4.5

Short and sweet, my first Elin Hilderbrand book was very enjoyable! I kinda suspected something a bit more sinister than the end conflict - I guess I’ve been reading too many thrillers lately.

I enjoyed how Hilderbrand was able to convey Sophia’s emotions and feelings in such a short story. I’m definitely intrigued in reading more from her!

This was a really great short story, that made me really want to visit the Galapagos as soon as possible! I enjoyed the character building, even though this was a short story and definitely felt like I was in an immersed in the tropical wonder of the Galapagos

A beautiful cover and Elin Hilderbrand’s name caught my attention. It is a short (54 page) story. It tells the story of Sophia Othonos who is ready to begin a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. Only thing is that her newish boyfriend who planned the trip gets called away for a family emergency and he insists that she take the trip without him.

I felt I got to know Sophia and the people she meets on the small boat. And I did feel for her situation. I wasn’t expecting romance as she is currently in one. I was engrossed in the tale and the Galapagos is on my bucket list so it caught my interest. But I did want something more than I got.

A super short, entertaining story. It's short, but has all the elements of a classic Elin Hilderbrand story.

Sophia hasn't had the best of luck in relationships, but she feels like she's finally found the one now. But on the day they're leaving for a rustic cruise to the Galápagos Islands, a phone call at the boarding gate has him abandoning her to hurry home to Oklahoma. She decides to keep her reservations and takes the cruise alone. There she meets some great travelers and learns more about herself, what she's feeling and what's she's looking for. She finds taking photos helps her figure things out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. It’s not so far off of what we expect from Hildebrand, but it is quality and different enough to stand out. It features a 35 year old woman at a cross roads of sorts, on a vacation not going how she anticipated. I could’ve read a whole book about it, and maybe that’s why I didn’t say five stars— I wanted more. Thank you to Hildebrand, NetGalley, and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC!

Natural Selection

Pros - lovely descriptions of the Galapagos and all of the wild life
Cons - predictable, not much investment in the characters

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Cute novella at about 50 pages which kept me occupied while getting my oil changed.

When Sophia and her boyfriend are set for a cruise her bf gets a last minute call that makes him unable to join her on the cruise. She is forced out of her comfort zone and to head to the Galapagos islands herself. She meets cruise mates and starts to get a weird feeling her boyfriend isn't who he seems when he stops responding to all texts and calls.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Really liked this book, it's really quick. I would have love to have more tho because I just got entertain at the end. And I didn't like how it ended, it was just so abrupt. I loved the mystery ish aspect of the book too.

Natural Selection excels in its atmospheric descriptions of nature and wildlife, and the suspense surrounding JP’s disappearance is handled carefully. But while the novel succeeds in creating tension and rich environments, the final act feels like a letdown, missing the powerful conclusion that might have elevated it further.
Overall rating: 3 stars.

If you want to read further, please check the full review on my website:
https://bookscommentary.substack.com/p/natural-selection-by-elin-hilderbrand

3.5 stars for tis short story - I would love to see the Galápagos Islands someday & appreciated the travel aspects a lot. The MC was fine here, but the plot had no surprises for me. Anyway, it's fine for a novella type story. Thanks to Net Galley & Amazon

I read whatever Elin Hilderbrand writes, and in Natural Selection her writing style pulls you into the story just as it has in her other books. This short story follows Sophia, a thirty-something woman dating a fifty-something man who lives part-time in NY and part-time in Oklahoma and has a family with a woman back home whom he says he has divorced. When he takes Sophia on a trip to the Galapagos Islands, he is called away at the airport for a family emergency, abandoning her but encouraging her to take the trip without him. Morose and moody, she joins the other passengers on the trip that turns out less luxurious than they were all led to believe, but the slow build of friendship and camaraderie soon displaces their initial feelings about their circumstances. As the trip progresses, Sophia learns the real reason her boyfriend has left her, putting her life on a different path than the one she’d expected upon their return. The experience changes her outlook and, through a truncated ending to the story, we learn she eventually gets her happily ever after.

I thought the story was just okay. I am curious to see what Elin’s new book ventures will be like as she retires from writing about Nantucket and branches out into other settings. I haven’t always enjoyed the books she has set elsewhere, so we’ll see.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

- KU w/ audio
- Minor Found Family
- secrets revealed
- self-discovery

Only Elin Hilderbrand can write a 50ish page book and give you a story that feels like a novel (in the best way). This was such a great book to give me a bit of a reprieve between long deep fantasy. It was easy yet gave me such a satisfied complete feeling. I found the main characters journey of discovering her self worth to be inspiring.

This was fine for a short story. I felt like too much of the story was spent on the beginning part, explaining why Sophia was going on this trip alone and introducing the large cast of other characters. The main part of the story was very fast and very predictable. As soon as Sophia was left to take the trip alone I figured out why.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC of Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand for an honest review.

For a short story, this was surprisingly really good and intriguing. I’m a little mad it’s not a full length novel because this would have kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time.

I liked how the natural selection came into play in this book and how the story revolves around adapting. I still can’t believe what a scumbag JP was too.

The main character, Sophia, made me mad though. Like she should have asked for evidence but I also don’t trust as easily as she does. 😂

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This short story had the impact of a full length novel!

Sophia has seemingly found the perfect man! She and her boyfriend embark on a vacation to the Galapagos when he surprisingly gets pulled away for an 'emergency' and she must go on the trip alone. By herself, Sophia begins to explore her relationship with not only her boyfriend, but with nature and the people she meets on this trip.

This book was really makes you think about how we all adapt to change in our own lives and that learning to adjust to change is what keeps us surviving. I highly recommend this story for a quick read that will make you think! 4 stars!

A quick read about a very disturbing situation. When reading this the emotions of joy, hope, trust and betrayal are conveyed very intimately. Recommend.

I really enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and maybe I am not much of a short story reader, but I did not enjoy this the way I do her novels. It started off strong, but ended up just okay and predictable. Thank you Amazon Original Stories for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

A short-story from the incredibly popular author, Elin Hilderbrand. It’s less than 60 pages but it follows the main character, Sophia, as she takes a solo trip to the Galápagos Islands after a blip with her boyfriend. It’s a short read about self discovery with the upmost vacation vibes. It has minimal character development but still enjoyable for fans of Hilderbrand’s work. A great palette cleanser book after you finish a long series or heavy book.

Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Original Stories and Elin Hilderbrand.
This was a short story of a woman going on vacation with her new flame.
At the airport, something goes wrong and she ends up going alone on a trip she did not want to go.
Lies, secrets are revealed.
3 stars

This is classic Hilderbrand’s detailed joy. A short and sweet story of finding yourself is the greatest gift of all. I don’t think we have seen the last of Hilderbrand even though she is in her retired era. ILYSM