. Being under investigation herself, and having no where else to go, Meredith calls her childhood best friend, who hides her at her summer Nantucket home.
I liked this story! It was very interesting to see what the wives of some of the men who do things like this go through!
I liked this story! It was very interesting to see what the wives of some of the men who do things like this go through!
Helpful Score: 5
I loved this book. It had a great storyline & I couldn't put it down. It was painful in parts, due to deep emotions that I could relate to, but that made it even better. It makes you think about the decisions you make (or made) in life and the true meaning of love & friendship.
This is the second Elin Hilderbrand book I've read (first one was Blue Bistro) and I can't wait to read another!
This is the second Elin Hilderbrand book I've read (first one was Blue Bistro) and I can't wait to read another!
Helpful Score: 3
This is the 3rd book I've read by this author & wasn't disappointed. The story is about 2 friends that reunite after one of their husbands is involved in a Ponzi scheme. The book consists of 2 parts & goes from 1 friend to the other.
Helpful Score: 2
Meredith Martin Delinn's world is crashing around her. She has been living the "high life" since her children were small. Her husband, Freddy, was one of those wonderful guys on Wall Street that got caught by the SEC (think Bernie Madoff) making off with his clients money and wonderful guy that he was, he dragged his wife and family down with him.
Freddy is now sitting in prison while Meredith and their son Leo are under investigation and filled with questions. Their son Carver never got into the family business so he is not facing the heat, but Leo has moved in with him and they can have no contact with their mother.
Meredith has lost everything except for some money she had of her own before she was married, but she has no home, no friends, can't talk to or see her sons, no social standing at all. She contacts her friend since childhood, Constance Flute. Their friendship fizzled out when they took all the money they had invested with Freddy out a couple of years ago. Connie's husband, Wolf, was dying and he just didn't think Freddy's numbers added up and thought he was doing something shady. But Meredith stood by her man and blamed Wolf's cancer for his poor judgement.
Connie is headed to Nantucket for the summer to try to heal from the devastating loss of not only her husband, but her daughter who is blaming her for not making her dad fight harder against the cancer that had returned. He chose his work over the treatments. He was an architect and he felt the work he was committed to needed to be completed and would be his legacy. Connie has called and left a voice mail every Sunday hoping that just once her daughter will pick up the phone or call her back.
Connie decides to take Meredith with her to Nantucket so they may also heal their friendship, but once the people of the island find out that Meredith is there, the friends become plagued with old and new troubles, adding even more stress in their lives at a place that was supposed to be healing, relaxing and full of happy memories. Can their friendship be restored? What kind of lives will they after when the summer ends?
This is the quintessential summer beach read. It takes on the power of friendship, love, loss, forgiveness, trust, happiness, prosperity, misery, and bliss, along with an element of suspense. It is also very current due to the scandal that happened in New York with Bernie Madoff recently, like I said above, but it shows the other side, that maybe some of the spouses of the Wall Street Execs really could be oblivious to what was really happening. When they are bringing home that much money it is kind of taken for granted and the how and why is not always questioned. Unfortunately most of us are not in that position so I didn't trust Meredith for a good part of this story, which made it more of a mystery for me as the clues were uncovered and linked together.
I also loved the special ways history was remembered and tied to some very beautiful music. It made the story so much more real as they were songs I loved from my past. Just added a wonderful element that set the back stories and much more.
I had the privilege to read an review Hilderbrand's The Island last summer and declared it my Best General Fiction Read of 2010. Elin Hilderbrand has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read her entire back list and anything she writes in the future.
The tagline of this blog is "Escape With A Good Book". This is the perfect "escape" book!! I did over the weekend and am so glad I did. Get yours today, fix a nice pitcher of lemonade, splash on a little sunscreen and hit the beach, deck chair, or porch swing and sit back and enjoy this wonderful story.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reagan Arthur Books, Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Freddy is now sitting in prison while Meredith and their son Leo are under investigation and filled with questions. Their son Carver never got into the family business so he is not facing the heat, but Leo has moved in with him and they can have no contact with their mother.
Meredith has lost everything except for some money she had of her own before she was married, but she has no home, no friends, can't talk to or see her sons, no social standing at all. She contacts her friend since childhood, Constance Flute. Their friendship fizzled out when they took all the money they had invested with Freddy out a couple of years ago. Connie's husband, Wolf, was dying and he just didn't think Freddy's numbers added up and thought he was doing something shady. But Meredith stood by her man and blamed Wolf's cancer for his poor judgement.
Connie is headed to Nantucket for the summer to try to heal from the devastating loss of not only her husband, but her daughter who is blaming her for not making her dad fight harder against the cancer that had returned. He chose his work over the treatments. He was an architect and he felt the work he was committed to needed to be completed and would be his legacy. Connie has called and left a voice mail every Sunday hoping that just once her daughter will pick up the phone or call her back.
Connie decides to take Meredith with her to Nantucket so they may also heal their friendship, but once the people of the island find out that Meredith is there, the friends become plagued with old and new troubles, adding even more stress in their lives at a place that was supposed to be healing, relaxing and full of happy memories. Can their friendship be restored? What kind of lives will they after when the summer ends?
This is the quintessential summer beach read. It takes on the power of friendship, love, loss, forgiveness, trust, happiness, prosperity, misery, and bliss, along with an element of suspense. It is also very current due to the scandal that happened in New York with Bernie Madoff recently, like I said above, but it shows the other side, that maybe some of the spouses of the Wall Street Execs really could be oblivious to what was really happening. When they are bringing home that much money it is kind of taken for granted and the how and why is not always questioned. Unfortunately most of us are not in that position so I didn't trust Meredith for a good part of this story, which made it more of a mystery for me as the clues were uncovered and linked together.
I also loved the special ways history was remembered and tied to some very beautiful music. It made the story so much more real as they were songs I loved from my past. Just added a wonderful element that set the back stories and much more.
I had the privilege to read an review Hilderbrand's The Island last summer and declared it my Best General Fiction Read of 2010. Elin Hilderbrand has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read her entire back list and anything she writes in the future.
The tagline of this blog is "Escape With A Good Book". This is the perfect "escape" book!! I did over the weekend and am so glad I did. Get yours today, fix a nice pitcher of lemonade, splash on a little sunscreen and hit the beach, deck chair, or porch swing and sit back and enjoy this wonderful story.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reagan Arthur Books, Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Helpful Score: 1
My first experience with Elin Hilderbrand and I was more than thrilled about this heart-wrenching tale of two woman who are the same age, but struggling with their husbands' absences in completely different ways. What starts with a Ponzi scheme which could mimic the well-known Bernie Madoff catastrophe, ends with a story of friendship that can defy the test of time.
Switching between the two women's perspectives worked completely well in this book, from the simple aspect of labeling each chapter, so the reader was able to know from the flip of a page who was talking and which character was on the main stage. To switch back and forth, the reader was provided with the complete picture of their friendship and the trials that it had to withstand. The reader was also able to see what miscommunication and misunderstanding can do to two friends whose lives are intertwined.
From beginning to end, I was swept into their stories and wanted to know if at the end of it all would these friends be able to continue their friendship as these new people they were becoming was happening. A book that takes place over a summer was a great read as I said goodbye to summer and I brought in fall, but maybe some readers would love to experience the summer with them.
Switching between the two women's perspectives worked completely well in this book, from the simple aspect of labeling each chapter, so the reader was able to know from the flip of a page who was talking and which character was on the main stage. To switch back and forth, the reader was provided with the complete picture of their friendship and the trials that it had to withstand. The reader was also able to see what miscommunication and misunderstanding can do to two friends whose lives are intertwined.
From beginning to end, I was swept into their stories and wanted to know if at the end of it all would these friends be able to continue their friendship as these new people they were becoming was happening. A book that takes place over a summer was a great read as I said goodbye to summer and I brought in fall, but maybe some readers would love to experience the summer with them.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting plot seeming very similar to the Madoff scandal I enjoyed it & will probably look for a book on the real story of the Madoff's
Helpful Score: 1
The perfect vacation read - engaging, suspenseful & a definite page turner! I love Hilderbrand's books and this was another really good one of hers. There were a few "duh" moments with the main character (Meredith) and a couple of times where she really needed to grow up and be an adult. Other than those times, I liked her character and the others. Can't wait for the author's next book this summer.
Helpful Score: 1
I have read all of Hilderbrand's books and this one was my least favorite. I found it too chopped up, going back and forth. I usually can not put her books down and this one I put down many times before I finished it. I will continue to read everything she writes because I have always enjoyed her books.
Helpful Score: 1
Very good book. Elin Hilderbrand never disappoints!
While this is not my usual type of book I greatly enjoyed it. Drawn in because of the obvious Bernie Madoff story line, I found myself engrossed in the characters and the settings and the times that are the subject matter, told thru flashbacks by the 2 female main characters. I grew up in the area and times this book relates to: while it is not historical fiction, nor 'cops & robbers' (my usual fare) I really enjoyed this one and may look for others by the author. I also really like the 'interview' with the author and 'discussion questions' at the end as well. Try it out!
First book I've read by this author. I really enjoyed how she portrays bonds between friends and how moms relate to their wayward adult children. A good read and I'm planning to read her other books.
A light easy summer time read plucked from the headlines of the Bernie Madoff scandal.
I became a Elin-Hilderbrand girl when I read one of her books for the first time - having since read every one!!!!
I am always transported to Nantucket Island and always dropped back into my real life when I put the book down after reading a few pages or the whole book!!
Love the stories of friendships because I am still very close to 5 high school friends - I can always picture us going through the same things together.
Very good book because it comes from today's headlines - another ponzzi scheme, but this time you have an inside edge to the story.
I am always transported to Nantucket Island and always dropped back into my real life when I put the book down after reading a few pages or the whole book!!
Love the stories of friendships because I am still very close to 5 high school friends - I can always picture us going through the same things together.
Very good book because it comes from today's headlines - another ponzzi scheme, but this time you have an inside edge to the story.
I could not get through this book. How are we supposed to feel sorry for the main character before we even know her? Page one starts out begging for our understanding, but we don't even know what happened yet! The pacing is slow, nothing really happens, and the characters are pretty flat. I skipped to the end and read the last few pages, but just to get a sense of completion, not because I "had" to know what happened!
This was an interesting read and gives an insight as to what it would be like to have been married to a dishonest person without realizing it.
A good read about two old friends, one whose husband is in jail for financial fraud and the other one has passed away. A good story about friendship, love, forgiveness and perseverance. The beautiful Nantucket is the setting.
I liked the first book I read of Elin Hilderbrand and I liked this one also. I have spent time in the setting (east coast area) so I love that I could see the images in my head. Great characters. I would recommend this book.
Good fast read. Chic lit.
