Apparently, this is the last book in Elin Hilderbrand's Nantucket series and she is planning on retiring. She has written dozens of books over the past 20 plus years, so she certainly deserves retirement!

I have read quite a few of her books and thoroughly enjoy all of them. They are light, quick reads, but also contain serious subject matter interspersed throughout. This one is no exception. If you haven't read any other books in this series, no worries -- you'll catch on quickly. If you have read some of her other books, you'll be happy to see familiar characters and settings.

I typically look forward to a new book by her every summer. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next year!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy.

Read more of my reviews at https://thegoodreader13.blogspot.com/.

I love Elin Hilderbrand’s novels, and this one was no exception. It’s a perfect escape of a summer beach read. I hope she will reconsider her retirement! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect Summer read from the queen of Summer. A walk down memory lane featuring some old characters, with a fun plot featuring some new. Quintessentially Summer and Hilderbrand - with rich descriptions of food set to the Nantucket backdrop. A fun who done it twist makes this a bit different than her last, but it's a welcomed change.

The sure sign of summer— a new release by Elin Hilderbrand. This novel was one of my most anticipated, and I found it might be my least favorite of the Nantucket books. It was still great— Blond Sharon and Chief Ed are favorites of mine for sure. I did not care for The Richardsons at all, and the stories largely involved these two. That said, I think you aren’t supposed to like them. My favorite aspect of her writing is how she creates a setting. Nantucket has always been dreamy, and this book is no exception.

Interesting if archtypal characters set in Nantucket wearing the usual brand names. Enjoyed the yacht and parties in this one. Nothing wrong at all with beautiful young people and their parents-age couples embroiled in mysteries!

This was an enjoyable EH beach read, complete with great descriptions of Nantucket's scenery and landmarks and the people that call it home. The personalities in EH's swan song (as well as Chief Ed's), were fun to follow, especially Blonde Sharon and Chief Ed. The other characters tended to vacillate between me rooting for them and me wanting to avoid them at all costs.

The mystery of the missing concierge was solved at the very end and done in a pretty ho-hum way, but that was to be expected of an EH summertime read.

Elin Hilderbrand returns for her 30th book (and last, at least she says for now) in her Nantucket summer stories. Ed Kapenash is the Nantucket Chief of Police and is retiring after decades on the job. On his last weekend before hanging up his badge a multi million dollar mansion burns down. The owners are on a party on their sailboat and when they return their personal concierge Coco, is missing. The book follows the search for the woman and chapters flash back to the beginning of the summer when she arrives to work for a new power couple intent on making a splash in Nantucket. It is mini mystery and following various characters in their lives over the summer.

This book didn’t connect emotionally to me like last year’s, The Five-Star Weekend (June 2023), which I still think about. I haven’t read others of her Nantucket books but I would guess that Chief Kapenash has been a reoccurring character in some of the stories. All the characters have connections and backgrounds. And I appreciate the LGBTQ representation by his daughter. The mystery isn’t hard to solve and the characters are great fun, although many aren’t overly likable. I think Hilderbrand knows her strengths. This is just the kind of book I love to haul to pool-side of beach and let my mind go to a world very different from my own. I look forward to reading some of the author’s back catalog of books while waiting for what she writes next. (4.5 Stars)

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for access to this title. I am auto-approved by this publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nothing signals the arrival of summer quite like adding the latest Elin Hilderbrand novel to your beach bag. The thirtieth novel and the declared last of her Nantucket novels, Swan Song is full of romance, drama, secrets, backstabbing and lots of parties to attend. Not only does Hilderbrand introduce a brazen rich couple and a young woman with dreams to the mix, but we also get to catch up with all our favourite Nantucket characters. Never has a novel held a title in so many ways significant to both its characters and the author herself. Although I am going to discuss my mixed feelings, the author brought me to tears by the end of the novel.

Usually, once I crack the spine of an EH novel, I cannot put it down. But there was understandably a whole number of reasons that it took me a little longer to read this one. First, I will nod toward "reader denial"- I only became a fan of the author a few years ago BUT I fell fast and hard for EH's plots and I simply cannot accept that she's retiring. Second, a lot was going on in terms of storylines and I craved something a little bit more focussed. Third, I felt like I knew where most of the central plot was going surrounding Leslee and Bull. Also, Coco wasn't very likable.

This is getting 3.5 stars for Blond Sharon and Chief Ed. They had the narratives that kept me reading. It is in their stories that I found Elin Hilderbrand's magic that I am going to miss.


Expected Publication 11/06/24
Goodreads Review 26/05/24

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I'm a huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand, and I wish her all the best in her retirement! Hopefully that isn't forever, and hopefully we see another novel from her eventually. This was a good note to end on. Swan Song brings back familiar Nantucket characters while also introducing the new "It" couple. The Richardsons are the talk of the town with their decadent parties and exclusive invite list. Of course this causes friction and eventually, leads to their house burning down and their "personal concierge" going missing.

Since this is a Hilderbrand novel, you'll find the typical descriptions of the most delicious food you wish you could eat...indulgent name-drops of expensive things...but unlike previous novels where it felt off-putting, it does not feel that way here.

My only complaint is the very end...what was that?!?

As summer is just arriving, it’s the perfect time to read Elin Hilderbrand’s newest novel! While many of the characters were familiar from previous stories, Swan Song was written in a slightly different way than her usual works. I didn’t realize this was going to be Hilderbrand’s last Nantucket story (for now), but it definitely felt like all of these parties were used as kind of a last hoorah to the life we readers have grown accustomed to!
Thanks NetGalley!

Another upcoming release- Elin Hilderbrand’s 30th and final novel is being published on June 11th! (Thanks for the ARC NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company!) I haven’t read all of her books but I’ve read enough to be familiar with some of the recurring characters and the Nantucket setting. This story was a bit of a mystery revolving around a new couple that has moved to Nantucket. At first, everyone on the island is intrigued and wants to be included in their lavish parties. But as the summer progresses and strange things start happening, suspicion rises about their intentions and their past.

This book has an omniscient narrator like some of her others, which hops around from character to character giving the reader insight into everyone’s thoughts and feelings. The narrator often uses the word “we” which makes the reader feel like they’re actually on Nantucket and experiencing the drama too. As usual most of the characters are living in luxury and many are very cringy, but they’re also dealing with real issues around identity, health, family, finances, relationships and past mistakes. This will definitely be a bittersweet read for fans of Elin and the world she has created.

She’s an instant read author and I’m obsessed. Elin can do no wrong and she is the queen of summer! Love her scene and character building and the cadence of her books. Love.

Happy Retirement, Elin! I will miss my yearly beach read from you, but I do wish you the best in your retirement - you deserve it!! Swan Song was the perfect conclusion to an amazing career. Thank you for your stories!!

You can’t go wrong reading Elin Hilderbrand. Her Nantucket books are so rich with detail that you come to feel like you know the places she frequents. Her characters are very real and sometimes larger than life as we see with Leslee and Bull in this book. The last chapter was a bit sad but that may be because Elin says this is her last Nantucket book and now she is retiring. She deserves a great retirement but it will be sad without a new book from her each year.

While I'm sad to see the end of the Nantucket novels by Hilderbrand, I really enjoyed this book. Her books, this one included, show such an interesting way of life on Nantucket. In Swan Song, her characters were really well developed, as expected. I enjoyed Delilah the most out of the cast of characters and maybe that is because I could relate. Throughout the entire book, I felt like something was off with these people but I just couldn't put my finger on it. I'm kinda sad that I'm done with the book. Great summer read!

Elin Hilderbrand’s fans are in for a treat with her latest (and final) book release: the aptly titled, Swan Song. First, the title and book cover perfectly sum up her career as “Queen of the Beach Reads.”

Second, I always find stories that begin with a house burned down to the ground to be immensely propulsive, and this one certainly did not disappoint.

Now, onto the details. Elin Hilderbrand blended everything her readers crave into one final narrative: characters we know and love, Nantucket references, pop culture references, summer scenes, drama, romance, mystery, and “rich people problems.”

On top of that, she incorporated the most over the top parties about which I’ve ever read. The pink and white party’s food, drinks, decor, music, style, and antics absolutely blew me away as a reader. I couldn’t get enough of the details!

While the loose ends of the mystery tied up a little too quickly and neatly for me, the final chapter was exquisite. I’m tearing up just thinking about the last few sentences!

Ed is ready to finally retire after being the police chief of Nantucket for many years. However, on the eve of his retirement, the Richardsons’ house burns down and their concierge is missing. The Richardsons have infiltrated the Nantucket scene, hosting the most lavish parties and dominating the social scene, until they start to make enemies.

Elin does it again! I haven’t read any of the other Nantucket books and this can definitely be read as a stand alone. I was transported to the dreamy Nantucket and once I got the hang of all of the characters, I was sucked in. I loved the diversity in the ages of the characters, making it so that all readers would have at least a few people to connect with. The Richardsons were so fascinating and I loved all the stir they caused, as well as envisioning their parties that I was dreaming of attending myself. I liked the mystery - it kept me hooked until the end. I liked the other Elin easter eggs scattered throughout!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of Swan Song! Elin Hilderbrand ends her thirty book run of Nantucket novels with this engaging story of an over the top couple and their attempts to infiltrate the island in-crowd. We visit with familiar characters, find Easter Eggs of past novels, and enjoy the flow of a typical Hilderbrand story. Is my favorite Nantucket story? No, but it’s a sweet end to a very good run of entertaining summer reads.

Get ready for a June delight! Hilderbrand aficionados, buckle up for a rollercoaster of Easter eggs and nods to Elin's stellar career in her upcoming masterpiece, Swan Song.

I never thought I'd find another book to give me such a massive book hangover after Funny Story, but Elin Hilderbrand proves me wrong once again. Just like Emily Henry, she has a knack for character development that hooks you deep. In Swan Song, Elin's been cooking up this story for over a decade. Chief Ed Kapenash, a familiar face from her previous novels (The Rumor, The Perfect Couple, you name it), is about to retire. But just before his farewell dinner, he gets a call: a young woman is missing from a boat, and the mansion of a newly infamous couple in Nantucket has gone up in flames. Finally, Chief Kapenash gets the spotlight he deserves!

Told with Elin's signature flair, the story jumps between the start of summer and the fiery night, packed with twists and turns that'll keep you guessing. And oh, the charm! From toe-tapping at the Box to feasting at the Galley, Elin treats us to one last whirlwind tour of Nantucket, the island we've all come to adore. So mark your calendars—this one's a ride you won't want to miss!

But Swan Song isn't just about the mystery; it's about the characters, each one intricately woven into the fabric of Nantucket life. From the enigmatic Chief Kapenash to the mysterious young woman, Coco, who disappears, Elin Hilderbrand's characters leap off the page, pulling you into their world with every turn of the page. And speaking of pages, let's talk about the setting. Nantucket isn't just a backdrop; it's a character in its own right, with its sandy beaches, quaint cottages, and bustling town center. With her vivid descriptions, Elin transports you straight to the heart of the island, where the salt air fills your lungs and the waves crash against the shore.

So dive into Swan Song and immerse yourself in a world where mystery meets seaside charm, and every page is a delight to turn. Whether you're a longtime fan of Elin Hilderbrand or new to her work, this is one book you won't want to miss. So grab your beach chair, slather on some sunscreen, and get ready for the ultimate summer read!

This book had all the elements I read Elin Hilderbrand for--so many interesting characters with their own individual backgrounds and motives, a delightful backdrop, enough twists to keep things moving but not get confusing. I honestly had no idea this was the fourth in a series of companion Nantucket novels (aren't all her books set in Nantucket??) and I had no trouble understanding all of the characters and their past events without ever having read the three previous novels. The plot was juicy and dramatic, and I devoured it in just a few days. I'm definitely recommending it to my friends!