The instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller about two identical twin sisters who couldn’t look more alike . . . or live more differently. Nantucket is only eleven miles away from Martha’s Vineyard. But they may as well be worlds apart for estranged twin sisters Harper and Tabitha Frost. After not speaking for more than a decade, Harper and Tabitha switch islands-and lives-to save what’s … switch islands-and lives-to save what’s left of their splintered family. But the twins quickly discover that the secrets, lies, and gossip they thought they’d outrun can travel between islands just as easily as they can. Will Harper and Tabitha be able to bury the hatchet and end their sibling rivalry once and for all?
Before the last beach picnic of the season, there will be enough old resentments, new loves, and cases of mistaken identity to make this the most talked-about summer that Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have experienced in ages.
more
This was a delightful read with enough suspense to keep you turning the pages and plenty of romance tucked in between the angst. I especially loved the beginning where the first few chapters were written from the island’s point of view – Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. The sister relationship, with all of its ups and downs felt genuine. And I do love sister stories (I have one and unfortunately lost one many years ago)
I enjoyed that The Identicals captured all of the ambiance and feel of the locations, it never felt weighted down with descriptive narrative. All in all, an excellent read.
I am about 75% done with this book and I can’t stop reading. There are lots of twists and interesting characters. I can’t wait to see how it ends. My first Elin Hilderbrand but I look forward to reading more.
Elin Hilderbrand writes the best books with characters from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The Identicals focus on two estranged twin sisters brought together to resolve family issues even though their lives and values are so different. Great fast read!
What can be more summery beach readish than two islands? Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard are as identical as the main character twins…and as different as the twins as well. A story of mending relationships and forging ahead. This book made me want to drive to the beach to sink my toes in the water and butt in the sand. Great read!
Whenever I pick up an Elin Hilderbrand novel, I know I am going to get: a wonderful beach read (literally set on a beach somewhere!) with delicious foods from Nantucket, or Martha’s Vineyard, or her most recent set of books set in St. John. And most importantly, I’m going to get a twisty, character-driven novel that takes me a while to unravel and leaves me wanting to spend more time on the page with her characters with every chapter I read.
In “The Identicals” we have twins, Tabitha and Harper. In a classic “Parent Trap” scenario, one was taken by the father, the other by the mother. Harper suffers from guilt and considers herself a never do well. And to be fair, she’s made some bad choices. (view spoiler) Tabitha, who went with their posh, wealthy mother was raised under her thumb, and never allowed freedom—even now at age 40 as an adult. Her daughter is out of control. Her relationship with a man on Nantucket is failing. And both sisters feel like their worlds are falling apart. When their father passes away and their mother falls ill, they switch places (this had some fun “Parent Trap” hints and references!) and maybe might even find their way back to one another and happier versions of themselves.
Light, fun … good beach read.
As always Elin Hilderbrand develops characters whom you love and become near to heart. The Identicals tells a wonderful story of life, love and family dynamics playing out on opposite islands.
I love the beachy feel of Elin Hilderbrand’s books —I have enjoyed her so much this summer of COVID isolation; we are missing our yearly beach trip. The twins in this book have more problems than I could imagine, but the plot works and there is an HEA— which I must have in a beach read. The location settings are Nantucket and Boston are so interesting , her descriptions make me feel as though I have been there.
“To provide beer and weed to your sixteen-year-old daughter makes you not only a “cool” parent but also kind of a criminal. To offer coke makes you only a criminal.”
.
After ready several heavy reads & with the state of our world right now, I really needed this light, summer-feel read! I can always rely on @elinhilderbrand for a good, “beach read” that also has some depth to it & this one did not disappoint! This story is about identical twins living two totally different lives, one on Nantucket & one on Martha’s Vineyard, then the death of a parent causes a change & they must switch lives & discover secrets about one another. Fun, easy read & a great sit by the pool (or in the backyard during quarantine) book. Wouldn’t be a bad read for a bookclub, enough depth for some light discussion. I would definitely recommend to friends.
Great read! I really enjoy all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books. This one is about twin sisters, Tabitha and Harper Frost. One twin lives on Nantucket with one parent and the other twin lives on Martha’s Vineyard with the other parent. They have not spoken to each other for over a decade. The twins decide to switch islands (and, each others’ lives for a brief time) with Harper taking care of Tabitha’s teenage daughter and running the store their mother started. Meanwhile, Tabitha takes over Harper’s life on her island. There is confusion as some folks either don’t know or don’t remember that they are twins and one is mistaken for the other. Will they mend their relationship with each other and other relationships they have? Hope so. I’m not going to reveal that – you’ll have to read the book to find out.
I love the descriptions of the islands in her books. I have not been to either of the islands but she makes me feel like I’ve been there. The characters are mostly relatable – I can’t relate to upper-crust fashion mavens but it’s still a fun read.
Great book
Might have been my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book yet! Such a great beach read and perfect for the summer!
Secrets, lies, gossip, resentment and family relationships are just some of the issues that Elin Hilderbrand focuses on in her 19th novel set on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Longtime readers of Hilderbrand’s books already will be accustomed to her Nantucket flair, but here readers get a taste of Martha’s Vineyard as well. The two islands are only 11 miles apart, and everyone knows everyone’s business on Martha’s Vineyard, where rumors fly rampant.
Tabitha and Harper Frost are identical twins but couldn’t be any more different. No one can tell them apart, not even their own mother, Eleanor. When Eleanor and Billy, their father, divorced when the twins were just 17 years old, they were split up among their parents. Tabitha lives with her mom on Nantucket, and Harper lives with Billy on Martha’s Vineyard…11 miles apart. Tabitha inherits Eleanor’s traits and is her mother through and through. She also works in Eleanor’s Nantucket boutique. From her parenting skills to her personal tastes, Tabitha is just like Eleanor, the iconic fashion designer who is “impeccable, dignified and refined.” Harper, on the other hand, is “laid-back, easygoing. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She likes a beer and a shot, and wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything fashionable.” She also can’t seem to hold a job, and everyone on the island seems to know all of her business.
And then there’s Ainsley, Tabitha’s 16-year-old troublesome and rebellious daughter who has her own issues. Her biggest problem is that Tabitha is “a piss-poor parent,” doesn’t set boundaries and treats her like an adult instead of a teenager. Ainsley’s actions cause her to be perpetually grounded or to have her phone taken away. She also works in her grandmother’s boutique with Tabitha, and since she was a baby, she has been dressed in nothing but the best designer clothes and is very privileged. Hilderbrand makes you want to slap Ainsley’s face as she describes her as a spoiled teenager. At the same time, she clearly throws in some great descriptions of parenting skills throughout the book that should be paid attention to. Brava, Ms. Hilderbrand! As a parent myself, I always say to discipline is to love, and her characters do a great job of bringing this point to life.
In the beginning of the story, the reader learns that Billy has passed away, and the Frost family is shattered. Eleanor, Tabitha and Ainsley attend the memorial service on Martha’s Vineyard. The twins haven’t seen each other in 14 years due to a falling-out they had, and they only speak via text. Their hearts hurt, but neither budges to repair the damage.
In the meantime, Eleanor falls and needs surgery, and her sister comes and stays with her in Boston as she convalesces. Harper inherits Billy’s house and decides she’d like to have it knocked down instead of fixing it up and selling it. Obviously, she’ll split the inheritance money with Tabitha, but Tabitha wants to fix it up as it’s been a long-time dream of hers to take on a project such as this. It’s the perfect time for the twins to switch islands and lives. Harper agrees to take care of Ainsley and see that she goes to school and work at the boutique. The boutique is floundering and ready to go under, but she and Ainsley manage to save it. Tabitha does a beautiful job on Billy’s house, and the sisters are extremely happy with the way it turns out.
While the twins are switching lives and living on each other’s islands, people mistake their identities, and the secrets, lies and gossip they thought they’d left behind on their respective islands follow them. But the real problem between the sisters all these years is that Tabitha blames Harper for the death of her three-month old son, Julian, who passed away 14 years ago. Will Harper and Tabitha finally be able to reconcile and put a permanent end to their sibling rivalry?
I’ve read several books by Elin Hilderbrand, and I think THE IDENTICALS is her best one yet. From the very start, her descriptions of life on both islands are rich and full of detail. She clearly did her research regarding Martha’s Vineyard and describes it to a tee just the way she does for her beloved Nantucket. She writes cleverly and leaves no stone unturned, thinking everything through so methodically, and her imagination is endless. I can’t get enough of this author, and I’m glad she writes two novels a year.
Unusual twist to identical twins
I love a good story about siblings and the complicated relationships between sisters in particular!
I love this woman’s writing! Every book is like diving in to someone else’s life and not coming out until the very end.
The best of women’s fiction, a story of estranged twins on Cape Cod.
Elin Hilderbrand is one of those authors I’ve tried to get into forever but never found the right book at the right time to grab my attention. Finally, this summer, I snapped up one of her backlist titles from a bargain table and dug in.
Since then, I’ve been hooked on her stories, and have binge-read several. “The Identicals,” though, has been my favorite so far. It has all the right elements that mark Hilderbrand’s work: tight, soapy plots, slightly trashy characters and a Nantucket island setting (here, Martha’s Vineyard, too) rich in sensuous detail.
The story follows identical twin sisters Tabitha and Harper who have lived separate lives on their respective islands and now must face each other — and the problems between them — in the wake of their father’s death.
Hilderbrand has a knack for taking largely unsavory characters and putting them through the wringer until they grow, earning the reader’s respect, if not affection. In fact, as fun as it is to watch her plots unfold, in the end, her stories are really about that character change.
They don’t call her Queen of the Beach Read for nothing.
Elin Hilderbrand is my favorite novelist for my beach reads, even in winter! I loved this book.
I really enjoy the audio book editions of Elin Hiderbrand’s Nantucket books. This one is a wonderful story with lots of dynamics between Harper and Abigail, twin sisters. The book is full of constant romantic liaisons and moving from one partner to another. Even with these details, it’s still a good story. And it was fun to read about Ainsley’s eventual maturity and taking responsibility for her actions.
As someone who has visited Nantucket and Cape Cod, I enjoy hearing the names of the towns and can picture them in my memory.
The author has done a good job of making you want to move to the area and set down roots to become part of the community. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author!