I was so happy to see book four of the Winter series by Elin Hilderbrand. It was like coming home and getting caught up with old friends while reading Winter Solstice. I felt loose ends after reading the third book and was so disappointed that it was supposed to be the final installment, what a relief to have Winter Solstice and get everything wrapped up in a neat and tidy package. Saying that, it would be amazing if book five were to come out next year. I'm a huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand, I love reading her stories that take place in Nantucket. I do believe one could read any books of this series and not the others, but I would highly recommend taking your time and reading all four. You will not be disappointed.

I was thrilled to receive this ARC. A few weeks ago I was in a reading slump and wanted to read something with a Christmas theme. So I picked up the first book in this series. I burned through them so quick and loved the family. So it really pains me to say I wasn't crazy about this final installment. I feel we let Kelley down in a major way by putting him in the background and giving all the page space to Eddie - who had nothing to do with the first three books. I hated to say goodbye to Kelley and his family. But with the way the book laid out, I would have much rather we left it at the trilogy.

Standard Hilderbrand. Nice conclusion to the series, heartwarming Christmas read.

Elin Hilderbrand knows how to tug at the reader's heart strings. Winter Solstice takes a look into a family dynamic. A family who will soon lose one of their members and are trying to make the best of the time that's left.

The Quinn Family may be a little unusual, but they are definitely a family that sticks together. While they may endure some rough patches, they always manage to find their way back.

Winter Solstice takes you through Kelly's remaining days. Showing is health decline and what the family is going through while he fights to make it through at least one more holiday season. Tensions run high when people choose paths that not everyone agrees with. It's how they work through these bumps that makes the family so special.

Showing love and support that one can only hope to have in a family dynamic, Winter Solstice is sure to tug at your heartstrings and make you squeeze your family just a litter extra. An amazing story from Ms. Hilderbrand.

I loved this book! I've never read this author before so I was surprised to discover that this is the fourth and final book in the Winter series. I'm sure that I would have enjoyed the others in the series (in fact, I want to go back and read them) but I didn't feel super confused just jumping right in. I thought this was very well written and at times very emotional. I feel like the series was wrapped up but I enjoyed it so much, I wouldn't mind reading more of them.

Wow!! I’m telling you right now after just finishing this book I have a warning. If you buy and read this, go ahead and pick up a box of tissues. You WILL need them. This was the 4th book in this series and I only found that out while reading the acknowledgments at the end of the book. I had absolutely no idea. To me, it read like the first in the series. AND I am confounded and lost that there will not be a sequel!!!

I absolutely loved this book and want more!!

Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Just curl up with Elin Hilderbrand's latest and enjoy. This is the fourth in a series and is not really a stand-alone. It is best enjoyed after getting to know the Quinn family. Reading this was like settling in at a family reunion on Nantucket, and finding out what has happened since we last met. Hilderbrand doesn't disappoint!

Perfect for readers of Maeve Binchy, Rosamund Pilcher and Debbie Macomber, this is the fourth in Elin Hilderbrand’s Christmas “trilogy” about a family-run Nantucket inn. This offering is sensitive and sharply observed as members of the Quinn family and some of their friends and neighbors struggle for answers in their chaotic lives.

While this is an engaging narrative that can stand alone, I truly wish I had read the previous novels in this series in order to gain a more thorough understanding of some of the cast and their back stories. Nonetheless, Elin Hilderbrand has provided her readers with a crowd pleasing, affecting and compassionately written novel filled with a memorable cast of characters that readers can not only relate to but that they are sure to cheer for as well as empathize and cry with.

Warm and satisfying as a cup of cocoa, this book would be a perfect holiday gift for the woman in your life who enjoys touching tales of romance, family devotion and how people, working together, can overcome obstacles and find their way forward in life.

I loved this series. Elin is the Queen of Summer and I love how she brought her voice to winter. The Quinn family is so loving and fun and this was a satisfying end but I am sad that it is over

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I have been a big fan of Elin Hilderbrand's "summer" novels, so I was excited to try one of her "winter"novels. This was the fourth and final installment in the Winter Street series. It worked as a stand alone, but it was well written enough that I will now go back and read the previous novels in the series.

This story follows the Quinn family which is headed up by Kelly, who is dying of cancer. Despite his grim diagnosis, the family is celebrating because their son Bart made it home from Afghanistan after being held as a prisoner of war. It is a typical family drama as all of the siblings are struggling with their own issues, but Elin just has a great way of drawing you into their lives and making you care about the characters. There are not usually many plot twists in her books, but I just like to cozy up to her books and winter is the perfect time for reading this series.

Winter Solstice is the fourth and final book in a series that’s followed the Quinn family over the past four years, mainly during the holidays. Winter Storms, the third book was actually supposed to be the last book, but we got this one as a bonus! I was so happy because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this family, and even a year later I’m realizing I’ll never be ready, but this really was a fitting ending to a fabulous series that proves the queen of the beach read can more than hold her own as a holiday writer as well.

One of the biggest surprises for me was that Fast Eddie from The Rumor was in this one and he hasn’t been in any of the previous books, but it totally makes sense for him to make a cameo here. It was a blast checking in with him, Grace and their twin daughters and an unexpected treat. The rest of the narration comes from the Quinns and it was so awesome to finally hear things from Bart’s point of view. Spending time with these characters is equivalent to catching up with old, well adored friends and I enjoyed every minute with them.

This was a bittersweet ending to what’s become a highly emotional series, I don’t often cry when I read but this one got me right in the feels. It didn’t end all happily ever after, that’s not what these books are about, they’re about real life, The good, the bad, the messy and the real. In the authors note Hilderbrand revealed that she’ll begin a new series next fall and I couldn’t be more excited, if she writes it I’ll happily read it, I think she’s that good.

I usually love everything by this author. This book felt more likely a really long epilogue that wasn't actually necessary. I have read some, but not all, of the "winter" books so I was familiar with the characters but just didn't need to see it all wrapped up in a tight bow. Not my cup of tea.

After enjoying The Rumor, I was excited for the chance to read another Elin Hilderbrand book. I didn’t initially realize this was the final book in a series, but I enjoyed it anyway. I do think I will go back and read the other books, because I am now very curious on some of the references made to past experiences. This book has a lot of characters, so it is a bit hard to follow in the beginning if you haven’t been reading the series, but after a couple of chapters you’ll have it all figured out. There are some crossover characters with The Rumor, so that was helpful as well.

In this book, we follow the Quinn family with some focus on their friends and neighbors. However, the Quinn family is a bit of a mess. They are each going through their own trials in their relationships, but they also focus on the tragedy of their father’s illness. Early on, it is clear that he will not win this fight, and they each must find a way to deal with that.

Each of the characters in this book is very different from one another. They each have a unique voice and unique struggles despite the fact that they are so connected to one another. The siblings have grown up together under similar circumstances with the exception of Bart since he came from his father’s second marriage and grew up with his mother Mitzi rather than splitting time between parents as his older siblings did. Even with these similar backgrounds, they each find themselves in their own unique dramas. I enjoyed that this book was full of these “side stories” with the common larger story that tied them all together. It definitely filled it with drama and kept me reading to find out more about each of them.

Not only is this book packed with drama, it is also packed with emotion. Having the story of their ailing father tying it all together was definitely charged with emotion, but there is also a lot of emotion in the “side” stories. Struggling relationships, a veteran returning with PTSD, emerging love, and fighting past demons had me nervous and teary more than once. I truly felt for these characters and wanted them to catch a break!

The one thing that bothered me about this book was the lack of closure. I can only imagine how much this would be magnified if I had been invested in the entire series. There is definitely an ending, but several of the storylines are left dangling. I am left with big questions. I think it would’ve benefitted from a long epilogue or even another book in the series. To have so many characters left without a real resolution to their problems is bothersome.

Overall, I thought this was good book, but I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series. I think it would be even better if you were fully invested in their backstories and had an emotional connection to Kelly prior to his illness. I did enjoy the crossover with The Rumor since it allowed me to check back in with characters I was still curious on. I feel like some of the loose ends I was left with in that book were tied up a bit here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown, and Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for providing a copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.

Three stars: A fond farewell to a beloved family, but disappointing because it lacks the charm and humor of the previous books.

Things are changing for the Quinn family as the holidays approach. Kelly is fighting cancer, Mitzi is struggling to keep things normal, Bart is dealing with PTSD, Patrick and Jennifer are still putting their lives back together, Margaret is retiring and Kevin and Isabelle are enjoying married life and kids. Unfortunately, this might be the last time the Quinns can all gather under the same roof for the holidays. Will there be holiday cheer or drama like in the Christmases of the past?
What I Liked:
*I binge read the entire Winter Series last winter, so I was more than eager to get my hands on this final book. This was a more solemn book, whose message was of new beginnings after hardship and the constant change of life. It was sweet and sad at the same time. A fitting farewell.
*I enjoyed catching up with all my favorite characters, Mitzi, Kelly, Patrick, Jennifer and Margaret, and I was pleased to finally get Bart’s voice. There is something addictive about this family. They are real, flawed, funny and they make plenty of mistakes. I have loved watching them fight adversity, grow and come out on top.
*I appreciated the theme of new beginnings and change. I liked seeing both Jennifer and Patrick overcome their troubles, and forge on to bigger and better things. It was nice to see Bart get his feet on the ground and find love and a chance at happiness after his harrowing ordeal. Fast Eddie is a new inclusion to this book, and though I wasn’t a big fan of his character, I liked seeing how he and his wife overcame their adversities. Even Nora Vale does a turn around. It was refreshing to see all these characters who stumbled and fell, start anew and reach new heights.
*Kelly’s voice was my favorite in this book. Despite his situation and his illness, he still made me laugh.
*As always, I love the cozy setting of Nantucket during the holidays. While this one doesn’t exude the warmth and cheer of the holidays like the previous books, there ares still some lovely moments, which make me want to once again pack my bags and visit Nantucket.
*The ending is bittersweet. All the characters are in better places now, looking ahead to bright beginnings while another is preparing for a goodbye. Grab some tissues.
And The Not So Much:
*I loved the voices of the original cast of characters. I didn’t like that this book pretty much left out Kevin, he and Isabelle are only mentions. The inclusion of Fast Eddy was a bit off putting. He has no ties to the Quinn family, and his story doesn’t really intertwine with the family. Why waste time on him and the lottery winning couple? Why not give more of Kevin or Patrick??
*Ava’s portion was boring. Her romantic drama is finally settled so this one found her dealing with trying to make friends with her boyfriend’s son. There was nothing appealing in her story line.
*Why were Kevin and Isabelle left out? I wish that one of their voices was featured instead of Fast Eddy.
*The book is rather open ended. Yes, I get that is the way things are in real life, but I wanted more closure for some of the characters. It just didn’t feel like a final book.
This one is sad and melancholy, not exactly a book you want for Christmas cheer.

Winter Solstice is a book I was eager to read because I wanted more of the irresistible Quinn family with all their flaws and secrets. I loved catching up with my favorite characters and seeing them pick themselves up and succeed. However, I was disappointed that there wasn’t more closure, and I didn’t like the melancholy tone of the book. Still if you are a fan of the series, you have to see how it ends.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I have loved this series & looked forward to reading each of the first 3 books. I had hoped there would be a #4 & it did not disappoint! It was my favorite of the 4 books....

Can't say too much because it is the final book & I don't want to post spoilers....But in my mind, I think we could see more of the Quinn family!!

Also- I received an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review- thank you & thanks to Little, Brown and Company!

This was the finale, the good-bye, the tying up the loose ends in the Quinn family dramas. I loved this group of characters. They were so real. They were a family with drama, humour and a lot of love. The series takes place over the last 4 years with each book set a Christmas. This one was bittersweet and I finished it with tears, but I still loved the story.

This story finds the Quinn family in transition. Margaret, aka, Maggie is retiring from her career as a CBS news anchor, Bart who was rescued from Afghanistan in the last book is suffering from depression, Jennifer and Patrick are trying to put their lives back together again after his release from prison, Kevin and Isabelle have a successful business and a new baby and Ava has moved to New York to be closer to Potter. That being said, Nantucket is still home and the family is drawn back to Winter Inn on a couple of occasions.

I devoured this book very quickly. I wanted to find out what was going to happen to all of the family and was both happy and not so happy at various points. I was sad to say good-bye to the Quinns, but this book tied up the loose ends nicely. Each chapter is written from a different characters point of view of similar events. I enjoyed Margaret's chapters very much as we got to know her much better in this book. I recommend that you read these books in order so you will understand the story and get to know the characters. A fitting conclusion to a great series.

I love this author and this series. I hate to see it end but have loved every book in the series!

A great, emotional ending to the series by Hilderbrand.

Wow what a sendoff! I love that all good things are happening for the Quinn family. Unfortunately, it is time to say goodbye. Have the tissues ready, your going to need them!

I was so looking forward to another installment of the zany Quinn family saga. Prior books in this series have provided dependably escapist and cozy reading material.

However, I had an auto-quit, point of no return moment with this one. This is the scene where Ava, an arts educator in Manhattan, hears about a performance reimagining Donald Trump as King Lear. Her reaction -- as an educator, again, in MANHATTAN, AGAIN -- is that these "Shakespeare people must be running out of things to do." This reaction is unbelievably stupid, and if you can't see the parallels -- an out-of-control, nepotistic, vain and insane ruler who demands utter loyalty from all his subjects -- then I'm sorry but you're an idiot. I'm left to suppose that Elin Hilderbrand is either a red-hat-wearing deplorable, or winking at those who are. I am not the audience for such an author, in either case -- and I can't in good conscience recommend her books to my patrons or anyone else, anymore. Too bad. The Winter books were fun before that completely uncomprehensible line.