From the Publisher
Just as the Quinns are about to converge for the year’s most stressful holiday, Kelley walks into Room 10 and finds Mitzi in the arms of the man they’ve hired to play Santa Claus. From there, we’re off to the dysfunctional family derby, with bottomless eggnog and evergreen garlands galore.”
—Elisabeth Egan, New York Times
"Hilderbrand is the absolute queen of the beach reads, and her latest offering is dishy and fun, as a classic Nantucket hotel attempts to reinvent itself with a new billionaire owner. It might look glamorous on the outside, but behind closed doors, there is plenty of dysfunction among the staff, drama on the guest side, and a bad reputation the place can’t shake from a tragic fire in 1922."—Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post (on THE HOTEL NANTUCKET)
"It's almost summer, which means Hilderbrand's legions of fans will be anxious for her latest. . . . This is classic Hilderbrand. . . . hopefully, she has many more Nantucket tales in store."—Booklist (on GOLDEN GIRL)
"Summer on Hilderbrand's Nantucket is never dull. This time she focuses on former lovers who now lead separate lives but share an island idyll once a year. Captivating and bittersweet."—People (on 28 SUMMERS)
"Hilderbrand sets the gold standard in escapist fiction."—Kirkus Reviews (on 28 SUMMERS)
"A page-turner....She's the queen of the beach read."—Coastal Living (on BEAUTIFUL DAY)
"Hilderbrand's surprisingly original take on the wedding disaster novel...A wedding readers won't be able to resist crashing."—Kirkus Reviews
"Hilderbrand's latest is the perfect beach read....[her] straightforward style pulls the reader into the minds of her characters, and all the secrets and sorrows that create the universal messiness of major family events."—Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR SUMMERLAND:
"Summerland is as readable as any beach book, but with a much bigger heart."—Boston Globe
"The Queen of the Summer Novel...Hilderbrand blends real-life issues - depression, teen alcoholism, bullying - with her signature soapy twists and illicit romances."—Joanna Powell, People
"Hilderbrand has once again written an engaging story wonderfully illustrating the often complex lives of young people struggling toward adulthood."—Booklist
"A sensitive glimpse into the lives of damaged people groping their way toward healing."—Kirkus Reviews
Booklist
"Hilderbrand has once again written an engaging story wonderfully illustrating the often complex lives of young people struggling toward adulthood."
Joanna Powell
"The Queen of the Summer Novel...Hilderbrand blends real-life issues - depression, teen alcoholism, bullying - with her signature soapy twists and illicit romances."
Boston Globe
PRAISE FOR SUMMERLAND:
"Summerland is as readable as any beach book, but with a much bigger heart."
Coastal Living
Praise for BEAUTIFUL DAY:
"A page-turner....She's the queen of the beach read."
Ladies' Home Journal
Praise for BEAUTIFUL DAY:
"A perfect summer read."
Kirkus Reviews
2014-08-14
Hilderbrand leaves the beach for this Christmas novel—though it's still set on her beloved Nantucket. The whole island is looking forward to the annual Winter Street Inn Christmas party, except for the inn's owner, Kelley Quinn, who's just discovered the hired Santa kissing his wife, Mitzi. Mitzi and Santa inform Kelley of their 13-year affair and Mitzi's imminent departure from married life. Kelley, retreating to bed with smokes and booze, blasts Mitzi on Facebook and lists the inn for sale, its extravagant restoration having eaten through his once-sizable savings. Thankfully, he has grown children to help, though they have problems, too. Eldest son Patrick lives in Boston with his wife and kids, but the feds will soon be at the door to charge him with insider trading. Bartender Kevin, whose life was derailed by a bad woman, is now on track: He's in love with Isabelle, the Winter Street Inn's beautiful French manager. If only he can muster the courage to pop the question. And finally there's Ava, a schoolteacher with the perfect boyfriend, except that he's really not that into her. But Assistant Principal Scott is. Perhaps the only one who can tie up all these loose ends is Margaret Quinn, Kelley's first wife and mother to the three kids, who sacrificed her family life in order to become the most famous journalist in America but whose arrival on Nantucket just may save the day. Increasingly, best-selling authors are producing Christmas novels, family dramas in which the Christmas Spirit prevails. They often seem like rushed marketing ploys, though occasionally they hold up to the author's own standards. Hilderbrand's falls somewhere in between; her skill at creating character is present, but the plot feels constrained and a little predictable. A quick read to get you in the holiday mood, but not as strong as Hilderbrand's best.
