This was a quick read and one that easily draws the reader into the story with most of the story taking place in one setting over two days (with some brief flashbacks to explain story). There were some pieces of the plot that were a bit predictable, but at the same time, there ended up being a few unexpected turns in the story. I like that this book made me (once again, thanks to Elin Hilderbrand) want to spend my summers in Nantucket, but the island life wasn't forced down your throat in this book as it focused more on the murder plot and more suspense.

I meant to review this one sooner, because it was delightful! I always love Hilderbrand's books, but I especially enjoyed this one's mysterious twist.

I really enjoyed this novel! Elin Hilderbrand has never disappointed me. When I want a light read that keeps me interested, she is my go to.

This story is very good and the characters are relatable. You want to get to know each of them more. While you may not like them, you will want to hear what is next.

This was a very fast read about family intricacies, lies, deception, suspense and mystery.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A woman's wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. For one bride that's not what happens. Tragedy strikes right before the wedding is due to take place.

What ensues is an investigation into the wedding attendants. Each one being scrutinized because of the obvious secrets that they harbor. Secrets that will change the course of people's lives forever.

An interesting look into couples and the secrets they keep from each other.

I'm a big Elin Hilderbrand fan, so I try to read every book she puts out. This one tried to be a mystery but didn't quite nail it. However, still an enjoyable read in Hilderbrand's typical style and setting. A family-based novel set in Nantucket!

Hilderbrand goes a little darker in The Perfect Couple. She models the story against her beloved Nantucket and juxtaposes it on top of a modern day Pygmalion tale of Celeste and Benji. Rich vs. poor, monogamy vs. non-monogamy, and a cast of interesting secondary characters. I cannot say I adored this book, but it was a very interesting read that wove quite a few threads together.

I really enjoyed this book, the players were exceptional and the storyline was intriguing keeping the reader's rapt attention from page one through to the very end. I will definitely be reading another by this author

This book was a little bit of a departure from the normal Elin Hilderbrand book. It was set on Nantucket, but there was a mystery in this book which was an interesting change of pace. The story was appealing as all of her books are and I love the setting. The story changed perspective and time in each chapter, i.e. the week of the wedding, the month before the wedding, etc. I'm not always a fan of this style. There were many secrets that were uncovered over the course of the book and overall it was a good book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Little, Brown and Company through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This would make a meaty beach read for those lazy days of summer. An elaborate wedding set on beautiful Nantucket. Celeste Otis is carried along by the wishes of her soon to be husband's family (mostly mother), while her own parents struggle with her mother's illness. The book vacillates back and forth a lot between various time periods as the relationships are slowly divulged among all of the characters. The death of a member of the wedding party brings scrutiny to the household and a lot of secrets are revealed. And it was interesting to speculate on the identity of the perfect couple, if there is such a thing.

What do you do when it’s your wedding day and a member of your bridal party has mysteriously died? The Perfect Couple centers around this exact scenario.

This was a quick read and would have been delightful on the beach but it was too predictable for me. I had the mystery solved before the clues were even given. I also was super disappointed with the ending as I feel like the book was hinting at so many major possibilities for a less than satisfying conclusion.

It was definitely entertaining however and I feel like it is a perfect beach read or easy going night time read. I have never read this author before but found through research that many of her books focus on the same themes, adultry being the most used. The Perfect Couple was focused on adultry all over the place. I usually am not a fan of stories resolving around adultry but I did not have a problem with this one as much. I also really disliked all of our characters besides poor Karen. I think it was important for us to have a character with more ideal characteristics to really focus on how awful every one else truly was. Also, poor Benji! He was also a stand-up character.

I would say give this one a read but don’t expect a ton or you may be disappointed.

I loved this book so much! She has become one of my favorite authors...this book was perfect!! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Not a typical story and has many working parts that eventually come together as you learn the events of one fateful night. Enjoyed reading and learning about the various characters- and what their parts were within the storyline.

There's going to be a wedding on Nantucket. There's nothing unusual about that in the summer. But the wedding of Celeste Otis to Benji Winbury will be a lavish affair hosted by Benji's parents at the Winbury estate. Celeste's parents, in contrast, come from modest means. Karen, her mother, thought she had beaten breast cancer, but it has metastasized in her bones and she has been advised by her physician that she has only a few months to live.

On the morning of the wedding, the body of Merritt Monaco, the Maid of Honor, is found in Nantucket Harbor by the wedding planner. The wedding cannot proceed as planned, and Chief of Police Ed Kapenash begins the investigation into what happened the prior evening following the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Everyone is a suspect, including Celeste, Benji, and his mother, Greer, a best-selling mystery novelist. Also on the list of suspects are the groom's father, brother, and even the Chief's own teenage niece, Chloe, who is employed by the caterer. The best man, Shooter Uxley, is missing.

One thing becomes clear as the investigation proceeds: no couple is perfect.

The Perfect Couple is an engrossing story about a young woman swept off her feet by a charming man from a wealthy, well-connected family. Celeste is the Assistant Director of the Bronx Zoo, the only child of parents she adores. Her father, Bruce, works in the suit department at Neiman-Marcus. Karen's medical state has gutted Celeste -- and she doesn't even know that the cancer has spread to Karen's stomach and liver. In response to Karen's condition, the wedding was moved up to ensure Karen's attendance. However, since becoming engaged to Benji, Celeste has developed a troubling stutter that causes her mother to worry about whether Celeste is making the right decision.

The Winbury family, despite their wealth and power, have their own issues. Greer's latest novel has been rejected by her publisher who demands an immediate and complete re-write. Benji's brother, Thomas, has a troubled marriage and his father, Tag, has a long history of infidelity which Greer has chosen to overlook.

Throughout what was supposed to be the wedding day, the investigation proceeds as Chief Kapenash tries to discern why Merritt was in the water where she drowned. Details are revealed about the relationships of the suspects and what really happened at and following the rehearsal dinner. Secret motivations and overheard conversations demonstrate who might have had a motive to kill Merritt, who had her own skeletons in her closet, including an affair with her married former employer.

Hilderbrand infuses the Otis family with humanity. They are devoted to each other, despite one large secret that is revealed to Karen as the day wears on. In contrast, the scheming, entitled Winbury clan have their own secrets and reasons to want Merritt eliminated. Through it all the question of whether Celeste really loves Benji enough to marry him lingers.

Hilderbrand keeps the action moving forward, revealing titillating details that pique reader curiosity. The Perfect Couple is reminiscent of Agatha Christie's mysteries -- everyone is a suspect and when the killer is finally revealed, most readers will have guessed incorrectly. The characters are diverse and entertaining, and the story is surprisingly moving with a satisfying ending. Hilderbrand is known for her engrossing "beach reads" does not disappoint with The Perfect Couple (I read it while vacationing on Maui)!

Elin Hilderbrand has done it again! Her story set on the beautiful island of Nantucket kept me guessing from page one. Through the murder mystery, you learn just how many secrets each member of the family is hiding. Elin brings back some of my favorite Nantucket residents in this story. I absolutely love when authors do that! I am so sad that this is one of Elin’s last 7 books, but she is truly saving the best for last! Enjoy! *Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this book. My opinions are all my own.*

Amazing!!! Elin never disappoints. Love that all her characters tie in to all the books!!! I totally loved this one and didn’t see that ending coming. Totally though someone was guilty! I really enjoyed this one!!! Thanks for the advanced copy!!!

Will be posted on 9.17.18
Greer Garrison, a famous mystery author, has spent the past year helping to plan her son's perfect Nantucket wedding. Things aren't going that well for her writing career currently as she has a deadline looming, but the wedding is going to be spectacular. Her son, Benji, is marrying the woman of his dreams, Celeste, so what could go wrong? Well, things go spectacularly wrong when Celeste's best friend and maid of honor turns up dead the morning of the wedding. Celeste finds her and is unable to recover; she is sent to the hospital to be treated. Enter stage left, the Nantucket police and as they uncover what exactly happened that night, more and more secrets float to the surface. Maybe Benji's wealthy family isn't as perfect as they appear? Elin Hilderbrand has long been known as writing fantastic beach reads featuring family drama. Well, The Perfect Couple delivers that and more with a side of a murder mystery.

Celeste is an interesting character in The Perfect Couple. You would assume she would be extremely happy since she is getting married, but she is hiding some major secrets. As readers slowly find out the truth, it gets harder and harder to always agree with her choices. Nonetheless, Celeste isn't your typical rich, spoiled woman that Benji would date. She comes from a modest background, has a job with a zoo, and is close with her humble parents. Despite my hesitations, I really liked her and felt for her once I figured out her "problem."

On the other hand, her best friend and maid of honor, Merritt, is a hot mess in The Perfect Couple. Although she may be a good friend to Celeste, she likes playing with fire and is also is hiding some MAJOR secrets. I don't want to give anything away, but it's a bit of a disaster. Just when you think Merritt has it figured out and maybe, just maybe she might be able to get out of her latest mess, things go south for her in a major way.

The cast of characters at the wedding were all interesting in The Perfect Couple. Whether the chapter was from Greer's point of view, the police chief's, Merritt's or any of the other characters, it was all very entertaining. I liked trying to piece together the puzzle with tidbits from each character's point of view. You know how weddings always bring out drama...well, Hilderbrand brought it alllll out this time with a side of foul play. And oh, the secrets!!!!!

Speaking of secrets.....what I liked most about The Perfect Couple was the multi-layered secrets. Not only was it a fun novel in that it's about a wedding set in Nantucket, but it was also a whodunit. I have to say, I didn't see all the twists coming! Hilderbrand out did herself!

So, if you are looking for a mystery that is also a beach read, look no further. I didn't enjoy Hilderbrand's last novel, but this one is back on track and a sure winner.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize who the perfect couple was. It is glaringly obvious, the couple who is getting married, but I guess I just didn't see them as a great couple. That and a few other details made this book a little too easy to figure out, but I liked the multiple story lines and various scandals.

Solid 3.5 stars!

Either it's been a while since I read an Elin Hilderbrand novel, or she's changed up her writing style a bit. I was expecting a quick and easy "chick lit" read - fun, light, but fluffy and without substance. This was an easy read, relatively quick, but I wouldn't call it light or fluffy. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a solid plot, some emotion to connect with, great characters, a few plot twists. NOT what I would consider a typical chick lit book! I loved Celeste's character, and actually found myself liking Merritt quite a bit, and even Greer in her own way. I think Hilderbrand did a great job in keeping this "real" - drama without being overly dramatic, characters with real life problems that react in a real life way. There were no over the top reactions or storylines to irritate me. So overall, this was a good, solid story from an author I've always enjoyed, but now I'm feeling renewed to explore her novels more often!

I will fully admit that I am not what you'd call a "beach read" fan. In fact, I read Elin Hilderbrand because I am a Readers Advisory Librarian and she's one of those authors--the ones that librarians should just know and read because of her best-seller status. Don't get me wrong, she's a good author, but none of her books have really grabbed me like The Perfect Couple.

While my husband watched the football game, I decided to catch up on some much needed me time--which means finally diving into my to-be-read pile. At the top was this hidden gem! I read the entire book in one evening, staying up way later than I should have in order to finish it.

Set in Nantucket, during wedding season, this easy beach read turned mystery novel had me enthralled from word one. Benji and Celeste are about to be married in what promises to be THE wedding of the season. Everything about their wedding is planned to the last detail--until the maid of honor is found dead the morning of the wedding. The story unfolds from there and is told from different points of view as Chief Kapenash (fans of Hilderbrand will remember him from previous novels) interviews the suspects and begins to separate fact from fiction. Hilderbrand even goes back to the beginning of Benji and Celeste's relationship in order to tell the story, and I suspect, to widen the cast of suspects. I don't want to get too much into the story, as I am afraid I'll give away the shocking ending, but rest assured--there is no such thing as the perfect couple!



I was provided a free copy of the book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved, loved, loved The Perfect Couple. Great storyline, great characters. The whole thing was such a blast to read.