As with all of Elin’s books I eagerly awaited this one, immensely enjoyed the read, and was sorry when the experience was over. New characters, new setting, same great writing. I did feel the end of the book was a little trite, but that may have more to do with the length of the book and trying to wrap everything up.

Okay, so I was warned when reading the synopsis and some reviews online. They said its going to be a slight cliff hanger and I felt that it kinda was. Just as I was just getting really interested in this story, it ended. The ending was so abrupt and ended in a blink of an eye. Like everyone says, this can be a full novel and it would have been great just like all of Elin Hiderbrand's work.
I feel cheated and did not get enough of the outcome for the other characters but nevertheless, I enjoyed the story!

3.75 stars. Perfect short book that highlights the importance of self love and strong women. I love Elin Hilderbrand and loved to see this kind of book from her.

This was a quick and easy short story for me while I was in a reading slump! It was a tad predictable but enjoyed the life lesson along the way! Classic EH writing with a descriptive setting and characters that feel so real. Impressive what she could accomplish in just a 50ish pages!

This was my first read from Elin Hilderbrand and I will definitely read more after this. For a short story, I was pleasantly surprised with how invested I was with Sophia and the supporting characters she comes to know while on a solo trip to Galapagos.

Sophia is flying solo on this trip as her boyfriend cancels at the last minute, claiming an urgent family matter. While hesitant to go alone, she pushes forward, making new connections and gaining fresh perspectives about herself and her relationship along the way.

Though brief, Sophia’s journey of self-discovery is enjoyable and relatable, and her evolving self-assurance is heartwarming to follow. However, I did find the story’s ending abrupt, and I would've loved for this to have been a full-length novel.

Overall, it's a delightful read, especially for those who appreciate a quick but meaningful exploration of change and personal growth. I am looking forward to reading more from Hilderbrand in the future.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ridiculously predictable. There seemed to be more characters than were necessary in a short story. If it had been longer, they may have helped move the plot along.

“The species that survives, she thinks, is not the strongest nor the most intelligent. It’s the one that adapts.”

I love the Amazon short stories. Whenever I see one on Netgalley or anywhere I make sure not to miss them. I have read few till now and aim to finish previously published one soon. When I saw natural selection, I didn't think twice before requesting it.


Natural selection was a good short read and I liked it. It is well written yet it didn't leave a lasting impression that most short stories leave me with. And even though I liked the characters, even though we know them for only 50 short pages, you come to feel them , feel for them. I had figured out at the very start that Sophia was being fooled, JP was a typical MCP character, a man who gets on my nerves in real life so he did get on my nerves in the book too.

Other characters although not memorable but were close to life as much as possible. I just feel maybe I would have liked it more if there was a bit more emotional involvement.

Nevertheless it was a good read.

I would like to thank you Netgalley and Amazon original stories for the ARC.

Star rating : 3.5 stars

I don’t think there is a single Elin Hilderbrand book I don’t like, but this was not one of my favorites. It may be because it is a short novelette and hard to get into the characters. The story is about a girl named Sophia who is planning to go on a trip to the Galapagos with her boyfriend JP. As they arrive to start their trip, JP gets a phone call and tells Sophie to go by herself. She does, but then lies to everyone as to why she is alone rather than just enjoying the trip. But really, that is the point of the story. Sophie slowly learns that it is okay to go on a trip by yourself. I know that this can be a “thing” for some people, but I didn’t have a lot of patience for it. I’m glad Sophie figured it out, but I think I am just too old for these coming of age stories. Even with these criticisms, it is still a Elin Hilderbrand story and totally worth the read, even if the topic doesn’t thrill you. Her writing will always entertain me and leave me thinking about some aspect of what she is writing about.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

The summary of the book intrigued me, but for some reason I wasn’t crazy about the book. Maybe because it was so obvious that he was still married, She described beautiful scenery that I’ve always wanted to visit. But I lost track of the characters on the boat since it was a short book.

Live Elin. This novella was the perfect ending to summer. If you’re looking for a quick read this is it.

Imagine taking a romantic weekend with your partner only to find yourself going alone. This is what happened to Sophia Othonos. Instead of wallowing the entire time, Sophia embraces the beautiful scenery and life of the Galapagos islands and learns what truly makes her happy. Sophia is embracing change to create a life she wants to live. I enjoyed this book and the setting of the Galapagos, a place that was important to Darwin's studies on natural selection, was not lost on me. What better place for one to evolve!

Afternoon at the beach without getting a sunburn. This book is perfect and holds your attention. The setting of the Galapagos Islands of course makes it quite exotic and interesting. Sophia is ditched by her boyfriend at the airport just as they are about to board a plane for their week long getaway trip. He is called away due to a family emergency (he apparently has an ex-wife and 3 kids). He insists that she carry on alone and take lots of photos of the various unique wildlife species on the islands and even gives her his fancy camera gear. This story was pretty predictable but had some valuable lessons in it. This one felt like a mix of multiple genres and a lot like a mystery, which was unexpected but a welcome surprise. Although the red flags were waving like crazy and I felt like I knew how it was going to turn out, it still kept my attention. Perfect fast paced beachy read. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley and of course the author. 3.5 rounded up

This was in interesting short story. At first I was almost thinking it would be a thriller based on the set up but it ended up being a story about infidelity; which is just so sad.

The cruise itself was interesting with a unique bunch of characters. They all had big personalities, were spunky and entertaining to read about.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful story. While short and sweet, I was transported to the Galapagos and loved seeing the islands through Sophia’s eyes. The ships cast of characters were interesting and amusing, and Sophia’s reflections on her experience really resonated with me.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I usually love all things Elin Hilderbrand, but this was a slight miss for me. I didn't feel like I connected with the main character.

A short story not based in Nantucket, but on the Galapagos Islands, exploring the lessons learned from relationships. A quick read but I didn't really love the main character so found it hard to be invested.

I will read pretty much anything Elin Hilderbrand writes and this short story was no exception. It was nothing ground breaking but easy to read and engaging.

Often short stories can feel incomplete or rushed, this isn't one of those times. Even though short, the characters were well developed and fully formed. And that ending? I didn't see that coming!

A quick read that makes us remember sometimes the journey isn’t what you expect but often times is what you needed.

This was fine and there is really not much to say here. If you're a fan of Elin then of course I would rec, but if not this isn't a must read and it certainly isn't the place to start with her books.