title: The Beach Club: A Novel
author:  Elin Hilderbrand 
description: Inspired by her home island, Nantucket resident and first-time novelist Hilderbrand maps out a sprightly summer saga at the exclusive Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel, from the season's May opening through the October finale. Transplanted Iowa farmboy Mack Petersen begins his 12th summer as hotel manager, wondering if the time has come to ask for a share in the ownership of his beloved adopted home; meanwhile, his gorgeous girlfriend, Maribel Cox, is dropping strong hints about getting married. Aging owner Bill Elliott returns from winter in Aspen with several conundrums: he begins to receive mysterious, anonymous letters from someone insistently offering to buy the property; his rebellious 18-year-old daughter, Cecily, refuses to learn about managing the family business; he fears growing old and broods on the uncertain future of his hotel. Besides the usual duties of housekeeping and keeping wealthy guests happy, Mack also contends with the subtle hostility of Vance Robbins, the African-American bellman who envies Mack's position and his girl; a hurricane that threatens to destroy the hotel; and tempting job offers that promise a new life away from Nantucket. Newcomer Love O'Donnell has been hired to work the hotel's reception desk, but her real mission is to find a man to father the child she desperately wants before her biological clock runs out, while callow college graduate Jem Crandall develops a hopeless crush on Maribel. Faithful to the easy rhythm of a real-life summer resort, the novel is lively with guests new and old who bring fresh problems to the plot. Though somewhat predictable, these summer escapades have a strong emotional pull, and readers will remain absorbed until the surprising denouement. Agent, Michael Carlisle. <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: PRAISE FOR
  ELIN HILDERBRAND AND
  THE BLUE BISTRO
  “A perfectly enjoyable beach book.”
  —Publishers Weekly
  “Hilderbrand keeps things moving briskly in between sumptuous
  descriptions of food, drink, and tableware, throwing in an in-depth lesson
  on the restaurant business for good measure. Fun, stylish, and absorbing
  vacation reading.”
  —Booklist
  “Hilderbrand adds depth to the novel with her multifaceted characters. The
  restaurant comes alive with believable conflicts between the staff and
  patrons. But the love story between Adrienne and Thatcher is the jewel of
  the novel. Together they discover the meaning of devotion and the rarity of
  real love.”
  —Romantic Times BOOKclub Magazine
  “This brand-new book is sure to become a summer favorite.”
  —ReadersDigest.com (chosen as
  their # 1 Unforgettable Beach Read)
  “A wonderful, wonderful love story. . . the kind that you read, then
  recommend to many, many friends—and so, I recommend it to you.
  Highly.”
  —James Patterson, bestselling author of
  Suzanne’s 