The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
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The Perfect Couple

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Soon to be a Netflix limited series, from New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand comes a "quintessential summer read" (People) about the many ways family can fill our lives with love — if they don't kill us first.

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate.  

But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony-and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect. Featuring beloved characters from The Castaways, Beautiful Day, and A Summer Affair, The Perfect Couple proves once again that Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of the summer beach read.

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ISBN-10

031637525X

ISBN-13

978-0316375252

Print length

496 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Back Bay Books

Publication date

February 11, 2019

Dimensions

5.5 x 1.5 x 8.25 inches

Item weight

2.31 pounds


Popular Highlights in this book

  • She has been loved in her life, deeply and truly loved. She has been known and understood. Is there anything more she is supposed to want?

    Highlighted by 811 Kindle readers

  • There is nothing more terrible, she has decided, than the ferocity with which humans can love.

    Highlighted by 640 Kindle readers

  • The charitable acts that count the most, Greer believes, are those done without anyone knowing.

    Highlighted by 558 Kindle readers

  • La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating and Moisturizing Cream, also in every guest room.

    Highlighted by 198 Kindle readers


Product details

ASIN :

B0763LB5LQ

File size :

2007 KB

Text-to-speech :

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Screen reader :

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Enhanced typesetting :

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Word wise :

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Editorial Reviews

"A quintessential summer read."―People

"One of this summer's must-reads that is all at once quick paced, compulsively readable, and thought provoking. An entertaining yet observant look at the surprising secrets that can fester and erupt in marriage."―Patriot-Ledger

"a fantastic and clever whodunit that keeps readers in suspense throughout the entire book...Hilderbrand's books keep getting better and better as they're well thought out and meticulously written."―Bookreporter

"This is one beach read you won't be able to put down as the investigation unfolds."―Brides.com

"Elin Hilderbrand's fans can expect a twist on the beach this summer with her new book"―CBS News

"a sizzling summer read fans won't want to miss"―Bustle

"We've been saying this for a while, but it bears repeating that Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of summer reading."―Amazon Book Review

"The Perfect Couple proves that Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of the summer beach read"―WFMY News 2

"Readers can open [Hilderbrand's] latest with complete confidence that it will deliver everything we expect: terrific clothes and food, smart humor, fun plot, Nantucket atmosphere, connections to the characters of preceding novels, and warmth in relationships evoked to beautifully it gets you right there...Sink into this book like a hot, scented bath...a delicious, relaxing pleasure. And a clever whodunit at the same time."―Kirkus, Starred Review

"Hilderbrand throws enough curveballs to keep readers guessing, but not too many, maintaining the breezy pace her novels are known for. The mystery element is new, but The Perfect Couple is classic Hilderbrand."―Booklist

"The Perfect Couple is the must read of the Summer - it's Elin Hilderbrand's best book yet"―Pop Sugar, "The 25 New Books to Put in Your Beach Bag This Summer"

"Secrets begin to come out as the families and local police officers realize that no couple is as perfect as they might seem"―Good Housekeeping, 25 Best New Books for Summer

PRAISE FOR HERE'S TO US:

"Beautiful people, dysfunctional families and Nantucket: That's Hilderbrand territory, and it wouldn't be summer without a visit...[Here's to Us is] just the thing for a day by the sea." ―Kim Hubbard, People

"It must be summer: Hilderbrand is back with a new beach read." ―Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today

"The must read that will be in everyone's beach bag this summer." ―Brenda Janowitz, Popsugar

"The queen of the summer beach read...keeps the title with another light-as-air Nantucket-centered tome." ―New York Post

"No one captures the flavor and experience of a summer place--the outdoor showers, the seafood, the sand in the floorboards--like Hilderbrand." ―Kirkus

"Hilderbrand is a master when it comes to writing the quintessential summer read and her offering this summer, Here's to Us, is no exception." ―Laurie Higgins, Wicked Local.com

"The book immediately draws you in with its scenic descriptions of the island and the Page Six-worthy life of a famous rock star chef. A comfy beach chair and Here's to Us is the perfect recipe for a delectable reading experience." ―Bronwyn Miller, BookReporter

"The perfect summer read...Fans of delectable summer reads and romances with a touch of tragedy will love this latest Hilderbrand novel, a perfect companion for a sunny summer morning and a bowl of something sweet." ―Tara Sonin, B&N Reads

"Queen of the summer beach read." ―Lambeth Hochwald, Parade

"The bestselling author of The Rumor pens yet another must-pack beach read--this time about forgiveness, unlikely friendships and the experiences that unite us." ―Ava Baccari, Hello Canada

"Here's to Us will spice up your vacation...You won't be able to put the pages down as the lies, tears, accusations and drama pile up in this crowded cottage." ―YourTango.com

"An absolutely addictive read...written with such exquisite attention to detail, you'll practically smell the salt air and feel the sand beneath your feet." ―Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press

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Sample

Saturday, July 7, 2018, 5:53 a.m.

THE CHIEF

A phone call before six on a Saturday morning is never a good thing, although it’s not unheard of on a holiday weekend. Too many times to count, Chief Ed Kapenash of the Nantucket Police Department has seen the Fourth of July go sideways. The most common accident is a person blowing off a finger while lighting fireworks. Sometimes things are more serious. One year, they lost a swimmer to the riptide; another year, a young woman did a backflip off the bow of a speedboat and hit the water in a way that left her paralyzed. There are generally enough drunk-and-disorderlies to fill a sightseeing bus, as well as dozens of fistfights, a handful of which are so serious that the police have to get involved.

When the call comes in, Andrea and the kids are fast asleep. Chloe and Finn are sixteen, an age the Chief escaped easily with his own children, he now realizes. Chloe and Finn—who are properly the children of Andrea’s cousin Tess and Tess’s husband, Greg, who died in a boating accident nine years ago—are proving to be more of a challenge. Finn has a girlfriend named Lola Budd, and their young love is turning the household upside down. Finn’s twin sister, Chloe, has a summer job working for Siobhan Crispin at Island Fare, Nantucket’s busiest catering company.

The Chief and Andrea have divided their concerns about the twins neatly down the middle. Andrea worries about Finn getting Lola Budd pregnant (though the Chief, awkwardly, presented Finn with a giant box of condoms and a rather stern directive: Use these. Every single time). The Chief worries about Chloe getting into drugs and alcohol. The Chief has seen again and again the way the food-and-beverage industry leads its unsuspecting employees into temptation. The island of Nantucket has over a hundred liquor licenses; other, similar-size towns in Massachusetts have an average of twelve. As a summertime resort, the island has a culture of celebration, frivolity, excess. It’s the Chief’s job to give the annual substance-abuse talk the week before the high-school prom; this year, both Finn and Chloe had been in attendance, and afterward, neither of them would so much as look at him.

He often feels he’s too old for the enormous responsibility of raising teenagers. And impressing them is most certainly beyond him.

The Chief takes his phone out onto the back deck, which looks west over protected wetlands; his conversations here are private, overheard only by the redwing blackbirds and the field mice. The house has a great view of sunsets but not, unfortunately, of the water.

The call is from Sergeant Dickson, one of the best in the department.

“Ed,” he says. “We have a floater.”

The Chief closes his eyes. Dickson had been the one to tell the Chief that Tess and Greg were dead. Sergeant Dickson has no problem delivering disturbing news; in fact, he seems to relish it.

“Go ahead,” the Chief says.

“Caucasian female by the name of Merritt Monaco. Twenty-nine years old, from New York City, here on Nantucket for a wedding. She was found floating facedown just off the shore in front of three-three-three Monomoy Road, where the wedding is being held. The cause of death appears to be drowning. Roger Pelton called it in. You know Roger, the guy who does the expensive weddings?”

“I do,” the Chief says. The Chief is in Rotary Club with Roger Pelton.

“Roger told me it’s his MO to check on each wedding site first thing in the morning,” Dickson says. “When he got here, he said he heard screaming. Turns out, the bride had just pulled the body out of the water. Roger tried CPR but the girl was dead, he said. He seemed to think she’d been dead for a few hours.”

“That’s for the ME to determine,” the Chief says. “Three-three-three Monomoy Road, you said?”

“It’s a compound,” Dickson says. “Main house, two guest cottages, and a pool house. The name of the property is Summerland.”

Summerland. The Chief has seen the sign, though he has never been to the house. That stretch of Monomoy Road is the stratospherically high-rent district. The people who live on that road generally don’t have problems that require the police. The houses have sophisticated security systems, and the residents use discretion to keep any issues under wraps.

“Has everyone else been notified?” the Chief asks. “The state police? The ME?”

“Affirmative,” Dickson says. “The Greek is on his way to the address now. He was here on island last night, lucky for us. But both Cash and Elsonhurst are on vacay until Monday and I’m at the end of a double, so I don’t know who else you want to call in. The other guys are kind of green—”

“I’ll worry about that in a minute,” the Chief says. “Does the girl have family to notify?”

“I’m not sure,” Dickson says. “The bride was so upset that I told the EMTs to take her to the hospital. She needed a Xanax, and badly. She could barely breathe, much less speak.”

“The paper will have to leave this alone until we notify next of kin,” the Chief says. Which is one small piece of good news; the last thing the Chief wants is Jordan Randolph from the Nantucket Standard sniffing around his crime scene. The Chief can’t believe he missed the 911 call on the scanner. Over the years he has developed an uncanny filter where the scanner is concerned; he knows, even in his sleep, what deserves his attention and what he can let pass. But now he has a dead body.

They have to assume foul play by law, although here on Nantucket, violent crime is rare. The Chief has been working on this island for nearly thirty years and in all that time, he has seen only three homicides. One per decade.

Roger Pelton called it in. The Chief has heard Roger’s name recently. Really recently, at some point in the past couple of days. And a compound in Monomoy—that rings a bell too. But why?

He hears a light tap on the window, and through the glass slider, he sees Andrea in her nightshirt, holding up a cup of coffee. Chloe is moving around the kitchen behind her, dressed in her catering uniform of white shirt and black pants.

Chloe is awake already? the Chief thinks. At six o’clock in the morning? Or did she get home so late last night that she fell asleep in her clothes?

Yes, he thinks. She worked a rehearsal dinner the night before. Then it clicks: Chloe told the Chief that the rehearsal dinner and the wedding were being held in Monomoy and that Roger was the wedding coordinator. It’s the same wedding. The Chief shakes his head, even though he knows better than anyone that this is a small island.

“Was the woman you found staying at the compound where the wedding is taking place today?” the Chief asks.

“Affirmative,” Dickson says. “She was the maid of honor, Chief. I don’t think there’s going to be any wedding.”

Andrea, possibly recognizing the expression on the Chief’s face, steps out to the deck, hands Ed his coffee, and disappears inside. Chloe has vanished. She has probably headed upstairs to shower for work, which will now be canceled. News like this travels fast; the Chief expects that Siobhan Crispin will be calling at any moment.

What else did Chloe say about that wedding? One of the families is British, the mother famous somehow—an actress? A theater actress? A playwright? Something.

The Chief takes the first sip of his coffee. “You’re still on-site, correct, Dickson? Have you talked to anyone other than the bride and Roger?”

“Yeah, I talked to the groom,” Dickson says. “He wanted to go with the bride to the hospital. But first he went inside one of the guest cottages to grab his wallet and his phone and he came right back out to tell me the best man is missing.”

“Missing?” the Chief says. “Is it possible we have two people dead?”

“I checked the water, down the beach, and out a few hundred yards in both directions with my field glasses,” Dickson says. “It was all clear. But at this point, I’d say anything is possible.”

“Tell the Greek to wait for me, please,” the Chief says. “I’m on my way.”

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About the authors

Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing "Home, Sweet Home" at the Club Car piano bar. Here's to Us is her seventeenth novel.


Reviews

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

20,481 global ratings

Parker

Parker

5

It’s bad, but I liked it

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018

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First off, I’m a guy. I get that I’m not exactly a part of Ms. Hilderbrand's target audience. But I decided to show some courage and post a review from a regular guy’s perspective. Whether that’s good or bad I’ll leave to you.

How’d I get into this? Well, I spend Summers on Nantucket, I was looking for something to read, and I was curious to see what all the excitement over the The Perfect Couple was about. (A starred Kirkus review? That’s pretty serious stuff). So this was an experiment of sorts. I think it was a successful one in that I finished the book. This in spite of the authors chronically pretentious and unnecessary name dropping of every trendy high end fashion brand known to man. (No, that’s not quite fair. I should have said every trendy high end fashion brand known to woman).

Is this great writing? No. But it’s not meant to be, is it? It’s not Hammett, it’s chick-lit. Still, I’m embarrassed to say, I really enjoyed the story. It was very easy to follow; and knowing a lot about the island made it fun. There were a lot of twists and turns and the characters were interesting; I think I recognized a few of them in real life. I’ve seen guys like the Benji character. Although a cynic may see him as a bit of a blind sucker, there was something noble about him that fostered sympathy. He could have murdered his best man and it would have been justifiable homicide in my book. But the focus of the story wasn’t really about the guys, was it? It was all about the girls. Most of it wasn’t flattering from where I was sitting. Maybe it was the overdose of fluff that came with every description of what they were wearing that did me in. Nevertheless, I was reasonably successful in separating the confection from the meat of the story, even though I complained and rolled my eyes all through it, right to the bitter end.

I know, it’s bad. Yet, here I am confessing that I wanted to read her book. I liked reading it, complaining about it, and I felt compelled to finish it. Apparently, Ms. Hilderbrand has an addictive formula that hooked this guy at a perfect moment in time. She deserves 5 stars for that alone.

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32 people found this helpful

Barbara J. Riggs

Barbara J. Riggs

5

another winner!

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

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Rich characters & a fast paced read. On a mission to read every one of Elin’s books! Highly recommend this one!

Lisa Gillette

Lisa Gillette

5

Engrossing page-turner with an interesting cast of characters

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2018

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I had long been aware of Elin Hilderbrand's novels, as my mother typically bought her latest beach read when it came out each summer. She was a big fan, and I'd always intended to check out the books, but hadn't gotten around to it. I lost my mother six months ago, and I decided to read this year's offering as kind of a tribute to her since she's not here to do it. I now understand why she liked them so much -- "The Perfect Couple" is the definition of a page-turner. Despite its length (more than 450 pages), I read it over two largely sleepless nights.

Hilderbrand makes the beauty of summertime in Nantucket almost palpable, but in this book, a mystery is central to the story. A young couple -- the groom from a wealthy Nantucket family, the bride from a modest Pennsylvania upbringing -- is about to marry, and their friends and family have gathered on the island for the occasion. But the morning of the event, a member of the wedding party is found floating facedown near the groom's family's home. The book then goes back and forth in time between the authorities questioning various family members and guests, and setting up the events leading to the wedding day. The resolution, to me, wasn't a disappointment -- more poignant than anything else.

It would be easy to view this as simply a scandal-ridden beach read that reminds you, once again, that money isn't everything, and can't fix everything. But what's really striking about these characters is their humanness. Basically, they are just people who either made, or were pushed into making, bad choices, and then either handled them badly, tried to make things right, or simply denied their own feelings to prevent hurting others. The point is that people aren't black-and-white -- just when you think you've pegged a character as selfish or shallow, he or she shows kindness or consideration to another, and you realize that we're not all good or all bad; we're just human.

I am now going to go back through my mom's books and read her other Hilderbrands, as I very enjoyed this one a great deal.

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4 people found this helpful

NZLisaM

NZLisaM

5

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, or crikey, this wedding party sure had a lot to hide!

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018

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Upon reading the book blurb for this one, I knew I just had to pre-order it – a beautiful island wedding where the guests are all staying at the same location, and the maid of honour is found dead – sold! And did it live up to my expectations – yes, yes, yes! I knew going in that it was going to be tamer than my usual crime read, leaning more towards contemporary drama, which it was, but I have to say it was a nice change of pace for me, and I really enjoyed it. The mystery plot, which I worried might be too obvious, wasn’t, and even when I thought I had worked it out, turns out I was wrong.

There’s a lot of glamour and glitz, talk of décor, scenery, parties, outings, heaps of descriptions of food and drink (which all sounded delicious by the way) but again that was a given before I even opened the book, and was told in such an interesting, insightful way, that I even relished those parts. Nantucket Island sure does sound like a gorgeous place, and the author definitely did it justice.

The story opens with the Chief of Police receiving a phone call that the maid of honour has been found floating in the ocean, on the morning of the wedding day, and covers the subsequent investigation that follows. There are also multiple flashbacks to the day before the wedding, as well as the two years leading up to the event. At times the story is pretty heartbreaking and tragic, so keep those tissues handy, but there’s also some amusing and touching moments that have you smiling.

After perusing Elin Hilderbrand’s other books, it looks like this is the authors first mystery novel, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed she writes more in this vein, as she did an amazing job. Even though it’s winter here, and I read under the covers with the electric blanket, this would make an excellent summer beach read, as it’s easy to read, and follow.

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143 people found this helpful

Laurel-Rain Snow

Laurel-Rain Snow

4

THE ILLUSION OF PERFECTION...

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

It’s Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom’s wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate.

But it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony-and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom’s famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

My Thoughts: Against the backdrop of the gorgeous fairytale setting of Nantucket, The Perfect Couple offers romantic moments and promises of happily-ever-after.

But for the wedding couple, the promises do not come off as planned. Slipping back and forth in time, we learn the secrets behind the facades of the wealthy Winbury family, and we only begin to see what Celeste Otis wants and needs as the wedding date approaches. Her true heart will be revealed as the clock ticks toward the exchange of vows. A tragedy then takes everyone off course, and in the midst of chaos, self-examination must take place.

What makes a happily-ever-after couple? Will Celeste’s dreams of perfection, based on what she sees between her parents, the original “perfect couple,” guide her toward her own true love? Or will the trappings of wealth and privilege owned by the Winbury family misdirect her, forcing a focus on security and comfort? How does a last-minute attraction push her off course? Will she acknowledge her true feelings before it is too late?

Solving the mystery of the body in the harbor keeps everyone a bit off balance for the duration. Meanwhile, the vision of a perfect couple, and what that looks like, haunts each of the characters. Taunting them, reminding them of what others have, and what somehow eludes them. In the end, answers come, but they seem sad and anticlimactic. 4.5 stars.

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6 people found this helpful

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