Natural Selection was an easy and quick read that was a perfect go-to short story for me when I was in a little bit of a reading slump. This is my first time reading Elin Hilderbrand, despite her popularity, and I really enjoyed this story and her writing. I appreciated the fact that the characters and plot were pretty well-developed, especially for a short story, and it definitely made me want to add traveling to the Galapagos Islands to my bucket list.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first book by this author and it wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the writing style, it didn’t pull me in at all. I found it very hard to get through and it’s a short novel. No thrill at all and bored me.
Thank you NetGalley for the read now opportunity!

Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand. Pub Date: September 1, 2024. Rating: 3 stars. This short novella follows a young female who ends up having to go on a vacation without her significant other due to an emergency with his child. During this story, the reader is immersed in the travel and scenery of the novella. The reader is taken on a journey of self discovery, self love/worth and finding yourself when you least expect it. I enjoyed the themes of womanhood, embracing your true self and following your heart. Thanks to #netgalley and #amazonoriginalstories for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good book. The main character is Sophia. At first in the story, Sophia is with her boyfriend JP, they are taking a cruise. JP gets a phone call, it is about his son so he can not go on the cruise. He suggests to Sophia go on the cruise and take pictures. So she does. She takes pictures and takes hikes. She finds out her boyfriend is married. Sophia learned a very good lesson.

This was a nice easy and fast short story to read. I loved the imagery of the Jalapeños Islands and all the different animals they saw on the trip. It was fun to see the friendships that Sophia made in the boat. I was able to figure out pretty quickly what happened to her boyfriend so that story line was very predictable, but I still enjoyed the book a lot.

I received an arch of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book felt like it was a rush and written without the details it needed to be a well-rounded story.

Sophia meets an amazing man who wants to whisk her away on a Galapagos cruise! Only when they arrive he gets a phone call and bails on her! Although reluctant she goes on the trip and has a great time. But this also gives her time to really think about what kind of man she is dating.

The romantic drama of this book was predictable but the scientific information was interesting. I’d love to go on a trip to the Galápagos Islands! I think the cheating husband revelation was obvious and unoriginal, but it was still a decent and quick read.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Atmospheric and quick. Enjoyed the setting and the adventure, but didn’t love some of the slang that was used. It took me out of the story especially since our MC was 35 and she was using terms that teens and people in their 20s use. It just barely missed the mark for me with that

Sophia finally has found the love of her life (she hopes) and is on her way to their first vacation as a couple. Until he has to bail at the last minute for a family emergency leaving Sophia to go to the Galapagos islands by herself; somewhere she didn't even want to go in the first place. However, she finds this solo trip might just be exactly what she needed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story and thought it was a great book before diving into another long novel. I liked learning about the different animals that's live on the Galapagos islands and it made me want to sail around there some day. It had just enough drama to keep me entertained throughout the entire story wanting to know if Sophia gets her happy ending.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand is a short, reflective story about Sophia, a New Yorker whose romantic getaway to the Galápagos Islands takes an unexpected turn when her boyfriend, JP, cancels at the last minute. Left to navigate the trip alone, Sophia embarks on a journey of self-discovery amid the islands’ stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife. Hilderbrand’s vivid descriptions bring the setting to life, making the Galápagos feel like a character in its own right. While the narrative is concise, it effectively explores themes of personal growth and resilience. While I did find the story a bit predictable, it has a heartfelt message about embracing change and finding strength within oneself resonates. Recommend but not one of Hildebrand’s best.

Another short. This one felt so much like a full Elin Hilderbrand story. Well done. Full development. It felt personal. It felt like it was pointed at someone—the message of it. It felt very personal.

Natural Selection is peak Elin Hilderbrand—full of heart, complicated family dynamics, and that signature Nantucket charm. I was hooked from the first chapter. The way she weaves past and present together is so well done, and the emotional payoff at the end really hit me. A perfect beach read with real depth. Loved it!

EXCERPT: Sophia expects her spirits will lift once she sees the boat; she has her phone at the ready - she promised Perce pictures, and she supposes she'll send them to JP too - but when she sees the Dorado, it's like expecting a pair of Louboutins for your birthday and receiving Crocs. The Dorado is, by far, the smallest boat in any of the slips, the runt of the litter. Still, Sophia holds out hope. It could be a jewel box, beautifully appointed on the inside, a floating boutique hotel. She remembers all the amenities JP listed as they lay in her bed the morning they booked the trip: sundeck, air-conditioned salons, full complimentary bar.
She should have looked more closely at the pictures.

ABOUT 'NATURAL SELECTION': When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself.

After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy. When he suggests a romantic getaway, she’s sure they’re about to take the next step toward their future. A rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands isn’t exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything…until her boyfriend has to cancel.

Now she’s all alone on a trip that was meant for two. Sophia finds herself at a crossroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought. But if she’s going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.

Eight days of wild, unobstructed beauty are enough to make anyone reevaluate their life. These islands are all about adapting to your surroundings—and change just might be what Sophia needs most of all.

MY THOUGHTS: A coming of age/finding herself short story that worked well for me.

It's quite obvious from the start what sort of man JP is, and he is no loss to the story. I liked that Sophia is challenged by this trip to a place she would never have chosen on her own, and by the task that JP sets her in his absence.

We all need time on our own. We all need to learn to live with ourselves, to know ourselves, before we can learn to live with someone else. That is what this trip provides for Sophie. She learns a lot about herself and picks up some new skills along the way. There are some amusing encounters with other passengers on the trip to keep the story flowing nicely.

Short and entertaining.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#NaturalSelection #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Elin Hilderbrand is the proud mother of three, a dedicated Peloton rider, an aspiring book influencer, and an enthusiastic at-home cook. She is also a grateful nine-year breast cancer survivor.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Original Stories via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

3.5 stars! This was a light, enjoyable read. I could definitely see myself reading one of Elin's books on vacation by a pool. They feel gossip-y which is a really interesting way to approach a story. I picked up the red flags from the beginning but it didn't make the book any less fun. I love how she makes every character feel well-rounded with a back story and a personality. This is my first introduction to Elin Hilderbrand and I will definitely be picking up another book!

Short stories and novellas are always a tough one for me. However, Natural Selection was a good read tucked into a small package. It felt satisfying and I thought that the main character, Sophia felt well-developed considering the brief time we got to spend with her.

I do think that the star of the story might have been the setting - - the descriptions of the scenery and the overall theme of the book really spoke to me. Since Sophia has to find herself after thinking that she was leaving for a couple's trip with her boyfriend only to be left to go on her own at the last minute, she has to "adapt" and she ends up discovering a great deal about herself along the way.

I recommend this for a short, quick read that makes you think if you look deeper than the surface of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a very quick read that I was interested in from the beginning. I was invested in finding out about what happened to JP. I feel like there were details about some of the characters and the trip and then all of a sudden we learn about JP… the end. It felt very rushed.

So many little gems packed into one story! I only wish it would have been longer. I think we can all relate to a situation of heartbreak and needing time or heal and reflect only to realize what you thought you wanted maybe isn’t really what you thought.

I enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books. This is a shorter book than many of her writings. It is also a reoccurring theme but she does give it a diffrrent slant.When her boyfriend bails at the last minute, a New York woman embarks on their couples’ cruise alone to find that maybe the person she was supposed to fall in love with was herself.
After a string of bad dates and no prospects, Sophia Othonos has finally hit the jackpot: an actual nice guy. When he suggests a romantic getaway, she’s sure they’re about to take the next step toward their future. A rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands isn’t exactly her idea of a vacation, but Sophia is ready for anything…until her boyfriend has to cancel.
Now she’s all alone on a trip that was meant for two. Sophia finds herself at a crossroads about who she is, what she wants, and whether her relationship is really everything she thought. But if she’s going to suffer an identity crisis, at least she gets to do it amid the unexpected majesty of nature.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

I requested this book because I've read a lot of Elin Hilderbrand books prior to this and have always enjoyed them. This was ejnoyable, I'm definitely more of a sucker for her Nantucket books, but I enjoyed this one too. Very light book for a beach read.