Tag: summer read

Book Review, Fiction

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand ~ Book Review

Morgan

Fiction
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪

The Identicals tells the story of Harper and Tabitha, grown identical twins who are estranged. They live on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and could not be more different. After their father’s death, the two come back together for the first time in years and are forced to face the past that they’ve ignored for so long.

The two sisters decide to temporarily switch places and I really enjoyed seeing the ways that they tried to fit into the other person’s life. The dual settings with very different narratives were both equally interesting and had Hilderbrand’s classic beach-read style that made me yearn for summer.

There are some storylines in this book (particularly about the girls’ childhood) that I found fairly unbelievable and threw me off a bit. Overall though, I enjoyed the switching places style of storytelling and found this to be a fast and enjoyable read.

Check out my bookstagram: @Treat.your.shelf
Buy The Identicals at an indie bookstore near you
The Identicals on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Romance

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune ~ Book Review

Morgan

Berkley
Romance
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

It lives up to the hype! Every Summer After was exactly the summer read I was looking for. I grew up going to lakes during the summer and Carley Fortune perfectly captures the essence of hot days by the water, told through Persephone’s view. Persephone (Percy) is returning to the lake where she spent her summers growing up, after over a decade away. Going back means seeing Sam again, her former best friend and first love.

I was obsessed with Sam and Percy’s friendship. The timeline is split between past and present and seeing them bond as kids, share in each others hobbies and passions, and be their authentic selves was so heartwarming. They came across as completely realistic and quirky and I was holding my breath waiting for their friendship to become more.

The chemistry between the two in the present was palpable and I couldn’t get enough of their adult interactions. Throughout the book, the reader is left in the dark about what happened to pull the two apart, and the mystery combined with the breathtaking setting and the romance was the combination I didn’t know I needed.

Prepare for your heart to hurt with this one and for yourself to suddenly long for sunscreen-coated summer days by the water.

Check out my bookstagram: @Treat.your.shelf
Every Summer After on Goodreads
Buy Every Summer After at an indie bookstore near you

Book Review, Fiction

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand ~ Book Review

Morgan

Little, Brown & Company
Fiction
Release Date: June 14, 2022 (Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC!)
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪.5

Ah, to be back in Elin Hilderbrand’s world! The Hotel Nantucket transported me instantly to sun-soaked Nantucket and the glamour of the newly renovated and incredibly posh Hotel Nantucket. Lizbet Keaton, hired to be the general manager by the mysteries Xavier Darling, who himself has never seen the hotel, scrambles to hire an eclectic mix of employees to get the place up and running. The cast of characters had such wonderful dynamics with one another. Even though there were a lot of them, each was so unique that I never mixed anyone up or felt confusion over who was who.

I was the littlest bit thrown off by the part of the narrative told by a ghost, but I promise it wasn’t too disruptive to the rest of the story – and I’m not one who usually enjoys that kind of suspension of reality in an otherwise realistic story. Although there was not a ton of action in the day to day goings on of the hotel, the secrets and drama of each individual employee grew and complicated over time in a way that made this book hard to put down.

As always, Hilderbrand’s descriptions of everything from room décor to cocktails leapt off the page and illustrated every aspect of the novel. I felt that things were a little rushed and maybe not entirely thought out at the very end of the story, but other than that, I loved every page.

Check out my bookstagram: @Treat.your.shelf
Buy The Hotel Nantucket at an indie bookstore near you
The Hotel Nantucket on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, mystery, Uncategorized

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand ~ Book Review

Morgan

Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: June 19, 2018
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Picking up a book that’s over 400 pages is always a little daunting for me, but I could not stop reading The Perfect Couple. First of all, it’s an amazing choice for a summer read. The story centers around Celeste and Benji’s bougie Nantucket wedding, planned and paid for by the groom’s wealthy family. When a member of the wedding party shows up dead, all bets are off as to whose scandalous secrets are responsible for her death.

There’s so much I loved about this book. First of all, Celeste. Celeste works as a zoologist in New York City and her humble kindness came through with everything she said and did. She doesn’t come from money, and her approach to Benji and his family’s wealth seemed really realistic. Her closeness with her parents was so well written, especially the scenes with her mom, who’s battling cancer.

The scenes set in Nantucket really brought it to life, especially the nights Celeste has experiencing everything for the first time. I felt like I was right there on a balmy summer night drinking champagne with them. As always, Hilderbrand’s descriptions of food were impeccable.

There are a lot of moving parts to this story, but every character is detailed and well rounded enough that I never got confused, and they never felt one-dimensional. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into constructing this story. It’s told through the perspectives of quite a few characters, and I loved getting to see each of their perspectives as the details of the circumstances surrounding the unexpected death slowly came into focus.

If you’re looking for a beach read, a mystery, or a story with detailed, compelling characters, pick up The Perfect Couple.

Buy The Perfect Couple at an indie bookstore near you
The Perfect Couple on Goodreads