Monthly TBR: September

Review: Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 18, 2019

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5 

Synopsis

Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century! It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket: but this year Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, a nursing student, is caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests, a passion which takes her to Martha's Vineyard with her best friend, Mary Jo Kopechne. Only son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother who is hiding some secrets of her own. As the summer heats up, Teddy Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, a man flies to the moon, and Jessie experiences some sinking and flying herself, as she grows into her own body and mind.

My Thoughts

I’ve always been obsessed with the 60’s it was a fascinating time in history so when I heard Elin Hilderbrand newest novel was focused during that time I knew I had to read it. Summer of ‘69 focuses on The Levin family. We met Jessie who is thirteen and this is the summer when everything changes for her. We get the stories of her siblings Tiger who is in Vietnam, oldest sister Blair who is married and pregnant but doesn't know if she still wants to be and is struggling with her husband who wants her to be a housewife while she loves her independence. Middle sister Kirby who is in school but is drawn to protests and the civil rights movement and wants to make a change in this world. All of this while the world is changing and with historic moments thrown in Summer of ‘69 is one year no one will ever forget.

Jessie is the main voice of this novel, it's her coming of age story of a girl who is simply trying to figure out this thing we call life. She doesn't want to spend her summer in Nantucket with her grandmother but she is forced to by her parents and while there she learns a lot about growing up and falls in love for the first time. She is dealing with grown-up issues and is hoping her family can survive all that is happening during this crazy summer. The family is on edge hoping Tiger can make it back home and that the war will end. That takes a toll on everyone but especially their mother and that takes a toll on her marriage. This novel focuses on everything from love, marriage, family, to the war.

Summer of ‘69 is a compelling story of family, secrets and is a coming of age story that also spotlights the historic moments in history that take place during this time. It's an interesting story one that spotlights every member of the family but never makes you feel overwhelmed by all the characters. Every character has a distinct voice and their stories are all very interesting. While this is a departure for Elin Hilderbrand I loved this read. Her dive into historical fiction was great and I loved it. This is another winner from her and one novel that makes for the perfect summer read.

Mid Year Faves

May TBR

Review: Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand

Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand     

Published: May 3, 2016

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

The ties between women can run as deep as the ocean-but so can the secrets.

For 20 years, Kayla, Antoinette and Val have performed their own special summer ritual. Once a year, the old friends put aside their daily, separate lives to drink champagne, swap stories and swim naked under the Nantucket stars. But on one of those bonding nights, one of their trio swims out from the shore and doesn't return. After the surviving friends emerge from their grief, they realize that the repercussions of their loss go far beyond their little circle, and they begin to uncover layers of secrets-and their connections to each other that were never revealed on the beach. What has made their friendship strong now has the power to destroy their marriages, families, even themselves.

My Thoughts

Elin Hilderbrand is one of my favorite authors and I’m slowly reading all her books, so when I read the synopsis for one of her earliest reads I was intrigued. Nantucket Nights is the story of three lifelong friends who go out for a yearly ritual and soon one goes for a swim and doesn’t come back. With this read, we get drama, a little mystery and an explosion of secrets that go way beyond anything anyone could’ve imagined.

This is one of my favorite books by Elin Hilderbrand I loved how she weaved layers and layers of secrets into a web that just when you think you have something figured out she takes it to another level. The relationships in this read rather it be the friendships or romantic ones are so good that you are left stunned at times. I felt for some characters and others I hated but the ending is what kind of had me shook. Did I love it? No, but I totally understood it. I highly recommend this read if you are looking for something with substance, drama and a little mystery. Trust me you will fully love this rich story with memorable characters.

Review: Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand   

Expected Publication: October 9, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Irene Steele’s idyllic life-house, husband, family-is shattered when she is woken up by a late-night phone call. Her beloved husband has been found dead, but before Irene can process this tragic news, she must confront the perplexing details of her husband’s death. He was found on St. John island, a tropical paradise far removed from their suburban life. Leaving the cold winter behind, Irene flies down to the beautiful Caribbean beaches of St. John only to make another shocking discovery: her husband had a secret second family. As Irene investigates the mysterious circumstances of her husband’s death, she is plunged into a web of intrigue and deceit belied by the pristine white sand beaches of St. John’s. This exciting first book in the Paradise series will transport readers to a new beach locale-another world that Elin knows as well as her beloved Nantucket-and have them longing for winter.

My Thoughts

In Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel Winter in Paradise, we leave her usual setting of her beloved Nantucket and she brings us to the tropical setting of St. John in her newest Winter series. We meet Irene who loves her life and has everything she has wanted except more time with her husband who works so much for all they have. She also has two grown sons who are going through tough times of their own but everyone’s lives are about to change when Irene gets a phone call that her husband has died.

Irene is stunned when she learns that her husband has lead a double life and she begins to wonder who exactly was she married to? She learns that he lead this totally different life in St. John and that he didn’t die alone that he did, in fact, have a mistress and possibly a secret child. So what is Irene to do but go down there and try to find out who her husband really was and decides to bring her two sons along for the ride. One son is trying to find his way in life. He is so different from his father, he is carefree and just wants to enjoy life while his brother is exactly like their dad he is a go-getter and is all about business but he has pushed that away to take care of his son full time while his wife a doctor focuses on her career. However, he is shocked when moments before he finds out about his fathers' death his wife tells him she is leaving him for another woman.

In St. John we meet a cast of other characters who play major parts in this story. We find out more about the mistress and her best friend whom both of Irene sons fall for. We also met the mistresses stepfather who has a spark of sorts with Irene which I’m totally on board with. There are a lot of characters on this small island but you never get confused and they just bring lots of depth to the story.

I really enjoyed this first book in her new series, I think the set up for the next novels is definitely there and the storyline is really good. I like how she has added elements of mystery with this one and how there is so much to explore in regards to Irene’s husbands’ death. What exactly happened? Was it really an accident or was it something more sinister? And what exactly was his job and who did he work for? I can't wait to discover all these things in the future and hopefully, my questions will be answered. This was definitely a good first book and I can't wait to learn more about these really interesting characters.

September TBR

Review: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 19, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: arc via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate.

But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

My Thoughts

For me, it isn’t summer until I read an Elin Hilderbrand book and this summers book might be her best to date at least in my opinion. In The Perfect Couple we have Celeste and Benji who are set to wed in Nantucket but the night before their wedding the maid of honor is found dead which leads to a who dun it and what is revealed is just secrets after secrets being uncovered.

We get the backstory on how Celeste and Benji met and how their love story is. On paper, both are as different as night and day but Benji showed Celeste a life she never knew and while she has feelings for him she doesn’t know if she wants to marry him not when her heart belongs to someone else. Now, who that person is isn't someone who she should be with but the heart wants what it wants right?

As the police try to solve who was at fault, the question is was the maid of honor murdered or was it indeed just an accident? We see the police undercover the layers of all those involved from both families and their friends. What the police thought would be an easy case isn’t,  it's soon revealed that some of the family members have bigger secrets that could point to any one of them as suspects. I loved how there were twists and turns and I was shocked at some parts which were great. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This is one of Elin Hilderbrand’s best novels, I loved how she brought back some her beloved characters from her past books and I really enjoyed the mystery part that was included which was honestly my favorite. I didn’t think I could love her books more but I do! I felt that this book was fresh and intriguing I just couldn’t put it down. If you want something fun and compelling at the same time I highly recommend this amazing book its everything you could want in a book for the summer.

Mini Review: The Tailgate by Elin Hilderband

The Tailgate by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: May 1, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

Clendenin Hughes first kissed Dabney Kimball during a Nantucket snowstorm freshman year of high school. Ever since that moment - God, the rush, the chemistry! - Dabney has known that she and Clen are an unsplittable unit - essentially the same person in two different bodies.

Of course, with Dabney now at Harvard and Clen at Yale, those bodies are 140 miles apart. And traveling is a serious challenge for Dabney, for reasons she'd prefer not to discuss, reasons having to do with her mother (or lack thereof). But with the big Harvard-Yale game coming up, Dabney is determined to make the trek to New Haven to see Clen. She's even borrowed a sexy black outfit from a classmate down the hall.

But when she arrives at the tailgate to see sparks flying between Clen and Jocelyn, a girl with dark blue eyes and luscious black hair, Dabney fears the collapse of a bond she has never questioned before, a bond so important that she'll be lost without it. A stirring portrait of young love at a crossroads, THE TAILGATE introduces two irresistible characters and invites us into a world we don't want to leave.

My Thoughts

This was an okay introduction to Elin Hilderbrand’s characters from The Matchmaker. We get a glimpse into the early lives of Clendenin and Dabney during their college years. Though I had already read The Matchmaker I didn’t really get much from this short story. I was aware of the characters and their backstories so I already knew them, but this didn’t really give me any more than I knew just by reading The Matchmaker by itself. Nevertheless, as a huge fan of the author and I will read anything she writes and if you do too this is a fast read that gives us a short history of Clendenin and Dabney the early years.

2018 Summer Reads

It's that time of year Y'all!! The sun is shining [more like blazing here in Texas] and all you want to do is hit the pool or beach. I’m here to share some of my reads I’ll be getting to this Summer season. I enjoy light reads during these hot days but I also enjoy my thrillers/suspense novels. So here’s my list and hopefully you will find something you can enjoy in the months ahead.

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas: Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: via Netgalley

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Raise one last glass with the Quinn Family at the Winter Street Inn. It's been too long since the entire Quinn family has been able to celebrate the holidays under the same roof, but that's about to change. With Bart back safe and sound from Afghanistan, the Quinns are preparing for a holiday more joyous than any they've experienced in years. And Bart's safe return isn't the family's only good news: Kevin is enjoying married life with Isabelle; Patrick is getting back on his feet after paying his debt to society; Ava thinks she's finally found the love of her life, and Kelly is thrilled to see his family reunited at last. But it just wouldn't be a Quinn family gathering if things went smoothly. A celebration of everything we love--and some of the things we endure--about the holidays.

My Thoughts

This is the last installment in Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter series and I would be lying if it wasn’t bittersweet for me. I have highly enjoyed this series that centers around the Quinn family who over the years have had their ups and downs. In this book, we get a glimpse of all the Quinn family members but I love how we really get to know Bart’s story. Bart is trying to readjust to “normal” life after being held captive while in the service and is slowly trying to find his way back with his family. We also see Bart get a love interest, someone from one of Elin’s past novels. I love how she intertwines her characters from other books, I really do like the pairing of these two and hope that we get to see them again, maybe even in their own book? Fingers crossed!

I found this book perfectly tied up some storylines but like always there is always something that leaves them open to being picked up later. I found Kelly's storyline to be quite touching, his health isn’t at its best but he gets to see all of his family together one last time and that makes everything worthwhile for him.

This is the perfect ending to a series I found completely satisfying. The Quinn family was one who made me laugh, cry and I found myself fully invested in their lives as if they were real. That's the point right? You could always find someone to relate to and that was refreshing to know. Elin Hilderbrand always brings it in her novels and this series was no exception, so if you haven’t do yourself a favor and get to know the Quinn’s like I have trust me you won't be disappointed.

Review: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 13, 2017

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha's Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. Just because twins look exactly the same doesn't mean they're anything alike--and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together--or at least appear to--the twins come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart. A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, THE IDENTICALS is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best.

My Thoughts

I look forward to the summer for the simple pleasure of knowing I will be blessed with an Elin Hilderbrand novel and this one is my favorite by far. In the Identicals, we meet identical sisters Tabitha and Harper who couldn’t be more opposite. When their parents got divorced they decided to split the sisters and when they couldn’t decide who would go with whom, they play rock paper scissors to decide their fate. Tabitha grew up with a fashion designer mother who likes the finer things in life and who only wanted the best things in life. Harper grew up with her father who leads a simple life, so different from her mother and sister. While they only lived a ferry ride away both sisters had no contact with each other for years after the death of Tabitha’s son.

After their father has died Tabitha and her mother along with her daughter make the trek to pay their respects and say goodbye, while there we find out that Harper has a boyfriend and also has been having an affair with her father's doctor. When her affair is exposed and her world tumbling down around her she decides she needs to leave. When an accident happens and she receives a call that her sister needs her help she soon goes to be with her niece. What happens next is a series of secrets as to why they aren’t close and how this has torn them apart as sisters and as a family.

I love nothing more than a story that centers around family especially those evolving sisters. The dynamics and emotions that are exposed are amazing. We see how each sister’s life might have been if each had been with the other parent and how their lives could’ve been totally different. However what I loved most were the sisters themselves and how old emotions needed to be brought back to the surface and finally settled. We see how those long ago feelings suffocated both of them and their ability to forgive and move on. This novel was wonderfully written and it made me laugh and cry. The sisters as much as they claimed to be different they were indeed very much alike. In the end, all they wanted was love. Love from others, their parents and especially from each other, through everything in the end they truly got what they have been searching for. I highly recommend this stunning read and it’s a must have on every summer reading list.

Mini Review: Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown & Co

Format: audiobook via publisher

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Gather under the mistletoe for one last round of caroling with the Quinn family in this heartwarming conclusion to Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Winter Street Trilogy.

Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn's old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan.

That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can't quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail, and Ava still can't decide between the two lovers that she's been juggling with limited success. However, if there's one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it's Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other as the Quinns prepare to host Kevin and Isabelle's wedding at the inn. But as the special day approaches, a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place--and the people--they love most. Before the snow clears, the Quinns will have to survive enough upheavals to send anyone running for the spiked eggnog, in this touching novel that proves that when the holidays roll around, you can always go home again.

My Thoughts

In Winter Storms we met up again with the Quinn family as we see how their lives have been in the past year. All family members are dealing with their own problems and how they are trying to make their lives better, while each is dealing with problems they all come together as a family when they have too. While I loved this trilogy so much I felt this book was a quick read. This was more of a continuation to me, not really giving us anything new just trying up loose ends of some of the same storylines. Although I liked that I would’ve liked some new storylines, yes there was some a few more would’ve been great. All in all, I did love the wrap up of the characters and I’m sad to see this trilogy come to end, I have grown to love the Quinn family while they all have their faults I love how family always come first. Their love and commitment to one another are amazing and while they aren’t the traditional kind of family love does trump all. I’m still hoping for another story out of these characters, I would love to learn more about Bart and his story. Here’s to hoping for more of the Quinn family!

Review: Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Format: via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Laurel Thorpe, Belinda Rowe, and Scarlett Oliver share only two things; a love for the man they all married, Deacon Thorpe--a celebrity chef with an insatiable appetite for life--and a passionate dislike of one another. All three are remarkable, spirited women, but they couldn't be more different. Laurel: Deacon's high school sweetheart and an effortlessly beautiful social worker; Belinda: a high-maintenance Hollywood diva; and Scarlett: a sexy southern belle floating by on her family money and her fabulous looks. They've established a delicate understanding over the years--they avoid each other at all costs.

But their fragile detente threatens to come crashing down after Deacon's tragic death on his favorite place on earth: a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage. Deacon's final wish was for his makeshift family to assemble on his beloved Nantucket to say good-bye. Begrudgingly, Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett gather on the island as once again, as in each of their marriages, they're left to pick up Deacon's mess. Now they're trapped in the crowded cottage where they all made their own memories--a house that they now share in more ways than one--along with the children they raised with Deacon, and his best friend. Laurel, Belinda, and Scarlett each had an unbreakable bond with Deacon--and they all have secrets to hide.

Before the weekend is over, there are enough accusations, lies, tears, and drama to turn even the best of friends--let alone three women who married the same man--into adversaries. As his unlikely family says good-bye to the man who brought them together--for better or worse--will they be able to put aside their differences long enough to raise a glass in Deacon's honor?

My Thoughts

Summer wouldn’t be complete in my eyes without an amazing Elin Hilderbrand novel. In Here’s to Us we meet the eclectic family that famous chef Deacon Thorpe leaves after his death. After a life of women, drugs and drinking there are a few things that Deacon has done right in life but everyone will agree he was a great father. He loved all his children to the fullest, mainly because he felt what it was like to not have that after his father up and left the family when he was young. Although he was famous he lived like there was no tomorrow and ultimately died in debt. He did have one prized procession that was his Nantucket house that despite all the women in his life, that was the one thing that was his and was not to be touched or changed.

In this novel, we get the back story of each of Deacon’s wives: Laurel his high school love and some say true love and wife of his only son. Belinda: the famous movie star who stole him away from Laurel and mom to their adopted daughter Angie who of all his kids he was closest to and shared his love for cooking. Scarlett: former nanny to Angie and his current wife and mother to his youngest daughter who has always pined for her ex-Bo. We see while all women are different from one another all loved him dearly even until the end. So when it is revealed that the beloved Nantucket house is to be foreclosed on soon, they must work together to get over their issues and become a family to spread his ashes and hopefully save the house.

I loved his book so much while it is a lengthy tale over 400 pages it is a read that I couldn’t stop reading. It was funny but touching at the same time, once again Elin Hilderbrand paints a picture of Nantucket that is so idyllic you can’t help but feel the sand under your toes and the cool breeze in the air. She delivers a family tale while dysfunctional one that in the end works for them. We are shown that no matter what issues we might have as families in the end, we are simply that…family. We will always have each other’s back because as corny as it might sound family and love truly conquers all.

Waiting On [156]: Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Synopsis

Celebrity chef Deacon Thorpe has always been a force of nature with an insatiable appetite for life. But after that appetite contributes to Deacon's shocking death in his favorite place on earth, a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage, his (messy, complicated) family is reeling. Now Deacon's three wives, his children, and his best friend gather on the island he loved to say farewell. The three very different women have long been bitter rivals, each wanting to claim the primary place in Deacon's life and his heart. But as they slowly let go of the resentments they've held onto for years and remember the good times, secrets are revealed, confidences are shared, and improbable bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man who brought them all together, for better or worse--and the women he loved find new ways to love again.

Why I Can’t Wait

What can I say it’s not summer unless I read an Elin Hilderbrand book and, of course, this one looks like another winner! I can’t wait to sit back and enjoy this fab read.

Day 1 of 25 Days of Christmas: WInter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Anyone who has read my blog know how much I love the holidays especially Christmas. There is just something about this time of year that makes me believe that anything can happen. I've always thought of this time as magical I know many people hate it but I'm a sucker in believing the good in people. I love the movies, music and especially spending time with family and nothing makes it as special as Christmas. So once again this year I'll be doing my 25 days of Christmas reviews. Most are short which is perfect for those who want to read something Christmasy but don't have the time for full fledged read. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and remember to simply enjoy it!

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 13, 2015

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Format: audio book via Hachette Audio

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Another Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn reflecting on the past year as he writes a holiday letter to friends and family. Though the year has had its share of misfortune and worry, the Quinn’s have much to celebrate. Kelley, now single, at least is on better terms with his first wife Margaret, who is using her celebrity to lure customers to the inn in record numbers. Their son Kevin has a beautiful new baby, Genevieve, with the Inn's French housekeeper, Isabelle; and their daughter, Ava, is finally dating a nice guy--her devoted colleague, Scott.

Now the Quinn’s are looking forward to celebrating Genevieve's baptism, welcoming Isabelle to the family, and enjoying the cheer of Nantucket's traditional Christmas Stroll. But just when a peaceful family gathering seems within reach, Kelley's estranged second wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island after souring on her relationship with the inn's former Santa Claus. Soon Kelley isn't the only Quinn entertaining a surprise guest from Christmases past as lovers old and new gather beneath the mistletoe. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinn’s--and the inn--through the holidays intact.

My Thoughts

We continue once again with Christmas with the Quinn family and this Christmas they face even bigger challenges like never before. If you like here is my review of Winter Street. Kelley and his wife Mitzi are still separated and feeling the effects of not knowing if their son is dead or alive and still captive overseas. His ex-wife Margaret is falling in love for the first time in years and is coming to terms with that. Their kids are each facing family crisis within their own families. Kevin is dealing with being a new father when his ex comes in waiting to destroy his happy family. Ava is dealing with her feelings and deciding if her feelings for her boyfriend Scott are real or does she still hold deep feelings for her ex who has decided that now he realizes what he lost and is determined to get her back. And their sister in law who is hanging by a thread trying to deal with the fact her husband is in jail and her sons are acting like it’s all her fault.

I have grown to love the Quinn family because their dysfunction is so real. It always seems like the most drama comes out around the holidays but in the end they always know family comes first. They will always band together and never let anyone or anything come between their large family always including ex’s and strangers alike. While they all have their individual problems their strength always is to be there and pray for their son/brother Bart who is missing. I love that Bart is always the undercurrent of the story line yet we have never in the two books actually meet him, I hope there is another book because I would love to hear his story and what he thinks of all that has happened in his absence.

Elin Hilderbrand once again sparkles with this winter tale of family, heartache and redemption. Sometimes we have to weather the storm in order to realize what is most important to us. The Winter series is one that everyone should read it will make you laugh and cry and I know you will fall in love with the Quinn’s just like I did.

WoW [145]

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Synopsis

An emotional, heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand about a grieving family that finds solace where they least expect it.

Celebrity chef Deacon Rowe is struggling with addiction, depression and not one, but two scandals. As summer nears, he travels to the idyllic Eastern bluff of Nantucket, where he takes his own life. In the shocking wake of Deacon's suicide, his first wife and childhood sweetheart, Laurel Rowe, sets out to gather Deacon's far-flung family--including Deacon and Laurel's son, and Deacon's other ex-wives and children--on the island. HERE'S TO US brings together three very different, resilient women and their children, who start out not only as strangers, but as bitter rivals, each wanting to claim the prime place in Deacon's life. Secrets are revealed, confidences are shared, and improbable bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man they loved.

Why I Can’t Wait

Summer isn’t complete without a Elin Hilderbrand book! This one sounds really good and I cant wait to read this with a tall glass of iced tea!

WoW [129]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: October 13, 2015

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Synopsis

The Quinn family celebrates their most dramatic Christmas yet in this enchanting sequel to Elin Hilderbrand's bestselling Winter Street.

Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn and his family busily preparing for the holiday season. Though the year has brought tragedy, the Quinns have much to celebrate: Kelley has reunited with his first wife Margaret, Kevin and Isabelle have a new baby; and Ava is finally dating a nice guy.

But when Kelley's estranged wife Mitzi shows up on the island, along with Kevin's devious ex-wife Norah and a dangerously irresistible old fling of Ava's, the Inn is suddenly overrun with romantic feuds, not to mention guests. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns--and the Inn--through the holidays intact.

Why I Can’t Wait

Yes! I’m so happy to have a squeal to Winter Street! I loved the story of the Quinn family. I love how they all have flaws but in the end they all have each other’s back. I can’t wait to see how their story ends.

Feel free to link me to yours.

Review: The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 16, 2015

Format: NetGalley & Audio Book via Hachette Audio

Publisher: Little Brown & Co.

Challenges: 2015 NG/EW and 2015 Audio

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Nantucket writer Madeline King couldn't have picked a worse time to have writer's block. Her deadline is looming, her bills are piling up, and inspiration is in short supply. Madeline's best friend Grace is hard at work transforming her garden into the envy of the island with the help of a ruggedly handsome landscape architect. Before she realizes it, Grace is on the verge of a decision that will irrevocably change her life. Could Grace's crisis be Madeline's salvation? As the gossip escalates, and the summer's explosive events come to a head, Grace and Madeline try desperately to set the record straight--but the truth might be even worse than rumor has it.

My Thoughts

First things first I love Elin Hilderbrand’s books! It’s not summer unless I read a book by her. The Rumor is everything a summer read should be. This one focuses on a set of friends Madeline and Grace who with their families are the subjects of rumors around town. However at times the truth is way worse than any rumor could ever be.

Madeline is a writer and she must come up with a draft or return her advance. She is suffering from major writers block but when her best friend Grace confesses to her she is having an affair she decides to use that as her book. Meanwhile as Grace is falling in love with a man who isn’t her husband, her husband is in serious financial trouble. Blind to the fact she must decide if she wants to leave her husband or follow her heart. The towns folk start rumors about Madeline and how they think she is the one having the affair with someone is close to her, they have no clue on how wrong they have it. When these rumors come to the surface and she is in danger of losing her family and friendship once Grace discovers she is writing her story for the whole world to know. I also love the second storyline that of their children. We get to see the children’s aspect of their lives and how they see their parents.

This book continues Elin Hilderbrand’s reign as the queen of the summer reads. It has everything that makes a great book, gossip lies love and relationships. We get to see how others might perceive us and then how things really are. Anyone can be a victim of rumors but its how we deal with them that really shows us what kind of person we are. This is definitely one I recommend everyone to read this summer, do yourself a favor and read this you will be highly entertained.

Day 16 of 25 Days of Christmas Reviews: Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Little Brown and Co.

Format: ARC via publisher

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket's Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four, all of them grown and living in varying states of disarray. Patrick, the eldest, is a hedge fund manager with a guilty conscience. Kevin, a bartender, is secretly sleeping with a French housekeeper named Isabelle. Ava, a school teacher, is finally dating the perfect guy but can't get him to commit. And Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelley's second marriage to Mitzi, has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines.

As Christmas approaches, Kelley is looking forward to getting the family together for some quality time at the inn. But when he walks in on Mitzi kissing Santa Claus (or the guy who's playing Santa at the inn's annual party), utter chaos descends. With the three older children each reeling in their own dramas and Bart unreachable in Afghanistan, it might be up to Kelley's ex-wife, nightly news anchor Margaret Quinn, to save Christmas at the Winter Street Inn.

Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, a small house fire, many shots of whiskey, and endless rounds of Christmas caroling, in this heart-warming novel about coming home for the holidays.

My Thoughts

Winter Street is Elin Hilderbrand’s first dab into winter reads and all I want to know is what has taken her so long?! She’s the master when it comes to summer reads and now I hope we get more winter reads to come.

Winter Street is the tale of the Quinn family over Christmas and how the family is literally falling apart at the seams. Kelley finds out his wife Mitzi has been cheating on him and has now told him she is leaving him. Kelley who brought the inn for Mitzi now doesn’t know what he wants to do and wants to cancel the annual Christmas party. Not only is his life falling about but each of his children’s lives seems to be as well. Throw in famous his ex-wife who has come back to be with their children for the holidays and this is a Christmas to remember. When everyone comes together to Christmas dinner talk about tension! All the secrets come out and things will never be the same.

I enjoyed this read because it shows how Christmas isn’t as perfect as many of us dreams it should be, its dysfunction at its best! There is nothing like the holidays to bring out the craziness. While all through the craziness what I love best about the Quinn’s is that despite everything they are family first. They will work through it all with the help of each other, and isn’t that what family is all about? Oh and by the way all I have to say is that ending??!! I need to know!