PEOPLE Picks the Best Elin Hilderbrand Books to Dip into This Summer
The 'Queen of the Beach Read' is stepping away from the genre — see PEOPLE’s picks for her best novels to read this summer
Elin Hilderbrand novels have long been the perfect beach bag companion. Dubbed the “Queen of the Beach Read,” the author, 54, is a modern master of weaving suspense, emotion and the love of her beloved home, Nantucket, into her writing for nearly 25 years. The result? Over 30 novels and short stories, which have become bestsellers synonymous with summertime.
That's why it may come as a surprise that Hilderbrand is wrapping up her Nantucket novels and retiring from the beach read genre. Her final summer novel, Swan Song, will be published on June 11. Though the author will continue to stay connected to the book world — she has a podcast called Books, Beach & Beyond, after all — it is a bittersweet milestone nonetheless.
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PEOPLE staffers have come together to celebrate Hilderbrand's storied bibliography, and to pick some of our favorites from her extensive canon to delve into as the weather gets warmer.
Read on to learn which ones you should bring on vacation this summer.
'The Beach Club'
St. Martin's Paperbacks
'The Beach Club'There’s no better place to start with Hilderbrand than her 2000 debut, which revolves around a group of employees at Nantucket’s Beach Club. The hotel staff are all navigating various hurdles in their personal lives: manager Mack Peterson is under pressure to find a girlfriend, and his job is at risk.
Love O’Donnell, the front desk concierge, is searching for someone to have a baby with, and bellman Jem Crandall finds himself falling for the owner’s girlfriend. All of their troubles are small, though, compared to the island's impending hurricane. A smart read that will make the hours fly by.
Related: PEOPLE’s Most-Anticipated Summer Books: Best Beach Reads, Thrillers, Fiction, YA and More
'Barefoot'
Little, Brown and Company
'Barefoot'Three friends arrive in Nantucket in search of a much-needed escape. Sisters Vicki and Brenda are figuring out their next steps after Vicki is diagnosed with a serious illness and Brenda is jobless after having an affair with a student. Their friend Melanie is expecting a baby — right after she learns that her husband has been cheating on her.
When the group meets 22-year-old Josh Flynn while on the island, their summer only gets more frenzied. It's sexy, sultry and just begging to get sand between the pages.
'A Summer Affair'
Little, Brown and Company
'A Summer Affair'With a loving husband, four adoring children and a successful career as an artist, Claire is supposedly doing everything right. She’s the reliable one of her friends and family too, which is how she finds herself chairing the committee of Nantucket’s hottest social event. In the process, Claire meets billionaire Lock Dixon, and her perfectly-curated life is suddenly turned on its head. This novel is full of scandal and steam.
'The Castaways'
Greg and Tess McAvoy’s marriage has long been the subject of rumors, with infidelity right at the top of the list. When the couple mysteriously drowns during a boating trip, they leave behind two small children and six grieving friends.
The survivors must attempt to find out the true fate of Greg and Tess — and uncover the truth about their hidden lives in the process. A story of secrets, friendship and betrayal.
'The Identicals'
Little, Brown and Company
'The Identicals'Harper and Tabitha Frost are estranged twins living on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The sisters have created separate lives for themselves, but when the rest of their family slides into turmoil, the two come up with a plan: to switch lives — and islands — in order to help their relatives.
A clever twist on The Parent Trap, this book provides twice the romance, heartbreak and fun.
'The Perfect Couple'
Little, Brown and Company
'The Perfect Couple'In classic Hilderbrand fashion, readers are transported to scenic beaches and expansive estates in The Perfect Couple. But rather than reveling in the exciting romance between the couple at the novel’s center, not to mention their impending nuptials, the bride and groom are questioned regarding the murder that occurred hours before their big day.
This one's an absolutely gripping page-turner that will leave readers curious about whether or not anyone in the wedding party was involved.
'Summer of '69'
Little, Brown and Company
'Summer of '69'It's 1969, and the Levin siblings are supposed to be enjoying a relaxing summer on Nantucket. The end of the decade, however, has different plans for the family: son Tiger is deployed to Vietnam, eldest daughter Blair is pregnant and unable to travel, middle sister Kirby is swept up in civil rights protests and youngest child Jessie is left alone with her mother and grandmother.
As history unfolds over the summer — from the moon landing to the Chappaquiddick incident — the Levins must come to terms with a changing landscape at home and across the country, in Hilderbrand’s first historical fiction novel.
'28 Summers'
Little, Brown and Company
'28 Summers'Mallory Blessing and Jake McCloud’s chance encounter turns into an annual affair, where they spend every Labor Day weekend together at Mallory’s Nantucket cottage. Things get complicated as their lives go on, but their connection endures year after year.
Equal parts heartbreaking and enchanting, this unputdownable book will leave you needing to know what happens each summer — and if that year will finally bring Mallory and Jake together. Perfect for fans of One Day and Same Time Next Year.
Related: One Day: The Biggest Differences Between Both Adaptations of David Nicholls' Romance
'Golden Girl'
Back Bay Books
'Golden Girl'Bestselling novelist Vivian Howe is tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident while jogging on her beloved Nantucket. Soon after, the writer finds herself stuck in the Beyond, where she is given three chances to help her children, whose lives are in various states of disrepair.
Vivian also must grapple with her final book, which contains a disastrous secret and will force her family to come to terms with the mother they knew — and didn’t — in this moving, yet suspenseful read.
'The Hotel Nantucket'
Little, Brown and Company
'The Hotel Nantucket'Fans of The White Lotus and The Gilded Age, The Hotel Nantucket is for you! In search of a fresh start, Lizbet Keaton is given the chance to turn around the titular Hotel Nantucket from a rundown lodging into a vacation destination.
Despite the property’s potential and its blissful surroundings, there’s no shortage of trouble between the guests and staff as Lizbet races to get the once-glamorous hotel ready for opening. Told from the perspective of visitors, employees and even a ghost, The Hotel Nantucket will keep readers on their toes.
'The Five-Star Weekend'
Back Bay Books
'The Five-Star Weekend'Hilderbrand’s 2023 novel follows Hollis as she mourns the loss of her husband, Matthew. As Hollis explores life without him, she hosts a gathering called “The Five-Star Weekend” to celebrate friends from each phase of her life.
But, just like Hilderbrand fans have come to expect, each of the women holds onto her own secrets, understanding of friendship and need for a reprieve from her own life. “The Five-Star Weekend” isn’t exactly what Hollis and her friends anticipated, and the novel ends with an unexpected twist.
Related: One Day: The Biggest Differences Between Both Adaptations of David Nicholls' Romance
'Swan Song'
Little, Brown and Company
'Swan Song'When the Richardsons buy a summer home on Nantucket, the locals can’t decide whether to love or hate them. The mysterious new couple quickly become notorious for lavish parties and being the center of community gossip, but when their beach house suddenly burns down, and one of their employees goes missing, the town must come together to figure out what really happened that fateful night.
Hilderbrand’s latest brings back some of her most beloved characters — from police chief Ed Kapenash to Blond Sharon — for a memorable last romp on the island.
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