NZLisaM's Reviews > The Hotel Nantucket

Welcome to the Summer of ‘69 ‘22! (minus any mentions of Covid so as not to pop the fantasy bubble) This summer on Nantucket Island centres on the first three months of the newly-renovated, re-opening of The Nantucket Hotel – a historical building more than one hundred years old that has had its fair share of past bad luck, tragedy, and poor business decisions, and is literally haunted by the ghost of a young woman. Now, under new ownership, and management, the new general manager, Lizbet Keaton, is determined to make the hotel the best it can be.

Assisting Lizbet are the following core staff members:

Manning the front desk, ready to check you in and service your every need, are Alessandra Powell and Edith Robbins.

Bellmen Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ English, and Adam and Raoul Wasserman-Ramirez (married couple) will deliver your bags to your room within five minutes of your arrival.

Head of Housekeeping, Magda English (Zeke’s aunt)and her young protégé Chadwick Winslow have a one hundred points cleaning checklist that they follow religiously.

Mario Subiaco is the chef of the Blue Bar – the hotel bar, and will serve you such sublime delicacies as deviled eggs with a trio of toppings, almond croissants, and a coconut and caramel apple whipped cream concoction.

Night auditor, Richie Decameron is stationed at the front desk come nightfall.

But, as you would expect, these staff arrive with life baggage – secrets, trauma, dishonestly, and betrayal.

When I’m in the mood for charming, relaxing, uplifting, light entertainment, with drama, romance and FOMO for a summer on Nantucket, I know I can rely on Elin Hilderbrand, and The Hotel Nantucket delivered on all counts. Sure the writing and plot was at times cheesy and over-the-top (I mean there’s a ghost POV for heavens sake) but it’s all in good positive fun, and this is a sub genre of books that includes serious and emotional topics, but at the same time shouldn’t be taken too seriously. After weeks of rain here in wintery New Zealand, it definitely cheered me up, and of course it is the perfect choice for your summer vacation, beach read, and airplane/airport. But, be advised, don’t read it if you’re hungry as the drool-worthy descriptions of delicious culinary may cause you to snack on the book.

As children, my two sisters and I, loved nothing more than exploring hotels we stayed in. I’m surprised we were never told off, although if we had of been we would’ve been genuinely apologetic, and my middle sister would’ve cried, so I’m sure all would’ve been forgiven. Anyway, my long-winded point is that that feeling of excitement, discovery, and imagination never leaves you, and I loved touring, exploring, and experiencing the various luxurious nooks and crannies of The Hotel Nantucket alongside the staff and guests, in particular seeing it through the eyes of eight-year-old Wanda – who was also a mystery fan, and inquisitive to boot.

Unlike Elin Hilderbrand’s numerous ‘summer’ books set in Nantucket, this one doesn’t include any beach scenes, nor was The Hotel Nantucket a beachside hotel, so I’m a little confused by the cover, and would’ve preferred a photo of the hotel in question, since the majority of the action took place within its walls. But, never mind, it still screams summer.

So, make your Summer of ‘22 one to remember by adding The Hotel Nantucket to your tbr for the publication date of June 14th.

I’d like to thank Netgalley US, Little Brown and Company, and Elin Hilderbrand for the e-ARC.