A recently restored historic hotel staffed by people who have lots of secrets to hide. Sounds interesting, huh? Toss in a super critical hotel reviewer and a ghost who was murdered in the hotel 100 years ago and you have the key components of Elin Hilderbrand’s latest novel, The Hotel Nantucket.
I have seen Hilderbrand’s books on the bookstore shelves for years, but I’ve never taken the time to pick one up. I suppose I assumed that they were strictly fluff pieces that were not worth my time. When The Hotel Nantucket showed up as an option of the Book of the Month club, I decided it was time to give this author a chance. I found myself laughing out loud at the outrageous storyline and rooting for this charming cast of underdogs.
The Hotel Nantucket was mysteriously destroyed by fire nearly a century ago and a chambermaid died in the inferno. Since the disaster, the hotel has been poorly renovated and been the subject of much negativity by the community. The fact that the building was haunted did not help the hotel’s marketing either. Now that the place has been bought by English billionaire Xavier Darling, Hotel Nantucket now has a second chance at a new life.
When he hired Lizbet to serve as general manager, Xavier told her that he was trying to impress two women. One of those women was Shelly Carpenter, the author of the monthly blog Hotel Confidential. Shelly is notoriously picky and has never given an establishment the coveted five key rating. Xavier (and Lizbet) are determined to earn that distinction for Hotel Nantucket.
Finding a qualified staff on short notice proves to be more challenging than Lizbet imagined. Despite her best efforts, her staff turns out to be a gaggle of misfits — from the frat boy housekeeper to the unethical night clerk and the gold-digging front desk manager. While trying to keep these problematic people in check, Lizbet doesn’t need anything else to go wrong. Once the hotel guests begin to arrive, things go from bad to worse and the antics really begin.
The Hotel Nantucket was an engaging read with its witty writing and loveable cast of characters. Now I have to figure out a way to go to Nantucket for a visit during the summer season.
What’s next in my reading list? I’ve begun another selection from the Book of the Month club — The Attic Child by Lola Jaye. I just started the novel this morning and I am already HOOKED! I’ll let you know how things go with this latest read next week.
Reading for Me 