A “captivating and bittersweet” novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of ‘69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades–but this could be the summer that changes everything (People). When Mallory Blessing’s son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he’s not sure what to expect. But he certainly … he’s not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It’s the late spring of 2020 and Jake’s wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.
There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?
Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother’s bachelor party. Cooper’s friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere–through marriage, children, and Ursula’s stratospheric political rise–until Mallory learns she’s dying.
Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love.
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My favorite book this summer!!!!
I usually like all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books but this one left much to be desired. I found it very hard to believe that anyone would be satisfied with only spending 1 weekend a year with their lover.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration by Erin Bennett was very good.
The book started out with a prologue that let you know this wasn’t going to be a happy book. That knowledge was hanging over me for the entire rest of the book. I really should have gone with my gut and stopped reading there. This book gutted me. I like my HEAs and this sure didn’t have one.
I was also thrown off by the way each chapter started. It was something like, “And what are we talking about in 1978?” It just seemed a little strange to me.
I think I wanted to like it more because it is and Elin Hilderbrand book and I was expecting something different from such a big name. That is solely on me. The book was well written and the characters were very well developed, even if their actions weren’t what I would have wanted. The story development and the things the characters went through were sure enough to make you think about what you are doing with your own life.
Fun summer reading!
A bittersweet love story that weaves several twists in the lives of its main characters. Mallory is so likeable it’s hard to be disappointed in her for her long-time, once-a-year affair with Jake, a man married to a not-so-likable woman. Elin Hilderbrand does beach-scene novels better than anyone, and Nantucket is the perfect setting for the 28 Summers of this escapist romance. Her prose is so sensual you can feel the ocean breezes and smell the salt air. I only wish the author hadn’t given away the sad ending in the first two pages.
Enjoyed the book and especially loved the trip down memory lane at the beginning of each chapter. Characters were realistic and story line was consistent and easy to follow. A great read!
4.8
This was my first book by Elin Hilderbrand and I’m a little disappointed I haven’t read any of her books before now.
I was hooked pretty early. I devoured it. All I wanted to do was read it and when I had to do something else to do all I could think about was getting back to it. I absolutely loved Mallory and Jake. Mallory is one of my favorite characters. I love her love of books, her views, her free spirit, her individuality. And I love the relationship between her and Jake. I think affairs are wicked and one of the worst things you could do but I loved the characters so much that I was still rooting for them, I wanted their meetups to work and last. It was so wrong but the characters made it feel so right.
Not a full 5 for me because I wish we were given more between the characters at the end. I didn’t mind how it ended but when I turned the page and realized there was no more chapters I had a “you’re kidding me” moment. I also found myself getting frustrated at times with the characters and their decisions but I know there would be no story if everything just worked out from the get-go.
Books that make me emotional always end up on my favorites. If a piece of writing can move me to tears that tells me I am totally invested in the characters. For this book I BAWLED. Added to favorites
I LOVE Elin Hildebrand, and this was one of her best yet. I want to read it again to see what I missed the first time.
LB & BM 4ever.
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Loved it! Couldn’t put it down.
This was a great read. I have suggested it to several friends and they all liked it.
it was an ok book. I just wasn’t impressed. I can’t relate to a heroine who would waste her life waiting for a married man nor a hero who wasn’t gutsy enough to be with the woman he loved.
Parts were hard to believe, but a love story none the same
Love all of her books
Elin Hildebrand proves again why she is such a beloved author. Her characters are so detailed and interesting, they become real. I am not a cryer, but the end of this book touched me so much I was filling up. She writes the kind of books that I hate to finish. And they stay on my mind long after I read the last page. Now the long wait for her winter release. Well worth the wait though. Thank you, Elin .
Usually love Elin’s books, but for ME, this one fell short. Too many veiled political comments and a lot of things made out to be acceptable that shouldn’t be.
This was the best book that I have read by Ms. Hilderbrand in a while! It kept me engaged and entertained for hours. I loved the story of Mallory and Jake and their “Same Time Next Year” romance. I must admit that there were many characters with some deep flaws and the lack of total commitment between the main characters was frustrating. There were characters that I loved to hate, like the very entitled Ursula, but that was to be expected in a novel that covers almost three decades of the lives of the characters. I especially enjoyed the look back in history at the beginning of each chapter, knowing that the author did a good job of researching what would reverberate with her readers. The plot took second place to the character development, but it was well done and created a feeling of immersion in the beach community at Nantucket. Fans of the author and of beach reads that will pull you in will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
I checked out a copy of this book from my local library using the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
OMG!!! I couldn’t read this fast enough!
I’m an Elin fan and this book is, in my opinion one of her best.
What an awesome story, characters and setting blending family, friendships, love and sadness.
So many emotions throughout the book. Oh and bonus stars for the yearly references and the continued mention of my favorite Cat Stevens album.
I look forward to the new Elin Hilderbrand book each year. I love going back to Nantucket in her stories. The descriptions are so vivid that I feel like I am there. This was an interesting book in the fact that it starts in the present and then goes back 28 years and moves forward from there back to the present. Although I did like some of the characters, I found them frustrating at times in the story. This was a good summer read, but not my favorite book by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.