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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 Renata's mother, Candace Harris Knox, fourteen years earlier. And now that Renata is on Nantucket visiting the family of her new fiancé, she takes the opportunity, against her father's wishes, to contact Marguerite in hopes of learning the story of her mother's life--and death. But the events of the day spiral hopelessly out of control for both women, and nothing ends up as planned.
Welcome to The Love Season --a riveting story that takes place in one day and spans decades; a story that embraces the charming, pristine island of Nantucket, as well as Manhattan, Paris and Morocco. Elin Hilderbrand's most ambitious novel to date chronicles the famous couplings of real love and friendship, food and wine, deception and betrayal--and forgiveness and healing.
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 Renata's mother, Candace Harris Knox, fourteen years earlier. And now that Renata is on Nantucket visiting the family of her new fiancé, she takes the opportunity, against her father's wishes, to contact Marguerite in hopes of learning the story of her mother's life--and death. But the events of the day spiral hopelessly out of control for both women, and nothing ends up as planned.
Welcome to The Love Season --a riveting story that takes place in one day and spans decades; a story that embraces the charming, pristine island of Nantucket, as well as Manhattan, Paris and Morocco. Elin Hilderbrand's most ambitious novel to date chronicles the famous couplings of real love and friendship, food and wine, deception and betrayal--and forgiveness and healing.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
3210 people are currently reading
15788 people want to read
About the author
Elin Hilderbrand
88 books60k followersElin 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,472 reviews
July 6, 2025
2.5 for The Love Season and my 23rd Elin novel! as usual, the ending is tied up in a perfect little bow and i just love when she writes any food-focused main character. so much detail and makes me so hungry throughout reading hahaha. but just not. one of her books that will stick out in my mind, ya know? i will be doing an updated Elin ranking at the end of the summer!
June 3, 2011
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 importantly, why would you do it to me?
Here is the story that should have been written:
Marguerite (plain; long hair; super-excellent chef) spent fifteen years on the end of the line jerked by Porter (wealthy, pretentious, selfish). He gave her a restaurant; she gave him good sex. Meanwhile, Marguerite is immediate BFF with his sister Candace (blonde; artlessly beautiful). Meanwhile, Candace has married and borne a child (Renata). Meanwhile, Marguerite has fallen in love with Candace.
On the night Porter breaks it off for good, Marguerite realizes/confesses her love to the leggy and ethereal Candace, who is overwhelmed and a bit squicked out -- either by this revelation or by Marguerite's insistence that her sudden desire be returned in kind. Candace decides she needs a breath of fresh air. Candace goes for a run. Candace is hit by a truck.
And so Marguerite wants to die too. She has placed all her emotional well-being in a single basket and it is sunk to the bottom of the reedy river. She has never been beautiful, never been strong or free in the way Candace was, so effortlessly graceful. So she goes to the woods and makes a fire and puts in one of her lovely silver spoons and burns the fuck out of her tongue, because destroying the last remaining joy in her life is the only sacrifice she can make that comes close to the pain of the loss of Candace. It swells up; she nearly dies; she is hospitalized (incarcerated) for a long time; she withdraws from the world and certainly from the restaurant ... until her god-daughter Renata calls and wants to meet her. I'm getting married, she says. I know I'm too young, but I'm in love.
That's wonderful, darling, says Marguerite, desperate to see this girl, this image of Candace, this miracle. Why don't you come over for dinner and we'll talk.
If it's okay, I had some questions about -- about my mum. He never talks about her.
Marguerite closes her eyes even though the child cannot see her. She does not choke. She says, so gently she does not recognize her own voice, it's been stiff from the salt of Nantucket and held-back tears since Candace died and here it is again, almost new, almost whole -- Whatever you want to know. I'm here.
And on opposite sides of the island, the women hang on to the telephone wire like it's the only solid thing in the world.
The real book has various drawn-out dinner parties, nasty rich white people, nasty poor black people, various omg-are-we-lesbians?! friendships, unfinished business, men who exist on the tangent of women's emotional lives and in the foreground otherwise, lots of lobster, and is penned by an author who knows a lot about cooking but very little about baking bread.
I like my version better.
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 importantly, why would you do it to me?
Here is the story that should have been written:
Marguerite (plain; long hair; super-excellent chef) spent fifteen years on the end of the line jerked by Porter (wealthy, pretentious, selfish). He gave her a restaurant; she gave him good sex. Meanwhile, Marguerite is immediate BFF with his sister Candace (blonde; artlessly beautiful). Meanwhile, Candace has married and borne a child (Renata). Meanwhile, Marguerite has fallen in love with Candace.
On the night Porter breaks it off for good, Marguerite realizes/confesses her love to the leggy and ethereal Candace, who is overwhelmed and a bit squicked out -- either by this revelation or by Marguerite's insistence that her sudden desire be returned in kind. Candace decides she needs a breath of fresh air. Candace goes for a run. Candace is hit by a truck.
And so Marguerite wants to die too. She has placed all her emotional well-being in a single basket and it is sunk to the bottom of the reedy river. She has never been beautiful, never been strong or free in the way Candace was, so effortlessly graceful. So she goes to the woods and makes a fire and puts in one of her lovely silver spoons and burns the fuck out of her tongue, because destroying the last remaining joy in her life is the only sacrifice she can make that comes close to the pain of the loss of Candace. It swells up; she nearly dies; she is hospitalized (incarcerated) for a long time; she withdraws from the world and certainly from the restaurant ... until her god-daughter Renata calls and wants to meet her. I'm getting married, she says. I know I'm too young, but I'm in love.
That's wonderful, darling, says Marguerite, desperate to see this girl, this image of Candace, this miracle. Why don't you come over for dinner and we'll talk.
If it's okay, I had some questions about -- about my mum. He never talks about her.
Marguerite closes her eyes even though the child cannot see her. She does not choke. She says, so gently she does not recognize her own voice, it's been stiff from the salt of Nantucket and held-back tears since Candace died and here it is again, almost new, almost whole -- Whatever you want to know. I'm here.
And on opposite sides of the island, the women hang on to the telephone wire like it's the only solid thing in the world.
The real book has various drawn-out dinner parties, nasty rich white people, nasty poor black people, various omg-are-we-lesbians?! friendships, unfinished business, men who exist on the tangent of women's emotional lives and in the foreground otherwise, lots of lobster, and is penned by an author who knows a lot about cooking but very little about baking bread.
I like my version better.
August 20, 2019
It should be a universal rule that one should not let summer pass without journeying to Nantucket with Elin Hilderbrand. The Love Season is one of the author's earlier novels and focuses on one weekend where long buried secrets are finally confessed and forgiveness is in the air
I really enjoyed Marguerite's story about disappointments in love and how she really wants to help her dearest friend's daughter. I didn't care for everything in Renata's storyline but it held enough of EH's charm to keep me hooked.
Goodreads review published 15/08/19
I really enjoyed Marguerite's story about disappointments in love and how she really wants to help her dearest friend's daughter. I didn't care for everything in Renata's storyline but it held enough of EH's charm to keep me hooked.
Goodreads review published 15/08/19
June 1, 2016
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 to do with the 2 female lead characters: I had a hard time relating to them. Both Marguerite and Renata claim to be strong, and see themselves as being independent women, but through this entire book the contrary is proven. I felt very sad for them, and honestly I kind of pitied them. Also, I didn’t see the allure of Candace. Besides Candace’s physical beauty I don’t think the author succeeded into wholeheartedly convince the reader what Candace was all about - and demonstrate why she was such a “shining star”. Why did everyone fell in love with her, including Marguerite? I didn't see it.
The one character I truly understood, because the author did succeed into bringing him to life, was Porter. He was totally there, in all his dimensions, flaws and all.
The reason why I wasn’t enthralled with this story has everything to do with the 2 female lead characters: I had a hard time relating to them. Both Marguerite and Renata claim to be strong, and see themselves as being independent women, but through this entire book the contrary is proven. I felt very sad for them, and honestly I kind of pitied them. Also, I didn’t see the allure of Candace. Besides Candace’s physical beauty I don’t think the author succeeded into wholeheartedly convince the reader what Candace was all about - and demonstrate why she was such a “shining star”. Why did everyone fell in love with her, including Marguerite? I didn't see it.
The one character I truly understood, because the author did succeed into bringing him to life, was Porter. He was totally there, in all his dimensions, flaws and all.
May 21, 2023
The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand. This was an oddly written book. I am not quite sure what i think about. It was written well enough that I finished it. A lot happened in a day Proposal, cheating, breakup, reuniting with an Aunt and the arrival of daddy. She is only 19 yo. It drifts back 29 years prior for some memories and trauma. Otherwise that is about what sums it up.
The writing is adequate. I prefer this authors later works to her beginning novels.
The writing is adequate. I prefer this authors later works to her beginning novels.
August 8, 2012
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 reading was to see if Marguerite would finally have a favorable resolution to her relationship with Porter. No, instead, the waters are muddied with Marguerite's misplaced emotions toward Candice. Why the self-mutilation? Nothing made sense to me and the ending was not satisfying at all. I don't think I know anyone who goes through life the way these people did, maybe that is why I found it so hard to relate.
And BTW, I hate when authors assume that you know some language besides the one you are reading in, and pepper the pages with untranslated phrases...
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 reading was to see if Marguerite would finally have a favorable resolution to her relationship with Porter. No, instead, the waters are muddied with Marguerite's misplaced emotions toward Candice. Why the self-mutilation? Nothing made sense to me and the ending was not satisfying at all. I don't think I know anyone who goes through life the way these people did, maybe that is why I found it so hard to relate.
And BTW, I hate when authors assume that you know some language besides the one you are reading in, and pepper the pages with untranslated phrases...
January 7, 2021
This was the longest 300 page book I've ever read. It was painfully slow at times. This book takes place over the course of one day but we get a ton of flashback information throughout. Long story short (literally), our main character Marguerite is a recluse and we don't know why. She used to own a restaurant but for the past 14 years she rarely leaves her house or sees another soul. Nobody calls her so its a surprise when she gets a call from her estranged Goddaughter, Renata saying she's in town and wants to come over for dinner. Her mother, Candace was a good friend of Marguerite's but she died 14 years ago. Renata is now 19 years old and engaged to a guy who's family is very well known on the island but we're not sure its for the best. Marguerite and Renata's dad don't get along so the book just tells the story of their past and what happened to Candace and why Renata gave up everything she had to become a recluse. It really doesn't all come out until the very end and the whole process was just unenjoyably slow. This book also uses the R word and I HATE that. I love Elin Hilderbrand but this just wasn't it for me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Renata cheats on her fiance and leaves him in the end. Marguerite had been left by her long time lover around 14 years ago and she confessed her love for Candace instead and they kissed but then Candace freaked out and went on a run and got hit by a car and died. Marguerite feels a lot of guilt and thats why she holed herself up. Furthermore she branded her tongue to take away her favorite sense-- taste.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Renata cheats on her fiance and leaves him in the end. Marguerite had been left by her long time lover around 14 years ago and she confessed her love for Candace instead and they kissed but then Candace freaked out and went on a run and got hit by a car and died. Marguerite feels a lot of guilt and thats why she holed herself up. Furthermore she branded her tongue to take away her favorite sense-- taste.
April 27, 2019
It appears I enjoyed this book more than most readers. Typically, I hate books that take place in one 24 hour period...I find them drawn out, contrived, and tedious. But this book, written from several viewpoints and bouncing back and forth in time, didn't bother me as much as most. The Love Season isn't a typical Elin Hilderbrand book, although it does still go in depth about her beloved Nantucket. Is it one of her best? No. Is it as awful as some reviewers say? No. It's just an average story with average characters and a "twist" at the end which I saw coming a mile away.
I will say that, as a West Virginian, I didn't care for her descriptions of West Virginia as "the Congo," or "all-but-forgotten." And I REALLY didn't appreciate her use of the word "retarded" to describe Action's little brother. Those two things automatically took one star off my rating.
Overall, a 2.5 star book.
I will say that, as a West Virginian, I didn't care for her descriptions of West Virginia as "the Congo," or "all-but-forgotten." And I REALLY didn't appreciate her use of the word "retarded" to describe Action's little brother. Those two things automatically took one star off my rating.
Overall, a 2.5 star book.
February 2, 2022
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Lots of 2-stars reviews here on Goodreads, and I went into the book with low expectations. But I quickly found myself engrossed in the characters and the stories of friendships and love. Not sure, however, if this book is aptly titled.
August 16, 2014
Hard not to admire an author who can write a 294 page novel that takes place in one day. Not my favorite Elin Hilderbrand novel. Liked the last quarter better than the rest of the story.
April 27, 2019
I do enjoy a good Elin Hilderbrand novel, but this wasn’t one of them. Yikes. Where to begin? Shall we talk about the “perfect” fiancé - the device through which we know it will never work out? The snooty caricatures that were his parents? The hot “help” (didn’t see that one coming, right)? The not-so-subtle undertones that lesbianism/bisexuality seem to be punishable by death or injury? The slightly racist tone? Using the word “retarded” to describe a friend’s little brother? And the stupid, stupid names - Action Colpeter? Give me a break.
This was hugely disappointing. Fortunately, this was an early Elin novel and things have improved since then. If this had been the first one I read, there wouldn’t have been others, and I would have missed out on a lot of fun.
This was hugely disappointing. Fortunately, this was an early Elin novel and things have improved since then. If this had been the first one I read, there wouldn’t have been others, and I would have missed out on a lot of fun.
March 29, 2011
The Love Season is another great one by Ms. Hilderbrand! I really love her books. This one took place over the course of two days but flip flopped between current happenings and past recollections from the characters so it was like two stories in one. The character development was exquisite and I couldn't wait to learn their secrets. The only thing I wished for while reading was more.... more development, more story, more background..... but what she gave her readers was still good.
May 2, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I figured out what I like about this author. She makes you really feel like you know the characters...and you start to care about them.
July 3, 2021
This wasn't my favorite book of hers. I still enjoyed it because overall I love her writing style, but this was just ok for me
September 21, 2024
Always love an Elin book. I had unanswered questions at the end (Sallie, Action, even Cade & Miles) which contributed to my hesitation of giving this 5 stars. Marguerite was a tortured soul it seems that was her own barrier in her happiness for the course of her entire life (so sad). I loved Renata and the promise for her future. The entire book taking place in the span of a day - interesting and well developed characters - but I felt the end was rushed a bit. Lots of build up for the ending, and I wanted it to take up more of the storyline. Overall, I liked the story and the references to the foods and preparation of cooking, but wanted to hear more of what happened with other characters introduced and referenced. I wished others were more likable as well. Onto to the next Elin read!
September 3, 2020
El libro me ha parecido muy lento para llegar a un desenlace como el que ha tenido. La culpa de una mujer, como va contando el pasado y lo que va pasando en el presente. Dos estrellas porque no me enganchado como esperaba
October 25, 2022
I revisited THE LOVE SEASON, an older Elin Hilderbrand novel on audiobook which I read on kindle years ago but never reviewed.
THE LOVE SEASON takes place over twenty-four hours, with plenty of flashback backstories. I prefer Hilderbrand’s books that occur over a longer period of time in a linear timeline, like a Nantucket summer from June through Labor Day.
Even my least favorite Elin Hilderbrand books are three stars for the pure listening or reading enjoyment.
THE LOVE SEASON takes place over twenty-four hours, with plenty of flashback backstories. I prefer Hilderbrand’s books that occur over a longer period of time in a linear timeline, like a Nantucket summer from June through Labor Day.
Even my least favorite Elin Hilderbrand books are three stars for the pure listening or reading enjoyment.
March 7, 2018
I always enjoy her books, and tend to neglect chores when reading them. This one was no exception!
May 22, 2022
I’m so glad I’ve gone this far back into Elin’s catalog! Peak Elin, probably my favorite book of hers I’ve read since 28 Summers (my first). Add to Mama V’s reading list.
August 31, 2022
I usually love Elin Hilderbrand's books but this one dragged. I didn't feel any connection to the main characters in it. The story line kept flipping back and forth to the now and the past. I thought Renata was a self absorbed and inconsiderate person and while I felt sorry for Marguerita I didn't really feel a connection. It was well written but the idea that it was suppose to be only one day but kept going back so what you were reliving years and years it just seemed off.
April 3, 2025
I. Don't. Care. It may not be her best rated book, but I love the way she weaves a tale, I love the way she describes food, I love the way she describes places so that I feel like I'm there. I love the way she creates characters I care about and has recurring characters and places in her books so that I feel at home.. and for these reasons, I will continue my quest of reading all of Elins books!
August 21, 2022
Definitely not one of her best novels. The story takes place over a course of one weekend on the island of Nantucket. Marguerite has become a hermit after the death of her best friend fourteen years ago. We learn thru flashbacks that Marguerite had a relationship with Porter whom she meets while vacationing in Paris. Candace, is Porter's younger sister whom quickly becomes Marguerite's best friend. Candace ends up marrying Daniel and both of them have a beautiful daughter, Renata. Unfortunately, Porter ends up cheating on Marguerite and later on marries another woman. Now the big mystery surrounding Candace's death and Marguerite's reason for becoming a hermit is weak at best. Apparently, Marguerite coerces Candace and her Renata to visit her during a snowstorm then declares her love for Candace. Candace freaks out and goes jogging and is then hit and killed by a drunk driver.
I believe the author must have gotten bored with the story and decided to just end it abruptly because I definitely felt like this novel was missing closure.
I believe the author must have gotten bored with the story and decided to just end it abruptly because I definitely felt like this novel was missing closure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2022
This book was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but in the end it won me over.
February 19, 2023
3.5. This book was included with The Blue Bistro, but there didn’t seem to be any relation. I enjoyed it, but the relationships were very odd, and none of the characters were especially likable. The food and vibes were swoon-worthy as always.
November 6, 2023
A nice read you don’t have to think to hard or have a ton of characters to keep track of. I can tell this is one of her earlier books. Glad I read it.
October 1, 2020
Not her best. I saw the characters - especially the side characters, as a bit one dimensional and stereotyped.
October 11, 2024
Omg i haven’t been on my reading game lately! But i liiiked this oneee, it was like a hyperfocus over 1 day with lots of backstory. A cozy elin read
April 8, 2025
Cuando leí la sinopsis de esta novela, me recordó un poco a "El último encuentro" de Sándor Márai: una cena, confesiones del pasado, dos personas... A medida que avanzaba en la lectura, me di cuenta de que la historia abarca mucho más. La historia de Marguerite me ha cautivado por completo.
April 19, 2024
While I always enjoy Elin's writing and being back at the heart of Nantucket, this story didn't capture my attention as much as her others. What I liked: there are secrets, charming characters, LOTS of descriptions of food but all in all, it won't be very memorable.
October 27, 2022
We all know how much I adore Elin Hilderbrand and her stories on Nantucket. While this one fell a little flat for me, it kept me intrigued until the end.
I will keep this short and sweet.
Underneath it all, this is a sad story. Our MC, Marguerite, once a restaurant owner on Nantucket, has been a recluse for the past 14 years, since the passing of her best friend Candace. When Candace's daughter, Renata shows up on the island, Marguerite finally has the opportunity to tell her story, let go of guilt and guide a young womans heart as well.
While I felt sorry for Marguerite, the story was just out of my grasp. Definitely, not my favorite. Sorry, Elin.
I will keep this short and sweet.
Underneath it all, this is a sad story. Our MC, Marguerite, once a restaurant owner on Nantucket, has been a recluse for the past 14 years, since the passing of her best friend Candace. When Candace's daughter, Renata shows up on the island, Marguerite finally has the opportunity to tell her story, let go of guilt and guide a young womans heart as well.
While I felt sorry for Marguerite, the story was just out of my grasp. Definitely, not my favorite. Sorry, Elin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,472 reviews