Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family by the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.
At the Vis Ta Vie inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good.
They’re not the only ones going through a season of change, though. Their guests include three couples in Hollywood celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie.
The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths that can rend the heart or heal it. Vis Ta Vie—live your life—captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light even after the magic fades.
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple contemporary fiction novels, most recently We Are Made of Stars. Her work has been featured in People, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, Country Living, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, First for Women, Kveller, Totally Booked with Zibby, BookBub, and more. Rochelle is the book columnist for AQUA Magazine and a frequent speaker and workshop instructor. A former entertainment industry executive and NBC-6 Miami book correspondent, Rochelle splits her time between South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina.
Friendship, love, regret, and forgiveness all sum up what this story brings to the table. This book was an interesting read and I liked how each person had some character development. The moral of the story was beautifully raw and complex but I struggled to fall in love with it. Although the connections to life and space/stars was unique and deep, it felt a bit too repetitive (yes, I get it's in the name). It's not one that struck me as it did to others in their reviews but wasn't horrible either.
3.5⭐️ Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue host one more weekend getaway before shuttering their Inn for good. When they host their final group, including several couples and a mother and daughter, secrets will come to light and romance rekindled as they are forced to confront past mistakes.
I am still new to reading Rochelle Weinstein, but I really enjoy the emotional angst her books are known for, as well as the dynamic character development. The interconnected nature of these characters, combined with the emotional trauma each brings to the table were fascinating. I appreciated the way she slowly peels back the layers on each couple’s relationship as their issues come to the surface. All in all a solid read, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
🎧As a major fan of audio, I have to say that this audio did the book a bit of a disservice. While there is a full cast, always a benefit, none of them conveyed the level of emotion this book needs. In addition, one was very breathy and another was mumbly. As much as it pains me to say this, I would highly recommend the physical/ebook to get the most enjoyment out of this book.
Read if you like: ▪️women’s fiction ▪️character driven ▪️complex relationships ▪️ensemble casts ▪️found family ▪️multiple POVs ▪️North Carolina setting
Oh, how I loved We Are Made of Stars. This is the second book of Rochelle B. Weinstein's that I have read, and the second one I gave 5 stars to, which is clearly a sign that I need to read her entire backlist. This story is told from multiple viewpoints with all of the various couples at the inn being represented with a POV from either one or both of them. I loved that Weinstein was able to structure it like this and still keep the mysteriousness of what each of their secrets were, some up until the very end! I was gasping and my jaw was dropping in some instances, and this book is literally full of surprises.
The setting of Vis Ta Vie Inn was beautiful, homey, and iridescent despite all the needed repairs, and it felt extremely vivid thanks to the author's writing style. Each character and relationship are perfectly sculpted and defined, so even though there are multiple viewpoints and lots of them to keep track of you are always firmly aware of who each person is. This was also what I would call a total foodie read, and I loved that each day started off with the menu for the guests. The food descriptions made my mouth water, and I longed to be at the inn. Read this if you love lots of drama, twists that will make your head spin, and astonishing secrets!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Love, loss, betrayal, and second chances, which are the hallmark of bestselling author Rochelle B. Weinstein’s repertoire, reaches soaring new heights in her latest page-turner, WE ARE MADE OF STARS. The spectacular Vis Ta Vie Inn, a luxurious mountain getaway retreat, is the powerful setting for an eclectic cast of characters whose goal is to leave the pressures of “real life” behind for a week and discover what’s truly real. With rich prose, shocking truths, and in-depth characters, Weinstein explores soul-searching matters of the heart with exquisite finesse: marriage, infidelity, parenting, paternity, regret, and the price tag of celebrity. Magic happens at the Vis Ta Vie Inn through the sheer power of food, wine, togetherness, and ultimately, love. Weinstein’s unforgettable ensemble not only finds light in the darkness, but also they discover that sometimes a “home away from home” is where your heart is.
I really loved this story. We follow 4 duos (3 couples and a mother daughter duo) who converge at a quaint inn where secrets are uncovered and their lives become intertwined in unexpected ways.
Despite the larger number of characters, I felt I knew them all. They were so well developed, a sign of fantastic writing.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters, what made them tick, what made them flawed and especially how their relationships changed over the course of this memorable week.
This novel is absolutely one of my top 5 this year.
Renée and Jean-Paul De La Rue run Vis Ta Vie inn, and the menus shared in the pages are mouth-watering. Every year certain guest come to their inn which a slice of heaven.
This year brings 3 couples, along with a single mother and her fifteen-year old. Each of the pairs is going though struggles. I love all the references to the stars and how each couple must learn how to move forward or decide to move on. Sometimes life brings people into our lives that are not meant to be there forever.
This week will test their relationships as they seek truth, get past grudges, trust issues and tragedy. This novel touched me deeply and I was rooting for them to find happiness.
This is the final weekend for Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue’s Inn, Vis Ta Vie. Told in alternating, multiple POVs, the story follows multiple characters, each with their own problems and secrets. The week at the Inn was full of betrayal, secrets, truths revealed, love and forgiveness. I loved the book’s focus on relationships, couples, families, friendships, and how the characters become so intertwined, forming a found family.
This was a beauitful and emotional story about flawed people that definitely tugs at the heartstrings. The setting adds so much to the story and you will truly find yourself wishing you could spend some time at a place like Vis Ta Vie.
I love a story with a large cast of characters and I also love foodie fiction and this had both, a total win for me! Despite so many characters each one had a distinct voice and was very well developed, some I loved some not so much but they all felt authentic and well drawn. The inn itself sounded so quaint and charming and the food descriptions made me wanna head there asap, everything sounded incredible. This is quite the mix of genres, there’s something for everyone and my favorite part was the mystery element as you realized just about everyone is protecting a secret. There were so many shocking surprises, I love a juicy secret, so this was a blast! Try this if you like family drama, sordid secrets and excellent writing.
This book starts as a slow burn. Several couples are attending a traditional week away at an inn. The cast of characters consists of 3 couples, a mother and daughter and the couple running the inn, along with their niece. It's a little tedious as the reader meets each set of guests as they arrive. And, I found it a little difficult to distinguish who is who. But then I immersed myself in the story.
It is clear pretty quickly that there is conflict within each couple. The storyline sort of meanders along with a few tensions gradually building. Then, ***BANG***, suddenly, it's like a runaway train derailing and the reader doesn't know which way to look. Secrets are revealed. Conflicts break wide open. There's near tragedy. Totally shocking! Every one of the 11 people at the inn has a life-changing moment happening.
In all honesty, it's over the top. Overly dramatic. Crazy. But, since I read to be entertained, this story is a success!!! I could not turn the pages quickly enough. I could not wait to see how it could be wrapped up. I can't imagine the author's brain activity while she is creating all this.
I'm sure there will be others who say the events in the story are over the top. And, they are. And there are some that won’t like or appreciate the ending. For me, it was perfect. Lots of excitement to keep me interested and entertained. And, an ending that made me feel good.
Since the title is We Are Made of Stars, it's only fair that I give this book a 5-star rating! The story earned every one of those stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle B Weinstein. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The De La Rue’s are about to close their home and inn, Vis Ta Vie. Their last group of guests include several couples, a single mother and her daughter, and all have their secrets and truths to reveal.
I loved that this was multi characters and perspectives and they were all so different. It was interesting that some of them knew each other, yet some didn’t. That’s a little different than a lot of “get away to another location” stories I’ve been reading lately. The characters were all well developed and had a lot of different issues going on, which took time to reveal. This story is full of twists and surprises, but also great food descriptions so don’t read when hungry!
“Whatever reason guests landed at Vis Ta Vie - the decor, the beauty of the grounds, the food - the rate vulnerability felt in a private enclave made magic.”
This is hands down Rochelle Weinstein’s best book yet. The story is set at a remote but sophisticated country inn where multiple couples come for a one week getaway. It’s quickly apparent that each of the couples, including one mother/daughter duo, have some issues to work through and demons to face. But somehow, through the magical atmosphere of the inn and the kindness of the owners, each character comes out better and stronger for the week away. With amazing character development, sensitive but uplifting plotting, and exploration of age old questions, this book will draw you in from the first page. Weinstein has the ability to bring readers into each character’s internal thoughts and deepest feelings, painting honest, clear, and poignant human pictures. I can’t praise this book highly enough. I really loved it, and you will too! And now I just desperately want to vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. Don’t miss this book! It’s extraordinary.
This author writes books that really pull you in and pull at your heartstrings. They usually have all the feels included too. This one is no different and is possibly her best to date. I thoroughly enjoyed "Somebody's Daughter" and "This Is Not How It Ends." I look forward to reading quite a few more.
Jean-Paul and Renee own the Inn. Penny and Leo, Leo is an actor. They are headed for divorce over something with another woman. Leo swears he is innocent, Cassidy and her daughter Rosalie. I loved Rosalie more than any other character. He just touched my heart. Rosalie has a big secret she needs to share with her mother. Henry is married to Lucy. Henry has secrets but he has no idea how much they affect it will have on Jean-Paul and Renee. Lucy has a huge secret. Adam and Sienna are married. Adam has done something bad but he doesn't want anyone to ever know. Lucy and Sienna have been best friends for a very long time.
There are three couples and a mother/daughter along with the Inn owners. The story is told by each person. The couples have a few secrets they are not really wanting to share. While two of the couples are best friends they still won't share some of their secrets. But you can bet they are revealed. And things take a big turn.
Things are revealed that will cause breakups. Other things will make some think about how important their life together really is. Is it worth fighting for? A lot is going on and it makes this story so good. Nothing is hard to follow and the story flows along at a good pace. You get to know each character and how they feel about things. There was only one that I honestly hated from the start and one that never grew on me. Adam bragged to much and Cassidy was not a good mother. I guess she may have grown on me a tiny bit but I still didn't much like her.
This book hits on subjects that may be a little hard. The loss of a child. Miscarriage. Drugs and alcohol. Divorce. Reconciliation. And a few more things. It's truly such a good book. From the very start to the very last word I was hooked. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnionPublishing, for this ARC.
I absolutely LOVED this read, and stayed in bed all morning to finish it as I wiped my eyes. I didn't necessarily think I would feel that way in the first third of the book. With 10 characters, 8 narrators, four marriages and a mother daughter set, there was a lot going on. But, this is a beautifully written book, especially about marriage and family relationships. I thought it was so beautifully written and so beautifully done. I also thought it captured the nuanced and complex way that marriages work. There was so much in there that was done very well. Beautiful novel. I absolutely loved it! Highly recommend!
#ad many thanks for the advance book and throw blanket <3 @rochellebweinstein + @getredpr #partner I also received a copy from Book Sparks as part of my 4 book package @booksparks #partner
🆆🅴 🅰🆁🅴 🅼🅰🅳🅴 🅾🅵 🆂🆃🅰🆁🆂 ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
If you enjoy character-driven books that pack an emotional punch then you need to read this book! 𝘞𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 by Rochelle B Weinstein is the type of story that will live rent-free in your head after you’ve read it. It’s impossible to forget.
Reeling from the loss of their daughter, Leo and Penny are forced to face life head-on. Their trauma shows up in every facet of their lives - interactions with friends and family, their relationship with each other, but it also forces them to look inside themselves and deal with things that most people wouldn’t want to.
While the story is heavy with grief and loss, it also explores the flip side of tragedy; it’s essentially a story of hope and resilience, exploring how characters grapple with profound loss but also finding a way out of that dark place.
Oof! This book! I loved that it had short chapters. The shifting POVs worked well with this book - helping to push the narrative forward. The characters are complex and relatable - maybe a little too relatable - but I found their interactions fascinating.
This is just a phenomenal book from start to finish.
𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤: Identity Loss Grief Hope Resilience Friendship Relationships
I don’t think any person could read this book and not feel something. It touches on all aspects of life and what it means to be human.
This book is women’s fiction/contemporary fiction. It is a very character driven book that focuses on friendships, relationships and secrets.
Renée and Jean-Paul are a married couple running a quaint inn that can accommodate eight guests each week.
This book takes place over one week. And it’s told from multiple POVs.
The guests include three couples: Leo and Penny (Hollywood couple) Adam and Sienna, and Henry and Lucy (two couples who have been friends since college). There is also Cassidy and Rosalie (a mother and daughter).
Everyone has secrets. And quite a few of them arrived at the inn wanting to confess. A lot of the couples were also struggling. So it was interesting to see which couples worked through their issues. And I enjoyed seeing the secrets revealed.
This book started out slow while we are introduced to all of the characters. I went into this book blind. And for some reason I was expecting this book to be different. At first I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. There are a lot of POVs. And a few of the characters are not very likeable.
Eventually as the characters got to know each other it seemed like the inn was one big family. I really enjoyed how things came together.
This is a very character driven story set at a magical location. I really enjoyed Jean-Paul being a chef. And the beginning of each chapter showing that day’s menu was a fun addition.
I enjoyed the second half of the book the most. Rosalie’s story (the daughter) was especially moving. Overall this story was very relationship focused. And it ended in a very satisfying way.
Thank you to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this book.
Story: 3 Audio: 3 Narrators: Multi Narrated Available: Netgalley
Based on others reviews I’m definitely an outlier on my rating. I found this to be too much in terms of all the conflicts in the characters various relationships. I am never a fan of overly saturated drama. A couple of the conflicts worked and others didn’t. With so much going on I never felt invested in any of the outcomes. Audio was multi-narrated which didn’t really add anything positive to my experience. Print version may be a better choice over the audio. Again, many have really enjoyed this. For me it was average at best.
Listen at 1.25 speed.
***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy of this book for my review. There's something special about Rochelle B Weinstein's writing and this is the cream of the crop! She has a way of interweaving a story that unfolds so intricately that you really don't see the connections coming...akin to how This is Us unfolds if you've ever watched the show. A group of strangers descend upon a bed and breakfast property for a week. They arrive with literal baggage of every kind - emotional, physical, etc. buttoned up, showing their good sides. By the end of the week, all secrets have been revealed and the group is bonded for life. I savored this one!
I can see why many people loved this book. The writing is beautiful, and the author really knows how to create vivid, relatable characters. The plot does have its moments of tension and drama, and while I personally found the characters a bit repetitive at times, I can appreciate the emotional depth they brought to the story. The way they interact with each other, though often seeming stuck in their problems, adds an interesting dynamic. For those who enjoy character-driven stories about personal growth and relationships, this book definitely has a lot to offer.
Truthfully, my level of distraction in this endless January has not been good for my reading life. Yet, I opened We Are Made of Stars and found an escape. If that’s not literary magic, I’m not sure what is!
You’ve heard of locked room plots, and this is similar though a drama, rather than mystery. Jean-Paul and Reneé run a boutique inn, Vis Ta Vie, known for bringing people together with excellent food and wine, in a beautiful North Carolina setting. On what will be the final week of their ownership, three couples and a mother daughter pair arrive as guests.
Over the course of a week, relationships are tested, secrets revealed, and bonds are formed and broken. The way that this all came together kept me completely engaged, guessing at the outcomes, and highly invested in every character (well, except one - when you read this, you’ll know!). This would make an excellent book club selection!
CR: ED, infidelity, child neglect, financial loss, death of a child (in past), infertility, serious accident/injury
{ An early copy of this book was provided to me by the author and GetRedPR team. All thoughts and opinions are ny own }
Loved the stories and how they all intertwined. But was it a little too convenient? This was one of the few books where I felt like I didn’t need to put myself into the story but could just view it as an outside. I loved that the author included the menu for each day. I find many families center their lives around food and many memories are made on vacation.
I don’t know why I thought that Cassidy was going to end up dying towards the end. Probably have watched too many grey’s anatomy episodes. Also I couldn’t figure out if Henry resolved his issues with his dad or he left him behind for his adopted family. Might have read that part a little too quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was told through each character’s point of view and I quickly connected with each of them. I found myself rereading certain passages as they really resonated with me. Recently I was fortunate enough to meet the author and hear about her writing career and especially understand the writing of this book. Kudos to Rochelle Weinstein for gifting us readers with a wonderful story about people handling crises, major conflicts and yet persevering through it all!
We Are Made of Stars masterfully depicts complex relationships, secrets, and scandals amid the beautiful setting of the Vis Ta Vie Inn. The path to redemption isn’t easy, and you’ll root for the sparkling cast of characters in this engrossing story.
I really enjoyed Rochelle B. Weinstein's latest novel. It has a different feel from her previous novels, but also shows her continuous growth as an author. While this one is marketed to White Lotus fans, I also felt some other vibes from it. The B&B aspect made me think of Ghosts. One situation reminded me of Silver Girl, which I was reading at the same time. I even had Nine Perfect Strangers in mind, but not as unsettling. In any case, it's a really well-told story with interesting characters and drama that kept me turning the pages.
I really liked all the characters (except for one, which was intended) and I was interested in learning what their secrets were. I was able to guess at a couple things but liked seeing how the story played out. I wish some additional characters got their own narratives, as it seemed like it was one narrator per couple, except in the case of Cassidy and Rosalie. The descriptions were great and made it very easy to visualize people and settings, bringing the story to life even further without taking away from the narrative.
I recommend this novel to anyone who wants something they will have a hard time putting down and a hard time letting go of the characters once they have finished. I already can't wait for Rochelle's next novel!
Side note: There was a small connection to the university my son attends. I found out that Rochelle went to the same university because of this.
BOOK: We Are Made of Stars AUTHOR: Rochelle B. Weinstein PUB DATE: TODAY!! February 25, 2025, by Lake Union Publishing PAGES: 363 RATING: 5 stars GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
A H U G E Thank You to @netgalley, @LakeUnionPublishing, and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!
MEMORABLE QUOTE: “Henry’s describing the universe as a metaphor for life, how we’re all made of stars and an energy that pulls us near and far, how the final frontier means possibility, facing the unknown.”
SYNOPSIS: Secrets, lies, and second chances are served up beneath the stars at a picturesque mountain getaway in this powerful novel about love and family. At the Vis Ta Vie inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good. They’re not the only ones going through a season of change, though. Their guests include three couples. In Hollywood, celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie. The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths that can rend the heart or heal it. Vis Ta Vie—live your life—captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light even after the magic fades.
QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I devoured this advanced reader’s copy just as I would have devoured the delectable, 4-course daily menus mentioned at the beginning of chapters! I appreciated the world-building of the characters as well as the author’s descriptive writing style. This one will tug at your heartstrings as it focuses on love and family. This was my first book by Rochelle B. Weinstein, and it won’t be the last. It was captivating from beginning to end!
I seriously enjoyed this book SO much! This was my 1st book by this author but I will most definitely be seeking out her backlist!
Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue own Vis Te Vie, a small inn in the North Carolina mountains. The inn is in financial trouble and may have to close its doors for good. But they have a week of guests and they're determined to make their stay a memorable one. The guests are three couples and a mother/daughter duo. Leo, a Hollywood celebrity and wife Penny are celebrating their anniversary but are on the verge of divorce. Lucy, a therapist and husband Henry, an astronomer are at odds but come every year to spend time with their friends Sienna, a stay at home mom and Adam, a sports agent. Then there is Cassidy and her 15 year old daughter Rosalie. Everyone seems to harboring secrets and slowly they seem to surface. Can their bonds stay in tact after all the betrayals?
Told in multiple POVs, this book was incredibly entertaining. It was a story of complicated relationships, second chances, and found family. It was an emotional, immersive read that I just couldn't put down! There was a ton of drama and suspense that had me turning pages quickly. I loved the daily menus before each day started. It actually made me hungry to read it, lol😂 The characters were great and I absolutely loved the setting of the small inn in the NC mountains. I really loved this book and I would HIGHLY recommend it.
This book was really cute! A group of people arrive at an inn in the mountains of North Carolina - mostly couples, one mother daughter duo, and all of the turmoil they are each facing in their lives begins to reveal itself almost from the start. Marriages are on the rocks, many of them are hiding something, several misunderstandings take place, and the inn’s owners, a husband and wife on the verge of closing the inn, are part of it all as well.
This almost plays out like a Hallmark Christmas movie with no Christmas. I wanted to read a feel-good book and this fit the bill. I hadn’t heard of this author but would read her again when I need a break from my usual thrillers and crime and horror.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fun book about Bed & Breakfast owners, Jean-Paul and wife Renee as they navigate a series of guests including Cassidy, "goth" daughter Rosalie, Adam and Sienna, Henry and Lucy, and exes Leo and Penny with daughter, Lucy. Initially they all get along and love Jean-Paul's culinary skills and the hiking they can do on the beautiful grounds. But their pasts are somehow intertwined and soon secrets and lies bubble to the surface. It's tale of complicated families and the lies they tell to protect themselves and their loved ones. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!