This was my first Elin Hildebrand book and what a pleasant surprise. For a short story the author did a great job of weaving an interesting story with reasonably fleshed out characters, considering the page count. While the ending was somewhat predictable. The story was more about the journey than the destination. A great quick read, that has endeared me to prioritize the authors other works.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

A great quick short story! Love Elon’s story and this one takes us to the Galápagos Islands. Sophia feels she has met the love of her life JP and they are taking a trip down to the islands for his work as a photographer. He gets a phone call as the plane is boarding and has to leave due to family issue at home. This felt like it would be such a great lead up for some crazy thriller! Sophia takes the trip as JP told her too and makes some friends along the way! I need more to this story! It reminded me of her paradise series.

A good short story from Elin Hilderbrand. Love and deceit follow Sophia on her vacation. She meets new friends that try to help her through a difficult time. A nice quick read.

This was a cute little story with a twist that I wasn’t expecting. It went really fast and while it was already considered a short story, I would have liked it to be longer and have more details about the relationship prior to this vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC! *Natural Selection* by Elin Hilderbrand is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of family dynamics and personal choices. Hilderbrand's storytelling is engaging, with a well-paced narrative that keeps readers invested in the characters' journeys. The novel’s exploration of complex relationships and moral dilemmas adds depth to the plot, making it both intriguing and emotionally resonant. While some storylines may feel familiar, the author’s skillful writing and nuanced character portrayals provide a fresh take on these themes. Overall, it's a compelling read that offers both entertainment and reflection.

Cute fun quick story! Elin never disappoints. Never want her books to end!!! Can’t wait to read more

Loved this latest release by Elin Hilderbrand! 5 stars for story, character development and ending! My only criticism is that I wished this was a full novel vs short story. Thank you for advance read!

Nice little short story, I just love them! The story, however, was not really my cup of tea.. But the writing is beautiful, and I will definitely read more books from this author!

4.5

Short and sweet, my first Elin Hilderbrand book was very enjoyable! I kinda suspected something a bit more sinister than the end conflict - I guess I’ve been reading too many thrillers lately.

I enjoyed how Hilderbrand was able to convey Sophia’s emotions and feelings in such a short story. I’m definitely intrigued in reading more from her!

This was a really great short story, that made me really want to visit the Galapagos as soon as possible! I enjoyed the character building, even though this was a short story and definitely felt like I was in an immersed in the tropical wonder of the Galapagos

A beautiful cover and Elin Hilderbrand’s name caught my attention. It is a short (54 page) story. It tells the story of Sophia Othonos who is ready to begin a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Only thing is that her newish boyfriend who planned the trip gets called away for a family emergency and he insists that she take the trip without him.

I felt I got to know Sophia and the people she meets on the small boat. And I did feel for her situation. I wasn’t expecting romance as she is currently in one. I was engrossed in the tale and the Galapagos is on my bucket list so it caught my interest. But I did want something more than I got.

A super short, entertaining story. It's short, but has all the elements of a classic Elin Hilderbrand story.

Sophia hasn't had the best of luck in relationships, but she feels like she's finally found the one now. But on the day they're leaving for a rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands, a phone call at the boarding gate has him abandoning her to hurry home to Oklahoma. She decides to keep her reservations and takes the cruise alone. There she meets some great travelers and learns more about herself, what she's feeling and what's she's looking for. She finds taking photos helps her figure things out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. It’s not so far off of what we expect from Hildebrand, but it is quality and different enough to stand out. It features a 35 year old woman at a cross roads of sorts, on a vacation not going how she anticipated. I could’ve read a whole book about it, and maybe that’s why I didn’t say five stars— I wanted more. Thank you to Hildebrand, NetGalley, and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC!

Natural Selection

Pros - lovely descriptions of the Galapagos and all of the wild life
Cons - predictable, not much investment in the characters

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Cute novella at about 50 pages which kept me occupied while getting my oil changed.

When Sophia and her boyfriend are set for a cruise her bf gets a last minute call that makes him unable to join her on the cruise. She is forced out of her comfort zone and to head to the Galapagos islands herself. She meets cruise mates and starts to get a weird feeling her boyfriend isn't who he seems when he stops responding to all texts and calls.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Really liked this book, it's really quick. I would have love to have more tho because I just got entertain at the end. And I didn't like how it ended, it was just so abrupt. I loved the mystery ish aspect of the book too.

Natural Selection excels in its atmospheric descriptions of nature and wildlife, and the suspense surrounding JP’s disappearance is handled carefully. But while the novel succeeds in creating tension and rich environments, the final act feels like a letdown, missing the powerful conclusion that might have elevated it further.
Overall rating: 3 stars.

If you want to read further, please check the full review on my website:
https://bookscommentary.substack.com/p/natural-selection-by-elin-hilderbrand

3.5 stars for tis short story - I would love to see the Galápagos Islands someday & appreciated the travel aspects a lot. The MC was fine here, but the plot had no surprises for me. Anyway, it's fine for a novella type story. Thanks to Net Galley & Amazon

I read whatever Elin Hilderbrand writes, and in Natural Selection her writing style pulls you into the story just as it has in her other books. This short story follows Sophia, a thirty-something woman dating a fifty-something man who lives part-time in NY and part-time in Oklahoma and has a family with a woman back home whom he says he has divorced. When he takes Sophia on a trip to the Galapagos Islands, he is called away at the airport for a family emergency, abandoning her but encouraging her to take the trip without him. Morose and moody, she joins the other passengers on the trip that turns out less luxurious than they were all led to believe, but the slow build of friendship and camaraderie soon displaces their initial feelings about their circumstances. As the trip progresses, Sophia learns the real reason her boyfriend has left her, putting her life on a different path than the one she’d expected upon their return. The experience changes her outlook and, through a truncated ending to the story, we learn she eventually gets her happily ever after.

I thought the story was just okay. I am curious to see what Elin’s new book ventures will be like as she retires from writing about Nantucket and branches out into other settings. I haven’t always enjoyed the books she has set elsewhere, so we’ll see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this copy in exchange for an honest review.