Afternoon at the beach without getting a sunburn. This book is perfect and holds your attention. The setting of the Galapagos Islands of course makes it quite exotic and interesting. Sophia is ditched by her boyfriend at the airport just as they are about to board a plane for their week long getaway trip. He is called away due to a family emergency (he apparently has an ex-wife and 3 kids). He insists that she carry on alone and take lots of photos of the various unique wildlife species on the islands and even gives her his fancy camera gear. This story was pretty predictable but had some valuable lessons in it. This one felt like a mix of multiple genres and a lot like a mystery, which was unexpected but a welcome surprise. Although the red flags were waving like crazy and I felt like I knew how it was going to turn out, it still kept my attention. Perfect fast paced beachy read. Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley and of course the author. 3.5 rounded up

This was in interesting short story. At first I was almost thinking it would be a thriller based on the set up but it ended up being a story about infidelity; which is just so sad.

The cruise itself was interesting with a unique bunch of characters. They all had big personalities, were spunky and entertaining to read about.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful story. While short and sweet, I was transported to the Galapagos and loved seeing the islands through Sophia’s eyes. The ships cast of characters were interesting and amusing, and Sophia’s reflections on her experience really resonated with me.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I usually love all things Elin Hilderbrand, but this was a slight miss for me. I didn't feel like I connected with the main character.

A short story not based in Nantucket, but on the Galapagos Islands, exploring the lessons learned from relationships. A quick read but I didn't really love the main character so found it hard to be invested.

I will read pretty much anything Elin Hilderbrand writes and this short story was no exception. It was nothing ground breaking but easy to read and engaging.

Often short stories can feel incomplete or rushed, this isn't one of those times. Even though short, the characters were well developed and fully formed. And that ending? I didn't see that coming!

A quick read that makes us remember sometimes the journey isn’t what you expect but often times is what you needed.

This was fine and there is really not much to say here. If you're a fan of Elin then of course I would rec, but if not this isn't a must read and it certainly isn't the place to start with her books.

anything that Hilderbrand is going to capture the eyes of readers,and this is no exception. many received via amazon reads, but continue to recommend

Natural Selection
A Short Story
by: Elin Hilderbrand
Amazon Original Stories

Set in the Galapagos Islands, Natural Selection is a short story packed with adventure and character growth for main character, Sophia. She finds herself alone on a couple's cruise, unsure of the direction that her relationship will take. Just as she does in her full-length novels, Hilderbrand pulls me in with her engaging writing in this compact format. The element of self-discovery in an atmospheric locale was a winning theme for me, and a perfect petite read for an autumn evening.

I received an advance reader's copy from Amazon Original Stories and Net Galley. My review is my own.

In this short story, Sophia embarks on a couples' cruise to the Galápagos Islands alone after her boyfriend cancels at the last minute. Initially disappointed, she views the trip as an opportunity to reflect on her relationship, identity, and desires. Surrounded by the wild beauty of nature, Sophia begins to question whether her relationship is as perfect as she once believed. Over the course of eight days, the transformative power of the islands helps her realize that the most important relationship she needs to nurture is the one with herself. I love anything Elin Hilderbrand and this was a perfect treat, my only wish is that is was a whole book!

Elijah Hilderbrand writes the perfect short story. The right amount of details about the characters to get me invested and wanting to continue reading. I was able to pick up their personalities perfectly from this short story. I loved the the comparison between humans and animals in Natural Selection. Beautifully written.

Short, sweet and to the point. It was a nice little break from what I’ve been reading

Though I don’t think short stories are really for me. I like plot building and substance.

I’m new to Elins books and so far loving them. This one was just a quick easy fix.

I found this story relatively entertaining. I have read many of Elin Hilderbrand's books, including the series that takes place on Nantucket, and while I have really enjoyed them I appreciated the fresh characters and setting this short story provided. Overall I liked it.

Sophia is excited to go on a vacation with her boyfriend, JP. He seems to be the perfect man. While the Galapagos weren't exactly her idea of a relaxing vacation, she thinks this will be the next step in their relationship. Sophia is anxious to get married soon and have children. Just before they are about to board the plane, JP gets a phone call and has to back out of the trip. He tells Sophia there is situation with his son, but that Sophia should still go on the trip. Sophia has never met his kids and offers to come with to help, but JP says no. Now she is alone on the trip and has to make the best of it. This book was enjoyable, but different that Elin Hilderbrand's other books.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this.
By design, short stories really are required to grab you from the get go and take you on a ride as quickly as possible and I think this does that: Sophia is destined bound to take a trip with her boyfriend to the Galapagos, when he suddenly has to abandon and essentially ghost her. While on the boat, Sophia meets new people, falls for photography, and learns the truth of their romance.
I liked this alot, even if the start had it feeling more like a creepy thriller and less like a romance gone wrong. It was fun and the cast of characters was amusing. But I think the plot, and what was revealed with the romance at the end, would have been much more suited to long form. I just didn't really care about the relationship enough to be invested in the 'twist' so it was just kinda...meh.
More Galapagos next time.

I was enjoying this book so much that when I checked to see how far along I was (thinking maybe 25%), I was already 70% finished! This is the first short story I have read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I liked it was a quick, fun read. Natural Selection jumps right in the first few pages. Sophia is at the airport with her boyfriend for a romantic getaway. Her boyfriend gets a call at the airport and immediately leaves. The story carries on with Sophia for the next week. As someone who will read anything Elin Hilderbrand writes, I was so excited to have something else after her 5 star book, Swan Song.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, Elin Hilderbrand, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Natural Selection was just ok for me. The plot and characters seemed to lack depth.

Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories Kindle Edition and author Elin Hilderbrand for the opportunity to read and review this short story.

I love Elin and her novels and this cover is gorgeous as always. I was excited to read this book albeit it was a short novel. It was a fabulous read. Sophia and her boyfriend had a planned vacation in the Galapagos however he couldn't make the trip so she went herself. A predictable easy read but I liked Sophia and her character development. It definitely could've been a full length novel - as it left me wanting MORE!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC