Here's to us : a novel

Title:

Author:

Summary:

Celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe is struggling with addiction, depression and not one, but two scandals. As summer nears, he travels to the idyllic Eastern bluff of Nantucket, where he takes his own life. In the shocking wake of Deacon's suicide, his first wife and childhood sweetheart, Laurel Thorpe, sets out to gather Deacon's far-flung family--including Deacon and Laurel's son, and Deacon's other ex-wives and children--on the island. Secrets are revealed, confidences are shared, and improbable bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man they loved.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

410 pages ; 25 cm

Subject Term:

Wives -- Fiction.

Women -- Fiction.

Loss (Psychology) -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Nantucket Island (Mass.) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2016

ISBN:

9780316375146

Publication Information:

New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2016.

Call Number:

HILDERB

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003153478	Adult Fiction	HILDERB	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Three romantic rivals in one crowded house equals plenty of room for jealousy in this surprising and heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.

Laurel Thorpe, Belinda Rowe, and Scarlett Oliver share only two things; a love for the man they all married, Deacon Thorpe--a celebrity chef with an insatiable appetite for life--and a passionate dislike of one another. All three are remarkable, spirited women, but they couldn't be more different. Laurel: Deacon's high school sweetheart and an effortlessly beautiful social worker; Belinda: a high-maintenance Hollywood diva; and Scarlett: a sexy southern belle floating by on her family money and her fabulous looks. They've established a delicate understanding over the years--they avoid each other at all costs.

But their fragile detente threatens to come crashing down after Deacon's tragic death on his favorite place on earth: a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage. Deacon's final wish was for his makeshift family to assemble on his beloved Nantucket to say good-bye. Begrudgingly, Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett gather on the island as once again, as in each of their marriages, they're left to pick up Deacon's mess. Now they're trapped in the crowded cottage where they all made their own memories--a house that they now share in more ways than one--along with the children they raised with Deacon, and his best friend. Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett each had an unbreakable bond with Deacon--and they all have secrets to hide.

Before the weekend is over, there are enough accusations, lies, tears, and drama to turn even the best of friends--let alone three women who married the same man--into adversaries. As his unlikely family says good-bye to the man who brought them together--for better or worse--will they be able to put aside their differences long enough to raise a glass in Deacon's honor?

Author Notes

Elin Hilderbrand grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa. Her first book, The Beach Club, was published in 2000. Her other works include The Blue Bistro, Barefoot, A Summer Affair, The Castways, The Island, Summerland, The Matchmaker, Winter Street, The Rumor, and Winter Stroll. Elin's novels, Here's to Us and Winter Storms, made the New York Times bestseller list in 2016.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Deacon Thorpe propelled himself from an impoverished childhood to a life of fame and wealth as a celebrity chef, but it was never enough. He left a wreckage of wives and kids behind when he unexpectedly died at his favorite place, a rundown Nantucket summer cottage. Deacon's third wife, Scarlett, a beautiful Southern belle and his former nanny, couldn't be more different from his first wife and high school sweetheart, social worker Laurel, or his second wife, Hollywood actress Belinda. The only things these ladies have in common are their love for Deacon and their jealousy of one another. So bringing them and their offspring together in a small cottage to say farewell to Deacon is a recipe for disaster. All the old secrets and resentments quickly come to the surface as the assembled mourners try to cope with this loss. Still, just maybe the sun, surf, and memories will help them find a way to forgiveness and new beginnings. Verdict The best-selling Hilderbrand (The Rumor) writes another juicy, beachy family drama set against the beautiful backdrop of Nantucket. Her stories are as alluring as the island itself and as delicious as the included recipes such as champagne cake. [See Prepub Alert, 1/4/16.]-Melissa DeWild, BookOps, NYPL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.