The Island by Elin Hilderbrand (audio book)- Review and Give Away

Narrated by: Denice Hicks

Synopsis: If you you've read any of Hilderbrand's works you know that they are always set on or around Nantucket.  This time Hilderbrand has set the story on the island of Tuckernuck.  Sisters India and Birdie along with her daughters Chess and Tate visit the family retreat for the first time in many years.  Initially they were planning a "girls" retreat in anticipation of Chess' upcoming wedding.  When Chess announces that she has called off the wedding, the retreat turns into something very different.

My thoughts:  I was hesitant to start this one as my introduction to Hilderbrand did not go as well as I had hoped.  I read Barefoot in 2009 and wasn't really that impressed with it.  The Island was so much better.  I really enjoyed this audio book.  It was engaging enough to keep me interested yet light enough that I didn't have to focus solely on listening, allowing me to multitask.

Each one of the ladies heads to the island under the guise of "helping Chess", but we  quickly learn that they all had other motives for making the trip.  Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the ladies.  The reader learns what is going on through description of current situations and the explanation of what it is that brought them to the Island. There were some twists and turns introduced that I didn't completely expect. 

The narrator did an excellent job.  She had a distinct voice for each of the characters that helped to reinforce their personalities and backgrounds. 
While it was a very different story, The Island has the same feel as Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer that I read earlier this year.    I was pleased how the story ended, even if it was pretty clear that it was heading in that direction.  I don't think it was feasible to give it any other ending.

This was my second audio book experience, the first being Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson.  On a recent perusal of the Bargain Bin at Barnes and Noble I saw that The Affair on audio book was deeply discounted.  Since I enjoyed this one so much I immediately purchased a copy and am listening to it in bits and pieces.

What is your experience with Elin Hilderbrand's work?  Do you have a suggestion for an audio book that I must listen to?

I received my copy of The Island from Hachette Audio.




Thanks to Hachette Audio I have One copy of The Island to give to one of my followers.  To enter the giveaway you must complete the form.  Comments will not be considered entries.  The contest will end  at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on October 29th.  The winner will then have 48 hours to respond to my notification email or I will select another winner.