Sophia is excited to go on a vacation with her boyfriend, JP. He seems to be the perfect man. While the Galapagos weren't exactly her idea of a relaxing vacation, she thinks this will be the next step in their relationship. Sophia is anxious to get married soon and have children. Just before they are about to board the plane, JP gets a phone call and has to back out of the trip. He tells Sophia there is situation with his son, but that Sophia should still go on the trip. Sophia has never met his kids and offers to come with to help, but JP says no. Now she is alone on the trip and has to make the best of it. This book was enjoyable, but different that Elin Hilderbrand's other books.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this.
By design, short stories really are required to grab you from the get go and take you on a ride as quickly as possible and I think this does that: Sophia is destined bound to take a trip with her boyfriend to the Galapagos, when he suddenly has to abandon and essentially ghost her. While on the boat, Sophia meets new people, falls for photography, and learns the truth of their romance.
I liked this alot, even if the start had it feeling more like a creepy thriller and less like a romance gone wrong. It was fun and the cast of characters was amusing. But I think the plot, and what was revealed with the romance at the end, would have been much more suited to long form. I just didn't really care about the relationship enough to be invested in the 'twist' so it was just kinda...meh.
More Galapagos next time.

I was enjoying this book so much that when I checked to see how far along I was (thinking maybe 25%), I was already 70% finished! This is the first short story I have read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I liked it was a quick, fun read. Natural Selection jumps right in the first few pages. Sophia is at the airport with her boyfriend for a romantic getaway. Her boyfriend gets a call at the airport and immediately leaves. The story carries on with Sophia for the next week. As someone who will read anything Elin Hilderbrand writes, I was so excited to have something else after her 5 star book, Swan Song.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, Elin Hilderbrand, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Natural Selection was just ok for me. The plot and characters seemed to lack depth.

Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories Kindle Edition and author Elin Hilderbrand for the opportunity to read and review this short story.

I love Elin and her novels and this cover is gorgeous as always. I was excited to read this book albeit it was a short novel. It was a fabulous read. Sophia and her boyfriend had a planned vacation in the Galapagos however he couldn't make the trip so she went herself. A predictable easy read but I liked Sophia and her character development. It definitely could've been a full length novel - as it left me wanting MORE!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Book review: Natural Selection

Elin Hilderbrand books are a summer staple for me, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this short story. NATURAL SELECTION is set in the scenic Galápagos Islands and I loved the descriptions of the nature and animals. Quite a bit was packed into this story but I was able to devour it in one sitting and loved the mystery throughout and the twist at the end. Hilderbrand’s stories usually have some juicy twists and this one was no different!

3.5*
A quick, easy read only at 54 pages.
My first Elin- a good short story and a good way to get into Elin’s books!

3 stars. This is a fun, quick and easy to read short story, and I liked that it was set in a non-Elin standard location (Nantucket). I enjoyed the FMC and side charcters, but I would have liked more complexity and depth to them. The finale seemed abrupt and I could have read another 30 pages. But it is a great book for a little palette cleanser between other books!

thank you to netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This short story by Hilderbrand pulls you right in from the beginning. Did I kind of feel like I might’ve known where it was going? Sure. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the journey!! I also loved that even though it was short she still included an epilogue!! I love a good epilogue!

SYNOPSIS
- Sophia is headed to the Galapagos Island by herself. She was meant to come with JP, her boyfriend of six months, but he left abruptly with no real explanation.
- While she explores the island, she also reconsiders her relationship.

MY THOUGHTS
- Short story.
- Writing is good.
- Entertaining, but not a lot happens & not very deep characters.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️short story. fine for a quick read, but mehhh overall.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This is out now.

A short story that left me wanting more. I am used to the authors more drawn out stories and enjoy them. This one felt like a rough draft to me. Maybe short stories just aren't for me as many others really liked the book.

Thanks to netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the arc.

This was a fun little book. There is a beautiful setting while a character is trying to figure out where her significant other is. Though I guessed where this story would go, I was surprised by the connections to the island/title. The character growth was fantastic for such a short story. I would recommend to Elin fans!

A couples trip to the Galapagos Islands turns into a solo excursion when Sophia's boyfriend has to cancel. Allowing her the opportunity for self-discovery in a truly remarkable setting. As a short story, it was good. A little predictable. I had hoped it would have some intrigue, but not the case. It could have easily been adapted into a full novel, but was good for what it was.

This could have been a full length novel and I would have still been shocked at the end. I really enjoyed this story! Just a taste of the Elin Holderbrand we know and love.

Sophia and her "nice" boyfriend are spending a week in the Galapagos but at the airport he is called away and she goes alone. There were the usual quirky characters and for such a short book (50 pages) I thought Sophia was a well-developed character. I found the story a bit predictable but still found it enjoyable and loved the descriptions of the wild life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original for providing me with a digital copy.

I WANT MORE!!! For whatever reason Elin Hilderbrand decided to make this a short story, but I fully believe it could have been a full length novel. Reviewing it as a short story, though, I loved the story, the characters and the setting. I thought the ending could have been a little longer, but still thought it was great!

This was an easy short read. This was not a favorite story from this author but entertaining.
Thank you netgalley for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Elin Hilderbrand brings her signature storytelling to *Natural Selection, a novel that expertly combines emotional depth with gripping drama. The characters are richly developed, each navigating complex personal dilemmas that pull at your heartstrings. The story touches on family, relationships, and self-discovery, with Hilderbrand's vivid descriptions making the setting come alive. While the pacing slows in some parts, the overall narrative remains compelling and engaging. It’s a thought-provoking and beautifully written novel that showcases Hilderbrand’s talent for creating relatable, flawed characters in life-changing situations. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Natural Selection
Elin Hilderbrand

🌟🌟🌟

This book started out like it could be a thriller…. But sadly nothing more than I thought it was infidelity. The trip had great imagery of the Galapagos! Overall it was a good fast short story! Thank you @netgalley for my e copy!

I found this short story a little hard to get into and the twist was predictable, but the end message was nice. It was my first taste of Elin Hilderbrand's writing and while I know lots of people love her books her storytelling might not be my cup of tea. 3.5 stars.