A Superfan’s Definitive Ranking of Every Nantucket-Set Elin Hilderbrand Book

Elin is no stranger to writing about restaurant life, so there was stiff competition here. Keep reading to see which of her food-centric novels of hers I’ve enjoyed more.

Many of Elin’s novels span the entire summer, but The Love Season mixes things up by spanning just one single hot August Saturday on Nantucket. After more than a decade out of the public eye, Marguerite Beale, a former hotshot chef, gets a call from her goddaughter Renata, whom she hasn’t seen since Renata’s mother’s death 14 years earlier. It turns out that Renata is on Nantucket visiting her fiancé’s family and has decided that it’s finally time to learn the truth about her mother’s life. The catch? The day the pair have planned begins to quickly spiral out of control. In a fun twist, this book jumps from Nantucket to Manhattan, Paris, and even Morocco.

The Beach Club proves that Elin has always had a knack for coastal drama! It’s very fun to read her first published musings about Nantucket, although some of the language in this book likely wouldn’t pass muster today.

In Elin’s first-ever novel (it came out in 2000!), we venture to the Nantucket Beach Club, where drama abounds. Although manager Mack Petersen has been working at the hotel for more than a decade, this summer is unlike any he’s been a part of. His boss is more demanding than ever, his girlfriend is pressuring him to get married, and he’s entangled in a dangerous rivalry with Van, a bellman who is convinced Mack stole his job. Throw in a new front-desk hire who is looking for love and another who’s in love with Mack’s girlfriend and things seemingly can’t get any worse—until a dangerous hurricane approaches the island and threatens to wash away the Beach Club forever.

Weddings are often great fodder for drama, and Beautiful Day proves that even the most gorgeous island wedding is no exception to the rule. And sure, the drama is juicy, but for me, the best parts were the details about a luxe Nantucket wedding!

The Carmichael and Graham families have arrived on Nantucket to celebrate the wedding of the season, which has been meticulously planned from the afterlife. Just before her death, the bride’s mother left behind “The Notebook,” a detailed document with specific instructions for her youngest daughter’s wedding day. Despite this planning, nothing seems to be going right as fraught sibling dynamics and relationship scandals begin to explore.

Elin has a true talent for not only writing morally grey characters, but exploring complex relationship dynamics between them. There’s something for everyone in Barefoot, although the ending was perhaps a little too predictable for my liking.

When three women arrive in Nantucket on a steamy June day, the island isn’t prepare for the emotional turmoil to follow. We meet Vicki, who is processing a serious diagnosis; her sister Brenda, who has left her job after a scandalous affair; and their close friend Melanie, who is finally pregnant after years of struggling with fertility, only to learn that her husband is cheating on her. When the trio crosses paths with Josh, a young local, he soon becomes entangled in drama he never expected.

If you’ve ever found yourself longing for more after finishing an Elin novel, Endless Summer is for you. This isn’t a traditional novel, but a story collection comprised of prequels, sequels, and “missing chapters” from a handful of Elin’s most beloved books. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend reading this unless you’ve read all of the novels that inspired these stories.

No matter if you’re dying to know what happens after the bittersweet ending of 28 Summers, want more backstory about Dabney’s first love from The Matchmaker, or are curious about what the Levin family got up to in the decades following the Summer of ‘69, Endless Summer reads like a love letter from Elin to her fans.

What’s an Elin novel without a swanky, dramatic beachfront party? Although it’s totally understandable if you have qualms about the infidelity element of this novel, I personally loved both the behind-the-scenes details about planning a major event and the engaging drama surrounding the committee members.

The first installment of Elin’s Nantucket quartet, comprised of four loosely connected novels, follows Claire, a renowned glassblower, mother of four and newly-crowned chair of the Nantucket Children Summer Gala (largely due to her connection to rock star Max West, her former high school sweetheart). Claire begins to worry that she’s bitten off more than she can chew when she agrees to create a “museum-quality” work to auction, gets her friends involved with the gala, fights with her co-chair (a Manhattan socialite), and even finds herself caught in an affair with Lockhart, the charity’s director.

While all of Elin’s novels take place on Nantucket, The Identicals, a novel about—you guessed it!—identical twins, is split between Elin’s beloved island and nearby Martha’s Vineyard, which many consider sister islands. Plus, Elin is a twin herself, which adds a sweet personal touch!

Estranged twin sisters Harper and Tabitha haven’t spoken in over a decade, despite the fact that they live only eleven miles apart. After their parents’ divorce, Harper went to live with their father on Martha’s Vineyard, while Tabitha stayed with their mother on Nantucket. Each has formed her own life on their respective islands, until their father’s death forces them to reconnect. When each realizes that they need a change of pace, they agree to switch places, setting up a delightful, Parent Trap-esque tale.

It’s no secret that Elin is incredibly talented when it comes to writing about food, so of course I devoured (pun intended!) her novel about a celebrity chef and those he leaves behind after his death. I’d say this is one of Elin’s less plot-heavy novels, instead focusing on unraveling the complicated dynamics between those close to Deacon. If you like character-driven novels with a dollop of gorgeous food writing and plenty of Nantucket imagery, I’d strongly recommend!

When famous chef Deacon Thorpe is found dead in his ramshackle Nantucket cottage, it brings together quite the unlikely crew on the island. As Deacon’s three wives, children, and best friends gather on Nantucket to say goodbye, it reignites a long-held rivalry between his exes—and secrets about Deacon’s life come to light.

While I certainly wouldn’t call this a fantasy novel, it has a mystical quality that I think will appeal to readers who love books with a touch of magic. And I have a feeling this one will made you cry! While it certainly takes on a bittersweet quality, there’s a lot of heart packed into this story. Bonus points for the fun chapters about some of the couples Dabney set up!

Nantucket native Dabney Kimball has always had a gift for matchmaking. With 42 successful couples under her belt, Dabney has never been wrong about romance—until her own first love, Clendenin Hughes, returns to the island nearly three decades later, forcing Dabney to reconsider her own romantic history while faced with tragedy that upends her life.

On an island as small as Nantucket, it only makes sense that rumors and gossip would spread quickly, a phenomenon expertly explored by Elin in the aptly-titled The Rumor. Not only does this novel prominently feature Fast Eddie (who makes appearances in a handful of Elin’s books), but it cleverly tackles gossip and lies in a fresh way.

Madeline and Grace are living seemingly idyllic lives on Nantucket, complete with a unbreakable friendship, devoted husbands, and beautiful families. When Madeline (a novelist battling writer’s block amidst a looming deadline) decides to use a rumor that Grace is having an affair with her handsome landscape architect as fodder for her new book, it not only threatens their friendship but reveals even deeper secrets that spread like wildfire.

Although the second novel in Elin’s Nantucket series has a more somber premise than your typical beach read, it’s ultimately a moving look at friendship and healing. Elin’s signature multi-POV style works especially well in here, as it helps the large cast of characters feel fully fleshed out.

Greg and Tess are one of four Nantucket couples who do everything together. When the couple embarks on a sail to celebrate their anniversary, it ends in tragedy when their boat capsizes, killing them both. Now, their closest friends are left to pick up the pieces of the lives they left behind, including caring for the couple’s young children, while dark secrets about the couple begin to come to light.

If you’re someone who likes “genrebenders” (ie. novels that don’t fit squarely into one genre), The Hotel Nantucket is an excellent Elin to start with, as it takes cues from romance, historical fiction, a touch of mystery and even a healthy dose of the paranormal. Trust me, you’ll be dying to book a stay at the hotel once you finish this gem!

In 1922, a fire destroyed the reputation of The Hotel Nantucket after Grace, a young chambermaid, was killed in the blaze. A century later, a billionaire buys the property and vows to restore it to its former glory—even demanding that it earns an elusive review from a famous critic. When beloved islander Lizbet Keaton is hired to run the hotel, she’s tasked with not only putting together a top-notch staff, but ensuring that the high-profile guests remain pleased, even though Grace’s ghost won’t quit haunting them.

Is there any better title for Elin’s final Nantucket novel than Swan Song? This is technically the fourth book in the Nantucket series, but I recommend saving it as your final Elin novel; plenty of previous characters (Chief Ed Kapenash! Blond Sharon! Benton Coe! Fast Eddie!) make appearances in a way that feels full-circle for fans. And of course, it’s laden with sumptuous details about parties, food, and Nantucket life.

When the Richardsons, a mysteriously wealthy and worldly couple, purchase a $22 million dollar home on Nantucket, they become the talk of the island. Everyone—from the soon-to-retire police chief to a gossip-prone mom—develop opinions about the couple and their house manager (aspiring screenwriter Coco), as they vie to score an invite to one of the couple’s infamous parties. When the house goes up in flames and Coco goes missing, the gossip begins to reverberate through the island.

While the Netflix series based on this novel, which is the third (and my personal favorite!) installment in the Nantucket quartet, is worth the watch, I’m of the camp that the book is always better. If you’re a frequent thriller reader who is looking for a coastal mystery, you’ll love watching these closely-kept secrets unravel.

Although weddings on Nantucket are a dime-a-dozen during the summer, the Otis-Winbury wedding is poised to be the event of the season. The groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to host the fête at their lavish oceanfront estate. When a body is discovered in the Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony, everyone’s a suspect: from the soon-to-be-wed couple and the groom’s mystery novelist mother to a host of wealthy wedding guests.

As far as I’m concerned, no one does food or friendship quite like Elin Hilderbrand, so I naturally devoured The Five-Star Weekend—now a limited series on Peacock starring Jennifer Garner. Come for the drama, stay for the mouthwatering food writing and Nantucket travel details!

Successful food influencer Hollis finds her world turned upside-down when her husband is killed in a car accident. Unmoored in her grief, Hollis decides to abscond to their Nantucket home, where she plans to host a “Five-Star Weekend,” an event designed to bring together women from each phase of her life. Of course, chaos ensues when Hollis’s childhood friend invites Hollis’s first love to spend time with them; her college best friend turned powerful sports agent gets involved in an online scandal; a friend from adulthood uncovers her husband’s affair; and Gigi, one of her blog’s biggest fans, is hiding a life-changing secret.

The Island will always have a special place in my heart, because it’s the first Elin novel I ever read! Plus, it takes place on Tuckernuck, a remote island off the coast of Nantucket, which gives it a unique edge.

After throwing her energy into the preparations for her daughter Chess’s wedding, Birdie is devastated when Chess calls the whole thing off in a middle-of-the-night phone call. In an attempt to put her daughter back together in the wake of her split, Birdie recruits her other daughter Tate and her sister India to join her and Chess on Tuckernuck, where their family has summered for generations. Of course, Tuckernuck has no phones, no TVs, no shopping—and life on such a remote island means there’s plenty of time for secrets and betrayals to come to light.

Elin’s first foray into historical fiction has quite the lovely story behind it: She wrote it as a gift for her twin brother, setting the novel during the year they were born. It has the same addictive qualities of Elin’s present-day novels with the added bonus of pop culture and historical references from the 1960s. This is a masterclass in balancing emotional family drama with historical details.

Every summer, the Levin family looks forward to their annual trip to their grandmother’s historic Nantucket home, although things look a bit different during the tumultuous summer of 1969. Eldest daughter Blair is pregnant with twins, while husband is off working on the space launch; middle sister Kirby attempts to balance her proclivity for protesting with her new job on Martha’s Vineyard; Jessie feels trapped as she enters her teen years; and Tiger, the only son, is deployed to Vietnam.

Most of Elin’s novels center on adult characters, but Summerland introduces the POV of teenagers affected by the tragedy that unfolds in the opening chapters. While this novel deals with heavy topics, it’s ultimately a story about the power of community and family. If you need a break from the “rich people drama” often featured in Elin’s work, this is a good option!

As per tradition, a group of Nantucket High students gather on the beach for a graduation bonfire that turns deadly when a car crash leaves Penny Alistair dead and her twin brother in a coma. Although the other passengers (Penny’s boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter) aren’t physically harmed, the crash takes an emotional toll on them, as questions about Penny’s mental state from the night of the crash begin to arise.