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The Hotel Nantucket
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2022)After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.
Filled with the emotional tension and multiple points of view that characterize Elin's books (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added touch of historical reality, Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this summer drama for the ages.
Filled with the emotional tension and multiple points of view that characterize Elin's books (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added touch of historical reality, Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this summer drama for the ages.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2022
About the author
Elin Hilderbrand
80 books51k followersElin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 21,509 reviews
August 2, 2024
Ah, is there a more satisfying feeling than finding the perfect beach read during the waning days of summer?
I can't believe this is Elin Hilderbrand's 28th novel (of which I've only read a paltry few)! I'm always a little hesitant when an author has been around for so long. What if they've lost their verve and zest for writing and are now just doing it to put out one more book? But gosh, I didn't need to worry at all.
The Hotel Nantucket was the consummate summer reading experience. It transported me to Nantucket, and I fell in love with the island, the atmosphere, and all the wonderful characters.
Instead of focusing solely on one or two individuals, this story is more of an ensemble cast, with many characters taking up the pages. And while that took me a few chapters to get into, once I did, I was all in. I can honestly say there wasn't a single character I wasn't fond of, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone and seeing them grow through the pages.
If I had to nitpick something, it would be that there were two characters with almost the same name. There's Sweet Edie (a main character) and Fast Eddie (only a side one). Thankfully, Fast Eddie only appears a few times, though it did confuse me every time he did. But I really had to reach hard to come up with this minor quibble.
No doubt about it, I just about savored every moment of this book. I read it almost entirely outside, soaking up the sunshine and with various fruit-flavored bubble teas in hand. Summers are so special and inevitably too short. Especially this year, having lost half of my summer due to moving and feeling unwell, I'm doubly thankful to have found this gem of a story. It totally buoyed my spirits and added that extra spark to my otherwise abbreviated summer.
Now my only remaining question is: could the ending have been a teensy-weensy wink towards a sequel? I sure hope so!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Perfect Couple
The Five-Star Weekend
Swan Song
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.
I can't believe this is Elin Hilderbrand's 28th novel (of which I've only read a paltry few)! I'm always a little hesitant when an author has been around for so long. What if they've lost their verve and zest for writing and are now just doing it to put out one more book? But gosh, I didn't need to worry at all.
The Hotel Nantucket was the consummate summer reading experience. It transported me to Nantucket, and I fell in love with the island, the atmosphere, and all the wonderful characters.
Instead of focusing solely on one or two individuals, this story is more of an ensemble cast, with many characters taking up the pages. And while that took me a few chapters to get into, once I did, I was all in. I can honestly say there wasn't a single character I wasn't fond of, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know everyone and seeing them grow through the pages.
If I had to nitpick something, it would be that there were two characters with almost the same name. There's Sweet Edie (a main character) and Fast Eddie (only a side one). Thankfully, Fast Eddie only appears a few times, though it did confuse me every time he did. But I really had to reach hard to come up with this minor quibble.
No doubt about it, I just about savored every moment of this book. I read it almost entirely outside, soaking up the sunshine and with various fruit-flavored bubble teas in hand. Summers are so special and inevitably too short. Especially this year, having lost half of my summer due to moving and feeling unwell, I'm doubly thankful to have found this gem of a story. It totally buoyed my spirits and added that extra spark to my otherwise abbreviated summer.
Now my only remaining question is: could the ending have been a teensy-weensy wink towards a sequel? I sure hope so!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Perfect Couple
The Five-Star Weekend
Swan Song
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.
May 27, 2022
Is it summer? It must be because Elin's new Nantucket book is almost out.
Every year, I wait (in)patiently for her new story. I have enjoyed so many of her other books and she always amazes me with how she is able to transport me to Nantucket, a place I have never been (but I want to go).
So what did Elin have in mind for this novel? Well, I would say that she centers the storyline on the people working at the Hotel Nantucket. The hotel was an eyesore until British billionaire, Xavier Darling decides to buy it and renovate it in the most luxurious way. He hires Lizbet Keaton as his general manager. He tells her that he bought the hotel to impress two women. One of them is a mysterious blogger who rates hotels as Keys. No hotel has been able to get the 5 Keys. Darling wants the Hotel Nantucket to be the first. He doesn't tell Lizbet who the other woman is.
Lizbet decides to apply for the job after she discovered her boyfriend and chef of their restaurant sexting with another woman. No one on the island would have thought that they would break up after so many years. Liz knows she needs a change and demonstrating to the world that she can make the hotel a success becomes her next goal. She hires quite a few people and she is happy with her choices although she doesn't know the secrets they are keeping. Thankfully, the readers will get to discover all of them one by one including the person responsible for the death of a chambermaid killed in 1922 who has been haunting the hotel since her death.
My new favorite Elin Hilderbrand's audiobook!! Erin Bennet's masterful narration does a wonderful job of bringing these characters and Nantucket to life.
I liked all the characters but I guess my favorites were Lizbet, Longshot, and the kids. I also loved how Elin incorporated some of her past characters from other books into this one. I always like to know how those characters are doing. In this case, Fast Eddie made a few appearances.
In addition to writing a fun and entertaining story, Elin gives us at the end of the book a list of places to visit in Nantucket. I know I will need it when I go. I just don't know if I want to go in the summer or for Christmas.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Hachette Audio, Little, Brown & Company via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Every year, I wait (in)patiently for her new story. I have enjoyed so many of her other books and she always amazes me with how she is able to transport me to Nantucket, a place I have never been (but I want to go).
So what did Elin have in mind for this novel? Well, I would say that she centers the storyline on the people working at the Hotel Nantucket. The hotel was an eyesore until British billionaire, Xavier Darling decides to buy it and renovate it in the most luxurious way. He hires Lizbet Keaton as his general manager. He tells her that he bought the hotel to impress two women. One of them is a mysterious blogger who rates hotels as Keys. No hotel has been able to get the 5 Keys. Darling wants the Hotel Nantucket to be the first. He doesn't tell Lizbet who the other woman is.
Lizbet decides to apply for the job after she discovered her boyfriend and chef of their restaurant sexting with another woman. No one on the island would have thought that they would break up after so many years. Liz knows she needs a change and demonstrating to the world that she can make the hotel a success becomes her next goal. She hires quite a few people and she is happy with her choices although she doesn't know the secrets they are keeping. Thankfully, the readers will get to discover all of them one by one including the person responsible for the death of a chambermaid killed in 1922 who has been haunting the hotel since her death.
My new favorite Elin Hilderbrand's audiobook!! Erin Bennet's masterful narration does a wonderful job of bringing these characters and Nantucket to life.
I liked all the characters but I guess my favorites were Lizbet, Longshot, and the kids. I also loved how Elin incorporated some of her past characters from other books into this one. I always like to know how those characters are doing. In this case, Fast Eddie made a few appearances.
In addition to writing a fun and entertaining story, Elin gives us at the end of the book a list of places to visit in Nantucket. I know I will need it when I go. I just don't know if I want to go in the summer or for Christmas.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Hachette Audio, Little, Brown & Company via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 10, 2022
Hotel Nantucket
Loved, loved this book. For what it is, a chocolate and popcorn book that most others call a hot summer read. An easy five stars for me.
The writing is smooth and almost luxurious and easy to drop into the fictive dream. This is because of the great writing craft. The author maintains several plot lines juggling them with skill and verve. But what is really impressive about this story is the micro-conflicts that come and go, branches to the main trunk.
The setup or conflict is rooted in a damaged love story, the main character’s heart is unjustly crushed by a long-time boyfriend. Add to this the start-up of a refurbished hotel that the new owner wants it to meet the highest standards on Nantucket island. There is a mystery hotel reviewer that holds sway and is pandered for a five-star review. A status not unlike a Michelin
Throw into the mix a ghost. Yes, a ghost, but this apparition is only used as spice and to reveal past information that helps give the hotel equal weight as a main character. Which is difficult to do. The trials and tribulations are buried in the relationships that interact in and around the hotel. They swirl and ebb in such away the reader can’t look away and is tugged along in a most favorable way. The author flirts with maudlin and melodrama but never crosses that line.
I highly recommend this novel. If you’re in need of a little ginger the same as in a sushi dinner to clear your literary palate this is the one for you.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
Loved, loved this book. For what it is, a chocolate and popcorn book that most others call a hot summer read. An easy five stars for me.
The writing is smooth and almost luxurious and easy to drop into the fictive dream. This is because of the great writing craft. The author maintains several plot lines juggling them with skill and verve. But what is really impressive about this story is the micro-conflicts that come and go, branches to the main trunk.
The setup or conflict is rooted in a damaged love story, the main character’s heart is unjustly crushed by a long-time boyfriend. Add to this the start-up of a refurbished hotel that the new owner wants it to meet the highest standards on Nantucket island. There is a mystery hotel reviewer that holds sway and is pandered for a five-star review. A status not unlike a Michelin
Throw into the mix a ghost. Yes, a ghost, but this apparition is only used as spice and to reveal past information that helps give the hotel equal weight as a main character. Which is difficult to do. The trials and tribulations are buried in the relationships that interact in and around the hotel. They swirl and ebb in such away the reader can’t look away and is tugged along in a most favorable way. The author flirts with maudlin and melodrama but never crosses that line.
I highly recommend this novel. If you’re in need of a little ginger the same as in a sushi dinner to clear your literary palate this is the one for you.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
July 26, 2024
i think the grannies who love these were on to something …. obsessed
June 12, 2022
Welcome to the Summer of ‘69 ‘22! (minus any mentions of Covid so as not to pop the fantasy bubble) This summer on Nantucket Island centres on the first three months of the newly-renovated, re-opening of The Nantucket Hotel – a historical building more than one hundred years old that has had its fair share of past bad luck, tragedy, and poor business decisions, and is literally haunted by the ghost of a young woman. Now, under new ownership, and management, the new general manager, Lizbet Keaton, is determined to make the hotel the best it can be.
Assisting Lizbet are the following core staff members:
Manning the front desk, ready to check you in and service your every need, are Alessandra Powell and Edith Robbins.
Bellmen Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ English, and Adam and Raoul Wasserman-Ramirez (married couple) will deliver your bags to your room within five minutes of your arrival.
Head of Housekeeping, Magda English (Zeke’s aunt)and her young protégé Chadwick Winslow have a one hundred points cleaning checklist that they follow religiously.
Mario Subiaco is the chef of the Blue Bar – the hotel bar, and will serve you such sublime delicacies as deviled eggs with a trio of toppings, almond croissants, and a coconut and caramel apple whipped cream concoction.
Night auditor, Richie Decameron is stationed at the front desk come nightfall.
But, as you would expect, these staff arrive with life baggage – secrets, trauma, dishonestly, and betrayal.
When I’m in the mood for charming, relaxing, uplifting, light entertainment, with drama, romance and FOMO for a summer on Nantucket, I know I can rely on Elin Hilderbrand, and The Hotel Nantucket delivered on all counts. Sure the writing and plot was at times cheesy and over-the-top (I mean there’s a ghost POV for heavens sake) but it’s all in good positive fun, and this is a sub genre of books that includes serious and emotional topics, but at the same time shouldn’t be taken too seriously. After weeks of rain here in wintery New Zealand, it definitely cheered me up, and of course it is the perfect choice for your summer vacation, beach read, and airplane/airport. But, be advised, don’t read it if you’re hungry as the drool-worthy descriptions of delicious culinary may cause you to snack on the book.
As children, my two sisters and I, loved nothing more than exploring hotels we stayed in. I’m surprised we were never told off, although if we had of been we would’ve been genuinely apologetic, and my middle sister would’ve cried, so I’m sure all would’ve been forgiven. Anyway, my long-winded point is that that feeling of excitement, discovery, and imagination never leaves you, and I loved touring, exploring, and experiencing the various luxurious nooks and crannies of The Hotel Nantucket alongside the staff and guests, in particular seeing it through the eyes of eight-year-old Wanda – who was also a mystery fan, and inquisitive to boot.
Unlike Elin Hilderbrand’s numerous ‘summer’ books set in Nantucket, this one doesn’t include any beach scenes, nor was The Hotel Nantucket a beachside hotel, so I’m a little confused by the cover, and would’ve preferred a photo of the hotel in question, since the majority of the action took place within its walls. But, never mind, it still screams summer.
So, make your Summer of ‘22 one to remember by adding The Hotel Nantucket to your tbr for the publication date of June 14th.
I’d like to thank Netgalley US, Little Brown and Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for the e-ARC.
Assisting Lizbet are the following core staff members:
Manning the front desk, ready to check you in and service your every need, are Alessandra Powell and Edith Robbins.
Bellmen Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ English, and Adam and Raoul Wasserman-Ramirez (married couple) will deliver your bags to your room within five minutes of your arrival.
Head of Housekeeping, Magda English (Zeke’s aunt)and her young protégé Chadwick Winslow have a one hundred points cleaning checklist that they follow religiously.
Mario Subiaco is the chef of the Blue Bar – the hotel bar, and will serve you such sublime delicacies as deviled eggs with a trio of toppings, almond croissants, and a coconut and caramel apple whipped cream concoction.
Night auditor, Richie Decameron is stationed at the front desk come nightfall.
But, as you would expect, these staff arrive with life baggage – secrets, trauma, dishonestly, and betrayal.
When I’m in the mood for charming, relaxing, uplifting, light entertainment, with drama, romance and FOMO for a summer on Nantucket, I know I can rely on Elin Hilderbrand, and The Hotel Nantucket delivered on all counts. Sure the writing and plot was at times cheesy and over-the-top (I mean there’s a ghost POV for heavens sake) but it’s all in good positive fun, and this is a sub genre of books that includes serious and emotional topics, but at the same time shouldn’t be taken too seriously. After weeks of rain here in wintery New Zealand, it definitely cheered me up, and of course it is the perfect choice for your summer vacation, beach read, and airplane/airport. But, be advised, don’t read it if you’re hungry as the drool-worthy descriptions of delicious culinary may cause you to snack on the book.
As children, my two sisters and I, loved nothing more than exploring hotels we stayed in. I’m surprised we were never told off, although if we had of been we would’ve been genuinely apologetic, and my middle sister would’ve cried, so I’m sure all would’ve been forgiven. Anyway, my long-winded point is that that feeling of excitement, discovery, and imagination never leaves you, and I loved touring, exploring, and experiencing the various luxurious nooks and crannies of The Hotel Nantucket alongside the staff and guests, in particular seeing it through the eyes of eight-year-old Wanda – who was also a mystery fan, and inquisitive to boot.
Unlike Elin Hilderbrand’s numerous ‘summer’ books set in Nantucket, this one doesn’t include any beach scenes, nor was The Hotel Nantucket a beachside hotel, so I’m a little confused by the cover, and would’ve preferred a photo of the hotel in question, since the majority of the action took place within its walls. But, never mind, it still screams summer.
So, make your Summer of ‘22 one to remember by adding The Hotel Nantucket to your tbr for the publication date of June 14th.
I’d like to thank Netgalley US, Little Brown and Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for the e-ARC.
Read
October 28, 2022I unfortunately decided not to keep reading this after hitting 20%. I simply could not get into this story and there was nothing interesting enough to keep me reading. Things felt choppy, and much of the writing felt juvenile and like she was trying too hard to stay relevant by using slang terms and dropping names.
I used to be a big Elin Hilderbrand fan and loved her beach reads. I haven't enjoyed anything written since her Winter In Paradise series, so I'm thinking she's probably not for me anymore!
I used to be a big Elin Hilderbrand fan and loved her beach reads. I haven't enjoyed anything written since her Winter In Paradise series, so I'm thinking she's probably not for me anymore!
July 6, 2022
EXCERPT: 'I'm calling to shed some light on things that might have been unclear.'
Lizbet steels herself. What is Xavier going to tell her?
'You've never asked me - in fact, no one has asked me - why I bought this hotel. After all, I live in London and I've never visited Nantucket.' He pauses. 'Have you wondered about this?'
Lizbet has, in fact, wondered, but she chalked it up to her understanding of the very wealthy: they buy things because they can.
'I bought this particular hotel,' Xavier says, 'because I'm trying to impress two women.'
Whoa! Lizbet pinches her thigh to keep from gasping. This is probably the only answer worth sacrificing her thirty minute hip-hop ride with Alex Toussaint for.
'Two women?' Lizbet says. She checks her image on her laptop screen; she's maintaining a sort of straight face. Lizbet has, naturally, Googled Xavier Darling. According to an article in the Times (London), he never married and has no children. The internet showed pictures of him at the Royal Ascot and the Cartier Queen's Cup with young, combatively beautiful women on his arm, but never the same one twice. Who are the lucky two, and will they both be coming to Nantucket?
ABOUT 'THE HOTEL NANTUCKET': After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.
MY THOUGHTS: A perfectly lovely summer read with a little romance, a little crime, a little deception, a little haunting, a little heartbreak, and a whole lot of developing friendships.
The Hotel Nantucket is one of those reads that had me smiling throughout, even when things weren't going exactly as they should. The cast of characters are mostly likeable and are an interesting mix. The story is told in the third person from a number of pov, but never gets confusing.
Grace the ghost brings much to the story. Her antics when trying to defuse a situation often had me chuckling. She also provides insight into the changes in society over the intervening hundred years between her death and this reincarnation of the hotel. She develops a protective attitude to others on the staff who have had their hearts broken and gives some relationships a ghostly nudge.
Lizbet has had her heart broken by her personal and business partner of fifteen years, JJ, hence the move to hotel management.
Magda English, the head of housekeeping, has a mysterious past and is so much more than she appears to be on the surface.
Chad Winslow is Magda's emergency maid hire. He's from a wealthy family who summers on the island and she doubts he will last more than a few days which is why she names him 'Longshot'. But, he may just surprise her, and himself.
The two women on front desk could hardly be more different. Alessandra speaks five languages fluently and has travelled the world, but she is a chancer. Edie is a local girl, a graduate of Cornell, with a huge heart but who is desperate for money.
And then there's Kimber, a walk in guest with two children who both play a large part in the story, a dog, and wads of cash. She is perhaps the most enigmatic character of all.
Everyone has a story, and over the course of this enchanting read, we learn them all, including that of the hotel which is a character in its own right.
Erin Bennett narrated superbly.
A fun and engaging read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheHotelNantucket #NetGalley
I: @elinhilderbrand @hachetteaudio @littlebrown
T: @elinhilderbrand @HachetteAudio @littlebrown
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #mystery #paranormal #romance
THE AUTHOR: THE AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hildebrand for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Lizbet steels herself. What is Xavier going to tell her?
'You've never asked me - in fact, no one has asked me - why I bought this hotel. After all, I live in London and I've never visited Nantucket.' He pauses. 'Have you wondered about this?'
Lizbet has, in fact, wondered, but she chalked it up to her understanding of the very wealthy: they buy things because they can.
'I bought this particular hotel,' Xavier says, 'because I'm trying to impress two women.'
Whoa! Lizbet pinches her thigh to keep from gasping. This is probably the only answer worth sacrificing her thirty minute hip-hop ride with Alex Toussaint for.
'Two women?' Lizbet says. She checks her image on her laptop screen; she's maintaining a sort of straight face. Lizbet has, naturally, Googled Xavier Darling. According to an article in the Times (London), he never married and has no children. The internet showed pictures of him at the Royal Ascot and the Cartier Queen's Cup with young, combatively beautiful women on his arm, but never the same one twice. Who are the lucky two, and will they both be coming to Nantucket?
ABOUT 'THE HOTEL NANTUCKET': After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.
MY THOUGHTS: A perfectly lovely summer read with a little romance, a little crime, a little deception, a little haunting, a little heartbreak, and a whole lot of developing friendships.
The Hotel Nantucket is one of those reads that had me smiling throughout, even when things weren't going exactly as they should. The cast of characters are mostly likeable and are an interesting mix. The story is told in the third person from a number of pov, but never gets confusing.
Grace the ghost brings much to the story. Her antics when trying to defuse a situation often had me chuckling. She also provides insight into the changes in society over the intervening hundred years between her death and this reincarnation of the hotel. She develops a protective attitude to others on the staff who have had their hearts broken and gives some relationships a ghostly nudge.
Lizbet has had her heart broken by her personal and business partner of fifteen years, JJ, hence the move to hotel management.
Magda English, the head of housekeeping, has a mysterious past and is so much more than she appears to be on the surface.
Chad Winslow is Magda's emergency maid hire. He's from a wealthy family who summers on the island and she doubts he will last more than a few days which is why she names him 'Longshot'. But, he may just surprise her, and himself.
The two women on front desk could hardly be more different. Alessandra speaks five languages fluently and has travelled the world, but she is a chancer. Edie is a local girl, a graduate of Cornell, with a huge heart but who is desperate for money.
And then there's Kimber, a walk in guest with two children who both play a large part in the story, a dog, and wads of cash. She is perhaps the most enigmatic character of all.
Everyone has a story, and over the course of this enchanting read, we learn them all, including that of the hotel which is a character in its own right.
Erin Bennett narrated superbly.
A fun and engaging read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#TheHotelNantucket #NetGalley
I: @elinhilderbrand @hachetteaudio @littlebrown
T: @elinhilderbrand @HachetteAudio @littlebrown
#audiobook #contemporaryfiction #mystery #paranormal #romance
THE AUTHOR: THE AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hildebrand for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 10, 2023
4 Stars
I'm short on both time and motivation, so this will be brief...
I really enjoyed this story and how all the characters were so layered. In true Elin fashion, no one is all good…or all bad. They are just humans trying to get through life the best they can.
I really enjoyed the Nantucket world (as always) and the mini hotel community world that lived within it. And I really liked the ending. No loose ends and very cute.
I'm short on both time and motivation, so this will be brief...
I really enjoyed this story and how all the characters were so layered. In true Elin fashion, no one is all good…or all bad. They are just humans trying to get through life the best they can.
I really enjoyed the Nantucket world (as always) and the mini hotel community world that lived within it. And I really liked the ending. No loose ends and very cute.
July 15, 2022
Pack your bags💼 we are off to Nantucket. Cabana boy… please fetch me my drink…🍸…I am feeling fancy..😂🏝🍸💼❤️This book!! I loved it!!! I have only read three other books by @elinhilderbrand and I have loved them all… but this one is AMAZING! Definitely my favorite! ❤️
I am pretty much obsessed at this point with Nantucket 😂 I wonder how many people have vacationed there after reading @elinhilderbrand books!! 🤔 I know it is high on my list!!
Where to begin?? I loved it all.. Everyone knows everyone and everything..when you live on Nantucket.. apparently… 🤷♀️ The gossip is on fire 🔥 So when a billionaire says he is going to throw 30 million into a rundown hotel 🏨… Well that got everyone talking. Can he make it into the glamorous tourist destination??? You bet he can!!😉
A ghost 👻 you say?? I must admit I was so excited that there was a ghost!! 🤭 I think what I enjoyed the most were the characters. I felt I knew them all!! I was obsessed with finding out… WHO is Shelly Carpenter??? 🤔 I never guessed!! 😮🤫
I also loved how the book opened with us getting a glimpse of the dynamics of the island 🏝…and then the Chads… 😂 I didn’t know that this was a thing?!😂🤷♀️ This book was fantastic.. entertaining.. a bit of a mystery… I flipping loved it!! Lastly.. ohhh that cover!! 😍😍😍
Have you read this one yet?? What is your favorite @elinhilderbrand book? Does she make you want to be whisked off to Nantucket? 💼 ✈️
I am pretty much obsessed at this point with Nantucket 😂 I wonder how many people have vacationed there after reading @elinhilderbrand books!! 🤔 I know it is high on my list!!
Where to begin?? I loved it all.. Everyone knows everyone and everything..when you live on Nantucket.. apparently… 🤷♀️ The gossip is on fire 🔥 So when a billionaire says he is going to throw 30 million into a rundown hotel 🏨… Well that got everyone talking. Can he make it into the glamorous tourist destination??? You bet he can!!😉
A ghost 👻 you say?? I must admit I was so excited that there was a ghost!! 🤭 I think what I enjoyed the most were the characters. I felt I knew them all!! I was obsessed with finding out… WHO is Shelly Carpenter??? 🤔 I never guessed!! 😮🤫
I also loved how the book opened with us getting a glimpse of the dynamics of the island 🏝…and then the Chads… 😂 I didn’t know that this was a thing?!😂🤷♀️ This book was fantastic.. entertaining.. a bit of a mystery… I flipping loved it!! Lastly.. ohhh that cover!! 😍😍😍
Have you read this one yet?? What is your favorite @elinhilderbrand book? Does she make you want to be whisked off to Nantucket? 💼 ✈️
May 23, 2023
To me this book is the opposite of potato chips.
Whenever I'd spend time reading it, I'd enjoy myself just fine. But I never had the urge to pick it up in the first place and I could stop ingesting it easily.
I didn't really care about anyone's goals; the characters were all pretty shallow.
Also the cast was too big for my liking, I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to figure out who was who.
I liked reading about the hotel trade, but that was about it.
meh/5
Whenever I'd spend time reading it, I'd enjoy myself just fine. But I never had the urge to pick it up in the first place and I could stop ingesting it easily.
I didn't really care about anyone's goals; the characters were all pretty shallow.
Also the cast was too big for my liking, I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to figure out who was who.
I liked reading about the hotel trade, but that was about it.
meh/5
June 19, 2024
My first Elin book! Definitely made me want to go to Nantucket immediately 🙈 a little slow, but I enjoyed it for the summer!
January 25, 2023
I needed a trip to Nantucket this winter, and The Hotel Nantucket hit the spot. I’m still loving the historical fiction angle infused into some of Elin Hilderbrand’s more recent books, and this particular story has a ghost. 👻 This one begins with a tragic hotel fire and follows the history of the hotel from its glamorous days to becoming more of a family-friendly lodge, to ultimately an abandoned shell.
Eventually, someone buys the hotel with dreams of revitalizing it to its former glory. A chambermaid named Grace killed in the hotel fire is quite present in ghostly haunting.
The Hotel Nantucket is such a great mix of genres along with that stable overall feel of an EH summer book. The hotel itself is a character, which I loved. Overall, this delivered everything I expected and more from this author, and I’m so grateful for the perfect escape.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Eventually, someone buys the hotel with dreams of revitalizing it to its former glory. A chambermaid named Grace killed in the hotel fire is quite present in ghostly haunting.
The Hotel Nantucket is such a great mix of genres along with that stable overall feel of an EH summer book. The hotel itself is a character, which I loved. Overall, this delivered everything I expected and more from this author, and I’m so grateful for the perfect escape.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
June 20, 2022
(3.5 stars) For some reason I had a really good feeling about this book, so good that I even pre-ordered myself an autographed hard copy of The Hotel Nantucket. Now, it wasn’t my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book that I’ve ever read (sorry, but nothing will top 28 Summers), but it was still enjoyable. I mean, is it even summertime if we are not reading a new Hilderbrand novel?
The Hotel Nantucket provided some interesting characters, unfortunately none that were worthwhile or will be very memorable. We also had the ghost of Grace that was living in the Hotel, which I found a little odd, but whatever…
What I found in this book, along with quite a few of Hilderbrand’s past books are the mention of food dishes and desserts. Hilderbrand goes into full detail (paragraphs and pages) describing certain menu and drink items. That’s fine, but at this point I’m getting tired of reading about food dishes (if I wanted to do that I would pull out my cook books). I also find myself getting too hungry and overeating while reading her novels (can I blame Hilderbrand for that? 😬).
Anyways, The Hotel Nantucket was an enjoyable summer beach read. Nothing more. Nothing less. You really can’t go wrong with this read. Happy Summer! 🏖
Edit to add: At the end of this book Hilderbrand also included a Blue Book, which is a guide and list of “must-do’s” while visiting Nantucket. According to this Blue Book, which listed some wonderful sounding places and restaurants to visit, I would say that it’s apparent for me to continue to keep on reading about Nantucket rather than visit. I think this extraordinary little island might be way out of my price league 😳.
The Hotel Nantucket provided some interesting characters, unfortunately none that were worthwhile or will be very memorable. We also had the ghost of Grace that was living in the Hotel, which I found a little odd, but whatever…
What I found in this book, along with quite a few of Hilderbrand’s past books are the mention of food dishes and desserts. Hilderbrand goes into full detail (paragraphs and pages) describing certain menu and drink items. That’s fine, but at this point I’m getting tired of reading about food dishes (if I wanted to do that I would pull out my cook books). I also find myself getting too hungry and overeating while reading her novels (can I blame Hilderbrand for that? 😬).
Anyways, The Hotel Nantucket was an enjoyable summer beach read. Nothing more. Nothing less. You really can’t go wrong with this read. Happy Summer! 🏖
Edit to add: At the end of this book Hilderbrand also included a Blue Book, which is a guide and list of “must-do’s” while visiting Nantucket. According to this Blue Book, which listed some wonderful sounding places and restaurants to visit, I would say that it’s apparent for me to continue to keep on reading about Nantucket rather than visit. I think this extraordinary little island might be way out of my price league 😳.
January 22, 2024
3.5
Having grown up on the East coast, I’ve dreamed of a Nantucket vacation. Maybe someday.
In the meantime, there’s always Elin Hilderbrand’s popular novels which are often set at this idyllic and iconic summer getaway. Recently featured in a NY Times article, the author’s annual chick’s getaway to Nantucket sells out year after year. Readers are introduced to the real businesses and buildings that have inspired Hilderbrand’s storylines.
Overall, this was my idea of a light, beach read! But the “ghost” storyline was just annoying at times — awkwardly inserted into everyone else’s story arcs.
Still, I can see why the ladies gobble these books up— charming with multiple happy endings!!
(Reviewed 2/22/23)
Having grown up on the East coast, I’ve dreamed of a Nantucket vacation. Maybe someday.
In the meantime, there’s always Elin Hilderbrand’s popular novels which are often set at this idyllic and iconic summer getaway. Recently featured in a NY Times article, the author’s annual chick’s getaway to Nantucket sells out year after year. Readers are introduced to the real businesses and buildings that have inspired Hilderbrand’s storylines.
Overall, this was my idea of a light, beach read! But the “ghost” storyline was just annoying at times — awkwardly inserted into everyone else’s story arcs.
Still, I can see why the ladies gobble these books up— charming with multiple happy endings!!
(Reviewed 2/22/23)
June 22, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5, Fiction)
Elin Hilderbrand could write a phone book, and it would be my favorite book of summer. Her books are creamy ice cream in a fragrant waffle cone on a hot summer day, they’re your favorite song surprising you on the radio with the windows down, the smell of fresh lilacs on a 70 degree morning. This book is the perfect companion on your next summer trip.
Our book follows the opulent unveiling of Nantucket’s newest hotel. It had been abandoned for years, was rumored to be haunted, and was such an undertaking that Nantucket residents through they were resigned to living with the eyesore forever. That is, until billionaire Xavier Darling buys the hotel and spares no expense renovating it. The amenities alone will leave you considering switching out all your bedding for @montauk. With the new hotel comes the staff, each with rich backstories and baggage of their own. I think you guys will just adore this book.
Juicy, addicting, and totally decadent, this book is the perfect beach read. Yes, there is a ghost, but it’s so well done and fun don’t let it get to you!!
Best paired with the fabulous cocktail from the novel, The Heartbreaker (not Heartbroken!!) which we don’t have a recipe for but is some combination of vodka, strawberries, ginger, and blood orange. Play around with it! Worse case you get tipsy, best case you’re a mixologist!!
p.s. It is good to know I am a card carrying Elin addict. I trekked to Nantucket on my honeymoon because Elin painted the island as the most romantic, most perfect, dreamiest place on earth… and she was not wrong.
Elin Hilderbrand could write a phone book, and it would be my favorite book of summer. Her books are creamy ice cream in a fragrant waffle cone on a hot summer day, they’re your favorite song surprising you on the radio with the windows down, the smell of fresh lilacs on a 70 degree morning. This book is the perfect companion on your next summer trip.
Our book follows the opulent unveiling of Nantucket’s newest hotel. It had been abandoned for years, was rumored to be haunted, and was such an undertaking that Nantucket residents through they were resigned to living with the eyesore forever. That is, until billionaire Xavier Darling buys the hotel and spares no expense renovating it. The amenities alone will leave you considering switching out all your bedding for @montauk. With the new hotel comes the staff, each with rich backstories and baggage of their own. I think you guys will just adore this book.
Juicy, addicting, and totally decadent, this book is the perfect beach read. Yes, there is a ghost, but it’s so well done and fun don’t let it get to you!!
Best paired with the fabulous cocktail from the novel, The Heartbreaker (not Heartbroken!!) which we don’t have a recipe for but is some combination of vodka, strawberries, ginger, and blood orange. Play around with it! Worse case you get tipsy, best case you’re a mixologist!!
p.s. It is good to know I am a card carrying Elin addict. I trekked to Nantucket on my honeymoon because Elin painted the island as the most romantic, most perfect, dreamiest place on earth… and she was not wrong.
June 18, 2022
DNF, read to page 139 and just to many characters with weak stories. I really am not sure who the story is about. I read Golden Girls a few weeks ago and have loved so many of her books, but this one feels too forced to enjoy. Maybe I will come back to it again another time.
August 10, 2023
literally love elin's books they're entertaining
June 7, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
The idea was there, but I just felt like there was too much going on 😅😅
The idea was there, but I just felt like there was too much going on 😅😅
June 7, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. Several years ago, I loved Elin Hilderbrand novels. Somewhere along the way, they started feeling stale and I stopped picking them up. I decided to give this one a chance and unfortunately it was a bit disappointing. In the middle of it, I found myself relaxing into the story and enjoying it a little, but ultimately the book was too long, with characters who felt very surface-level, storylines I struggled to care about, and revelations at the end that were not even slightly surprising. The worst part, however, was the absolute cringefest of reading all the attempts at modern slang every time a young character was in a scene. Hilderbrand fans will enjoy it, but it was not for me.
May 25, 2022
Take a mini-vacation with Elin Hilderbrand’s The Hotel Nantucket! Immersing myself in this novel felt like I was in Nantucket, traipsing the cobblestone streets and going to Miacomet. If only! I barely even remember what a vacation feels like at this point!
The new novel by Elin Hilderbrand centers around The Hotel Nantucket, which closed in 1922 after a fire. Newly reopened and revamped, Lizbet Keaton is now the general manager, having been hired on by a London billionaire to run the place. First on her list after renovations, is hiring a full staff to help run the hotel and help her win the best review possible from a hotel blogger (known as the 5 Keys). My favorite staff member here was Chad, whose personality and story won me over tenfold.
A fun, winsome novel that kept me fully engaged throughout. Somehow Elin Hilderbrand always knows how to lighten the mood!
Thank you to Little Brown and Company for the arc via NetGalley.
Review posted to blog and to Goodreads and Twitter.
The new novel by Elin Hilderbrand centers around The Hotel Nantucket, which closed in 1922 after a fire. Newly reopened and revamped, Lizbet Keaton is now the general manager, having been hired on by a London billionaire to run the place. First on her list after renovations, is hiring a full staff to help run the hotel and help her win the best review possible from a hotel blogger (known as the 5 Keys). My favorite staff member here was Chad, whose personality and story won me over tenfold.
A fun, winsome novel that kept me fully engaged throughout. Somehow Elin Hilderbrand always knows how to lighten the mood!
Thank you to Little Brown and Company for the arc via NetGalley.
Review posted to blog and to Goodreads and Twitter.
June 18, 2022
Five keys for the Hotel Nantucket! While I have to admit that I did not feel as attached to these characters as I was to those in 28 Summers and Golden Girl, Elin wrapped this one up so seamlessly that I caved and awarded the fifth key. Part ghost story and part romance, we follow Lizbet and her staff as they revive the Hotel Nantucket into something magical after ten years of vacancy. We learn so much about both the hotel’s workers and the island’s regulars; even the hotel’s very own supernatural phenomenon, Grace Hadley, gets her time to shine in the spotlight. I would absolutely ADORE to read more and follow the staff into their second seasons at the hotel. Elin does an amazing job (as always!) of transporting the reader to beachy, beautiful Nantucket, and I can see this book inspiring many real life trips to the island.
My next Elin read? The Blue Bistro. I hope Mario makes an appearance!
My next Elin read? The Blue Bistro. I hope Mario makes an appearance!
July 18, 2024
in a shocking turn of events.. i’m obsessed
this is my first elin hilderbrand book and it will not be my last.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
this is my first elin hilderbrand book and it will not be my last.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 7, 2022
This book was lame! Half the book is filled with words and slangs from urban dictionary, that only add to the lameness quotient. I hated Shelley Carpenter's phrase "Stay well friends...", who by the way was so inspired from Bridgerton's Lady Whistledown!!!! The ghost Grace, another lame addition, was annoyingly stupid! Her only source of knowledge are high school kids or hotel guests, yet she acts like the wisest of them all. It’s hard to believe that Jack’s son waited until his death bed to share his diary. Why?
But what stood out to me was the book’s misogynistic portrayal of female characters.
-a woman can only be employee of the week if she sleeps with other men. Lizbet or Magda were never even considered even though they were best at their job.
-Alessandra is depicted as an evil person for having many affairs although she is single and has no attachments. Despite that, the married men she sleeps with are actually shown as victims. Heidi says about her husband's affair with Alessandra that its "half his fault". No actually its all his fault because he invited a strange woman into his family home and cheated on his wife.
-Richie calls Kimber a great mother because unlike some women, she didn't send her kids to camp for the summer (his literal words). How is sending your kids to summer camp bad?
-And oh, you can absolutely have alcohol while nursing. Another time when the author shamed a mother! I had surgery with anesthesia and my doctor still allowed me to bf my baby!
-Kimber is praised for standing by her man, Richie! A man who is literally a thief and has committed fraud on multiple counts; but a woman's job is to stand by her man no matter what, isn't it?
-Jack benedict is also shown as a victim! seriously?! He was the one having an affair yet he is the victim of an alcoholic wife. And instead of firing Grace like a normal person would do, Dahlia sets her own hotel on fire where she herself was sleeping. Unbelievable!
-Even JJ is shown in a poor light, and Christina is depicted like another evil woman who ruined JJ and his restaurant.
The author has subtly excused all men in their faults and hinted that women were the true cause of their unruly behaviour - be it Chad’s mother or Richie’s ex-wife.
But what stood out to me was the book’s misogynistic portrayal of female characters.
-a woman can only be employee of the week if she sleeps with other men. Lizbet or Magda were never even considered even though they were best at their job.
-Alessandra is depicted as an evil person for having many affairs although she is single and has no attachments. Despite that, the married men she sleeps with are actually shown as victims. Heidi says about her husband's affair with Alessandra that its "half his fault". No actually its all his fault because he invited a strange woman into his family home and cheated on his wife.
-Richie calls Kimber a great mother because unlike some women, she didn't send her kids to camp for the summer (his literal words). How is sending your kids to summer camp bad?
-And oh, you can absolutely have alcohol while nursing. Another time when the author shamed a mother! I had surgery with anesthesia and my doctor still allowed me to bf my baby!
-Kimber is praised for standing by her man, Richie! A man who is literally a thief and has committed fraud on multiple counts; but a woman's job is to stand by her man no matter what, isn't it?
-Jack benedict is also shown as a victim! seriously?! He was the one having an affair yet he is the victim of an alcoholic wife. And instead of firing Grace like a normal person would do, Dahlia sets her own hotel on fire where she herself was sleeping. Unbelievable!
-Even JJ is shown in a poor light, and Christina is depicted like another evil woman who ruined JJ and his restaurant.
The author has subtly excused all men in their faults and hinted that women were the true cause of their unruly behaviour - be it Chad’s mother or Richie’s ex-wife.
May 2, 2023
DNF
Read almost half way through cringing at all that modern slang and then a ghost story?
I tried…
Read almost half way through cringing at all that modern slang and then a ghost story?
I tried…
October 16, 2024
coming from someone who’s ex hospitality this book is so spot on with the guest and reviews 😭
January 3, 2023
Honestly, this book was more interesting than I hoped it’d be!
It started well enough for an audiobook but soon I lost track of the characters since the different PoVs are very irregular (at least in the listening version). But once I memorised the characters, I started to appreciate them more & their stories. Moreover, I liked how the author wrapped the final reveal and book. I can surely say this won’t be my last Hilderbrand’s novel.
It started well enough for an audiobook but soon I lost track of the characters since the different PoVs are very irregular (at least in the listening version). But once I memorised the characters, I started to appreciate them more & their stories. Moreover, I liked how the author wrapped the final reveal and book. I can surely say this won’t be my last Hilderbrand’s novel.
September 29, 2022
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand is a delightful, entertaining, easy read. Full of soap opera romance with a bit of mystery and drama intertwined. Elin Hilderbrand’s books are always good for light hearted reading to take some of the seriousness of real life away
June 9, 2022
Stop me if you’ve heard this one . . .
Nothing quite kicks off summer like a new offering from Elin Hilderbrand. May was the month that came in like a lion in flyover country with record high temps and a deck that was hotter than the surface of the sun. Luckily it also went out like a lamb and the past couple of weekends have blessed us with high 70s/low 80s and a Kelly who cannot be forced to stay inside the house on Saturdays. Once the yard work was done this weekend I was 100% in the mood for a beachy read and that is Hilderbrand’s fortè. I was actually quite late to the party having only read a handful of her books, but they are a pure escape.
The story here revolves around – you guessed it – the Hotel Nantucket. Abandoned for an age, billionaire Xavier Darling has dropped a pretty penny on the revitalization of this former eyesore and hopes to make it the destination of the summer – and earn the sought after “fifth key” from an anonymous hotel blogger. The story here revolves around the staff (the GM, front desk staff, bellhops, cleaning crew, chef, yoga instructor, etc.) and a few memorable guests. Oh, and also . . .
Yes, poor Grace who died tragically in a fire back in the 1920s is still lurking around corners patiently waiting for someone to figure out what happened to her.
As I said above, I’m more than a little late to this author’s stuff and this one wasn’t my fave of the selections I’ve read. It probably didn’t help that I had snagged The Rumor off of my bookshelf before remembering I had this ARC – which too started with the island rumor mill as the initial narrator. Maybe that’s a running theme in her books, but it struck me as odd that the one Hilderbrand I own began in such a similar fashion. That small niggle aside, I have no major complaints – I simply didn’t find myself as absorbed in the story as I have with the other stuff of hers that I have read.
Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Nothing quite kicks off summer like a new offering from Elin Hilderbrand. May was the month that came in like a lion in flyover country with record high temps and a deck that was hotter than the surface of the sun. Luckily it also went out like a lamb and the past couple of weekends have blessed us with high 70s/low 80s and a Kelly who cannot be forced to stay inside the house on Saturdays. Once the yard work was done this weekend I was 100% in the mood for a beachy read and that is Hilderbrand’s fortè. I was actually quite late to the party having only read a handful of her books, but they are a pure escape.
The story here revolves around – you guessed it – the Hotel Nantucket. Abandoned for an age, billionaire Xavier Darling has dropped a pretty penny on the revitalization of this former eyesore and hopes to make it the destination of the summer – and earn the sought after “fifth key” from an anonymous hotel blogger. The story here revolves around the staff (the GM, front desk staff, bellhops, cleaning crew, chef, yoga instructor, etc.) and a few memorable guests. Oh, and also . . .
Yes, poor Grace who died tragically in a fire back in the 1920s is still lurking around corners patiently waiting for someone to figure out what happened to her.
As I said above, I’m more than a little late to this author’s stuff and this one wasn’t my fave of the selections I’ve read. It probably didn’t help that I had snagged The Rumor off of my bookshelf before remembering I had this ARC – which too started with the island rumor mill as the initial narrator. Maybe that’s a running theme in her books, but it struck me as odd that the one Hilderbrand I own began in such a similar fashion. That small niggle aside, I have no major complaints – I simply didn’t find myself as absorbed in the story as I have with the other stuff of hers that I have read.
Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 6, 2022
The Hotel Nantucket is Elin Hilderbrand’s latest book and in trademark fashion, she delivers another great summer story set on the New England island.
The Hotel Nantucket has seen ups and downs since a fire destroyed the original property in 1922, killing one of the maids, Grace Hadley. Now, London billionaire Xavier Darling has purchased the hotel, and is determined to make it the premiere lodging location, investing $30 million into the property. Xavier hires Lizbet Keaton as the hotel’s general manager. She’s familiar with Nantucket and ready for her next challenge after a recent bad breakup.
Lizbet hires a new staff, including two front desk reps, two bellmen, housekeeping staff and a night auditor. There’s also an onsite bar with an acclaimed chef. And, the ghost of Grace who’s rumored to still be lurking within the walls. The story follows the hotel staff — their challenges, working together, pleasing guests, and things going on in each of their personal lives.
The Hotel Nantucket has a good mix of drama, romance and secrets, plus a picturesque coastal setting. Elin also includes a list of Nantucket recommendations at the end of this book, which I’ll be saving for a future trip!
The Hotel Nantucket has seen ups and downs since a fire destroyed the original property in 1922, killing one of the maids, Grace Hadley. Now, London billionaire Xavier Darling has purchased the hotel, and is determined to make it the premiere lodging location, investing $30 million into the property. Xavier hires Lizbet Keaton as the hotel’s general manager. She’s familiar with Nantucket and ready for her next challenge after a recent bad breakup.
Lizbet hires a new staff, including two front desk reps, two bellmen, housekeeping staff and a night auditor. There’s also an onsite bar with an acclaimed chef. And, the ghost of Grace who’s rumored to still be lurking within the walls. The story follows the hotel staff — their challenges, working together, pleasing guests, and things going on in each of their personal lives.
The Hotel Nantucket has a good mix of drama, romance and secrets, plus a picturesque coastal setting. Elin also includes a list of Nantucket recommendations at the end of this book, which I’ll be saving for a future trip!
March 13, 2023
Dear lord I don't even know where to start with this mess. I will say that some of this is on me. I know when I read an Elin Hilderbrand book that I'm in for over the top descriptions of food, designer clothes, restaurants and homes. So when I get irritated reading her books I have no one to blame but myself.
That being said, I am seriously fed up with the utter obsession with Nantucket and the implication that anyone not from there or who doesn't summer there is living an inferior life. There are, shockingly, other pretty places in the world. I'm not from Minnesota and haven't been there but from what I understand it's a beautiful state, particularly in the summer. She had that whole bizarre scene talking about the college kids in Minnesota being completely besotted with the girl who arrived to school one week late with -gasp-a tan. I forget the quote but she said something to the effect of she had spent a summer at the beach and the Minnesota people spent it standing in line or something completely absurd and offensive.
Other issues in no particular order:
Allesandra gets caught having had an affair with a married man, blaming it on the pregnant neighbor, and subsequently extorting him. Consequences? Um, none. The irate wife shows up, threatens to call the police, and then for no real reason drops it. And her co-worker and boss are just like wow that was disappointing behavior but we really like her so we're just going to move on here.
Kimber -god help me with these names-invites a man she barely knows, who turns out to be literally homeless, to move in with her and her small children. And she's in love with him. Based on what??
The children. Seriously. Who are these perfect 'towheaded' children, only ages 6 and 8, who behave and speak like senior citizens?
"Heartbreaker". It sounds like something out of the 1970's.
After Chad's college roommate gets nailed with the cork he goes off on Chad, listing his terrible qualities and then specifically references him popping the cork with a 10 inch chef's knife. Are you kidding me.
Is it necessary to continually refer to the roommate as a 'scholarship kid'?
Regarding Chad's cleaning partner Bebe. She's going to college, (of course it has to be pointed out that it's on a scholarship), and she legitimately would not tell any of her co-workers? Who are these people?
The elusive fifth key was awarded based on the people being nice, warm and inviting? In literally 15 years she never encountered a hotel whose staff was that nice?
As for the zillion dollar hotel, there seemed to be no effort put into advertising. Then an eight year old writes an article and it 'breaks the internet'. The internet is not interested in some random hotel in Nantucket. For that matter the entire world is not interested in some random woman's opinion of various hotels either.
Regarding the fifth key, maybe if every hotel operated wildly above any kind of reasonable budget maybe she'd like them too. Unlimited mini-bar? Upgraded for 11 weeks to a much fancier suite at the cost of a regular room? Dog lives there even though they don't allow pets? Open mini bar, wine and cheese every evening? No credit card on file?
I listened to the audio book. It's pronounced BuckNELL not BUCKnul. How hard is it to know that. And someone doesn't 'get into the business school at Wharton'. Wharton is the business school.
The night clerk was stealing and literally no one cares or even seems upset.
Alessandra's old friend from home visits the hotel but leaves abruptly and the word is that she was 'triggered'. No follow up, no details.
Is wearing the name tag upside down supposed to be cute or interesting? It just sounds dumb.
The names. Mint, Cabot, Lyric, Kingsley, Crenshaw, Millbrook, Hayford, Duffy. I seriously cannot with these.
I could go on and on but this is already way too long.
I do not understand the high ratings. At all.
That being said, I am seriously fed up with the utter obsession with Nantucket and the implication that anyone not from there or who doesn't summer there is living an inferior life. There are, shockingly, other pretty places in the world. I'm not from Minnesota and haven't been there but from what I understand it's a beautiful state, particularly in the summer. She had that whole bizarre scene talking about the college kids in Minnesota being completely besotted with the girl who arrived to school one week late with -gasp-a tan. I forget the quote but she said something to the effect of she had spent a summer at the beach and the Minnesota people spent it standing in line or something completely absurd and offensive.
Other issues in no particular order:
Allesandra gets caught having had an affair with a married man, blaming it on the pregnant neighbor, and subsequently extorting him. Consequences? Um, none. The irate wife shows up, threatens to call the police, and then for no real reason drops it. And her co-worker and boss are just like wow that was disappointing behavior but we really like her so we're just going to move on here.
Kimber -god help me with these names-invites a man she barely knows, who turns out to be literally homeless, to move in with her and her small children. And she's in love with him. Based on what??
The children. Seriously. Who are these perfect 'towheaded' children, only ages 6 and 8, who behave and speak like senior citizens?
"Heartbreaker". It sounds like something out of the 1970's.
After Chad's college roommate gets nailed with the cork he goes off on Chad, listing his terrible qualities and then specifically references him popping the cork with a 10 inch chef's knife. Are you kidding me.
Is it necessary to continually refer to the roommate as a 'scholarship kid'?
Regarding Chad's cleaning partner Bebe. She's going to college, (of course it has to be pointed out that it's on a scholarship), and she legitimately would not tell any of her co-workers? Who are these people?
The elusive fifth key was awarded based on the people being nice, warm and inviting? In literally 15 years she never encountered a hotel whose staff was that nice?
As for the zillion dollar hotel, there seemed to be no effort put into advertising. Then an eight year old writes an article and it 'breaks the internet'. The internet is not interested in some random hotel in Nantucket. For that matter the entire world is not interested in some random woman's opinion of various hotels either.
Regarding the fifth key, maybe if every hotel operated wildly above any kind of reasonable budget maybe she'd like them too. Unlimited mini-bar? Upgraded for 11 weeks to a much fancier suite at the cost of a regular room? Dog lives there even though they don't allow pets? Open mini bar, wine and cheese every evening? No credit card on file?
I listened to the audio book. It's pronounced BuckNELL not BUCKnul. How hard is it to know that. And someone doesn't 'get into the business school at Wharton'. Wharton is the business school.
The night clerk was stealing and literally no one cares or even seems upset.
Alessandra's old friend from home visits the hotel but leaves abruptly and the word is that she was 'triggered'. No follow up, no details.
Is wearing the name tag upside down supposed to be cute or interesting? It just sounds dumb.
The names. Mint, Cabot, Lyric, Kingsley, Crenshaw, Millbrook, Hayford, Duffy. I seriously cannot with these.
I could go on and on but this is already way too long.
I do not understand the high ratings. At all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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