Member Reviews
Sorry this is her last book. Always nice to visit the island. This book is pretty much like all the others...nice, lite read. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
This book is picnic basket filled with all of the necessary items for a day at the beach. It contains old friends, new friends, delicious food, sweet and savory drinks, romance and a dash of mystery. Some characters from previous books are together again to celebrate, gossip, eat, drink and dance, while new characters have come to Nantucket to shake things up. All in all, this book is perfect . . . a must read for the summer!
Just when you think that Elin can't write a better book she does. I absolutely loved this one. I tried to savor and read slow knowing this was her final swan song. It did not disappoint. She is an amazing storyteller.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy of this last novel by the person who put the island in beach reads, and a book that leaves her fans sated, but still wanting at least one more visit to Nantucket.
All good things must come to pass, and even summer has to give into fall at some point. Elin Hilderbrand has made Nantucket the destination of many a summer reader with Hilderbrand's mix of romance, travel, whimsy and family relationships. Swan Song is said to be Hilderbrand's last book, a retirement from writing that many fans hope will be as short as winter has been becoming. However, if Swan Song is to be Hilderbrand's last it is quite a book to go out on, as it is filled with the characters that many have grown to love, a lot of returning old friends, a mystery and of course that most important part, the Island of Nantucket.
Ever since the Richardsons have arrived the Nantucket has been all aflutter. Rich from no one is sure how, and coming from no one is sure where, the Richardsons have used their wealth to shoehorn themselves into society, though society has been a very tight fit for them. The purchase of a 22 million dollar summer home, their two yachts. Their meddling in marriages and relationships. Their constant parties. Much ado is happening. However to retiring Police Chief Ed Kapenash it is all just white noise. Kapenash has decided to retire, and with only three days left has started to check out mentally. At his retirement party Kapenash is told that there is a fire, the huge estate of the Richardsons, the 22 million dollar property is aflame. The Richardsons are on their yacht, and don't seem to care. Even after a young woman is found missing, a friend to Kapenash's daughter. With hours closing towards his leaving his job Kapenash begins to investigate why the girl might be missing, and what the Richardsons are hiding, abetted by the usual cast of Nantucket characters.
Elin Hilderbrand has been a mainstay for beach reads for quite a long time. I don't remember ever setting up a table in bookstores without any of her titles, and to think there might be summers, even a Christmas title without Hilderbrand is strange. Maybe this is a Stephen King retirement, with a little bit of quiet before the books return. If this is Hilderbrand's last it is a book for fans. The story is strong, a story about change in an area that is resistant to change, and a bit of passing of the guard. There are many familiar characters, and even better a lot of characters and situations that are call backs to other books. Fans will get very nerdy trying to place a lot of these together and how they fit in. Sort of a Hilderbrand Extended Universe story. The writing is crips and perfect for the summer, with a hint of maudlin, and again that feeling of change looming over all. A very good work to end a bestselling career.
Elin Hilderbrand has done it again! Swan Song is a fitting end to her Nantucket novels. Swan Song truly kept me guessing right up to the very end. I miss Elin's Nantucket already, but I'm so looking forward to her whatever she has in store for her next chapter!
Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!
Hilderbrand fans are bound to be delighted by the author's last Nantucket novel before retirement. This novel follows many characters her devoted fans will surely recognize, such as Sheriff Ed Kapenash and family, as they meet and soon investigate a party loving couple new to their small island.
Without Elin Hilderbran to transport me yearly to Nantucket, I am adding it to list of top places to see. The Nantucket Chamber of Commerce owes Hildebrand a huge thank you. As regular readers of Hilderbrand are aware 'Swan Song' has a double meaning. Not only is Police Chief Kapanesh retiring, but according to Hilderbrand so she is she.
Thankfully, this novel is befitting of all we have come to love about Elin Hilderbrand's books. Not only are there familiar characters and places, readers are introduced to a wealthy couple who are moving in and shaking up the status quo. There is mystery, intrigue, romance, and so much more. This 'Swan Song' was befitting the Police Chief and author.
I have been an avid reader of Elin Hildebrand's for as long as I can remember. So when I heard that "Swan Song" would be her last Nantucket book, I was heartbroken. How could I go a summer without relaxing by the pool with an Elin book in hand? I had high hopes for this book and ultimately, I was disappointed.
Did I love all the call backs? Absolutely. Was I warmed by all the scenes with the Chief and his own "swan song"-- absolutely. But the overall plot and themes were disappointing. I expected something more like "The Perfect Couple" but ultimately felt it was lacking. It wasn't bad, I just wanted more.
I would definitely recommend for anyone who loves a good summer beach read. It definitely fit that bill!
I always look forward to revisit Nantucket. It feels like home despite never having been there thanks to Elin Hilderbrand vivid descriptions of its people and landscape. The latest novel is a story of friendship, romance and ambition with a little bit of a mystery mixed in.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC
I love reading Elin Hilderbrand! Her novels just get me in the mood for the Summer. I have read the Winter series and the Paradise series. I have read several of her stand alone novels as well as starting the 28 Summers series. Then I found this series. I have not read the previous books in this series and now I MUST go back to the beginning! I didn’t realize this one was book number 4 until I started reading it.
This was a typical Elin Hilderbrand book. The characters were colorful and had their flaws. It was set on beautiful Nantucket and her descriptions just bring me right to the island. The storyline was fast paced and full of drama. I loved it! As I said already, I went back to find the first book in the series and started reading it pretty much as soon as I finished this one.
I just have to give it 4 stars though. Elin… You left me hanging!!! In her acknowledgements she stated she is retiring BUT that she may write some more, just on her own schedule. Maybe she will come back with another book to finalize this one. I was just left with a couple questions! Great book though. I am excited to read the others in this series.
I enjoyed it, but read more of a slow-burn and the end felt very anticlimatic. Obviously, the new family was going to be the enemies and untrustable. I wanted more nuance at the end and not such a predictable ending. Good book, but not my favorite.
There is a new couple in town, Bull and Leslee Richardson and they are taking Nantucket by storm. They bought the biggest house and are throwing the best parties. They are fast movers socially. The Castaways are on their , or at least, Leslee’s radar. She becomes the fourth for the women’s pickle ball games and makes Phoebe her new “ bestie”. Delilah is not thrilled. Andrea has reservations. So there is a lot going on this summer which happens to be Ed’s final summer as police chief. He is retiring but not before he has to deal with one last case. The Richardson’s house just burned down and their assistant, a friend of the chief’s daughter, is missing. Who are these people and what is going on?
Big thanks to NetGalley for providing this wonderful ARC from one of my favorite authors!
Swan Song immerses readers once again in the familiar scenes of Nantucket. Chief Ed Ed Kapenash's is gearing up for retirement. He's had a bout with health issues lately and has decided this will be his last season, but when the Richardson's house burns down and Coco goes missing, he finds himself pulled back into the fray. The Richardson's made quite the entrance on the island, their lavish parties and extravagant lifestyle turned heads. But as the façade begins to crack, the true colors underneath aren't as appealing. The characters are my favorite part of her stories. She writes each one so the reader falls in love over and over.
Swan Song is a captivating summer read that will keep you glued to the pages, unable to put it down. Hilderbrand once again proves why she's a favorite among readers, delivering a compelling blend of mystery, drama, and romance in the enchanting setting of Nantucket.
I didn't think after reading THE WOMEN that I'd have another book leaving me with such a big book hangover anytime soon, but if there's one thing that Elin and Kristin Hannah have deeply in common, it's there character development- you find yourself so deeply invested in the lives of who you are reading about; and for Swan Song, Elin Hilderbrand has laid the groundwork for this novel for over a decade. Chief Ed Kapenash has been a focal point in many of her books {The Rumor, The Perfect Couple, etc} and in SWAN SONG it is time for the chief to retire, and he is at his retirement dinner with about 48 hours remaining on the clock when he gets the call that a young woman is missing from a boat, and the home of a newly notorious couple in the Nantucket society has burned to the ground... The Chief has been a personal favorite character of mine for so long, and this book gives him his due.
Told, brilliantly, between the beginning of the summer and back and forth the night of the fire, Elin lays out the plot and all of her red herrings; and the usual fun Elin novel unravels: the music, the food, the beaches- from the dancing at the Box to the dining at the Galley, she takes her readers on one final scenic tour of the island, 30 miles out to sea, that her fans have grown to know and love so dearly...
I am honored to receive an ARC of Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. An avid reader of her books every summer, I love returning to Nantucket for another engaging story. Swan Song is even better than her others, with lovely character development, revisiting of characters from older novels, and a story that weaves Nantucket through the daily lives of the characters. A joy.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was wonderful like all of Hilderbrands' other books. Her writing is fantastic and flows from the first line. I love being transported into the beach town of Nantucket, a beautiful island I had the chance of visiting years ago with my mom and sister. I loved every minute of this story, with the continuation of Ed and his family, and all of the other easter egg characters found throughout the story. I cried at the end and also reading Elin's notes at the end. I am sad that this is her last book for retirement and will pray every day that it isn't true. But if so, I want to say thank you to Elin and I have loved every minute I have spent with her characters. Thank you!! Great book!!
Well, well, well… Elin closes this series out this a bang. I started this one feeling slightly heartbroken to know this is the final Nantucket book! But I was way too excited to see where the book would go and oh did it go.., Mystery Romance! Okay, then Elin! Okay!
My only drawback— There is a lot of Nantucket name dropping throughout the story. I wish I would have brushed up on (oh so many) of Elin’s books I have read. Or there could be a quick reference study guide- So you’d remember each character and their gossip from other books.
That said: No matter what, it was a fun, keeps you guessing finale for the best beach read writer ever.
Thank you for the amazing books Elin— We will make it to Nantucket one of these days!
Elin Hilderbrand certainly delivers on this, her last book, from her Nantucket novels. She makes you want to summer on Nantucket Island and live with the wealthy, despite their flaws. This book was full of the drama, intrigue and of course the return of some of her beloved characters, as well as a new couple in town disturbing the peace. This is a beach read at its best!
This Elin Hilderbrand book was just fun to read! It will make you fall in love with Nantucket all over again.
Even though I had previously read several of Hilderbrand's novels, I had not read the previous three in the Nantucket series. I do definitely feel like Swan Song can be read as a stand alone.
Chief of police, Ed Kapenash, is nearing his retirement after serving the people of Nantucket for 35 years. His wife wants nothing more than his retirement to arrive and they then enjoy their golden years on the idyllic island that they have made their home for more than three decades.
A wrench in the smooth transition from chief to soon to be civilian arrives in the form of the blustery, yet rogue, newcomer couple, Bull and Leslee Richardson. The Richardsons blow in to the island from the Virgin Islands (just the last of many of their stops). After purchasing an ocean front mansion for 22 million, they soon become the "it" couple who throw the best, most sought after, outlandish parties.
The Richardsons aren't the only new ones to the island. Their own new personal concierge, Coco, who they met while she was serving up drinks at a St John's bar, arrives a few days before them. For a bit, Coco wonders if she may not have been conned by their almost too good to be true job offer. Coco, who may know a thing or two about "conning" herself, lucks out on the ferry to the island where she meets Kacy, the chief's daughter. Kacy is returning to Nantucket after seven years as a neonatal nurse because she is "nursing" a broken heart over a busted relationship.
What ensues are a lot of raucous parties, some conniving, a little romance. and a mystery to solve.
I felt this was an excellent beach read with interesting characters, a delectable setting, and an intriguing plot. Swan Song hits the shelves June 11th. If you are a Elin Hilderbrand fan, grab this one and take the journey to Nantucket once again.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this ARC.
Another fabulous Elin book! always enjoy spending the summer at Nantucket with Elin and her crew.
As expected, this book has a fantastic little mystery to solve and a cast of interesting characters. I liked the story, and found the excess of the Richardsons frustrating, yet delightful to read about. The newer characters (Kacy, Coco, Lamont) were fantastic and who I will most miss.
The ending…all I can say is bittersweet. I have now discovered it’s not just the Chief who is retiring, but Elin as well. This was a wonderful book to end on. But I’m still sad about this.