Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Pages: 416
Read on: Kindle
Read in: ~4 hours
Plot Summary: After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling.
Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around.
They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.
Things I Liked:
1. The Hotel Nantucket is a very heartwarming, funny and sweet read. I am glad I picked it out now- when I am in a mellow end-of-the-year mood- vs. in the summer (when it was all the rage everywhere) because this is the perfect pre-Christmas kinda read too! Full of heart, fun and funny characters and a nice little mystery to boot.
2. The cast of characters is diverse and nicely fleshed out. Most of them are very likeable or, at the very least, interesting. Lizbet, the General Manager, is my favourite. She has just had her heartbroken and saw the end of a fifteen-year relationship and she is looking at turning this hotel around as part of her moving on plans. Then, we have Edie, a local girl, who has graduated summa cum laude from Cornell in Hotel Management and has huge debts to pay. To make things worse, her ex-boyfriend is blackmailing her for cash. Alessandra, is too slick for her own good. She always says and does the right things and is a major hustler. She is hiding a secret and Lizbet is unsure how to unearth what that is given how clever Alessandra is at covering her tracks. Then there is Magda, the head of Housekeeping, but she drives a custom luxury car to work and is looking to buy expensive beachfront property! How is she able to afford all of that?!
Then, there is Chad Winslow, an actual rich boy, who insisted on working as a cleaner. Why is he "punishing" himself? What is the mysterious thing he has done over the summer that he is seeking to purge?
Each of these characters have interesting journeys of their own and you root for all of them!
3. The resident ghost of the hotel- Grace - is really sweet! She is always up to something fun and is someone you end up rooting for. I loved how Grace went about causing minor "haunting" incidents to give guests some cheap thrills!
4. The writing is really beautiful and the author brings the island of Nantucket and the hotel really alive. You feel like you are a part of the hotel and watching all these various events play out in front of your eyes.
5. Overall, like I said, this is a fun, funny and heartwarming read! Perfect for a cozy night in with some hot cocoa and you are all set!
Rating: 5/5
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