Best Elin Hilderbrand Books

of Feb 2025

   Elin Hilderbrand, a literary virtuoso, weaves enchanting tales that capture the allure of Nantucket, a place she vividly portrays as a microcosm of life's complexities. Her books, infused with the island's charm and intricacies, delve into the lives of compelling characters, exploring themes of love, family, and the enduring power of human connection. As you embark on a literary journey through Hilderbrand's Nantucket, be prepared to be captivated by her evocative storytelling and transported to a world where the beauty of the island serves as a backdrop for poignant and heartwarming narratives.

28 Summers

9.2
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28 Summers is a captivating and bittersweet novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69. It follows the story of Mallory Blessing and Jake McCloud and their secret love affair t...hat has lasted for decades. The novel begins with Mallory's son, Link, receiving deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer. When he calls the number, he is shocked to find out that it belongs to Jake McCloud, who is married to Ursula DeGournsey, a frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election. The story then flashes back to the sweet summer of 1993, when Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket and agrees to host her brother's bachelor party. Jake McCloud attends the party and he and Mallory form a bond that will last for many years. The novel follows their one-weekend-per-year affair and how it complicates and enriches their lives, as well as the lives of the people they love. It is based on the classic film Same Time Next Year, which Mallory and Jake watch every summer. 28 Summers is a heartwarming and bittersweet story about love, loyalty, and the power of connection.

The Elin Hilderbrand Collection: Volume 2: Nantucket Nights and The Blue Bistro

9.2
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The Elin Hilderbrand Collection: Volume 2 is a must-read for fans of New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. This collection includes two of her blockbuster novels, Nantucket Nights and Th...e Blue Bistro. In Nantucket Nights, three old friends have been performing their own special summer ritual for 20 years. But when one of them fails to return after a night swim, the remaining friends are forced to confront the repercussions of their loss and uncover secrets that could destroy their marriages, families, and even themselves. The Blue Bistro follows Adrienne Dealey, a woman who has relocated to Nantucket to earn some fast money. She takes a job at the hottest restaurant on the island, owned by Thatcher Smith. As Adrienne is thrown into the restaurant business, she finds herself developing feelings for her boss. But she can’t shake the feeling that there is something more to Thatch’s relationship with his brilliant chef Fiona. Can Adrienne open her heart for the first time, or will she move on, as she always does? The Elin Hilderbrand Collection: Volume 2 is a heart-warming and captivating collection of stories that will have readers hooked from the first page. With secrets, romance, and unforgettable characters, this collection is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves a good story.

Golden Girl

9
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Golden Girl is a #1 bestselling page-turner from "the queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine). It tells the story of Vivian Howe, an author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly grown ...children, who is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket. From the Beyond, Vivi watches “The Chief” Ed Kapenash investigate her death, but her greatest worry is her final book, which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation. Vivi is granted three “nudges” to change the outcome of events on earth, and with her daughter Willa on her third miscarriage, Carson partying until all hours, and Leo currently “off again” with his high-maintenance girlfriend, she’ll have to think carefully where to use them. Her loved ones on earth must learn to live without their golden girl, and with hidden truths coming to light, they must sort out their past and present mistakes—with or without a nudge of help from above. Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other, with Elin’s trademark beach scenes, mouth-watering meals, and picture-perfect homes, plus a heartfelt message—the people we lose never really leave us. It is sure to be a summertime favorite!

The Island: A Novel

9
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The Island: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand is a captivating summertime story about a family in upheaval after a cancelled wedding. Birdie Cousins is a woman who prides herself on preparing for every poss...ibility, but she never expected a late-night phone call from her daughter Chess, abruptly announcing that she's cancelled her engagement. This is only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. When far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair, Birdie, her younger daughter Tate, and her own sister India decide to take a break from their lives and head for the beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket. With no phones, no television, no grocery store, and no distractions, the family hopes to escape their troubles. But, as secrets are uncovered and old and new loves are rekindled, the peaceful getaway quickly turns into much more. Elin Hilderbrand's The Island: A Novel is a heartwarming story of family, love, and self-discovery that will stay with you long after the summer has ended.

Troubles in Paradise

9
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Troubles in Paradise is a sizzling summer read from a nationally bestselling author and "Queen of the Summer Novel" (People). Irene Steele has just settled into the villa on St. John, uprooting her li...fe in the States, only to be shaken by a visit from the FBI. She soon learns how little she knew about the man she loved. With help from their friends, Irene and her sons set up their lives while evidence mounts that the helicopter crash that killed Russ may not have been an accident. As a storm gathers strength in the Atlantic, surprises are in store for the Steeles. A mysterious source provides help, and a new beginning in the paradise that has become their home. As the island watches this drama unfold, the truth of the secrets and lies that brought Irene and her sons to St. John will be revealed. Troubles in Paradise is a captivating story of love, romance, and passion in the Caribbean. Follow the Steele family as they navigate a new life in paradise and discover the truth that will transform them all.

The Perfect Couple

8.8
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The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand is a captivating novel about the complexities of family life and the power of love. Set on the beautiful island of Nantucket, the story centers around the Otis-W...inbury wedding, a lavish ceremony that promises to be the event of the season. But when tragedy strikes just hours before the ceremony, everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. Chief of Police Ed Kapenash must unravel the mystery behind the death, while also navigating the complex relationships between the bride, the groom, the groom's parents, and even a member of his own family. With beloved characters from Hilderbrand's previous novels, The Castaways, Beautiful Day, and A Summer Affair, The Perfect Couple is a heartwarming and often humorous exploration of the joys and challenges of family life. The Perfect Couple is a perfect summer beach read, full of suspense, secrets, and surprises. With its gorgeous setting, engaging characters, and Hilderbrand's signature wit and charm, it's sure to be a favorite among readers of all ages. Whether you're looking for a lighthearted escape or a deeper exploration of family dynamics, The Perfect Couple is the perfect book for you.

Summer People: A Novel

8.8
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Summer People: A Novel" is a captivating story of family, secrets, and the power of love. Written by bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, this novel follows the Newton family as they retreat to their ...beloved summer home on Nantucket and grapple with the loss of their patriarch. Through a series of twists and turns, they must learn to come together and heal in the face of tragedy. With its vivid descriptions of the island and its inhabitants, Summer People: A Novel will leave readers entranced and eagerly turning the pages. Along the way, they will be drawn into the lives of the characters as they navigate love, loss, and betrayal. With its gripping plot and heartwarming characters, Summer People: A Novel is a must-read for anyone looking for an engaging and thoughtful story.

The Nantucket Inn (Nantucket Beach Plum Cove Book 1)

8.8
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The Nantucket Inn" to find out if Lisa's plan works and if her family can reconnect and find second chances. Welcome to Nantucket Beach Plum Cove and the Nantucket Inn. The Nantucket Inn is the fi...rst book in the Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series and the perfect introduction to the characters and the island. Lisa Hodges is a fifty-something widow who is struggling to make ends meet after her husband's gambling addiction has drained her savings. With a large, waterfront home on Nantucket to support, Lisa has no in-demand skills and is virtually unemployable. Out of options, she decides to turn her home into an inn and use her cooking and entertaining skills to make a living. The Nantucket Inn is the perfect backdrop for Lisa's family to reconnect and find second chances. Lisa's oldest daughter, Kate, has a career in Boston and is engaged to a dangerously handsome photographer. Her twin, Kristen, is a local artist and is growing frustrated with her relationship with an older, separated real estate developer. Her son, Chase, runs his own construction business and is carefree, happily dating here and there. Youngest daughter, Abby, is happily married to her high school sweetheart and they've been trying to have a baby. The story is also about Lisa's first guest at the inn, Rhett, who is there to open a new restaurant nearby. He is a little older than Lisa and though romance is the last thing on her mind, Rhett quickly becomes a friend. Come visit Nantucket and see how Lisa's new bed and breakfast has an impact on almost everyone in her family. Read more "The Nantucket Inn" to find out if Lisa's plan works and if her family can reconnect and find second chances. The Nantucket Inn is a heart-warming story about a family's journey to find second chances and reconnect. With its beautiful setting, engaging characters, and captivating plot, it is sure to be a hit with readers. So come visit Nantucket and fall in love with the characters, the island, and the story of the Nantucket Inn.

The Rumor: A Novel

8.6
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The Rumor: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand is a thrilling page-turner that tests the bond of friendship between Madeline King and Grace Pancik, two best friends living on Nantucket. The two are envied for... their seemingly perfect marriages, beautiful children, and Saturday night double dates with their devoted husbands. But this summer, something is different, and the island is abuzz with rumors. Madeline, a novelist, is struggling with writer's block, a looming deadline, and the pressure of mounting bills. Desperate to make ends meet, she makes a bad decision that could cost her everything. Grace, on the other hand, is working hard to transform her backyard into a garden paradise, and her collaboration with her ruggedly handsome landscape architect is stirring up more than just dirt. As the gossip intensifies, Grace and Madeline must work together to set the record straight. But the truth may be even worse than the rumors suggest. With her signature wit and insight, Elin Hilderbrand takes readers on an emotional journey as these two friends confront the possibility of losing the happy lives they have worked so hard to create.

The Paper Palace: A Novel

8.4
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The Paper Palace by Julie Heller is a Reese’s Book Club Pick and an instant #1 New York Times Bestseller with over 1 million copies sold worldwide. This deeply emotional love story is filled with se...crets, lies and a very complex love triangle. The story follows Elle, a fifty-year-old happily married mother of three, who awakens at “The Paper Palace”—the family summer place which she has visited every summer of her life. Last night, Elle and her oldest friend Jonas crept out the back door into the darkness and had sex with each other for the first time, all while their spouses chatted away inside. Now, over the next twenty-four hours, Elle must decide between the life she has made with her genuinely beloved husband, Peter, and the life she always imagined she would have had with her childhood love, Jonas. The Paper Palace is a nail-biting, magnificent page-turner that considers the tensions between desire and dignity, the legacies of abuse, and the crimes and misdemeanors of families. Heller paints a vivid picture of a bewitching place and an irresistible placement of a complicated family. This is an unforgettable story of summer, secrets, love, and lies.

Rock Paper Scissors

8.4
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Rock Paper Scissors is the latest domestic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney. This fast-paced page-turner follows the story of Mr and Mrs Wright, a couple whose marriage is ...on the rocks. When they win a weekend away to Scotland, they both know it could make or break their relationship. But the weekend is not what it seems, and one of them is lying. With a twisty plot and unexpected reveals, Rock Paper Scissors will keep you guessing until the very end. The novel follows Adam Wright, a self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter who has lived with face blindness his entire life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife. Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts, and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. But this year, things are different. Will the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other be revealed? Will they be able to work through their issues and save their marriage? Find out in Rock Paper Scissors, the latest gripping domestic thriller from Alice Feeney.

Where the Crawdads Sing

9.6
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Where the Crawdads Sing is an incredible New York Times bestselling phenomenon that has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and was chosen as a Reese’s Book Club Pick. Set in a small town on the N...orth Carolina coast, the story follows Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl, who has survived for years alone in the marsh she calls home. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life. But then the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is an extraordinary story of love, loss, and resilience. It is an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. This is a must-read for anyone looking for an unforgettable story.

The Blue Bistro

8.8
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The Blue Bistro, the newest novel from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, invites readers to experience a perfect getaway on the idyllic island of Nantucket. Adrienne Dealey, who has been working in... hotels in exotic resort towns for the past six years, has decided to make Nantucket her home. After being left flat broke by her ex-boyfriend, she is desperate to find a job and is surprised when the desirable Thatcher Smith, owner of Nantucket’s hottest restaurant, offers her a job despite her lack of restaurant experience. The Blue Bistro is a mystery of sorts, as Adrienne wonders why Thatcher is so interested in the restaurant’s chef, Fiona, and why such a successful restaurant is seemingly in its final season before closing its doors. As Adrienne learns the ropes of the restaurant business, she must also decide whether to open her heart to a new relationship or move on as she always does. Filled with intimate Nantucket detail and the warmth of passion and the breeze of doubt, The Blue Bistro is the perfect summer listening. With Elin Hilderbrand’s signature style and captivating characters, this novel is sure to provide the perfect escape for readers.

Home Front: A Novel

9.2
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"Home Front is Hannah's crowning achievement."―The Huffington PostIn this powerhouse of a novel, Kristin Hannah explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and tim...ely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life―children, careers, bills, chores―even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then a deployment sends Jolene deep into harm's way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider, she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own―for everything that matters to his family.At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope."Hannah has written a remarkable tale of duty, love, strength, and hope that is at times poignant and always thoroughly captivating and relevant." ―Library Journal (starred review) Read more

Winter in Paradise

9.2
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A husband's secret life, a wife's new beginning: escape to the Caribbean with #1 New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand.Irene Steele shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Vict...orian house with a husband who loves her to sky-writing, sentimental extremes. But as she rings in the new year one cold and snowy night, everything she thought she knew falls to pieces with a shocking phone call: her beloved husband, away on business, has been killed in a helicopter crash. Before Irene can even process the news, she must first confront the perplexing details of her husband's death on the distant Caribbean island of St. John.After Irene and her sons arrive at this faraway paradise, they make yet another shocking discovery: her husband had been living a secret life. As Irene untangles a web of intrigue and deceit, and as she and her sons find themselves drawn into the vibrant island culture, they have to face the truth about their family, and about their own futures.Rich with the lush beauty of the tropics and the drama, romance, and intrigue only Elin Hilderbrand can deliver, Winter in Paradise is a truly transporting novel, and the exciting start to a new series."I will just say that, 24 hours after I started this book, I purchased its sequel, What Happens in Paradise, and I did not leave either book to be enjoyed by strangers at the end of my vacation." —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times Read more

The Matchmaker: A Novel

9.2
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Beautiful Day: A Novel

9
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A summer wedding stirs up trouble on both sides of the family in this beloved bestseller from "the queen of the summer novel" (People).The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for ...a happy occasion: a wedding that will unite their two families. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter's future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event -- but in reality, things are falling apart.While the couple-to-be are quite happy, their loved ones find their lives crumbling. In the days leading up to the wedding, love will be questioned, scandals will arise, and hearts will be broken and healed. Elin Hilderbrand takes readers on a touching journey in Beautiful Day -- into the heart of marriage, what it means to be faithful, and how we choose to honor our commitments. Read more

The Identicals: A Novel

9
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The instant New York Times bestseller is "a fun, delightful, un-putdownable novel" about two identical twin sisters who couldn't look more alike . . . or live more differently (PopSugar). Nantucket... is only eleven miles away from Martha's Vineyard. But they may as well be worlds apart for estranged twin sisters Harper and Tabitha Frost.After not speaking for more than a decade, Harper and Tabitha switch islands-and lives-to save what's left of their splintered family. But the twins quickly discover that the secrets, lies, and gossip they thought they'd outrun can travel between islands just as easily as they can. Will Harper and Tabitha be able to bury the hatchet and end their sibling rivalry once and for all?Before the last beach picnic of the season, there will be enough old resentments, new loves, and cases of mistaken identity to make this the most talked-about summer that Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have experienced in ages."Parent Trap vibes with an adult twist...One of Hilderbrand's most binge-worthy confections." —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times  Read more

Summer of '69

9
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Four siblings experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval of the '60s summer when everything changed in Elin Hilderbrand's #1 New York Times bestselling historical novel.Welcome to the most tumultu...ous summer of the twentieth century. It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket. But like so much else in America, nothing is the same: Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests and determined to be independent, takes a summer job on Martha's Vineyard. Only-son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. And thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother and her worried mother, while each of them hides a troubling secret.As the summer heats up, Ted Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, man flies to the moon, and Jessie and her family experience their own dramatic upheavals along with the rest of the country. In her first historical novel, rich with the details of an era that shaped both a nation and an island thirty miles out to sea, Elin Hilderbrand once again earns her title as queen of the summer novel. Read more

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