Who doesn’t want to spend summer on Nantucket? In Elin’s “last” Nantucket novel a young woman named Coco decides to shake up her life and go to Nantucket to be a personal concierge for a new to Nantucket super wealthy couple, the Richardsons. This couple wants to be known as the party couple, or the “it” couple of the island immediately and it falls on Coco to organize these parties and make sure they go smoothly. Things are going well for the Richardsons and Coco until they aren’t.
In true Elin fashion this books brings you to the island and makes you feel like you’re sipping a cold glass of rosé on the beach watching the comings and goings of the locals and summer people. I truly enjoyed it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the digital ARC,

Swan Song is Hilderbrand’s last Nantucket book and her devoted readers won’t be disappointed. The drama of the elite summer set continues with sparkling parties that fracture friendships, test marriages and create secrets.

When a new couple shows up for the summer season, the social network of Nantucket is intrigued. The Richardsons have just purchased a $22 million beachfront mansion and begin throwing outrageous parties drawing everyone into their circle. But what do the residents of Nantucket really know about these new neighbors? How did they get their money? What’s their connection to the island? And where are they originally from? When their personal concierge goes missing on their yacht, the whole island is drawn into the drama.

Chalk full of Nantucket landmarks and memorable characters from previous novels and a touch of mystery, Swan Song is a must read for Summer 2024. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

What a great book to go out with if Ms. Hilderbrand is indeed finished writing beach reads! Romance and suspense, this book has both covered! A must read for not only Elin Hilderbrand fans but anyone looking for an engaging read.

I have to admit, I never liked The Richardsons throughout this book. Most of the other characters were very likable even though many had flaws but not so much with The Richardsons, well in my opinion anyway. Read it to learn about the extravagant parties the Richardson's throw (boy are they something) and to see who gets chopped from the guest list with each new event, if for no other reason. Lots of other things happening in this book but man those parties! Be sure and pick up your copy in June!

This novel centers around Chief Ed Kapenash, who becomes entangled in a case during the last days of his tenure as Nantucket Chief. An enigmatic couple, who in a very short period of time become the toast of the island, experiences a fire that destroys their opulent mansion while they're hosting a party on their boat. Upon their return to shore, their employee, Coco, is nowhere to be found. With rumors and speculation spreading throughout the island and a variety of characters involved.
Fans of Hilderbrand will appreciate all the call backs to her previous Nantucket novels.

Elin Hilderbrand revels in the absurd. It can be deceptively simple as a local police chief casually covering a thousand-dollar check at a beloved restaurant or as loud and bombastic as overwrought mansions tumbling into the sea. She specializes in an idealized version of Nantucket that is a reality for a startling few. (So much so that her Five-Star Weekend, where the island is overrun by Elin-heads is relegated to a cold weekend in January, the only time when this type of trip is affordable). To that point, Swan Song, her 30th and final adult novel, gets to the crazy more efficiently than much of her recent output but never reaches the dizzying highs of Golden Girl (2021), when she wrote a funeral scene for herself, or Summer of ’69 (2019), where she used the real-life murder of Mary Jo Kopechne as a shockingly minor plot point.

Swan Song sees the return of characters from across her entire oeuvre. Some, including Chief of Police Ed Kapenash (one day from retirement…) and, my personal favorite, the ruggedly handsome landscape architect Benton Coe, receive prominent roles, others, like Jennifer Quinn of the Winter Street side series, are mentioned by name only. In terms of a clip show revisiting old friends, Swan Song works quite well. The action is driven by three characters, the mysterious billionaire couple Bull and Leslee Richardson and their personal concierge, Coco, who arrive on Nantucket and stir up all kinds of drama in the staid poplin and Lily Pulitzer-draped world.

Hilderbrand has fallen into a groove starting with The Perfect Couple (2018), where she has been adding a mystery or crime element to her novels. While they make for good page-turners, they’re decidedly less interesting than earlier novels like The Beach Club (2000) and her magnum opus The Blue Bistro (2004). The unfortunate part of this is Hilderbrand is determined to have her cake and eat it, too. In a reverse Agatha Christie, there is only one bad actor, and the rest of our characters get to surf on home. At no point, even when the house where the main action is set is up in flames, are any stakes present. She undercuts herself by introducing the Richardson’s as unconcerned about their twenty-two-million-dollar home purchase as an impending victim of erosion and sea level rise. Even if this is accurate to a certain summer set that frequents Nantucket, it is not the strongest decision for fiction.

Except for 2003, Hilderbrand has released at least one novel every year. The fact that The Blue Bistro was published in 2004 is, I think, notable. This leads me to the most interesting scene in the entire book (light spoilers ahead). See, Bull Richardson is a movie producer on the side, and the reason Coco wanted a job as his assistant was to get him to read her autobiographical script. Bull reads the screenplay, compliments her writing, and says he’d love to look at the next one. Coco is, understandably, devastated. This is her life story! When Bull says there isn’t enough to interest the viewing public, it’s a gut punch. Bull then goes on to say that while the story may be important to Coco, he looks at scripts as commodities and not art. It is no secret that Hilderbrand weaves her personal life into her writing, and I wondered if this exchange was meant as a warning to the next wave of Nantucket writers.

If you have read all of Elin Hilderbrand’s previous Nantucket stories you’ll love this bitter sweet end to the series. It’s filled with all the usual family drama, small town gossip, and romance with a bit of Easter Eggs and mystery thrown in. All the great foundations of a good beach read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Pub Date: 6-11-24

It’s summer on Nantucket. Townspeople are gearing up for the annual invasion of tourists, and police chief Ed Kapenash is trying to prepare for retirement, but then accustomed routines are jolted when the newly arrived Richardsons are revealed to be the new owners of a long vacant $22,000,000 beach house. They waste no time in hiring local Lamont Oakley to captain their yacht and free spirit Coco as their personal concierge while starting on an impressive round of dazzling entertainments. But who are these people, really? Feelings are hurt, gossip flourishes, and summer suddenly becomes much more complicated. Long time fabs of the “Queen of Beach Reads” will enjoy the returning characters and references to past stories as well as a bit of mystery while hoping that this won’t truly be Hilderbrand’s swan song. A love letter to Nantucket for readers to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I have loved reading all the Elin Hilderbrand books. When reading the dedication and considering the title- I googled to find that this book was indeed her last. Set on Nantucket, with gossip and a mystery, I was immediately caught up in this book. I found myself putting it down only because I didn't want it to end.

I've enjoyed Elin Hilderbrand's style from some of her other books, and this one did not disappoint. Thank you for allowing me access to this book.

Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand is one of those books that starts slow but gradually pulls you in more and more and by the last half you can’t put it down. The very rich Richardsons buy a mansion on Nantucket. They immediately begin hosting lavish parties. The whole island is abuzz and intrigued with the new arrivals. But after a few months things seem to start changing for the perfect couple.

Swan Song has every thing we have grow to expect from a Hilderbrand novel and more. We meet some new characters and revisit some of our old favorites. You really see the dynamics between the characters and their relationships. The descriptions of the scenery and the sunset makes you want to pack up and head for the beach.

If you are looking for a fun, heartwarming, bittersweet, easy read, this is it! The perfect beach/summer read. You will not be disappointed.

Elin Hilderbrand’s book, Swan Song, is a wonderful story based on the island of Nantucket. There’s romance, friendships made and a bit of mystery.

Thank you Net Galley and Little Brown for an ARC of Swan Song.

What a wonderful, wonderful way to wrap up Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels. Her writing is so special to me, and this book was a great final chapter with all of our favorite island characters.

I ADORED all of the Easter eggs throughout the book, and I will say that this book will be most enjoyed by those who have read a good amount of Elin’s book.

However, despite all of the lovely familiarity, the story still felt new and fresh - and kept me guessing a little at the end. What really happens to the Chief?

So long Nantucket!

Many thanks to Little Brown and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinion. An excellent vacation read, I definitely recommend this book. And since it doesn't publish until June, you have plenty of time to catch up on some of Elin's previous books in the meantime.
It seemed fitting for me to read Elin’s last Nantucket novel while vacationing in St John, the location of her Paradise trilogy. And it IS paradise! To my surprise, an early chapter in Swan Song where three of the main characters first meet takes place on St John at the Banana Deck - so I obviously had to go for a painkiller (the signature cocktail around here) and to snap a picture! This is my third trip to St John, and it is such a lovely and relaxing place that I can imagine returning yet again.
Elin recommends reading (or re-reading if it's been a while!) The Rumor and The Castaways, for the best reading experience. I read The Rumor last April and listened to The Castaways in February to be fully prepared! 🤓
For Elin’s last Nantucket novel (for now, as she says in the acknowledgements!), Swan Song is a terrific way to go out. The chief of police is retiring at the end of August, but there is one last situation to handle. Starting by introducing this final situation, Swan Song takes place over one summer on Nantucket, where a new couple moves to the island and really shakes things up. The descriptions of food, parties, and people are everything readers have come to expect in an Elin novel. I did not expect a character with my own name 😍 and such an epic line of foreshadowing:
"Blythe groans. “Nantucket better watch out.”" Sounds just like me. I can't wait for everyone to be able to read this one - and while I'm sad to see Elin's Nantucket-set books ending, I know she has other exciting books on the horizon.

Elin Hilderbrand's Swan Song is the perfect swan song, for the final novel in the Nantucket series. Hilderbrand creates terrific characters, with depth and interest, wonderful, complex plots, and good resolutions that read authentic. I have loved every Hilderbrand novel I have read, and Swan Song was no exception. Even the less attractive characters are compelling. As is always the case, Hilderbrand makes Nantucket the star of Swan Song. The descriptions are so well written that I feel I have been there, even though I have not. There are multiple plots and characters who somehow blend together into one terrific story. Starting over seems to always be such an important plot of every Hilderbrand novel. Her characters are given the possibility of a better life, which is exactly what all her readers want, as well. There is no where to go but up.

Thank you to Little Brown & Co for providing me with this ARC to read and review. Thank you also to NetGalley for making ARC so easy. I do definitely recommend Swan Song.

I loved this book and will definitely be purchasing it for our library. A perfect wrap up, but never say never! Will miss Elin’s stories!

Pulling out all the stops for some over the top characters, Hilderbrand brings her audience back to Nantucket for one final summer of glittery parties, gossiping locals and "those summer people." When the Richardsons arrive and purchase the "Grand Dame" of summer homes, which is actually falling into the ocean, they set out to spread their money around, thus insuring acceptance by the locals and gaining access to private clubs and restaurants with apparent ease, much to the chagrin of some of the locals who are still waiting on club memberships. When young Coco is hired to be their personal concierge/assistant, she makes friends with the Chief of Police's daughter who has recently returned from California. When Coco goes missing from their yacht on the same night that their seaside mansion burns to the ground, suspicion falls on the missing young woman. But the soon to be retired Chief of Police has a feeling that there is more to this story and sets out to solve one last case. Who are the Richardsons? How did they obtain their wealth? Where are they really from? And where is Coco?

A fun romp across Nantucket which allows readers to experience how the "other half" as well as how "the local help" lives in the same community each summer. Those who have read other books in the Nantucket series will enjoy meeting familiar characters and taking one last dip into their lives.

I was not expecting the tears I shed at the end of this one! I loved the characters that are in this book and the mystery that surrounds them!

I finished reading Swan Song and I feel like someone has died! I have been an Elin Hilderbrand reader since her first book was published. I started reading her books every summer because I had moved to land-locked Colorado and was depressed to be so far from the beach. Every year I read her latest beach book to help me smell the sea air, hear the waves, and feel the sand between my toes even if it is all in my mind and I've never set foot in Nantucket.

Swan Song is of course set on Nantucket and includes many of the characters we have met before. It jumps around between the current story, a missing personal concierge and an arson, to the start of the summer. The mystery paired with the Chief of Police's pending retirement was entertaining, but I didn't connect with the characters like her last two novels, 28 Summers (my all time favorite) and The Five-Star Weekend (which I want to recreate). Even without my connection, I flew through the book and it gave me all of the beach feels I need. I was in tears when I finished the book because the Nantucket books are over. I understand Elin's choice to retire as I hope to myself in the next ten years, but I still feel like someone has died and my favorite summer author is gone...

A great ending to this Nantucket series! While the cast of characters are mostly from previous books, you do not have to read all the other books (though you are missing some great beach reads) to enjoy this wonderful series ender. Glitzy parties, glamorous people, beach parties, adultery, arson, back-stabbing friends, pickle ball, yachts, hot tubing - has anything caught your interest? This book has all that and more. I loved it!

This was the perfect finale to Elin’s Nantucket books! Just the right amount of suspense and drama, with sprinklings of nostalgic characters and locations. I’m sad that this chapter is coming to an end but glad the see how the lives of these old & new characters of Nantucket played out!