A Guide to Elin Hilderbrand
As summer begins to fade, I figured it was time to round up my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books. I always feel kind of sad and nostalgic about summer ending. I would always say I am a Fall/Winter girl, because I love being cozy and obviously I am a Christmas lover. But there is something so magical about summer. The days being longer, the endless possibilities and feeling exhausted from the sun.
But the of Elin’s books is that she can give you a dose of summer all year long. I tend to gravitate toward her novels during the summer months, but you definitely can read them any time! She also has PLENTY to choose from—and believe it or not, I’ve not read all her books. I’m breaking down this list by my favorites, books I have left to read, and the ones I’ve read and liked, but didn’t love.
To find any of these books and their synopsis, visit Little Brown’s website!
My Favorites:
The Rumor—This one is such a fun reread. I’m always shocked by people who don’t like this one, because I think it’s so fun! It may be a bit predictable plot wise, but the characters are so good and I want to live in Grace’s house. The way Elin describes her garden and the food in this book is kind of to die for. And it’s got just the right amount of steam.
Silver Girl—If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know this is my first Elin and one of my favorites for that reason. I read this the summer after I graduated from high school and simply fell in love with the world. It’s a little more mystery/thriller like—thriller lite I’d say.
Summer of ’69—Her latest novel—you can read my review here—and I think one of her best. It’s such a fun and important story. I will be recommending this one for years to come!
The Castaways—This one pulls at your heartstrings but I would definitely recommend this one because these characters reappear in other novels! One of my favorite things about Elin’s novels is that since her stories take place on the island of Nantucket, many characters reappear in other novels!
The Winter Street Series—I did a whole throwback series of reviews every Thursday in December last year. These are my FAVORITE books. Like, next to Harry Potter and Ella Enchanted, if you ask me my favorite books, I’m gonna list these. I reread them every holiday season because the characters are just so.good. There are 4 books in the series!
The Identicals—I really liked this one too; I read it on our family vacation in Rhode Island in 2017 and it was a perfect beach read. Elin is a fraternal twin, so I always love when she incorporates twins into her stories.
Winter in Paradise—Her winter books are always series and it’s a great thing to look forward to when it feels like it’s hard to find something to read! Another thriller lite that will make you want to jump on a plane to St. John. The second book in the series in due out October 8, 2019
What I have left to read:
The Island
The Blue Bistro
Barefoot
A Summer Affair
The Matchmaker
Others I’ve Read and Liked, but didn’t Love
Beautiful Day—I listened to this one and I think that’s what made it tougher to fall in love with; I can only do memoirs/non-fiction on audiobook!
Here’s to Us—I read it, I liked it, but with so much to choose from it just wasn’t my favorite! It is about a celebrity chef and his three wives, so it has blended family drama and a lot of heart.
The Perfect Couple—Again, a number of characters from previous novels appear in this one so it’s great to revisit them. But I just didn’t love this story and the ending frustrated me. Again, read it, liked it, but didn’t love it. But it is more of her mystery/thriller lite style so if you’re into that, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
If you’ve read any of Elin Hilderband, which are your favorites? I actually got to meet Elin in June and she signed my copy of Summer of ‘69 and it was a total fan girl moment. She was absolutely lovely, making loving her books even easier!