‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, and it is not the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.” - Darwin.

When Sophia Othonos is surprisingly dumped by her fiancé JP twelve minutes before boarding their flight to the Galapagos Islands and a luxury cruise, she agrees to travel alone, keeping JP’s camera with her to take pictures of the wildlife he wanted most to see. Not surprisingly, this is not a luxury cruise. Sophia’s disappointment leads to interest in both her fellow passengers and the unique wildlife found on these volcanic islands. JP is long forgotten before the end of this trip and the beginning of Sophia’s new life.

In 50 pages, Elin Hilderbrand creates a story just as satisfying as her Nantucket or St. John novels. I hope she will come out of retirement in the future, 50 pages at a time. 5 stars. What else?

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Elon Hilderbrand for this ARC.

A lot of story is packed into a short amount of pages. If you are a fan of the author and have 30-60 mins to spare, this is an enjoyable read. I was expecting a romance and this is not one, but rather a story of self-discovery.

5/5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this short story and couldn’t put it down. I finished reading it in one sitting. I have read most of Elin Hilderands books and this one did not disappoint. This short story is released September 1st, 2024. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, Netgalley and Elin Hilderband for the opportunity to read this short story.

This short story is available through KindlePlus, but I got my copy for free from NetGalley. Amazon Originals are very often good stories by well known authors, and this one is no exception. It tells the story of Sophia who, somewhat reluctantly, goes on a trip to the Galapagos Islands with her boyfriend, but her boy friend leaves her at the airport. While this story is not full of surprises, it is full of growth and the sub-characters are surprisingly well developed, given the brevity of the book. I recommend.

For a novella, this wasn’t so bad!

Sophia and JP book a trip to “get away” when JP gets called back home due to an incident with his son (from his ex wife).

Sophia goes on the trip to the Galápagos by herself where she befriends her fellow companions on the boat and adapts to her situation despite JP ghosting her.

I liked how the book referenced Natural Selection multiple times and how parallels with the FMCs situation.

It was a quick story that made me wonder what’s going on and still had me like “damn” at the end.

First Elin Hilderbrand read and can’t wait to read more!

Does Elin ever write anything not worth reading? The answer is “no” and this short story in no different! A quick little beach read to help you say “goodbye” to summer. Written in Hilderbrand’s signature style, “Natural Selection” will have you wishing for a boat cruise & a Mai Tai!

I've never read this author and thought this short story would be a good way to get a feel of her storytelling, and I wasn't wrong. It isn't an earth-shattering surprise as I feel you know almost from the get-go, but I enjoyed the tie-in from nature and Darwin. It has me looking at my own life just a little bit differently, and that says something about such a short story.

The descriptions of the wildlife are what make this a nice read. Sophia was a likable character making the best of an unfortunate change of plans when her boyfriend sends her on a vacation by herself. The story was predictable, but a nice read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Natural Selection. Great short story. Looking forward to more from Elin Hilderbrand.

I love Ms Hilderbrand’s novels but found this one predictable and wasn’t able to connect with Sophia as a character and there were so many side characters that no one stuck out to me.

Given that this was a short story, there wasn’t more than a little bit of character evolution, but I think I would have enjoyed reading more about Sophia in a novella as opposed to a short; as short as it is, it was too busy.

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me on a few levels.

Other readers may love it, but it wasn’t for me.



Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the DRC

I have not read any Elin Hilderbrand before and thought a novella might be a good way to see if she is for me. I thought this story was just okay. I wished there was more introspection and female empowerment, it just felt really surface level and I didn't feel any real connection to the main character. I did enjoy the writing style and the pacing, and the dialogue between character so I think I will give Elin Hilderbrand novels a try! I think novellas can be really challenging to write since they are so concise, there was just something important missing. I didn't really leave knowing exactly what this story was supposed to convey.

A Riveting Tale of Adaptation and Deception

*lNatural Selection is an exhilarating and fast-paced short story that captures the essence of human resilience and adaptability. The story follows Sophia, a charming New Yorker, who finds herself entangled with JP, a Midwestern executive whose promises of love quickly unravel. The novel’s sharp observations and dynamic characters make it a compelling read.

Sophia’s journey is both heart-wrenching and enlightening. As she arrives in the Galapagos on a trip originally intended for herself and JP,she navigates the complexities of her relationship with JP, and she learns the hard truths about trust and adaptability. The recurring theme—“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, and it is not the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change”—is brilliantly interwoven throughout the narrative. This idea resonates deeply as Sophia faces the shocking revelation of JP's deceit and the reality of his life back home.

The narrative explores the contrast between Sophia’s adaptability and JP's inability to evolve. Sophia’s initial naïveté gives way to a poignant realization of her own strength and the necessity of change. The encounters with her shipmates add layers of complexity and highlight the struggles inherent in relationships where adaptation is not an option.

The book’s ending, where Sophia snaps a stunning photograph of a dolphin midair—a symbol of her own personal growth and transformation—is both metaphorically and visually striking. It’s a testament to the story’s powerful message about embracing change and learning from one’s experiences.

With its engaging plot and well-developed characters, *Natural Selection* is a must-read for anyone interested in a story about love, betrayal, and personal evolution. It’s a narrative that will stay with you long after the last page, reminding you that survival and success often hinge on our ability to adapt.

Another hit for Elin. I adore anything she writes and just eat it all up. Loved the imagery throughout the story. Short and sweet.

3.5 nature stars

I have enjoyed reading short stories lately, especially when I like the authors. This time, Elin Hilderbrand penned a short story about a woman heading out on vacation with her boyfriend when everything went wrong.

Her boyfriend gets a call right before they board the plane to Galapagos. There’s an emergency with his son, and he can’t go, but he wants Sophia to take the trip anyway. He even gives her his fancy camera and a list of the animals to photograph.

She didn’t even really want to go to the Galapagos but ended up enjoying the trip and getting to know some of the people on board. It turns out she’s rather good at photography. And not so good at picking men.

This was a quick read that fit the bill in between longer reads.

2.5? 3? I guess. I think Elin Hilderbrand is phenomenal at making characters beliveable. Even this short story felt like so much character development in such a short amount of time howeverrrrr this should've been a full story. By the time you were hooked into the story it was abrupt ending. I haven't read many short stories before so maybe I have just learned they aren't for me!

This was my first book/novella by Elin Hilderbrand and I really enjoyed it. This was a super quick read and made me want to read more by her.

As a self-proclaimed Elin Hilderbrand fan, I snapped this book up as soon as I could. And it was just okay. Most of her books, while a bit cheesy and fun beach reads, are normally 4- or 5-star reads for me. This was like a 2.5.

I didn't much care for the main character (who's name I already forget), there were too many side characters introduced for them to make much of a difference to me, and nothing was fleshed out enough for me to truly care about what happened in this book. The only thing that kept me interested was finding out why the boyfriend had to leave so quickly with no explanation.

Is it still worth your time? If it takes you no time at all to read 54 pages (it took me maybe an hour or so), then feel free to read it so you can mark it off her backlog. But otherwise, you can probably skip this one.

This is an awesome short story about self discovery and not settling for less than we deserve. Living life and adapting to the fullest!

Natural selection by Elin Hilderbrand is a short story. Something I initially didn’t realize until I dove in. A short but sweet story about finding yourself and finding joy.
Sophia Othonos sets out on the trip of a lifetime, a cruise through the Galápagos Islands with her boyfriend JP only to be left unexpectedly at the gate. Thus Sophia journeys to the Galapagos by herself and meets a fun cast of characters along the way.
I really loved the imagery and descriptions of the Galapagos landscape and all the wildlife present.
I think this could have been a bit of a longer story to fully flesh out some of the characters and give more time for development of Sophia herself however I still really enjoyed this read. Perfect for the beach!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories  for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Natural Selection" is a charming short story that follows Sophia Othonos as she embarks on a solo cruise to the Galápagos after her boyfriend, JP, cancels at the last minute. What was meant to be a romantic getaway turns into an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Elin Hilderbrand beautifully captures the allure of the Galápagos Islands, using the stunning natural backdrop to reflect Sophia's inner transformation. While the story is somewhat predictable, it remains engaging, with vivid descriptions and emotional depth that make Sophia’s evolution relatable and satisfying.

Though brief, "Natural Selection" offers a thoughtful exploration of adaptation and personal growth, making it a quick yet impactful read that resonates long after the final page