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    The Identicals: A Novel
    The Identicals: A Novel
    The Identicals: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Identicals: A Novel

    Written by Elin Hilderbrand

    Narrated by Erin Bennett

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The instant New York Times bestseller is "a fun, delightful, un-putdownable novel" about two identical twin sisters who couldn't look more alike . . . or live more differently (PopSugar).

    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 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.

    "Parent Trap vibes with an adult twist...One of Hilderbrand's most binge-worthy confections." —Elisabeth Egan, New York Times 



    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateJun 13, 2017
    ISBN9781478915799
    The Identicals: A Novel
    Author

    Elin Hilderbrand

    Elin Hilderbrand grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a teaching/writing fellow. Her short fiction has appeared in Seventeen, The Massachusetts Review, and The Colorado Review. She lives with her family in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

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    Reviews for The Identicals

    3.5/5

    228 ratings28 reviews

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    • 3/5
      -1 point because it's written in the present tense. So jarring to my eyes. I find it pretentious.
    • 3/5
      Entertaining quick read! Lots of great local color.
    • 3/5
      This is my first Elin Hilderbrand novel. I found it to be a light, entertaining summer read. Loved the setting and the dog. At times I wanted to smack most of the characters (just TALK to each other!). The constant fashion descriptions and decorating details got boring but that's probably because I'm not into either fashion or decorating. Fish, the dog, was by far my favorite character. If you're looking for an in-depth novel about sisters and sibling relationships, I'd recommend "The Almost Sisters" by Joshilyn Jackson. Otherwise this is a fun and enjoyable book though not one that will stay with me much longer than summer.
    • 4/5
      Needed a break from books that make me think, so Hilderbrand is always a good choice. I think I read it in one day. Enjoyed the plot about twin sisters, separated when their parents divorce, and who had a falling out years ago. Cute parallel to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, which are also like sisters who are very different from each other. (And of course, one of them lives on one, and one the other.) Romantic complications abound as usual, and all gets wrapped up so neatly. A good way to get your mind off the pandemic!
    • 4/5
      Another great beach read by Hilderbrand. Story follows two identical twin sisters, put into tough position by parents, that shape who they are as adults. As with all her books, Ms. Hilderbrand gets into the complexities of family and decisions that are made. My only complaint with these books are the last two chapters feel thrown together and tied up too neatly too quickly. Although, this book's last chapter was the best!
    • 4/5
      interesting book. kind of with the idea of parent trap (the movie) except on a grown up level. one lives in martha's vineyard and one lives on Nantucket and they both switch lives. interesting plot.
    • 4/5
      This book was exactly what I needed during a time of a variety of medical problems. I was able to escape and get immersed into the story of a set of identical twin. Tabitha, the older one and her younger sister who almost died at birth.

      Their parents, Billy and Eleanor were very different in their interests but had a happy marriage until Eleanor's dress designs became famous. Then they split up with Tabitha reluctantly going with her mother to live on Nantucket and Harper, happy to be living with Billy. Tabitha has a daughter who rebels against her mother and doesn't give an inch in modernizing her mother's shop. The sales slid downwards and Tabitha relents to her daughter's demands too much.

      Harper on Martha' s Vineyard, has not settled down into a career but she took care of her dad when he was dying of cancer. The memorial set in motion the coming together of Eleanor, the twin daughters who had not been on friendly terms since the divorce of their parents, and Tabitha's daughter, Ainsley.

      Each morning when I woke up, I listened to another disc of this story. I not only enjoyed the well developed characters but learning about the big contrasts between Martha' s Vineyard and Nantucket but even the perfect ending of the story.
    • 4/5
      4.5 :) This is a fun summer read. Perfect for the beach!
    • 4/5
      Identical twin sisters Tabitha and Harper have been estranged for the past 14 years, when Tabitha's infant son died. Prior to that, when the girls were 17 their parents divorces. Harper went to live with their father, Billy on Martha's Vineyard and Tabitha went to live with their mother, Eleanor in Boston and on Nantucket. The other main character is Ainsley, Tabitha's precocious sixteen year old daughter. All three of these females are flawed and as the story unfolds we find out what happened in their past that contributed to who they are. When Harper and Tabitha were split apart they lived with very different parents. Eleanor was a debutante who became a famous designer. She is haughty, stuck up and a perfectionist. Billy was an electrician who was very good at his job. He is sociable and very laid back. The book opens with Billy dying of congenital heart failure which brings this family back together for his memorial service. This forces many decisions, life changes and confrontations that move the story along once you get past the introductions.

      When the story begins, the plot is a bit slow, but do not quit reading. Once I got into this story, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I also did not like the four main women in this story at the beginning. Again, as the story progressed the transformations they all had were wonderful and believable. There is some drama, some romance and wonderful settings that Elin Hildenbrand is know for. A great family drama that many readers will enjoy. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
    • 4/5
      This was such a fun read. What does it say about me that I am conflicted to give it four stars because it isn’t quite literature? No matter, four stars it is because it’s exactly what I wanted and needed to read over the course of last 24 hours. And I think my next book will be another Elin Hilderbrand!
    • 3/5
      Light reading taking place on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Grown women, identical twins, reunite as adults brought together by a family crisis. Parts of this were very funny. Definitely light beach reading.
    • 2/5
      I don't usually do chic lit but I'd heard something about this book and then saw it on an Audible sale so I said what the heck. It was okay, just not my cup of tea. Felt like the descriptions of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket went way overboard, although I did learn it was on the east coast - I always envisioned them on the west.
    • 4/5
      I once again loved this summers beach read. I love to read about each of the two islands and how they differ. The ending was a little bit scrambled for me, I wanted to have more time and not wrapped up so neatly.
    • 4/5
      I'm always a big fan of Elin Hilderbrand and she doesn't disappoint. This is a great summer beach read about sisters who have been separated most of their lives when their parents divorce and decide one daughter will go with the Mom and one will go with the Dad. Events ruin their relationship and now they must find a way back to each other and heal their relationship. The audiobook was very good. The narrator did a great job.
    • 4/5
      Listened to CD. The story takes place on the two islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. It is a story of identical twins who have not spoken in many years. As 17 year olds they did rock, paper, scissors to determine which parent they stayed with when their parents divorced. Both have had difficult lives, but through a series of events, they end up switching lives for a summer. Each grows from the experience. In the end they become friends again and each finds love on their original islands.
    • 4/5
      Another wonderful novel by Elin Hilderbrand! A story about identical twin sisters who were separated when their parents were divorced.
    • 4/5
      I love Elin Hilderbrand's books, and this was no exception. Authentic characters, dialogue and settings. Just thoroughly enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      The identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
      Have read many books from this author and have enjoyed them.
      This was start out with the identical twins and each lives on an island off the coast of MA. One living with their mother, the other with their father. Identical twins and they have pulled their pranks on teachers and boyfriends over the years.
      You get a lot of the back story as to how they ended up there and how one had a daughter who's a teen now in the story.
      Alternating chapters from them and also other family members. Due to the parents death they are drawn together and then a medical emergency where the two sisters kinda swap islands to accomplish what needs to be done.
      Romances and teen problems with drugs and drinking and breakups and finding their one soul mate but it's all a farce as they learn how they are related to the one couple that bring them all together.
      Lots of drama and I especially liked the island adventures and quiet spots and all about the fashion industry and what works. Also enjoyed the renovations and technical chat about that.
      Received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      This was a refreshingly light, easy beach read.I enjoyed it. It's not one that will stick with me forever, but it was easy to lose myself in the story and pass the time. The story follows two estranged middle aged twins. One of the twins lives on Martha's Vineyard and has bounced from job to job, a free spirited, drinking, husband stealing man. The other works for their mother in Nantucket, operating an upscale boutique and trying to reign in her rambunctious teenage daughter. The twins haven't spoken in nearly fourteen years but the untimely death of their father brings them together. They decide to "switch lives" for the summer, Harper helping out with the store and the rebellious teenager, while Tabitha goes to Martha's Vineyard to gut and re-sell their father's house. Little do they know how much their lives are about to change.
    • 3/5
      Twin sisters, Harper and Tabitha, have been estranged for many years when their father dies and they are suddenly forced into each other lives again.

      Tabitha lives on Nantucket with her troubled teenaged daughter Ainsley. When their parents divorced, Tabitha went to live with their mother Eleanor, “who had the countenance of a queen, a regal being, an unassailable authority.”

      Harper lives with her dog, Fish, on Martha’s Vineyard. Harper went to live with her father when her parents divorced. She has been taking care of her father the whole time he has been sick and simultaneously having an affair and falling in love with her father’s doctor. When her affair is discovered she escapes the island and the rumors by going to stay at her sisters house to care for her niece.

      The sisters end up switching islands and lives. Tabitha returns to her father's home in Nantucket to remodel the house and get it ready to sale and ends up gets romantically involved with the carpenter working on the house.

      “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.”

      This wasn’t my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book. It wasn’t terrible, but some of her others are way better. To me, it just felt a little too mushy and chick-litty. It would be the perfect book for a day at the beach.
    • 4/5
      Elin Hilderbrand's latest novel, The Identicals, is set alternately on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. This is a diversion from her novels usually being set solely on Nantucket. Since I've been to Martha's Vineyard, I enjoyed reading about some of the locations that are familiar.

      The Identicals is about identical twin sisters who haven't spoken in 14 years because of an argument. One sister, Tabitha, is an astute business woman who has lived with her mother since their parents' divorce. The other sister, Harper, has a laid-back attitude, has lived with their father, and taken care of him for a long time due to his illness. Family circumstances force the sisters to talk to each other, sparks fly, and some intriguing scenes develop. All very entertaining.

      Ms. Hilderbrand has written a well-plotted novel with an engaging story line. She has included some interesting characters who help to lighten up the novel.
    • 4/5
      Fun summer read
    • 5/5
      I had to stay up way too late to finish this last night; this is my favourite Elin Hilderbrand so far, I loved it.

      The story of identical twins is always fascinating; their connection, their habits, their feelings. Harper and Tabitha started out with that connection, they were as close as two people could be. Then there was the parental split and that initiated a rift between the girls that eventually years later brought them to the point where they were barely speaking. (For the record, I think the way that Billy and Eleanor split the girls was terrible, they never should have been separated). So, by a 2 out of 3 win of rock, paper, scissors, it was decided that Harper would go with her father on Martha's Vineyard and Tabitha would go with Eleanor on Nantucket. Separated by 11 miles of water, it may as well have been another universe; for the most part, each stayed on their own island. Their upbringing was totally different; Tabitha became a stuck up, driven, workaholic raising a rebellious daughter and Harper became a bit of a train wreck. And for the last 14 years, contact was pretty much non existent.

      At the time of Billy's death, both of their lives were falling apart and they find themselves in each other's territory, not quite living each other's lives, but seeing the other side and maybe what their lives would have been like if things had been different.

      This was such a great story, as all of Elin's books are. I was drawn into the lives of all of them as if I actually knew them and cared about their wellbeing. Sometimes flawed characters can turn you off of a book, but I felt myself loving them like family members as we see their past hurts and resentments and circumstances that have shaped their lives. I was so sorry when this book ended, I would love to read more about these characters in a further book.

      I love when Elin's books are released, right close to summer. They are the perfect beach books, little light but not fluffy or forgettable. They inspire so much of the reader's involvement and emotion and her books stay with me after I have read the
      I do love those few days of my "living on Nantucket".
    • 5/5
      Hilderbrand writes the perfect reads for summer. In this Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket tale, identical twin sisters Harper and Tabitha Frost must come to terms with crazy parents, complicated love lives and rebellious teenage daughter Ainsley to finally be happy. There is a lot going on, but it is a fun book to read, especially if you have ever visited that area in the summer!
    • 4/5
      Remember that cute little girl on Bewitched named Tabitha and how she would twitch her nose and be so adorable. Well, this Tabitha is nothing like that. This Tabitha is not a nice person. She's very snooty, condescending and selfish. And she dislikes her twin sister, Harper, a LOT!

      Harper and Tabitha are identical twins who were separated in their teens when their parents got divorced. Their mother decided she didn't want to be living alone and made the girls pick which one was going to live with her and who was going to live with their father. Yes, Tabitha got a lot of her personality from her uptight mother. Prior to this decision, the girls were best friends and did everything together.

      Fourteen years later, Tabitha has a 16 year old hellion (daughter) and has just kicked out her latest boyfriend. Tabitha lives in Nantucket and has been pampered most of her life without her sister. Harper lives in Martha's Vineyard and has worked every menial job you can think of to make ends meet. She's just lost her latest job and is facing what to do with their father's house after his recent death.

      This was a very good read with just about everything in it. I really felt for Harper and Tabitha definitely got on my nerves. However, I am glad of the time I got to spend with them and really enjoyed it. Definitely a great beach read!

      Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      This was a light and easy read - perfect for the beach. It was predictable and far fetched at times - but it is a great escape from everyday life.
    • 4/5
      The Identicals is the story of twin sisters who are approaching 40 and have been estranged for many years, even though they only live a couple of hours apart.
      They were both self-centered and morally questionable individuals who seemed to be stuck at the maturity level of teenagers.

      Ainsley, the daughter of one of the twins, was a horrible brat, but she seemed to try and improve herself much more effortlessly than the adults. One can give Ainsley a bit of a pass for her bad behavior, as she had little to no parental guidance.

      The one interesting thing about the twins was the scandal that seemed to follow them everywhere. I was shocked at the behavior of Harper and Tabitha at various times throughout the story.

      It was nice to watch each of them grow up a little by the end of the book and rekindle their relationship. I found the circumstances contributing to the twins’ estrangement to be a bit unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the fact that their mother, who seemed in every way a strong, opinionated woman, let the estrangement go on for years until she finally intervened.

      The book was a bit predictable, a bit scandalous, but heartwarming and enjoyable for a summer read. Erin Hildebrand is so great at bringing Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard to the minds of her readers. For those who have never been to these places, there are quite a few passages pointing out the differences in the two and describing the personality of each location.

      I enjoyed the book--it was quite entertaining! This is a great vacation novel or something to read when you aren’t wanting anything too heavy.

      Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      When it comes to special bonds, there is nothing like that between sisters. There are times when you love her and don't know how you would live without her, but there are times when you want nothing to do with her and you feel like there isn't enough distance. But the bond is unshakable. You would go to the ends of the earth for her.

      Sisters can be maddening, but the love shared is unlike any other.

      Having grown up with four sisters (yes, four!) - two of whom I physically lived with, I can speak from experience. My closest sister, my Irish Twin, has been my confidante, my partner in crime, my best friend. She's been my greatest champion and my biggest critic.

      I can only begin to imagine what life would have been like if we were identical twins.

      In The Identicals, the latest release from Elin Hilderbrand (a twin herself), this relationship is beautifully captured. Through dynamic prose and engrossing dialogue, we are given a peek into what life is like with a twin. Hildebrand chronicles a life of childhood games, fun and ease and then delves into adulthood where things get messy.

      Hilderbrand develops characters with ease and brilliance. Each personality within the story has their own nuances and traits that define them. Their descriptions are so detailed, without becoming monotonous, that you feel a part of the community. Get to know the pie maker, the contractor, the rich old lady, the doctor, the bartender - and feel as if you've known them all for years. And, at the core of the story, the twins - Harper and Tabitha. It is difficult to determine who the favorite is because they both become so lovable, for different reasons. You'll find yourself siding with one, then the other, then back to the first, and so it goes. But in the end, you'll wish they were both your sisters.

      Set in beautiful New England, a perfect backdrop for such a romantic story, Hilderbrand captures the landscape so easily, you'll think you're actually there. You can hear the ferry boat running the eleven miles between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. You can taste the clams and hear the Fourth of July Fireworks as if you are there on Lucy Vincent Beach. You can feel the dense heat of a heavy East Coast Summer and want to dip your toes into the Atlantic Ocean to cool off.

      And through all of this, you learn one thing - life throws curve balls. It can break the heart and mend it back together. It can knock you down and give you the courage to get back up. But I wouldn't want to do any of it without a sister to hold my hand, tease me and pull my hair, and love me like only a sister can. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you want to hug your sister and wish she were your twin. Because, after all is said and done, there is nothing like the bond of a sister.

      Guest Reviewer, Kate Kelly