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The Beach Club: A Novel
In The Beach Club, the juicy first novel by Elin Hilderbrand, a series of personal dramas are played out during one summer at a Nantucket Beach Club. It's about the love of summer, summer love, and the special feelings we all have for that special summer place—in this case, a hotel and an island.
Mack Petersen, manager of the hotel, has been working at The Beach Club for 12 summers. Only this summer is different. His boss, the owner of the hotel, Bill Elliot, shows up in the spring with a new set of demands. His girlfriend Maribel is pressing Mack to get married and Vance, the African-American bellman, who has hated Mack since the day Mack stole his job 12 years ago, threatens him in a deadly scene. Mack knows something's got to give.
Love O'Donnell, the new front desk person straight from the slopes of Aspen, is desperately searching for a stranger to father her child. The bellman, Jem Crandall, who posed as Mr. November in his college calendar, is on his way to LA to break into agenting, until he falls in love with Maribel. Emotions are at a peak when a hurricane threatens to wash away The Beach Club and all it stands for.
An engrossing, sexy novel that will sweep you away to the beach any time of the year.
Mack Petersen, manager of the hotel, has been working at The Beach Club for 12 summers. Only this summer is different. His boss, the owner of the hotel, Bill Elliot, shows up in the spring with a new set of demands. His girlfriend Maribel is pressing Mack to get married and Vance, the African-American bellman, who has hated Mack since the day Mack stole his job 12 years ago, threatens him in a deadly scene. Mack knows something's got to give.
Love O'Donnell, the new front desk person straight from the slopes of Aspen, is desperately searching for a stranger to father her child. The bellman, Jem Crandall, who posed as Mr. November in his college calendar, is on his way to LA to break into agenting, until he falls in love with Maribel. Emotions are at a peak when a hurricane threatens to wash away The Beach Club and all it stands for.
An engrossing, sexy novel that will sweep you away to the beach any time of the year.
Audible Audio
First published June 1, 2000
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About the author
Elin Hilderbrand
88 books60.7k followersElin 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,160 reviews
June 15, 2015
Overall enjoyable, but not as good as her more recent books. My complaints about the book are:
1) It didn't make sense for Vance to pull a gun on his boss. It was also an unnecessary plot twist. The description on the back of the book says, "Vance has his African-American pride," but it is not a good description of the character.
2) The appearance of the school custodian was weird and even more weird when she gave the daughter money.
3) Why are the hotel owners encouraging their 18 year old daughter to marry a 30 year old man?
1) It didn't make sense for Vance to pull a gun on his boss. It was also an unnecessary plot twist. The description on the back of the book says, "Vance has his African-American pride," but it is not a good description of the character.
2) The appearance of the school custodian was weird and even more weird when she gave the daughter money.
3) Why are the hotel owners encouraging their 18 year old daughter to marry a 30 year old man?
August 8, 2010
When I read her books I want to send all of her characters to see Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura. None of her characters seem to have any idea what is the best or the right thing to do. Her endings are really abrupt in the sense that you don't ever find out what the consequences of her characters' choices are. This is the last Elin Hilderbrand book I will read.
November 18, 2014
I gave this book two stars. I wasn't able to finish it (and I usually don't rate books I DNF)but this was a DNF for the worst reason so I HAD to write a review. (Spoilers ahead.) I read The Blue Bistro by Hilderbrand and really liked it so wanted to follow it up with The Beach Club, the precursor. I was getting into the novel. The characters weren't perfect and had odd ways of justifying their questionable behavior but I was fine with that. (Its basically an upmarket soap opera that takes place in Nantucket so drama and bad behavior is expected.) But the one character that I had a major problem with and just couldn't get past even for the sake of finishing the book was Vance. As a minority reader who reads all types of fiction, there are things that can make you cringe and its a bad and stereotypical representation of minority characters. Vance seems to be the only black character in the novel and he is at one point described by another character as "exotic," another character jokes that his shaved head "makes him look like he's in a gang," and he seems to suffer daily humiliation by the fact that he was originally supposed to be the manager of The Beach Club but by a poor twist of fate ends up getting the position as head bellman. (Really? The black guy... is the head bellman?) All of this was irritating but I was willing to keep going until Vance inexplicably decides to take a hotel guests gun and threaten the hotel manager with it because he doesn't like him that much. WTF! Here is a college educated, professional man who suddenly decides to pull a gun on someone. At that point, I was done. I couldn't read anymore. I don't think it was the author's intention to be racist or promote stereotypes but that unwittingly happened with this portrayal of a major character. I just couldn't read anymore and its a shame because I was really liking this author's work.
July 15, 2011
This was an interesting book.......I really enjoyed it, but struggled. I think I am spoiled because the first book by Elin Hilderbrand that I read was The Blue Bistro, and I was completely captivated by it. So The Beach Club was sort of a struggle for me. Too many characters, not enough H.E.A. for my taste. But excellent, solid story line set in a beach club/hotel I pictured perfectly in my mind, and with enough drama to make me anticipate my reading time each day with a grin on my face. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a book with an expansive cast of characters, and who doesn't mind living without an H.E.A. at the end.
July 26, 2019
Oh boy, this was a rough one for me.
So I read The Perfect Couple this summer and I absolutely loved it! The writing, the characters, the plot, the setting, it was all so great. Once I found how obsessed people are with Elin Hilderbrand I had to get some of her other ones and I have to say this was such a big disappointment!
I'm guessing most if not all of her books are set in Nantucket, which I absolutely love! You can tell she cares about the place and her descriptions are beautiful. The Beach Club follows a hotel on the island and the people who run it along with some of the guests. This was by no means a murder mystery like the Perfect Couple but I was here for the drama.
I liked how this book was written and to be fair I did fly through the whole thing pretty quickly. Some of the characters were pretty interesting but there were so many WTF moments in this one (and not the good kind) that I had a hard time caring about anyone or anything at all about it.
Here's a quick list of what I disliked about this story:
- First, when the loving parents try to pawn off their recent high school grad daughter onto the 30 YEAR OLD manager of their hotel. Ok parents of the year.
- The main character Mack was the absolute worst! He toyed with peoples emotions, cared about no one but himself, was a cheater, a liar, just awful! I'm supposed to root for him? Not at all.
- One character and to mention many times (in detail) his sister's eating disorder. This added nothing to the plot, she played no role in the story, and in a healthy way of looking at the issue he refers to her as a "whacko."
- If an employee pulls a gun on a boss for no justifiable reason there is no way it wouldn't be brought up again.
- The girl trying to trap a man into getting her pregnant and sharing this with the poor cab driver?? These people are all certifiable messes.
The ending "mystery" was dumb. (Don't get me started on the intentions and the blatant sexism.) There was not one redeemable character in this and if the ending was to allude to what I think it was then I'm thoroughly disturbed.
I'm so disappointed but I'm hoping this was an anomaly and the rest of her books are as good as The Perfect Couple.
So I read The Perfect Couple this summer and I absolutely loved it! The writing, the characters, the plot, the setting, it was all so great. Once I found how obsessed people are with Elin Hilderbrand I had to get some of her other ones and I have to say this was such a big disappointment!
I'm guessing most if not all of her books are set in Nantucket, which I absolutely love! You can tell she cares about the place and her descriptions are beautiful. The Beach Club follows a hotel on the island and the people who run it along with some of the guests. This was by no means a murder mystery like the Perfect Couple but I was here for the drama.
I liked how this book was written and to be fair I did fly through the whole thing pretty quickly. Some of the characters were pretty interesting but there were so many WTF moments in this one (and not the good kind) that I had a hard time caring about anyone or anything at all about it.
Here's a quick list of what I disliked about this story:
- First, when the loving parents try to pawn off their recent high school grad daughter onto the 30 YEAR OLD manager of their hotel. Ok parents of the year.
- The main character Mack was the absolute worst! He toyed with peoples emotions, cared about no one but himself, was a cheater, a liar, just awful! I'm supposed to root for him? Not at all.
- One character and to mention many times (in detail) his sister's eating disorder. This added nothing to the plot, she played no role in the story, and in a healthy way of looking at the issue he refers to her as a "whacko."
- If an employee pulls a gun on a boss for no justifiable reason there is no way it wouldn't be brought up again.
- The girl trying to trap a man into getting her pregnant and sharing this with the poor cab driver?? These people are all certifiable messes.
The ending "mystery" was dumb. (Don't get me started on the intentions and the blatant sexism.) There was not one redeemable character in this and if the ending was to allude to what I think it was then I'm thoroughly disturbed.
I'm so disappointed but I'm hoping this was an anomaly and the rest of her books are as good as The Perfect Couple.
March 20, 2023
I love Elin Hilderbrand's beach stories, but I never read The Beach Club, her debut book, until now. The Beach Club the story of the Nantucket Beach Club, a beachside hotel, and the people that own it, work at it or visit. There are several dramas unfolding throughout the book and I am not going to list them all. The main character is Mack Petersen, the manager of the hotel. He has been working for Bill Elliot, the owner, and his wife for twelve years. He has been living with beautiful Maribel for the last six years and wants to get married. Bill's health isn't good and he is ready for his daughter Cecily to take over, but she is in love and wants to head to Rio to meet up with her boyfriend. Love O'Donnell, the new front desk person and is on the island to find a hook up. She wants a child, but not a relationship. Vance, the African-American bellman, has hated Mack since the day Mack stole his job 12 years ago. All of this and more comes to a head in one summer.
I really liked this story and was impressed that this was her debut. There were times I liked various characters and then disliked them in the next chapter. There were a lot of characters in the story that played a part in the mess that was that summer, but it was realistic. Throughout the book, there are letters passing back and forth between Bill and the mysterious SBT about the selling of the hotel, but Bill won't budge. We do find out who SBT is at the end of the book. There is a lot of soul searching and decisions to be made. There is love, romance, angst, lies, secrets and more that all pull together to create a great story. I'm glad I finally read this debut novel.
I really liked this story and was impressed that this was her debut. There were times I liked various characters and then disliked them in the next chapter. There were a lot of characters in the story that played a part in the mess that was that summer, but it was realistic. Throughout the book, there are letters passing back and forth between Bill and the mysterious SBT about the selling of the hotel, but Bill won't budge. We do find out who SBT is at the end of the book. There is a lot of soul searching and decisions to be made. There is love, romance, angst, lies, secrets and more that all pull together to create a great story. I'm glad I finally read this debut novel.
March 3, 2021
Borrowed from the book box at school, this is the debut novel of Elin Hilderbrand and her first visit to beloved Nantucket. It shows that her marriage themes would always be love, family, friendships and the legacy and pull to Nantucket's shores. Told from the perspective of several characters, the book certainly shows EH's magical writing building to have me dreaming of sunny beaches during an actual Canadian snowstorm.
Goodreads review published 02/03/21
Goodreads review published 02/03/21
June 20, 2015
Most of the characters were immature and unlikeable. The ending was very convenient and way too tidy.
August 7, 2015
I have recently fallen in love with the works of Elin Hilderbrand and have read several now in the last month or so. This is the first of her Nantucket books and while I really enjoyed it, I have loved her more recent ones more.
The beach club started as just that, a beach club for the wealthy to rent,to be able to use a beautiful beach. It has now expanded to also be a 20 room hotel. This novel gets into the lives of the people who work there and those that stay there. Elin's books are all juicy little gossipy treats. Instead of focusing on just a few people, you are thrust into the lives of many people, their emotions, their secrets. Sometimes when there are so many characters, the reader gets lost and confused, to me that is not the case with this authors books. They are fast reads, easy to keep up, and they satisfy that part of us that likes to know everyone's business.
I did find that I didn't connect the same with these characters as much as in the other books of hers that I have read. I found some of them; Vance, Maribel and a few others to be not likeable people and I didn't become as invested in them as I have in her other books. Sometimes I can read a book, and fall in love with the characters despite their faults while still enjoying the book, I didn't find that here.
I realize that none of the books she is writing are connected but I do find it a little odd that all of these books take place on Nantucket, an island that isn't all that big, yet so far I haven't noticed any of the same characters or places mentioned in more than just a single novel.
This author writes the best stories for beach reads, so engrossing and hard to put down, yet still fluffy and delightful.
I enjoy her books so much I am torn between slamming through all of her books quickly or trying to hold off and read them gradually. Either way, this woman really knows how to write great stories and I look forward to reading the rest of them.
The beach club started as just that, a beach club for the wealthy to rent,to be able to use a beautiful beach. It has now expanded to also be a 20 room hotel. This novel gets into the lives of the people who work there and those that stay there. Elin's books are all juicy little gossipy treats. Instead of focusing on just a few people, you are thrust into the lives of many people, their emotions, their secrets. Sometimes when there are so many characters, the reader gets lost and confused, to me that is not the case with this authors books. They are fast reads, easy to keep up, and they satisfy that part of us that likes to know everyone's business.
I did find that I didn't connect the same with these characters as much as in the other books of hers that I have read. I found some of them; Vance, Maribel and a few others to be not likeable people and I didn't become as invested in them as I have in her other books. Sometimes I can read a book, and fall in love with the characters despite their faults while still enjoying the book, I didn't find that here.
I realize that none of the books she is writing are connected but I do find it a little odd that all of these books take place on Nantucket, an island that isn't all that big, yet so far I haven't noticed any of the same characters or places mentioned in more than just a single novel.
This author writes the best stories for beach reads, so engrossing and hard to put down, yet still fluffy and delightful.
I enjoy her books so much I am torn between slamming through all of her books quickly or trying to hold off and read them gradually. Either way, this woman really knows how to write great stories and I look forward to reading the rest of them.
December 1, 2015
I have read all of Elin Hildebrand ' s books and have never failed to be captivated....until now. I am happy I didn't read this one first because I would have never picked up another one. There Was zero depth to the characters and some of the scenes didn't even make sense. Vance just randomly pulls a gun on Mack? The school custodian shows up on Nantucket and gives Cecily money? Then the abrupt and predictable ending. I actually skimmed the 2nd half of the book. Painful.
June 27, 2022
I was prepared to be disappointed. This is Elin Hilderbrand’s first published book (2000) and I’ve only read her more recent books. But it appears that she had her trademark style about life on Nantucket down from the very beginning.
April 26, 2018
The Beach Club By Hilderbrand_ Elin
Hotel on the island and many come to work there to find love and other things.
Quite the mix of people work and come to stay for a bit during the warm summer months to be waited on hand and foot.
So many to follow and all the drama of the island.
Interesting to learn of all the jobs the men have to do prior to the sun rising so guests will have everything ready when they wake up and want to hit the beach.
Lovers, some cheat on spouses, one looking for a man to father her child, others looking for huge tips so they go out of their way to please the guests.
Things go awry and people leave as the summer goes on-some run off to other countries, some bail on the bill, some leave to try new ventures and then a hurricane is forecast to hit-only a little bit, or will it hit them full on?
Surprise ending for all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Hotel on the island and many come to work there to find love and other things.
Quite the mix of people work and come to stay for a bit during the warm summer months to be waited on hand and foot.
So many to follow and all the drama of the island.
Interesting to learn of all the jobs the men have to do prior to the sun rising so guests will have everything ready when they wake up and want to hit the beach.
Lovers, some cheat on spouses, one looking for a man to father her child, others looking for huge tips so they go out of their way to please the guests.
Things go awry and people leave as the summer goes on-some run off to other countries, some bail on the bill, some leave to try new ventures and then a hurricane is forecast to hit-only a little bit, or will it hit them full on?
Surprise ending for all.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
October 21, 2022
THE BEACH CLUB, Elin Hilderbrand’s first novel is a wonderful introduction to Nantucket Island and the lifestyles of the wealthy. Filled with dysfunctional relationships and some antiquated ideas of romance, I still enjoyed the island escape the second time around, this time on audiobook.
Hilderbrand’s novels are particularly enjoyable on audiobook, especially on a rainy weekend curled up on the couch with cats on my lap.
THE BEACH CLUB centers around a resort, its guests, the manager Mack and the owner’s family as they make decisions about their futures and love lives. Though not a story I’ll likely remember, THE BEACH CLUB is a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
Hilderbrand’s novels are particularly enjoyable on audiobook, especially on a rainy weekend curled up on the couch with cats on my lap.
THE BEACH CLUB centers around a resort, its guests, the manager Mack and the owner’s family as they make decisions about their futures and love lives. Though not a story I’ll likely remember, THE BEACH CLUB is a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
June 15, 2021
Elin Hilderbrand's first Nantucket novel was very enjoyable with interesting characters and insight into the island culture of this infamous summer destination.
June 26, 2024
I am late coming to the Elin Hilderbrand beach book party, having only read two of her books before this one. Her novels all take place on Nantucket Island, most (but not all) occur in the summer, all are romances, and all are solid ChickLit reads. While Hilderbrand has been dubbed the "Queen of Beach Reads," don't underestimate her as writing mere fluff. She has some serious writing credentials from The Johns Hopkins University and the prestigious University of Iowa Writers' Workshop.
I purposely chose "The Beach Club" because it is her first novel—the one she wrote before she went on to write 29 more. While I don't think it is as accomplished as her later books, it is an impressive debut and one that obviously launched a stellar career.
"The Beach Club" is the story of a group of employees working at The Beach Club and Hotel on Nantucket during a busy summer season. It's much like an ensemble TV show cast where no single character pops out as the lead.
• The owners of hotel, Bill and Therese Elliot, are trying to hang on long enough to pass the hotel on to their daughter, Cicely, who just graduated from a New England prep school. Cicely has only one interest in life, and it's not the hotel: It's her gorgeous Brazilian boyfriend. Cicely is planning to run away to Brazil, a move that is sure to break her parents' hearts.
• Mack Petersen, the manager of the hotel, has just turned 30. At age 18, he fled the family farm in Iowa after his parents' untimely death in a car crash, and now he must decide whether to stay on Nantucket or go home and run the farm. Meanwhile, his longtime girlfriend, the beautiful and smart Maribel Cox, wants him to commit to marriage. Mack doesn't like to commit to anything, especially because he has fallen in love with one the hotel's longtime summer guests.
• Jem Crandall is a recent University of Virginia graduate working as a busboy in the hotel to earn enough money to move to California and eventually start his own business as an agent for actors. But if he doesn't stop making major mistakes—some of which are hilarious—he may get fired before September. Real trouble begins when he falls in love with Maribel, the boss's girlfriend.
• Love O'Donnell has come to Nantucket for the first time to run the front desk after meeting the Elliots in Aspen, her hometown, the previous winter. Love has an open secret: At 40, she wants a baby, and she wants to be a single mom. She is on the lookout for a man who will unknowingly be the father of that baby.
• Vance Robbins has been working at the Beach Club as long as Mack. In fact, Mack's job was meant for Vance, but there was a mix-up. And Vance has never forgiven Mack for stealing that job away from him 12 years ago. Vance is out for revenge…and it could be deadly.
And while emotions of love and hatred are roiling inside the hotel, the weather is churning outside, too, as a dangerous hurricane is heading straight to Nantucket aiming to destroy everything. Soap opera plot? Indeed!
This novel has LOTS of personal drama and storylines that begin to stretch the level of believability, but it's all light summer fun, making it the perfect book for the beach or your backyard.
I purposely chose "The Beach Club" because it is her first novel—the one she wrote before she went on to write 29 more. While I don't think it is as accomplished as her later books, it is an impressive debut and one that obviously launched a stellar career.
"The Beach Club" is the story of a group of employees working at The Beach Club and Hotel on Nantucket during a busy summer season. It's much like an ensemble TV show cast where no single character pops out as the lead.
• The owners of hotel, Bill and Therese Elliot, are trying to hang on long enough to pass the hotel on to their daughter, Cicely, who just graduated from a New England prep school. Cicely has only one interest in life, and it's not the hotel: It's her gorgeous Brazilian boyfriend. Cicely is planning to run away to Brazil, a move that is sure to break her parents' hearts.
• Mack Petersen, the manager of the hotel, has just turned 30. At age 18, he fled the family farm in Iowa after his parents' untimely death in a car crash, and now he must decide whether to stay on Nantucket or go home and run the farm. Meanwhile, his longtime girlfriend, the beautiful and smart Maribel Cox, wants him to commit to marriage. Mack doesn't like to commit to anything, especially because he has fallen in love with one the hotel's longtime summer guests.
• Jem Crandall is a recent University of Virginia graduate working as a busboy in the hotel to earn enough money to move to California and eventually start his own business as an agent for actors. But if he doesn't stop making major mistakes—some of which are hilarious—he may get fired before September. Real trouble begins when he falls in love with Maribel, the boss's girlfriend.
• Love O'Donnell has come to Nantucket for the first time to run the front desk after meeting the Elliots in Aspen, her hometown, the previous winter. Love has an open secret: At 40, she wants a baby, and she wants to be a single mom. She is on the lookout for a man who will unknowingly be the father of that baby.
• Vance Robbins has been working at the Beach Club as long as Mack. In fact, Mack's job was meant for Vance, but there was a mix-up. And Vance has never forgiven Mack for stealing that job away from him 12 years ago. Vance is out for revenge…and it could be deadly.
And while emotions of love and hatred are roiling inside the hotel, the weather is churning outside, too, as a dangerous hurricane is heading straight to Nantucket aiming to destroy everything. Soap opera plot? Indeed!
This novel has LOTS of personal drama and storylines that begin to stretch the level of believability, but it's all light summer fun, making it the perfect book for the beach or your backyard.
August 9, 2017
Mac Peterson has been the manager for the Nantucket Beach Club and hotel for the past 12 years. When he was 18 years old, he stepped off the ferry and right into Bill Elliott the owner and was given a job that wasn't initially meant for him. But he made the best of his situation and now here he is at a crossroads in his life. He is now 30 years old, he has his family farm in Iowa that he needs to make a decision on, he's been dating Maribelle for 6 years and she's ready for the next step, and he has to decide if the Beach Club is really where he is supposed to be. Filled with guest problems along with personal turmoil from all of the employees, this summer is bound to be one none of them will forget.
Elin Hilderbrand is a new author to me. Over the past year, I have started to read her books and really enjoy the stories. It makes me want to visit Nantucket for sure. This book really resonated with me though because of the few references to the area I live in now.
This is a very interesting story about one season at the Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel. A staple in the community for years. Most people who enjoy the hotel come back every year and look forward to Mac being there when they arrive and helping them throughout their entire stay. Mac isn't sure who he would be without the Beach Club. When his girlfriend of 6 years give him an ultimatum, Mac isn't sure how to take it or what he's going to do. With advice and issues around every corner, he finally figures out exactly what it is he is going to do.
The story ends leaving you wondering what exactly is going to happen next for Mac and what kind of adventures he will have in the following summers at the Beach Club. If he indeed intends to stay there.
Elin Hilderbrand is a new author to me. Over the past year, I have started to read her books and really enjoy the stories. It makes me want to visit Nantucket for sure. This book really resonated with me though because of the few references to the area I live in now.
This is a very interesting story about one season at the Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel. A staple in the community for years. Most people who enjoy the hotel come back every year and look forward to Mac being there when they arrive and helping them throughout their entire stay. Mac isn't sure who he would be without the Beach Club. When his girlfriend of 6 years give him an ultimatum, Mac isn't sure how to take it or what he's going to do. With advice and issues around every corner, he finally figures out exactly what it is he is going to do.
The story ends leaving you wondering what exactly is going to happen next for Mac and what kind of adventures he will have in the following summers at the Beach Club. If he indeed intends to stay there.
January 7, 2020
4.5/5
I love this story of the Nantucket Beach Club, about its owners and the manager. About some of the staff and the guests that return every summer. The book begins as the beach club is opening up for the summer season, and we meet the fairly large cast of characters through multiple POVs.
It's a lot of fun to read about the frenzy that goes into opening a place for the summer and closing down for the winter. Since I have never worked in the hospitality industry, it's also a lot of fun to see how things operate from the perspective of staff, especially when they handle difficult guests and tricky requests. But more than that, I love getting lost in the lives of these characters because I'm eavesdropping and peeking into situations that would be none of my business in real life. That's so much fun. And most of the guests at Nantucket Beach Club come every year and it feels like home to them. That really comes through in the story.
This one is maybe not as funny as some of the others, and the ending has a little bit more weight to it given the decisions facing some of the characters throughout the story. But there is never a moment when I wanted the book to hurry and be over and I never felt like it was heavy. This author just does a great job keeping me interested in people that are nothing like me with lives that are nothing like mine.
I loved this one on my first read, but I really loved it now with this reread. This book is a total escape for me. Elin Hilderbrand's stories with their beach-y settings are always a good time. I always start reading summer books just after Christmas, which is why I chose to pick up this one again at the beginning of January (:
I love this story of the Nantucket Beach Club, about its owners and the manager. About some of the staff and the guests that return every summer. The book begins as the beach club is opening up for the summer season, and we meet the fairly large cast of characters through multiple POVs.
It's a lot of fun to read about the frenzy that goes into opening a place for the summer and closing down for the winter. Since I have never worked in the hospitality industry, it's also a lot of fun to see how things operate from the perspective of staff, especially when they handle difficult guests and tricky requests. But more than that, I love getting lost in the lives of these characters because I'm eavesdropping and peeking into situations that would be none of my business in real life. That's so much fun. And most of the guests at Nantucket Beach Club come every year and it feels like home to them. That really comes through in the story.
This one is maybe not as funny as some of the others, and the ending has a little bit more weight to it given the decisions facing some of the characters throughout the story. But there is never a moment when I wanted the book to hurry and be over and I never felt like it was heavy. This author just does a great job keeping me interested in people that are nothing like me with lives that are nothing like mine.
I loved this one on my first read, but I really loved it now with this reread. This book is a total escape for me. Elin Hilderbrand's stories with their beach-y settings are always a good time. I always start reading summer books just after Christmas, which is why I chose to pick up this one again at the beginning of January (:
March 26, 2019
I'm really surprised I don't hate Elin Hilderbrands books. They don't seem like my genre. Even though I've only read one other of Elin's books, I can tell this isn't her best. And yet, I still enjoyed this.
I don't know what to even call her books. Very character driven books? There seem to be a lot of characters, with complex stories, weaving in and out of each others lives, or just running parallel to others.
I like how Elin tells a story and builds a whole universe of quirky, complex, funny, dumb, ridiculous, unique, sad and highly imperfect characters.
Elin's writing isn't too sappy, too sad, or too romantic.
Everyone in The Beach Club was a hot mess and I realize how cliche that is. Every character was a real flawed idiot but I'm interested in their story and how they navigate their summer drama. Bill and Theresa were almost insufferable in their stubborn, short sighted determination to run their hotel and have their lives be just so.
I really enjoy the peek we get into her characters lives and I look forward to more of her books.
I don't know what to even call her books. Very character driven books? There seem to be a lot of characters, with complex stories, weaving in and out of each others lives, or just running parallel to others.
I like how Elin tells a story and builds a whole universe of quirky, complex, funny, dumb, ridiculous, unique, sad and highly imperfect characters.
Elin's writing isn't too sappy, too sad, or too romantic.
Everyone in The Beach Club was a hot mess and I realize how cliche that is. Every character was a real flawed idiot but I'm interested in their story and how they navigate their summer drama. Bill and Theresa were almost insufferable in their stubborn, short sighted determination to run their hotel and have their lives be just so.
I really enjoy the peek we get into her characters lives and I look forward to more of her books.
July 19, 2023
Finally, sweet release.
My favorite parts of this book are the ones I mercifully cannot remember.
There wasn’t a single character in this book who I felt morally clear to root for. And there wasn’t any detectable redemption for really anyone. The plot structure/direction itself was fine, I suppose, but the people were just deplorable or forgettable. And I appreciate that this was written 20 years ago, but so much of the language around culture, relationships, and neurodivergence made my skin crawl.
You won’t miss anything skipping this one.
My favorite parts of this book are the ones I mercifully cannot remember.
There wasn’t a single character in this book who I felt morally clear to root for. And there wasn’t any detectable redemption for really anyone. The plot structure/direction itself was fine, I suppose, but the people were just deplorable or forgettable. And I appreciate that this was written 20 years ago, but so much of the language around culture, relationships, and neurodivergence made my skin crawl.
You won’t miss anything skipping this one.
August 12, 2023
I have seen Elin Hilderbrand everywhere and wanted to start with her first book in case there was ever going to be any overlap. This was horrible. It dragged on, and every single character needs some serious counseling! They need to work on themselves and boundries because they are all horrible.
September 6, 2018
Enjoyable with nice characters. There were some I liked more than others. The Nantucket setting was beautifully done.
April 15, 2023
This went down like razor blades. There was about 900 characters in this and I simply didn’t care for ANY of them. Woof.
June 28, 2021
My 50th book of the year! I love Hilderbrand’s books and this one was definitely not a disappointment. It even had a shocking twist at the end which I didn’t expect. I’m ready to take a trip to The Beach Club and visit Nantucket.
October 2, 2020
This was my first read by this author. Parts were really good, parts not so much. Didn’t realize that it was her first book. I know she’s a very well-renowned author, I’ll try a few more of her books before I write her off.
May 2, 2021
An Elin Hilderbrand classic and perfect beach read! Strong character development and I found myself rooting for all of the characters. Not too predictable like some other beach reads!
March 12, 2022
So, I wanted to go to the beginning of Elin Hilderbrand's writing career. This was the first one. It was before she made each chapter from a different POV. It was definitely the same writing style with a little less "edge." It's a story of a Nantucket Beach Club...which looks like it exists. The proprietors are getting older and rely heavily on Mack, an enjoyable character with a lot of charisma but some lingering issues in his personal life. Hilderbrand's characters are believable (but only in a novel) and flawed. I am taken along for the ride, and I have enjoyed almost every book. I found out Hilderbrand plans to be a book influencer starting 2024, so only 3 more new books to go.
I am going to slowly work through all of her books. They are more fun to read in the summer. It makes me want to go to Nantucket.
I am going to slowly work through all of her books. They are more fun to read in the summer. It makes me want to go to Nantucket.
September 12, 2022
A cute little summer novel. There was nothing I disliked about it but there was also nothing I loved. The characters were all believable, the plot resolved well, and I am a big fan of the author’s writing style. Happy to get this off my shelf and in to the hands of the next reader!
June 1, 2024
oh god what even was this…. so messy in the worst way. i hated every single character, so much. i have so many problems.
1. cecily out of no where still being into mack
2. the sbt plot twist being maribels long lost dad??? and he wanted to give the hotel to out of all people mack??? as a gift to her??? what the hell?? mack was the worst most infuriating person and treated maribel like dog shit, why on earth would he want that
3. it was not in vance’s character at all to pull the gun on mack. not even remotely
4. love’s whole plot was insane
5. bill and therese were infuriating. weirdos wanted mack, a 30 year old, to propose to their daughter, an 18 year old???? creeps???????
6. money is just falling from the trees. first random guy takes a liking to jem and gives him 15k, then out of no where cecily’s old janitor comes and gives her money too? whenever a character needs money, a new character is drawn up to give them the money and then they disappear
1. cecily out of no where still being into mack
2. the sbt plot twist being maribels long lost dad??? and he wanted to give the hotel to out of all people mack??? as a gift to her??? what the hell?? mack was the worst most infuriating person and treated maribel like dog shit, why on earth would he want that
3. it was not in vance’s character at all to pull the gun on mack. not even remotely
4. love’s whole plot was insane
5. bill and therese were infuriating. weirdos wanted mack, a 30 year old, to propose to their daughter, an 18 year old???? creeps???????
6. money is just falling from the trees. first random guy takes a liking to jem and gives him 15k, then out of no where cecily’s old janitor comes and gives her money too? whenever a character needs money, a new character is drawn up to give them the money and then they disappear
November 4, 2019
This wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The story is told by several characters, but I don't like most of them. I don't like most of the other characters either. There is a bit of romance and drama, but some of the drama felt out of place and out of character. The biggest problem for me is the ending. It wasn't at all what I wanted. It was lacking closure, too.
April 1, 2020
I have read many of Hilderbrand's books and this was by far my least favorite. I felt that there were too many characters in the book and they were not very well developed. I did not feel a connection to them and was not invested in their stories. I think the book would have been much better if it was a collection of short stories told from all of the character's points of view.
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