A Complete Guide to Elin Hilderbrand’s Books (in Chronological Order)
As the beloved beach read writer approaches the publication of The Academy, here’s how to best navigate her backlist.
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Perhaps you and Elin Hilderbrand are already well-acquainted. The novelist has made herself a staple of summer reading over the course of her 30-plus books and short stories, most of them set in and around the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts. If you’ve read a Hilderbrand book, you’ve likely read more than one. (Perhaps you even consider yourself a “Hilderbabe,” and trek to Nantucket as part of a pilgrimage some die-hard fans consider sacred.) And if you’ve never read a Hilderbrand book, you’ve almost certainly seen one—likely resting in a pool chair or shielding a reader’s face from the sun. Having spent three decades on Nantucket herself, the author has become synonymous with a particular brand of beach read, heavy emphasis on the “beach.” Her book covers are sky-blue and almost universally feature a sandy shore. Her stories are juicy, rife with scandal and infidelity and lost love and new love and (occasionally) crime. Her characters are friends and spouses and children and community members, their gossip the foundation of Nantucket itself. Those who love Hilderbrand consider her not just a celebrity but a friend.
Still, only a select few can claim to have read all of Hilderbrand’s books. If you’re interested in accomplishing that particular feat, it helps to know where to begin, particularly if you want to read them in the order they were published. Hilderbrand’s novels belong to roughly four categories: the Nantucket novels, also known as the “Summer Books”; the Paradise Series; the Winter Series; and the forthcoming Academy series. Ahead, a comprehensive guide to each title and its corresponding category, listed in chronological order—with a helpful review to get you started.
The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand (2000)
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.78
A standout reader review: “There is never a moment when I wanted the book to hurry and be over, and I never felt like it was heavy. This author just does a great job keeping me interested in people that are nothing like me with lives that are nothing like mine.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.57
A standout reader review: “As the friends and family members deal with their grief, questions of friendship and loyalty take center stage. Throw in a surprise pregnancy and adultery and it's a hot mess, which makes for a good read! The ending, however, was a disappointment for me.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.90
A standout reader review: “More than anything else, this book is about loss, and the different ways people grieve. You might think that would make a book depressing, but I actually found it to be optimistic and even humorous at times.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.98
A standout reader review: “If you enjoyed The Hotel Nantucket, you’ll like this one! Very upbeat and fast-paced story about a restaurant, its owners, employees, customers, and all of the drama that comes along with it!”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.69
A standout reader review: “We all know how much I adore Elin Hilderbrand and her stories on Nantucket. While this one fell a little flat for me, it kept me intrigued until the end.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.79
A standout reader review: “I would not always call these characters likable (I agree with other reviews on that point), but I found their stories interesting, and I confess, I am always up for a good bit of drama. So I rather enjoyed this story of three women struggling to find themselves, set on the backdrop of the beach.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.63
A standout reader review: “I liked this one, but not quite as much as the other books of Elin’s that I’ve read so far. Her writing is so good and she’s so talented...I didn’t end up enjoying the characters as much in this one. They lacked some of the relatability that I’ve come to expect from Elin’s characters, despite them usually going through things I could never imagine happening in my own life.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.73
A standout reader review: “In true Elin flair, she weaves a fun yet complex story about three couples coming to terms with the death of their friends Greg and Tess. As always, there is fabulous food, beautiful Nantucket, and secrets upon secrets upon secrets.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.90
A standout reader review: “I would recommend this book. It was a little slow to start, but then you feel a kinship with all four women. The author makes you want to live “simply,” as [the characters] live on Tuckernuck, and I actually found myself craving to spend a couple of weeks with no electricity, only cold water and absolute privacy. I finished the book feeling like I had four new friends.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.94
A standout reader review: “The premise of this book was really interesting. I found it engaging and intriguing. I was invested in the drama and scandal from the beginning. It wasn’t your typical spousal breakup story; it was sinister and complex while remaining light enough to be a beach read.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.86
A standout reader review: “As with all Hilderbrand books, the story is interesting, and she weaves a detailed and intricate tale of island life. There’s more than just a [car] accident, with intersecting webs of characters. I liked the parallels and ties between the high school children and their parents. It was an engaging story, with a lot of serious subjects.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.79
A standout reader review: “There’s nothing like a wedding to bring out everyone’s true colors—it’s emotional, it’s stressful, it’s busy, it’s expensive. Elin Hilderbrand brings all of these elements together and more in Beautiful Day.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.90
A standout reader review: “The Matchmaker has been one of my favorite reads of [Hilderbrand’s] in a long time. For not being a crier, I basically bawled my eyes out for the last 20 pages. I’m a huge sucker for long-lost love and this story spoke to my heart.”
Series it belongs in: No. 1 in the Winter Series.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.81
A standout reader review: “Spending time with family during the holidays is always tricky! It is especially true for the Quinn family this year who are all spending time in Nantucket at their Inn together...Winter Street is a fast-paced enjoyable holiday story from Elin Hilderbrand that kept me completely engrossed in the lives of the Quinn family.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.76
A standout reader review: “[The Rumor is] a little shallow, and a little typical, but [Hilderbrand’s] characters are real individuals, and I loved the distortion of gossip in a small town, as it morphs and changes from one person’s account to the next until it’s something monstrous instead of a perfectly easily explained anomaly.”
Series it belongs in: No. 2 in the Winter Series.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.86
A standout reader review: “Winter Stroll continues the story of the Quinn family one year [after the events of Winter Street]. I enjoyed being back with the Quinn family as they navigated a whole new set of issues. This is a cute, quick little read.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.76
A standout reader review: “Here’s to Us is the story of Deacon Thorpe, a famous chef, who has died at the age of 53, leaving behind three ex-wives, women who had all loved him, and their children...The whole story is the sad saga of these wives who meet at the shore to say a final goodbye to Deacon. There’s plenty of sarcasm, a revealing of age-old secrets, and childish squabbling over room assignments. The whining and complaining stretches on endlessly. Is it worth reading? Yes!”
Series it belongs in: No. 3 in the Winter Series.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.92
A standout reader review: “Elin Hilderbrand has such a beautiful way of infusing this series with the perfect touches of Christmas tradition, cold weather, the family drama that inevitably ensues when everyone gathers together for the holidays, and heartwarming moments of joy. In this third installment, Winter Storms, we get more closure than we have before.”
Series it belongs in: The summer-set Nantucket novels.
Average Goodreads rating: 3.91
A standout reader review: “A dazzling setting and great writing about a frustrating dysfunctional sibling relationship makes for yet another tempting summer beach read.”
Series it belongs in: No. 4 in the Winter Series.
Average Goodreads rating: 4.06
A standout reader review: “Grab a glass of wine, a box of tissues and settle in for what can only be described as a bittersweet goodbye to the Quinn family. Knowing this was the last time I would walk through the doors of the Winter Street Inn and see it decked out for the holiday season...forced me into somewhat of a melancholy mindset. Equal parts sad and elated, I found myself torn between having to let this family go and being grateful that we were given a fourth book in what was initially laid out as a trilogy.”
A Guide to the Jenny Han Universe
10 Best Books for Learning About Fashion History
A Guide to All the Outlander Books
The Ghosts of Home
