I always look forward to Elin Hilderbrand’s new books with great
anticipation. Her novels are what I like to call “smart chick lit” and
are always set in Nantucket; she writes about life on this island so
beautifully that she makes me want to book a one-way trip there.The Rumor, her latest novel but definitely not her best, kept me turning the pages, but for the most part, I found it filled with clichéd characters doing despicable things. This is the story of two families whose wives, Madeline and Grace, are best friends. Madeline is a prominent author who is suffering from a lingering case of writer’s block, and Grace is a wealthy gardening connoisseur who falls hard for her landscaper. Eddie, a prominent seller of real estate on the island, is Grace’s husband who finds himself in financial turmoil. He seems to be a big believer in desperate times call for desperate measures. And of course to connect the families even more, Madeline’s teenage son Brick and Grace’s daughter Allegra are dating in soap-opera fashion.
Calling The Rumor a soap opera is not a case of overstating anything. With the exception of one or two, the characters are hard to care about, especially since they’re always feeling so sorry for themselves. Not Hilderbrand’s best by any means.
MY RATING - 3
