Elin Hilderbrand’s books are the perfect escape to places like Nantucket. She writes about families, relationships, and all the things that can happen within them.
If you are looking for authors who create a similar experience, where you get lost in stories about people and their lives, often set in beautiful places, then this list might be for you.
These writers also explore similar themes of love, family, and the complexities of life, often with settings that are just as captivating.
Readers who enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s novels will appreciate Nancy Thayer’s warm and evocative storytelling set on Nantucket Island. In “Summer House,” Thayer explores family connections, secrets, and the bonds of sisterhood.
The story centers around Charlotte Wheelwright, who invites her adult children and grandchildren to Nantucket to celebrate her birthday, hoping to mend old wounds and strengthen family ties.
As they gather in the summer house, each family member brings their personal struggles, secrets, and desires, leading to emotional revelations and unexpected relationships.
Thayer portrays family dynamics and island life with warmth, humor, and authenticity, offering readers a satisfying and heartfelt read.
Mary Kay Andrews is an author whose novels appeal to readers who love Elin Hilderbrand’s blend of seaside settings and complex relationships.
Her book “Summer Rental” tells the story of three best friends who reunite for a summer vacation in a charming house on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Each woman arrives with secrets, hopes, and personal baggage, which slowly unfold through challenges and unexpected connections in this beach-side retreat.
Andrews has a way of creating characters that feel like real, relatable friends, making you eager to find out what will happen next. If you enjoy narratives about friendship, love, and fresh starts in sunny locations, “Summer Rental” might become a favorite on your bookshelf.
Dorothea Benton Frank was a popular author known for heartfelt novels set in the coastal South. If you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s seaside settings and family drama, Frank’s stories will likely draw you in.
A great book to start with is “Sullivan’s Island,” which centers on Susan Hayes. After her marriage falls apart, Susan moves back to Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, the place where she grew up.
Returning to her childhood home brings back memories, secrets, and a chance to rediscover who she truly is. Filled with humor, relatable characters, and vivid scenes of southern beach life, this novel offers an engaging look at family bonds and new beginnings.
If you enjoy novels by Elin Hilderbrand, you might also appreciate Kristin Hannah. Hannah writes emotionally charged stories that explore family dynamics, love, and resilience, often set against vivid backdrops and historical moments.
Her novel “The Nightingale” is an absorbing tale of two sisters in occupied France during World War II. Vianne and Isabelle approach survival in very different ways. One sister quietly struggles to protect her family, while the other boldly joins the Resistance.
It’s a powerful portrait of strength, sacrifice, and the difficult choices families must make in times of war. Hannah’s storytelling brings out the beauty and heartbreak in ordinary lives during extraordinary circumstances.
Books by Liane Moriarty often follow relatable characters in domestic situations filled with humor, drama, and hidden tensions.
If you’re a fan of Elin Hilderbrand’s stories of family relationships, friendships, and personal challenges, you might want to check out Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies.”
The book explores the lives of three very different women, each facing her own complicated issue, from parenting struggles and marriage tensions to friendship drama.
Everything in their cozy coastal community seems picture-perfect until a mysterious tragedy rocks their peaceful facade.
Moriarty skillfully unravels the truth behind this incident through shifting perspectives, sharp dialogue, and unexpected turns that keep readers guessing until the very end.
Readers who enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s beach settings and insightful family dramas will likely appreciate novels by Beatriz Williams. Williams crafts immersive tales filled with romance, historical intrigue, and fascinating characters.
In her novel “A Hundred Summers,” she takes readers back to 1930s Rhode Island. Lily Dane returns to her family’s summer home in Seaview, where she encounters her former best friend and the man she once loved—now married to each other.
Over a single dramatic summer, secrets emerge, loyalties shift, and old feelings resurface, bringing the past clearly back into focus. Williams skillfully weaves together past and present, making this book an enjoyable blend of romance and historical fiction.
If you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s heartfelt stories about family, friendship, and complicated relationships, Jennifer Weiner might become your next favorite author. Her novel “Mrs. Everything” follows sisters
Jo and Bethie Kaufman across several decades, from their childhood in 1950s Detroit to their adult years of shifting dreams and challenges. Jo dreams of change, eager for adventure and independence, while Bethie embraces conventions and seeks stability.
The novel explores how life reshapes the sisters’ roles and expectations as they navigate love and loss, societal pressures, and personal desires amid the turbulent backdrop of American history.
Jennifer Weiner creates relatable characters facing real-life struggles, capturing the humor, pain, and joy that come with family bonds and self-discovery.
Books by Debbie Macomber offer heartwarming stories of friendship, family, and romance in welcoming small-town settings. Readers who enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s coastal novels will likely appreciate Macomber’s gentle storytelling and cozy communities.
In “The Inn at Rose Harbor,” Jo Marie Rose arrives in the peaceful town of Cedar Cove and opens an inviting inn as she rebuilds her life.
The inn quickly becomes a place for healing and second chances, both for Jo Marie herself and the guests who stay there, each carrying stories of heartbreak, forgiveness, and hope.
With relatable characters and emotional depth, Macomber’s novels provide comforting, uplifting reads perfect for cozy afternoons.
Readers who enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s heartfelt storytelling might also appreciate Jojo Moyes. Her novels center around relatable characters and emotional depth.
In “Me Before You,” Moyes introduces Louisa Clark, a cheerful but directionless young woman who takes a job caring for Will Traynor, a man left paralyzed after an accident. As their relationship builds, they challenge each other’s views on life’s possibilities and limitations.
The story explores themes of love, loss, and choice, filled with warmth, humor, and honest emotion. Fans of character-driven stories and genuine human connections will likely connect with Moyes’ engaging style.
If you enjoy novels by Elin Hilderbrand, Kristin Harmel is another author you’ll want to explore. Harmel writes emotional and thought-provoking stories often centered around complicated family dynamics and historical events.
Her novel “The Book of Lost Names” tells the story of Eva Traube, a young woman forced to flee Paris during World War II and forge identity documents to help Jewish children escape Nazi persecution.
Decades later, Eva discovers an article about a book that contains coded identities she once created, bringing back memories she’s tried hard to bury.
The story shifts seamlessly between wartime France and the present day, capturing powerful themes of courage, resilience, and lost love, wrapped up in historical detail that transports readers fully into Eva’s world.
Books by Jane Green offer engaging characters and genuine emotion that fans of Elin Hilderbrand often appreciate. Green has a talent for capturing the feel of friendship, family, and complicated love. If you’re new to Green’s novels, “The Beach House” is a good place to start.
This story is set on the charming beaches of Nantucket. It follows Nan Powell, an older woman who opens her home to renters as she struggles to save the beloved family property.
Each guest brings their own secrets and challenges, and under Nan’s roof, bonds form, hearts heal, and lives intertwine in unexpected ways.
Readers who enjoy Hilderbrand’s style of family dramas and romantic coastal settings are likely to find a similar warmth and depth in Green’s storytelling.
Anita Shreve was an American novelist known for her emotional and thoughtful storytelling set in coastal New England towns. Her novel “The Pilot’s Wife” explores the story of Kathryn Lyons, whose peaceful life is shattered by the sudden death of her pilot husband.
As Kathryn searches for answers about the tragedy, she encounters unexpected truths and hidden pieces of her husband’s past. Shreve skillfully portrays complicated marriage dynamics, family secrets, and the quiet suspense that surrounds personal revelations.
The beautiful seaside setting and deep exploration of love and loss appeal to readers who enjoy novels by Elin Hilderbrand.
Marisa de los Santos writes novels filled with heartfelt characters and relationships, set against backgrounds you can easily imagine yourself visiting.
In her book “Love Walked In,” Cornelia, who manages a cozy café in Philadelphia, finds herself surprised when a man named Martin walks in and seems to offer the romantic life she’s always dreamed of.
At the same time, an 11-year-old girl named Clare struggles with a mother who is unraveling emotionally. Their lives intersect unexpectedly, causing both Cornelia and Clare to re-evaluate everything they know about family, acceptance, and unlikely friendships.
If you enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s stories about unexpected connections, healing relationships, and memorable characters you’d love to meet in real life, “Love Walked In” will likely resonate with you.
Catherine Bybee is an author who delivers emotional and relatable stories to fans of contemporary romance and family-driven narratives.
Her novel “Doing It Over” introduces readers to Melanie Bartlett, a determined single mother who returns home to River Bend, a small, picturesque town where past dreams and old loves still linger.
When Melanie reunites with her closest friends and encounters the charming Wyatt Gibson, she realizes second chances can offer both hope and unexpected challenges.
Readers who enjoy Elin Hilderbrand’s realistic small-town settings and thoughtful storytelling will find a similar warmth and sincerity in Catherine Bybee’s novels.
Susan Wiggs creates heartfelt novels about love, family, and second chances, often set in charming small towns or beautiful coastal communities.
Her novel “The Lost and Found Bookshop” follows Natalie Harper after a tragedy pushes her into running her mother’s struggling bookstore in San Francisco. Natalie faces choices between practicality and passion, responsibility and personal happiness.
Family secrets unfold, friendships blossom, and emotions run deep in an inviting neighborhood setting. For fans of Hilderbrand looking for warm characters, emotional depth, and the comfort of a meaningful bookshop story, “The Lost and Found Bookshop” might be a perfect fit.