Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.
Make Nice (2026) Ryan Effgen "If you enjoy my novels, then Make Nice is for you! Ryan Effgen chronicles the hijinks and complicated dynamics of a weeklong family vacation in a gloriously depicted Mackinac Island - replete with fudge shops, lake views, and horse-drawn carriages. Engaging and charming, perfect for your own summer vacation."
Down with the Shipmans (2026) Meg Mitchell Moore "Meg Mitchell Moore is my own go-to for beach reading, and Down With the Shipmans is a pure delight. It's a family drama with three sisters, some very charismatic dogs, and a glorious setting. What sets Meg's books apart is her writing. It's quick-witted and self-aware and filled with specificity in all the best ways. I'm very picky with what I recommend, especially in this genre. I promise you will LOVE this - and all of Meg's other books as well."
June Baby (2026) (Thousand Voices) Shannon Garvey "The book of the summer! It has everything I want in a beach read: juicy romance, explosive family secrets, and a delicious island setting."
So Old, So Young (2026) Grant Ginder "Grant Ginder has written The Big Chill of our times...and possibly done an even better job. The writing is so good it left me breathless. (Please someone make it into a series!) So Old, So Young is a triumph. I will never forget these characters."
Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar (2025) Katie Yee "An absolutely delightful debut! Katie Yee's novel about a wife and mother whose world is crumbling becomes an inspiring story of growth and wonder. Highly recommended!"
Far and Away (2025) Amy Poeppel "Absolutely delightful. FAR AND AWAY...is everything you want in a summer read."
Where the Rivers Merge (2025) (Rivers Books, book 1) Mary Alice Monroe "Like so many of you, I start my summer season with the enchanting novels of Mary Alice Monroe. I'm a devoted fan of her magical depictions of the lowcountry and the charms of her characters."
The Names (2025) Florence Knapp "Behold The Names, which delivers a propulsive, beautifully told story about what happens in three different scenarios when a baby is given three different names. . . Don't miss it!"
A Family Matter (2025) Claire Lynch "A triumph! Like the great Maggie O'Farrell, Claire Lynch deals brilliantly with both big themes and small moments. I can't express how impressed I was by A Family Matter. It is, in a word, perfect."
Dream State (2025) Eric Puchner "Eric Puchner's Dream State delivers everything I want in a novel: a love triangle, a moving friendship story, a delicious setting (including some of the best skiing scenes I've ever read in my life) and rumination about how we search for meaning in our lives...an absolute masterpiece."
Women and Children First (2024) Alina Grabowski "Wow wow wow! Alina Grabowski's original and brilliantly written novel, Women and Children First, tells the story of a teenager named Lucy Anderson, who dies at a high school house party, through the lens of ten different women narrators-from her best friend to her principal to her mother. I was dazzled by the author's skill and emotional depth."
You're an Animal (2023) Jardine Libaire "Absolutely freaking breathtaking . . . Libaire's You're an Animal is the compelling story of four misfits in a gritty Texas landscape. . . . This will be the best love story you read this year, trust me!"
The Block Party (2023) Jamie Day "There's more than potato salad and Kenny Chesney on the radio at the Alton Road annual block party. Someone gets murdered and as always, in searching for the killer, a slew of other juicy secrets are uncovered. Told from multiple points of view, this novel is like a firecracker on a hot summer night. If you like my novels, you'll love THE BLOCK PARTY."
Little Monsters (2023) Adrienne Brodeur "Nobody describes the natural beauty of Cape Cod or the lovely, messy bonds of family better than Adrienne Brodeur. Little Monsters is an absolutely captivating read."
On Fire Island (2023) (Fire Island Trilogy, book 1) Jane L Rosen "Wanna get away? Spend a delicious, idyllic summer On Fire Island with a cast of characters who will win your heart and soul. Rosen's intimate, detailed descriptions of the charms of Fire Island provide an irresistible escape."
Pineapple Street (2023) Jenny Jackson "Jenny Jackson delivers SUCH a delicious treat with her debut novel, Pineapple Street. It delights across the board - character (the wealthy, quirky Stockton family), setting (an insider's look at Brooklyn) and plot (a searingly honest exploration of class and privilege.) With shifting points of view and smart, laugh-out-loud observations on every single page, Pineapple Street is an instant classic."
Our Little World (2022) Karen Winn "I was intrigued by Our Little World from the chilling first paragraph. It's a coming-of-age novel complicated by a tragic and untimely death, and it's also a novel about two sisters you will never forget. I fell in love with the confidence of the writing and the colorful nostalgia of the mid-'80s details. Our Little World will transport and transfix you."
On Gin Lane (2022) Brooke Lea Foster "What a lovely summer novel! On Gin Lane follows charming New York socialite Everleigh Farrows as she navigates the tricky social terrain of the Hamptons in the summer of 1957. The exquisite care given to vintage detail in this novel was utterly captivating - I felt like I was eating tomato sandwiches, bumping into romantic rivals at the Maidstone Club, and dancing in the street in my espadrilles."
Sister Stardust (2022) Jane Green "A magic novel and a sumptuous feast for the senses. Sister Stardust is a thrilling trip."
The Good Left Undone (2022) Adriana Trigiani "A wondrous novel of storytelling, love, war, religion and that which defines us all: family. Adriana Trigiani has outdone herself with her sharp eye, her humor and her warm and generous heart."
The Sweetest Days (2021) John Hough Jr "An elegant novel, evocative of the great books that first made me want to be a writer —A Separate Peace, Rabbit, Run. The writing is gorgeous and heartbreaking, the story of love and privilege engrossing, and the dialogue nothing short of brilliant. I found myself in this novel’s thrall."
It Had to Be You (2021) Georgia Clark "IT HAD TO BE YOU is the book-equivalent of a perfect first date. It’s instantly engaging, fun, inclusive, big-hearted and most importantly, it’s smart. Georgia Clark is a fierce talent and her storytelling powers are on full display here. I’m SMITTEN with this novel. Highly highly recommended!"
Who Is Maud Dixon? (2021) Alexandra Andrews "Captivating debut! Who is Maud Dixon? is a beautifully written literary thriller with a sumptuous Moroccan setting. What’s not to love?"
Good Company (2021) Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney "This book is SMART. It breathes new life into topics such as love, marriage, parenting, friendship and that old chestnut, betrayal. Set in both an erudite theater-world Manhattan and a golden-hued Hollywood, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney hits a bullseye with every single scene. Good Company is brilliant company."
Luster (2020) Raven Leilani "Raven Leilani has written a masterpiece on her first try."
Happily Whatever After (2020) Stewart Lewis "Happily Whatever After is a charming novel about falling down, getting back up, and chasing that elusive thing called happiness. I adored this book."
Writers & Lovers (2020) Lily King "Writers & Lovers stole my heart from its first pages. I am in love with this book. In. Love. This deep dive of a novel will stay with me forever."
The Jetsetters (2020) Amanda Eyre Ward "Dysfunctional family goes away together on a Mediterranean cruise: What’s not to love? This novel fell squarely in my wheelhouse and I was delighted anew in every port. The Jetsetters is fun, sexy, and engrossing."
Daisy Jones & the Six (2019) Taylor Jenkins Reid "An explosive, dynamite, down-and-dirty look at a fictional rock band told in an interview style that gives it irresistible surface energy . . . although the real power of this delicious novel is at its tender beating heart. It's an anthem and a ballad and a marvel."
A Well Behaved Woman (2018) Therese Anne Fowler "Oh how I loved every instant I spent in the world Fowler has recreated here. The story of Alva Vanderbilt is elegantly and emphatically told. Prepare to be enthralled!"
The Summer Wives (2018) Beatriz Williams "The Summer Wives is an exquisitely rendered novel that tackles two of my favorite topics: love and money. The glorious setting and drama are enriched by Williams’s signature vintage touch. It’s at the top of my picks for the beach this summer."
A French Wedding (2017) Hannah Tunnicliffe "A French Wedding is a sumptuous novel that will, literally take you away. It has the scenery, the food, the friends, the scandals. It's a delightful escape to the French seaside that I, for one, never wanted to leave."
It Happens in the Hamptons (2017) Holly Peterson "Hugely entertaining! Put Holly Peterson's IT HAPPENS IN THE HAMPTONS on your list of guilty pleasures this summer."
Standard Deviation (2016) Katherine Heiny "Irresistibly charming … A delightful, refreshing novel that illuminates the world of complicated relationships."
Water from My Heart (2015) Charles Martin "A spellbinding novel...Charles Martin took the threads of his storyline and wrapped them around my heart. His unforgettable characters captivate as they confront their hidden pasts and build upon their futures with faith, friendship, and grace."
The Glass Kitchen (2014) Linda Francis Lee "A sumptuous feast of family secrets, love affairs and craving of the human heart...an irrestible read."
Juno's Daughters (2011) Lise Saffran "Part Shakespearean romance, part Led Zeppelin anthem - a finely woven novel about the islands of yearning that exist in us all."
Husband and Wife (2010) Leah Stewart "Brilliantly written... A deeply human book: funny, tender, smart, self-aware."
Remedies (2009) Kate Ledger "Remedies is an immediately gripping, expertly woven tale of pain and healing. Ledger is a brilliant writer, the book is dazzling, but more important, it is moving."
Summer House (2009) Nancy Thayer "Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide."
