Elin Hilderbrand Books in Order

This reading order guide provides the complete list of Elin Hilderbrand books in order, from the very first to the latest, so you won’t miss anything!

Elin Hilderbrand , the “Queen of the Summer Novel”, has a huge following – and it’s easy to see why. Growing up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, she spent some of the best summers of her life hanging out on Cape Cod beaches. As a kid, she was a bit of a beach bum – loved collecting sea glass, digging tiny pools for hermit crabs, and even playing touch football when the tide was out. But her teenage years were tougher. She lost her dad in a plane crash when she was just 16 – a really tough time, but one that also taught her to be a lot stronger. And you can tell that strength shines right through in her books.

After college – she went to Johns Hopkins, and later studied writing at the University of Iowa – Elin spent a lot of time traveling and exploring new places. But Nantucket Island, in all its quirky beauty, ended up being her go-to spot. She even moved there for good in 1993. At first, she worked for the local newspaper, stuck in the classifieds department – but before long, she started writing full time and she’s been doing it ever since.

Her first book, The Beach Club, broke cover in 2000 – and that was just the beginning. She’s written loads more popular novels since then, like The Island, Summer People, and The Matchmaker. Elin’s stories usually take place in stunning summer settings – with families, romance, and a touch of drama. Some readers think she just writes about her own life – but Elin says actually no, they’re made-up … although they do feel pretty real, and really get to readers.

Elin is married now and has three children. They do advise her not to dance or sing too loudly in public. Like her tales, her life is full of love, fun, and family despite some difficult moments, such as when she was told she had breast cancer. Additionlly, she used her experience with cancer to write The Matchmaker, a book that is even more intimate and poignant. Using the hashtag #mamastrong, her children and her readers expressed their support on social media.

Despite all the ups and downs, Elin just keeps on writing. She often does it from her beach chair, watching the ocean while she types away on her laptop. And that’s exactly what she wants her readers to get out of her books – a chance to escape to a summer full of sun, love and family – all the happiness and struggles of life, in a way that feels easy to understand.