Beautiful Day: A Novel

Reviews

1. 

   P.H. – August 17, 2024

   Wedding by Mom
   This was a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It seems like a typical family and even though Mom isn’t there, she is there!

2. 

   Regina Niesen – August 17, 2024

   Not the Author’s Best
   Not the best book by Hilderbrand. There were too many characters, too much cheating for a wedding story, the juxtaposition between the males and females was awful. The men could get away with their terrible behavior and be absolutely forgiven but the same behavior displayed by a female was looked at as sluttly or not classy. The dead mother who wrote The Notebook which is a guidebook to Jenna’s wedding is completely manipulative. If she were alive, she would have to have duct tape put over her mouth. The bride to be, who is described as non- materialistic and fights for Amnesty a International sure doesn’t seem non-materialistic with her nearly $200,000 wedding and named dropped brand named things that she owns. She also is a whiny spoiled brat.So those are the bad parts. What might you ask do I like? I did like the plot in general, a perfect wedding weekend full of misadventures, mistakes, and traumas. The story being told from multiple viewpoints so the reader could see all of the angles of the plot. I did take a liking to Margot, the sister of the bride, who desperately wanted the wedding to be perfect for her sister even though her life was sort of crumbling beneath her feet. This is really a 2.5 rated book rounded up to 3 stars. Not this author’s best but she has written so many good ones that I’m not willing to just give up on her.

3. 

   Cybergirl – August 17, 2024

   It was such a fun read!
   I first noticed BEAUTIFUL DAY online about five years ago. I liked the cover photo. I also liked the premise of the novel–of a notebook written by Beth Carmichael, now deceased, with wedding instructions for her youngest daughter, Jenna. I read and liked the first chapter, but never got around to reading the novel. My book list was (and still is) uber-long.So about a week ago, while browsing online for a summer read, I noticed the book again and decided to buy it, once and for all.First, I liked that Ms. Hilderbrand tried to be inclusive with Jethro, an African-American character. Also mentioned was Nathalie, an Asian character. (I like and appreciate multiculturalism/diversity, which Ms. Hilderbrand does not shy away from.)Ironically, however, I found Jethro irksome/annoying. (He blew air kisses to Ann, the groom’s mother. That was a bit much for me, unrealistic. You have to read the book to understand why. Yet I like that Frederick Douglass was mentioned.)That said, I liked BEAUTIFUL DAY very much. It was such a fun read! So much detail about china and antique linens. I loved the character of Beth, the bride’s mother, who was so savvy and wise in her advice. Her loving/uplifting presence was so strong, I felt as if she got to attend her daughter Jenna’s wedding.All the characters–comprised of two upper-middle-class families and their friends/guests–vibrated with life and such interesting names. I especially liked sisters Margot and Jenna.I marvel that BEAUTIFUL DAY was constructed so seamlessly with rich language, vivid imagery and lots of unexpected plot twists. The author kept track of all the tiny details and pop culture references. As a result, I’ve already researched/scoped out three other novels by this author for a follow-up read.

4. 

   Shirley Whitney – August 17, 2024

   Great read
   Reading

5. 

   Margaret Taylor – August 17, 2024

   So many different types of relationships shown in this book, some flawed, some confusing and some formed for all the right reasons. Was interesting to see how they all resolved themselves.

6. 

   Canadian Consumer – August 17, 2024

   Elin Hilderbrand makes Nantucket come alive in this story of a summer wedding, filled with wonderful characters, including one from the past whose influence is felt throughout the book. I hated to see it end. I felt as if I was on the island myself, enjoying the beaches, restaurants and tourist sights. If you can’t get to Cape Cod this summer, visit through this book!

7. 

   Twinkle toes – August 17, 2024

   I love Elin Hilderbrand’s style of writing and this book certainly did not disappoint. I did not consider it sad as some reviewers have said previously. I thought she handled it very well, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend it as a good read, as all her books have been.

8. 

   Marla Singer – August 17, 2024

   I usually love Elin Hilderbrand novels. But I had to force myself to fully read this one. The characters seemed artificial and the way they behaved was quite unrealistic in a lot of situations. And for the main character, the deceased mother … I could not stand her. On the one hand she was described as the loveable hippie and on the other hand she seemed like an arrogant control freak who burdened her daughter with a notebook that contains the plans for her wedding in every detail and leaves no room for any wishes the bride or groom may have for their big day. I was so annoyed by this character that I could hardly finish the book. If you are new to the work of E.H. I would probably start with a better book, like the “Blue Bistro” or “The identicals”