Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

April 8, 2015

Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand image

I fell in love with Elin Hilderbrand after reading The Matchmaker, which was the first book I ever read by her. I used to have a silly tradition where I read only Nora Roberts in the bathtub, but now it’s only Elin!

Kayla, Val, and Antoinette are best friends. For the last 20 years, they’ve upheld a tradition where they meet up at midnight to swim naked on their favorite secluded Nantucket beach. Calling themselves the “Night Swimmers,” the women take turns sharing their deepest, darkest secrets with one another.

This time, Kayla gets drunk and brazenly accuses Antoinette of sleeping with her husband. Next, Antoinette dances off into the water, but never returns to shore. The aftermath of this event is pure chaos, and the entire island of Nantucket blames Kayla for Antoinette’s disappearance.

Nantucket Nights will keep you guessing until the very end. The first chapter, told from Kayla’s point of view, is very engaging but seems to go on forever—about 112 pages! But the book becomes far more exciting after that, and you’ll understand why when you see the title of the chapter that comes after the long one.

This book is truly amazing. I’ve read thousands of mysteries in my life and I couldn’t solve this one until the very end. Antoinette’s character is the epitome of depression. And the character who loves her really knows how to love, with their entire being. It’s all so beautiful.

I didn’t like how the Nantucket residents who had known Kayla for years treated her terribly after Antoinette’s disappearance, despite Antoinette being known as the odd duck on the island for 20 years beforehand. Small-town life, I guess.

Nantucket Nights is a great way to get your feet wet with Elin Hilderbrand if you’re new to this author. She has a long list of novels under her belt, but this is one of her better ones.

Other books by Elin Hilderbrand include:

What did you think about Nantucket Nights? What are your favorite books by this author?

Last Updated on March 6, 2026 by Sarah Ann

Affiliate Disclosure: There may be affiliate links in this content. This means I earn a small commission if you buy anything from those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.