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156th out of 270 books
—
120 voters
The Love Season
It's a hot August Saturday on Nantucket Island. Over the course of the next 24 hours, two lives will be transformed forever.
Marguerite Beale, former chef of culinary hot spot Les Parapluies, has been out of the public eye for over a decade. This all changes with a phone call from Marguerite's goddaughter, Renata Knox. Marguerite has not seen Renata since the death of Renat...more
Marguerite Beale, former chef of culinary hot spot Les Parapluies, has been out of the public eye for over a decade. This all changes with a phone call from Marguerite's goddaughter, Renata Knox. Marguerite has not seen Renata since the death of Renat...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
May 30th 2006
by St. Martin's Press
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Never would have picked this one up if it had not been selected for our book club, but i am grateful to have been introduced to this author, and would definitely read more of her work now.
You'll have to guess when The Love Season was, for each of the characters, after you read about them. They were quite believable without being too predictable. Hilderbrand is good at maintaining suspense too, and i loved the structure of using one full day in which to tell the story of many years, as the hours...more
You'll have to guess when The Love Season was, for each of the characters, after you read about them. They were quite believable without being too predictable. Hilderbrand is good at maintaining suspense too, and i loved the structure of using one full day in which to tell the story of many years, as the hours...more
It's hard to finish a book when you don't like the characters you are reading about. I did finish, but even then I was disappointed at the abrupt ending.
I was very dismayed at the behavior of Renata. How much in love with Cade could she have been if she was eying Miles from the minute she meet him? Not what you would expect of a newly engaged 19 year old, where is her depth? The tantrum in the kitchen was so far over the top, that I almost put the book down right there. The only reason I kept r...more
I was very dismayed at the behavior of Renata. How much in love with Cade could she have been if she was eying Miles from the minute she meet him? Not what you would expect of a newly engaged 19 year old, where is her depth? The tantrum in the kitchen was so far over the top, that I almost put the book down right there. The only reason I kept r...more
Elin Hilderbrand's is one of my favorite authors! This being said, she doesn't disappoint in The Love Season. This novel takes place on the lovely Nantucket Island. The story spans only twenty-four hours, yet covers decades of information. In those twenty-four hours, the main characters Marguerite Beale and Renata Knox will face their past as well as each other.
The story introduces nineteen-year-old Renata Knox who hasn't seen her godmother, Marguerite Beale, since the death of her mother, Cand...more
The story introduces nineteen-year-old Renata Knox who hasn't seen her godmother, Marguerite Beale, since the death of her mother, Cand...more
I dunno who the (expletive) titled this book, but they were on crack.
A frustrating read. Hilderbrand apparently operates under the delusion that a book takes only a few stock characters and a hint of mysterious mystery that isn't explained until the very end, bake at 500 degrees for fifteen minutes stir twice, success!
Why, Elin? (Can I call you Elin?) You had the ingredients for creme brulee au chocolat and you settled for microwave brownies. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF? & more import...more
A frustrating read. Hilderbrand apparently operates under the delusion that a book takes only a few stock characters and a hint of mysterious mystery that isn't explained until the very end, bake at 500 degrees for fifteen minutes stir twice, success!
Why, Elin? (Can I call you Elin?) You had the ingredients for creme brulee au chocolat and you settled for microwave brownies. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF? & more import...more
So far I’ve read five other Elin Hilderbrand’s books and I generally enjoy her stories set on Nantucket. Hilderbrand’s writing style is fluent and very pleasant. In my opinion, she’s quite good in creating cozy atmospheres. So, I have not (yet) grown tired of this author, and maybe I never will. Eventhough I didn’t like “The Love Season” as much as her other books, it was still an okay read and I was interested to get to the end.
The reason why I wasn’t enthralled with this story has everything...more
The reason why I wasn’t enthralled with this story has everything...more
The more I read of Hilderbrand's novels, all set in Nantucket, the more I appreciate the diversity of her storytelling. "The Love Season" takes place over a 24 hour period and is told from the viewpoints of the two main characters, Marguerite and Renata (godmother and goddaughter) after a 14 year separation. Thought it contains some themes common to Hilderbrand's other novels (the restaurant business, the sea, Nantucket social life, etc.), it focuses on Marguerite's struggle to maintain her sani...more
While I wouldn't describe Love Season as a great piece of fiction, I found it to be a fast, okay read. I easily transitioned to place, time, and characters. The narrative toggled back and forth between the 2 main female characters and added depth and suspense to story.
My biggest gripe was my disappointment and irritation with both Renata and Marguerite for allowing themselves to be treated so poorly by their significant others. In hindsight, after her secret is unveiled at the end of the story,...more
My biggest gripe was my disappointment and irritation with both Renata and Marguerite for allowing themselves to be treated so poorly by their significant others. In hindsight, after her secret is unveiled at the end of the story,...more
This book takes place in Nantucket. Marguerite Beale and Renata Knox. External Conflict: Renata is trying to figure out how or why her mothers death. Marguerite one day got a phone call from her goddaughter, who she hasn't seen or heard from in a long time. Renata is visitng Nantucket, when she searches to figure out the cause behind her mothers death.
Many people lose connection to someone inportant to them. This connects to the book because Renata and Marguerite stopped talking once Renata's m...more
Many people lose connection to someone inportant to them. This connects to the book because Renata and Marguerite stopped talking once Renata's m...more
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Renata, 19, wants to learn about her mother, who died 14 years earlier. Marguerite, a former chef of a culinary hotspot on Nantucket, is Renata’s godmother and was her mother’s best friend and holds the answers Renata seeks.
As Marguerite prepares for the meal – meeting old friends and reminicing about her life before Candace’s death – Renata goes about her day -making decisions which will alter her future.
This is a quick enjoyable read with believable characters. There is suspense about why Marg...more
As Marguerite prepares for the meal – meeting old friends and reminicing about her life before Candace’s death – Renata goes about her day -making decisions which will alter her future.
This is a quick enjoyable read with believable characters. There is suspense about why Marg...more
This is the first Elin Hilderbrand book that I've read and aside from some implausible aspects, I enjoyed reading it. I tend to like books that deal with settings I'm familiar with, so having the book set in Nantucket, made it interesting to me. The topic of cooking is also one that appeals to me, and the whole process that Marguerite goes through in preparation for the dinner party made my mouth water. I had a hard time warming up to Renata and understanding her motivations and I was completely...more
This is one of my favorite authors. I will have to forgive her for this book. Not a fan. Way too much sadness. It was depressing to read. I identified way too closely with the main character. I would like to think that I would not have been so naive after years and years of a being with a man who cheated. Geez. Who wants that? The part about the best friend being killed while jogging was just ugly. Really. Our girl confesses that she loves her best friend and then wham, friend goes jogging and i...more
Another great story by Elin Hilderbrand. By now, I've read almost all of her books, and this was one of the better ones. The characters were interesting and believable, the story was intriguing and fast-paced, and the 'mystery' at the end (what everything was building up to) was sufficiently surprising. I wasn't really sure where the story was going, but I figured there was some sort of 'shocker' that would surface at some point. It turned out to be something pretty compelling, and I thought it...more
3.5 stars. A story about a former chef - Marguerite- who has not seen her goddaughter Renata since Renata's mother - Candace- died. One day she gets a phone call from Renata asking to see her. The book takes place in the present and past describing the relationship between Marguerite and Candace.
I admit that I am at a bit of a loss over this book. It had some really strong parts, especially when describing travel to other countries, Marguerite's cooking and restaurant, Marguerite and Porter's u...more
I admit that I am at a bit of a loss over this book. It had some really strong parts, especially when describing travel to other countries, Marguerite's cooking and restaurant, Marguerite and Porter's u...more
Jul 11, 2008
Jenny
marked it as stopped-reading
I had to put it down because I just can't get into it at this point. I hope to pick it up again soon.
This is your perfect beach book, or the perfect summer read if you are dreaming of the beach but are stuck in middle America. Renata is 19 year old, newly engaged, and finally looking for closure and understanding for her mothers death 14 years before. Marguerite is Renata's godmother who blames herself for her friend (Renata's mother) death. The beginning was very enjoyable to read, nut I found myself getting bored midway through. I sort of saw the ending unfold by midway through the book and w...more
An enjoyable book. Love Nantucket! Author tries to write the book in two voices, but alas, she only has one voice. It isn't realistic either because one character is supposed to be 19 years old, but the author gives her thoughts and actions of a 40-year old.
The author was successful however, in re-creating Nantucket memories for me--Sconset, the sand, the sun, flying to the island, the little airport, the ferry, the bicycles, the A&P grocery, downtown streets, the Herb Farm, etc.
The author was successful however, in re-creating Nantucket memories for me--Sconset, the sand, the sun, flying to the island, the little airport, the ferry, the bicycles, the A&P grocery, downtown streets, the Herb Farm, etc.
This was a weird read for me. It started off really good, keeping me entertained and glued to each and every next page. However, the end comes just way too fast. I feel as though I am left hanging and still have a lot of unanswered questions. (I HATE BOOKS THAT DO THIS!) I liked how the book was spanned throughout the course of an entire day and told from the aspects of two different people. I would have liked a little bit more closure, more knowledge of what happened to each character or where...more
This was the best fiction that I've read in a long time! Elin does a wonderful job of characterization - loved the way she wrote about food throughout the book. It had a few unexpected twists (I always appreciate). Elin was very successful in her ability to go back and forth in time - having the character reminiscence of the past to portray a story - though the book takes place in a single day. I will definitely read some more by this author!
I loved this book. It is rich in creating atmosphere and character all in the space of a day in which decades of friendship untangle themselves with all the flaws of self tormenting that goes on when we blame ourselves for other's choices or expect another to meet our needs. I love learning the names of new foods and wines and the enjoyment of them.
I am hopeful that now Renata, Dan and Marguerite can move on and be like the family that they all lost.
I am hopeful that now Renata, Dan and Marguerite can move on and be like the family that they all lost.
I wasn't sure about this book when I started it but it turned out to be my favourite Elin Hilderbrand book so far and I've read a lot of her books. The story in this one held my interest more than the usual lonely rich girl falls for local gorgeous hunk handyman who turns out to be independently wealthy. I did get a little exasperated with the girl, Renata, a couple of times but nothing serious. At one point, I put the book down because I was so angry with what she was doing but when I picked it...more
In Elin Hilderbrand’s “The Love Season”, the author explores the story of one woman’s quest for love and family connection. This tale takes place over a two-day period on the island of Nantucket, but through flashbacks for the primary characters, the past is revealed in stages, until finally, we have the full story.
Marguerite Beale is a chef who formerly owned a restaurant on the island – a popular hangout for many locals – until something tragic occurs. A woman – Marguerite’s best friend Candac...more
Marguerite Beale is a chef who formerly owned a restaurant on the island – a popular hangout for many locals – until something tragic occurs. A woman – Marguerite’s best friend Candac...more
Jul 18, 2007
Sherrie
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
cry as* white people.
Shelves:
2006booklist
I’m sorry, but the theme for my book reading this year includes books about cry-ass white women. What is up with that? I’m usually not a fan. This one was sort of gothic..so it had that going for it. Marguerite is a lonely legendary chef on Nantucket Island who hasn't cooked for anyone since she sold her restaurant 14 years ago, following the death of her best friend Candace and her own brief stint in a psychiatric hospital. One night, her goddaughter…Candace’s 19 year old daughter, Renata Knox,...more
This book was awful. The characters are bland and the story is only mildly interesting. It is easy to read but hard to get through. Toward the end the author switches to different perspectives which would have been welcome at the beginning of the book, but just adds confusion to the way the book is written. The end starts to get better and then the ending is awful. I was very disappointed in this book. Would not recommend it.
I like Hilderbrand's books and this one is no exception. I love that it takes place in New England. However, I felt that the story seemed to drag on a lot. I liked how it was told from different point of views - the first 2/3 of the book shifted between Margueritte's view and Renata. The last 1/3 was told from their points of view as well as other character's. It would have been really interesting if the book was told from all these different views throughout the whole book - it might have moved...more
This was a great summer read by one of my favorite authors! I loved the story line - the characters were easy to relate to and the story easy to follow. I have never been disappointed in a book by Elin, however, with this one I have to say that I just wasn't so thrilled with the ending - thus the 4 star review. I felt there were things that were left without closure.
This is the third book I have read by Elin Hilderbrand. The first was The Blue Bistro and I loved it. The next two however, I just didn't like the characters as much. In The Love Season, the characters were not really very likable at all. The men were all bastards ( in their own way) and the women were all whiny. I think my favorite character was Sallie and she was hardly in it!
A story that takes places during one day, but spans a story that covers decades. Renata, a newly-engaged 19-year old, comes to Nantucket to visit her mysterious godmother, who has become totally reclusive. A little too much emphasis on food descriptions (the aunt used to be a chef), but otherwise a pretty good story. I just skimmed through the food passages.
I did not enjoy this book as much as other Elin Hilderbrand novels. Her description of the restaurant/chef were less entertaining than Blue Bistro. The drama of the accident was less than the Castaways. The crises were less than Sumemr Affair and Night Swimmers. For me, there were too many peripheral characters introduced with great backstories...but these were never developed.
Jul 24, 2011
Melinda
added it
This was a great summer, beach read. This is the second book i've read by Elin Hilderbrand and each time I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging the story was. I think the title is a bit misleading as it made me think the story was going a whole different way than the way the book actually developed. If you want just a quick, enjoyable book, this is definitely the story for you.
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Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.
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“It was like we had known all along that the sky was going to fall and then it fell and we pretended to be surprised.”
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