We are Made of Stars is a beautiful story that unleashes secrets, regrets, hope and change. I loved the characters and how they interacted with one another. The healing and love is present. I loved the chef and his wife!!
You'll love this one!

If you enjoy believable love stories that discuss heart-wrenching topics, then purchase Rochelle B. Weinstein's <i>We Are Made of Stars.</i> Weinstein uses five couples and a mother-daughter duo to explore the power and limitations of love, flawed human behavior, and the desire to be known, to be seen, and to be connected to others. Many of these interactions happen around Jean-Paul De La Rue's chef table, where guests and the Inn owners share Jean-Paul's menu. -If you are a foodie, you will appreciate that Weinstein denotes passing days by listing a daily menu. Your mouth will be watering. Don't worry about tracking characters because each chapter is titled with the character who holds the spotlight.

Jean-Paul, a chef, and Renee De la Rue provide a quiet, reflective get-away at their Inn nestled in the North Carolinas mountains. Their guests become their adopted-by-heart children. The De La Rues deeply desire to have children, but Renee is infertile. They pour their hearts into the Inn and the guests who stay there. Guests leave transformed as they work through their worries and renew their strength due to Jean-Paul De La Rue's exquisite chef meals, desserts, and drinks. Renee De La Rue renews their emotional health through thoughtful conversations and carefully curated activities, like long hikes in the mountains.

Some of the guests become the De La Rues' life-long friends who return annually for good food and socialization. Leo and Penny, Lucy and Henry, and Sienna and Adam are returning guests. Cassidy and Rosalie (mother and daughter) are first-time guests. Everyone has problems, and they are wearing social masks because: "[t]hey have all made mistakes, poor decisions that lacked good judgment. Their choices weren't made in a vacuum. There were variables and circumstances--much like the sky and the constellations--that made events happen. Some resulted in explosions, others resulted in falling stars. He [Henry] realizes that people aren't always bad but some decisions are."

Everyone holds secrets, bad decisions with long-reaching consequences. These secrets keep the narrative twisting and shocking. Weinstein enchants the reader with her cosmological comparisons; it adds another layer of magic: "Henry's right. We are made of stars. And when you raise your head towards the sky, you find the magic." Thank you #Rochelle Weinstein for showing me the magic of believable love.

Thank you to #Lake Union Publishing and #NetGalley for my ARC copy.

ISBN 9781662520884
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 363
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Made-Stars-Novel/dp/1662520883/

We Are Made Of Stars is made of SECRETS and DRAMA. Several people arrive at an inn for a getaway with R&R and fine dining. But at the end of a week, their lives are forever changed. The characters are flawed in that they are human. Life has slightly broken them in different ways. Mistakes and messes are made. They stumble, but they get back up. It is powerful. Rochelle Weinstein’s storytelling delivers it all with so many twists and reveals that I could not stop turning pages. And there is a constant thread of references to the the stars throughout the novel that I absolutely loved!

I want to give this 3.5 stars because it’s better than a 3 but not quite a 4 - it’s a nice enough tale but I’d pretty much figured out the plot so there weren’t really any surprises… and it’s very American. Lots of US references & terms not all of which I understand (separated by the same language).

It’s an easy enough read… but didn’t move me at all.

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.

Read if you like:
▪️women’s fiction
▪️character driven
▪️complex relationships
▪️ensemble casts
▪️found family
▪️multiple POVs
▪️North Carolina setting

Thank you Get Red PR, Amazon Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the gifted copies.

This is a story about four couples, one couple owns a B&B that is financially struggling. The others are guests at the B&B. Most of the characters are shallow and unrelatable which hampered my enjoyment. The setting descriptions are good. It does look like others liked it. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much to Lake Union for the ARC!

I love the cover and the title!As far as the story itself, I couldn't get interested in it and found it very hard to pick up.

I also found some of the scenes to make me physically cringe.

I have loved Rochelle's books and have felt meh about them in the past, so she is pretty hit or miss for me.

I still think this one will have a good audience and hope for its success.

We Are Made of Stars is a great fiction book. It is a book for everyone. The characters were all very developed, the storyline has something for everyone but mostly it is rich in relationships, friendships, and drama. Each set of couples have their own issues. Each couple comes to the inn for their own reason but the friendships that they make are lifelong.

I love the remote country inn setting. The hikes that they took gave my mind a great visual of what the characters were seeing. The menu at the beginning of each day made my mouth water. I could taste the food as it was cooked with love and thoroughly enjoyed. I could picture the inn and the surrounding woods and mountains.

The book starts slower, which just leads up to the climax of the story. The point in the book where I could not stop reading and the beginning comes together. The characters have those ah-ha moments with each other and relationships are mended. I love it when a book comes together and that is exactly what happens in this book. Everything comes together, although now exactly the way I thought it would.

Rochelle B. Weistein is a must-read author. This book is a must-read book.

Reneé and Jean- Paul are proprietors of the Live your Life bed and breakfast in North Carolina. Cassidy and Rosalie, mother and daughter are on a mother/ daughter road trip.
Henry and Lucy are friends with Adam & Sienna. They're about to tell their friends that their marriage is over. Leo, an actor and Penny come to Live Your Life inn to celebrate with their friends.
The twists and turns of this book were absolutely amazing. I loved all the characters and the twists

Master storyteller and long-time-favorite author Rochelle B. Weinstein delivers a stunning masterpiece with her latest emotionally stirring, beautifully written novel—WE ARE MADE OF STARS.

It is exquisite, flawless, and a work of art. Rochelle is one of the top contemporary fiction writers out today. So, if you have not read her books, this would be one you do not want to miss! Fellow book friends, excuse me, but I get a little lengthy and wordy about the books I adore.

Beneath the stars, the secrets of eight strangers come to light.

Come and join eight strangers in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina at a charming bed and breakfast where your mouth will water with the finest food, wine, and delectables. You will want to book your stay and gather around the dining table with these newfound memorable friends you will come to love and cherish.

Meet the characters

~Vis Ta Vie Inn Owners & Host:
Reneé & Jean-Paul De La Rue
Vilas, North Carolina, mountains
I loved these two!

They are a formidable team. They turned their brainchild into a charming B&B nestled in the rolling hills of Vilas, North Carolina, where eight guests check into the stately farmhouse each week. They named her Vis Ta Vie, French for "live your life," because they were living theirs.

From the lovely antiques and their collectibles from trips to Itay and France, this is their sanctuary, which they escape, recharge, and reboot. They have built a life around their passion for food, wine, and breathtaking scenery. Creating a place for guests to unplug and restore.

Is this going to be an extraordinary week? Could this be the end of the era or the birth of something new?

Meet the guests:

~Leo & Penny
Hollywood Celebrities

~Lucy & Henry
Therapist | Astronomer

~Sienna & Adam
Mom/Lawyer | Sports Agent

~Cassidy & Rosalie
Single Mom | Teen Daughter

Everyone, including the owners, is going through a change and hiding secrets. Their guests, Hollywood celebrities Leo and Penny, were married at the Inn and are celebrating their silver anniversary. But is it a celebration or a possible divorce?

Lucy is a therapist married to Henry, the astronomer, who has his head in the stars with their issues.

Sienna is a current stay-at-home mom (former lawyer) and married to egotistic and charismatic sports agent Adam. They seem perfect on the exterior but quite the opposite behind closed doors.

To shake things up and make things very surprising and engaging, the two who will be front and center are Cassidy and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosaline. Cassidy, a single mom, struggles to connect with her teenage daughter while Rosaline navigates the complexities of adolescence and her mom. She often has to be the parent. You got to love Rosaline!

Told from alternating POVs, from Day One to Day Seven.
Jean-Paul, Cassidy, Rosaline, Henry, Cassidy, Sienna, and Penny.

The stage is set for a week of betrayals, lies, deceit, guilt, secrets, regret, and shocking truths when each secret begins unraveling.

Prepare for a wild roller coaster ride with unpredictable twists and surprises you did not see coming. Hang on!

The author shines as bright as the stars in this intense, captivating, compelling, and suspenseful journey with some magic, lovely metaphors, and deep human connections.

My thoughts...

Oh, how I loved this book! Top 5 Books of 2025

I have been a long-time Rochelle fan and have read all her books. Each one is a favorite, but WE ARE MADE OF STARS stands apart and tops the charts—my absolute all-time favorite of hers. The author is at the Top of her game! I would love to see a movie or TV series based on the novel.

You will cry, laugh, and stay up until 7 am until the last satisfying page is turned. It is a dazzling novel, and her passion is reflected throughout each page as she pours love from her heart and soul into this novel. She adores this area, and it shows. All her efforts do not go unnoticed. The characters will remain with you long after the book ends. I am still thinking of them.

WE ARE MADE OF STARS is like no other book you will ever read. This would be it if you could read only one book this year.

Each day opens with a menu, from the first, second, main course, dessert and wine/champagne pairings. Your mouth will be watering, and foodies will enjoy this one. Well done, Rochelle!

If you think relationship conflicts cannot be solved. Read this book. There is hope even in your darkest hour if only you communicate and tell what is in your heart. It is refreshing to see everyone telling their darkest secrets.

This heartwarming tale is lyrical, powerful, full of wisdom, secrets, loss, disappointments, and regrets. But it also explores life’s messiness, relationships, friendship, and family; ultimately, it's uplifting, hopeful, and inspiring. It's a story of the power of love, second chances, forgiveness, and redemption.

I hope there is a sequel, as I would love to catch up with this fabulous cast of characters (minus Adam). The setting, the lovely metaphors, and its relation to the stars are awe-inspiring.

I loved this book! It resonated with me for many reasons that the author will understand. We both share a love of S. Florida and the NC Mountains. (both with two sons). I also grew up in North Carolina and have spent many memorable times in the NC mountains. My sons attended NC mountain colleges, so I have spent much time in Banner Elk, Boone, Blowing Rock, and the surrounding areas. I miss those days.

Get this gem on your TBR list now; however, block out the time because there is no stopping when you start!

Recs...

WE ARE MADE OF STARS is fans of the author and those who enjoy literary fiction mixed with suspense, family dynamics, and contemporary women's fiction with complex relationships and second chances. Also, for fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Sally Hepworth, Patti Callahan Henry, Elizabeth Berg, Elizabeth Strout, T. Greenwood, and Nicholas Sparks.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. I also pre-ordered the paperback copy for my home library (I wish it came in hardcover). I can't wait to see this beautiful cover - a fitting title.

This is my 96th book read in 2025 YTD, and it is only February, but I am sure it will top my list for 2025 at year-end. It is unforgettable and unputdownable.

I requested the audiobook, as I am sure it will be fantastic with this talented cast. Brilliance Audio declined me (I get approval from all the audiobook publishers but not from them). It might be worth an email. I will have to wait until it comes out to listen, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025
Feb 2025 Must-Read Books
Feb Newsletter
Top Books of 2025

Personal note - see my blog for more about this area and my connection. I miss the NC mountains! Thank you, Rochelle, for the fabulous journey.

There’s a small inn called Vis Ta Vie where many people visit each year. But this year everyone is on edge with shocking secrets and much chaos ensues. Each person is struggling, yet somehow by the end of the week, things are looking up.

I loved Weinstein's newest release, We Are Made of Stars, which releases on 2/25/25!

Situated in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina is a magical inn where guests immerse themselves into nature, curated food experiences, and connections with one another. The Vis Ta Vie inn is Jean-Paul and Renee's life passion, yet faulty investment decision has them on the cusp of bankruptcy.

This book follows the inn's owners and guests over one week in the summer; lifelong college roommates and friends, Lucy and Henry meet annually with Sienna and Adam, but both couples are hiding secrets. Movie star and heartthrob Leo promised to return with his estranged wife Penny for their 25th wedding anniversary despite how tragedy and fame are pulling apart their marriage. And Rosalie, a teen, has dragged her single mother in the hopes of locating her unknown father.

Told between multiple POVs, Weinstein weaves the narratives of each guest together into a tapestry representative of all of life's experiences. Love, friendship, loss, secrets, grief, jealously, lust, and healing. The characters are flawed, yet fully fleshed out with growth worth rooting for; I enjoyed every second of my stay in the Inn, especially as a NC native and having spent time myself at many of the landmarks referenced by Weinstein. Readers from all walks and stages in life will find a thread of connection to this heartwarming story!

Secrets, lies, affairs, grief and so much more come to light over the course of the week as a group of people stay at a charming B&B for its last run before closing. Told from alternating POV, the guests are different ages with complicated and contentious relationships (often interconnected in surprising ways). This was full of drama but also lots of heart. I liked it and thought it was also good on audio. Would recommend for fans of authors like Jennifer Weiner, Elyssa Friedman or Abbi Waxman. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This beautiful story takes place over a week at Vis Ta Vie Inn. I wish it was a real place because I would make a reservation.

The chapters are told from different POVs. I enjoyed the character development, it was like peeling an onion. I loved how the characters have flaws & faults and during there time at the Inn learn to forgive, become better versions of themselves or move on. This is a book that shows you parts of yourself. It feels real and authentic. This is my first book by Rochelle B. Weinstein and will not be my last. I’m going to check out her other books.

“And when you raise your head toward the sky, you find the magic.”

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an emotional, beautiful book that highlighted so many different aspects of the human experience.

THOUGHTS 💭
💫 The writing was poetic and pulled you into the city of Vilas, North Carolina and these characters’ lives - there were so many quotes I highlighted not necessarily for their content, but for their beauty.
💫 I loved reading about these characters and their overlapping stories; with multiple POVs, we see that every character is dealing with something and the atmosphere at the inn seems to bring them clarity.
💫 Comparison is the thief of joy. This was a good reminder that not everything is always as it seems.
💫 The menus that Jean-Paul puts together sound absolutely divine! I would visit this inn and eat at his table any time.
💫 This book was a good reminder that the human condition is messy; that by giving people around us (especially those we love) some grace can go a long way to happiness and understanding and love.
💫 There were surprises and life-changing moments and heartbreaks and new beginnings. I felt the full range of emotions while reading this book and I loved watching the changes in these characters from the first page to the last.

Thanks so much to Rochelle B. Weinstein, Publishing, and Get Red PR for the beautiful PR package for this amazing book!

📚 ARC BOOK TOUR BOOK REVIEW 📚

We Are Made Of Stars
By Rochelle B. Weinstein
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Massive thank yous to Lake Union Publishing, BookSparks, and Rochelle B. Weinstein for inviting me to be a part of the #WRC2025 book tour and for this #gifted copy of the book in exchange for my honest review, and to NetGalley as well for this #gifted e-ARC!

📚MY REVIEW:

Be still, my heart. It's been a while since a book has been so beautiful that it's caused tears to fall from my eyes like this, but We Are Made Of Stars, by Rochelle B. Weinstein, has made it happen. What an incredible read!

This is an emotionally-charged and heavily character-driven novel about love, friendship, relationships, forgiveness, and the truths of what we hide from others because we think our authentic selves aren't worthy of love. This story is all about the secrets we keep from those who love us the most and the masks we wear in the hopes of feigning perfection.

Jean-Paul and Renee are the owners of Vis Ta Vie, a beautiful bed-and-breakfast nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. Guests return year after year, always wanting to recapture the nostalgia and happy memories of past visits. There's a sense of chosen family here at the B & B, and the upcoming week-long visit and its guests - the focus of the book - will be an extraordinary week, for sure.

Chapters were told from alternating POVs of the book's characters, which created a much greater understanding of their individual inner workings. The alternating POVs also really helped to lay a foundation for the myriad of ways the character's storylines eventually intersected in surprising and beautiful ways.

I was immediately pulled into the lives of these beautifully-written characters, and I remained captivated by their stories throughout the book. The trajectory of each character's storyline demonstrated genuine humanity, with their flaws and personality traits being authentically relatable either to myself or someone in my circle. There was just a sense of relatability in these pages that felt so real -- I tagged several pages so I could return to particularly poignant passages again and again in the future.

If you're a fan of character-driven stories that pack an emotional punch and will fill your heart, I highly recommend Weinstein's upcoming novel. It's available for purchase on February 25th - and I can't wait for everyone else to fall in love with this story just as I have.

#WeAreMadeOfStars #RochelleBWeinstein #LakeUnionAuthors #BookSparks #WRC2025 #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #fivestarreads #mustreads #booklover #bookaddict #womensfiction

Wow! Rochelle B. Weinstein, the Author of “We Are Made of Stars” has written an intriguing and captivating novel out of this world. I loved everything about this well written story, and used Kleenex for both happy and sad tears. The genres for this novel are Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Adult Fiction, Later in Life Fiction, Women’s Friendship Fiction and Domestic Fiction. The author vividly describes the setting and the various foods at Vis Ta Vie Inn, where some people make a yearly visit to recharge and relax. Rochelle B. Weinstein describes her dramatic and colorful characters as complex, complicated, and quirky. Most of the same characters revisit this Inn run by Renee and Jean-Paul De La Rue. This very well maybe the last year that Renee and Jean-Paul keep the inn open. The cast of characters are Hollywood celebrities, a therapist and an astronomer, an attorney and sports agent. Added to this list is a mother and 15 year old daughter.

There are betrayals, lies, and secrets.. These visitors have deep dark problems, and motivations that can be questionable. The author discusses the importance of second chances, forgiveness, communication, truth, honesty, the importance of family, friends, love and hope. Rochelle B. Weinstein says, “”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.”

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, heartfelt and memorable novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance coy of this book.

This was an OK, light and unrealistic read. The scene setting takes up half of the book which I think is too much. Of course everyone has a secret and these are mentioned but we are more than half way through the book before things start to be revealed. There is repetition - Penny's issue with Clare and Jean Paul and Renee's problems with the inn are told more than once without any further development. When the secrets are revealed they are quite mundane and in my opinion insufficient to make such fusses over. I kept getting getting mixed up with characters and could never remember who Penny was.

In a different sort of book Jean Paul could have been a predator but here, he seems just a bit too good to be true. I would say only Rosalie (bit of a brat), Cassidy (bit of a poor soul) and enthusiastic Henry stand out. What is the point, for instance, of Simone?

I was not very interested in any of the characters and not very interested in their problems. either No spoilers, but the ending is just too neat for me.

Not as good as the blurb suggests.

This book features an ensemble of 11 characters who come together for a week at a secluded inn in North Carolina and is told from multiple points of view. I enjoyed all of the characters except for 2. Rochelle gives us lots of twists and turns along the way, some predictable and some not so much. I loved where everyone ended up at the end of book but I would have loved a One Year Later Epilogue to see where everyone ended up after going back home.

This is my second book by Rochelle and won’t be my last.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Contemporary Fiction

3 couples and a mother/daughter duo come stay at a small inn. We get the point of views from all of the people staying at the inn and the couple running the inn. All of their stories are complicated and overlap. This story is well done. I’ve read other stories like this and this one was top tier.


#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyarc