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The Academy #2
The Thoroughbreds
Class is back in session!
It's the start of another school year at Tiffin, with our favorite characters from The Academy returning for senior year - "sixth form" in Tiffin‑speak - a time of college admissions and trying not to crack under pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs.
In the wake of Honey Vandermeid's exit, will the new college counselor be up to the task? What do the cards hold in store for Tiffin's It couple, Charley and East? What will become of underground speakeasy Priorities? And what was in Cinnamon Peters's final email?
Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham answer these burning questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page‑turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and sacrifice.
It's the start of another school year at Tiffin, with our favorite characters from The Academy returning for senior year - "sixth form" in Tiffin‑speak - a time of college admissions and trying not to crack under pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs.
In the wake of Honey Vandermeid's exit, will the new college counselor be up to the task? What do the cards hold in store for Tiffin's It couple, Charley and East? What will become of underground speakeasy Priorities? And what was in Cinnamon Peters's final email?
Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham answer these burning questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page‑turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and sacrifice.
608 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2026
About the author
Elin Hilderbrand
81 books66.2k 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 604 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The drama was just as good, if not better than it was in The Academy. Some of the twists, turns and reveals had my jaw on the floor.
Full review to follow!
The Academy was featured on BOTM last year and this year it's an add-on. Get your first $5 copy here: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Super easy to sign-up, skip a month (or anytime), pause or cancel at no additional cost to you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and the author, Elin Hilderbrand for an early copy!
Publication date: September 15, 2026
Full review to follow!
The Academy was featured on BOTM last year and this year it's an add-on. Get your first $5 copy here: https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Super easy to sign-up, skip a month (or anytime), pause or cancel at no additional cost to you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and the author, Elin Hilderbrand for an early copy!
Publication date: September 15, 2026
Did Not Finish
April 21, 2026ARC for review. To be published September 5, 2026.
DNF at 13%
I usually stay away from Elin Hilderbrand’s books; I know they are popular but just not for me. However, I made an exception for her last book. THE ACADEMY, since it was set at a prep school and I love boarding school stories. I thought it was just OK, but when I saw there was a sequel I definitely wanted to take a look to see what happened next.
Inanity, that’s what. This just starts off SO badly. On the adult side the new head of school? She’s lost about seven million dollars of the school’s operating expenses because….she wasn’t paying attention?!?! And now she’s just not going to tell anyone while she sees whether she can figure it out for herself WITH THE GUY WHO TRICKED HER INTO LOSING THE MONEY. I’m supposed to feel sorry for this woman? She should be frogmarched out. This is beyond dumb.
On the side of the spoiled children it looks to be a battle of the influencers and the school’s golden boy doesn’t want to go to college. And you just know it’s all going to tie up into a neat little bow for these moneyed, beautiful people. Vomit.
I always get hate from mega fans of the authors when I rate a book a haven’t finished, but I would give this one star. Hilderbrand doesn’t seem like she’s even trying here.
DNF at 13%
I usually stay away from Elin Hilderbrand’s books; I know they are popular but just not for me. However, I made an exception for her last book. THE ACADEMY, since it was set at a prep school and I love boarding school stories. I thought it was just OK, but when I saw there was a sequel I definitely wanted to take a look to see what happened next.
Inanity, that’s what. This just starts off SO badly. On the adult side the new head of school? She’s lost about seven million dollars of the school’s operating expenses because….she wasn’t paying attention?!?! And now she’s just not going to tell anyone while she sees whether she can figure it out for herself WITH THE GUY WHO TRICKED HER INTO LOSING THE MONEY. I’m supposed to feel sorry for this woman? She should be frogmarched out. This is beyond dumb.
On the side of the spoiled children it looks to be a battle of the influencers and the school’s golden boy doesn’t want to go to college. And you just know it’s all going to tie up into a neat little bow for these moneyed, beautiful people. Vomit.
I always get hate from mega fans of the authors when I rate a book a haven’t finished, but I would give this one star. Hilderbrand doesn’t seem like she’s even trying here.
April 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley & Little, Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5⭐️!!!
THIS is how you write a sequel. If I’m being honest I MAY even like this better than the first book (too close to call). I was BEYOND excited to get this ARC because I loved “The Academy” so much and even had my last book club read it as our monthly selection. In this book we head back to Tiffin Academy where most of our former classmates return and as the popular kids say, “a new bombshell enters the villa” in the form of Phillippa “Pippa” Sacks. Along with a couple of other new faces, this school year gave us all the drama and intrigue from last season, PLUS some new rivalries and student/staff shenanigans. I loved every minute of this book. This book is set up just like the previous one- multiple POV’s, third-person omniscient structure, and quick chapters that will keep you reading late into the night.
Chaotic, messy and actually heart-warming at times, this book tied up all the loose ends from previous book, but gave us so many other intriguing storylines to follow. I think the authors even set up the ending to where the story could continue if they wanted it to. I’d love to return to Tiffin again to follow the new group of Thoroughbreds. And as I said in my review for “The Academy”, RUN this book to a Netflix/Hulu exec and make it into a series! These stories are begging to be put on the small screen.
5⭐️!!!
THIS is how you write a sequel. If I’m being honest I MAY even like this better than the first book (too close to call). I was BEYOND excited to get this ARC because I loved “The Academy” so much and even had my last book club read it as our monthly selection. In this book we head back to Tiffin Academy where most of our former classmates return and as the popular kids say, “a new bombshell enters the villa” in the form of Phillippa “Pippa” Sacks. Along with a couple of other new faces, this school year gave us all the drama and intrigue from last season, PLUS some new rivalries and student/staff shenanigans. I loved every minute of this book. This book is set up just like the previous one- multiple POV’s, third-person omniscient structure, and quick chapters that will keep you reading late into the night.
Chaotic, messy and actually heart-warming at times, this book tied up all the loose ends from previous book, but gave us so many other intriguing storylines to follow. I think the authors even set up the ending to where the story could continue if they wanted it to. I’d love to return to Tiffin again to follow the new group of Thoroughbreds. And as I said in my review for “The Academy”, RUN this book to a Netflix/Hulu exec and make it into a series! These stories are begging to be put on the small screen.
April 6, 2026
I’m so sad this book is over!
Another year at Tiffin! The drama is unreal. All of your favorite characters are back. Charley and East bring the relationship drama. There’s some new characters in the mix as well. I couldn’t put this book down and now I’m sad it’s over. So worth the read!!!
Another year at Tiffin! The drama is unreal. All of your favorite characters are back. Charley and East bring the relationship drama. There’s some new characters in the mix as well. I couldn’t put this book down and now I’m sad it’s over. So worth the read!!!
won-t-read-bc-nopes
September 15, 2026Yeah fine but are there horses in it? I am not here for metaphorical thoroughbreds, Elin. GIMME THE HORSES.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This series is so ridiculous yet incredibly bingeable. Centered around wealthy high school students at boarding school, it reads like a soap opera. Add in the constant name dropping of pop culture items and hot places and it can sometimes be a bit much.
But the Hilderbrand and Cunningham excel at pulling you into the story--and while there's fluff and intrigue, there's also heart. Rich kids are still people, and some of these kids are dealing with serious issues and topics. Many from book #1 are back, and I was particularly glad to see Charley and Davi again. We also have a new girl, Pippa, who is riling up the sixth-formers. Most of the teachers still seem a bit inept (looking at you, Rhode!) and poor Head of School Audre is making some bad decisions...
Still, I can't lie, I devoured this one like the guilty pleasure that it is, even if I rolled my eyes from time-to-time. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company in return for an unbiased review.
But the Hilderbrand and Cunningham excel at pulling you into the story--and while there's fluff and intrigue, there's also heart. Rich kids are still people, and some of these kids are dealing with serious issues and topics. Many from book #1 are back, and I was particularly glad to see Charley and Davi again. We also have a new girl, Pippa, who is riling up the sixth-formers. Most of the teachers still seem a bit inept (looking at you, Rhode!) and poor Head of School Audre is making some bad decisions...
Still, I can't lie, I devoured this one like the guilty pleasure that it is, even if I rolled my eyes from time-to-time. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company in return for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Class is back in session! New York Times bestselling authors of The Academy Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham return with The Thoroughbreds: what has more high-stakes drama, tension, and intrigue than senior year at a New England boarding school?"
The Academy left us on a cliffhanger that gets all our questions answered. New college counselor Mav has his hands full with assisting the new senior class with college admissions. Will he be up to the task? Dub and Hakeem seem to be struggling. Charley and East could be on the rocks. A new day student Pippa might be more trouble than she is fun. Finally, what was in Cinnamon's email to Dub?
Senior year is full of secrets, ambition and bad behavior. The cast of characters is fleshed out even further. The Thoroughbreds is the perfect fall read when school is back in session and we're ready for football, parties, college applications and more. This series is definitely Elin Hilderbrand meets Gossip Girl set at an elite boarding school. It's the perfect fall escape! Highly recommend and the ending will leave you with all the feels!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown & Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
The Academy left us on a cliffhanger that gets all our questions answered. New college counselor Mav has his hands full with assisting the new senior class with college admissions. Will he be up to the task? Dub and Hakeem seem to be struggling. Charley and East could be on the rocks. A new day student Pippa might be more trouble than she is fun. Finally, what was in Cinnamon's email to Dub?
Senior year is full of secrets, ambition and bad behavior. The cast of characters is fleshed out even further. The Thoroughbreds is the perfect fall read when school is back in session and we're ready for football, parties, college applications and more. This series is definitely Elin Hilderbrand meets Gossip Girl set at an elite boarding school. It's the perfect fall escape! Highly recommend and the ending will leave you with all the feels!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown & Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
August 14, 2026
Absolutely loved this sequel! The new characters brought so much fresh energy to the story, and I was completely invested from beginning to end. A perfect mix of drama, heartbreak, and heartwarming moments. I’m genuinely sad to be finished with it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
still deciding on my final rating but somewhere between 3.5-4⭐️ this was a fun follow up to The Academy & it did a great job refreshing you on all the characters and drama from book one, which was absolutely necessary because there are A LOT of characters. I loved being back at Tiffin for all the messy friendships, secrets, college drama, and finally getting answers to some lingering questions. My only complaint was the constant Gen Z slang, pop culture references, and brand name dropping, but maybe I’m just aging myself! Also, this is such a perfect transition read from summer into fall with all the back to school vibes! 🍂
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 16, 2026
This was absolutely everything I wanted from this sequel and more! Elin + Shelby are the queens! I adored the new characters that were introduced and thought they made the book so interesting. It was also good to be back with our old friends from The Academy! The short chapters kept me engaged and flying through pages. The style of this writing was so fluid and fast paced, I didn’t want to put it down. This book fully transports you to New England but with all the fall vibes! It is all things messy, dramatic, emotional and charged. Things did get wrapped up from book one and the questions I had were answered - which I love, and it also gave us new storyline to follow! I am obsessed with this duology and don’t want Tiffin to be over. I loved every second. I think it’s time we transfer it to screen!!
Thank you NetGalley, Little Brown and Company and the authors for this gifted arc copy!
Thank you NetGalley, Little Brown and Company and the authors for this gifted arc copy!
September 17, 2026
4.25 stars. We’re back at Tiffin Academy for another school year of privileged students, messy friendships, secret hookups + plenty of scandal! Charley and East’s relationship is crumbling, Dub and Hakeem are suddenly at odds, new girl Pippa is shaking up the social hierarchy + Head of School Audre is scrambling to save both her job (and Tiffin after a disastrous financial mistake!) And then there’s the mysterious attachment Cinnamon sent Dub before she passed. Even though there were are a LOT of characters and storylines to keep straight, I had so much fun being back in this drama-filled world. Rich-kid chaos, betrayals, secrets + some surprisingly heartfelt moments—such an entertaining follow-up to The Academy (for me this sequel easily topped it). ❥ Pub. 9/15/26
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Book of the Month
I had so much fun returning to Tiffin Academy
March 29, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Thoroughbreds in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled to be published in September.
The Thoroughbreds is the second book in The Academy series by mother-daughter duo Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham. The story returns to the elite boarding school setting introduced in The Academy, where wealth, privilege, friendships, secrets, and the pressures of the future all collide.
I have always been a fan of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and was so sad when I heard she intended to retire. When I learned she would be writing a series with her daughter, I was incredibly excited. I really enjoyed The Academy and always described it as Gossip Girl at a boarding school, and the first book definitely left readers with questions.
I’m happy to say I really enjoyed The Thoroughbreds. The book does a great job refreshing readers on what happened in the first novel. You quickly remember the students you met before, while also being introduced to some new characters who add to the story. I found myself rooting for these kids during their college searches and life decisions, and also cringing for them as they made the kinds of mistakes teenagers often do. The authors did a wonderful job making you care about these characters and their futures.
I especially enjoyed the storyline and was really touched at the end when we finally learned what was in Cinnamon’s email. It felt like a satisfying and emotional wrap-up to the story.
If you enjoyed The Academy, you will be very pleased with the wrap-up in The Thoroughbreds. Fans of boarding school drama, coming-of-age stories, and character-driven novels will definitely want to pick this one up when it releases in September. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Thoroughbreds is the second book in The Academy series by mother-daughter duo Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham. The story returns to the elite boarding school setting introduced in The Academy, where wealth, privilege, friendships, secrets, and the pressures of the future all collide.
I have always been a fan of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and was so sad when I heard she intended to retire. When I learned she would be writing a series with her daughter, I was incredibly excited. I really enjoyed The Academy and always described it as Gossip Girl at a boarding school, and the first book definitely left readers with questions.
I’m happy to say I really enjoyed The Thoroughbreds. The book does a great job refreshing readers on what happened in the first novel. You quickly remember the students you met before, while also being introduced to some new characters who add to the story. I found myself rooting for these kids during their college searches and life decisions, and also cringing for them as they made the kinds of mistakes teenagers often do. The authors did a wonderful job making you care about these characters and their futures.
I especially enjoyed the storyline and was really touched at the end when we finally learned what was in Cinnamon’s email. It felt like a satisfying and emotional wrap-up to the story.
If you enjoyed The Academy, you will be very pleased with the wrap-up in The Thoroughbreds. Fans of boarding school drama, coming-of-age stories, and character-driven novels will definitely want to pick this one up when it releases in September. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 26, 2026
I LOVED this so much. I can’t get enough of these books and these incredibly well written characters. The cringey ones were SO cringey and the stories were clever and it was so much fun from start to finish. I ate this up and now I want to go back and re-read The Academy. Then read this again. Thats how much I loved it.
The writing throughout was incredibly strong and I wonder what the process is like between Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham.
I wish I went to boarding school. I hope we get to keep following these characters because I need to know what they all do next.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the gift of getting to read this early in exchange for my honest review.
…quick note as someone who grew up in Flushing, Queens. Liam didn’t need to go to Flushing High School. He would have easily gotten into Townsend Harris or tested into one of the specialized schools (like Stuyvesant, where Yardley works!) or gotten in to a program at another good high school (ex, Cardozo has a law program that could be a way in). But that’s me being nitpicky for knowing specifics the authors likely didn’t know about.
The writing throughout was incredibly strong and I wonder what the process is like between Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham.
I wish I went to boarding school. I hope we get to keep following these characters because I need to know what they all do next.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the gift of getting to read this early in exchange for my honest review.
…quick note as someone who grew up in Flushing, Queens. Liam didn’t need to go to Flushing High School. He would have easily gotten into Townsend Harris or tested into one of the specialized schools (like Stuyvesant, where Yardley works!) or gotten in to a program at another good high school (ex, Cardozo has a law program that could be a way in). But that’s me being nitpicky for knowing specifics the authors likely didn’t know about.
August 31, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is how you do a sequel!
I didn’t want this to end! I couldn’t put it down.
I felt so attached to these characters! Book one was a little slow for me, but there was never a dull moment with this one! I think because everything was already established, it was easy to jump right in.
I want to hate East and Charley together because I didn’t think they would last, and he did some not so great things in the first book, but I couldn’t help but love them together. I felt the same way the characters in this book felt about them!
I really enjoyed Davi in this book, and Liam was a great addition, but they were kind of tossed to the wayside. Olivia H-T was actually pretty entertaining, even if she was also doing some things I didn’t love.
Dub is still my favorite and I love him even more in this book than I did in the first. He is such a good friend and such a good guy. Honestly he kind of deserves better! So many people kind of screwed him over, even though he has a lot of good in his life too.
I love a lot of the faculty too. Cordelia is my favorite I think, but I liked everyone else too. Except for maybe Rhode, but he was just kind of fun to make fun of. I love Haz as well, I wish he was in it more!
Despite me giving this 5 stars, I did have some issues with some of the characters and some themes in the book.
For characters I couldn’t stand, Pippa was one of them. I hated Simone in the first book, and I feel like they just gave me another character to hate in this one. I also really didn’t like Hakeem that much. First how he treated Dub, then how he only wanted sex. Yes he treats Taylor well otherwise, but people like that are never characters I am going to enjoy.
Another character and situation I didn’t love was with Mav. There may be some spoilers here. I know I can’t put all the blame on Charlie because a lot of women unfortunately have to give into men sometimes to protect themselves, but she did kind of annoy me at times in this book. Most of it was on Mav, but I still feel like she gave him too much time of day to let him take it and run with it. Yes, he needs to stay away from high school girls, but she shouldn’t have kept on going to his class. I know she wants to learn, but she can learn literally anywhere else from anyone else, especially after high school. She doesn’t need to learn art from him right that second. I could see her going to him at first, but when it got more creepy, I don’t know why she kept going back. Again, I really don’t wanna put all the blame on her because I know sometimes it’s hard as a woman to say no to a man, especially if you do have empathy in general. I know she didn’t wanna make him feel bad. But it was still weird to me that she kept on spending one-on-one time with him, especially when East was not happy about it. I’m not saying a boyfriend should be able to control her, but if she loves him as much as she says she does, you would think she would stop interacting with Mav. I really do think because of what happened with East in the last book, subconsciously that is why she kept talking to Mav. Not necessarily “to get back at East” on purpose, but that is why she didn’t stop it earlier.
These two books have a problem in general about focusing on adults and student/teenage relationships and it’s really creepy to me. I know, unfortunately it does happen in real life, but the fact that it kept on happening and kept on being talked about is not very encouraging. We shouldn’t be promoting this stuff. Yes it was shown in a bad light, but it’s a huge theme for a bunch of characters throughout both books. It’s kind of hard not to feel like they’re promoting that it’s okay.
Back to what I liked!
I was very satisfied where everyone ended up in this book! It tied together so well.
I would love to read more about what these characters all get up to in college, but sadly I know that won’t happen. I can just imagine all that happens.
I loved all the friendships they made along the way. There was also plenty of drama and crazy twists! Some things I guessed and others I didn’t. It made this book just a fun reading experience all around.
Hilderbrand has such a way with words, and her daughter made the setting and these characters feel very real.
Even if you didn’t love the first book, I would definitely pick this one up! It really does get so much better. And if you loved the first book, this will just be an extra treat.
It is the perfect fall read, but I also feel like it is good to read any time of year! I would enjoy this no matter what season I was in. I feel like someone would especially love it if they were in high school because they could relate more, but I also think any age can love this book! There is enough in it for all ages.
I am so happy I was able to read an early copy of this book, but it is also very sad too, especially if this is the last Elin Hilderbrand book I will ever read! I would love for her to write more if she so chooses, but I am glad I loved this one as much as I did. It is nice to end on a high note.
I would look up trigger warnings before reading though. There are some sensitive topics in there!
This is how you do a sequel!
I didn’t want this to end! I couldn’t put it down.
I felt so attached to these characters! Book one was a little slow for me, but there was never a dull moment with this one! I think because everything was already established, it was easy to jump right in.
I want to hate East and Charley together because I didn’t think they would last, and he did some not so great things in the first book, but I couldn’t help but love them together. I felt the same way the characters in this book felt about them!
I really enjoyed Davi in this book, and Liam was a great addition, but they were kind of tossed to the wayside. Olivia H-T was actually pretty entertaining, even if she was also doing some things I didn’t love.
Dub is still my favorite and I love him even more in this book than I did in the first. He is such a good friend and such a good guy. Honestly he kind of deserves better! So many people kind of screwed him over, even though he has a lot of good in his life too.
I love a lot of the faculty too. Cordelia is my favorite I think, but I liked everyone else too. Except for maybe Rhode, but he was just kind of fun to make fun of. I love Haz as well, I wish he was in it more!
Despite me giving this 5 stars, I did have some issues with some of the characters and some themes in the book.
For characters I couldn’t stand, Pippa was one of them. I hated Simone in the first book, and I feel like they just gave me another character to hate in this one. I also really didn’t like Hakeem that much. First how he treated Dub, then how he only wanted sex. Yes he treats Taylor well otherwise, but people like that are never characters I am going to enjoy.
Another character and situation I didn’t love was with Mav. There may be some spoilers here. I know I can’t put all the blame on Charlie because a lot of women unfortunately have to give into men sometimes to protect themselves, but she did kind of annoy me at times in this book. Most of it was on Mav, but I still feel like she gave him too much time of day to let him take it and run with it. Yes, he needs to stay away from high school girls, but she shouldn’t have kept on going to his class. I know she wants to learn, but she can learn literally anywhere else from anyone else, especially after high school. She doesn’t need to learn art from him right that second. I could see her going to him at first, but when it got more creepy, I don’t know why she kept going back. Again, I really don’t wanna put all the blame on her because I know sometimes it’s hard as a woman to say no to a man, especially if you do have empathy in general. I know she didn’t wanna make him feel bad. But it was still weird to me that she kept on spending one-on-one time with him, especially when East was not happy about it. I’m not saying a boyfriend should be able to control her, but if she loves him as much as she says she does, you would think she would stop interacting with Mav. I really do think because of what happened with East in the last book, subconsciously that is why she kept talking to Mav. Not necessarily “to get back at East” on purpose, but that is why she didn’t stop it earlier.
These two books have a problem in general about focusing on adults and student/teenage relationships and it’s really creepy to me. I know, unfortunately it does happen in real life, but the fact that it kept on happening and kept on being talked about is not very encouraging. We shouldn’t be promoting this stuff. Yes it was shown in a bad light, but it’s a huge theme for a bunch of characters throughout both books. It’s kind of hard not to feel like they’re promoting that it’s okay.
Back to what I liked!
I was very satisfied where everyone ended up in this book! It tied together so well.
I would love to read more about what these characters all get up to in college, but sadly I know that won’t happen. I can just imagine all that happens.
I loved all the friendships they made along the way. There was also plenty of drama and crazy twists! Some things I guessed and others I didn’t. It made this book just a fun reading experience all around.
Hilderbrand has such a way with words, and her daughter made the setting and these characters feel very real.
Even if you didn’t love the first book, I would definitely pick this one up! It really does get so much better. And if you loved the first book, this will just be an extra treat.
It is the perfect fall read, but I also feel like it is good to read any time of year! I would enjoy this no matter what season I was in. I feel like someone would especially love it if they were in high school because they could relate more, but I also think any age can love this book! There is enough in it for all ages.
I am so happy I was able to read an early copy of this book, but it is also very sad too, especially if this is the last Elin Hilderbrand book I will ever read! I would love for her to write more if she so chooses, but I am glad I loved this one as much as I did. It is nice to end on a high note.
I would look up trigger warnings before reading though. There are some sensitive topics in there!
April 11, 2026
Love Elin, most of her books walk the line of cringe and cute but unfortunately this one was just not good. Tried to do way too much and went overboard.
September 15, 2026
4.5/5
I enjoyed The Academy, but I really loved The Thoroughbreds. Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham took everything that worked for me in the first book—the sprawling ensemble cast, boarding school setting, gossip, secrets, friendships, romances, and scandal—and made it even more addictive the second time around. This is such a perfect fall campus read: juicy, escapist, and just a little bit soapy in the absolute best way.
We’re back at Tiffin for senior year, which means college applications, parties, relationships, betrayals, and plenty of questionable decisions. Several of the burning questions left hanging at the end of The Academy are finally answered, and I loved getting some of those reveals while watching entirely new drama unfold. There are a lot of characters and storylines in play, but that’s part of the fun for me. Hilderbrand has always been so good at creating big ensemble casts whose lives overlap and collide, and that same skill works incredibly well in the boarding school setting. There are a few darker and more serious issues mixed into the story, but overall this remained the kind of entertaining, gossipy escape I wanted.
This is the second book in the series, and I definitely recommend reading the books in order. Technically, you could start here and follow the story, but The Thoroughbreds spoils several major developments from The Academy, so I’d only skip book one if spoilers don’t bother you. Personally, I liked this one even more than the first. And even though these kids have now graduated, I’m not ready to say goodbye! I would happily follow this crew straight to college, or return to Tiffin with a whole new class of messy teenagers. Either way, I hope we’re not done with this world yet.
Perfect for readers who love:
* Fall campus and boarding school settings
* Gossipy, scandalfilled fiction
* Large ensemble casts
* Interconnected relationships and storylines
* Secrets, betrayals, and messy friendships
* Rich kid drama
* Addictive, TV show style storytelling
* Escapist reads with a little emotional depth
I enjoyed The Academy, but I really loved The Thoroughbreds. Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham took everything that worked for me in the first book—the sprawling ensemble cast, boarding school setting, gossip, secrets, friendships, romances, and scandal—and made it even more addictive the second time around. This is such a perfect fall campus read: juicy, escapist, and just a little bit soapy in the absolute best way.
We’re back at Tiffin for senior year, which means college applications, parties, relationships, betrayals, and plenty of questionable decisions. Several of the burning questions left hanging at the end of The Academy are finally answered, and I loved getting some of those reveals while watching entirely new drama unfold. There are a lot of characters and storylines in play, but that’s part of the fun for me. Hilderbrand has always been so good at creating big ensemble casts whose lives overlap and collide, and that same skill works incredibly well in the boarding school setting. There are a few darker and more serious issues mixed into the story, but overall this remained the kind of entertaining, gossipy escape I wanted.
This is the second book in the series, and I definitely recommend reading the books in order. Technically, you could start here and follow the story, but The Thoroughbreds spoils several major developments from The Academy, so I’d only skip book one if spoilers don’t bother you. Personally, I liked this one even more than the first. And even though these kids have now graduated, I’m not ready to say goodbye! I would happily follow this crew straight to college, or return to Tiffin with a whole new class of messy teenagers. Either way, I hope we’re not done with this world yet.
Perfect for readers who love:
* Fall campus and boarding school settings
* Gossipy, scandalfilled fiction
* Large ensemble casts
* Interconnected relationships and storylines
* Secrets, betrayals, and messy friendships
* Rich kid drama
* Addictive, TV show style storytelling
* Escapist reads with a little emotional depth
July 8, 2026
The sequel delivered! The drama continued and I found more characters I liked. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first, and was glad everything was resolved by the end. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact these were high school students, some were more mature than others and still the partying was similar to college. Most of the parents still don’t have redeeming qualities and some of the other adults I didn’t like. There were a few dramatic story lines but I do like how it wrapped up their high school experience and talked about the colleges they’ll be going to. However, without giving a spoiler, Cinnamon’s message wasn’t at all what I expected. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.
September 13, 2026
The only place that could possibly have more drama than the entire island of Nantucket would be a fictional boarding school where only the rich and attractive attend. Because you can follow along with the lives of both the students and the teachers, the book has the potential to be relatable to all readers. Don’t worry if you remember nothing from the first book- the authors will refresh your memory without it feeling like a recap. I continue to love everything Elin Hilderbrand writes and a thank you to her daughter who clearly taught her what “scheming” means as it was used 20+ times.
September 18, 2026
I wasn’t crazy about the first book in this series but had enough questions that I had to read the sequel… and I loved it!! I liked this WAY more than the first. The number of characters/storylines is a bit overwhelming but the drama was excellent and so was the pacing. Such a satisfying conclusion, too. A great start of fall read!
September 16, 2026
I thought this really wrapped up well and gave the characters the ending they deserved…and now I’m wondering when my next Elin book will come out.
March 28, 2026
Extremely immersive & super fun to read. The hundreds of 2026 pop culture references are a little silly but once you just accept them it’s like yeah ok I’m having fun
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm not quite sure if Netgalley knew they were giving this advanced copy to one of Elin Hilderbrand's biggest fans, but I'm still glad I got the opportunity to read this early! I always thought that Elin's love of Nantucket was what made her summer books so special, but it's clear that she can write about anything and still capture our attention. If you loved The Academy, you will also love The Thoroughbreds. There is just as much going on at Tiffin Academy as there was the previous year.
We join Charley, Davi, Dub, East, Hakeem, Taylor, and all the other students as they return to Tiffin for their final year before they graduate. The faculty, including Audre Robinson, Cordelia Spooner and Rhode Rivera are prepared to take on the new year with several new faces. What transpires over the next several months are big revelations, drama and growth by both the students and faculty. All the MCs are created so well and their struggles are real. Elin and her daughter Shelby makes the story seem timely and realistic. You can't help but smile when they all matriculate at the end (I hope this is not a spoiler 😅) and Cinnamon Peters email is finally opened and revealed on Graduation Day 😮. I admit that I love anything Elin writes but this series is just as entertaining as her Nantucket books. I hope that there will be more Elin books in the future.
P.S. I also still plan on buying this when it comes out and adding it to my library.
We join Charley, Davi, Dub, East, Hakeem, Taylor, and all the other students as they return to Tiffin for their final year before they graduate. The faculty, including Audre Robinson, Cordelia Spooner and Rhode Rivera are prepared to take on the new year with several new faces. What transpires over the next several months are big revelations, drama and growth by both the students and faculty. All the MCs are created so well and their struggles are real. Elin and her daughter Shelby makes the story seem timely and realistic. You can't help but smile when they all matriculate at the end (I hope this is not a spoiler 😅) and Cinnamon Peters email is finally opened and revealed on Graduation Day 😮. I admit that I love anything Elin writes but this series is just as entertaining as her Nantucket books. I hope that there will be more Elin books in the future.
P.S. I also still plan on buying this when it comes out and adding it to my library.
September 18, 2026
This is the second book in the Academy series by Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham. As it's the second book in a duology, we're back following the lives of many (and I do mean MANY) of the teachers, staff, and students at Tiffin Academy.
I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, but I wanted to read the second book because there were some storylines left open ended at the end of the first book. While all of the storylines were wrapped up by the end of the second book, I wouldn't say they were all wrapped up successfully.
This book struggles with the same issues the first book did. There are way too many characters, way too many storylines, and despite this book being pretty long, there is no possible way to wrap up every storyline, resolve all the drama, and give every character a satisfactory conclusion. I will say I think this book did feature the POVs of more of the students vs featuring the staff / adults as much, when the first book was more of an even split, so I appreciated that, because I didn't enjoy the constant tone changes the first book had.
That being said, this is a book written for adults, primarily written about students, and in other words, children. The sexual content in both books, but especially this book, made me uncomfortable. I think Hilderbrand is used to writing books for adults about adults and she's used to including sex scenes between adults in all of her other books. I'm not delusional to the fact that there will be high school students that have sex, especially with more freedom at a boarding school, but as an adult, I'm not interested in reading scenes where children at this school are having threesomes, and I'm also not interested in reading very detailed sex scenes featuring kids. Especially when this story is featuring sex scenes where one person in the relationship is a legal adult, and one is not, and that happened in both books in this series with multiple of the different relationships. I mean seriously, I don't need to know what sexual position a high school student is in when she's having sex with her boyfriend. The amount of sex scenes in this book and the way the sex was written about in general did not align with what I personally would imagine in a story primarily featuring the lives of high school students.
As I said previously, the biggest issue I think this book suffers from is that there was just way too much going on with way too many characters in this book. We'll have a character going through something personal or dealing with private issues, but there's no time for anything to be explored deeply, so everything is wrapped up super neatly at the end, which is boring. There are also multiple people in this book who break school rules and actual laws and face no legal consequences, and some who face no consequences at all. It's hard to take anything seriously in this series when half the characters are getting away with crimes that they should be arrested for like providing drugs to kids, underage drinking, adults having inappropriate relationships with children, blackmail, computer hacking, etc.
I think this would have been a better story overall if Hilderbrand and Cunningham focused on a much more selective group of students, a handful of the more interesting ones for example, and explored their personal issues on a deeper level, instead of featuring every single student in their grade level. We do have a core group of characters (Davi, Charley, East, Dub, Olivia, and Taylor) who could have been the primary focus. We could have had one really solid book exploring the lives of these kids and maybe one or two of the others at this boarding school, who are all dealing with something privately, vs having two long books featuring 20+ students, who all have issues that are halfheartedly delved into, and everything magically works out for everyone at the end.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company / NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, but I wanted to read the second book because there were some storylines left open ended at the end of the first book. While all of the storylines were wrapped up by the end of the second book, I wouldn't say they were all wrapped up successfully.
This book struggles with the same issues the first book did. There are way too many characters, way too many storylines, and despite this book being pretty long, there is no possible way to wrap up every storyline, resolve all the drama, and give every character a satisfactory conclusion. I will say I think this book did feature the POVs of more of the students vs featuring the staff / adults as much, when the first book was more of an even split, so I appreciated that, because I didn't enjoy the constant tone changes the first book had.
That being said, this is a book written for adults, primarily written about students, and in other words, children. The sexual content in both books, but especially this book, made me uncomfortable. I think Hilderbrand is used to writing books for adults about adults and she's used to including sex scenes between adults in all of her other books. I'm not delusional to the fact that there will be high school students that have sex, especially with more freedom at a boarding school, but as an adult, I'm not interested in reading scenes where children at this school are having threesomes, and I'm also not interested in reading very detailed sex scenes featuring kids. Especially when this story is featuring sex scenes where one person in the relationship is a legal adult, and one is not, and that happened in both books in this series with multiple of the different relationships. I mean seriously, I don't need to know what sexual position a high school student is in when she's having sex with her boyfriend. The amount of sex scenes in this book and the way the sex was written about in general did not align with what I personally would imagine in a story primarily featuring the lives of high school students.
As I said previously, the biggest issue I think this book suffers from is that there was just way too much going on with way too many characters in this book. We'll have a character going through something personal or dealing with private issues, but there's no time for anything to be explored deeply, so everything is wrapped up super neatly at the end, which is boring. There are also multiple people in this book who break school rules and actual laws and face no legal consequences, and some who face no consequences at all. It's hard to take anything seriously in this series when half the characters are getting away with crimes that they should be arrested for like providing drugs to kids, underage drinking, adults having inappropriate relationships with children, blackmail, computer hacking, etc.
I think this would have been a better story overall if Hilderbrand and Cunningham focused on a much more selective group of students, a handful of the more interesting ones for example, and explored their personal issues on a deeper level, instead of featuring every single student in their grade level. We do have a core group of characters (Davi, Charley, East, Dub, Olivia, and Taylor) who could have been the primary focus. We could have had one really solid book exploring the lives of these kids and maybe one or two of the others at this boarding school, who are all dealing with something privately, vs having two long books featuring 20+ students, who all have issues that are halfheartedly delved into, and everything magically works out for everyone at the end.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company / NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
August 14, 2026
I am an Elin Hilderbrand LOVER. She can do no wrong in my book, and this one gave me every ounce of fall nostalgia, boarding school drama, and juicy scandal that I needed. THIS is a damn good sequel!!!
I do think you need to read The Academy first for this one to fully come together. We’re following the same characters, and after spending so much time with them in both books, I genuinely felt like I knew them. By the time we started getting closer to graduation, I was surprisingly emotional!!
And the DRAMA. My goodness. It felt like every time I turned a page, there was another secret, betrayal, or jaw-dropping revelation. I was eating it up!
I know some people hesitate to pick up this series because it’s technically set at a boarding school, but I really don’t think you should let that stop you. Yes, the characters are high school students, but there are so many adult characters and storylines woven throughout that it never felt like a YA book to me. To me, it gave Gossip Girl… but make it refined, coastal New England. 😂
The setting also gave me ALL the fall vibes. I read this in August while it was approximately 100° in Kansas City, but people around me were starting to go back to school, so the timing actually worked perfectly. It gave me that nostalgic, back-to-school feeling I was craving without being an outright fall book. If you want maximum cozy boarding-school-in-New-England vibes, I’d save this one for September or October.
I think I liked this one even more than The Academy!! I know the first book has some mixed reviews, but I personally loved it, and this one somehow managed to top it for me.
A juicy, dramatic, emotional sequel that had me completely invested in these characters. I cannot wait to see what Elin gives us next!
I do think you need to read The Academy first for this one to fully come together. We’re following the same characters, and after spending so much time with them in both books, I genuinely felt like I knew them. By the time we started getting closer to graduation, I was surprisingly emotional!!
And the DRAMA. My goodness. It felt like every time I turned a page, there was another secret, betrayal, or jaw-dropping revelation. I was eating it up!
I know some people hesitate to pick up this series because it’s technically set at a boarding school, but I really don’t think you should let that stop you. Yes, the characters are high school students, but there are so many adult characters and storylines woven throughout that it never felt like a YA book to me. To me, it gave Gossip Girl… but make it refined, coastal New England. 😂
The setting also gave me ALL the fall vibes. I read this in August while it was approximately 100° in Kansas City, but people around me were starting to go back to school, so the timing actually worked perfectly. It gave me that nostalgic, back-to-school feeling I was craving without being an outright fall book. If you want maximum cozy boarding-school-in-New-England vibes, I’d save this one for September or October.
I think I liked this one even more than The Academy!! I know the first book has some mixed reviews, but I personally loved it, and this one somehow managed to top it for me.
A juicy, dramatic, emotional sequel that had me completely invested in these characters. I cannot wait to see what Elin gives us next!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed The Thoroughbreds! I loved getting back to Tiffin and seeing the characters from The Academy again. This is definitely a sequel, but you could read The Thoroughbreds on its own. I think you’d enjoy it more to read them both and in order so that you know the backstories and the characters. There are enough reminders of what happened in the first book that you don’t feel completely lost, although I’m glad I read The Academy first because it made me care so much more about these characters and what happens to them.
I loved how messy everyone is. The friendships, relationships, secrets, bad decisions and all the drama kept me completely invested. What I loved most was the way this story captures that strange, messy time when friendships are changing, loyalties are being tested, and everyone is trying to figure out who they’re going to become. There’s something so addictive about the combination of privilege, ambition, secrets, friendship, and just enough chaos to keep you turning the pages.
I also really enjoyed seeing how Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, work together. You can definitely feel Elin’s style, but there’s something really fun about knowing this is a mother daughter writing team and the tone of the younger generation was captured wrapped in perfectly.
This was one of those books that I could just settle into and disappear into for a while. It had drama, secrets, complicated friendships, and enough twists to keep me turning the pages. I’m sad that the book ended, which is always how I know a book really worked for me.
I’m a little sad to be finished with Tiffin. I honestly hope this isn’t the last time we get to spend time with these characters.
#thethoroughbreds
I loved how messy everyone is. The friendships, relationships, secrets, bad decisions and all the drama kept me completely invested. What I loved most was the way this story captures that strange, messy time when friendships are changing, loyalties are being tested, and everyone is trying to figure out who they’re going to become. There’s something so addictive about the combination of privilege, ambition, secrets, friendship, and just enough chaos to keep you turning the pages.
I also really enjoyed seeing how Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, work together. You can definitely feel Elin’s style, but there’s something really fun about knowing this is a mother daughter writing team and the tone of the younger generation was captured wrapped in perfectly.
This was one of those books that I could just settle into and disappear into for a while. It had drama, secrets, complicated friendships, and enough twists to keep me turning the pages. I’m sad that the book ended, which is always how I know a book really worked for me.
I’m a little sad to be finished with Tiffin. I honestly hope this isn’t the last time we get to spend time with these characters.
#thethoroughbreds
August 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company and of course Elin Hildebrand and Shelby Cunningham for the opportunity to read this eARC before it publishes September 15 2026, in exchange for my honest review.
Here we are for another year at Tiffin, and dare I say this year is 10 times better! More of our favourite characters (plus some new faces), more drama, and many more questionable decisions.
When I say more of our favourite characters, I truly mean it. Everyone makes an appearance in ways big or small, and we get SO much more depth into these characters in the sequel. I truly feel like I’m back in my senior year, as a fly on the wall, knowing everyone’s drama, while also being all of their friends listening to the gossip first hand.
The drama, as always in Elins books, is top notch. I eat up the scandals, the romances, the lies, and the upheaval of secrets. This book is full of all of the above and more.
As always, the multiple POVs is such a strength in Hildebrands writing, and I can tell all the talent of writing multiple POVs has also been passed on to Cunningham, maybe it’s genetics. She manages to keep the storyline linear, and cohesive, while keeping you on your toes.
Overall, one of my top reads of the year. I am DEVESTATED our time at Tiffin has come to its bittersweet end. I am so ready to see what comes next from Hildebrand!
Here we are for another year at Tiffin, and dare I say this year is 10 times better! More of our favourite characters (plus some new faces), more drama, and many more questionable decisions.
When I say more of our favourite characters, I truly mean it. Everyone makes an appearance in ways big or small, and we get SO much more depth into these characters in the sequel. I truly feel like I’m back in my senior year, as a fly on the wall, knowing everyone’s drama, while also being all of their friends listening to the gossip first hand.
The drama, as always in Elins books, is top notch. I eat up the scandals, the romances, the lies, and the upheaval of secrets. This book is full of all of the above and more.
As always, the multiple POVs is such a strength in Hildebrands writing, and I can tell all the talent of writing multiple POVs has also been passed on to Cunningham, maybe it’s genetics. She manages to keep the storyline linear, and cohesive, while keeping you on your toes.
Overall, one of my top reads of the year. I am DEVESTATED our time at Tiffin has come to its bittersweet end. I am so ready to see what comes next from Hildebrand!
April 12, 2026
5 🌟
I cannot say enough good things about this book wow. I truly couldn’t put it down. The introduction of new characters brought fresh energy to the story and each one added a unique layer that made the plot even more engaging. The drama unfolded perfectly with a balance of heartbreaking moments and heartwarming ones that kept me fully invested.
The characters were incredibly well developed; some you deeply empathize with, while others are so intentionally frustrating that you can’t help but appreciate how well they were written.
This was an amazing sequel and I’m genuinely sad to be finished with it.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this ARC.
I cannot say enough good things about this book wow. I truly couldn’t put it down. The introduction of new characters brought fresh energy to the story and each one added a unique layer that made the plot even more engaging. The drama unfolded perfectly with a balance of heartbreaking moments and heartwarming ones that kept me fully invested.
The characters were incredibly well developed; some you deeply empathize with, while others are so intentionally frustrating that you can’t help but appreciate how well they were written.
This was an amazing sequel and I’m genuinely sad to be finished with it.
Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this ARC.
May 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for the ARC of this book! ‘The Thoroughbreds’ was a dramatic, fast-paced read that I absolutely flew through. That being said, I found myself feeling a bit conflicted overall. While the plot was engaging, some elements didn’t fully land for me, and I had a hard time connecting with certain aspects of the story. I do think it wrapped up most of the story in a satisfying way, but it didn’t quite have the same impact for me as ‘The Academy.’ It was definitely an entertaining read though, with plenty of drama that I think many will enjoy!
September 18, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and LBC for an advanced copy of the newest Elin novel, " The Thoroughbreds". I adored" The Academy" and was so excited to read this sequel to see what this cast of characters has been up to.. While I liked this one, I didn't love it. I felt it was slower paced, I was able to predict all of the "surprises", and I didn't feel as invested in the characters as I was in the last books( We needed more of a Chef Hass arc). That being said, I did enjoy this book and anything Elin writes I will happily read, I just wish this one delivered a little more.
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