Review By Veronica
The Book Club Hotel is a heartwarming story about family and friendship.
Favourite Quote:
She’d stared at the closed door for a full five minutes after they’d left while she’d tried to process it. In a matter of minutes her life had utterly changed, the future she’d planned with Brent stolen, her hopes crushed.
Even though two years had passed, there were still days when it felt unreal. Days when she still expected Brent to walk through the door with that bouncing stride of his, full of excitement because he’d had one of his brilliant ideas that he couldn’t wait to share with her.
Goodreads Synopsis:
With its historic charm and picture-perfect library, the Maple Sugar Inn is considered the winter destination. As the holidays approach, the inn is fully booked with guests looking for their dream vacation. But widowed far too young, and exhausted from juggling the hotel with being a dedicated single mom, Hattie Coleman dreams only of making it through the festive season.
But when Erica, Claudia and Anna—lifelong friends who seem to have it all—check in for a girlfriends’ book club holiday, it changes everything. Their close friendship and shared love of books have carried them through life’s ups and downs. But Hattie can see they’re also packing some major emotional baggage, and nothing prepares her for how deeply her own story is about to become entwined in theirs. In the span of a week over the most enchanting time of the year, can these four women come together to improve each other’s lives and make this the start of a whole new chapter?
This book feels like a warm hug on a chilly day. It is a perfect comfort read for the holiday season. The Book Club Hotel takes that Hallmark setting that many of us love and combines it with a story that feels very real and relatable. This book is great for those wanting to read a charming Christmas story without being bombarded with lots of cheesy romance scenes. This book has a love story between Hattie and Noah, but it isn’t the story’s main focus. Their growing relationship weaves in and out of the main plotline and just complements it well. Hattie and Noah’s interactions are so sweet and enduring, adding a bit of charm to the overall story. The plot moves wonderfully, and you will find yourself just soaking up all this book’s holiday goodness. Also, this book has some pretty fabulous food talk that will leave you feeling slightly hungry.
The Book Club Hotel is told from the POVs of Erica, Claudia, Anna, and Hattie. Hattie owns the Hotel and struggles to run it after losing her husband a few years ago. Hattie’s growth and journey in this book is centred around her letting go of the expectation that she has to run the Hotel exactly as her late husband did. I loved Hattie; she was definitely my favourite character in this book. She was just a delight to be around. Erica, Claudia, and Anna are best friends who meet at different hotels to discuss books. These three friends are wonderful and just so different from one another. They all live very different lives. Erica is a businesswoman who doesn’t want to get married, Claudia is a chief who is dealing with the aftermath of an ugly divorce, and Anna is married with two children who are about to head off to college. All three women present this image to each other that they have their shit together and that their lives are ok. But that’s not the case. Erica, Claudia, and Anna are all facing crises in their lives, and they don’t know what the future will look like. It was really heartwarming and enjoyable watching all these strong, smart, and compassionate women interact and support each other. They love each other’s differences and are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. They were just a fabulous group to hang out with.
The Book Club Hotel is the perfect book to curl up with this holiday season.
Thank you, HarperCollins Canada, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
