3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I generally enjoy Elin Hilderbrand's books and was curious to read a short story by the author. The plot kept me interested and I enjoyed reading it, but the story was fairly predictable and surface-level. This one is entertaining and can be read in an hour or two, just don't expect any crazy plot twists or major drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Since Elin Hinderbrand has retired, I was really happy to see a short story was released! Unfortunately, a book I should have read in an hour, stretched over days. I didn’t enjoy the characters because there was no depth to them. The ending was predictable as well. If she writes another novella, I’ll likely try it, and hope it delivers in a more satisfying way than this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

This was a very cute story! I loved learning about the Galapagos as a side part to the short story and I found myself rooting for the important changes I knew needed to happen in the main character. Definitely worth a read!

Natural Selection was a fun & easy read. I would’ve liked the ending to have been a bit smoother transitioned but overall it was enjoyable.
Sophia and her boyfriend JP are about to head off on an adventure the the Galapagos when he is called away for an emergency leaving her to go on her own. She tries to enjoy the adventure but also wonders what is going on with JP.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

A typically great little story of a girl being fooled by a cheating man and on the best holiday of her life where she discovers the truth.

Natural Selection is a sweet short story about personal growth, the beauty of nature, and love. We follow Sophia who is left to go on a Galápagos Islands tour on her own after her boyfriend has to unexpectedly leave following a family emergency.

Given the short length of this story, we don’t get a lot of side character development and the ending is a bit rushed. I was not too bothered by this, however, as Sophia herself has a strong voice and is a fun protagonist to follow. Elin Hilderbrand is a fantastic writer and this story is no exception. The animal descriptions in particular were fascinating and made me jealous I wasn’t on a boat tour as well. I would recommend this to fans of Hilderbrand or those in the mood for a feel-good novella.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A great short story by one of my favorite authors. It goes fast and blows through a few details that I’m used to getting from Elin Hildebrand but the meat is there. A great way to spend an hour!

5 stars

A short story but engaging.

Sophia's boyfriend has to leave her just as their flight to the Galapagos Islands is taking off. He's said that his youngest son has drug problems and that his ex-wife is a menace. He's older divorced and works in New York in the week but has to return to his ex-wife's location most weekends. Sophia is quite driven so looking around after animals is not really her thing especially as he's left a list of animals he wants to photograph. Sophia is also at the stage when she wants a husband and more settled life. We have vignettes of the other travellers and though at the start of the holiday she thinks the boat is quite run down by the end she can see the magic. WiFi/Telecomms seems to be bad she can't get through to the boyfriend and she is concerned for him. Eventually using an intemediary she manages to make contact and then it all unravels. I liked how the author referenced back to Darwin's ideas that it wasn't necessarily the stongest and fittest that survived but the ones more open to change.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

My Rating: ❤️❤️.5

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Netgalley.

General Thoughts: I wanted to love this one. I've heard such good things about this author, and so when I got the opportunity to read this one, I jumped on it. I don't typically read short stories, but I've enjoyed quite a few. I've also studied short stories. I know what makes a good short story.

This one didn't have those components in my mind. It felt very predictable and also I was never drawn in. I thought the book didn't really feel like it had any sort of conclusion or anything that really was that exciting as a plot. I didn't feel like the writing style matched the story type. A younger girl dating an older man gets abandoned and goes on a trip by herself and takes photos. [spoiler tag hidden comment] The older man actually is married and she is the other woman, which she realizes on trip. She then realizes he's not for her and will continue to be the failure in the family. (end hide spoiler)] That's pretty much it. That's the plot. Not a lot to it. I didn't hate it, but yeah didn't like this either.

Spice Meter: 💞 No spice.

You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

I am so saddened but this is my least favorite Elin Hildebrand. Short stories can be tough for me because they always feel so rushed. This didn't so much feel rushed as it did feel super character heavy. So many characters and so much talk about the characters and less of a plot. I don't know it just didn't satisfy. The ending wrapped up nicely. I really really loved how she wrapped the story up I just wish the guts of the story had more substance.

Very short short story. Usually I love all of this authors books, but this felt like it was pieces pulled out of a full story and thrown into this short story. Not enough of a story to get anyone to enjoy it.

I will read anything Elin writes but this one was just too short to enjoy. There wasn’t enough time to care about the characters and I actually kind of disliked the main character Sophia. 🤨
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My favorite parts of an Elin book are being submersed in the setting, for example her Nantucket and St. John books. I love reading about the local food and drinks and bars and restaurants. We didn’t get that here; other than some animals and hiking and the drab setting of the boat.
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And spoiler below…..
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Girl OF COURSE HE WAS MARRIED 🙄🙄🙄🙄🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 It was so obvious.
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So this was not my fave 🫣 but I always appreciate the opportunity to read and review on NetGalley!

Beautifully written, witty and too short! I need to read more by this author. What should I read next?

While summer may be drawing to a close, Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand will bring you back into vacation mode. This short story takes place during a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Sophia was supposed to go with her boyfriend who cannot make the trip at the last moment. Although she's disappointed and curious about why he cannot go, she decides to make the best of it and try to enjoy this trip. She discovers the beauty of the Islands and the beauty of being by herself.

When I saw this short story was up for grabs, I requested it, not thinking that I would get it. I was excited to learn that I received the opportunity to read it as I have enjoyed her short stories and novellas in the past.

This short story is a quick read, but the characters feel fully developed and intriguing. There's a lot of insight in a small amount of pages, and I truly think this could have been expanded into an entire novel if the author chose to do so. It gave me hope that while she may have exhausted her ideas for Nantucket but that she has plenty for many other places. I respect her decision to retire, but should she have committed to a sabbatical instead?

Just like the cover, the scenery is described so beautifully. In fact, one passage described it so well that I could feel the water and waves lapping at the shore. I've never been interested in going to the Galapagos Islands, but this made the trip sound delightful. It's a great end to the summer, whether you've had your fill of the ocean or any other body of water. If you get the opportunity to read it, go for it.

This was an easy to read short story. This would have made a great novel with more about the Galápagos Islands.

Great short story! A must read for Elin Hilderbrand fans. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the wildlife, too.

I’ve been hearing so much about Elin Hilderbrand on BookTok that I decided to finally give one of her books a go. This novella turned out to be a refreshing little break from my usual reads. It’s light, straightforward, and perfect if you’re looking to switch gears or just want something easy to enjoy.

The title really captures the essence of the story, and the way it touches on themes of adaptation and change adds a nice layer to the overall narrative.

This was a quick read and a great short story.
Sophia and her boyfriend JP are about to embark on a romantic getaway to the Galapagos Islands when he gets a call at the airport. He tells her his son Beau has had an incident and he can't go on the trip, but that she should go anyway and take lots of pictures with his camera. Sophia is devastated but decides to make the most of the trip anyway... she meets new friends, sees the amazing wildlife, and never hears from JP. If you like short stories, the ending was perfect IMO.

3.5/5

Sophia, along with her boyfriend, is set to sail on a rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands. A last minute emergency leads to a solo trip. What she finds on this cruise, is so much more than she ever expected.

I’m hit or miss with Ms. Hilderbrand’s books. This is a short story, easily read in one sitting. Even though I didn’t find the storyline surprising or held any shocking twists, I enjoyed the characters and the story as a whole. It was empowering to see Sophia find her voice and realize her worth. The setting was a welcome change. This was a fun read in between heavier reads.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Great premise, but falls flat for me. I think this could have done better as a full length novel so we know more about the characters and backstory. Overall, a quick palate cleanser story. Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.