Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Matchmaker (Hilderbrand)

Elin Hilderbrand is definitely now getting the recognition she deserves in the literary realm.  I've always said that her books are great for the beach as "chick lit", but also just as ideal for curling up with next to a fire.  I call her the "just one more chapter" author; the late-night minutes tick by but you just have to see what's going to happen to these beloved characters. The Matchmaker is no different.

Hilderbrand's novels all take place on Nantucket but are very different from each other.  In The Matchmaker, Dabney Kimball Beech is married to John Boxmiller "Box" Beech, but her heart has always been with Clendenin Hughes, a journalist who moved away from Nantucket a long time ago.  Box has been raising Dabney and Clendenin's daughter, Agnes, as his own, but now Clendenin is back in Nantucket.  Dabney, who has set up a multitude of other couples, now must make a decision between the two while dealing with her own personal tragedy.

I pretty much sobbed uncontrollably for the last few chapters, and that is purely due to Hilderbrand making you care so much about these characters.  Heartbreaking read.

MY RATING - 4