Review: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand 

If you know anything about me, it’s that I love Elin Hilderbrand’s books. I’m a New England girl at heart and love everything about my home, so Hilderbrand’s books are full of nostalgia for me. It’s not summer without one! I was looking forward to

Synopsis: Based on the film Same Time, Next Year, 28 Summers follows the lives of Jake and Mallory as they navigate a bittersweet relationship. Mallory lives on Nantucket, Jake in DC. They meet one fateful Labor Day Weekend when Jake in off with his “on again, off again” girlfriend Ursula. Though their attraction is strong, Jake and Mallory decide to make a “same time, next year” deal: they’ll meet every Labor Day Weekend, no matter what. We follow their 28 year affair, through marriages, children, weddings, and divorces and witness how this relationship complicates and enriches their lives. 

What I Liked: 

  • The characters—I loved Jake and Mallory. I think they were some of Hilderbrand’s best! I loved their relationship (when they were together) and fully felt their connection. The side characters are also so wonderful. The beauty of this novel is that is Jake and Mallory’s story but we see how their decisions effect everyone else in their lives. 

  • The Setting—As always, I LOVE going to Nantucket and other parts of the eastern seaboard with Hilderbrand’s story telling. It’s always so vivid and dreamy. It makes me crave the salty air immediately! Which brings me to…

  • The Writing—Hilderbrand can write about food like no one else. I don’t believe in shaming “beach reads” and always find myself drawn to her writing. What can I say, I’m a fan! But..

Not everything worked for me in this novel. 

What Didn’t Work: 

  • The premise—Honestly, I loved Jake and Mallory. But the idea of a 28 year affair kinda broke my heart. I didn’t find it romantic. It just made me sad! While I love Hilderbrand’s exploration of imperfect characters, the decades long deception just made me feel kinda icky. She’s written about infidelity before and it hasn’t bothered me. This one just left me pretty conflicted. 

TW/CW: infidelity, sexual assault, death of a parent, car accident, cancer, death, alcoholism, suicidal ideation

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam: 2/5 Overall Rating:3.9/5