Elin Hilderbrand – Book Journey

Beginnings are exciting… endings, they can be a bit harder. ~Sheila

Ed Kapanash’s experiencing his final summer as Chief of Police and is looking forward to quieter days, sleeping a little longer, and perhaps just enjoying the life he has worked so hard to build…

But – when the call comes in about Richardson’s 22 million dollar home burning to the ground and fingers are being pointed…. Ed’s plans are put on hold.

The Richardsons are new to Nantucket. Bull, a businessman, and his gorgeous and wild wife Leslee (how does one describe Leslee?) have been the talk of the town. Throwing lavish invite-only themed parties that you want to be invited to. You can say a lot about Leslee, but you can never say she does not know how to throw a party. The food, the theme, the service, the drinks – are all over the top and Nantucket residents covet the invite.

Coco, a young aspiring screenwriter, meets Bull in St John and worms her way into a summer job in Nantucket to work for Bull and his wife, looking for the right time to present her screenplay to him… all the while keeping an eye on the gorgeous and off-limits boy they hired to drive their boats…

Nantucket regulars are plenty and when it gets right down to it, there are more than a few people who would not have minded throwing a match to all that the Richardson’s own…
But – in the meantime… you might as well grab a drink and enjoy the summer, after all isn’t that what Nantucket is best at?

There is so so so much more to say about this book but I honestly feel you need to dive in (swimsuit-clad or not) and enjoy the ride.

I love books like this where you have the chance to revisit characters you have come to know – much like friends. While this is the 4th book in this Nantucket setting, you do not have to read the other 3 to enjoy this one – although I have a feeling you may wish you had just to get a real feel for the land. As a long -time Hilderbrand fan, I was excited for this book and also sad knowing that this is the last of Hilderbrand’s Nantucket writing as the Author is turning towards other projects including some writing with her daughter.

Overall – I really did enjoy this book and I think if you are a fan of summer beach reads (I swear you can feel the sun as soon as you turn the page!) Pick this one up today and let me know your thoughts 🙂

Other books from the series:

A Summer Affair.

The Castaways.

The Perfect Couple.

Swan Song

Kelley and Mitzi Quin are the owners of Winter Street Inn in Nantucket. Kelly has three adult children from his first wife, news anchor Margaret Quin; and together he and Mitzi have one son, Bart who recently joined the Marines.

As the holiday season approaches and Kelley anticipates having the Inn filled with his children and grandchildren, Kelley walks in on Mitzi kissing Santa Claus. Literally kissing the man they hired each year to be the Santa for the Inn…

let the dysfunction begin.

Each of the three Kelley’s children coming to the Inn come with their own troubles.

Patrick is a hedge fund manager that may have made some deals that are not all on the up and up.

Kevin has secretly been seeing the French housekeeper of the Inn, Isabelle.

Ava is in a relationship which makes her heart pound, but has the inkling that he is not as committed as she is.

All of this as well as the news of Mitzi is going to make for a very interesting Christmas at the Winter Street Inn.

I read very few Christmas related stories mainly because they tend to be a little too sweet and a little too neat for my liking. I decided to give Winter Street a try because I have enjoyed this author in the past, and by reading the synopsis I felt this book might just have some meat to it.

And Winter Street does have meat. Dysfunction surrounds this family as they gather for the Christmas weekend. Relationship statuses change like the wind and do not blink because a break up one second is a new (or renewed) relationship the next.

While I did enjoy the story line, I found the books pacing to be too fast. As things fell apart on one page they were fixed by some thing else on another. On one hand someone may be heartbroken over a messy breakup and the next minute they are welcomed to dinner. I had to wonder how deep love went within this family as relationships truly were interchangeable.

The book also leaves you right on a horrible cliffhanger. You know there has to be more to this story and I imagine that there has to be a sequel as things are no where near being wrapped up.

Personally I am not sure if I will pick up the next book. Some of the characters are not very likable and one in particular I wanted to slap. I know life is messy but the Quins have more stock in messiness than most.

Delightfully narrated by Erin Bennett.